The Open House, Pep Rally, and Back to School Night events are all organized by Laurel Ridge Elementary School (not its PTA). The information below was sent to all enrolled students via e-mail. We have copied it below for your reference. 

07/10/2025

Greetings Laurel Ridge Families.

I hope that you are enjoying a wonderful summer!  It’s hard to believe that the 25-26 school year is right around the corner.  Please mark your calendars for the following welcome events, with more information to come soon.

Pre-K & Kindergarten Open House: Friday, August 15th, 9:00 am – 10:00 am
We are excited to welcome our newest lions in preschool and kindergarten to visit their classrooms and meet their teachers when the school is a little bit quieter than the traditional Open House. Popsicles will be served on the front porch following classroom visits.

LRES 55th Anniversary Popsicle Pep Rally: Friday, August 15th, 10:00 - 10:30 am
Join us for popsicles on the playground to celebrate Laurel Ridge’s 55th birthday and be ready for an exciting surprise!

Open House Grades 1 - 6: Friday, August 15th, 10:30 - 11:30 am
Our in-person Open House opportunity will help our families prepare for the new year and learn more about their child’s classroom teacher. Students will be provided an opportunity to see their classrooms and begin developing positive relationships as a classroom community.

Back to School Night: Tuesday, Sept. 16th 6:00 – 8:00 pm
These sessions are an opportunity for parents and caregivers to learn about grade level curriculum, classroom procedures, schoolwide expectations, and more.

  • 6:00 – 6:45 pm: PS - 6 (Session 1)

  • 7:00 – 7:45 pm: PS - 6 (Session 2) This session will be a repeat of Session 1 for families who have more than one child.

Thank you,
Megan Counts
​​​​​​​Principal

Each year we ask our staff to fill out a survey about their favorite things and classroom needs. Parents sometimes use the information in these forms to support a teacher's wish list or buy a birthday/holiday gift. Not every teacher chooses to participate, so if your teacher is not included feel free to ask them about their favorite things! The teacher and staff members are listed in Alphabetical Order. Click the link below for the 2025-26 lists!

(link coming soon!)

 

 
Fairfax County SEPTA (Special Education PTA): https://fairfaxcountysepta.org
 
Upcoming Community Events for Parent of Students with Disabilities
 
All these opportunities are online and FREE unless noted.
In most cases you must register if registration information is provided.
 
Ongoing and On Demand courses follow this monthly list of events.  
When other events become available they will be posted at:  https://fairfaxcountysepta.org/upcoming-community-events/
 
Ongoing and On Demand
 
Dyslexia & the IEP: How to Make Sure the IEP Is in Tip-Top Shape
Webinar, available 24/7
 
Accommodations for Recreational Classes and Camps with Fairfax County Parks
Accommodations include physical accessibility, ASL interpreters, assistive devices, sensitivity training for classmates, and staff training.
To request accommodations, email gary.logue@fairfaxcounty.gov or 703 324-8563
 
Scholarships for Classes with Fairfax County Parks
Children of families that receive public assistance (medicaid, free school lunch, SNAP, TANF) are eligible to take one set of classes per quarter for a $15 registration fee.
 
NAMI Basics
This 6-session course is for adults who provide care for youth (ages 22 and younger) who are experiencing mental health symptoms (including ADHD and ASD).
 
Wrightslaw Special Education Law and Advocacy Training
Learn about special education law, rights and responsibilities; tests to measure progress and regression; SMART IEPs; and strategies for effective advocacy.
 
The Parent Playbook — 9 Module Online Course on Autism
From the VCU Autism Center for Excellence & Virginia Autism Council. An introduction on Autism Spectrum Disorder for families, including tips for caregivers, characteristics, interventions and recommended programs and services.
 

LRES AAP Resources - Compiled by LRES AAP Resource Teacher, Janet McHale. 

Please visit the link below to review the information in the FCPS AAP Fall Newsletter for information about the continuum of advanced academic services, screening information, ability testing, an upcoming parent information meeting, and more. Please reach out to our Advanced Academic Resource Teacher, Janet McHale, at jamchale@fcps.edu with any questions. Thank you!

https://wakelet.com/wake/7tKVwrU0cEhKQcYDww1y0

Resources for Advanced Academic Learners

TED Ed - TED-Ed is TED’s youth and education initiative. TED-Ed’s mission is to spark and celebrate the ideas of teachers and students around the world. Everything we do supports learning — from producing a growing library of original animated videos , to providing an international platform for teachers to create their own interactive lessons, to helping curious students around the globe bring TED to their schools and gain presentation literacy skills, to celebrating innovative leadership within TED-Ed’s global network of over 650,000 teachers.

Atlas Obscura - In an age where everything seems to have been explored and there is nothing new to be found, we celebrate a different way of looking at the world. If you’re searching for miniature cities, glass flowers, books bound in human skin, gigantic flaming holes in the ground, bone churches, balancing pagodas, or homes built entirely out of paper, the Atlas Obscura is where you’ll find them.

Hoagies’ Gifted Education Page - Giftedness: Everything parents, educators, administrators, counselors, psychologists, and gifted children & teens need to know, including articles and research.

The Kid Should See This - The Kid Should See This™ is a growing library of smart & super-cool, ‘not-made-for-kids, but perfect for them’ videos that can be watched in the classroom or together at home. Enjoy 8-12 new vids each week, and search 3,000+ videos in the archives, curated by me, Rion Nakaya, with help from my 6 & 9 year olds.

 

Military-Connected Families

Military Family Life Counselors (MFLC)

Behavioral Health Consultant at Fort Belvoir (Families who receive Primary Care Services at FBCH Family Medicine, Fairfax Clinic, Dumfries Clinic)

Seasons of My Military Student

School Liaisons

FCPS and Tutor.com - FCPS students have unlimited access to 24/7, on-demand, online tutoring support services through Tutor.com at no cost to families.  Students can connect online any time, any place, and in most K-12 subjects for however long they need. Tutoring may be on-demand and/or scheduled at a time convenient for the student and/or family.

FCPS Parent Resource Center - FCPS Parent Resource Center (PRC) offers a welcoming and engaging environment for families, educators, and community members. They provide access to information and resources to support the success of all students, including those with learning challenges, special needs, and disabilities.

Summer Activities PRC -Suggestions for independent play, water play, family-time activities, and other resources.

Summer Survival Guide PRC - PRC wants to help you have the best possible summer, whether you are feeling worn out from the last year or ready to do it all.  We are breaking it down to a topic a day to help you think through your options, have conversations with your family, and implement new strategies to set you and your family up for success.

Special Needs Summer Camps: The PRC organized a list of summer camps that are accessible to children with special needs.  The summer camps listed here are provided for informational purposes only. They do not reflect recommendations or endorsements by Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) or The FCPS Parent Resource Center. Please contact the camps directly for fees and availability.

Khan Academy -Created by experts, Khan Academy’s library of trusted, standards-aligned practice and lessons covers math K-12 through early college, grammar, science, history, AP®, SAT®, and more. It’s all free for learners and teachers.

Common Sense Media - Since 2003, Common Sense has been the leading source of entertainment and technology recommendations for families and schools. Every day, millions of parents and educators trust Common Sense reviews and advice to help them navigate the digital world with their kids. Together with policymakers, industry leaders, and global media partners, we're building a digital world that works better for all kids, their families, and their communities.

We’re excited to announce a Carpool Connections form that will let LRES families help each other out!

Are you in need of a carpool buddy to help make student drop-off or pick-up easier? Or, are you doing okay but interested in helping out another family? Do you live far from school? Do you live close by? In need of a daily carpool? Only looking for occasional help? This form is for ANY current LRES family looking to make a carpool connection of some kind!

Whether you’re in a pinch or have some extra capacity to help others, we’d love for you to join in. Even if you don’t need help yourself, please consider filling out the form to help others. Your generosity could make a big difference for another Laurel Ridge family. 

How does it work?
If you are interested in being a part of this carpool connections list, please complete this form. View-access of the spreadsheet of responses will be shared via email with all who complete it. Once you can view the spreadsheet, you can make direct contact with families who seem like a good match for your carpool needs. The list will continue to grow as people complete the form, so be sure to check back!