First Days of School

August 16, 2026

Dear Fairfax Families,

Welcome back to another exciting year at Fairfax Elementary School! We hope your summer has been filled with time to rest, reconnect, and make wonderful memories. Our entire Fairfax team is ready to welcome our Tigers back for a year filled with learning, growth, connection and joy.

The first day of school for students in Grades 1–5 is Wednesday, August 19, 2026 (Kinder families, keep reading)! We are so excited to see our returning Tigers and begin a new school year together.

🐯 Let’s Kick Off the Year Together!

We will begin the school year with some special opportunities for our families:

Grades 1–5 Clap-In

Our first day will begin with our traditional Fairfax Clap-In on the playground! Families are invited to help us welcome students as they arrive and celebrate the beginning of a new school year. We can't wait to fill the halls with Tiger pride! We will begin gathering on the playground at 8:20 AM. We will begin clapping students in the building at 8:45 AM.

Kindergarten Staggered Start
Our newest Tigers will have a special staggered start to help make the transition to kindergarten comfortable and successful. For those Kinders who begin on Wednesday, August 19, meet us on the play ground with the rest of our returning students. Kinders coming on Thursday can meet us at the front doors.

• Wednesday, August 19: Kindergarten students with last names A–I and select S–Z

• Thursday, August 20: Kindergarten students with last names J–R and select S–Z

• Friday, August 21: No kindergarten students attend

• Monday, August 24: First full day of kindergarten for ALL Kindergarten Students

Kindergarten families will receive a phone call from their child's classroom teacher on Thursday evening, August 20, or Friday, August 21, letting you know your child's classroom assignment.

On Monday morning, we will also celebrate our kindergarteners with a special Kindergarten Clap-In at 8:45 AM! We can't wait to welcome our newest Tigers into the Fairfax family!

👋Teacher Meet and Greet

We are also looking forward to welcoming all Fairfax families to our Teacher Meet & Greet on Monday, August 17 from 2:30-3:30 PM. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet our staff, visit classrooms and start building a strong home-school partnership that makes our school community special.

📚 Curriculum Night

Mark your calendars for Curriculum Night on Tuesday, August 25, 2026 from 5:30-7:30 PM! This evening will give families an opportunity to learn more about what students will be learning this year, classroom expectations, curriculum, and ways you can support your child's success at home.

More information about the schedule and grade band times will be shared soon.

📋 One Important To-Do: Complete Your PAU!

We need every Fairfax family to complete the Parent Annual Update (PAU) in Infinite Campus.

Right now, 73% of our building has completed the PAU—which means we still need 27% of our families to finish!

Please take a few minutes to log into Infinite Campus and complete your child's Annual Update. This information is extremely important because it ensures that we have the most current contact, emergency, and student information for your child.

If you have not completed your PAU yet, please make it a priority to do so as soon as possible.

We are incredibly excited about the 2026–2027 school year. At Fairfax, we believe that every child deserves to feel known, valued, supported, and challenged, and we are committed to partnering with you to make that happen.

Thank you for trusting us with your children. We are ready to learn, grow, laugh, and celebrate together!

Welcome back, Fairfax Tigers! 🐯💛🖤

With Tiger Pride,

Dr. Andrea C. Walker
Principal
Fairfax Elementary School

Monday, August 17

• Teacher Meet and Greet 2:30 PM -3:30 PM

Wednesday, August 19

• First Day of School

• Grades 1-5 - First Day of School - Clap-In on the Playground

• Staggered start for Kindergartners last names A-I and select last names S-Z

• Staggered Start for Kindergartners last names J-R and select last names S-Z

• No Kindergarten Students report (see the letter sent to families)

• All Kindergartners Start - Clap-In at the Front Door

Tuesday, August 25

• Curriculum Night 5:30-7:30 PM

• PTA Ice Cream Social 5:30-7:30 PM

• Homecoming Parade

• Sneaker Ball

• Picture Day

• Trunk or Treat