Lane Lions Learn and Lead with Pride!

10 Reasons Lane Elementary Stands Out

At Lane Elementary we live our school motto every day as we “Communicate, Collaborate, and Care.” 

We strive to create a caring space in which Lane Lions of alll ages feel confident and connected. Our focus on communication builds skills and boosts collaborative relationships, inside the classroom and within our larger community. Teamwork among students makes learning fun while building critical skills, staff collaboration highlights experience and develops talents, and our relationships with families connect them to learning and strengthens our community. Most importantly, our warm and welcoming culture makes everyone – students, staff, and families – feel like they belong. 

Family Partnerships Boost Success for All

The three pillars of our motto lead us naturally to partner with parents and others who care for our students at home to help boost student success. We recognize that parents are their children’s first teachers and that they have knowledge to share that we need to fully serve and educate our students. Caregivers are a vital part of our educational team. 

We build these key partnerships through hosting teacher conferences early in the school year, keeping parents informed about class and school activities, fostering two-way communication to promote conversation and connection, and welcoming parents and guardians into the school as visitors and volunteers in a variety of ways. Our many family-friendly events, sponsored by the school and by our dedicated Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), offer a chance for our families to come together and build relationships with each other. These opportunities include grade-level potluck breakfasts, “Popsicles on the Playground” before school begins, monthly restaurant nights, and many more!

Collaboration Builds Community

Lane Lions of all ages work together to boost our strengths and build relationships every day. Staff collaborate through learning team meetings and schoolwide committees. School rounds, where teachers visit other classrooms to watch their colleagues in action, and staff-led professional learning sessions allow school leaders to share their knowledge. Students collaborate every day through group work and sharing activities. Every classroom starts the day with a community-building Morning Meeting, where the teacher and students greet each other, share a morning message, and participate in a group activity. This is a key part of Responsive Classroom, a student-centered teaching and discipline approach that focuses on creating safe, engaging, and supportive learning environments. 

We Make Our Military Families Feel at Home

In 2018, Lane was one of the first Fairfax County Public Schools to receive the Purple Star designation in recognition of the support provided to the military families in our community. Today, more than 20 percent of our students are military-connected, and we continue to expand our understanding of and supports for the many unique challenges our military lions face as they serve our country.  

Our staff includes a Military Family Life Counselor, who works with students and their families to ease transitions and coordinate supports, and our Student Ambassadors program, which fosters peer-to-peer support, includes many military-connected students. Events throughout the school year – from Blue Star Welcome Week and Veterans Day events in the fall, to Month of the Military Child activities in the spring – help these families feel at home for as long as they are with us.

Diversity Is One of Our Greatest Strengths

Our Lane Lions den has international flair, with students coming from more than 30 countries and speaking nearly that many languages at home. We celebrate this diversity throughout the year, including our annual Celebration of Cultures Night and our new CARE (Cultural Awareness & Recognition Event) Nights that offer the chance for families to explore seasonal holidays and awareness months from many different cultures. 

We strive to ensure that our multilingual learners and their families receive the language support they need to succeed and that they are engaged and participate in activities with their peers. Some of our Student Ambassadors, who help welcome new students to our school, are bilingual.
 

Inclusion Opens Doors and Promotes Understanding

Our diverse student body also includes learners with many different needs and abilities. Our goal at Lane is for every child to feel welcome, safe, and included in our community and that all students continue to learn how to be respectful, inclusive, and accepting of differences in others. 

We participate in unified sports, with student teams of all abilities, and in the Little Feet Meet in the spring. Our PTA Inclusion Committee helps ensure events consider all student needs, shares resources, and sponsors “Play & Chat” playdates where families of students with special needs can connect. The PTA also supports “Walk in My Shoes,” a station-based program in which hands-on, interactive empathy-building activities enable students in P.E. classes to experience the perspectives of individuals with visual, communication, fine motor, and sensory differences, along with individuals with food allergies and Multilingual Learners. 

Differentiated Instruction Makes the Difference

Our focus on inclusion is just one of the ways we structure instruction to make learning accessible and engaging to students of all abilities. Lessons include scaffolds to support different levels of learning, and all classrooms include Flexible Intervention Time (FIT) groupings every day. Trained resource teachers offer specialized support for advanced learners, students with special needs, and multilingual learners. 

Math, Literacy, and STEAM Take Center Stage

At Lane we prioritize the core curriculum, with a special focus on math, literacy, and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math). Our full-time Math and Reading specialists not only support students but also meet with classroom teachers weekly for data discussions to make sure students are progressing. Our STEAM Lab, home to our full-time STEAM teacher, and our Computer Lab, staffed by our School-Based Technology Specialist, provides weekly dedicated time to learn and explore.

Fine Arts Flourish

In addition to the weekly STEAM lessons, which often incorporate a creative and artistic element, our students explore both music and art regularly, taught by talented and dedicated specialists. 

In weekly art classes, students experience the creative process from initial concept to finished masterpiece through a variety of materials. Even nature plays a part, as art lessons move outside to our school garden! Our two full-time art teachers showcase student artwork throughout the building, which brightens it for all.

Students in all grades participate in General Music classes at least once per week. Younger students (kindergarten through 3rd grade) have two sessions each week. Older students may choose to learn to play an instrument through our Band program (grades 5 and 6) or Strings program (grades 4, 5, and 6), which offer concert opportunities each year. All 5th and 6th grade students may also choose an additional Chorus elective each week. Our Chorus performs two concerts each year at school occasionally at community events as well.

Extracurriculars Build Leadership and Skills

Lane supports a roster of optional extracurricular opportunities, which encourage students to delve deeper into areas of interest and develop their leadership skills. 

• Safety Patrols model good citizenship as they work to keep students safe getting to and from school each day. 
• Student Ambassadors serve as buddies to help new students acclimate and help ensure a welcoming environment for all. 
• News Show anchors and technicians help produce the show each day to keep all Lane Lions informed about school events and activities.
• Yearbook staff members help capture memories from the year and create a keepsake.
• Our annual Spelling Bee offers students the chance to hone their spelling skills and compete to represent our school at the countywide level.
• Young Scholars gives interested students opportunities to dig into challenging academic projects after school.

The PTA also sponsors a before- and after-school enrichment program throughout the year, with rotating offerings ranging from chess to Zumba! Some of these sessions are taught by Lane staff members, who share their interests and talents with students.  

Spirit Soars as Together We Roar!

School spirit is strong at Lane Elementary! We start our year with Kindergarten Color Days, as the whole school dresses in the color of the day to help our littlest lions learn, and we end each quarter with an entire week of themed Spirit Days sponsored by the SCA. In between, it’s not unusual to find an additional themed day tied to a special event or holiday. Lane Lions just can’t resist a chance show their spirit together and ROAR!!

Lane Elementary is more than just a school, it's a place where everyone feels like part of the pride!