Summer 2025 Resources
We hope all of our families have a wonderful summer full of joy and laughter!
To make your planning easier for 2025-2026, we will gather resources here in one central place this summer. Please see below for information on our required summer reading, supply lists, and other relevant details. The page will be updated throughout the summer with new information.
A Note About Hot Lunch for the 2025-2026 School Year (originally sent via email 8/21/25)
Dear Gesher Families,
We hope you are all enjoying the last few days of your summer and cannot wait to see you on Monday for Supply Drop (featuring a few treats from our amazing PTO)! During the lead-up to school, we know you are wondering about the logistical details of school, like aftercare hours, bus stops, and lunch. We wanted to send a quick update with the information we have at this time about our lunch program.
Over the past few years, we have used a wonderful vendor, but they required us to subsidize the cost of lunch to sustain the operation. Unfortunately, this was no longer feasible for us as a school, and therefore, we will not be running the same hot lunch program as last year. However, we also know that many parents rely on the convenience of ordering lunch regularly and want to meet that need.
We have spent the summer exploring various options, and we are currently in talks to offer kosher lunches two or three times each week, but we have not finalized the details yet. As soon as we have more information on what the program will look like for this year, we will share that with you. We hope to have this program up and running in the first month of school. For now, all students will need to pack their own kosher dairy lunch for the start of the school year. As always, if your child forgets lunch one day, we will have emergency supplies available. For more information on Gesher’s kosher lunch standards, please see pages 19 and 20 in the Family Guide.
Thank You For Your Partnership
Aviva Walls,
Head of School
Brendan Dowd,
Director of Facilities and Operations
Reminder! Required Summer Reading
At Gesher, we believe that reading is not just a skill—it’s a gateway to learning. That’s why all students entering 1st grade and up must participate in summer reading each year.
Summer reading helps our students build their reading habits. When children continue reading during the summer, they retain more of what they’ve learned during the school year and return to the classroom ready to learn. Further, reading regularly builds intellectual stamina, expands vocabulary, and fosters curiosity.
Here are some important notes:
- For students entering 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade, we encourage you to read to and with your children.
- Listening to the books as an audiobook is perfectly fine. However, we ask that each child own a physical copy of the book and bring it to school on the first day.
- Some grades list more than what is required. Please note that:
- In Elementary school, your child is expected to choose one book from the list to read.
- In Middle School, your child is expected to choose two books or read both books listed.
Click here for our full 25-26 Academic Calendar
All new Gesher students (regardless of grade level) are required to have the following documents on file with the school by August 27, 2025, the start of the year.
- Copy of their birth certificate (you can come into the office and we will make a copy)
- Current, up-to-date Health Form and Immunization Record
Health forms and immunization records may be mailed or scanned and emailed to Taylor May by July 31.
There are also a handful of forms that should be filled out either through FACTS. These forms can be accessed by logging into your FACTS account. You then click “School” on the left-hand menu, followed by “Web Forms.” You will then have a list of all the forms you need to fill out. Questions regarding access to these forms can be directed to Taylor May.
The names of these forms, as well as their due dates, are below:
- Health Information (due 7/31)
- Bus Contracts (due 7/31)
- Emergency Contacts (due 8/15)
- Authorized Pick-ups (due 8/15)
- Carpool Registration (due 8/15)
Finally, there are PDF forms. These forms are required for students with allergies or who will be receiving regular medication at school this upcoming year. Click on the name of the form below to download and fill out the PDF.
- Epi-Pen Consent Form
- Prescription Consent Form
- Over-the-counter Medication Consent Form
- Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Emergency Care Plan Form
For shorter-term medications, please get in touch with our clinician, Malki Doninger.
Ride The Bus to Gesher
Gesher offers three bus routes that travel to different areas of Northern Virginia throughout the school year. Please take a look at the schedule here to find out which route goes to the area you live in. Questions about which bus stop is right for you? Reach out to Brendan Dowd and he can help you determine which bus stop will suit your needs.
Ready to Sign Up? Every student that will be riding the bus at any point during the 2025-2026 school year needs a signed bus contract. You can fill this out in FACTS in the Web forms section. Specific directions below.
- Go to FACTS and log in
- On the left, click SCHOOL then click WEB FORMS
- In the center window click BUS SERVICE CONTRACT 25-26
- Next to your student’s name click BUS SERVICE CONTRACT 25-26
- Repeat steps above for every student you have attending Gesher/riding the bus during the 25-26 school year.
MoEd Aftercare
Gesher is proud to offer MoEd Aftercare programming for our families. See the flyers here and here as well as the message below from MoEd’s Ilisa St Pierre.
MoEd is a natural extension of the powerful learning already happening at Gesher. What sets us apart is our immersive Hebrew environment. All of our programming emphasizes Hebrew, allowing children to absorb the language in a natural and engaging way. Through songs, games, stories, and hands-on activities, students strengthen their conversational Hebrew in real-life, playful contexts—without even realizing how much they’re learning!
Led by Israeli staff in a camp-like atmosphere, MoEd helps students continue to build their Jewish identity, Hebrew fluency, and pride in Israel—not just in the classroom, but through their everyday passions and interests. Above are flyers with information about our fall enrichment classes and aftercare options.
The more participation we have, the more we can grow! If you have any questions, I’m available all summer at ilisa@moedcommunity.org or 703-625-0782.
Summer Playdates
- Tuesday, July 22nd at 6:00 PM – South Run Rec Center, Springfield (hosted by the Smolinskys)
- Sunday, July 27th at 11:00 AM – Fairlington Community Center, Arlington (hosted by the Hallorans)
- Sunday, August 17th at 10:30 AM – Location TBD, Fairfax (hosted by the Hewsons)
Supply Lists
Every grade has its own supply list requirements. To see what your student will need on the first day of school next year, see their grade level linked below.