We are Proud to Be Panthers!

Discover What Makes Our School Shine

Panther Pact

At Bush Hill, we follow our Panther Pact values: Appreciate, Include, Empathize, and We All Belong. We love seeing our students grow in their commitment to creating a positive and inclusive learning environment. See how our students embrace our Panther Pact!

Special Olympics Unified Champion School

Bush Hill was the first elementary school in Virginia to receive the honor of Special Olympics Unified Champion School. Schools given this title create a school climate where students with disabilities feel welcome and are routinely included in, and feel a part of, all activities, opportunities and functions. This is accomplished by implementing inclusive sports, inclusive youth leadership opportunities, and whole school engagement.

As part of this effort, our school participates in the Special Olympics Little Feet Meet every spring. Bush Hill student athletes from across all grades, in both general education and special education, compete together in this inclusive track meet event.

Green Flag Award for Environmental Stewardship

Bush Hill is one of only 56 schools nationwide to earn the Green Flag award from the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) through the EcoSchools U.S. program. Schools earn this honor by demonstrating their commitment to sustainability measures. learn more about the student projects that earned us this honor. 

We also partnered with the Fairfax County Watershed Education & Outreach Department to install a pollinator garden outside of our school building. Students help maintain the garden and contribute to the beautification of our school grounds, all while learning about the plant life cycle and our ecosystem!

Purple Star School

Bush Hill has earned the Distinguished Purple Star School Designation. Purple Star Schools are recognized by the Virginia Department of Education and the Virginia Council on the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children for their dedication to helping military-connected students and their families. 

Teachers from Around the World

We were one of the first FCPS schools to host ambassador teachers from the Participate Learning program, which brings in experienced educators from around the world to teach in U.S. schools. Our ambassador teachers hail from Jamaica, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago this year. Last year we also hosted someone from the Philippines. 

Multicultural and Multilingual Support

Our school has more than 30 languages spoken by families and staff in our school community. Our bilingual and multilingual office staff members and family liaisons are able to help connect non-English speaking community members with the information and assistance they need to support their children and ensure academic success.

Back to School Welcome Walk

Every year before the school year begins our teachers and staff head out into the neighborhood on a Welcome Walk to meet our students and families. We love getting our community excited for learning!

Extraordinary Field Trips

Our teachers plan amazing field trips for our students, including the Science Museum in Baltimore, the Smithsonian museums, and more. See our 5th graders’ trip to explore the Chesapeake Bay Watershed!

Young Scholars

Bush Hill offers the Young Scholars program, designed to identify and support students with high academic potential who may face additional barriers to accessing and reaching their full potential in Advanced Academic Programming. These may include students who are economically disadvantaged, twice-exceptional, or multilingual learners.

Full-Time Advanced Academic Program Center

Our school is an Advanced Academic Program (AAP) center school, offering a full-time advanced academic program with differentiated instruction in all four core content areas (Language Arts, mathematics, social studies, and science). This environment allows students to explore and express their ideas with other highly able peers, while also participating with the entire student body in school-based activities such as music, physical education, and student government.