September 17-21, 2001

• FCPS Center for Promoting Family Learning to Hold Open House and Ribbon Cutting
• School Leaders Speak Out on Need for Respect and Understanding
• FCPS Reports Significant Rise In 2001 Developmental Reading Assessment Scores
• Coalition of Fairfax County Parents and Students to Sponsor Candidate Forum
• FCPS Will Pay for PSATs for Tenth Grade Students

  
  

The Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Center for Promoting Family Learning, formerly the Parenting Education Center, will celebrate its new name and location with a ribbon cutting and open house on Thursday, September 20, from 2 to 6 p.m. The center has relocated to the Brown Building at 9735 Main Street in Fairfax. The public is invited to attend the program.

Superintendent of Schools Daniel Domenech and Nancy Sprague, assistant superintendent for the Instructional Services Department, will participate in the ceremony along with many FCPS staff members.

The center changed its name to better reflect its mission and how the center can meet the needs of today's families and provide information to professionals who work with families. The Center for Promoting Family Learning is part of the FCPS Instructional Services Department.

For more information, contact Lynne Whildin, FCPS Center for Promoting Family Learning, 703-277-2626.

 

 

 

School Leaders Speak Out on Need for Respect and Understanding

On Thursday, September 20, 2001, at a press conference held at the Fairfax County Government Center, Fairfax County School Board Chairman Jane Strauss and Superintendent of Schools Daniel A. Domenech publicly expressed sympathy for those who suffered losses in last week's terrorist bombings.

Mrs. Strauss declared that the most important goal is "ensuring that all our children feel safe at school." She vowed that, in Fairfax County schools, no one "will become a target for harassment because of his or her religion, culture, or country of birth." [The complete text of Mrs. Strauss's remarks is attached.]

Superintendent Domenech noted a number of initiatives that are related to tolerance and understanding and are under way to address the immediate critical needs of students and families.

• Last week, the school system set up briefings by local experts-including people from the Fairfax County Department of Family Services and the Center for Multicultural Human Services--on the needs of Middle Eastern, Arab-American, and Muslim students.
• The Superintendent has reached out to leaders in the Muslim community and will be meeting with them next week to discuss ways in which the school system can promote understanding. Other outreach initiatives are under way through the Department of Special Services.
• New K-12 lesson plans on teaching tolerance are being written by staff members of the Departments of Special Services and Instructional Services. These lesson plans will focus on helping students develop respect and understanding for others.
• The school system is using material from the National Association of School Psychologists to develop and disseminate materials for teachers and parents on promoting peace and tolerance. Fairfax County Public Schools has already received national recognition for translating these materials into other languages.
• The school system is using every available means-including the web, cable television, fax, and broadcast e-mail-to get helpful information to parents about school events and ways in which parents can comfort and counsel their children.

"All these new initiatives," said Domenech, "are in addition to the programs, such as peer mediation, that are already in place in our schools. Each day, counselors, psychologists, and social workers work with teachers and principals-indeed all members of our school staffs-to model respectful behavior and to offer a helpful and compassionate response to our Muslim, Middle Eastern, and Arab-American students.

This is not a one-time effort. We are in this for the long haul. We have a teachable moment before us, and we intend to make the best possible use of it."

The Superintendent noted that all school staff members are not only focused on the lessons of respect and understanding, but they are also focused on continuing to provide counseling and support for students and staff members as they are experiencing grief and anxiety. "Our staff members are working double time to fill many roles. They are doing a great job," he added.

The Superintendent noted that underlying all these issues are the challenges of securing the safety of all students and staff members and of communicating clearly and effectively with parents and the community.

"We continue to work closely with all public safety officials. We are reviewing our school crisis management plans yet again and trying to learn lessons from last week's tragedies. We continue to train our staff members on how best to handle critical incidents.

"We invite parents and all our friends in the community to join with us in these efforts. This is a time for us all to be working together for all the children in Fairfax County Public Schools," he concluded.

Attachment: Text of Remarks by School Board Chairman Jane Strauss

Over sixty years ago, Franklin D. Roosevelt spoke to the youth of America with these memorable words: "To some generations, much is given. To other generations, much is expected. This generation has a rendezvous with destiny." Those young people grew to become what some now call "the greatest generation." Today's student generation may face a new rendezvous with destiny. That is why all of us-parents, educators, civic leaders, all adults-must redouble our resolve to nurture them well so they will grow up to be, and do, whatever history may require.

This has been an incredibly difficult week for all of us. We of the Fairfax County Public Schools want to extend our deepest sympathy to those families who have lost loved ones in this terrible attack on America. We want to thank those who have worked bravely and tirelessly at the disaster sites at the Pentagon and in New York. We also want to thank all the dedicated people in our schools who are helping guide our children during this time of trial.

For all of us, our most important goal is ensuring that all our children feel safe at school. I want to assure the Fairfax County community that no one will become a target for harassment because of his or her religion, culture, or country of birth.

Now, more than before, we know why our kids, and their education, are so important to us and our nation. We need our children to grow up to be strong, and brave, and smart, and good. They're working hard at that, and we can be proud of them.

 

 

FCPS Reports Significant Rise In 2001 Developmental Reading Assessment Scores

Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Daniel A. Domenech reported on Thursday, September 20, 2001, that scores of first and second grade students on the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) in 2001 were substantially higher than last year's scores.

The percentage of first grade students at or above grade level increased from 84.3 to 86.9 percent, and 91 percent of second grade students were at or above grade level in reading. This is the first year that second graders were tested using the DRA.

"These are very encouraging percentages," said Domenech. "They reflect innovative thinking and the hard work being done every day in our schools."

The 2001 DRA scores also show the following:

• The School Board's goal of 80 percent of FCPS second grade students reading on or above grade level was exceeded for both first and second graders.
• The percentage of first grade students reading on or above grade level was 86.9 percent in 2000-01.
• The percentage of grade two students reading on or above grade level was 91.2 percent.
• For these second graders, this represents an increase over their first grade spring 2000 scores of 6.9 percent.

Tables that show the gains in DRA scores are attached.

For more information, contact Gloria McDonell, director, FCPS Office of Elementary Instruction and Administrative Services, 703-846-8616.

Candidates for the offices of Virginia governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general will appear at a forum on October 9 at 7 p.m. in the Westfield High School auditorium. Westfield government students and Westfield parents will moderate the forum.

The general public and media are invited to the program, which is sponsored by a coalition of Fairfax County parents and students including Fairfax County Council of PTAs, Westfield High School PTSA, Westfield High School Young Democrats, Westfield High School Young Republicans, and McLean High School Political Awareness Club.

The candidates, who are running in the November elections, will appear to discuss their campaign issues and answer questions. Confirmed participants include gubernatorial candidates Mark Warner (D) and William Redpath (Libertarian) and candidates for lieutenant governor Tim Kaine (D) and Gary Reams (Libertarian). Candidates for attorney general Donald McEachin (D) and Jerry Kilgore (R) will not attend, but they will send surrogates to speak on their behalf.

The coalition has also invited government teachers and student representatives from all Fairfax County high schools so that they can observe the election process in action.

If the 650-seat auditorium is filled to capacity, the school will broadcast the program in its cafeteria via closed-circuit television. In addition, FCPS' cable Channel 21 will tape the program and begin airing it on October 15.

Note: Westfield High School is located at 4700 Stonecroft Boulevard in Chantilly. For more information, contact Lynn Terhar, president of the Westfield High School PTSA, at 703-488-6300.

 

 

 

FCPS Will Pay for PSATs for Tenth Grade Students

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) will pay for all tenth grade students to take the Preliminary Scholastic Achievement Test National Merit Scholastic Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) starting in October. This strategy is part of the school system's effort to achieve academic goals and increase minority student achievement.

All Fairfax County high schools offer PSATs to tenth grade students, but many students do not take the test since students' families must pay the testing fee. When younger groups of students are tested, the results can be used to help identify and work with those who are underrepresented.

"Recently, the critical reasoning and thinking skills on the PSATs have been aligned with the SOLs. This allows teachers to work with students and teach skills that will help them succeed on both tests," Superintendent of Schools Daniel Domenech said.

The College Board offers a 15 percent discount to school systems that offer the test in multiple schools, pay the test fees for all students who take the test, and provide the PSAT/NMSQT Summary of Answers report to all schools.

FCPS will fund the $92,000 expenditure through the system's divisionwide target budget.

For more information, contact Guidance and Career Services Section, 703-876-5270.

 

Last update: September 21, 2001
Curator: Therese Payne -- Therese.Payne@fcps.edu