May 3-7 Is Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week

This week is Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week. We are so thankful for all the hard work our staff do every day to make our school a great place to learn and work! Please join us in celebrating FCPS' amazing, creative, and caring educators and staff members who inspire our students each day. 

2021 FCPS Summer Learning Information

This summer, FCPS will offer a variety of school-based opportunities. These include:

• Credit Recovery: Each high and secondary school will host credit recovery opportunities for its students during two sessions.
• School-Based Opportunities for Select Elementary School Students: Each elementary school has summer learning opportunities designed to support students as they develop executive functioning skills, mathematics skills, and language arts skills.
• School-Based Opportunities for Select Middle School Students: Each middle school has summer learning opportunities designed to support students as they develop: mathematics, language arts, and problem-solving skills.

School staff will contact families of students who will be invited in the coming weeks. The total number of students that can attend school-based programs is based on the number of teachers at the school available to work this summer.

There are also a variety of summer enrichment programs open to all students. Information on how to register for these programs is available on the FCPS Summer Learning webpage.

More information is expected to be coming soon regarding details about Camp Fairfax offerings for summer 2021.

Community Use News Update: More Summer Opportunities Coming Soon

Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs); Parent Teacher Organizations (PTOs); Parent, Teacher, and Student Associations (PTSAs); and Booster organizations can now submit requests to use our buildings and grounds for Summer Camp Programs (June 21-August 5). While there are limitations and all groups will be required to adhere to Fairfax County Health Department and Virginia Health Department COVID guidelines, this is definitely a step in the right direction. Read more about community use.

Face Masks Are Still Required at All Times at All FCPS Sites, Indoors and Outdoors

On Thursday, April 29, Governor Ralph Northam amended Executive Order Seventy-Two to adopt new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on mask use in outdoor settings. The CDC guidelines state that fully vaccinated individuals do not have to wear masks outdoors when alone or in small gatherings. Mask use is still required indoors and outdoors at large crowded events like concerts, sporting events, and graduation ceremonies.

What does that mean for FCPS? 

• The ease in the mask rule only applies to social gatherings. 
• Sports (to include spectators of FCPS events) and entertainment (proms and other events) are not included. 
• Only athletes engaged in active play may remove their masks. 
• Until further notice, FCPS’ Regulation 2109 still requires masks in facilities and on school property as FCPS has no way of knowing who is and who isn’t vaccinated.

Important Immunization Requirement: Do You Have a Student Entering Seventh Grade or Twelfth Grade This Fall?

While the COVID-19 vaccination is NOT required by schools for the 2021-22 school year, many other vaccinations are.

Seventh-grade students need:

• One dose of Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis) given at age 7 or older.
• One dose of Meningococcal Vaccine (MenACWY, Menactra, or Menveo) given at age 10 or older.

Twelfth-grade students need:

• One dose of Meningococcal Vaccine (MenACWY, Menactra, or Menveo) given at age 16 or older.

More information on new immunization requirements is available online. 

COVID Recovery Services Available for Special Education Students

Special education COVID recovery services may be considered for any student with a disability whose Individualized Education Program (IEP) Team or Section 504 Committee determines there remains a significant educational impact due to the COVID-19 school closure and the virtual learning this school year. Recovery services are designed to address learning gaps and are determined by IEP Teams or 504 Committees.

Not all students with disabilities will require COVID recovery services. COVID recovery services are based on whether or not the student continued making progress in the general education curriculum, or alternative course of study specified in their IEP/504 plan or toward meeting their IEP goals, and/or if any significant regression occurred during the period of school closure.

IEP Teams and 504 Committees will use a variety of data sources including individual student progress data, teacher assessments, and parent input when considering COVID recovery services. If the IEP Team or 504 Committee decides a student requires recovery services, the team will determine the amount and type of recovery service that is required to address the individual student’s needs.

If you think that your child may require COVID recovery services, please contact your child’s IEP/504 case manager to further discuss and schedule a meeting for the IEP team or 504 committee to consider the need for recovery services.

Additional information regarding FCPS’ Summer Recovery Academy is available online.  

Coronavirus Devastating Cities Across India; Impact Felt by Indian American Students and Families

As India experiences a most severe coronavirus crisis this week, the emotional turmoil of this situation is felt by Fairfax County Public Schools students, families, and employees with connections to the country. Many may be struggling to come to terms with the contrast of life in the U.S. where vaccination rates are increasing and virus rates are going down, with the reality of life for families in India where the coronavirus is surging. These articles from The Atlantic and the New York Times provide information on the crisis in India and how Indian Americans are coping.

Videos: John R. Lewis High School Rededication

Enjoy two new short videos (about two minutes each) that highlight the historic John R. Lewis High School rededication from Friday, April 23. John R. Lewis High School in Springfield, Virginia, is the first high school in the nation to be named in honor of the late civil rights icon and congressman.  

• #1 video, Sights and Sounds of the John R. Lewis High School Rededication, is a summary of highlights fro m the event
• #2 video, Becoming John R. Lewis, captures the voices of students who spoke during the John R. Lewis High School rededication ceremony. They shared their feelings about their school’s namesake, and what it means to be a Lewis Lancer today and in the future.

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Sign Up to Make Your Voice Heard on FCPS’ Budget for Next School Year

The Fairfax County School Board will hold public hearings on the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 budget (2021-22 school year) Tuesday, May 11, and Wednesday, May 12 (if needed). Both public hearings are at 6 p.m. To bring your voice into the room on the proposed budget, register to speak at a School Board meeting or call 571-423-1075.

See more details on the FCPS FY 2022 Budget and planning documents.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is considering an updated FY 2022 budget that includes a 2% salary boost for FCPS employees, funded in part with dollars from the Commonwealth. More details about the updated FY 2022 Fairfax County budget are available online. 

Stay up to date with FCPS’ budget calendar.

2021-22 Kindergarten Registration

Will your child or a child you know turn five years old by September 30? If so, contact the child’s school to make arrangements for kindergarten enrollment. Most schools begin getting information together now for parents of incoming kindergartners, and many host an orientation or open house. All kindergarten programs are full-day and located in FCPS elementary schools.

Check your school’s webpage or contact the school directly for specific enrollment information and dates of orientation.

Get more information about kindergarten registration. 

Video: How to Register Your Student in FCPS.

Multilingual Family Podcasts: Yes, We Want Your Child Back in School! Attendance Matters!

2020 and 2021 have posed many challenges for all of us. We miss our students who have been absent. FCPS wants your child back in school and is ready to help. Listen to the latest Spanish, Arabic, and Korean podcasts on why we want your child back in school. We care and attendance matters!  

The podcasts hosts and guests engage in a passionate discussion on how we care, why attendance matters, common reasons for absence, school procedures regarding attendance, and what parents can do to partner with the school to get students back on track and in school.

Listen and Subscribe:

•    Spanish Podcast. 
•    Arabic Podcast.
•    Korean Podcast.

Video: FCPS CARES Program

The FCPS CARES Program is an opportunity for parents, staff, and community members to recognize FCPS employees for going above and beyond to help others and show they care. Watch to learn more about the program. 

Six School Counseling Programs Awarded 2021 RAMP Designation

Six Fairfax County Public Schools school counseling programs have been recognized by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) as model programs and were awarded the Recognized ASCA Model Program (RAMP) designation for 2021 for successfully demonstrating how their comprehensive school counseling programs benefit all students. 

School counseling programs that received the RAMP designation are Fairfax High School, Glasgow Middle School, the middle school program at Lake Braddock Secondary School, Poe Middle School, Rocky Run Middle School, and Sandburg Middle School.

Learn more about the RAMP designation. 

Photos of the Week

In this week’s photo gallery, see students enjoying the outdoors for lunch, snack, and lessons; an Earth Day celebration; and a high school SGA receiving honors. 

Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month: Take Note of 11 Moments from Asian American History

More than 30 years after President George H.W. Bush signed a law that designated every May as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, much of Asian American history remains unknown to many Americans—including Asian Americans themselves. Read more in TIME.