I’m hoping you have each enjoyed this incredible holiday weekend.  This past week, it was National Random Acts of Kindness Day, which is a great opportunity as we head into the coming days.  As we contemplate all that we have come through and all that we continue to experience and plan for, simple acts of kindness are so important to our strong relationships and collective success.  Let’s all look forward to participating in acts of kindness in the coming days and weeks. So many opportunities… 

It was a great honor to welcome U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona to John R. Lewis High School alongside Principal Alfonso Smith.  Principal Smith opened the event and our students were amazing as well!!  So proud of our FCPS energy. 

Secretary Cardona was joined by Surgeon General Vivek Murthy for a national Town Hall on mental health and schools. Secretary Cardona also announced that FCPS will receive $13.5 million dollars as part of a Department of Education grant to provide prevention and early intervention services, increase student access to school-based mental and behavioral health services, provide targeted and timely mental health consultations, professional development for staff, student programming, and reduce caseloads for mental health service providers.

Secretary Cardona, Surgeon General Murthy, CDC Director for the Division of Adolescent and School Health Kathleen Ethier, and Dr. Mike Axler, Acting Director, Intervention and Prevention Services at Fairfax County Public Schools joined a panel discussion attended by more than 200 students. Several of our students were able to ask questions. As I shared in my comments, this is the number one topic on the minds of our students, our staff, our community and our country. It is so important that we talk about mental health, because we can’t work to improve things that we aren’t openly discussing. I agree with Secretary Cardona that finding and pursuing your passions is very important.  As he stated, “The mental well-being of our students will determine their level of success more than whether they can read or not. Period.” We have work to do as we strive to provide both. 

I was inspired and moved by the passion our students have shown in supporting families devastated by the powerful earthquake that has killed tens of thousands of people across Turkey and Syria. On Friday, I visited Cooper Middle School to hear from students who are working with the PTA on a relief project. One of the students who lived in Turkey for many years shared a moving video with me. Our students  will lead us! The Turkish Embassy Twitter account is a great place to get up to date information on how you can help. Items can be purchased online from Amazon or Wal-Mart and sent directly to the Turkey Embassy at 2525 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, D.C., 20008. Thank you in advance for your generosity; it matters. 

I recently attended the winter graduation ceremony for Mountain View High School. Acting Principal Catherine Stone began the program by reminding the graduates about the importance of believing in yourself. She said, “Each of you came to Mountain View for different reasons, and when you started, you may not have believed in yourself.” Mountain View, however, taught the students lessons that have helped them on their journey. She reminded them that they can achieve great things when they “work hard, are resilient despite the challenges, and believe in yourself.”

Student speaker Ricky Reyes came to the US when he was 16 and said that high school was difficult for him because everything was in a different language. He decided to change schools to attend Mountain View. He learned about how to be a leader and that “it’s not necessary to be the biggest and most well-known student in school, but to value family, love, and respect”, Mountain View’s motto. Mountain View also honors their graduates for the Citizenship and Personal Achievement Awards (voted on by the faculty), as well as for scholarships awarded by the Mountain View High School Foundation. It was truly a wonderful ceremony. I could feel how much pride was in the room for each of the graduates. Thank you for sharing this important day with all of us!!

Students this week also celebrated the 100th day of school. It was especially exciting for our kindergarten students who reached this milestone for the first time. Schools across the division celebrated with special t-shirts and posters featuring 100 items, students dressing up, and 100 day parades. The photos above are from celebrations at Oak Hill and Willow Springs elementary schools.  It is hard to believe we are more than halfway through the school year!!

Friday morning brought another learning opportunity.  Principal Raven Jones and several student leaders took me on a tour of Luther Jackson MS and gave me an opportunity to see how hard working our students are each and every day.  The students were excited to show off their school, and point out the classrooms where they had memorable learning experiences.

To my delight, technology education teacher, Mark Smith, and his engineering students showed me the school’s vertical garden. Eighth grader, Vivian Nguyen, explained to me how everything in the closed ecosystem synergized. The fish produce fertilizer for the plants and in turn the plants runoff water falls back into the fish tank. Paid for by donations raised over a period of years by the engineering department, the vertical garden, an exercise in hydroponic gardening, is an incredible project. Vertical gardens can have a wide impact not only in our community, but the world at large as we look for ways to grow food that requires less resources. Even though the weather on Friday was dreary, the conditions inside of Luther Jackson’s greenhouse are always ideal. Thank you for hosting me, Tigers!

I also want to thank everyone for the continued work to support students through the implementation of the FCPS COVID-19 Compensatory Education Plan. As we continue to work together, we want to ensure that all staff have timely access to compensatory education resources in a central location. As such, resources and information pertaining to the FCPS COVID-19 Compensatory Education Plan are located on the Employee Hub and can be accessed HERE (employee login is required).  Please see the Principal Question Follow-Up resource for numerous updates regarding plan implementation to include information regarding planning days and stipends for Special Education and Section 504 Case Managers. Please also remember that Office Hours continue to be available to you for questions or clarification.

Thank you to everyone who has participated in the 12 community strategic planning forums we have hosted to date! Hundreds of stakeholders shared their feedback across the division. Three additional community forums are planned for mid-late March. Next week, the Core Planning Team will convene to develop the first draft of the goals, measures, and pillars for our strategic plan. Principals and central office directors will review and provide feedback on those draft goals, measures, and pillars.  All educators will have an opportunity to also provide feedback in the weeks ahead on the draft work to date. We welcome all parents, students, staff, and community members to provide input in the Let’s Talk Strategic Plan Feedback form here. Strategic planning materials continue to be updated on the Strategic Planning website. 

Friday evening brought the opportunity to attend the Marshall HS District Boys’ Basketball Championship game.  It was a great game and in the end the Statesmen won the district championship.  Both teams played well and a spirited game was enjoyed. 

Saturday brought several opportunities to enjoy our amazing fine and performing arts programs.  During the afternoon, I had the opportunity to enjoy the Woodson HS Pyramid Stringapalooza event including orchestra players from throughout the pyramid.  The program was well attended and well appreciated.  It is so nice to see our high school student musicians support rising musicians.  Later Saturday evening, I had the opportunity to attend the Robinson Middle School Drama Rambunctious Theatre Company production of The Addams Family which I thoroughly enjoyed.  I continue to be so impressed with our talented students, staff, families and community members as I attend these productions.  We have so many reasons to be grateful!!

Finally, Sunday morning, I had the opportunity to attend and speak to the congregation of the First Baptist Church of Merrifield.  Pastor Paul Sheppard is a member of our faith-based work group supporting our strategic planning process and student success here in FCPS.  Learning happens best in community; together all things are possible. 

And so, in a nod to Presidents Day, I will end with a quote from one of my favorite presidents; “Courage is not having the strength to go on; it is going on when you don't have the strength.” -- Theodore Roosevelt.  We’ve got this!! 

Looking forward to an abundantly joyful warm winter week,

Michelle Reid, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Fairfax County Public Schools