What a great week; it is so hard to believe it is the last full week of the school year... As I have had the opportunity to attend several graduation ceremonies this past week, I am reflecting on the simple and exquisite beauty of the graduation ceremony.  Young adults who have navigated the education system, persevered, learned, and are now poised to take the next steps in their life journey.  Thank you, one and all, in all your unique roles, for your contributions to the success of each and every one of these students; it matters.  It takes each of you, for all these many years -- from P-kindergarten to senior year, to support our graduates. 

Our students are so excited and forward thinking.  So inspiring and exciting !!  This coming week, our remaining high schools will celebrate their respective graduation ceremonies and we as a district, each and every one of you who serves students in this amazing division and community, can be both proud of these young adults and confident that our future is in good hands. 

What a wonderful last week of celebrating our Class of 2023! Monday started off with graduations for Annandale and Centreville high schools, and Lake Braddock Secondary School. On Tuesday, the beautiful weather held as I attended graduations where seniors graduated from Madison, West Springfield, and Woodson high schools. 

It has been a truly joyful time to watch our seniors celebrate all their hard work and accomplishments - each one unique and equally inspiring. I enjoyed hearing special stories and memories and learning how our FCPS community has helped to prepare our student graduates for their next adventures. Together all things are possible!

Wednesday, I attended graduations for Langley, Chantilly, and Herndon high schools. I recently received some exciting news from Langley, where junior violinist Aubrey Goodner won second prize in the world-renowned Klein International String Competition in San Francisco last weekend! Aubrey competed against more than 100 other entrants and nine semifinalists (including Juilliard students and graduates) from all over the world. Not only was she a prize-winning finalist, she also received the Pablo Casals award for the most outstanding performance of a work by J.S. Bach. Congratulations, Aubrey! So inspiring!!

Between Thursday’s graduation ceremonies at Falls Church and South Lakes high schools, as well as Robinson Secondary School, I attended the Fairfax County Retired Educators (FCRE) Scholarship Luncheon. Every year, the FCRE awards scholarships to help deserving students pursue a career in the field of education. Congratulations to this year’s five future educators - Maddy Bailey, Hannah DelVecchio, Ryan Dwyer, Hannah Fidler Leon, and Linda Le.  Last month, I also attended the Fairfax Education Association (FEA) Retired annual luncheon. During the event, several local leaders were recognized for their support of education. Thank you to all of our committed retirees who support our current and future educators. We both appreciate you and your service, we continue to appreciate you and your support.  Learning happens best in community!

Friday and Saturday were graduation ceremonies for South County and Oakton high schools as well as Hayfield Secondary School and Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. As our students walked across the stage to receive their diplomas, full of possibilities, I hope they will remember the words of Martin Luther King, Jr. who said: “You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” Congratulations to our graduating seniors and every member of Team FCPS who helped make their success possible!

Finally, I presented FCPS’ new Strategic Plan to the School Board on May 25. The new plan was developed after months of tremendous dedication and hard work from our entire FCPS community.

It will be our North Star in charting our course through 2030. The student-centered and data-driven plan will be guided by five goals and four supporting pillars. You can watch the Strategic Plan presentation. The School Board will vote on the plan at their meeting on Thursday, June 15. Find out how to view the Board meeting.

This weekend has been a great opportunity to be a part of our FCPS student athlete experience.  Saturday morning, I had the opportunity to cheer on the Madison HS boys lacrosse team as they won the State Championship!!  Well done Warhawks!!  Later that day, I had the opportunity to attend the State Championship Girls Softball and Boys Baseball games.  The McLean Girls prevailed over the Madison Girls in the Softball Championship in a close and well played game.  In the baseball finale, the Madison boys narrowly defeated the Westfield boys team.  In all the games, all student athletes played their hearts out and competed in a positive manner.  We have a great deal to be proud of in our community. 

This afternoon, I had the opportunity to attend the boys soccer State Championship game with Lewis HS playing.  The boys competed and played extraordinarily well with speed and incredible footwork.  Our Lewis HS team finished second by a goal and look forward to the coming year and a new season.  I applaud all of our student athletes, coaches, athletic trainers, athletic directors, bus drivers, staff and principals I spent time with this weekend at these events; these experiences matter…

Please enjoy these last days of a truly special year. Savor each moment and especially amidst the turbulent excitement that accompanies every end of the year, find those small joyful moments and be thankful for all that we have and all that we will yet experience as the result of our good work. The days are long but the years are short...

Warmest regards,

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