South Lakes Grad Makes Second Winter Olympics Appearance, Marshall Junior Waits in Wings

Maame Biney knows the drill. The South Lakes High graduate and champion speed skater will make her second trip to the Winter Olympics in February, with fond memories of support from FCPS staff and students during her 2018 Olympics debut.

Ilia Malinin, a 17-year-old junior at Marshall High in Falls Church, is hoping he gets to feel that same rush. Ilia, who finished second this year at the U.S. Nationals Men’s Figure Skating Championship, will be the U.S. Olympic Team’s first alternate for the sport in the Beijing competition. Given the worldwide pandemic, his odds of ultimately competing may be far higher than usual for an alternate as COVID-19 tests have complicated plans for athletes around the world. 

Get to know Maame Biney and Ilia Malinin. 

Understanding ESSER III Funding’s Impact on Student Success

There has been plenty of conversation around the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER III) funding during the past year and a half. If you are not familiar with ESSER III, here are a few things you should know about how it impacts student success. 

Last fall, FCPS received $188.6 million in ESSER III funding to help safely reopen and sustain the safe operation of schools and address the impacts of COVID-19 on students. ESSER III focus areas include:

• Prevention and mitigation strategies to help keep schools open and safe for students and staff.
• Academic intervention services, such as tutoring, after-school programs, and summer learning programs. 
• Equity professional development to ensure our schools are welcoming and culturally responsive to all students and families.
• Multilingual engagement to ensure information is accessible to all families.
• Additional support for students’ social emotional needs, such as counselors, psychologists, social workers, and family liaisons.

Two opportunities will be available for you to weigh in on how well FCPS is meeting ESSER III requirements regarding ensuring a safe return to in-person instruction and providing continuity of learning. These opportunities are coming next week. Please stay tuned for details. 

Visit the ESSER III webpage for more information.

Health and Safety Updates

FCPS continues to adjust health and safety measures in response to current health conditions and updated guidance from health officials. Here are the latest updates.

Contact Tracing

The Virginia Department of Health recently announced that contract tracing in schools may be limited only to outbreaks. However, the CDC continues to recommend contact tracing, in combination with testing, wearing a well-fitting mask, and quarantine and isolation, as effective strategies to identify people with COVID-19 (cases) and to reduce transmission.

FCPS has and continues to implement CDC recommendations, to the greatest extent practicable, to prevent or reduce the spread of COVID-19 in schools and to foster the continuation of in-person learning for students and staff. As a result, FCPS will continue contact tracing until further notice.

Effective this week: 

• The FCPS Pause (Close Contact) Letter includes quarantine guidance and replaces the Fairfax County Health Department quarantine email to families.
• The FCPS Student Quarantine Exemption and Attestation Form replaces the Fairfax County Health Department Vaccine Verification Survey.

Vaccinated, asymptomatic students may be exempt from quarantine following exposure by completing the FCPS Student Quarantine Exemption and Attestation Form. An automated email will be sent to the parent/guardian after completing the form which will serve as the student’s documentation of clearance to return to school. Hard copies of this form will be available at your school if needed.

Test-to-stay is recommended by CDC to reduce the impact of quarantine and limit school absences. FCPS is piloting test-to-stay in seven schools for students ages 5-17 who have not completed their primary vaccination series, and students 18+ who have not completed their primary vaccination series and their booster dose. These schools are:

• South Lakes High School
• Robinson Secondary School
• Katherine Johnson Middle School
• Glasgow Middle School
• Bush Hill Elementary School
• Bailey’s Elementary School
• Hybla Valley Elementary School.

Student-Athletes 

FCPS highly encourages all student-athletes to be vaccinated for the spring athletic season.  During the spring athletic season, student-athletes that are unvaccinated will not be required to participate in weekly surveillance testing but will be required to follow all CDC protocols pertaining to isolation and quarantine for COVID-positive persons and close contacts.

The original vaccine requirement for FCPS Athletics was for winter sports due to the close proximity of certain sports and being indoors. As we transition to spring sports, our athletic activities are primarily outdoors. In addition, we are starting to see declining rates of community transmission of the virus alongside high vaccination rates among our high school students and athletes.  

Students who are unvaccinated and exposed to the virus as close contacts or become positive will miss both their sporting activities and valuable learning time in the classroom as they will need to follow the protocols for quarantine and isolation as outlined by the CDC.

Please contact the FCPS Office of Student Activities and Athletics with any questions.

Elementary Magnet Schools Information Nights to Be Held February 15, 16, 17; Applications Accepted March 1-April 12

Elementary magnet school program applications will be accepted beginning Tuesday, March 1. Selection for available magnet school spaces is based on a lottery. Registration for the elementary magnet school lottery closes on Tuesday, April 12, at 4 p.m.  

• Bailey’s Primary School for the Arts and Sciences will accept lottery applications for students who will be in grades K-2 during the 2022-23 school year; 
• Bailey’s Upper School for the Arts and Sciences will accept applications for students in grades 3 and 4.
• Hunters Woods Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences will accept lottery applications for students who will enter grades K-5 during the 2022-23 school year.

Parents are strongly encouraged to attend school-based information nights to learn about individual school programs, student eligibility, the lottery process, and available transportation. Sessions will be held virtually and parents will need to register in advance using the links found on the magnet lottery webpage. Information nights will be held:

• Tuesday, February 15, for Bailey’s Upper Elementary.
• Wednesday, February 16, for Bailey’s Elementary.
• Thursday, February 17, for Hunters Woods Elementary. 

Get more information about parent information nights and the magnet school lottery.

Sub and Save the Day–Learn More at Our Virtual Substitute Job Fair on February 17

Fairfax County Public Schools is currently hiring daily and long-term substitute teachers and substitute instructional assistants. Substitutes help our students thrive when their teacher must be out of the classroom and are essential members of every school’s team. 

Want to make a difference in the life of a child? Join us for our Substitute Teaching Job Fair on Thursday, February 17, from 9-11 a.m. Learn more about the fair, as well as how to apply, prepare, register, and attend.

Help Keep Kiss and Ride Lines Moving

This year, schools across FCPS have experienced a significant increase in Kiss and Ride. You can do your part to help make the Kiss and Ride line go as quickly and safely as possible by making sure that your student is ready to exit your vehicle when you enter the drop off zone. Have them gather everything they will be taking with them to school ahead of time so they are ready to go when it is your turn. Some schools have several hundred cars per day; even saving 10-20 seconds per car can make a big difference.

Also, please consider parking away from the school and walking with your student the rest of the way. This way you and your student get in a little exercise. If there is a public parking lot nearby, think about working with your neighbors and walking together from a remote location.

Thank You School Counselors!

February 7-11 is National School Counseling Week, and highlights the tremendous impact school counselors have in helping students achieve academic success and planning for a career. School counselors work with students in a variety of different capacities, whether it is through classroom lessons, group, or individual counseling. Learn more about the role of school counselors in FCPS. 

Calendar Clarifications

Date Change for Eid-al-Fitr for the 2021-22 School Year Calendar

The current “O” (religious and cultural observance) day for Eid-al-Fitr on FCPS’ 2021-22 School Year calendar was incorrectly listed as Tuesday, May 3. Please note that the correct date is Monday, May 2. We apologize for the error. View the updated 2021-22 School Year Calendar.

2022-23 School Year Calendar

Last week we told you about the approved 2022-23 school year calendar. Today we are answering a few questions from families like yours.

Four observances will be student holidays

Four observances will be student holidays next school year, including Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Orthodox Good Friday, and Diwali. Teacher and staff schedules for this day will be announced later this spring.

Employee Calendar

The 2022-23 Employee Calendar is still being developed and will be shared later this spring.

O Days

New instruction will be allowed to take place on days denoted as religious and cultural observances, or “O” days. Look for more information about O Days in 2022-23 later this spring.

Join in the Resource Review Process

Anyone who would like to have a voice in the resources selected for elementary language arts classrooms has that opportunity this month. Resource review is happening now. 

You can review digital resources and leave feedback online. Physical resources for elementary language arts are being reviewed throughout the month at the Willow Oaks Administration Center from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday-Friday. In-person review hours will be extended to 7 p.m. on February 10.

Learn more on our website.

Performance-Based Assessments Allow Students to Show What They Know 

FCPS students in grades 3-8 will participate in performance-based assessments (PBAs) again this year in place of Standards of Learning (SOL) tests to show what they know about their elementary and middle school course standards. PBAs are an innovative assessment practice tied to students’ development of Portrait of a Graduate skills. 

PBAs require students to perform a task that teachers score using a descriptive rubric. Examples include participating in a debate, creating a persuasive piece of media, or writing an essay. The following courses use at least one PBA each year as part of state expectations: grade 3 science, grades 3-8 social studies, grade 5 writing, and grade 8 writing. 

To learn more about PBAs in grades 3-8 and how you can support your student, visit the Local Alternative Assessment and PBA public webpage.

Preparing Students for the Future Workforce

High school students can learn about a wide variety of potential career paths and post-secondary options to prepare them for the next chapter of their educational journey at the virtual Instruction 2 Industry Career Expo every night from Monday, February 14, through Thursday, February 17. This event will include synchronous (live) and asynchronous (recorded) sessions.

High school students will be able to:

• Connect to more than 100 local industry professionals from in-demand career fields across the region. 
• Learn about work-based learning (WBL) opportunities.
• Attend industry panel discussions.
• Attend information sessions and career planning support sessions.
• Learn about postsecondary education, training, and apprenticeship opportunities.

This event was developed in conjunction with six neighboring school divisions in the Northern Virginia region. 

Details and registration information are available online. Students can email [email protected] with questions.

2022 FCPS Graduation Schedule

Congratulations to the first FCPS Class of 2022 graduates, the winter graduates from Mountain View High School! The complete graduation schedule for the Class of 2022 is available online. 

FCPS Is A Leader in Staffing Strategies

The School Board requested a staffing review to be completed in the fall prior to the preparation for the FY23 Proposed Budget. The review examined staffing standards for counselors, psychologists, social workers, nurses, ESOL teachers, reading/math specialists, and classroom teacher positions. It also included a multi-year plan to achieve the best practices ratios, prioritized with an equity focus. Education Resource Strategies (ERS) completed this work and shared results at Monday’s work session. The review showed key areas in which FCPS excels, including;

• School-based instructional support is unique to FCPS, especially in elementary schools, where staff work directly with teachers to strengthen instruction. 
• The Director of Student Services (DSS) role is an asset in FCPS that does not exist in peer divisions. 
• FCPS has more counselors in secondary schools than peer divisions.
• FCPS staffing rates are higher for psychologists and in social work than other divisions. 

Review the complete presentation or watch the meeting on our YouTube Channel.

School Board to Vote on Capital Improvement Plan at February 10 Meeting

The School Board will hold a regular business meeting on Thursday, February 10, at 7 p.m. Agenda items include:

• Approval of the 2023-27 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP).
• Awarding of contracts.  

See the complete regular meeting agenda. The meeting can be viewed on FCPS Cable TV Channel 99 (Verizon Channel 11), the FCPS YouTube Channel, and on the FCPS website.

If you need language interpretation or American Sign Language support for any School Board meeting, please contact the board clerk.

Interested in School Board action items? Sign up to get an update on any School Board votes the morning after the School Board meeting.