Building Strong Attendance Habits

September is Attendance Awareness Month. Some of the ways parents can help their children create healthy routines and a habit of getting to school on time every day include: 

• Set a regular bedtime and morning routine. 
• Lay out clothes and pack backpacks the night before.
• If your child seems anxious about going to school, talk to teachers, school counselors, or other parents for advice on how to make them feel comfortable and excited about learning.
• Develop back-up plans for getting to school if something comes up. Call on a family member, a neighbor, or another parent.
• When possible, avoid medical appointments or extended trips when school is in session.

Visit our website for more attendance resources. Attend today, Achieve tomorrow!

Seniors Seek Patent on Pandemic Project

Kaavya Karthikeyan and Akanksha Tibrewala, both 17, live on the same block and have been friends since preschool—attending Greenbriar West Elementary School, Rocky Run Middle School, and now Chantilly High together. With a little extra time on their hands in the height of the pandemic, they started playing around with modifying a traditional walker to make it more helpful to people with Parkinson’s disease. Now they are seeking a patent for their pandemic project. 

COVID Diagnostic Testing Dates

COVID-19 diagnostic testing is available at no cost for all currently enrolled FCPS students on select dates throughout the year when transmission may be highest. Diagnostic testing is provided at designated times and locations for those who are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 or have been in close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19.

Testing will be available September 6-8 and 12-14. Visit the testing website for information on locations and how to register for an appointment. 

Sign and Return the Student Rights & Responsibilities Booklet

FCPS’ updated Student Rights & Responsibility booklet is available online and in the ParentVue section of the Student Information System (SIS). The SR&R booklet explains expectations for student behavior, and adult responses to enhance school safety and to create a fair, equitable, and supportive school environment. 

Each year, we ask parents to review, sign, and return the SR&R to their child’s school. In ParentVue, you may now download and digitally sign the SR&R. Every parent/caregiver with a ParentVUE account will see the SR&R upon login to ParentVUE until the SR&R acknowledgement has been completed.

Your name in the digital signature box must match the parent/caregiver’s first and last name in SIS exactly before the signature will be accepted. Please take a moment to log into ParentVue in your child’s SIS account to access the SR&R. Signatures are due by September 30.

Contact your school’s front office if you are having difficulty accessing the booklet. Visit the SIS Parentvue Account Overview page for help logging in to your account. 

FCPS Special Education Handbook for Families

The Special Education Handbook for Parents includes details of the special education process. This process occurs sequentially, over a period of time, with each step building upon the previous step(s).

It is important for families to understand how the special education process works, so they can effectively participate and collaborate with school staff members in making appropriate decisions regarding their child’s educational needs. Families are an integral part of the decision-making team.

The Special Education Handbook for Parents is available in Arabic, English, Korean, Spanish and Vietnamese. Contact the Parent Resource Center (PRC) at 703-204-3941 or [email protected] with any questions.

FCPS Annual Public Notice: Career and Technical Education 

FCPS’ Career and Technical Education Program offers a variety of career and technical programs to all students at the middle and high school levels. The program areas include the following:

• Business and Information Technology
• Family and Consumer Sciences
• Health and Medical Sciences
• Marketing
• Technology and Engineering Education
• Trade and Industrial Education

For more information about Career and Technical Education, please call 571-423-4526 or visit the Career and Technical Education website. Visit this policy website for more information on ADA accommodations or to request accommodations.

How to Receive FCPS Messages in Other Languages 

You may wish to read FCPS messages in a language other than English. There are several ways you can receive or view our communications in a different language.

FCPS This Week is distributed in other languages to parents/caregivers who have filled out the Home Language Survey form and selected a language supported by FCPS as their preferred language for communication. Home Language Survey forms are available in the following languages: Amharic | Arabic (العربية) | Chinese (中文) | Farsi (فارسی) | Korean (한국어) | Spanish (español) | Urdu (اردو) | Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt).

Learn more about receiving other FCPS communications in other languages.