2023 VSBA Business Honor Roll

The Fairfax County School Board and members of the Virginia School Boards Association (VSBA) presented Children’s Science Center, Greater Washington Partnership, and Real Food for Kids with 2023 VSBA Business Honor Roll awards for their exceptional support of FCPS.

Children’s Science Center, an FCPS Ignite Partners for 5 Years, regularly presents engaging Family Science Nights involving a host of volunteers who provide dynamic hands-on STEAM activities to students.

This school year, the Children’s Science Center is supporting 18 Title I schools in FCPS with Family Science Nights.

Greater Washington Partnership provides FCPS students with connections to real world job experience through externship opportunities. 

Their TalentReady Pathways initiative, is where FCPS students explore experiences in IT careers. Then, when employers — from government and healthcare to the arts and energy — are looking to hire, they are more familiar with FCPS students, and know they’ve had exposure to their field.

Real Food for Kids’ mission is to change eating behaviors and improve health outcomes for children and families in the Greater Washington Region through sustainable access to real whole foods, impactful nutrition education, and local systemic policy changes. 

Their Ignite Partnership focuses on the popular Kids Culinary Challenges. At the challenges, teams of students create a meal or dish that not only complies with USDA guidelines for school meals, but also is a meal that the students themselves would enjoy.

Businesses and community groups play a critical role in supporting our communities and local schools. They contribute to our school divisions by offering volunteers who share their time and talents, leading policy efforts, giving schools in-kind or financial contributions, supporting extracurricular activities, offering internship opportunities, donating to scholarship programs, sponsoring field trips, and more. This type of support is invaluable.

The VSBA Business Honor Roll is a way for local school divisions to recognize local businesses and community groups for their support; especially as schools face increasing budget uncertainty. The Business Honor Roll helps divisions say “thank you” for their vital contributions.

Thank you all and congratulations to Fairfax County Public Schools 2023 Virginia School Boards Associations Business Honor Roll Recipients.

High Impact Tutoring Partner Planning a Return

EduTutorVA, the homegrown and fast expanding high-impact tutoring not-for-profit, is back and exploring a refreshed Ignite Partner for the 2023-24 school year; again supporting Poe and Whitman middle schools and Hutchison, Mount Vernon Woods, and Westlawn elementary schools.

New this year is a planned shift from after-school tutoring to during school pull-out tutoring.

High-impact tutoring leads to substantial learning gains for students by supplementing students’ classroom experiences while responding to individual needs and providing support that complements the curriculum. Characteristics of high-impact tutoring programs include: 

• Oversight of tutors to assure quality.
• High dosage weekly tutoring.
• Regular monitoring of the skills learned and student knowledge.  
• Sustained and strong relationships between tutors and their students. 
• Alignment with the district’s curriculum and coordination with teachers. 

EduTutorVA’s tutors are college students, often education majors, from colleges and universities throughout Virginia. The tutors receive training and ongoing coaching. Upon graduation from college, the tutors are recruited to become teachers as a part of EduTutorVA’s Tutors to Teachers initiative, which is supported by Fairfax County Public Schools.

Student, Staff and Visitor Safety is on the Ballot

Safety matters! Hear from teachers the specific ways that the 2023 school construction bond will improve student, staff, and visitor safety.  

Remember, the building and renovation of schools are financed through bonds, not the school system’s operating funds.

A School Bond Referendum is on November’s ballot.

Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, November 7.

Early voting is underway.

Register to vote by October 16. 

Learn how to register to vote.  

Before you vote, read about where Fairfax County Public Schools plans to fund projects with 2023 bond proceeds. 

Vote on Tuesday, November 7.

We Need Business and Community Partners to Achieve Goal 5

The 2023-30 FCPS strategic plan sets five student-centered goals to create positive change in FCPS. Goal 5: Leading for Tomorrow’s Innovation, speaks to the value of community engagement, especially business and community partnerships.  

Under Goal 5, every student will graduate ready to thrive in life after high school with the skills they need to navigate, adapt, and innovate for a sustainable future. The goal’s relevant measures are many and include:

• Availability of, accessibility to, and participation in multiple pathways and work-based learning opportunities (e.g., shadowing; internship; apprenticeship; and Career and Technical Education).
• Attainment of FCPS Portrait of a Graduate competencies and digital and financial literacy.
• Supported and successful transitions leading to high school graduation and postsecondary opportunities.
• Enrollment in college, entry into the workforce or public service, enlistment in military, or other, verifiable post-secondary plan.
• Students innovating and preparing for the future.

Visit the Strategic Plan webpage to learn more about how we will measure the success of Goal 5.

Speech and Debate Volunteers Needed

Volunteer judges are some of the most vital contributors to the speech and debate community. Without judges, tournaments will not be possible.

Fairfax County Public Schools is seeking volunteers to judge at local speech and debate tournaments. These events are held on Saturdays from October through February at area high schools. Tournaments run from 8:15 a.m. until approximately 5 p.m. Lunch is provided by the host school.  

If you’re curious about what will be expected of you, want to know more about training and preparation, or if you have other questions, please contact Mark Deaton, coach of the Westfield High School debate team, at [email protected] or 703-608-1284.

The National Speech and Debate Association also offers information. Scroll to the middle of the page with the heading “Getting Started.” 

The benefits of student participation in speech and debate are substantial. Students learn to communicate persuasively, respond to challenges, and analyze complex issues from multiple perspectives. Most judges find the experience inspiring and tremendously rewarding.

We’re Open for New Business and Community Partners  

Businesses and community groups are encouraged to learn more about our Ignite Partnerships program, which offers eight ways for partners to engage with FCPS.

There’s a ninth way too, which is to support an existing partnership.

Learn more about the Partnership Agreement Process and explore our list of partners.  Contact Jay Garant in the partnerships office.