Bright Beginnings for 2025 - FCPS Focus on Franconia!
School Board Franconia District6 days 21 hours agoHaving trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.
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Dear Franconia Residents/Estimados Residentes de Franconia,I hope you had a fantastic first full day back from break and enjoyed the snow days! As the snow melts and we get back into our routines, I trust your winter break and extra time with family and friends were wonderful.
I am deeply grateful for the strength and diversity of our Franconia District community. The variety of religious and cultural celebrations observed during the break reflects the richness of our shared experiences.
Whether you celebrated holidays and traditions or simply took time to recharge, this season serves as a reminder of the values that unite us—kindness, gratitude, and togetherness. As we embark on a new year, let's continue to hold those values as we work together to support and strengthen our community.
School Board News December 19th & January 9th Regular Meeting Highlights
Read about our work including:
- 2025 Financial Mid Year Review
- Dr. Reid's Plan for All Eighth Grade Students to Take Algebra
- Secondary Grades, Assessment, Grading, and Reporting on Progress
- Historic Ratification of Collective Bargaining Agreements
Comprehensive School Boundary Review
Thank you to all who participated in the community meetings over the last two months.
If you did not get a chance to attend an in-person meeting, please consider participating in one of our virtual Community Boundary Review Meetings.
To ensure a meaningful experience for participants, each virtual meeting will be limited to 400 participants, and each participant will receive their own unique Zoom link. Language interpretation will be available.
Middle School Start Times
As we continue our work to evaluate middle school start times, here are some resources for you:
History of FCPS middle school start times
School Board Work Session
I want to thank the Mark Twain Middle School students who have contacted me with their rationale for what option we should select. Considering student voices is critical to this process.
Staff will deliver draft recommendations before February 6.
Student-Athlete Transfer and Eligibility Practice Investigation
At the December 5th Regular School Board Meeting, I introduced a motion that passed unanimously to engage an external law firm to investigate the situation at Hayfield and recommend corrective actions to prevent similar issues from ever happening again in FCPS.
“Main Motion #1 (as amended): I move that the School Board engage an external law firm that has not performed any work for FCPS or the Superintendent in the last 10 years to conduct a comprehensive and independent examination (to include but not limited to student-athlete transfers and eligibility practices) for all high school athletics across FCPS schools, starting with an examination of Hayfield High School, and to report its findings and make recommendations to the School Board and Superintendent.”
At the December 19th Regular School Board Meeting, Superintendent Dr. Reid presented a plan to respond to outside counsel's findings and recommendations.
Historic Ratification of Collective Bargaining Agreements
I was honored to vote for the first collective bargaining contract between Fairfax County Public Schools and the Fairfax Education Unions for the Licensed Instructional and Operational Bargaining Units. It will go into effect July 1, 2025. We are taking an important step toward fostering collaboration and support for our dedicated educators and staff.
Here’s to a bright new year ahead, full of hope, opportunity, and continued progress for our FCPS family.
Kind Regards/Bondadosamente,
Marcia St. John-Cunning
Franconia District School Board Member
Focus on Franconia Island Creek Elementary Sang at Dec. 5 School Board MeetingWe were thrilled to hear a beautiful performance of the National Anthem by the Island Creek Elementary School 5th and 6th Grade Chorus, led by Sarah Laird and Sara Arslan!
West Potomac Teacher Honored With CARES of the QuarterCongratulations to Lawrence Cooper, a Work Awareness and Transition (WAT) teacher at West Potomac High School, who is the inaugural recipient of the FCPS CARES of the Quarter Award.
Educate Fairfax partnered with the Human Resources employee recognition team to create this award and further highlight the incredible stories of our outstanding employees and their meaningful contributions. Lawrence was chosen from all of the CARES of the Month winners so far this year.
Lawrence received a certificate and a $500 check from Apple Federal Credit Union in recognition of his unwavering commitment to his students and for fostering a strong sense of community and teamwork at West Potomac.
Edison JROTC Honor Heroes at Arlington Cemetery with Wreaths Across AmericaOn a chilly morning, 53 JROTC Cadets, three other students, and parents gathered at Arlington Cemetery for the annual Wreaths Across America event to honor our fallen heroes. This meaningful occasion fostered camaraderie and service, reminding us of the importance of remembering those who have served. Thank you to all who participated!
FCPS News You Need 🌎 Dual Language Immersion Lottery RegistrationRegistration for the countywide lottery for Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program will open on Monday, January 13, 2025. Current pre-K students may apply for the kindergarten immersion program, and current kindergarten students may apply for the first grade immersion program for the 2025-26 school year.
Dual Language Immersion is available in French, German, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish.
Interested parents/caregivers may want to attend an informational meeting at the school site. Visit the Dual Language Immersion Program registration page for a list of meetings by language offered.
Get more details on the DLI Program webpage and DLI Program Registration webpage.
🎉 Teachers at 100 Schools Receive Educate Fairfax GrantsEducate Fairfax financially supported 107 grants across 100 Fairfax County public schools — including 24 Title 1 schools — totaling an unprecedented $180,273 in funding! These grants will help defray the cost of innovation in our schools, which might otherwise come out of the pockets of our educators and staff or simply not be possible. Nearly 36,000 of our students will be directly impacted by these grants. See the full list of schools and projects that will be funded.
📒 Gradebook Available Until End-of-Quarter
Based on community feedback from the first quarter, FCPS revisited the scheduled dates for closing the Gradebook and Report Card modules in SIS ParentVUE and StudentVUE.
Moving forward, Gradebook closure will align with the actual quarter-end dates. This change will allow students and families to view assignments and grades until the last day of the quarter. Gradebook will be closed for the end of the second quarter from Tuesday, January 28, at 4 p.m. to Tuesday, February 4, at 6 a.m.
Learn how your ParentVUE account allows you to easily access grade reports and other helpful information about your child.
🎭 Never Miss a Show! Subscribe to the Fine and Performing Arts Calendar🎶
Take a look at the Fine and Performing Arts calendar on FCPS’ website for individual listings of many middle and high school theater events. You may also subscribe to the calendar for notifications of upcoming performances.
School Board Meetings
Public participation is the foundation of a healthy democracy. I invite you to tune in or attend FCPS School Board meetings. Visit BoardDocs for meeting logistics, agendas, and handouts.
Upcoming Meetings
- Tuesday, Jan. 14, 10:30 a.m. - Work Session - Pedestrian Traffic and Safety, Capital Improvement Program (CIP)
- Tuesday, Jan. 14, 6:00 p.m. - Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Public Hearing
- Thursday, Jan. 16, 7:00 p.m. - Comprehensive Planning and Development Committee (CPDC)
- Thursday, Jan. 23, 7:00 p.m. - Regular Meeting
- Tuesday, Feb. 4, 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m - Work Session - Strategic Plan Goal 3 Report & FY 2026 Proposed Budget
- Tuesday, Feb. 4, 6:00 p.m. - Budget Public Hearing
- Wednesday, Feb. 5, 6:00 p.m. - Budget Public Hearing (If needed)
- Thursday, Feb. 6, 7:00 p.m. - Regular Meeting
- Monday, Feb. 10, 4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. - Audit Committee
- Tuesday, Feb. 11, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - Public Engagement Committee (PEC)
- Tuesday, Feb. 11, 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. - Governance Committee
How to Watch Live
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FCPS Cable TV Channel 99 (Verizon Channel 11),
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FCPS YouTube Channel, and
How to Watch Recordings
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FCPS YouTube channel (English), and
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FCPS en Español YouTube channel (dubbed in Spanish)
How to Attend In-Person
- Regular School Board Meetings take place at Luther Jackson Middle School.
- Work Sessions, Committee Meetings, and Forums are held at Gatehouse Administration Center.
- Public Hearings take place at Luther Jackson Middle School.
How to Speak at a Regular Board Meeting
Visit the community participation webpage and fill out the form.
Helpful Links
Note: This newsletter contains links to translated versions of the content for your convenience. These translations are generated by Google Translate and are not intended to be a substitute for professional translation services.
The views contained within this newsletter reflect the views of the individual school board member who is the publisher of this newsletter and may not reflect the views of the Fairfax County School Board.
© Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax County, Virginia
E-mail: Marcia St. John-Cunning | Phone: 571-423-1081
Staff Aide: Mara Kaiser Braunger | Phone: 571-279-1691