FCPS This Week e-newsletter - August 24, 2022
Welcome Back!
Thank you for tagging #FirstDayFairfax and sharing your first day excitement with us! Head to the FCPS Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram pages to enjoy some of the day’s highlights.
Attend Today, Achieve Tomorrow!
The beginning of the school year is the best time to develop strong attendance habits!! Students who attend school regularly are more likely to perform well in reading and math, develop strong social and emotional skills, and graduate from high school on time. Help position your child for future success. Visit FCPS’ Attendance web page for tips and strategies.
Steady Growth Toward a Return to Pre-Pandemic Levels in Standards of Learning (SOL) Data
The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) has announced 2021-22 Standards of Learning (SOL) data for school divisions that shows Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) has made steady progress towards a return to pre-pandemic levels.
FCPS annual pass rates for 2022 indicate that, while the road to recovery continues, FCPS students made promising gains in reading, mathematics, and science over the course of the 2022 school year. Read more about our plans for continued improvement of the SOL pass rates.
Safety Drills During the School Year
Keeping students and staff safe is a priority for all of us. Each school has an emergency preparedness plan to respond to incidents such as fires and tornadoes. Schools are required by state law to practice emergency drills, including lockdown drills, each year. Schools are required to notify parents and guardians at least 24 hours before a school conducts a lockdown drill. However, schools are not required to give the specific date and time of the drill in advance.
The first lockdown drill of the school year must take place within the first 20 days of school. Preschool and kindergarten students are exempt from practicing the first lockdown drill.
Your child may come home and talk about their experience during the drill. We encourage you to talk with your child about the importance of being prepared for emergencies. Here are some helpful tips for families to use to support their students before and after school lockdown drills.
Working together, we create a safe, secure environment for students to learn and grow in our schools.
Need Tech Help?
Resources for parents and students using FCPS technology are available online. Visit this website for quick help resetting passwords; accessing Schoology, Google, Zoom, or activity reports; and basic computer use questions. If your questions are not answered on that page, look for the link to submit a help ticket.
Telephone Parent Information Line Available in Eight Languages
Parents who speak Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Spanish, Urdu, or Vietnamese can call a telephone information line for general information about FCPS and to receive support if they are having difficulty communicating with their children's schools due to a language barrier.
Here Comes the Bus
Please be aware that all of us are getting used to new routines at the start of the school year. Thank you for your patience as those routines are established.
If a student’s bus is delayed, parents may access the Bus Delay Notification System or use the Here Comes the Bus mobile app to receive the delayed bus report. e-Notify (School Messenger) email messages will also be sent to announce significant bus delays. For additional support, find the Transportation Services contact specific to your school. For any concerns after 5:30 p.m., contact Safety and Security at 571-423-2000.
Congratulations to our June FCPS CARES Winners
FCPS CARES is an opportunity for parents, staff, and community members to recognize FCPS employees for going above and beyond to help others and show they care. All FCPS CARES submissions were reviewed, and six winners were selected for the month of June—one for each region and the central office—to receive extra recognition for their work.
One of the winners is Elizabeth Snyder, first-grade teacher from Camelot Elementary School. She was nominated by a parent who has had two children in her classroom. “Ms. Snyder has found a way to make everyday ‘the best day ever’ for each of our children, and she should be recognized for her dedication to ensuring all of her students have what they need to grow and learn in her class.”
Other winners in June include:
- Katie Tardiff, Bull Run Early Childhood Center.
- Kyung Kim, Crossfield Elementary School.
- Allen Dunn and Kristine Griswold, Groveton Elementary School.
- Katie Crewse, Tessa Dean, Lindsay Leahy, Brittany Hunt, Maura Donahue, and Dotty Lin, Kings Park Elementary School.
- Jessica Yaman, Wakefield Forest Elementary School.
Get more information about all the winners and how you can acknowledge an FCPS employee who has gone above and beyond.
Community Conversations with the Superintendent
Dr. Reid will continue to host Superintendent Community Conversations across the division through October to get to know our communities. Events are being scheduled at high schools in each pyramid. Schools will share registration information with families and employees in advance of each event. See the list of events that have been scheduled.
COVID-19 Health and Safety Updates
Last week, FCPS sent an update on COVID-19 layered prevention strategies that will continue to be in place this school year. While we had hoped that the pandemic would be behind us, it seems that COVID will be something we must manage as a community for the foreseeable future. FCPS will continue to follow the guidance of national, state, and local health experts when determining the layered prevention strategies that are needed to keep our schools safe and open for learning.
To stay up to date, please continue to review our Health and Safety Guidance on our website.
Calendar Reminder
Labor Day Holiday
Friday, September 2, and Monday, September 5, are Labor Day holidays for all FCPS employees and students. We hope everyone takes the long weekend to celebrate a strong start to the school year and enjoy time with family and friends. See the complete 2022-23 school year calendar.
