Graduating student hugging another person.

FCPS This Week e-newsletter - June 15, 2022

By Communication and Community Relations
For Parents
June 15, 2022

Have a Great Summer!

Thank you for a great school year!

Celebrate Our Graduation Highlights

We’re celebrating the class of 2022—watch this highlight video to relive this year’s graduation events.

Resources for a Fun, Safe, and Healthy Summer

Looking for ways to help students stay active and learning this summer, or for health and safety resources when school is closed? Visit our Summer Resources page, which will be updated throughout the summer months.

Stay Engaged in Learning

Win Prizes With the Summer Reading Adventure

The Fairfax County Public Library (FCPL) summer reading program takes place through August 12. Children, teens, and adults can sign up now on Beanstack where they can track their summer reading.

Participants will have the chance to earn prizes when they read and complete activities. There are different challenges for preschoolers, K-5 students, teens, and adults.

More information about the FCPL summer reading program is available online.

Tutor.com—Online Tutoring Services Summer Access

FCPS students will continue to have unlimited access to 24/7, on-demand, online tutoring support services through Tutor.com this summer. Students are able to use Tutor.com to review and/or practice in subject areas of interest or need. Students may also choose to access other tools such as practice quizzes in a variety of subject areas, as well as self-paced study courses for SAT and ACT preparation.

Details about how students can access Tutor.com through archived courses in Schoology are provided in Summer Access at Tutor.com - Online Tutoring Services. Students enrolled in summer Credit Recovery Academy, Online Campus, Online Economics and Personal Finance, and TJHSST summer courses will be able to access Tutor.com via their active summer course in Schoology.

Stay Healthy and Active

Summer Meal Service

Summer meal kits will be offered on Tuesdays at several sites through August 9. Meal kits contain seven days of breakfast and lunch items packed in bulk. All meals are available at no-cost to FCPS students and children 18 years of age and under. Visit our Meals for Students website for more details on pick up locations and times.

Free and Reduced-Price Meal Applications Available Later This Summer

For the past two years, the federal government has provided no-cost meals to all public school students without the need to complete the annual Free and Reduced-Price Meal application. The extension of the no-cost meals benefit to all students is expected to expire at the end of this school year, meaning families must submit an application and be approved to be eligible for free and reduced-price meals for the 2022-23 school year. Learn more about the Free and Reduced-Price Meal program online.

Important Immunization Requirement: Do You Have a Student Entering Seventh or 12th Grade This Fall?

All students are required to be immunized against certain communicable diseases to attend school in the state of Virginia. It is important for all students to receive the required immunizations.

Please talk with your family health care provider about whether or not your children are up to date on their vaccines before the new school year begins. Submit updated immunization records to your school as soon as possible.

More information on immunization requirements and the necessary documentation is available online.

Mental Wellness Consultations

Through August 5, the FCPS Office of Intervention and Prevention Services will offer virtual mental wellness consultations. Parents and students can schedule a 45-minute consultation with a school psychologist or school social worker by phone or videoconference. Consultations will be offered:

Directly to parents of students in any grade level. This consultation provides an opportunity for parents to receive guidance on how to support their child’s social, emotional, behavioral, and academic success. Information about community resources will also be provided.
Directly to students in middle or high school. This consultation provides an opportunity for middle and high school students to receive guidance and support for concerns related to anxiety, mood, behavior, peer or family interactions, or school transitions and changes. Strategies and tools can also be provided to address academic challenges such as organization and time-management.

We encourage all parents and secondary students to take advantage of this service. Request a consultation. You can also leave a message at 703-503-2520.

Multilingual Parent Podcast: Keep Your Child Active Over the Summer

The Office of Professional Learning and Family Engagement was recently recognized with a Podcast Award of Distinction for Multilingual Family Podcast by the Communicator Awards.

In their most recent episode, hear about FCPS and Fairfax County Summer Programs designed to keep your child engaged in fun social and physical activities. The hosts also talk about summer learning opportunities. Use the links below for more detailed information. This will be the final episode for this school year. Be safe and enjoy your summer vacation.

Listen and subscribe:

Enjoy our School Grounds

School blacktops, playgrounds, outdoor basketball and tennis courts, and tracks are available for use by individuals (not organized groups) without being scheduled. Visit our availability webpage for more information on the usage of school grounds and facilities.

Visit our Community Use webpage for a full list of items and activities that are prohibited on school grounds and more information on reserving facilities. Groups interested in formally reserving school facilities should send an email to [email protected] or call 571-423-2340.

End of the Year Checklist

Have you completed the following important tasks before diving into your summer plans?

FCPS' Family Return to School Survey Deadline Extended

FCPS is interested in hearing from parents/caregivers about how the 2021-22 school year has gone for students. The deadline to provide your feedback on our Family Return to School Survey has been extended to Friday, June 17, at 8 p.m. Please check your email and text messages for the link.

Preview Your Student’s Spring SOL Scores

Want to know how your student did on their spring SOL tests before the official report? Families can see SOL scores in the Test History section of SIS ParentVUE. To access Test History, log into your ParentVUE account using a web browser (not the app). Families will also receive an official SOL score report letter with more details by the end of July.

Additional information about SOL assessments is available online. You can also learn more about SIS ParentVUE and how to activate your account.

Support the Collect for Kids School Supply Drive

To ensure that every child in the school district is prepared for school, Fairfax County Public Schools and Educate Fairfax are once again leading the Collect for Kids effort, a consortium of not-for-profit, for-profit, and government entities providing school supplies to benefit FCPS students who otherwise might go without them.

More than 56,000 (31%) FCPS students qualify for free or reduced-price meals and struggle to afford basic necessities. Your donation will help provide the school supplies these students need to be successful at school.

Contributions can be made online through Educate Fairfax. Donations will be used to purchase bulk school supply kits at highly discounted pricing. For more information, visit the Educate Fairfax website.

Celebrating Excellence

FCPS Honors Recognizes Exceptional Employees

Annually, more than 700 employees in both instructional and operational roles are recognized through the Outstanding Employee Awards Program. Among the finalists this year, there seemed to be a common thread—”adaptability” in the face of the coronavirus pandemic and the return to classrooms and offices. Learn more about the 12 winners, who were honored, along with more than 70 finalists, at an event last week. Watch the event online.

2022 Cappies Award Winners

Congratulations to our high school theater programs that were honored last week at the Cappies awards gala. Twenty-eight awards were won by 11 schools in the county. View a full list of the winners online.

OCCR Team Recognized as a Leader in Strategic Communications

The Office of Communications and Community Relations (OCCR) has been awarded a Gold Medallion—the highest award possible—from the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) for this year’s VaxUP FCPS communication plan.

While the plan is nationally recognized as best in the nation for communications strategy, the behind-the-scenes story is what makes this recognition especially meaningful for the OCCR team.

Two other OCCR projects in community relations and crisis communications were selected to receive Golden Achievement Awards.

Find out more about what these honors mean for OCCR and FCPS as we work on transforming how we serve our community.

Explore A New Career—Instructional Job Fair on June 22

Interested in an instructional job with Fairfax County Public Schools? Instructional positions include teacher, school counselor, librarian, instructional assistant, public health attendant (PHA) and public health training assistants (PHTA), and substitute teacher and assistants.

To learn more, attend the virtual Instructional Job Fair on Wednesday, June 22, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Learn more and register online.

School Board Meeting on June 16 at 7 p.m.

The School Board will hold a regular business meeting on Thursday, June 16, at 7 p.m. See the complete regular meeting agenda (English only). The meeting can be viewed on FCPS Cable TV Channel 99 (Verizon Channel 11), the FCPS YouTube Channel, and on the FCPS website. Agenda highlights include:

Student Rights and Responsibilities (SR&R) update.
Deferred Compensation Retirement Savings Program.
Awarding of Contracts.

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 action items the morning after the School Board meeting.

Find your School Board member and how to contact them on the School Board Members webpage.

School Board Seeking At-Large FPAC Applicants; Deadline Is June 17

The Fairfax County School Board invites applications from community members interested in serving on the Facilities Planning Advisory Council (FPAC) as an at-large member. FPAC advises and informs FCPS staff and the School Board in the development of comprehensive, long-term plans for facilities. The current council member appointment will end June 30, 2025.

FCPS encourages individuals with experience in construction, engineering, architecture, land use planning, development, demographics, government operations, and financing to apply. The deadline to submit an application is June 17. Applicants must reside within the boundaries of Fairfax County or Fairfax City. More information and an application are available online (English only).

Calendar Reminders

June 20 Is a Holiday for All Employees—Schools and Offices Closed

As a reminder, Monday, June 20 (Juneteenth observed), is a holiday for FCPS employees. Juneteenth celebrates and commemorates the end of slavery in the United States.

2022-23 School Year Starts August 22

With summer vacation upon us, be sure to note that the first day of school for the 2022-23 school year will be Monday, August 22. See the complete 2022-23 school year calendar.

This is the last regularly scheduled issue of FCPS This Week for the school year. Have a great summer!