FCPS This Week e-newsletter - February 2, 2022

Show Your School Some Love Next Week

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is declaring February 8 "We Love FCPS Day." Join us in the celebration. Show your love for your school by dropping off a handmade card to the FCPS employee who has made a difference in your student’s life this year. 

Take a Look at the Approved 2022-23 School Year Calendar

The 2022-23 school year calendar was officially approved last week. Next year’s school calendar focuses on instruction and student and operational needs. The calendar also reflects significant community and employee engagement throughout the calendar development process.

Important Dates:

• Monday, August 22, 2022: First day of school.
• November 23-25, 2022: Thanksgiving break.
• December 19, 2022 - January 2, 2023: Winter break.
• April 3-7, 2023: Spring break.

Changes:

• Veteran’s Day will be a professional work day.
• Spring break is aligned with surrounding districts.
• New instruction will be allowed to take place on days denoted as religious and cultural observances, or “O” days.
• Four observances will be student holidays:
  • Rosh Hashanah. 
  • Yom Kippur.
  • Orthodox Good Friday.
  • Diwali.

See other highlights of the 2022-23 school year calendar. Stay tuned for more information on the 2022-23 Employee Calendar. We will be sharing more on the updated use of O Days later in the spring.

Making Summer Plans for Students? Sign up for CTE Summer Academy or Tech Adventure Camp

Two great opportunities for students to explore their interests this summer are open for registration.

Students in grades 7-11 can dive deeper into CTE program areas, develop new skills, and explore future careers in the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Summer Academy.

Students currently in grades 2-6 may participate in Tech Adventure Camp, where they will explore STEAM, culinary, health, trades, business, and marketing areas.

Space is limited, and registration is on a first-come basis until seats are filled. 

Registration and more information about the CTE Summer Academy and the Tech Adventure Camp is available online.

Be Our Partner in Education by Participating in a Review of Books and Materials

Parents, students, and community members have a unique opportunity to help FCPS select important learning resources. These reviews do not happen frequently, so selected resources will be in classrooms for years and are a significant financial investment. Your voice is a direct and important part of the process.

You can review digital resources and leave feedback online. Physical resources for elementary language arts are being reviewed throughout the month at the Willow Oaks Administration Center from 8 a.m. - 3 p.m., Monday-Friday. In-person review hours will be extended to 7 p.m. on February 3, 10, 17, and 24

Find out more about basal resource reviews and how to share feedback on our website.

Ensuring Mental Wellness in our Schools: Parent/Guardian Reports and Upcoming Screener Windows

In partnership with our families, FCPS supports mental wellness (social and emotional learning and skill development) for our students. These factors are critical to students as they become successful and reflect our Portrait of a Graduate. Students have the opportunity to participate in the social emotional screener, providing valuable information about their social and emotional skills, relationships, school environment, and mood. School teams and families use this information as they work together to develop supportive school cultures. 

In the coming weeks, parents and guardians of students in grades 3-12 who participated in the fall 2021 screener will be mailed a letter with their student’s self-reported ratings. The report includes tips for understanding the ratings and discussing them with your child. We encourage you to use these screener results alongside your own current knowledge of your child and other sources of information as you develop a more complete picture of your child’s current strengths and needs. You may be in touch with your child’s school to partner on next steps as needed, as well as to learn more about the many supportive practices schools are using to support mental wellness and social emotional skill development for all students this school year.

In response to current needs, slight changes have been made to upcoming screener windows. Grades 3-12 students will be screened once more in the spring. Grades K-2 students will be screened in the winter and spring. More information about the SEL Screener is available online.

Future IT and Trades Workers: Join us for Back2Fairfax 2022

Current FCPS juniors, seniors, and recent FCPS graduates considering an operational career with Fairfax County Public Schools are encouraged to join the Back2Fairfax Operational Seminar on Tuesday, February 22, from 5-8 p.m. The event will be held virtually this year.

The event is a great opportunity to network with current employees in various operational and administrative positions. Learn more about your future career during a live operational employee panel and breakout sessions on various topics including Apprenticeship 101, Computer Hardware Repair, Network Engineering, Technology Support, Trade Careers, and more.

For more information, please email [email protected]. 

Registration is available online.

FCPS Student Artists Recognized in 2022 Regional Scholastic Art Awards

The 2022 Regional Scholastic Art Awards program has awarded Fairfax County Public Schools students in grades 7-12 a total of 497 awards for outstanding artwork, including 160 Gold Key awards, 160 Silver Key awards, and 177 Honorable Mention awards. Four works by FCPS students were nominated for the best-in-show American Visions Award. 

See who received a Regional Scholastic Art Award.

Historical Marker Project Will Highlight Untold Stories of Fairfax County’s African American Communities

As we kick off Black History Month in February, Fairfax County Public Schools and the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors announced the launch of a joint Historical Marker Project. The purpose of the optional project is to bring attention to untold or lesser known histories from Fairfax County communities. The rich history, culture, and accomplishments of these communities is often underrepresented in history books and school curriculum. The first focus of the project is Fairfax County’s Black and African American communities. 

As part of the Historical Marker Project, students in grades 4-12 will focus on Portrait of a Graduate skills, such as communication and collaboration, by engaging in inquiry to recognize the voices, experiences, and achievements of Black/African Americans from Fairfax County. Students can submit suggested topics featuring a person, place, or event until March 31. 

More information on the Historical Marker Project is available online.

Superintendent Search — The Qualities We Value in a Leader

As part of the development of the profile for the next superintendent, we asked you to share your thoughts in town halls, stakeholder meetings and a survey. On Monday, January 31, the School Board heard the feedback from these sessions at their work session. To learn more about what our community and employees shared, watch the meeting. You can also watch the Superintendent Search Town Hall meetings held for the community online. 

FCPS is conducting a nationwide search for a new superintendent to lead the school district when Superintendent Brabrand's contract expires at the end of the 2021-22 school year.

Learn more about the superintendent search on our website.

VaxUP FCPS – Vaccines for Kids Under 5 Coming Soon 

COVID-19 vaccination remains the best protection against severe illness. School-age children can receive their primary series of the Pfizer vaccine. Children 12 and over are eligible for booster doses. Find out more about COVID-19 vaccination and where to find a vaccination clinic on the Fairfax County Health Department’s website. 

With the latest COVID-19 vaccine news, families can start thinking about vaccinating their youngest children. Pfizer and BioNTech are expected to submit an emergency use authorization request to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for vaccines for children ages six months to five years.

From the Healthy Minds Blog: Teaching Children about Healthy Diet and Exercise

We routinely emphasize the importance of learning the ABC’s as they pertain to the alphabet and learning to read. According to the American Psychological Association, it is also important that we teach children a different set of ABC’s...ABCDE: Act Boldly to Change Diet and Exercise.

Parents and guardians are in a unique position to positively influence children’s healthy eating habits and exercise. Check out these tips on how to do so from the American Psychological Association on the Healthy Minds blog.