FCPS This Week e-newsletter - March 16, 2022
Free Online Tutoring Services For All Students Coming Soon!
All FCPS students will soon have unlimited access to online tutoring support services through Tutor.com at no cost. Funds to support Tutor.com for school year 2022-23 and 2023-24 will come from an ESSER III Unfinished Learning Grant.
Students can connect online any time, and in most subjects for as long as they need. Tutoring is focused instruction provided to students in a one-on-one format through voice or text chat. Tutors will focus on developing student’s strengths and capabilities in reading, mathematics, or other specified subjects. Tutoring services may be accessed before, during, or after school hours and/or on weekends through a link in Schoology.
All tutors must pass a rigorous application process including an extensive background check. No personal information is shared between a student and tutor. All sessions are recorded and transcripts are available for review by teachers and parents/guardians.
Students will automatically have access to the Tutor.com tutoring service unless a parent/guardian submits an opt-out request. All FCPS families will soon receive an email including an online tutoring services notice and opt-out information. Additionally, a hard copy form will be sent home with every student.
For additional information, visit our online tutoring services website.
Family Engagement Survey Open
The Family Engagement Survey was sent to your email the afternoon of Sunday, March 13. Please participate—your feedback is critical in helping to inform and improve FCPS’ practices to best support our students.
Taking this survey will also help strengthen the partnership between your family and your school. When that partnership is strong, students can experience a range of benefits including improved school readiness, higher student achievement, and better social skills and behavior.
FCPS is partnering with independent firm K12 Insight to administer the survey, and it will be available in eight languages. For more information, please watch this short video from Superintendent Brabrand and visit the Family Engagement Survey webpage. Your voice matters!
It’s Time for 2022-23 Kindergarten Registration
Will your child turn five years old by September 30? If so, contact your child’s school to make arrangements for kindergarten enrollment. Most schools begin getting information together now for parents of incoming kindergartners, and many host an orientation or open house. All kindergarten programs are full-day and located in FCPS elementary schools.
Check your school’s web page or contact the school directly for specific enrollment information and dates of orientation that typically occur between mid-March and the end of June.
Get more information about kindergarten registration.
EPA Administrator Michael Regan Visits Flint Hill Elementary to Highlight Electric School Buses
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan visited Flint Hill Elementary School on Monday, March 14, to talk with students, school staff, families, and advocates about electric school buses.
Fairfax County Public Schools currently has eight electric school buses and is poised to get ten additional electric buses this spring. FCPS is committed to providing carbon neutral student transportation by the year 2035.
FCPS Students Named 2022 Student Peace Award Winners
Students from 23 Fairfax County public schools have been named recipients of the 2022 Student Peace Awards of Fairfax County, designed to recognize young people who work as peacemakers. Recipients were recognized at a reception on March 13.
The Student Peace Awards began in 2006 to encourage people to think more about peace as both a means and an end, and to recognize young people who work as peacemakers. Every year, the high schools in Fairfax County are asked to select one junior or senior, or a group of students, whose work has promoted peace.
See who received a Student Peace Award.
To the Rescue: Chantilly Academy Students On Track to Help with Firefighter Shortage
Departments across northern Virginia are desperate to hire firefighters. Chantilly Academy is helping to fill that void by training the next generation of firefighters. Seniors enrolled in the firefighting course at Chantilly Academy learn alongside Fairfax County Fire and Rescue recruits, working with state-of-the-art equipment and getting valuable hands-on training.
Graduates of the FCPS firefighting course have gone on to pursue both volunteer and career firefighting. At least eight have returned to the Fairfax County Fire Academy after graduation and become Fairfax County firefighters.
FCPS Leads the State in Board-Certified Teachers
Ten Fairfax County Public Schools teachers have achieved or renewed certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
Over the course of the program in FCPS, more than 500 teachers have achieved this prestigious certification. Currently, FCPS is ranked 1st in the state of Virginia with over 300 active National Board-certified teachers, placing Fairfax County in the top 30 school districts nationwide. Seventy five percent of National Board-certified teachers work directly with students while others have moved into leadership roles throughout the division.
See who achieved or renewed National Board Certification.
Women’s History Month: Learn About the Namesake of Louise Archer Elementary School
Trailblazer educator Louise Archer worked selflessly to pave the way for Black students in FCPS in the early 1900s. Watch the video.
FCPS to Join Northern Virginia School Divisions to Host Inclusive History Panel Discussion
Fairfax County Public Schools, in coordination with Alexandria City, Arlington, Falls Church City, and Loudoun school divisions, will participate in a virtual discussion on Inclusive History on Monday, March 28, at 7:30 p.m. An inclusive history benefits all students by providing opportunities to appreciate the complexity of the past, while encouraging them to think critically about possibilities for the future. Please join the panel discussion with students and teachers from FCPS, and other local school divisions. Register today.
Final Teen Job Fair on Saturday, March 19
FCPS high school students looking for their first part-time job, summer and seasonal job opportunities, or who want more information about potential career pathways, are invited to attend one of two upcoming teen job fairs and resume building workshops. Local businesses and agencies will be on hand to offer a range of opportunities including part-time employment, internships, and volunteer work for prospective students.
Volunteer opportunities and resume building workshops will also be available for younger students. The final job fair will be held on Saturday, March 19, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Chantilly High School.
Registration for the job fair is available online.
Multilingual Parent Podcasts: Parents’ Voices and School Partnerships are Important!
Family-School partnerships lead to student success and are an essential part of building a caring culture. FCPS values family perspective or “voice.” Family perspective is critical in developing authentic school-family relationships. These partnerships inform and improve school practices to best support students. In this episode, hear more about the importance of family engagement.
Renee LaHuffman-Jackson, FCPS coordinator for Family-School Partnerships, is the guest in this episode. Families are also encouraged to participate in the annual FCPS 2022 Family Engagement Survey. Get more information on the 2018-19 Family Engagement Survey and FCPS Family Engagement Policy.
Reminder: Kindergarten Registration has started for the 2022-23 school year. Contact your neighborhood school for more details.
Listen and subscribe:
Registration Open for 2022 Special Education Conference
This year’s conference will be held virtually on Saturday, March 26, with a combination of synchronous (live) and asynchronous (recorded) sessions supporting the conference's theme: Bringing our Inclusive Community Together: Affirming, Assessing, Advancing. Welcoming ceremonies, guest speakers, FCPS presentations, and an exhibit hall are included. Registration for this free conference is now open online.
Speakers include:
- Dr. Lisa Cullins, A Conversation About Compassion Fatigue.
- Marlo Keller, Exceptional Family Member Program Pathways: Navigating the Halls of a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) School Move.
- Ann Dolin, Less Policing, More Parenting: How to Improve Your Child’s Executive Functioning Skills Without All the Arguments.
- Dr. Lisa Bateman, Reducing the Stigma Around Mental Health Challenges and How to Support Children in Asking for Help.
Visit the Special Education Conference webpage for more information and to register.
Tip Sheet for Parents: Help Your Teen Stay Awake While Studying
Research shows that most teens don't get enough sleep. So when they sit down to do schoolwork, many teens nod off.
Small changes in routine can make a big difference in your teen's ability to concentrate. Try these tips to help them stay focused.
Copyright 2022, the Parent Institute, a Division of PaperClip Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Get more tips for parents and other family engagement resources.
Best School Website Awards
Fairfax County Public Schools presented six schools with 2021 Best of the Web Awards for excellence in website content and use of web-based tools. Winners were recognized at a virtual meeting on March 11.
The annual awards, organized by the FCPS Office of Communication and Community Relations, celebrate schools that create excellent websites to inform and engage readers. The winners remind us of the substantial talent that exists among the community of FCPS school web curators.
