FCPS This Week - June 21, 2023

School Board Approves 2023-30 Strategic Plan

The Fairfax County School Board voted unanimously to adopt FCPS’ 2023 strategic plan at last Thursday’s board meeting. Our new plan serves as the division’s North Star, guiding our path forward through 2030, to ensure excellence, equity, and opportunity for each and every FCPS student.

Our strategic plan comprises five student-centered goals; measures to monitor the progress toward those goals; equity commitments to support each and every student with attaining those goals; and four pillars that identify what FCPS must do well in order to reach our goals for all students.

Strategic plan goals include:

• Goal 1: Every student will develop foundational academic skills, curiosity, and a joy for learning necessary for success in Pre-K through 12th grade.
• Goal 2: Every student will experience an equitable school community where student health and well-being are prioritized, and student voice is centered.
• Goal 3: Every student will acquire critical and creative thinking skills, meet/exceed high academic standards, and achieve their highest academic potential.
• Goal 4: Every student will have access to high-quality academic programming and resources to support their success.
• Goal 5: Every student will graduate ready to thrive in life after high school and with the skills to navigate, adapt, and innovate for a sustainable future.

Learn more about FCPS’ strategic plan. 

Why Is Our New Strategic Plan So Important?

FCPS’ last strategic plan was developed in 2015. Since then, we have experienced a pandemic that changed the way we think, shifts in technology that have seen numerous updates to the iPhone, and plans developed for the first manned mission to Mars. Our students are preparing for careers that don’t exist today. In order to keep pace with these needs, we needed to rethink our plans for the future and how to best serve our students in this new era.

Thanks to Our FCPS Community!

FCPS’ new strategic plan would not have been possible without the collaboration and input from thousands of parents/caregivers, employees, students, and community members. Opportunities to participate in the planning process included 11 Planning Teams, 15 Community Forums, multiple surveys yielding more than 117,000 responses, student focus groups, and an ongoing feedback form. Thank you for investing your time and ideas! 

Learn more about community involvement in the strategic plan. 

What’s Next?

The next steps for implementing the strategic plan involve aligning, prioritizing, and organizing FCPS’ work, and establishing a monitoring and reporting structure for the plan. We will continue to provide opportunities for you to tell us how we’re doing in reaching our goals. Until then, we invite you to learn more about our strategic plan.

☀️ Happy Summer! Enjoy These Resources

🎭 FCPS Summer Camp Opportunities

Registration is still available for Institute for the Arts (IFTA) and Elementary-IFTA (E-IFTA) arts camps, and Credit Recovery Academy. 

🌳 Summer Fun for All! Camps and Adapted Recreation 

The Family Resource Center (FRC) published a list with dozens of summer camps including general camps, camps for students with a variety of needs, and camps for children of military personnel. They’ve also prepared a list of inclusive adapted resources, sorted by activity, for children and adults of various physical abilities. 

The FRC provides resources and support for all families and school staff. They offer a free library, confidential consultations, and webinars. For more information, call 703-204-3941, email [email protected], or visit the FRC webpage. 

⚾ Enjoy Our School Grounds This Summer

School blacktops, playgrounds, outdoor basketball and tennis courts, and tracks are available for use by individuals (not organized groups) without being scheduled.

Please keep the following in mind when using these facilities:

• Use is allowed from dawn to dusk, except during school hours or when being used for school activities or other scheduled programs.
• Facilities must be shared with anyone else who wishes to use them.
• Please leave the facilities as you found them. Remove waste or debris from the property. 

Visit our Availability, Fees, and Hours webpage for details on using school grounds and facilities. See our Community Use webpage for a list of prohibited items and additional information on reserving facilities. Groups interested in formally reserving school facilities should contact [email protected] or call 571-423-2340.

📝 Tutor.com — Online Tutoring Services During the Summer

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

Check out Tutor.com’s Summer Access webpage for more information. 

🧠 Mental Wellness Summer Supports

The FCPS Office of Intervention and Prevention Services will offer free virtual mental wellness consultations from Monday, June 26, to Friday, August 4. Caregivers and secondary students can schedule a 45-minute consultation with a school psychologist or school social worker by phone or online: 

• Parents/caregivers of students in any grade level can receive information on community resources and/or guidance on how to support their child’s social, emotional, and academic success.
   
• Students in middle or high school can 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.

 All parents/caregivers and secondary students are encouraged to take advantage of this service. Request consultations online or call 703-503-2520 and leave a message.

💻 Hazel Health: Virtual Therapy Services for High School Students

Teletherapy services will continue to be available this summer for all FCPS high school students at no cost. Sessions can be scheduled Monday through Friday, 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Hazel Health’s highly-qualified therapists specialize in speaking “teen.” Learn more on FCPS’ teletherapy webpage. 

📘 Get Ready for Summer Reading! 

The Fairfax County Public Library understands the importance of summer reading. Summer learning loss, or the “summer slide,” is when children forget learned reading skills because they are no longer using them regularly. Reading and participating in engaging reading activities throughout the summer are two effective ways to combat summer learning loss. 

Fairfax Library will kick off their annual summer reading program with a Summer Reading Festival at the Chantilly Regional Library on Saturday, June 24, 4-7 p.m. Families can enjoy games and crafts, face painting, bounce houses, a mini zoo, caricatures, food, and other activities.

Learn more information about Fairfax Library’s Summer Reading Program