FCPS This Week - October 24, 2024
Header Photo: Kindergarten students at Franklin Sherman Elementary School enjoy recess.
Return Your Federal Impact Aid Survey
FCPS is asking all families to fill out a Federal Impact Aid Survey. The form is available in SIS ParentVUE under Online Packets (in the upper right corner after logging in). Please complete it as soon as possible.
Schools will provide paper forms to families who have not completed the survey in ParentVUE by Monday, November 11. Paper forms should be returned by Monday, December 4.
Completing this form for each school-aged child in every household is important. Information from this survey resulted in more than $4 million in funding last year from the U.S. Department of Education. These funds are used to support all Fairfax County public schools and centers.
For more information, please watch this video on Impact Aid and visit the Federal Impact Aid Survey page.
Register for ParentVUE
Learn how to activate your SISParentVUE account, so you can easily submit your survey and have access to other helpful information about your child. Technical support for using ParentVUE or submitting the survey online is available by submitting a Parent Support Request ticket. Select SISParent in the Application dropdown menu and type Federal Impact Aid Survey in the Issue Description section. You may also call the Parent Technology Help Desk at 833-921-3277 (833-921-FCPS).
🏆17 FCPS Schools Recognized on 2024 Advanced Placement School Honor Roll
The College Board announced that 17 FCPS high schools have been named to the Advanced Placement (AP) School Honor Roll. Schools can earn bronze, silver, gold, or platinum distinction.
This annual opportunity for recognition is based on criteria that reflect a commitment to increasing college-going culture, providing opportunities for students to earn college credit, and maximizing college readiness.
See the list of schools named to the AP School Honor Roll.
📝 Applications Open for Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Middle school students who have an aptitude and passion for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) are encouraged to apply for admission to the Class of 2029 at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. Applications must be started by 4 p.m. Wednesday, November 13, with a deadline to submit by Friday, November 15, at 4 p.m.
🩹 Immunization Clinics for Students
Safeway Pharmacy has been hosting free immunization clinics at Frost Middle School for any FCPS student age 18 or younger. A clinic will be offered on Tuesday, October 29, 3-7 p.m. Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are highly encouraged to avoid wait times. A parent or guardian must accompany walk-in students age 18 or younger to provide consent. Learn more about immunization resources and registering in other languages.
Please note that students age 19 and older may access free immunizations at their middle/high school immunization clinic, the Fairfax County Health Department or through other community resources.
🩹 Additional Immunization Clinics
The Fairfax County Health Department will provide immunization appointments at their district offices for FCPS elementary students on limited early-release Mondays through December. All school-required immunizations will be offered at no cost. Call 703-246-7100 to make your appointment.
The health department will also host immunization clinics at FCPS middle and high schools through December. Clinics will take place during the school day. Students may only participate in the clinic at the school where they are enrolled. Parental/caregiver consent is required for students to receive immunizations. Please check the Immunization Resources page for clinic locations, dates, and how to submit a consent form.
✨ Providing students with access to the necessary emotional, behavioral, mental, and physical health services to support their successful engagement in school is part of the FCPS 2023-30 Strategic Plan Goal 2: Safe, Supported, Included, and Empowered.
📚 Opportunity to Review Social Studies Classroom Resources
FCPS is adopting social studies instructional materials for the 2025-26 school year. Part of the process for selecting new resources is a public review of the materials being considered. Visit the community review webpage for more information on how to view the materials online or in person.
All community feedback will be shared with the School Board before they vote to select materials in spring 2025. FCPS adopts basal resources by the process outlined in Regulation 3004.
Listening to Students and Meeting Them Where They Are
Assistive Technology (AT) student ambassadors share their experiences working with educators using augmentative and alternative communications (AAC) tools.
In this video, AT Ambassador Madeline talks to Mollie Kropp, education specialist for accessibility in the Office of Special Education Instruction. Madeline uses a speech-generating device and spoken English to communicate with others. AAC tools support her success by enabling her to engage in classroom activities, ask questions, participate in discussions, and socialize with friends.
Those who honor the many ways individuals communicate and take the time to learn about their AAC tools contribute to an inclusive environment that ensures everyone feels a sense of belonging.
Learn more about Madeline’s hobbies and how her device works in the full video. Visit the Accessible Educational Materials or Inclusive and Assistive Technology Tools webpages.
October Is Disability History and Awareness Month
Learning more about AAC tools, accessible educational materials, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is one way we can work toward acknowledging and supporting every member of the FCPS community.
✨Listening to students and allowing their experiences to shape the way they are taught is critical to achieving FCPS Strategic Plan Goal 2: Safe, Supported, Included, and Empowered.
🏈 Football and Cheer Teams Tackle Literacy With First Graders
Members of the West Springfield High School football team and cheerleading squad spent a morning last week sharing books with Cardinal Forest Elementary School first graders.
Jennifer Walrath, a first grade teacher at Cardinal Forest Elementary School, organized the event. Walrath is also the mother of West Springfield junior and quarterback Brian Walrath. She wanted to build community between the schools and inspire a love of reading in the younger students, who often look up to high school athletes. Read about the literacy event.
✨ Students reading on grade level by the end of third grade is part of FCPS Strategic Plan Goal 3: Academic Growth and Excellence.
🍱 More on Student-Driven Menus Celebrating Flavor and Diversity
Watch this video to discover how Food and Nutrition Services is elevating student voices through student-driven menu options at Fairfax County public schools!
These new meals are designed to celebrate the diversity of our students by offering flavorful, healthy dishes such as sweet Thai chicken wings, chana masala, and chickenless bites and waffles. Our new menu cards also help students “Build Your Tray Your Way” by identifying nutritious and balanced meals, as well as which menu items are vegetarian, vegan, and halal or kosher friendly.
🎤 Our Schools, Our Future: Final Fall Community Conversation
Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid invites you to share your thoughts and ask questions at her final community conversation for 2024. The event will be held Wednesday, October 30, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Herndon Middle School. Click the date to register. Childcare and language interpretation services will be provided.
✨ Building trusting partnerships with families aligns with FCPS Strategic Plan Pillar B: Vibrant Home, School, & Community Partnerships.
🎨 Watching Learning Unfold at Sleepy Hollow
In her Weekly Reflections, Dr. Reid shared how she saw learning “unfold” during an art class at Sleepy Hollow Elementary School.
The art teacher was demonstrating how to turn one piece of paper into a multi-page book through a series of folds and cuts. Watch the Instagram reel.
Read more about Dr. Reid’s travels throughout the division in her latest Weekly Reflections and subscribe today.
🚌 National School Bus Safety Week
Thank you to our more than 1,700 bus drivers, attendants, and Transportation Services staff who work every day to get our students to and from school safely.
The FCPS bus fleet is one of the largest in the U.S., transporting approximately 131,000 students on 1,225 buses (including 28 electric buses) each day.
💊 National Drug Take Back Day Is October 26
Take advantage of free, convenient, confidential, and safe disposal of unused or expired medications during Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, October 26. There will be nine drop-off sites throughout Fairfax County. Find the site closest to you.
Can’t make it to Drug Take Back Day? Learn about year-round prescription and over-the-counter medication disposal. Thank you for doing your part to make the Fairfax County community safer!
🗓️ Calendar Reminders: Quarter End/Early Release, Diwali/Dia de los Muertos and All Saints Day, Student Holidays
Thursday, October 31, is the last day of the first quarter and a two-hour early release for students.
Friday, November 1, is a holiday for Diwali, Dia de los Muertos, and All Saints Day. All schools and offices will be closed.
Schools will be closed for students on Monday, November 4, for a school planning day, and Tuesday, November 5, for a teacher workday.
See the complete school year calendar.
School Board Meeting Thursday, October 24, at 7 p.m.
The School Board will hold its next regular business meeting on Thursday, October 24, at 7 p.m. Topics on the agenda include:
- Exemplar and Blue Ribbon Awards
- Strategic Plan Goal 1 Report
- Appointments to the Advisory Committee and the Facilities Planning Advisory Council
View the complete agenda. Find out how to watch and participate in School Board meetings.
🍬 Fairfax County Guide to Halloween
The Fairfax County Government offers a guide with:
- The scariest and best-decorated houses for Halloween
- Tips for trick-or-treating
- Tips for pet owners
- Tips for to composting your pumpkins
The Fairfax County Park Authority and Public Libraries will also hold fun seasonal events.
Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry Website
The Virginia State Police Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry website, which includes the Public Notification Database, provides access to publicly available information about persons convicted of specified violent and sexual offenses. Members of the public can use this website to educate themselves about the possible presence of such offenders in their local communities.
