Music teacher Chelsea Huber, left, stands with the Mount Vernon High School Varsity Singers prior to performing the National Anthem at a recent School Board meeting.

2024-25 School Year Budget

Superintendent Dr. Michelle C. Reid presented the budget at the School Board meeting last week. Watch the presentation. A public hearing on the budget took place yesterday. 

The School Board will hold a work session on Tuesday, May 21, before adopting the approved budget on Thursday, May 23. View the budget calendar and budget documents.

🏃 Students Compete in Special Olympics Track Meet

Student athletes and their buddies from Bush Hill Elementary School competed in this year’s Little Feet Meet, a Special Olympics track meet. Read more about the students’ experience.

Family Life Education Materials Available for Review

The recommended Family Life Education instructional materials are available for community review through Monday, June 10, at 4:30 p.m. View details and a feedback form. 

🙋 Attend Today, Achieve Tomorrow. We All Belong in FCPS!

In FCPS, we all belong. From the first day to the last day of school, every child matters. If your student is having a hard time finishing the year strong and attending school, please contact a trusted adult at your school. Visit our website for more attendance resources. 

🚍 Student Bus Passes Offer Free Transportation All Year

All Fairfax County middle and high school students can get a Student Bus Pass SmarTrip card to ride the Fairfax Connector and Fairfax CUE buses for free! With the pass, fares are free from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week, all year. Learn more about the Student Pass. Complete the application and return it to your school office. 

Students at Justice, Annandale, Falls Church, and Marshall high schools, and Davis Center can ride Metrobus for free, in addition to the Fairfax Connector and City of Fairfax CUE. Visit the Fairfax County website for details and approved Metrobus routes. Complete the application and return it to your school office. 

Children 12 and younger ride for free on the Fairfax Connector with a paying adult. 

🎓 Colleges and Universities Still Accepting Applications

The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) has released their annual list of colleges and universities that are still accepting applications from prospective freshmen or transfer students for fall 2024. Users may narrow down the list of schools by state and view whether a school still has financial aid, as well as unfilled housing. 

NACAC provides an enrollment deposit fee waiver request form that is considered by some institutions for students experiencing significant financial hardship. Students and families may contact their school counselor or college and career specialist with any questions.

Students who still need assistance completing the FAFSA or VASA financial aid forms can schedule a free appointment with our partners at College Access Fairfax. Email [email protected]. All FAFSA or VASA help that your school or College Access Fairfax provides is free.

🎭 “Anything Goes” at Chantilly High School 

The Cappies is a program through which high school theater and journalism students are trained as theater critics, attend shows at other schools, write reviews, and publish those reviews in local newspapers. 

This review of Chantilly High School’s production of “Anything Goes” was written by Courtney Butts of Woodson High School.

⏰ Share Your Thoughts on Middle School Start Times

Attend a forum to hear about the ongoing middle school start times study. Middle school students are encouraged to attend and participate in breakout sessions where they can share their voices! Register by clicking on one of the following dates: 

• Monday, May 20, 6-8 p.m., at Hughes Middle School.
• Wednesday, May 22, 6-8 p.m., at Frost Middle School. 

While registration is not required, it does help with planning. Language interpretation and childcare will be provided. Learn more about the project exploring middle school start times.

Personalized Pathways to Leadership Development

During last week’s School Board meeting, Dr. Reid’s Academic Matters segment focused on the John R. Lewis Leadership Program. Since 2022, the program has offered personalized pathways to leadership development for Lewis High School students, supporting success during and after high school. Watch the presentation. 

💙 CARES of the Month Recipient Welcomes Everyone

FCPS CARES is an opportunity for parents, staff, and community members to recognize employees for going above and beyond to help others and show they care. One of our CARES of the Month recipients for March is Fanny Salazar-Laske, a family liaison at Herndon Middle School. 

Fanny’s work focuses on helping those unfamiliar with the school, community, and even the United States. Her nominator explained that Fanny’s support includes helping an immigrant family register at the school and navigate “all things school, but more importantly, the world and culture they have stepped into.” 

“When a child comes to her and asks for food as their stomach is growling so loudly they can not even concentrate on the school day ahead, she welcomes them to the school pantry she has led, organized, and stocked,” her nomination stated. “She treats everyone with respect and dignity.”

Congratulations, Fanny, and all the other FCPS CARES of the Month Recipients:

• Delia Arnez, Gatehouse Administration Center
• Kirsten Salonga, Justice High School
• Elba Washington and Patricia Jackson, West Potomac High School
• Ashley Khan, Rolling Valley Elementary School
• Stephanie Thomas, Canterbury Woods Elementary School
• Diane Young, Key Center

Read about all the recipients.

✏️ Special Education Teacher Job Fair

A virtual hiring event will be held for those interested in becoming special education teachers on Wednesday, May 22, 6-8 p.m. Attendees will have an opportunity to network and interview with representatives from various Fairfax County public schools. Employment offers may be extended during the fair! View our special education career opportunities page to learn more.

 

🚌 Change Gears on Your Career at a Bus Driver Job Fair and Open House

The Office of Transportation Services will host an open house on Wednesday, May 22, 4:30-7:30 p.m., at Johnson Middle School. Interested individuals can meet with hiring staff regarding school bus driver, van driver, and school bus attendant openings. 

If you are not able to attend the open house, join our Transportation Job Fair on Thursday, May 23, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., at Stonecroft Transportation Center.

Driving for FCPS is a great opportunity for stay-at-home parents, retirees, college students, and career switchers to earn income with benefits. No preregistration is needed for either event. Apply today! Call 571-423-3000 or email [email protected] with questions.

🎓 Calling All Alumni and Friends!

Educate Fairfax is proud to introduce FCPS Alumni & Friends, an online network of alumni, teachers, parents/caregivers, and community members with ties to Fairfax County Public Schools. Whether you are a recent FCPS graduate or you’ve returned to Fairfax to work or raise your own family, this network will celebrate our alumni and friends of FCPS through stories, news and events, reunions, homecoming, and other activities. It’s also a great way to rekindle old friendships and build new ones. Join FCPS Alumni & Friends today!

🗓️ Calendar Reminder: Memorial Day   

All schools and offices will be closed on Monday, May 27, for the Memorial Day holiday. Learn about the history of Memorial Day. See the complete school year calendar. 

Free Fun for the Family at Healthy Together Fairfax

Healthy Together Fairfax is a free event by the community, for the community on Sunday, May 19, noon-3 p.m., at Franconia Park. It will feature healthy fun for all ages, focused on physical, environmental, social, and emotional wellness. Families are invited to check out a range of free activities including fitness classes, a mobile health van with screenings and vaccinations, guided trail walks, hands-on activities with community partners, storytime for children, guided meditation, carousel rides, and playgrounds.