New School Board Chairs, Stuart Name Change, School Board Retreat
I hope you and your family are enjoying a safe and happy summer vacation. If you haven’t already, please consider trying our new reading incentive program: Book Your Summer! The program runs from June 27 through September 7 and is similar to a Bingo game. Students use a READ! card to complete activities and can submit their completed cards online for a chance to win books or a laptop.
Win or lose, reading is always beneficial!
NEW SCHOOL BOARD CHAIRS
During our first School Board meeting for the 2016-17 academic year, board members elected our new Chair, Sandy Evans of Mason District, and Vice Chair, Jane Strauss of Dranesville District. I was honored to nominate Jane Strauss for Vice Chair, to cast my vote for Sandy as Chair, and to thank Pat Hynes for her past service as both Chair and Vice Chair. I
look forward to a productive year with our new board leadership who bring both experience and a dedicated commitment to the success of FCPS.
J.E.B. Stuart Name Change
The potential renaming of J.E.B. Stuart High School has generated considerable discussion among constituents and community members. This issue began as an initiative of several Stuart students who were distraught after the 2015 tragic events in Charlotte, SC.; they wanted to rename their school to eliminate a confederacy reference and to replace it with a more inclusive name. The topic has provided an opportunity to discuss our history and to make decisions for the future.We have not yet reached consensus as a board and as a community.
At our July 14, 2016, meeting, Mason District member Sandy Evans presented a motion addressing the name change issue. The motion was introduced as new business (new business items are not discussed by the board.) The Board will discuss and vote on the motion at their July 28, 2016, regular meeting. If approved, the motion would create:
“an Ad hoc Committee on Renaming J.E.B. Stuart to consist of students, parents, community members, alumni, and business and community leaders to be chosen by the Superintendent in consultation with the Board. The Superintendent and FCPS staff will facilitate the group’s work. The working group will weigh the pros and cons of a name change; continue public engagement; explore public-private partnerships to finance any name change; ways to prevent added burdens on the school’s booster clubs, PTSA and Stuart school administration; the best method for transitioning from an old name to a new one; proper record retention; and the best timing for such a change, if such a change is approved by the Board. The working group will also provide ideas for ways to honor and preserve the school’s history, traditions and past achievements and to memorialize its decades as J.E.B. Stuart High School. The working group will report on its findings and recommendations to the School Board by March 2017.”
If you have questions or comments, please feel free to email me dapalchik@fcps.edu before our July 28th meeting.
SCHOOL BOARD RETREAT
This weekend, we will hold our second working retreat since our December swearing in as the newly elected Board. The retreat begins Friday July 22nd, (3-6 p.m.) and continues
on Saturday July 23rd from 8:30 a.m..- 2:45 p.m. Both sessions will be held in the
Willow Oaks Corporate Center, 8270 Willow Oaks Corporate Drive, Falls Church in Conference
Room 1001. The public is welcome to attend and observe any portion or all of the retreat.
I am looking forward to continuing
our work as we measure our progress in support of our four strategic goals,
review our strategic plan, and identify our priorities for the 2016-17 academic
year. The complete agenda is posted: Friday Session Saturday Session
SCHOOL BOARD CALENDAR
July 21: Work Session (Gatehouse Administration Center)
6:00 p.m. Annual Report: Title I Parent Advisory Committee
6:30 p.m. ERFC Annual Report
7:00 p.m. Retirement Study Follow-Up/ERFC
July 22-23: School Board Retreat at Willow Oaks Corporate Center (conference room 1001)
Friday, July 22: 3:00-6:00 p.m.
Saturday, July 23: 8:30 a.m. - 2:45 p.m.
July 27: Audit Committee (4:30 p.m. Gatehouse)
July 28 Regular Meeting 7 p.m.. (Luther Jackson M.S.)
STUDENT VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Volunteer Fairfax – Just for Youth
Opportunities with the Fairfax County Park Authority – Invasive Management Area
Want to share a volunteer opportunity via this newsletter? Please email me the date, time, brief explanation, and contact person. Thanks!
PROVIDENCE PRIDE!
Congrats to all 2016 graduates! We are so proud of you and share your smiles on your successful graduation from FCPS!
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