Greetings and Welcome to the
2017-2018 School Year
Amidst the changing leaves, cooler weather and shorter days, our schools have been in session for nearly two months! Many of our Homecoming events are in full swing and several of our fabulous fall sports teams are entering district and regional playoffs.
This year our pre-Labor Day start was incredibly smooth. I attended the Leadership Conference at George Mason University just prior to our early start, and was so motivated by the excitement and enthusiasm of our FCPS staff.
Our new Superintendent Dr. Scott Brabrand has been at the helm since July 10. Dr. Brabrand has been visiting our schools on a weekly basis sharing his message of “effectiveness, efficiency and equity” and talking about keeping “the joy” in both teaching and learning. In his “Opening of the Schools” report, Dr. Brabrand shared these fun facts: Our FY 2018 FCPS budget of $2.8 billion dollars is supporting 198 schools and centers, 27,500 employees, and 188,402 students. Our schools and offices have a total of 26,000,000 square feet and our students speak 200 languages from all around the world. We have 1,630 school buses that stop at 16,086 bus stops, and travel 96,666 miles every single school day. That adds up to 17.4 million miles annually! The magnitude of our system never ceases to amaze us!
I have had the pleasure of attending many back-to-school events and football games, and I’m looking forward to upcoming fall theater productions, choral, orchestra and band concerts! I hope to see you at my next school visit or one of the events listed below.
Potential Addition of Advanced Academic Program (AAP Center) in the Edison Pyramid!
I would like to invite you to attend one of two community meetings we will be holding to discuss a proposal to open an AAP center at Bush Hill Elementary School beginning in the 2018-19 school year.
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) provides a wide variety of programming in its schools. We are fortunate to have robust Advanced Academic Programs (AAP) in the Edison and Lee and Hayfield pyramids and have experienced enrollment growth at the Springfield Estates Elementary Center over the past several years.
In an effort to provide a closer option for the level IV AAP center experience within the Edison pyramid, as well as to relieve overcrowding at the Springfield Estates level IV center, FCPS has been exploring the possibility of opening a new AAP Center at Bush Hill Elementary that would serve eligible students in the Edison pyramid.
Any plan for opening a new center requires numerous steps including information sharing, gathering input from the community, and Fairfax County School Board approval. With careful consideration of all collected viewpoints and data, FCPS leadership, Facilities and Planning, Office of Communication and Community Relations, and Instructional Services work collaboratively to provide recommended options for the School Board to consider before moving forward.
Elementary parents in the Edison pyramid or who attend Springfield Estates are invited to attend one of two opportunities to learn more about options for opening an AAP center at Bush Hill Elementary:
Bush Hill Elementary School Community Meeting
Wednesday, October 25
7-8:30 p.m.
Bush Hill ES
Springfield Estates Elementary School Community Meeting
Wednesday, November 1
7-8:30 p.m.
Information about AAP and what is required for a school to operate as an AAP Center will be shared at the meeting. We will also seek your feedback on potential options.
All presentation information and transcribed feedback will be posted to the FCPS website. A survey will be sent out after the meetings to allow families that were not able to attend to share their feedback as well.
October 20
Lee High School Homecoming
Mount Vernon High School Homecoming
October 21
The 4th annual FCPS Mental Health and Wellness Conference will be held at Fairfax High School from
8:00 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. on Saturday, October 21, 2017. Dr. Scott Brabrand,
FCPS Superintendent, will open the conference, and Dr. Jonathan Dalton, from
the Center for Anxiety and Behavioral Change, will be the keynote
speaker. Participants in this conference, which is free to staff,
parents, and community members, will be able to choose from 40 breakout
sessions (many offered more than once). Additionally, there will be over
50 resource tables available, representing public and private offices and
agencies providing wellness-related services within our schools and
community. The conference schedule, session descriptions, presenter bios,
resource table information, and registration is available at: https://www.fcps.edu/mentalhealthwellnessconference.
November 8
FCPS Superintendent Scott Brabrand will hold Community Conversations in the
five regions. Region 3’s Community Conversation will be held on
Wednesday, November 8 at 6:30 p.m. in Lecture Hall Room 1604 at Hayfield
Secondary School. The school is located at 7630 Telegraph Road in Alexandria.
The format will be a meet & greet from 6:30 to 7:00 followed by discussion
and questions from the audience until 8 p.m.
November 14
Kaufax Koffee
9:30-11:30 a.m.
Grounded Coffee
6919 Telegraph Road, Alexandria
Round-table discussion.
No appointments necessary.
November 16
To encourage interest among high school students and recent graduates in the
in-demand skilled trades, Edison Academy and co-sponsor Wegmans Food Markets,
Inc. will host the third annual Apprenticeships and Skilled Workforce Career
Fair on Thursday, November 16, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Edison High School
lecture hall. The fair will coincide with National Apprenticeship Week. Fairfax
County high school students, recent graduates, and their parents are invited to
attend this free event to meet Northern Virginia education and industry leaders
who offer skilled trades employment, education and training, and apprenticeship
programs to soon-to-be and recent high school graduates. Register online to attend to
attend or call Genie Williford at 703-924-8154.
The Fairfax County Public Schools and Fairfax County Middle School Afterschool program has been awarded a Title IV, Part B, 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) grant from the Virginia Department of Education.
This is a three-year grant with annual continuation awards of $178,116 that will support expanded afterschool activities, parent engagement opportunities, summer school programming, and a middle school to high school transition program at Glasgow and Key Middle Schools. This is the seventh three-year 21st CCLC grant received by the afterschool program. Presently, the grants support activities in four middle schools.
The grant builds upon the school-county partnership that provides afterschool activities in all middle schools, increased parent and family involvement, and summer programs. Classroom teachers and a diverse group of 12 community partners will provide a broad spectrum of high quality supports and services to students at Glasgow and Key Middle Schools during the afterschool hours. The community partners will also work to involve parents in their children’s learning and help to integrate the parents into the school environment. The summer program will provide students with additional academic support and enrichment with a focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) learning, life skills, youth development, sports programs, and transitioning into high school.
This blended set of programs is designed to improve the academic, social, emotional, mental, and physical well-being of youth; support families and encourage their involvement in their children’s learning; and meet the community’s need for a safe environment for youth during the afterschool hours and in the summer.
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