Karen Corbett Sanders's Newsletter
Dear Families,
It is almost hard to believe that the first
quarter is coming to an end! It is my hope that your
student is adjusted well to the school schedule and routine and we are well on
our way to a productive school year. I also hope that
you have taken the time to become engaged in your student’s school, gotten to
know their teachers and offered to volunteer in the classroom or in support of
extra-curricular activities. I also encourage you to take advantage of
this upcoming long weekend to enjoy family time, recognize our Veterans and
vote.
I had the opportunity to visit one of our PreK programs at Riverside Elementary School last week. I would like to thank Riverside staff for hosing me and making this a successful visit. I am once again reminded of the talented staff that we have working in our schools and the high-quality of the preschool programming we offer.
The School Board Student Leadership Program provides an
excellent opportunity for high school students to learn how local government
works and provide a voice for our students on key policy issues facing our
community. The program is open to any high school sophomore or junior in
good academic standing. We are accepting
applications for the Student Leadership Development Program, open to any high
school sophomore or junior in good academic standing.
The deadline for application submission has been extended to Friday, November 3. To learn more and to apply, visit: https://www.fcps.edu/node/31703.
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Superintendent Scott S. Brabrand will host five Community Conversations this fall to hear what students, parents, employees, and members of the community are thinking about and what issues are important to them. Brabrand welcomes community members to attend and take part in any of the upcoming sessions that are convenient for them.
The meetings will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a meet and greet,
followed by discussion and questions from the audience from 7 to 8 p.m. The
next meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 8, in the Lecture Hall
at Hayfield Secondary School in Alexandria.
See the complete
list of Community Conversations.
Join the Foundation for
FCPS on November 20, 2017, at the Superintendent’s Luncheon. Business and
community leaders will gather at Hilton McLean Tysons Corner to celebrate
Fairfax County Public Schools and our community. Hear from the new Division
Superintendent, Dr. Scott Brabrand, the Secretary of Education for Virginia,
Dr. Dietra Trent, and recognize the great work being done in public
schools to prepare students for an exciting and innovative future. The FCPS
Champions Award will be presented to First Lady of Virginia, Dorothy McAuliffe,
for her work to end childhood hunger. The Business, Community, and
Workforce Development Partners of the Year will also be recognized. Sponsorships
and single tickets are available on the Foundation for FCPS website.
United Community Ministries (UCM) is in the process of
recruiting Neighborhood Ambassadors for Opportunity Neighborhoods, Mt.
Vernon. Opportunity Neighborhoods is a collaborative effort between the
school system, the County’s Community Services and the local non profit
organizations to provide coordinate and provide comprehensive services to our
families in need. Ambassadors provide a voice for individual
neighborhoods that are impacted by this program in the Mt. Vernon High School
Pyramid. To learn more, please visit the UCM
website or contact Stephanie Hopkins: stephanie.hopkins@ucmagency.org or
703-255-8961.
Below you will find a link to the Opening of Schools Report 2017. In the report you will find the latest statistics on transportation, hiring, demographics, and the CIP Projects update.
http://www.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=ARFHH9488B19
In July 2017, the School Board voted to rename JEB Stuart High
School. In September, Superintendent Brabrand held two community meetings
in the Mason District to obtain community input on potential names. Seventy-three names were proposed by the community. This past Thursday,
the School Board voted to change the name of J.E.B. Stuart High School to
Justice High School. The name Justice recognizes the important
contributions to the pursuit of justice that have been made by three
inspiring individuals proposed by the community -- Justice Thurgood Marshall,
Barbara Rose Johns and Col. Louis G. Mendez. I urge you to look into each
of their compelling and inspirational legacies, which are also excellent discussion
topics for teachers and students in Fairfax County. The Superintendent
will be bringing an implementation plan to the Board in December 2017. The Board has expressed an expectation that private donations will
cover a substantial portion of the costs of changing the name. FCPS has
created a mechanism for receiving such donations. The link can be found
at: https://www.fcps.edu/justice. Any funds raised in excess of the actual cost of
changing the name will be used to support student programming at the newly
named Justice High School.
I am thrilled to announce that the OMVHS continues to attract
new occupants important to our community. In October, the Fire Marshal
opened a local Fire Prevention
Division/Inspection Branch Office in the building. We are optimistic that
this office will be able to provide opportunities for the students at West
Potomac Academy to learn from fire and rescue professionals in the field.
This coming Monday, Fairfax
County Public Schools will open an office for FCPS Student Registration, ESOL Assessment and Testing
and Community Liaison. This location will provide increased access
for students in the Mount Vernon and Lee Districts to access important
resources. I am also pleased to announce that the Board of Supervisors,
allocated year end monies for the retrofitting of classrooms in the building
for early childhood education. These building uses are an excellent
example of how the two boards are working together to most effectively serve
our community.
November 3 - First Grading Period Ends - Students released two hours early
November 6-7 - Student Holidays
November 22 - Students released two hours early
November 23-24 - Thanksgiving Break
The
next School Board Meeting will be held on November 9, 2017 at 7:00 p.m. at
Jackson Middle School. Information
about upcoming meetings and agendas can be found here.
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