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Spring has arrived and the warmer weather is finally on its way. Please don't forget to take advantage of all of our wonderful playgrounds, local parks, and national monuments during this nicer weather.
I wanted to share with you some information about our family engagement survey, a scholarship opportunity, upcoming job fairs, and other exciting events and news in our wonderful Lee District.
I look forward to seeing you at one of these upcoming events. Enjoy the warmer weather.
-Tammy
GrandInvolve, a volunteer group that brings older adults into Fairfax County Title 1 elementary schools to improve the success of students, won the $5,000 first place Best Practice Award from the Commonwealth Council on Aging. GrandInvolve volunteers work in individual classrooms, offering their time, skills, and talents to work directly with students by engaging in a variety of helpful activities designed by teachers.
GrandInvolve began in 2014. Currently, 160 volunteers work in 18 schools and their leadership teams have developed plans to expand to all 50 Title 1 schools in the County by 2024. GrandInvolve is a non-profit and everyone involved is a volunteer. In January, “Covering the Corridor” published an article and in February NBC4 news ran a story on GrandInvolve. For more information, visit www.grandinvolve.org.
For the complete press release, go to: https://bit.ly/2YMKv24
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We would like to hear from all Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) parent(s) and guardian(s) in the school division’s 2019 Family Engagement Survey. Only by listening to you and partnering with you can the school division help strengthen family engagement and foster a Caring Culture as outlined in our Strategic Plan. The survey will end on Friday, April 12, 2019.
The survey asks your thoughts on your school’s communications and relationships, opportunities to participate, student success, and more. All responses are confidential. There are three ways to participate:
1. Check your email for an invitation. You should have received an email link. - OR -
2. Paper survey: Ask the front office staff for a paper survey. You can complete it right there on the spot. - OR -
3. Complete the online survey using one of the school computers. The office staff would be happy to show you an available computer for you to complete the survey electronically at the school.
The survey is offered in English, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Urdu, Vietnamese, and Amharic.
For more information, please contact the main office at your child’s school or visit https://www.fcps.edu/blog/2019-family-engagement-survey.
Applications are now available for business scholarships provided by Mount Vernon Lee Chamber of Commerce. At least $12,000 will be awarded to local graduating seniors pursuing further education in business.
Students may apply online at https://www.mtvernon-leechamber.org/education-partnership or call 703-360-6925 to request an application. The application deadline is Friday, April 26. Those applying for the scholarships must plan to pursue further education in a business-related field and live in Lee or Mount Vernon Districts or attend one of the seven high schools in these districts. Visit the website to view all requirements.
Thanks to the generosity of our members, for the past twenty years, the Chamber of Commerce has invested in the future by awarding more than $200,000 in scholarships to graduating high school students in Mount Vernon and Lee Districts.
Please share this information with high school seniors that you know.
Princess for A Night (PFAN) is a project in which beautiful prom dresses, shoes, handbags, and jewelry are collected from women in the community and given to high school students for FREE. Last year over 100 young ladies received dresses! We have dresses in all styles, colors, and sizes. Attend any shopping event!
Thursday, April 4 - 3:00 - 7:00 PM
Friday, April 5 - 12:00 - 3:00 PM
Edison High School | 5801 Franconia Road, Alexandria, VA
Room H137 (Enter through Doors 9 or 10)
Saturday, April 27 - 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Monday, April 29 - 3:00 - 6:00 PM
Mt. Vernon HS | 8515 Old Mt Vernon Rd, Alexandria, VA
Donations are still being accepted at Mount Vernon High School until Wednesday, April 24.
Formally Yours in partnership with Princess for a Night (PFAN) will host a shopping event for FREE new and gently used prom attire to the students of Lee High School and surrounding areas.
Friday, April 12 - 5:00 - 9:00 PM
(Lee High School Students Only)
Heart of God International Church
7323 Steel Mill Drive, Springfield, VA 22150
Saturday, April 13 - 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
(All Fairfax County Students)
Heart of God International Church
7323 Steel Mill Drive, Springfield, VA 22150
FCPS will hold its 14th Annual Special Education Conference this Saturday. The conference, designed for parents and educators of students who receive special education services or who have learning challenges or special needs, will feature Dr. Mary E. Morningstar, co-director of Portland State University’s Think College Inclusion Oregon project and a professor in the Graduate School of Education’s Special Education Department, as the keynote speaker. Dr. Morningstar's keynote topic is Moving from Compliance to Quality Transition Outcomes. For more details on this conference, click here. Email prc@fcps.edu or call 703-204-3941 with questions.
Saturday, April 6, 2019 - 8:30 AM - 1:45 PM
Lake Braddock SS | 9200 Burke Lake Road, Burke VA
The School Board has scheduled work sessions on April 29 and May 2 to further evaluate the budget amendments and follow-on motions.
The FY 2020 budget includes $46.8 million for a step increase for eligible employees; $8.2 million for non-teacher salary scale employees; $4.3 million to expand the FCPSOn program, providing one-to-one computing devices to high school students; an increase in substitute pay for retirees; and expansion of the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) program at Key Middle, Herndon High, and a Title I elementary school to be named. The Board also approved an additional $2.9 million for student mental health, student safety, and substance abuse prevention.
The budget assumes a slight decrease in student enrollment which will result in savings of $6.3 million. The Advertised Budget supports more than 188,000 students, nearly 200 schools and centers, and staffing of approximately 24,000 employees– with more than 93 percent of employees school-based.
The FCPS budget relies on the Fairfax County general fund transfer to provide the majority of the revenue needed; this year, FCPS is asking the County to provide 71.3 percent of the total revenue. This reliance on county funding is due to FCPS only receiving approximately half of the average state funding other Virginia jurisdictions receive. FCPS expects to receive 23.8 percent of its FY 2020 budget from the state in the form of state aid and sales tax revenue. Federal funding provides less than 2 percent of FCPS’ annual operating revenue.
Additional Upcoming Budget Events:
May 9: School Board FY 2020 Approved Budget presented for new business
May 14: School Board holds budget public hearing
May 15: School Board holds budget public hearing (if needed)
May 16: School Board conducts budget work session
May 23: School Board adopts FCPS FY 2020 Approved Budget
July 1: FY 2020 begins
For more information, documentation and more, go to: https://www.fcps.edu/about-fcps/budget.
Last month I had the pleasure of meeting with juniors from Edison High School to review their 3rd quarter projects for the Global Stem Program.
The Global STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Challenges Program (GSCP) is a three-year interdisciplinary program in which students engage in problem-based challenges connected to the real-world that are designed to teach concepts in mathematics, science, and engineering. Students enrolled in the program are part of a cohort that operates as a smaller learning community within Edison High School. They meet for three-period blocks every other day. Students approach problems holistically, in a real-world context, where different aspects of each discipline are interwoven and highly connected. Content for the course is aligned with the National Academy of Engineering’s Grand Challenges for Engineering. The GSCP was designed and supported in part through the High School Program Innovation grant from the Virginia Department of Education.
For more information about this program at Edison, visit: https://edisonhs.fcps.edu/academics/stem.
The Office of Talent Acquisition and Management (TAM) will host an Instructional Job Fair. This is an opportunity for schools to connect with FCPS teachers seeking transfers, current applicants, and FCPS recruitment hires (early hires).
Saturday, April 27 - 7:30 AM - 2:00 PM
Woodson High School | 9525 Main Street, Fairfax, VA
The following job fairs will focus on students between the ages of 16-18 who are looking for full-time or part-time employment, including seasonal positions and after-school opportunities.
These job fairs are open to all teens in Fairfax County. In addition, there will be volunteer opportunities and resume building workshops for younger students looking to start building their resume.
Friday, April 5th - 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Chantilly HS | 4201 Stringfellow Road, Chantilly, VA
Saturday, April 6th - 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
South County HS | 8501 Silverbrook Road, Lorton, VA
Saturday, April 27th - 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Mount Vernon HS | 8515 Old Mt. Vernon Rd., Alexandria, VA
Students may click here to register to attend. Businesses are welcome to click here to register for a free booth space. Click here for more information.
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