Photos of the Week
Check out this week’s photos to see students tending a school garden, enjoying bubble painting, publishing a classroom newspaper, visiting New York City, and launching paper airplanes.
Fairfax County School Board Passes FY 2020 Approved Budget
The Fairfax County School Board has adopted the Fairfax County Public Schools FY 2020 (2019-20 school year) Approved Budget of $3.0 billion that includes a $55.2 million investment in teacher salary scales—including a 1.0 percent market scale adjustment, $46.8 million for a step increase for eligible employees, and a 1.0 percent market scale adjustment for non-teacher salary scale employees.
“This is a good news budget that reflects the School Board’s commitment to ensuring equity of opportunity and excellent classroom experiences for all of our students,” said Fairfax County School Board Chair Karen Corbett Sanders. “For the second consecutive year, our budget request was fully funded by the Board of Supervisors (BOS) and we thank our county partners for their continuing support of our school division.”
The FY 2020 budget includes an additional $16.1 million for instructional programs, which includes funding to distribute a laptop to every high school student next school year as part of FCPSOn. This 1-to-1 computing initiative will better prepare students for college and careers.
The budget also includes funding to expand AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) program to three additional schools, and an increase in substitute pay for retirees. It also provides $2.9 million for student mental health, student safety, and substance abuse prevention programs.
Get more information about the FY 2020 Approved Budget.
Rising 9th-12th Grade Families: Important Update Regarding FCPSon
FCPSOn, our digital transformation initiative, will expand to all Fairfax County public high schools starting with the 2019-20 school year. FCPSOn provides equitable access to technology and to instructional practices that support students' development of Portrait of a Graduate attributes.
As part of the initiative, all high school students will be issued a laptop for learning at school and at home. An annual technology support fee of $50 will be charged to high school students. This fee will help ensure students have access to the technology they need by defraying the cost to repair and replace equipment, ensuring all students have the necessary laptops for testing, and providing back-up laptops as a substitute as needed.
Find out more about FCPSOn.
Calendar Reminder: Schools and Offices Closed on May 27 for Memorial Day Holiday
As a reminder, schools and offices will be closed on Monday, May 27, for the Memorial Day Holiday. Have a happy and safe three-day weekend!
Classes will resume on Tuesday, May 28. See the complete 2018-19 school year calendar.
FCPS Students Win Category and Organizational Awards at International Science and Engineering Fair
Eleven students from Fairfax County Public Schools won awards at the 2019 International Science and Engineering Fair, held recently in Pittsburgh. The winners captured seven category awards and two organizational awards. Over 1,800 students from 81 countries participated in the event.
See who received an award at the International Science and Engineering Fair.
Every Day Counts! Absences Add Up
Parents and guardians, as we conclude another school year, here are some important school attendance reminders:
- FCPS will continue to monitor your child’s attendance up to the last day of school, which is June 13. Please note earlier dates for graduating seniors.
- Notifications will continue if your child has not arrived at school or class as expected.
- Please continue to contact the school via the attendance line or email if your child will be absent. The school attendance contact information can be found on each school’s web page.
- The calendar for the 2019-20 school year has been posted. Make plans to have your child back at school, ready to learn, starting on August 26!
More information about the FCPS attendance policy will be available at the start of the new school year.
Video: Lake Braddock Pyramid Parent Orchestra
In her first year in Fairfax County Public Schools, Ravensworth Elementary School strings teacher, Annie Ray, is making quite an impact on student and adult learning. With the help of her mentor Michelle Kennan, Annie formed the Lake Braddock Pyramid Parent Orchestra.
Parents who had little to no experience playing an instrument were taught how to play a stringed instrument in only five months and performed together as a strings orchestra for the Lake Braddock community. Parents participated to learn how to better support their students at home, and also to bond with their children through a shared love of music. Watch the video.
Important Immunization Requirement: Do You Have a Student Entering Sixth Grade Next Year?
If yes, he or she may need a booster dose of Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis). Sixth grade students cannot begin school in August without documentation of the Tdap booster. Parents or guardians should ask their private healthcare provider, or the health department, to review their child’s immunization record if they are unsure if their child has received the Tdap booster.
Students who have received a Tdap booster between the ages of seven and eleven do not need another dose. Documentation must be provided to the school student information assistant (SIA) or registrar as soon as possible.
Learn more about the Tdap booster.
Recommended Family Life Education Instructional Materials Available for Community Review; Deadline for Comments Is June 7
Recommended Family Life Education (FLE) materials (media and lesson objectives) to support instruction are available for community review through the close of business on Friday, June 7. Recommendations affect grades 6, 7, and 9.
Get more information about the recommended materials.
In the Spotlight: Baby Chicks Take Center Stage in Woodlawn Elementary School Classrooms
Woodlawn Elementary students in Quin Bergh’s kindergarten class and Megan Ardovini’s second grade class have been watching and studying eggs that recently hatched into adorable baby chicks.
In their science unit, Ardovini’s students learned about the life cycle of a chicken from an egg to an adult. Then they compared and contrasted that with the life cycle of a monarch butterfly, which they learned about earlier in the school year. The final part of the unit was read to a buddy, with their buddies being the newly hatched chicks, who proved to be great reading buddies.
List of Colleges and Universities Still Accepting Applications
Do you know a high school senior who is still looking for the right college fit for the fall? 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 the fall of 2019.
Students and families are encouraged to use this tool to search colleges from across the United States that still have space available. Users may narrow down the list of schools by state and view whether a school still has financial aid, to include scholarships, as well as unfilled housing. It is recommended that students and families contact their school counselor and career center specialist with any questions.
Back2Fairfax Seminar: Growing Our Own Operational Employees for IT and Trade Careers on May 29 at Gatehouse Administration Center
Parents, do you know any recent FCPS graduates or graduating seniors who might be interested in information technology (IT) or trades careers at FCPS? If so, please tell them about the Back2Fairfax: Growing Our Own Operational Employees event on Wednesday, May 29, from 5-8 p.m, at Gatehouse Administration Center. You are welcome to join the event as well.
Participants will have an opportunity to hear from current employees, check out exhibitor booths, and attend breakout sessions on résumé essentials; preparing for an interview; supporting and repairing computer hardware, audio-visual equipment, and software applications in our schools and offices; and learning about trade careers such as carpenters, roofers, electricians, and HVAC technicians.
Registration for the event is available online.
FCPS Is Looking for Bus Drivers
FCPS is looking for full-time bus drivers! Driver pay starts at $19.01 (rises to $19.20 per hour on July 1) per hour, and drivers also receive paid training, excellent benefits, and optional summers off. Learn how you can become an FCPS bus driver.
From the Healthy Minds Blog: Youth Mental Health First Aid
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Fairfax County Public Schools has partnered with the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board Wellness and Health Department to offer Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) to our schools and our school communities. YMHFA is an eight-hour public education program which introduces participants to:
- Unique risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems in youth (ages 12-18).
- Normal adolescent development and important protective factors.
- Importance of early intervention.
- Strategies to help a youth in crisis or experiencing a mental health or substance use challenge.
- Role-playing and simulations to demonstrate how to assess a mental health crisis; select interventions and provide initial help; and connect young people to professional, peer, social, and self-help care.
Participants learn a core five-step action plan that teaches them how to help youth developing a mental illness or experiencing an emotional crisis. Learn more about the Youth Mental Health First Aid program.
The Healthy Minds blog is for parents, educators, and community-based providers who are interested in supporting student mental health and wellness.
 Follow Fairfax County Public Schools on Instagram
Follow @fairfaxcountypublicschools on Instagram to see our amazing students and staff captured in beautiful imagery and videos. You’ll find awesome animations, too! Be sure to catch our weekly features including #TeacherTuesday, #WellnessWednesday, and #TGIFcps posts on Fridays.
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