Dear Dranesville Families:
As we continue to deal with the pandemic, I am happy that we are moving forward to offer an in-person option for our families. Families can also opt to stay virtual and interestingly, it is nearly a 50-50 split across Dranesville. Please see below for more information on how we will implement in-person learning over the next month. I know it has been a long year with many starts and stops, and I appreciate all that you have done to express your opinions and in many cases to send concrete ideas and suggestions on a variety of topics.
I am glad that FCPS is planning a measured approach to moving our students into our buildings. This will allow us to continually monitor our safety and mitigation measures and to assess their effectiveness. We can also ensure our instructional technology and teaching practices are working well for those in school and at home. With almost 50% of our students still electing to remain virtual, I plan to monitor their experience too and make sure they are not overlooked. Even with our constraints, the goal continues to maximize our students’ education, prioritize their emotional wellbeing, and continue to strengthen the connections to their school communities.
Again, a special thanks to our school staff and administrators, our instructional specialists, and our leadership team for getting ready to offer this in-person option. They are all working overtime including our custodians and transportation staff. More specific information will be coming from your schools in the next few weeks so please watch for any news from them. Thank you to our families and caregivers for supporting our students as they transition to in-person learning or remain virtual.
Please enjoy this fun video from the Chesterbrook ES Chipmunks as they welcome back their students. Welcome Back--”We are Ready”--Thanks to Ms. Jessica Harmon, 3rd grade teacher, who wrote the lyrics and the staff that came together in an effort to bring a smile to our families. Check out the Chesterbrook ES video!
The Fall: Many have asked what school will look like in the fall. We are budgeting and planning for five days a week in person this fall. The implementation will depend on the state of the pandemic and the guidance from public health experts, the vaccine, the effect of new variants, and the potential continued need of mitigation measures such as social distancing. We have not received updated guidance from CDC or VDH regarding the fall yet.
And for the Class of 2021: There is a group working on creating special opportunities to celebrate the class of 2021 and to provide opportunities to connect with your fellow seniors. The goal is to build some of those special memories and moments you deserve as you approach graduation and your future. Please know there are many who are committed to celebrating you and plans are in the works. Stay tuned….
Have a nice long weekend and stay safe.
Elaine
Calendar Reminder: Schools and Offices Closed on February 15 for Presidents Day Holiday
As a reminder, all schools and offices will be closed on Monday, February 15, for the Presidents Day holiday. Students are not expected to complete asynchronous assignments that day. Classes will resume on Tuesday, February 16. See the complete 2020-21 school year calendar.
Return to School Update
The Fairfax County School Board gave unanimous support for an updated timeline at the 2/2 Work Session that will offer all students the opportunity to return to school buildings two days a week beginning February 16 through March 16. The 2/2 Return to Work Session recording can be viewed here. The next Return to School update will be 3/16.
Under the updated timeline presented by Dr. Brabrand, the first students, including students with disabilities, English Language Learners and younger students, will begin returning to in-person learning on February 16. Learn more about the in-person return to school timeline here.
In preparation for students’ return, schools have created staffing plans based on the number of students who selected in-person instruction earlier this school year. Students who have already selected to return to in-person instruction will be able to do so two days a week. Due to social distancing requirements, schools may not be able to accommodate additional students who wish to change their selection from virtual to in-person instruction.
For parents requesting changes from full-time virtual to in-person instruction, principals will do their best to accommodate the requests, however, it may not be possible to accommodate changes if classes are at capacity.
The School Board has given its support, and FCPS' health and safety plans are tested and in place for students to return to the classroom. Watch the Ready to Return video on the Return to School website. FCPS has implemented Safety Teams that are monitoring FCPS’ adherence to five health and safety mitigation strategies that the CDC says will help to keep school transmission rates low. FCPS schools currently rate “low” in terms of infection risk.
In addition, vaccinations of FCPS staff began January 16 and are continuing. Ninety percent of FCPS staff have requested or scheduled appointments to receive the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The Fairfax County Health Department is also working closely with Inova Health System and FCPS to ensure that staff will have access to their second dose in the course of the next few weeks.
New Bell Schedule Starts February 16
FCPS will implement a new bell schedule due to social distancing requirements which limit capacity on school buses. The bell schedule change, will start on February 16, and applies to both in-person learning and full-time virtual learning students.
Health Screening Commitment Form Required Prior to Student Return to School Buildings
As many students return to in-person instruction, parents and caregivers will be asked to acknowledge a Health Screening Commitment form before their student(s) re-enter school buildings. This document confirms that a parent, caregiver, or guardian will complete a daily health screening and will keep their students home when they are ill.
The Health Commitment form can be submitted electronically through ParentVUE (PVUE) or via hard copy. Please contact your child’s school to have a hard copy sent to you.
Budget Update
At our most recent Budget Work Session, the Board continued to discuss the FY22 proposed budget development. We were provided with preliminary information regarding FCPS’ potential usage of federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funding (ESSER II) that was announced two weeks ago. The ESSER II funding, which can be used for eligible expenses through September 2023, totals $84 million. While still in the planning stages, I am encouraged by this additional funding that can be used to address some of the profound impacts COVID-19 school closures and distance learning have had on our students. A proposed extended learning program for summer 2021 to address learning loss was presented to the Board. The preliminary estimate for the proposed programming is $32 million. Please view the presentation or watch the work session (part 1 and part 2) from January 27 for more information. The FY22 Proposed Budget documents and timeline can be found on the FCPS Budget website.
The next step in the FY22 budget process is for the Board to adopt the FY22 Advertised Budget at the February 18th School Board meeting.
Black History Month
This week marked the beginning of Black History Month. In his message to staff, Superintendent Brabrand wrote, "During this month, and throughout the school year, we are dedicated to telling a more complex and inclusive story of our shared past by acknowledging and honoring Black lives." Read the full message.
McLean HS Boundary Adjustment Decision- Option B
Rising 9th graders choose High School by 3/19/21
A huge thank you to our facilities and planning staff, Region 1 and Region 2 staff, our communications staff, our parents and students for their input and participation in this process. I want to thank my School Board colleagues for their perspectives on the options. Thank you to my Dranesville FPAC member Jay Reddy and his FPAC colleague Cathy Hosek for helping me better understand the general boundary process and to our community advisory group, especially the Langley and McLean HS student representatives, for their community perspectives.
This boundary adjustment is another step to alleviate pressures at McLean HS. Our modular will be open later this month and ready to accept our high schoolers as they return to school in March. Last night, we formalized our boundary adjustment. As we have been doing the past months, we will continue to monitor development in the McLean and Tysons area with the perspective of looking at future capacity impacts for McLean HS, Langley HS and our other area schools to determine necessary capacity improvements.
 Option B- approved boundary adjustment
- Reassigns students in the Colvin Run ES split feeder area, a portion of the Spring Hill ES split feeder and a small portion of Westbriar ES
- For more information, please go to the McLean Boundary website
- Now you can find a street listing and a detailed map of the boundary adjustment
What factors led to the selection of Option B?
Option B allows for 190 HS students to be moved to Langley HS from McLean HS over the phasing period. This will help alleviate some of the overcrowding at McLean HS. In addition, the Colvin Run split feeder and 10% of the Springhill split feeder will now be alleviated. Unfortunately, we could not alleviate both split feeders due to capacity constraints at Cooper MS. By including all of the neighborhoods to the west of the intersection of Rt. 7 and the Dulles Toll Road, option B does not create an McLean HS attendance island and does increase transportation efficiencies. In addition, neighborhoods in both the Colvin Run area and the Tysons area of the Springhill ES attendance area were kept intact. Community input in the form of public hearing testimony, phone calls, and emails to me and other Board members over the boundary adjustment was generally supportive of Option B. I thank all of you who took the time to reach out to me.
The change with this boundary adjustment will happen slowly as we have grandfathered all current students at Longfellow MS and Mclean HS and are allowing current 8th graders to determine which high school they will attend. This will allow us to monitor capacity changes closely and to make sure the schools can adjust to any changes without hardship.
Phasing/Grandfathering
The phasing approved last night is based on attrition mandating rising 7th graders to move to Cooper MS. Rising 9th graders will be given a choice of attending Langley HS or McLean HS. This choice is binding for all 4 years of high school and will have bus transportation provided all four years.
Approved phasing with rising ninth grade option
- Here is a description of the phasing by grade level:
- Current 6th grader goes to Cooper MS next year.
- Current LMS 7th grader stays at LMS for 8th grade and SY 22-23 goes to Langley HS
- Current LMS 8th grader
- Choose to attend Langley or McLean HS next year (must attend chosen HS all 4 years)
- Decision deadline 3/19/21
- Current MHS 9th/10th/11th grader stays at McLean HS next year and completes HS at McLean
- No current students attending Longfellow MS or McLean HS will be reassigned.
Registration Contacts
If my family lives in the boundary adjustment, who do I contact for registration at my student’s new school?
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Langley HS: Langley’s registrar, Mary Gratz. She can be reached at 703-287-2722 or mjgratz@fcps.edu
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Cooper MS: Cooper’s SIA, Annie Eisman. She can be reached at 703- 442-5812 or adeisman@fcps.edu.
If my family lives in the boundary adjustment and has a rising 9th grader, who do I contact for registration? Note: This must be done by March 19, 2021.
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If your rising 9th grade student attends Longfellow MS and wishes to attend Langley HS: Langley’s registrar, Mary Gratz. She can be reached at 703-287-2722 or mjgratz@fcps.edu
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If your rising 9th grade student attends Longfellow MS and wishes to attend McLean HS: McLean's registrar, Mary Bartenfeld. She can be reached at 703-714-5722 or mbartenfeld@fcps.edu
Younger siblings
Will younger siblings be allowed to attend the same high school as older siblings?
- Sibling transfers would have to follow the application process for student transfers. However, it is anticipated that Cooper MS, Longfellow MS, Langley HS, and McLean HS will be closed to transfers with any boundary adjustment to allow the schools to adjust to the change in population for SY 2021-22
Transportation
Will transportation be provided to both schools over the timeframe of phasing in the boundary change?
- Yes, the areas adjusted will have transportation to both schools to allow for the transition.
Langley pyramid PTA’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee Black History Month project
The Langley, Cooper, and Churchill Road, PTSA/PTO Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) committees are commemorating Black History Month (February) with the 28 Days of Equity Awareness project. We invite participants to check out this list of 28 short readings, videos, and podcasts, and complete as many as possible. Our goal is to begin a conversation in which we investigate perspectives from marginalized voices. We hope you’ll join us.
During the month, on each Friday at noon, we will hold Friday Reflections lunch discussions, providing a safe space for reflection on the material. To attend, RSVP via this form: https://forms.gle/xbXWAcPXkF2ahixt9
NOTE: On February 16, 2021 at 7:30 pm, we will hold a pyramid-wide book club meeting on the first 7 chapters of the book Blindspot, by Mahzarin R. Banaji and Anthony G. Greenwald. Those chapters are among the selections on our 28-day list. To RSVP for the book club, please complete this form:
https://forms.gle/AmcuAgzoXbK6EM1i9
TJHSST Admissions Updates
TJHSST Admissions process is now open for 8th grade students. The application window will be open for 4 weeks. The application is posted on the admissions web page. The School Board approved changes to the admissions process for the class of 2025. The changes include using a comprehensive review aimed at improving diversity and access.
Qualified applicants must be enrolled in or have completed Honors Algebra, Honors Science, and one other honors course (waivers available for honors requirements this year only), and have a middle school core grade point average of 3.5. Applicants will also complete a Student Portrait Sheet and problem-solving essay to be administered later this spring.
Applications must be submitted by Friday, February 26, at 4 p.m. Visit the TJHSST admissions website for more information.
Calendar of Events:
- Application Now Available
- Feb. 26 – Application Submission Deadline (4pm)
- Mar. 15 – Student Portrait Sheet and Problem-solving Essay Administration
- Apr. 12 – Accommodations & Make-Up (Sick) Date
- June – Final Decisions Released
Please contact the TJ admissions office for additional information or questions at (571) 423-3770 or tjadmissions@fcps.edu
Grab and Go Meals in Fairfax County
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Video on Grab and Go Meals
Watch this video to learn more about the free meals that are available to school-age children across Fairfax County.
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Inclement Weather Updates
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is committed to providing all students access to meals during February 10-19 with the possibility of extremely cold and inclement weather plus one school holiday. Location closures will be posted on the FCPS website. Meals will be distributed on a first come, first served basis. The following updated plan will be in place:
Grab & Go locations (Feb 10 – Feb 19: 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.)
- All locations will be closed on Monday, February 15 due to school holiday.
- If there is a chance of inclement weather, all sites will distribute extra meals as needed and when possible..
Meal Kit Sites (Feb 10 and 17: 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.)
Bus Routes for Meals Distribution (Feb 10 – Feb 19)
- There will be no meal service on Monday, February 15 due to the school holiday.
- Bus route stops and times for meals distribution will remain the same if schools are operating on a normal schedule.
- If there are weather related bus delays for meals distribution, an emergency message will be sent out.
- If there is a chance of inclement weather, all bus routes will distribute extra meals as needed and when possible.
Please see Return to School/Food for additional updates.
Please call the Office of Food and Nutrition Services at 703-813-4800 with any questions or concerns.
Parent Resource Center
The FCPS Parent Resource Center provides access to information and resources to support the success of all students. They host a variety of free seminars and have a wealth of free resources, including for those with learning challenges, special needs, and disabilities. In addition, they are available via phone or email for consults.
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Webinars are from 10:00 -11:30 am or 6:30 – 8:00 unless otherwise noted. All Webinars will be recorded and can be accessed at the Parent Resource Center YouTube Channel. Register online here. Registration will be open approximately one month before the workshop date.
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Tutor Lists and Free Resource Guides Contact us via phone or email to get the list of available tutors. Additionally, we have free resources on topics such as: Executive Functioning, Parenting & Basic Needs, Adults with Disabilities, Mind in the Making, Mental Health, Fairfax County Government Resources, Military Connected Resources, Kindergarten Readiness, Adapted Sports and Recreation, and many more.
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Contact them at prc@fcps.edu or 703-204-3941.
High School Students Invited to Fairfax County 2021 Virtual Teen Job Fairs
Fairfax County high school students looking for their first part-time job, summer and seasonal job opportunities, or who want more information about potential career pathways are invited to attend one of six upcoming teen job fairs and resume building workshops in Fairfax County. Local businesses and agencies will be on hand to offer a range of opportunities including part-time employment, internships, and volunteer work for prospective students.
Volunteer opportunities and resume building workshops will also be available for younger students. Free booth spaces are provided to local businesses. The first two job fairs will be held on Saturday, March 13, from 2 to 5 p.m., and Saturday, March 20, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Students can register for the March 13 Job Fair and the March 20 Job Fair.
Dranesville Student Achievements
55 FCPS Students Named Candidates in U.S. Presidential Scholars Program
Fifty-five seniors in FCPS are among a group of more than 4,500 candidates in the 2021 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. The candidates were selected from nearly 3.6 million students expected to graduate from U.S. high schools in 2021.Inclusion in the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program is one of the highest honors bestowed upon graduating high school seniors. Scholars are selected based on superior academic and artistic achievements, leadership qualities, strong character, and involvement in community and school activities.
See who was nominated for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program.
Congratulations to the Candidates from the Dranesville district:
- Langley HS: Stephen Draughn; Joshua W. Jones; Otto Janke; Tianyi Wu; Stephanie Zhang
- McLean HS: Jungmin Kang
- TJHSST: Vance Kreider; Justin Choi; Tammy Ding; Andy He; Aaliya Hussain; Julia Kao; Atinsai Kolli; Zoe Lu; Austin Shi; Alexander Talamonti; Daniel Zeng; Alex Zhang; Kevin Zhang
2021 Regional Scholastic Art Awards
The 2021 Regional Scholastic Art Awards program has awarded Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) students in grades 7-12 a total of 540 awards including Gold Key, Silver Key, Honorable Mention awards, and American Visions Nominations. See all the art award winners here.
Congratulations to the Gold Key winners from the Dranesville district:
- Cooper MS: Anya Huang; Soobin Park
- Langley HS: Apurvaa Bala; Pengrui Chen; Jinglin Jingan; Ashley Khang; Bakari Robinson; Stephanie Zhang
- Longfellow MS: Leah Durkee; Sabrina Martin
- McLean HS: Sara Bowers; Arin Kang; Jackie Palmer; Adilzhan Nazarov; Mingyi Qu; Stefan Van Biljon; Xiaorong Yuan
- TJHSST: Alison Wang
2021 Regional Scholastic Writing Awards
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) student writers won 30 Gold Key awards in the 2021 Regional Scholastic Writing Awards competition. In all, 163 Gold Key, Silver Key, and Honorable Mentions were earned by FCPS students. See all the writing winners here.
Congratulations to the Gold Key winners from the Dranesville district:
- Cooper MS: Samantha Grayer;
- Langley HS: Fiona Dempsey;
- McLean HS Ellen Pan;
- TJHSST Zoe Lu; Mulan Pan; Elizabeth Sun; Aileen Zhao.
Dranesville School News
Chesterbrook ES News
In addition to the Welcome Back--”We are Ready” video -- Check out the Chesterbrook ES video!
Chesterbrook 1st grader Jonathan was recognized in January for winning the VDOE, CodeVA contest, Computer Science in Your Neighborhood.
Forestville ES news
Petra Demas, a fourth-grade student at Forestville Elementary, won second prize for the 2020 Endangered Animals Young Artist Competition sponsored by Art4Apes in Florida. Her drawing was selected out of over 400 submissions from young artists worldwide by prestigious jurors Mark Edward Harris, Jamie Rappaport Clark and Taryn Möller Nicoll. Two of her other drawings were Highly Commended and one is Commended. All four of her drawings were featured in the wonderful Endangered Online Art Exhibition which ran from November 1 - December 31. Forestville is extremely proud that Petra's drawings were recognized and honored.
Dranesville ES News
There is a lot of awesomeness happening at Dranesville. Here are a few highlights:
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Kindergartner joyfully connects with her class for morning meeting. |
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Dranesville SCA coordinated Tree of Warmth and collected canned food for LINK as well as hats and gloves for Cornerstones and our community. |
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All smiles as students returned to school for individual yearbook photos to capture this most memorable year. |
Herndon ES News
Herndon ES celebrated their counselors last week:
Our Herndon Elementary school counselors are Ms. Bryant and Mr. Falkey and they absolutely ROCK! They are our SUPER POWER dynamic duo. They are devoted to and care about all of our students and are extremely proactive in leading and working together with our families and communities. Mostly, they are committed to preparing our students to become lifelong learners and productive members in a global society with a focus on social emotional wellness, academic success, and college and career readiness.
McLean HS News
All-District Band:
Congratulations to all our students who auditioned for the All-District Bands! These students' achievements deserve to be recognized as a symbol of their work during what has been an unusual school year. We had a huge number of McLean students choose to audition and we had more students make it than any other school in the district. We also have the largest number of students eligible to audition for All-State Band in March.
Here are the results for McLean:
*denotes All-VA eligible
Alto Saxophones: Carter Naughton* ;Nate Garcia
Bass Clarinets: Jaeger Schweikert
Bass Trombones: Nolan Lee
Bassoons: Catherine Kim*
Bb Clarinets: Emily Mortman*; Nicole Chan* ;Kian Choi*; Katrina Rakusan
Eb Clarinets: Katrina Rakusan*;
Euphoniums: Emily Dietrick*
Flutes: Julia Tan*; Tieran Holmes*; Stefanie Poore (piccolo placement)
Horns: Kevin Jiang*; Clara Marks*; Nathan Derby
Oboes: Hannah Sim*; Camille Stephant; Maya Dhanani
Percussion: Robert Klein
Piccolos: Stephanie Poore*; Tieran Holmes (flute placement)
String Bass: William Heilbraun*
Tenor Trombones: Jack Touse; Jacob Sargent; Michael Zheng; Ava Macomber
Trumpets: Josh Levy*; Jake Barnard; Shea Peters; Ethan Bomersheim
Tubas: Brian Horigan*; Jason Babalitis; Akshat Shah
SY 21-22 Calendar Options
The School Board will vote on the SY21- 22 calendar at our 3/18 Regular Meeting and is considering 3 proposed options. Please see the 2/2 Work Session presentation and view the draft calendars here. Families were surveyed to gather feedback earlier this school year. Ms. Sizemore Heizer, At Large School Board member, is compiling, for her information, further comments on the 3 proposed SY21-22 calendar options. Please add your comments on Ms. Sizemore's google form on the SY21-22 calendar. She will be updating me on the responses she receives.
FCPS is using additional approaches for "snow days" this winter, including synchronous and asynchronous instruction. If conditions warrant, there will likely be "snow days" as we have had in the past.
While weather decisions impact everyone in different ways, the superintendent makes the decision based on the safety of our students and staff, and FCPS' desire to maintain continuity of instruction, if possible.
Each weather event is unique. For example, poor road conditions may affect bus transportation for distributing grab and go meals to thousands of students, in addition to the staff who must get to work and prepare the meals. Also, power outages can impact students and staff during an instructional day whether they are in person or remote. Fortunately, all students have been provided devices to be able to participate in virtual learning.
Please see Dr. Brabrand's inclement weather message for more information.
Upcoming School Board Meetings
- February 16, 2021 at 11 a.m. All-Day Work Session
- February 18, 2021 at 7 p.m. Hybrid* Regular School Board Meeting
How to Watch Meetings
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Livestream: Meetings can be live streamed here.
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Recordings of Meetings: Meetings are recorded and available here.
- Latest schedule of School Board Meetings:
The views contained within this newsletter reflect the views of the individual school board member who is the publisher of this newsletter and may not reflect the views of the Fairfax County School Board.
© 2020 Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax County, Virginia
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