FCPS is excited to have all staff and students return in the fall to five days of in-person instruction! Our schools are safe. FCPS in-school transmission rates remain less than 1%, even with reduced social distancing to three feet in schools. 

FCPS realizes that some students may have a documented health or medical need for virtual instruction. Enrollment in FCPS’ Virtual Program for the 2021-22 school year will be very limited. Eligibility will be based on a health/medical certification of need completed by a licensed physician, nurse practitioner, psychiatrist, or a licensed clinical psychologist. Families will need to apply. Please be aware that FCPS is planning to base enrollment on the health needs of the student only.

The Health Eligibility Form as well as a Virtual Program Enrollment Application must be submitted by May 21. 

Additional Resources:

• What In-Person Learning Will Look Like for Students
• What Virtual Learning Will Look Like for Students
• Virtual Program Webpage (includes enrollment information)
• Watch May 4 School Board Work Session on Virtual Program

If you have questions or need support with your online application, please contact your school's registrar/student information assistant or email the FCPS student virtual enrollment specialist at VirtualEnrollment@fcps.edu.

On April 25, I held a Hunter Mill Anti-Bias Curriculum Town Hall to inform my constituents on how to get involved with the work being done, by both the Virginia Department of Education and locally by FCPS.

I am so grateful to those that were able and willing to participate in these powerful, and often times uncomfortable conversations. Changing attitudes, challenging inequality, and raising consciousness are not neutral matters. This is about authentically belonging in our schools and ensuring that all students and families feel welcomed, valued, and seen.

• The public can submit written comments this spring to inform the work of the Culturally Relevant and Inclusive Education Practices Advisory Committee to EdEquityVA@doe.virginia.gov, or provide live comments during their upcoming scheduled meeting (May 18) if they register in advance. Commissioned by the General Assembly, this Advisory Committee is tasked with creating recommendations for the revisions of the HSS Standards as well as broader recommendations for professional development. 
• As stated on the projected timeline, the VDOE will conduct public hearings across the Commonwealth to gain public input on the proposed revisions.
• The VDOE staff will continue to accept public comments throughout the review and revision period (Staff Contact: Christonya.Brown@doe.virginia.gov). 
• FCPS Social Studies is welcoming the public to share their comments not only with VDOE but also via a designated email account (FCPSsocialstudiesreform@fcps.edu) to inform the social studies team’s efforts locally and at the state level.
• I encourage you to copy my office (via my Staff Aide Emma Heisey at eheisey@fcps.edu) if you are submitting comments on this topic, as we would like to include them in our own submission(s)!

At the Thursday, May 6, Regular Meeting the School Board passed a resolution celebrating May as 2021 Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, in recognition of the many contributions Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have made to our society.

My office also recently met with leadership from the Chinese American Parents Association of Northern Virginia (CAPA NOVA). As a newer organization, I have been eager to connect them to several community partners, both locally and at the state level, who can help further their work to advocate for inclusion of AAPI history in K-12 curriculum and other initiatives!

The contract award for Fox Mill Elementary School’s renovation and addition project was approved at the May 6 Regular Meeting of the School Board! The updates include a complete renovation plus an additional 19,000 square feet of new space. The work will include a new courtyard, secondary entrance, all new systems (HVAC, electrical, plumbing), improved interior layout, expanded parking lot, and a new basketball court. Work begins on-site this month, with an expected completion by spring 2023. The total project estimate is programmed for approximately $30,000,000, including all design, permitting, and construction costs.  Thank you to Fairfax County voters who approved capital improvement bonds in 2017 and 2019 that now fund this project for our students’ and community’s success!

I recently attended a few Reston community meetings with FCPS staff and Hunter Mill District Supervisor Alcorn to review and provide input on the Reston Comprehensive Study.

The webpage for the Reston Comprehensive Plan Study now includes a section with edits and changes to the Reston Comprehensive Plan made by Task Force members. You can see the latest documents listed under the “Task Force Comprehensive Plan Mark-Ups” tab in the Community Engagement section of the webpage. 

The next scheduled meeting is Monday, May 10, 7 to 9 p.m. The meeting will be hosted on the Webex platform. Details and the agenda will be found here. You can watch all of the task force meetings on YouTube Live

Tuesday, June 8, is the Democratic Primary Election. Because the Fairfax County Electoral Board and City of Fairfax Electoral Board will be using 165 school facilities as polling locations, June 8 will be a virtual synchronous learning day (no in-person classes) for students. 

Get more information about the primary elections.

The Virginia Mathematics Pathways Initiative (VMPI) is a Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) proposal to modernize and update Virginia’s mathematics curriculum in grades K-12 to align instruction with the essential knowledge and skills students need to succeed in the 21st-century economy.

A key component of VMPI is the shift from a traditional high school mathematics course sequence to an Integrated Mathematics course sequence. The content from Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2 is not being eliminated by VMPI, but rather the content of these courses is intended to connect mathematical concepts and for students to develop a much deeper  understanding of each concept. 

School districts would design their own courses to meet the new requirements, and changes made to the Mathematics Standards of Learning would be taught in the 2025-2026 school year. View the VDOE Diagram of Math Sequence of Courses and Opportunities. Submit comments using this form or via email to vdoe.mathematics@doe.virginia.gov. Want to submit comments to your state representatives? Click here for their contact info. 

After COVID-19 prevented in-person programs last summer, the Fairfax County Park Authority’s Rec-PAC (Pretty Awesome Children) returns this summer at 30 elementary school locations across Fairfax County.

Rec-PAC is an affordable, structured six-week summer program for children in grades 1-6 featuring a different theme each week. Hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays from June 28 through Aug. 5, 2021. Parents can sign up for one week at a time or all six weeks.

 Visit this site for more information and to register.

This year, the main Standards of Learning (SOL) testing window has significant overlaps with Ramadan, the Muslim holy month marked by daily fasting. The SOL testing window begins Monday, April 12, for high schools and Monday, April 26, for elementary and middle schools. All schools must complete SOL make-up tests and retakes by Friday, June 4. Ramadan begins the evening of Monday, April 12, and ends with Eid-al-Fitr on Thursday, May 13.

FCPS welcomes and encourages engagement with parents and guardians of students affected by this overlap. School staff will work with parents and guardians to make schedule adjustments or determine how best to address students’ needs. For example, it may be possible to schedule testing early in the day when energy levels are likely to be highest.

If you have a child in an SOL grade-level who will be fasting to observe Ramadan this year, notify the principal or school counselor to take advantage of possible scheduling options.

View more ideas and tips to prepare for upcoming testing during Ramadan.

On Thursday, April 29, Governor Ralph Northam amended Executive Order 72 to adopt new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on mask use in outdoor settings beginning on May 1. The CDC guidelines state that fully vaccinated individuals do not have to wear masks outdoors when alone or in small gatherings. Mask use is still required indoors and outdoors at large crowded events like concerts, sporting events, and graduation ceremonies. 

What does that mean for FCPS?

The ease in the mask rule only applies to social gatherings.Until further notice, FCPS’ Regulation 2109 still requires masks in facilities and on school property as FCPS has no way of knowing who is and who isn’t vaccinated. 

Students who have undergone a gender change can request a replacement diploma or transcript with their new name. For students who have been out of FCPS less than 5 years, they need to go back to their former school and request the amendment from the school.  

For alumni of schools that have been renamed, if so requested, FCPS can order a replacement diploma through our vendor with the new school name. 

On Monday, May 10, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m., the Hispanic Leadership Alliance (HLA) will recognize the 21 recipients of this year’s HLA scholarship awards. The virtual celebration will focus on the stories of the 21 recipients, as each of them also shares their aspirations and future plans. FCPS Superintendent Brabrand will be this year's keynote speaker.

The HLA is a non-profit organization comprised of FCPS employees and residents of Fairfax County that was established in 1997. One goal of HLA is to encourage student participation in advanced academic programs, leadership activities, and higher education. This annual scholarship program for Latinx learners is for those who are the first in their families to attend a post-secondary educational institution.

Join at 7:00 p.m. on May 10.

For more information about the scholarship recipients and the awards ceremony, please contact Jane Cruz, scholarship chair of Hispanic Leadership Alliance, at 202-207-5839 or jane.ellen.cruz@gmail.com.