March 2022 Newsletter
Dear FCPS Families:
Happy March!
This month marks many celebrations including Women’s History Month. I’m holding a legislative town hall in honor of that occasion.
March also includes significant work that focuses on continuous improvement. Our work session on March 8th discussed student achievement and caring culture. These goal reports allow us to hear data on progress.
This data provides a preliminary report on progress during the virtual environment and helps to identify needed supports. Our ESSER fund reports will show planned investments at each school (see below).
 Photo credit: Madison/Bill Kamenjar/InsideNoVa.com; Hayfield/Doug Stroud/InsideNoVa.com
I also want to congratulate our students and staff who continue to make us proud! Congrats to:
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Madison High School Girls Basketball Class 6 State Champions. The Warhawks defeated Osbourn Park with a score of 38-29. Read more about the “3-peat” state champions.
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Hayfield Secondary School Boys Basketball Class 6 State Champions. The Hawks defeated Battlefield 67-47 and finished the season undefeated. Read more about Hayfield's state title win.
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2022 National School Social Worker of the Year Claudia McDowell. As a school social worker at Lynbrook Elementary School, Ms. McDowell is being recognized for her commitment to the profession and for positively impacting the lives of the students and families she serves. Learn more about how Ms. McDowell helps nurture a caring culture at Lynbrook and the surrounding community.
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2022 Student Peace Award Winners. Students from 23 FCPS schools have been named recipients of this award, which is designed to recognize young people who work as peacemakers. View the complete list of award recipients who were recognized at a reception on March 13.
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National Association for Music Education All-National Honor Ensembles. Talented music students across the country practiced diligently to gain a chair or part in their local, district, and state music honor ensembles. Ten students from FCPS high schools were named to the 2021 All-National Honor Ensembles. Read more about these students who will be featured in a production that will air online in March 2022.
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2022 First Amendment Press Freedom Award-Winning Schools. Three Fairfax County public schools—Chantilly High School, Marshall High School, and McLean High School—are among 18 schools nationwide selected as recipients of the 2022 First Amendment Press Freedom Award. Learn more about this award that recognizes schools that actively support, teach, and protect First Amendment rights and responsibilities.
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2022 Virginia DECA Conference Award Winners. A total of 153 students from 12 FCPS high schools were recognized as competitive event winners at the Virginia DECA State Leadership Conference. DECA is a career and technical student organization that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs to be college and career ready. View the complete list of winners.
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2022 Regional Scholastic Art Awards. A total of 497 awards for outstanding artwork have been presented to FCPS students. Artwork submissions included drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, ceramics, sculpture, digital art, design, architecture, jewelry, fashion, film and animation, mixed media, and portfolios. Four works by FCPS students were nominated for the Best-In-Show American Visions Awards. Review a complete list of FCPS winners online.
 EPA Administrator Michael Regan Visits Flint Hill Elementary to Highlight Electric School Buses
In other good news, Flint Hill Elementary welcomed Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan, who visited our students to discuss the $5 billion investment in clean school buses nationwide secured through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Fairfax County Public Schools currently has eight electric school buses and is poised to get ten additional electric buses this spring. FCPS is committed to providing carbon neutral student transportation by the year 2035. Read more about Administrator Regan's visit online.
March is also National Music in our Schools Month. Thanks to our music educators who help our students excel in music from experiences in elementary school to our high school bands. Our music programs enrich the learning of our students and enhance our educational community.
Also, applications for next year's Student School Board Representative are due on March 23. Interested students can read more information and access the application online.
I hope you can join me for my upcoming event for Women’s History Month (details below). Next month we acknowledge Military Families and I hope to speak with our military parents during my upcoming office hours.
I’m grateful to serve our FCPS community. Below, please find additional updates. I look forward to seeing you in our community. As always, please let me know your concerns.
 Inside this newsletter:
- Join Me to Celebrate Women’s History Month, March 21, 7-8 p.m.
- Your Voice Matters: Complete Family Engagement Survey Now
- ESSER III School Plans Available Online
- Register Now for FCPS Virtual Special Education Conference, March 26
- Fairfax County School Board Adopts FY 2023 Advertised Budget
- Comprehensive Planning and Development Committee Update
- School Board Passes Equity Month Board Resolution
- Community Events and Activities: Stuff the Bus, March 19
Join Me to Celebrate Women’s History Month, March 21, 7-8 p.m.
 Your Voice Matters: Complete the Family Engagement Survey Now
As the mother of three boys who attended FCPS schools, I know that families and schools must work together to prepare students for success. Family engagement is an essential part of building a caring culture to foster student success. Whether through input on curriculum selection processes, principal selection community meetings or the School Board’s citizen advisory committees, FCPS creates many opportunities to hear the voices of our families because we value their insight and perspectives. One important way we gather input from families is through the Family Engagement Survey.
What Is the Survey?
FCPS is partnering with independent firm K12 Insight to administer the survey which will open March 13-April 3.FCPS families should have received an email invitation to participate in this survey on March 13, 2022. The survey will address the following topics:
- Welcoming environment
- Communication
- Student success
- Advocacy
- Family and school partnerships
- Collaboration with the community to see if FCPS is meeting its goals at the school, region, and division levels
The survey is available in English, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Farsi, Urdu, and Vietnamese. All responses will be confidential. Results will be used to develop a plan to improve family and school partnerships throughout FCPS schools.
Why Does this Survey Matter?
Participating in the Family Engagement Survey gives parents/guardians a chance to make their voices heard on important topics impacting their students’ success. FCPS will use this input to refine and develop practices to improve student outcomes. We know that strong partnerships with families can lead to a range of benefits including:
- Improved school readiness
- Higher student achievement
- Better social skills and behavior
- Increased likelihood of high school graduation.
How Can You Participate?
What Happens Next
FCPS families will complete the survey from March 13 - April 3. Later in April, the survey report will be shared with leadership. A series of workshops will be conducted in May for school leaders. In May, the information will be presented to the School Board and shared with the community at that time.
To learn more:
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ESSER III School Plans Available Online
Last fall, Fairfax County Public Schools was awarded $188.8 million in American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) III funds. The purpose of the ESSER III Fund is to help safely reopen and sustain the safe operation of schools, and address the impacts of COVID-19 on the nation’s students by addressing students’ academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs.
FCPS schools are receiving a portion of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) III funding to support unfinished learning and student wellness. Each school has submitted a plan, which has been reviewed and approved by the region and ESSER leadership teams. For academics, all schools have written a plan to ensure students are making sufficient progress to be on grade level in English Language Arts and Mathematics. For wellness, each school has written a plan to ensure students feel safe, included, and supported in the school environment.
Review your school’s strategies and actions to support this work. View the approved Fall 2021 school plans on FCPS’ website.
Register Now for the FCPS Virtual Special Education Conference, March 26
FCPS’s 17th Annual Special Education Conference will be held virtually on Saturday, March 26, with a combination of synchronous (live) and asynchronous (recorded) sessions supporting the conference's theme: Bringing our Inclusive Community Together: Affirming, Assessing, Advancing. Welcoming ceremonies, guest speakers, FCPS presentations, and an exhibit hall are included. Registration for this free conference is now open online.
- Parents and community members will be able to register online.
- FCPS educators, administrators, and preservice teachers will be able to register online and earn recertification points for attending the conference.
- Individuals needing foreign language interpretation (Spanish, Amharic, Arabic, and Korean), American Sign Language (ASL), or Cued Language Transliterator (CLT) interpreters for the live sessions may request this on the registration form.
For questions please contact specialedconf@fcps.edu.
Visit the Special Education Conference webpage for more information and to register.
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 Fairfax County School Board Adopts FY 2023 Advertised Budget that Continues Focus on Excellence in Public Education
The Fairfax County School Board has adopted the FY 2023 (2022-23 school year) Advertised Budget focused on student achievement and recognition of world-class educators and operational staff. This budget prioritizes investments that ensure all students receive the rigorous instruction and comprehensive support they need to thrive. 86% of the $3.3 billion budget goes directly to instruction.
The budget includes three main areas of focus:
- Compensation
- Opportunity and Access
- Critical Operational Needs.
The budget includes a 4% Market Scale Adjustment for all employees, along with a step increase for eligible employees. Watch this video for a quick look at the budget highlights.
Fairfax County Executive Bryan Hill recommended fully funding FCPS’ budget request and FCPS will continue to work collaboratively with the Board of Supervisors and County Executive during the budget process. The School Board presents the Advertised FY 23 Budget to the County Board of Supervisors on April 12. Learn more about the FY 2023 Advertised Budget.
Comprehensive Planning and Development Committee Update
Student Yield and Proffer Calculations are under Review As Chair of the Comprehensive Planning and Development Committee (CPDC), I am working with FCPS staff regarding proposed changes to the methodology used to determine student yield ratios and proffer rates. These calculations are used to determine support provided to FCPS when housing development brings new students to our schools. While FCPS provides data for these calculations, final decision making falls within the purview of the Board of Supervisors.
Communications plan for development is currently under review. CPDC is currently working with the Planning Commission to improve our Facilities Community Outreach Plan. In collaboration with the Fairfax Planning Commission’s Schools Committee, CPDC is working with the citizen members of FPAC to develop a Communications Outreach Plan to help keep the community informed and aware of any decisions or developments.
School Board Recognizes Equity Month
On March 10, the School Board passed a resolution in support of Equity Month. I support this motion because I believe an equity lens helps us to serve all FCPS students. Equity has no color, race, gender, language, socio-economic status, level of ability or specific definition that defines a group. Equity requires us to analyze data to improve outcomes for all students. Equity involves partnering with the student, parents and our schools to enhance the learning experience. I support these efforts to work toward continuous improvement for all students. Read the School Board’s Resolution on BoardDocs.
 On Saturday, March 19, Stuff the Bus will collect non-perishable food donations at 18 locations throughout Fairfax County and the City of Fairfax. Help fight hunger and feed hope in our community by donating. For updates, including donation locations, most requested food items and more, visit the Stuff the Bus website.
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.
© Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax County, Virginia
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