Spring is here!
It is hard to believe that the end of the third quarter is Thursday and Spring Break begins on Friday. I hope everyone has a wonderful break.
This past week was exciting in Mount Vernon. I had the opportunity to attend the awards ceremony for the Connection Newspaper’s 2022 Letter to the Editor Contest at Mount Vernon High School. Eight students Jovana Allotey, Makayla Adams, Ace (Emily) Naylor, Rose Bonhomme, Afia Ofori, Rachel Adu, Mary Hammond and Ethan Lucas were recognized for their letters which will be published in the Mount Vernon Gazette soon.
Walt Whitman Middle School’s Counseling program became a Recognized ASCA Model Program by the American School Counselor Association. The RAMP designation recognizes schools committed to delivering comprehensive, data-informed school counseling programs. These programs, which align with the ASCA National Model, exemplify school counseling at its best. Walt Whitman joins the other schools in Mt. Vernon with this esteemed recognition.
I was also able to attend the Annual March Madness Band Concert at West Potomac HS. All of our schools are excelling in music. It was so inspiring to hear our students talk about the importance of band in their middle and high school experience. As a band alumni, State Senator Scott Surovell was a guest conductor. Fairfax County’s arts programs provide an excellent opportunity for our students to be creative, work as a team and develop life-long friendships beginning in elementary school. Each of the schools in Mount Vernon have excelled in the regional assessments earning honor band status and superior ratings for choral ensembles and bands.
Hayfield varsity basketball did a great job in representing us and bringing home the state championship trophy!
Jenn Glaser, FCPS Director of Counselling, College and Career Readiness, and I were also able to join the Mount Vernon and Lee Chamber of Commerce Leadership Class to discuss the great opportunities our students have to gain certifications and experiences in a variety of careers in our Academy Programs. An overview of our CTE Programs can be found here:
Ten Teachers Achieve or Renew National Board Certification
Ten Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) teachers achieved or renewed certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) in 2021.
Currently, FCPS is ranked first in the state of Virginia with more than 300 active National Board-certified teachers, placing Fairfax County in the top 30 school districts nationwide. Seventy-five percent of National Board-certified teachers work directly with students while others have moved into leadership roles throughout the division. Over the course of the program in FCPS, more than 500 teachers have achieved this prestigious certification.
Read more about the certification process.
Free Online Tutoring Services for All Students Coming Soon!
Students will automatically have access to the Tutor.com tutoring service unless a parent/guardian submits an opt-out request. All FCPS families received an email including an online tutoring services notice and opt-out information. A hard copy form will also be sent home with every student.
For additional information, visit our online tutoring services website .
Community Health Assessment
INOVA Health System is conducting a short health assessment to learn about what is important to people in Northern Virginia to help them in their ongoing efforts to make this a healthier community. The results will be used to inform ongoing efforts to make Northern Virginia a healthier community for all. I hope that you can find time to participate in this anonymous survey. The deadline is Thursday, March 31.
INOVA invites you to take the Northern Virginia Community Health Assessment, a 4-minute, anonymous survey to help identify the most pressing health-related needs in our community. Your input will inform ongoing efforts to deliver accessible, quality care throughout the region.
The survey is available in 9 languages through this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NoVAHealthAssessment-English
To learn more about this initiative and successful steps taken since 2013, click here.
Family Engagement Survey: Participate Today!
If you haven’t taken the Family Engagement Survey, please do! Your feedback is critical in helping to inform and improve FCPS’ practices to best support our students. Check your email for an invitation with a survey link from K12Insight, with subject line: FCPS Family Engagement Survey. You can also take the survey now by clicking here. In addition, you can visit your child’s school to take the survey. All responses are confidential. The deadline to participate in the survey is April 3, 2022.
Survey results will be used to develop a plan to improve family and school partnerships throughout the division.
The survey is available in 10 languages: English, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Amharic, Farsi, Urdu, Pashto, and Vietnamese.
For more information on the Family Engagement Survey, click here.
Meal Kit Distribution Change for Spring Break
In preparation for spring break (April 4-8), the following plan is in place for meal kit distribution:
- March 30: Additional meals (four days of breakfast and lunch, along with 14 days of afternoon snack and supper meals) will be served in one meal kit.
- April 6: Meal-kit distribution is canceled.
- April 13: Regular meal kit distribution resumes.
More information and locations of the meal kit sites is available online.
Northern Virginia Regional College Fair
George Mason University invites high school students to attend the Northern Virginia Regional College Fair (NVRCF). Join more than 1,500 high school students from the Northern Virginia area and make connections with over 200 institutions from across the United States. The NVRCF will be held on Thursday, April 7, from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. at Eagle Bank Arena.
Check-In for the event will be located at the South Entrance of EagleBank Arena. Complimentary parking is available in Lot A adjacent to EagleBank Arena. Learn more about the April 7, 2022 Northern Virginia Regional College Fair
Teacher of the Year Acknowledgement
This year, Northern Virginia magazine is launching its first annual Teacher of the Year Award, in which they will recognize the very best educators in our region. The staff at Northern Virginia magazine want to make sure our deserving teachers don’t miss out on the opportunity to be honored for the hard work they put in this school year. The winner of Teacher of the Year will be awarded $10,000 and be profiled in the cover story in the October 2022 issue of Northern Virginia magazine, which will also appear on northernvirginiamag.com. Finalists will also be featured in the story.
The survey runs through Sunday, April 24 and is open to school administrators, teachers, parents, students, former students, and the general public. We have also created a fact sheet that contains more information on the award and a media toolkit to help share the poll amongst faculty and families.
If you have any questions, please contact our Associate Editor Michele Kettner via email at mkettner@northernvirginiamag.com or by phone at 703-230-2987.
NOVA Information Sessions
High school seniors and their families are invited to learn about the opportunities and numerous services and resources designed to get connected to the NOVA Nighthawk Community. Click on a date below to register for that session. For questions, please contact hsoutreach@nvcc.edu.
Register for April 20, 2022 at 6:00 p.m.
Plumbers and Gasfitters Local 5 Industry Day
Local 5 will have its industry day open house on April 21st at the Apprenticeship school please click the link to register: Industry Day
April 30, Raptor Rapture
See live raptors like owls and hawks, April 30, 10 a.m. to 12 noon, at Belle Haven Park, a great close-up look and learn all about at these impressive birds. Sponsored by the Friends of Dyke Marsh, the National Park Service, Secret Gardens Birds and Bees and the Monarch Teacher Network. Look for the tents near the restrooms. Free. Visit www.fodm.org.
ACE CORE Opportunity and Scholarship
FCPS Adult and Community Education (ACE) is offering CORE - an introductory class and a great way for students with little or no experience to get started in the trades. Students earn 80 apprentice hours that will count towards any specific trade apprenticeship (electrical, hvac, plumbing, carpentry). The course schedule can be viewed here. The ACE Education Foundation is offering $500 scholarships for this course to students that qualify. To view the ACE scholarship application, click here.
Calendar Reminders
March 31 End Third Quarter- 2 hr. Early Release
April 1 Student Holiday (Teacher Workday)
April 2 First Full Day of Ramadan
April 4-8 Holiday (Spring Break)- Schools and school offices will be closed.
See the complete 2021-22 school year calendar.
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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