Dear Fairfax County Students, Families and Staff,
I hope you and your family are enjoying summer and finding time to relax, enjoy, and connect with your friends and family. It has been a difficult year and I hope the warmth and time away will help us all recharge our batteries and return to school strong and joyful.
The School Board had its last Regular Meeting on July 14. At that meeting, I was honored to be elected by my colleagues to be the chair of the Fairfax County School Board for the next year. It is an awesome responsibility that comes with many opportunities, especially in working alongside our new superintendent, Dr. Reid. I am excited to advance our work of providing an excellent education for all our students, and supporting our staff and families.
I‘ll be honest, it is a bit bittersweet for me as I’ve loved serving as vice chair this last school year with my good friend and outgoing chair, Stella Pekarsky. She is one of the most thoughtful and intelligent leaders I know. I’ve learned a lot from her. I am grateful for her steady hand, her collaborative spirit, and her tireless work this last year.
I am humbled by the trust and faith my colleagues placed in me and our new vice chair, Tammy Derenak Kaufax. I’m excited to work with Tammy, who will be a great partner with her wisdom and her experience in onboarding previous superintendents.
I am looking forward to continuing to engage our community, center student success, and collaborate with my colleagues. I promise to work to bring out the best in us, individually and as a collective.
I believe I am also the first South Asian person and Asian American woman elected as chair of the Fairfax County School Board. That’s pretty cool, too. Our diversity is our strength and we are lucky to live in a multicultural community where we respect and celebrate each other.
Read more.
Below you will find some news and resources that I hope will be helpful as you plan for the next school year.
I hope you enjoy a healthy and happy rest of the summer. As always, please do not hesitate to reach out if I may be of service to you.
Warmest regards,
Rachna
School Board News
The School Board is on recess until August 15, 2022. Our next Work Session is scheduled for August 30 and the next Regular Meeting is scheduled for September 1.
Here are the key votes from the July 14 Regular Meeting:
- The School Board approved organizational arrangements, including new leadership.
- The School Board approved the FY23 OAG Audit Plan.
- The School Board approved the Charges for 2022-2023 for the following School Board Citizen Advisory Committees: Adult and Community Education, Advanced Academic Programs, Career and Technical Education, Facilities Planning Advisory Council, Human Resources, Minority Student Achievement Oversight, School Health, and Students with Disabilities.
- The School Board has directed the superintendent to develop, as part of the work in preparation for strategic plan development, bias-related incident accountability infrastructure for the division, and to present this to the School Board no later than December 2022.
The Board also heard the FY22 Year-End Budget Review with a vote scheduled for September 1.
Watch the full meeting on the FCPS School Board YouTube channel.
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Job Opportunity - School Board Clerk |
The School Board is hiring for the Clerk to the School Board position. This is an important job that is essential to the smooth functioning of the School Board and we welcome all qualified applicants. If you or someone you know is interested in the position, please see the job description.
FCPS and Community News and Resources
Summer Meal Service |
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Summer meal kits will be offered on Tuesdays at several locations through August 9. Meal kits contain seven days of breakfast and lunch items packed in bulk. All meals are available at no-cost to FCPS students and children 18 years of age and under. Pick up locations and times have recently been updated. Visit our Meals for Students website for more details.
Free and Reduced-Price Meals
For the past two years, the federal government has provided no-cost meals to all public school students without the need to complete the annual Free and Reduced-Price Meal application.
IMPORTANT: The extension of the no-cost meals benefit to all students expired at the end of the 2021-22 school year, meaning families must submit an application and be approved to be eligible for free and reduced-price meals for the 2022-23 school year. The application for the Free and Reduced-Price Meal program is now available online.
Student Immunization Requirements
Immunizations are required for public school entry and help keep students protected from serious diseases. Many children missed their well check-ups and their recommended childhood immunizations over recent years because of disruptions from COVID-19. It is critical to catch up now to keep children healthy and ready for school. Check with your students’ health care providers now to make sure they are up to date on their immunizations.
Appointments are required for most immunization clinics. Don’t wait until the last minute when you might not be able to find an appointment. Visit the Fairfax County Health Department website for a schedule of clinics or schedule with your family’s health care provider.
Remember to request documentation of your child’s immunizations to provide to their school. More information on immunization requirements and the necessary documentation is available online.
Kindergarten Registration
Children turning 5 on or before September 30 should be registered for kindergarten for the 2022-23 school year.
Now is the time for students to be registered. Schools are planning playdates, screenings, teacher visits, and other gatherings for kindergarten students to get to know their teachers and each other over the summer. Register soon to make sure you don’t miss out!
Students should be registered at the school they will be attending. A boundary locator is available online, along with a list of required documents, and additional help for military families, families who need language assistance, and other forms of support.
If you have not already, be sure to sign up for your school’s newsletter to learn more about school events, celebrations, and deadlines. Find the sign up link on each school’s website, or view the full list online.
Providing a Safe and Welcoming Space This School Year and Beyond
FCPS is proud of its caring culture and strives to provide a safe, welcoming, and inclusive space for all students and families. The Fairfax County School Board’s recently approved Trust Policy solidifies that commitment. It aligns with Fairfax County’s Public Trust and Confidentiality Policy to ensure that FCPS students and families can access FCPS benefits and services without fear that information will be disclosed, directly or indirectly, to federal immigration officials. Our new Trust Policy webpage will be live soon, with the policy and other important information available in eight languages.
Update on Students’ Spring Assessment Results
Individual students’ score reports are now available for most assessments that students took this spring.
Look in the Documents section of SIS ParentVUE to find a final score report for spring Standards of Learning (SOL), Math Inventory/Reading Inventory (middle and high), and iReady (elementary) tests.
Other spring score reports are being sent by mail. Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener and Virginia Kindergarten Readiness Program (VKRP) reports are both mailed in July.
Parents and guardians can view students’ past test scores in the Test History section of SIS ParentVUE. Please note that SOL scaled scores range from 0 to 600. A value of 900-999 means the student did not take the SOL test; this value is a code to indicate why the student did not test.
Go online or contact your student's school for additional information about FCPS assessments. You can also learn how to activate a SIS ParentVUE account to access scores. Schools will mail SIS reports to families who do not have ParentVUE accounts. Read this article on spring results for more information.
New Monthly Newsletter for Military Families
There is now an FCPS newsletter for Military Families. Military families are encouraged to update their selections on News You Choose. To subscribe:
- Visit News You Choose and enter your email address.
- Under Subscription Topics, scroll down to “PROFESSIONAL LEARNING & FAMILY ENGAGEMENT”
- Select “MILITARY FAMILIES” from the menu.
- Scroll to the bottom of the page and click “SUBMIT” to update your subscription preferences.
Asian Educators Association
The Asian Educators Association aims to develop and promote a greater voice in building the future of education by leading and amplifying the voices of students, staff and the community. Learn more.
495 Next Road Construction Update
The 495 Next project involves extending the I-495 Express Lanes from the existing terminus of the I-495 Express Lanes to the George Washington Memorial Parkway interchange in the vicinity of the American Legion Bridge. Project improvements will include replacing existing overpasses, implementing a shared-use path that could be used by bicyclists and pedestrians, and replacing and constructing new noise walls.
This construction work will affect our communities and I encourage you to stay informed. Also visit https://schoolpool.commuterconnections.org/schoolpool/ to learn about carpool opportunities for students.
Tax-Free Weekend
August 5-7, 2022 will be a three-day sales tax holiday in the state of Virginia. For more information, visit Virginia’s Sales Tax Holiday webpage.
2022-23 School Year Starts August 22
The first day of school for the 2022-23 school year will be Monday, August 22. See the complete 2022-23 school year calendar.
2022 Congressional App Challenge
The Congressional App Challenge offers middle and high school students who are interested in coding a chance to develop and demonstrate their skills and interests in computer science and STEM. Students may register as individuals or in teams of up to four. No more than four students are allowed to form a team. Each district has its own challenge. The Congressional App Challenge also has compiled a Learn To Code list of resources to assist participants in their efforts.
The deadline to enter the Congressional App Competition is November 1. See additional details and register.
Support the Collect for Kids School Supply Drive
To ensure that every child in the school district is prepared for school, Fairfax County Public Schools and Educate Fairfax are once again leading the Collect for Kids effort, a consortium of not-for-profit, for-profit, and government entities providing school supplies to benefit FCPS students who otherwise might go without them.
More than 56,000 (31%) FCPS students qualify for free or reduced-price meals and struggle to afford basic necessities. Your donation will help provide the school supplies these students need to be successful at school.
Contributions can be made online through Educate Fairfax. Donations will be used to purchase bulk school supply kits at highly discounted pricing. For more information, visit the Educate Fairfax website.
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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.
© 2022 Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax County, Virginia
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