The English Department is happy to welcome Ms. Hope Butler in English 8. Ms. Butler has been working at Jackson in various roles since Fall 22 and is very excited to teach English 8 for the Odyssey Team! Our students and staff will benefit greatly from her enthusiasm and extensive content knowledge.
Provide Feedback on the Draft Calendar Options
Your feedback is important! FCPS is seeking community feedback on draft calendar options for the 2023-2024, 2024-2025, and 2025-2026 school years.
Please share your thoughts by completing the calendar feedback form. Feedback will be collected until Tuesday, January 31st at 1:00 p.m.
The draft calendars for the next three years will be presented as "New Business" during the January 26th School Board meeting. Learn more about the development of the calendar.
Please see below the FCPS Draft Calendar Framework presented during the School Board Work Session on January 17th. This chart outlines the differences among the four sets of each calendar option: Blue, Orange, Green and Purple.
Also below is the 2023-2024 School Year Comparison to neighboring school divisions.
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Strategic Planning
Community Forums
FCPS is hosting a series of Community Forums in each of the magisterial districts as part of the Strategic Plan development.
The Community Forums will provide families, students, staff, and community members the opportunity to review student achievement, access, and perception data and identify strengths and challenges.
In small groups, participants will use research-based strategies as a framework to transform their observations into recommended goals for the strategic plan. The data from the Community Forums will be synthesized and shared with the Core Planning Team to incorporate into the final strategic plan goals.
In-person forums will be held throughout the community. Childcare and interpretation services are available - be sure to pre-register. Virtual opportunities are also available.
The Mason District Community Forum is scheduled for Thursday, February 2nd. Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid, Regional Assistant Superintendent Dr. Fabio Zuluaga, and I will be in attendance.
Thursday, February 2, 2023
6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Mason Crest Elementary School Cafeteria
Register for the February 2nd meeting at Mason Crest ES
Virtual Registration Options:
February 8th (Spanish-language only), 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
February 9th, 12:00 - 1:30 p.m.
February 11th, 9:00 - 10:30 a.m.
Interested parties may attend any or all of the forums. The full schedule is available on FCPS' Strategic Planning webpage.
Student Focus Groups
FCPS is currently seeking secondary students in grades 7-12 who are interested in participating in a Strategic Plan Focus Group. This focus group will provide an opportunity to share feedback with other FCPS students and a trained facilitator. There will be four virtual focus groups for secondary students in February and March:
- February 9, 3:30-5:00 p.m. or 5:30-7:00 p.m.
- March 16, 3:30-5:00 p.m. or 5:30-7:00 p.m.
Interested students should check their email for a form to sign up for the focus groups. Students will be asked to provide their student ID so caregivers can be contacted to secure consent to participate. If you have any questions about the student focus groups, please contact strategicplan@fcps.edu.
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Register Now to Attend a Community Forum!
Check out the schedule of Community Forums and register for the one that is most convenient for you. Community Forums will provide every resident an opportunity to participate in and influence the direction of FCPS’ Strategic Plan, prior to its completion and formal adoption by the School Board. Learn more about our strategic planning process.
Family and Consumer Sciences students at Luther Jackson MS made 100 beanies for Veterans this year. This was a service project. Students used donated t-shirts as the lining of the beanies, the exterior of the hat was made from fleece remaining from projects of previous years. Students also made cards for veterans. The items were delivered to a non-profit that will make sure veterans receive them.
How to Talk About Alcohol Safety:
Stores have been packed with holiday savings, credit cards have been charged, and food has been consumed. The holidays are often a time for family and friends to come together and create lasting memories with one another. The matching holiday pajamas leave a lasting impression on social media, but what impression does your relationship with alcohol leave on your child. Although difficult, conversations about alcohol safety are necessary. When consuming alcoholic beverages around young people, consider the message you would like for them to receive. Have you caught yourself saying any of the following: “ I need a drink,” “a drink would help me relax,” or “wine helps me sleep better at night”. These statements could inadvertently cause your child to believe that alcohol is a suitable replacement for healthy coping strategies.
It’s never too early to have age-appropriate conversations with your child about alcohol. About 10% of children say they have tried alcohol and that number increases to 50% by the time they are 15 (SAMHSA). Early and frequent conversations about alcohol and other drugs tend to be more effective than having “the talk” once. If you choose to not have the conversation with your child as a parent, they will still have the conversion with their peers. Silence communicates as loudly as a verbal conversation, so it’s up to you to decide what message is explicitly shared.
For general questions about the FCPS Substance Abuse Prevention Program, please contact the Office of Student Safety & Wellness at: (571) 423-4270.
Sources & Resources
Why You Should Talk With Your Child About Alcohol and Other Drugs
Talk, They Hear You
FCPS SAPS Program
For further Information & support:
Anna Teeter
amteeter@fcps.edu
Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist
Student Services:
2nd Quarter Report Card Notes
FCPS Weekly Progress Reports will not be sent to parents through Monday, Feb. 6 during second quarter grading and report card generation. Second quarter report cards will be distributed to students on Wednesday, Feb. 8. Additionally, the Grade Book and Report Card modules in ParentVUE and StudentVUE will be closed until Monday, Feb. 6 at 6 a.m.
Advisory Sections
Due to the creation of intervention advisory sections, students may be shifting advisory teachers for second semester. Parents will be notified directly if their student is receiving academic intervention support through an advisory class.
23-24 Course Registration Information
All students received course registration information from school counselors on Thursday, Jan. 19 or Friday, Jan. 20. They will finalize course selections through PE classes the week of Feb. 6-10. Students should contact their school counselor with any questions.
High school course registration information is below.
Madison High School Rising 9th information here https://madisonhs.fcps.edu/student-services/academic-advising and https://sites.google.com/view/madisonadvising/home
Falls Church High School Rising 9th Grade Curriculum Night & Academy Open House 6:30pm FCHS Auditorium and Lobby FCHS course catalog: https://insys.fcps.edu/CourseCatOnline/reportPanel/342/0/1/0/0/1
Oakton Curriculum night: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1U57n9U2R7psW6LnSYr_pNobqAiQ2vUis/preview
Oakton HS info here: https://oaktonhs.fcps.edu/student-services/academic-advising-and-course-offerings
Counselors are assigned by teams and are your first point of contact for any question or concerns you might have.
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