Dear Sully District Families,
HAPPY SPRING BREAK! 🌷 I wish everyone a restful and enjoyable holiday whether you are traveling or staying at home. This is much-needed time for my family to disconnect from some of the pressures of the school day, share in each other's company and enjoy the outdoors!
March was an eventful month with lots going on. As you will see in this newsletter, Sully District students continue to participate and thrive in the areas of academics, sports, music, theater, innovation and community service. Our rich, high quality FCPS programs lead to heightened student engagement along with successful student outcomes.
On March 20th, the School Board and Superintendent submitted a letter to the President of the Virginia Board of Education (VBOE) and Virginia Secretary of Education detailing our concerns and suggestions regarding recently proposed major changes to the 2023 History and Social Science Standards of Learning. The letter raises numerous issues with the proposed standards and their inability to provide students with history and social science instruction that prioritizes thinking, historical accuracy, diverse perspectives, and developmental appropriateness. We urged the VBOE to reconvene experts in social studies education, to listen to the voices of practitioners, and to significantly revise the proposed standards to foster depth of learning and the development of history and social science skills.
As I shared in my last newsletter, I will continue to advocate to support our students’ desire to pursue rigorous curriculum offerings and to experience content that is vital to learning about America. For information about the review process and public hearing details, refer to the VDOE History and Social Science Standards of Learning Revision website
Inside this newsletter:
April is #ArabAmericanHeritageMonth. For over a century, Arab Americans have been making valuable contributions to every aspect of American society. Please join me in celebrating the rich history, contributions, and culture of the diverse population of Arab Americans in Sully District and beyond! See more on this below in the newsletter.
It is also National Military Child Month. FCPS is proud to have over 13,500 military-connected youth as part of our student body. Celebrating this provides a powerful opportunity to raise awareness and build support to help our military- connected students students and families meet the unique challenges they face! For additional info visit FCPS' Resources for Military Families page.
I am looking forward to seeing you at my town hall with Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid, Springfield School Board Member Laura Jane Cohen and Student Representative Michelle Togbe in the Chantilly High School Library on Monday, April 10, 7 pm. See details below.
As always, I am happy to address questions or concerns via email or phone. You can reach me through this School Board contact form or you can call or sign up for my monthly constituent office hours. Please see my April Office hours in the newsletter below if you would like to schedule time to meet with me.
I look forward to having students and staff return after Spring Break as we gear up for the fourth and final quarter of the school year!
In partnership,
Stella Pekarsky
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School Visit to Floris Elementary School
School Visit to Floris ES!
Thank you Principal Walker for a great visit to Floris Elementary! I am always grateful for the insights you and your staff share with me to help inform my ongoing policy and budget work. It was a joy to interact with the students and observe some of the innovative student engagement experiences their teachers have created that reinforce the skills of persistence, curiosity and joy of learning. And of course, the student artwork on display is always so impressive!
Sully District Happenings
2023 Regional Scholastic Writing Awards - Congrats to all our Young Authors and Poets!
Many FCPS student writers were recognized in the 2023 Regional Scholastic Writing Awards competition. So proud of Sully District's Riva Jain, a student at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST), who was named an American Voices Nominee for her dramatic script, “The Interview". In all, 213 Gold Key, Silver Key, and Honorable Mentions were earned by FCPS students.
The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, presented by the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers, is the largest, longest-running recognition program of its kind in the United States. Writing categories include critical essay, dramatic script, flash fiction, humor, journalism, novel writing, personal essay and memoir, poetry, science fiction and fantasy, short story, and writing portfolio. #TheFutureIsBright
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2023 Regional Science Fair Awards - Young Innovators!
Congratulations to the many, many Sully District students who participated and did amazingly well in the 2023 Regional Science and Engineering Fair! Ten FCPS projects received Grand Prize awards. Sully district Grand Prize winning projects are below:
- Environmental Engineering: Frank Chang, Stephen Tsai, Jason Yoo, Chantilly High School, ARM: Streamlining Recyclable Waste Identification with Highly Scalable Deep Learning Algorithms.
- Plant Sciences: Aayush Shivashankar, Chantilly High School, The Effect of Chlorine (ppm) on the Lead Phytoremediation Rate in Lemna minor.
- Physics and Astronomy: Ryan Kim, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Quantum-Classical Neural Network by Utilizing a Variational Quantum Circuit for Detection of Dementia.
The full list of FCPS projects is here.
The 68th annual Fairfax County Regional Science and Engineering Fair showcased more than 300 high school science projects. Over 400 students presented their research projects in a wide variety of science and engineering fields. Projects were judged by more than 150 professionals and 40 professional organizations and businesses.
The Grand Prize Winners are eligible to compete in the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in May, and many others are eligible to compete in the Virginia State Science and Engineering Fair to be held in April. See the full list of winners. #studentscientists
Congrats to our Award Recipients at Virginia DECA Conference!
 A total of 203 students from 15 Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) high schools were recognized as competitive event winners at the Virginia DECA State Leadership Conference held in Virginia Beach March 3-5. These students earned the right to compete at the DECA International Career Development Conference April 22-25. There were many students from Sully District students among them! Congrats to all our amazing students!
DECA is a career and technical student organization that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs to be college and career ready. In the Commonwealth of Virginia, DECA members are enrolled in a marketing education class at their high schools. More information about Virginia DECA is available online. See the full list of winners.
Six Teams, 40 Individuals Honored as Winter Sports Winners
Congratulations to all the FCPS student-athletes who participated in the 2022-23 winter sports season. This year, six teams and 40 individuals won the Virginia High School League (VHSL) Class 6 championship in their respective sports, and three teams and 38 individuals were the state runners-up. Four teams were repeat champions. See them listed on our webpage.
Sully District individuals winning the championship were:
- Johanna Stuard, Westfield High School, Indoor Track, Girls High Jump.
- Jason Bell, Westfield High School, Indoor Track, Boys 300 Meter Dash.
- Matthew Bray, Chantilly High School, Swim and Dive, Boys 1 Meter Diving.
- Amanda Stalfort, Westfield High School, Swim and Dive, Girls 1 Meter Diving.
- Ezekiel Keel, Chantilly High School, Wrestling, 113 pounds.
- Benjamin Weader, Chantilly High School, Wrestling, 144 pounds.
Amazing Centreville HS Students Offer Free Prom Dress Shop!
 FCPS marketing students from Centreville High School and the Fair Oaks Classroom on the Mall program have opened their Prom Dress Shop. Since 2006, the dress shop has helped hundreds of financially challenged students attend prom in style each spring by providing dresses and accessories at no cost.
Any area student—not just those from Fairfax County Public Schools—who does not have the funds to purchase a prom dress may choose from hundreds of new dresses donated by Macy’s. Students must show a valid student ID, or another form of school identification, to choose a free dress on select days. This is available until Sunday, May 7. See shop hours. #StudentsDoingGood
Constituent Meeting Hours in April
I have office hours set up to meet with Sully District constituents to discuss any questions or concerns you may have. Please use this Constituent sign-up sheet to register for slots and meeting info will be sent to you. I look forward to talking with you!
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Willow Springs Elementary Renovation Community Meeting
April 19: 6:30-7:30pm
Willow Springs ES Cafeteria (5400 Willow Springs School Rd, Fairfax, VA 22030)
Planning and design for the renovation of Brookfield Elementary School is underway and we would like to hear from you. Join us for a community meeting to learn more about the project and design process to date and share your views on the project and design process. Public feedback will be shared with the Fairfax County Planning Commission, Board of Supervisors, School Board, and FCPS staff on the community’s view of the project and design process to date. Please be aware, at this stage in the design and construction process, no major changes may be made but small adjustments may be considered. Language interpretation will be provided based on the availability of interpretation staff.
Learn more about the Willow Springs Elementary School Renovation project.
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Joint Sully and Springfield District Town Hall - April 10, 2023
Join Springfield District Representative Laura Jane Cohen, Sully District Representative Stella Pekarsky, FCPS Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid, and Student Representative to the School Board Michele Togbe for a town hall. All Springfield and Sully District families, staff, students, and community members are welcome! We hope to see you there!
When: Monday, April 10, 2023, from 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Where: Chantilly High School (Library), 4201 Stringfellow Road, Chantilly, VA
Feel free to submit your questions or comments in advance.
*If American Sign Language or language interpretation is needed, please submit your request.
Asamblea pública - distrito de Springfield y Sully
Acompañen a la representante del distrito de Springfield, Laura Jane Cohen; a la representante del distrito de Sully, Stella Pekarsky; a la superintendente de FCPS, Dra. Michelle Reid; y a la representante de los alumnos ante la Junta Escolar, Michele Togbe, para una asamblea pública. ¡Todas las familias, el personal escolar, los alumnos y los miembros de la comunidad de Springfield y Sully están invitados! ¡Esperamos verlos allí!
Cuándo: El lunes 10 de abril de 2023, de 7:00 p.m. a 8:30 p. m.
Dónde: Chantilly High School (Biblioteca), 4201 Stringfellow Road, Chantilly, VA
Sírvanse enviar sus preguntas o comentarios por adelantado.
*Si necesitan interpretación de lenguaje estadounidense por señas, por favor, envíen su solicitud.
April is National Arab American Heritage Month
National Arab American Heritage Month (NAAHM) is a time for celebrating the history, contributions, and culture of the diverse population of Arab Americans. Arab Americans have ancestry in one of the world’s 22 Arab nations, which are located from northern Africa through western Asia. The people of these nations are ethnically, politically, and religiously diverse but share a common cultural and linguistic heritage. For over a century, Arab Americans have been making valuable contributions to every aspect of American society—in medicine, law, business, technology, civic engagement, government, and culture. From cryptography, to the artificial heart, to the iPod, here are a few examples of some of the major advancements by Arab Americans. Please also find included here, list of books for children, tweens, and teens to continue to recognize and celebrate Arab American Heritage Month in April.
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Superintendent Reid's Academic Matters
At the March 30th School Board Meeting, Superintendent Reid shared information about Family Facing Curriculum which is intended to provide families with an overview of what students are learning and when they are learning. This will help families with common questions:
- What will my child learn this school year?
- What is my child learning now?
- What connections can I make at home?
- What information can I share with a tutor?
- What testing should we expect this year?
The family curriculum webpages includes an overview with unit titles and timeline by grade level and content areas, detailed view of standards by unit as well as state and division assessments.
FCPS Named ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year
Fairfax County Public Schools has been selected as a 2023 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year winner for Sustained Excellence.
Recent accomplishments that helped earn this sustained excellence award include achieving energy savings greater than 21% and $65 million since 2014, and winning the “Best Project in the Major Renovation” category of the ENERGY STAR Decarbonize Your Design Challenge for the renovation of Crossfield Elementary School.
FCPS has been an ENERGY STAR® partner since 1998.
🌎 Mark Your Calendar for #FCPSEarthWeek 🌱
All students, families and staff are encouraged to join FCPS Get2Green in celebrating our divisionwide Earth Week 2023, April 17-20. Earth Week is an engaging way to foster conversation and learning about environmental topics that are essential in developing students as environmental stewards, and ethical and global citizens.
Engage students with the chance to win prizes through the FCPS Earth Week Connect Four boards for elementary school, and a Day of Service for middle and high schools. Check the Get2Green Earth Week webpage for everything you need to get started.
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Registration Open for Virtual Strategic Planning Community Forums
 We invite parents/caregivers, students, employees, and community members to join us for a virtual community forum to discuss the first draft of proposed goals for the new Strategic Plan. Forums are scheduled for:
Click on the date to register for the event.
Your participation is important to this work and will help ensure a thriving future for each and every FCPS student. Get more information on our Strategic Planning webpage
Student Opportunities
Calling all Young Entrepreneurs
Kid Biz Inc. is sponsoring a FREE event for you to showcase your talents. Whether you are an aspiring artist, inventor, entrepreneur or looking to start and grow a business this is the place for you! On May 13, 2023, at Hayfield Secondary School there will be over 100 booths of kids with amazing ideas and businesses. It is free to attend and free to host a booth. Booths are available to any student in grades 1-12! There will be guest judges, networking opportunities, community leaders, and members ready to support these young professionals.
If you are interested in learning more about the event or even hosting a booth - feel free to apply! Booth applications are due by April 14, 2023.
Youth Conservation Camp Applications due April 28
Applications are now open for Youth Conservation Camp, held July 9-15 on the Virginia Tech campus. The program brings together 70 students for a week of learning about Virginia's natural resources from hands-on experience with conservation professionals and faculty from Virginia Tech. Students in grades 9-12 are eligible to apply and may receive a partial scholarship from NVSWCD. Learn more about Youth Conservation Camp, including how to obtain an application. Contact NVSWCD with questions.
NPR’s Student Podcast Challenge
NPR’s Student Podcast Challenge opened for entries on Jan. 6, 2023 and close on April 28. The judges will choose winners in two categories: grades five through eight and grades nine through 12. Entries must be submitted by an educator or a student leader who's 18 years old or older. And don't forget all the tips, advice and lesson plans we've compiled over the years and read more here.
Parent Resource Center April Events
Mental Health Resources for Students and Parents
This month's theme: Active April!
Let's find ways to get moving and stay active and healthy.
Go to Action for Happiness for ideas to help you take action for a happier and kinder world.
Healthy Minds Podcast
Hear about how we are all handling uncertainty; get new ideas to help your child, friends and families feel better; and learn to help yourself feel stronger and more energized
Student Wellness: Tips and Strategies
Feeling super stressed? Worried about a friend's mental health—or your own? Get tips to help manage your emotions and see what to do if you are in crisis.
Mental Health and Resiliency
Helping students to manage stress, make better choices, and develop healthy habits.
FCPS Parent Resource Center
Staff is available by phone 703-204-3941 or email prc@fcps.edu to help! Offers free workshops, consultations, a lending library, and more to help adults support the success of all students, including those with learning challenges, special needs and disabilities.
Upcoming School Board Meetings
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Tuesday, April 11, 11 am: Forum - SRO's and School Food & Nutrition Policy
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Tuesday, April 11, 12:30 pm: Work Session
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Thursday, April 13, 7 pm: Regular Meeting
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Thursday, April 27, 7 pm: Regular Meeting
Please note, times and topics are subject to change.
*Public Hearing speaker sign up forms are forthcoming
Visit the community participation webpage to sign up to speak at a regular meeting. Visit BoardDocs for more meeting logistics, agendas, and handouts.
Interested in School Board action items? Sign up to get an update on School Board votes the morning after the School Board meeting.
The work sessions and regular meetings will be broadcast live on Channel 99 (Verizon channel 11) and the FCPS website. Both will be recorded for future viewing and posted to the FCPS School Board YouTube channel.
New! For Spanish speakers, watch recorded School Board meetings or to watch live during the Regular Meetings on YouTube, you may visit the FCPS en Espanol YouTube channel or scan the QR code. |
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Contacting Me
To contact me, it is most helpful if you can please use the official School Board contact form. This form prioritizes emails to me from constituents, and helps me track communication so I can be sure you receive a response. If you are unsure of your county magisterial district, you can look that information up here.
Use this link to sign up for our Newsletters.
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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