Supporting Students in Crisis and Recovery
Dear Providence District Families,
At last Thursday’s meeting, the School Board approved a proposal I co-sponsored to conduct a comprehensive review of Fairfax County Public Schools regulations, policies, disciplinary practices, and curriculum to ensure the school system is adequately addressing the threat of illicit drug use and fentanyl, and meeting the academic, social, and emotional needs of students in recovery from substance use disorder (VIEW VIDEO).
In addition to this review, the Board is asking the Superintendent to consider the merits of various potential initiatives, including providing students and staff with access to fentanyl testing strips, placing naloxone in all classrooms with appropriately trained classroom-based staff, offering naloxone training to high school students, creating a recovery high school program, working with local partners to increase treatment options for minors, and helping families learn how to support their students in recovery.
While current figures are not yet available, data from Fairfax County’s Opioid Dashboard indicates four local young people 17 years of age and under suffered fatal overdoses in 2022. Additionally, between January 1 and March 31 of this year, there were 17 non-fatal overdoses among the same age group — a startling trend for the first three months of the current year compared to the 27 non-fatal overdoses of young people during all of 2022.
A 2022 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found fentanyl-involved fatalities among adolescents on the rise. In addition, beginning in 2020, adolescents experienced a more significant relative increase in overdose mortality than the overall population, mainly attributable to fatalities involving fentanyl. In the context of decreasing adolescent drug use rates nationally, these shifts suggest heightened risk from fentanyl. In Fairfax County, fatal overdoses by young people are driven almost entirely by fentanyl.
Last year, an analysis from the National Institute on Drug Abuse indicated 11 percent of eighth graders, 21.5 percent of tenth graders, and 32.6 percent of twelfth graders reported using an illicit drug in the past year. Among teens, past-year use of cocaine, heroin, amphetamines, and nonmedical use of prescription drugs, is steady year-over-year, including 4.9 percent of eighth graders, 5.7 percent of tenth graders, and 8 percent of twelfth graders.
Our schools must provide students with the knowledge and resources to make healthy decisions. Education and intervention are our best weapons for combating substance abuse and the threat of fentanyl. Every student in recovery has the potential to create a future of hope and possibility. The right support can make all the difference.
I will keep you updated as this vital work progresses. In the meantime, I have included updates on a host of topics in the newsletter below.
In service,
Karl Frisch
Fairfax County School Board
Providence District Representative
Providence District Families Newsletter
Wednesday, May 17, 2023
This installment of the Providence District Families Newsletter includes important updates on the following subjects:
School Visits: Mosaic, Mantua, Fairhill, Marshall Road, Pine Spring, Falls Church
 Over the past few weeks, I have had an opportunity to visit several Providence District schools:
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Mosaic Elementary: I recently had the pleasure of serving as a guest reader for first graders at Mosaic Elementary School. We read Sam and Dave Dig a Hole, a story about two boys and their dog digging through the earth to find treasures – but always missing it just by a hair.
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Mantua Elementary: Supervisor Palchik, Superintendent Reid, and I joined Mantua students for their long-standing annual tree planting project. Together with our county partners, we planted ten oak and elm trees along the backfield of the school.
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Fairhill Elementary: Superintendent Reid and I also joined the Fairhill community for their annual community garden day, where we had a chance to visit the school’s pollinator garden and help students and their parents/guardians plant trees and other greenery.
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Marshall Road and Pine Spring Elementary: I was grateful to attend Marshall Road and Pine Spring’s recent International Night celebrations. It was great to see so many students and families teaching each other about their heritage through music, clothing, and food!
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Falls Church High School: I was grateful to attend the recent Falls Church High School PTSA meeting to discuss the school’s major renovation and hear from parents about various items of concern. I look forward to updating the community with a follow-up soon.
In addition to school visits, I am grateful to have had the opportunity in recent weeks to plant cherry blossom trees in Tysons with Tysons Community Alliance and the National Cherry Blossom Festival Association, attend the Hispanic Educators Association Scholarship Celebration and Awards Dinner, participate in a nature walk with students and families at East Blake Lane Park, and more.
No-Cost Teletherapy for High School Students
FCPS is partnering with Hazel Health to help eliminate barriers to quality, HIPAA-compliant mental health care services for all high school students at no cost to families. Therapy sessions with Hazel Health are private and confidential. With Hazel Health, your child can get the mental health care they need, at home, at no cost to you.
Hazel Health’s therapists can help students address mood/behavior changes, motivation, grief/loss, anxiety, worry, fears, social skills, bullying, peer and family relationships, academic stress, and more. For high schoolers to participate in Hazel Health’s teletherapy services, parents/caregivers must complete three steps:
- Permit FCPS to share basic demographic information with Hazel in ParentVUE.
- Consent for Hazel Health services.
- A guardian or designated school staff member must refer students to therapy. You may sign your child up by calling 571-749-2940 or contacting an FCPS school counselor, social worker, psychologist, or director of Student Services.
For additional information, visit the FCPS Teletherapy webpage.
Volunteers Needed for School Board Advisory Committees
As a School Board member, I am responsible for appointing one Providence District resident to represent our community on several School Board Citizen Advisory Committees to increase community input to the Board on many important issues.
While several Providence District appointees will continue their service for another year, five committees have openings that must be filled (APPLY HERE):
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Advanced Academic Programs Advisory Committee: Reviews the local plan for the education of gifted students, including revisions, and determines the extent to which the plan for the previous year was implemented. Meets monthly, 1-Year Term.
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Adult and Community Education Advisory Committee (ACE): Brings to the School Board’s attention the resource and programmatic issues associated with adult education. Meets monthly, 1-Year Term.
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Family Life Education Curriculum Advisory Committee (FLECAC): Provides advice and recommendations to the Family Life Education curriculum coordinator as goals, objectives, and instructional materials are developed. Meets monthly, 1-Year Term.
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Minority Student Achievement Oversight Committee (MSAOC): Advocates for minority student achievement by identifying, reviewing, and assessing issues affecting minority student academic achievement. Meets monthly, 1-Year Term.
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School Health Advisory Committee (SHAC): Assists with the development of health policy and the evaluation of the status of school health, health education, the school environment, and health services. Meets monthly, 1-Year Term.
School Board Citizen Advisory Committees are essential to the Board’s work, meeting throughout the year, advising the Board, and submitting an annual report of recommendations. Please help spread the word about these opportunities.
I hope you will consider applying (CLICK HERE) to join one of these committees by June 15, 2023, at 11:59 pm. Following interviews with select applicants, new committee members will be announced.
Final Feedback Opportunity on Draft Strategic Plan
 If you have not already, please participate in the final opportunity to provide feedback on the draft FCPS Strategic Plan goals, measures, and pillars. Take the survey today! It closes Wednesday, May 17. Feedback will be discussed at the May 25 regular School Board meeting. To learn more about the strategic planning process, visit the FCPS strategic planning process website.
Job Opening for School Board Staff Aide
After nearly three years of service to Providence District families as my School Board Staff Aide, Jackie Marmol has accepted a position in U.S. Senator Mark Warner’s office. We wish her continued success as we search for Providence District’s next School Board Staff Aide.
School Board Staff Aides perform the full range of professional and administrative duties required to support activities, projects, and initiatives related to the School Board. They also serve as liaisons on behalf of School Board members in communications between constituents, community organizations, FCPS leadership and staff, and elected officials.
Please see the job description and requirements, and feel free to share it with anyone who might be qualified and interested in applying before the May 19 deadline. CLICK HERE to learn more and/or apply.
Middle School Athletics Coming This Fall
The FCPS Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Advertised Budget allocates funding for middle school athletic activities to support student well-being at no cost to students. Pending budget adoption, this will be the first time FCPS has offered middle school students a chance to participate in extracurricular sports programs, starting with cross country this fall and track in spring 2024. [Additional Details]
Providence Students Named National Merit Scholarship Winners
Thirty-six FCPS high school students have been named winners of $2,500 scholarships from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). Scholarship winners are part of a group of approximately 2,500 National Merit finalists chosen to receive scholarships in 2023, primarily financed by the NMSC. Among the honorees are several Providence District students.
Each scholarship winner was evaluated on their academic record, including difficulty level of subjects studied and grades earned; scores from two standardized tests; contributions and leadership in school and community activities; a personal essay; and a recommendation from a high school official. [Additional Details]
Providence Students Honored at DECA International Conference
Thirty-three FCPS high school students recently earned DECA’s highest honors at the organization’s annual International Career Development Conference in Orlando. Many honorees are from schools attended by Providence District students, including 11 from Oakton, four from Fairfax, two from Woodson, and one from McLean.
DECA is a career and technical student organization that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs to be college- and career-ready. The competitions are designed to simulate real-life business scenarios and test students’ academic understanding and skills development. In the Commonwealth of Virginia, DECA members are enrolled in a marketing education class at their high schools. [Additional Details]
Summer Fairfax Connector Bus Passes
The popular free student bus pass from the Fairfax Connector will continue during the summer! Once your student has completed the application, bring it to your school for the pass. [Application and Additional Details]
Make Sure Your Child Is Up to Date on Vaccines
All students must be immunized against certain communicable diseases to attend school in Virginia. Please talk with your family healthcare provider about whether your children are up to date on their vaccines before the new school year begins. Submit updated immunization records to your school as soon as possible. [Additional Details]
Upcoming School Board Meetings
- Thursday, May 18 at 10:00 am – Work Session (Audit Plan, Budget)
- Tuesday, May 23 at 5:00 pm – Work Session (PreK, SR&R)
- Thursday, May 25 at 7:00 pm – Regular Meeting (Budget)
Meeting agendas and handouts can be found on BoardDocs. Meetings are broadcast on Channel 99 (Cox, Comcast) or 11 (Verizon) and live-streamed on the FCPS website. Recordings of meetings are archived on the FCPS YouTube channel. Spanish speakers can watch recorded school board meetings or the Board’s live regular meetings on YouTube by visiting the FCPS en Español YouTube channel.
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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