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Upcoming Events
September 1-4: Holiday (Labor Day Break)
September 12: Back to School Night; Special Ed, ESOL, and Senior Sessions at 5:30pm; 6:30-9pm Classroom Visits & Meet Teachers
September 19: First PTSA meeting, 7pm, FHS Library
September 20: All Night Grad meeting, 7pm, FHS Library
September 25: Holiday (Yom Kippur)
September 30: Mock SAT
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Included in this issue:
Staff Spotlight
- Meet our Safety & Security Team
- Safety Drills during the School Year
Fairfax Lions Need to Know:
- Calendar Reminder: Labor Day Holiday weekend
- Attendance Matters: Start the Year Strong!
- SY23-24 FHS Lunch Schedule
- Digital Resource Form (DRC)
- Back to School Night Info
Fairfax Lions Nice to Know:
- SIS ParentVue Info
- Schoology Info
- Opt Out Annual Notice
- Updates to Grading Policies
- Updates to HS Transcripts
- Parent Support Circles
- SEL Screener Info
- Parent Phone Lines
- Connect - Contact - Reach Us
Fairfax HS PTSA
- Welcome Back to School
- PTSA Membership Raffles
- Top 5 PTSA Membership Myths and Truths
- Upcoming Events
Acceso de News You Choose en Español: Haga clic aquí.
August 31, 2023
Happy Thursday Fairfax Family and Friends,
It has been another PAWSome week here at FHS! I want to start by sharing all things FRIDAY NIGHT. Our "Unite and Excite" tailgate was a wonderful display of the culture, the community, and the diverse activities we have here at FHS, our students were able to engage in games, learn more about clubs and activities, and have fun with one another, after a great first week. The sun began to set, and we headed into the football game and a little thunder wasn't going to keep us down, we secured a victory in our first home game, and we were entertained at half time by our dance team and our band debuted "The Witches Heart" to our fans.
This week we began to focus on looking for and emphasizing Paws-itive actions of students. This year at Fairfax we are adopting a Positive Behavior Approach that looks for students to show us all of their amazing qualities and character traits. Our PAWS stand for P-Promoting Empathy, A-Accountable Actions in ALL WE Do, W-Work Hard and Get the Job Done, and S-Self-Advocate for Success. We know that focusing on these behaviors both inside and outside the classroom that we are supporting Portrait of a Graduate Skills, our Road to Rigor, and Opportunities for Everyone to Succeed. Leo the Lion greeted scholars this am as they departed the bus to get them ROARing for one more day of high impact instruction.
This weekend take a moment to ask your students a few questions to engage them in talking about their second week at school- What is the best class on your schedule and why? Have you considered joining a club at Fairfax and if so, which one? Have you visited the library to check out what's new? Are you planning to stay late for Learning Lounge or a club next week? Do you have a class you need to visit during Lion Time next week?
I hope you have a peaceful and relaxing extended weekend. We will see you on Tuesday-READY TO ROAR!
Connect~Educate~Transform each and every day at FHS!
Yours in partnership,
Students came out in full force to support our Home Opener last weekend! We had a great time at Unite & Excite, and it was awesome seeing our Cheerleaders and Band perform for our first Home Game, in which we dominated Wakefield HS for our first WIN of the season!!
GO LIONS!!!
Meet the FHS Safety & Security Team!
Please meet the FHS Safety & Security Team for the 23-24 school year.
Left to Right:
Shirley Otoya, Nikki Rhodes, Pat Berling, Mike Reaves, Annelle Gonzalez
They work hard every day to keep our students, staff, and school community safe. Thank you for all you do, Every Day!
Safety Drills During the School Year
Keeping students and staff safe is a priority for FCPS. Each school has an emergency preparedness plan to respond to incidents such as fires and tornadoes. Schools are required by state law to practice emergency drills, including lockdown drills, each year. Schools are also required to notify parents and guardians at least 24 hours before a school conducts a lockdown drill. However, schools are not required to give the specific date and time of the drill in advance.
The first lockdown drill of the school year must take place within the first 20 days of school. Preschool and kindergarten students are exempt from practicing the first lockdown drill.
Your child may come home and talk about their experience during the drill. We encourage you to talk with your child about the importance of being prepared for emergencies. Please review these frequently asked questions to support your students before and after school lockdown drills.
Friday, September 1, and Monday, September 4, are Labor Day holidays for all FCPS employees and students. Virginia legislation requires that schools opening prior to Labor Day must be closed the Friday immediately preceding Labor Day. We hope everyone takes the long weekend to celebrate a strong start to the school year and enjoy time with family and friends. See the complete school year calendar.
September 11 National Day of Service
With the upcoming 22nd anniversary of September 11, FCPS acknowledges the loss of life, the heroism of our first responders, and the resilience of our country. The September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance, also called Patriot Day, is a chance to reflect and act in service to others to honor those who were injured or killed in the terrorist attacks.
All FCPS students are encouraged to participate in service learning as it supports Portrait of a Graduate (POG) attributes and social and emotional learning (SEL) skills. Middle and high school students can learn more about service learning by logging into their Naviance account to access x2VOL.
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Get started this fall with two great opportunities: Public Lands Day (September 23) and Volunteer Fairfax’s VolunteerFest (October 21). Information on service projects can be found on the Volunteer Fairfax website. |
🙋 Attend Today, Achieve Tomorrow!
Attendance Matters, On Time Arrival Counts
Starting September 4, we will be implementing Tardy Stations as part of our efforts to improve punctuality and ensure that all students arrive at school on time.
This initiative serves several purposes:
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Promoting Punctuality: By having students check in at Tardy Stations, we aim to emphasize the importance of punctuality and being on time for school.
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Tracking Tardiness: Tardy Stations will help us accurately track instances of tardiness, enabling us to identify patterns and provide support to students who may be struggling with timeliness.
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Minimizing Classroom Disruption: Tardy students will no longer disrupt the learning environment by entering late. They will be escorted to class by a staff member.
Here's what you need to know:
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Location: Tardy Stations will be in the Commons when students arrive at the start of every class period after the bell.
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Procedures: When a student arrives late, they will report to the Tardy Station, where a staff member will record the tardy and then escort them to class. Teachers will receive an email with the student’s name and check-in time.
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Consequences: We will maintain our existing tardy policy, with consequences for repeated tardiness. Tardy Stations will help us monitor and enforce these policies consistently.
We understand that occasional tardiness can occur due to unexpected circumstances. If your child has a legitimate reason for being late, such as a medical appointment or transportation issues, please ensure they bring a note or the appropriate documentation to give to the attendance office.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding Tardy Stations or our tardy policy, please do not hesitate to reach out to our Dean of Students-Bruni Herring BSHerring@fcps.edu. We value your partnership in ensuring the success and well-being of our students.
Thank you for your continued support.
23-24 Lunch Schedule
Digital Resource Consent Form - Action Needed!
Some of the digital resources your child may use this year will require your consent before they can be used. To ensure that the use of these digital resources in classroom instruction is not delayed, we ask that families review the policies regarding digital resources, the list of approved digital resources, and have the enrolling parent or guardian sign the digital resource consent form. Please note that your child will not be able to use the digital resources until we have received your consent.
Fairfax High School teachers use a variety of digital resources to support student learning that promote communication and collaboration both with students and families. You can find the FCPS list of resources that require parental consent at https://www.fcps.edu/family-resources/technology/digital-resources/consent. In addition, the following page provides information regarding the careful review process FCPS uses for digital resource approval and why your consent is necessary: https://www.fcps.edu/resources/technology/digital-resources.
Please reach out to Tim Brown (twbrown@fcps.edu) if you have questions or concerns about the digital resources we are using this year.
Back to School Night!
Calling all Lions!
Come out and ROAR with us at the Fairfax High School Back to School Night! We will be hosting families on Tuesday, September 12th, to connect with our community and showcase our teachers and curriculum. Save the date!
The main event is from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm, where families will move through a schedule of their child’s classes, meeting each teacher and learning about each class. Prior to the main event, there will be some community building events starting at 5:30 pm.
BTSN Community Building Events Starting at 5:30 pm
Senior Parent Night
Family Life Education (FLE) Presentation
AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) Signing
Special Education Coffee
ESOL Coffee
All Things Fairfax – Clubs, teams, and information in the commons
Back to School Night Flyer.pdf
Fairfax Lions Nice to Know:
What is SIS ParentVue?
Support Your Child’s Success
Access your student’s attendance records, grades, and assignments at any time with SIS ParentVUE. Caregivers should receive an activation code when they register their child.
Once you have activated a ParentVUE account for an FCPS student, you will keep the same account until the student graduates. Information about students in the same family can be accessed through the same ParentVUE account. Access SIS ParentVUE by using an app on your iPhone, iPad, or Android devices.
Need help creating a SIS ParentVUE account? This video walks through the steps. Find out more about SIS ParentVUE.
What is Schoology?
 Teachers use Schoology to post their classroom materials online; to provide a secure forum for students to discuss their ideas and collaborate on projects; and to assign and collect homework electronically. It helps students stay organized and it keeps the class connected.
A Schoology Parent Account gives you access to:
- Your child’s classes.
- Your child’s upcoming assignments.
- School, class, and group announcements.
Parent accounts will be available after August 21. To access Schoology, parents will need to have an active SIS/ParentVUE account. More information on how to login and use Schoology is available online.
Opt Out Annual Notice
Annual Notice of Survey, Records, Curriculum, Privacy, and Related Rights
Fairfax County Public Schools wants all parents to understand its policies regarding surveys, records, curriculum, privacy, and related rights.
In its Annual Notice of Survey, Records, Curriculum, Privacy, and Related Rights and Opt-Out Forms (Annual Notice), FCPS provides explanations of the rights listed above as well as forms that may be used to exercise opt-out choices. Two versions of the Annual Notice are available — a grades K-8 version and a grades 9-12 version. Parents with children at different grade levels should read each applicable version of the Annual Notice because the notices and opt-out rights vary depending on the student’s grade level.
Get more information and view the 2023-24 Opt-Out Booklets.
✔️ Updates on Grading Policies
FCPS’ Grading Policy was updated for the 2023-24 school year. The following changes were based on input from students, teachers, parents/caregivers, principals, and staff:
- FCPS will maintain the current late work policy. Teachers must accept major assignments up to two weeks late. The maximum deduction for that time period is 10%. The current policy, when applied correctly, balances accountability and flexibility.
- A rolling gradebook gives students more chances to show they understand material. Teachers must use the rolling gradebook along with reassessment policies. These policies let students improve grades on major assessments across quarters. Replacement policies allow later assessments to replace the scores of earlier assessments.
- Teachers may now give zeroes for assignments that are not turned in. Students who make a reasonable effort to finish an assignment will get a minimum grade of 50.
For teachers using a traditional gradebook, the minimum quarter grade that can be issued is 50%. Teachers on a rolling gradebook must use reassessment practices.
📃 Updates to High School Transcripts
In order to increase transparency on high school transcripts, FCPS has made updates to high school course titles for courses that receive additional 0.5 or 1.0 weighting.
For all enrolled high school students in the 2023-24 school year and beyond, high school course titles will now reflect:
- An HN (Honors) for any course that has a 0.5 additional weighting.
- An AV (Advanced), AP (Advanced Placement), DE (Dual Enrollment), or IB (International Baccalaureate) for any course that has a 1.0 additional weighting
The new AV label was created to address several college-level courses that previously had a 1.0 additional weighting without a designation.
The course title changes will apply to all weighted courses across all high schools.
Seniors who have already started to enter their senior year course lists through any college applications, should review their course list to ensure they included appropriate course titles.
Read more about transcript updates
Parent Support Circles
Want to talk about your 9th grader's transition to FHS? The first quarter crunch? Feel like you don't know other new FHS parents and want to connect around your 9th grade kiddo's needs? Please join Laura Kaniewski, FHS 8-9th grade Transition School Counselor, and Ashley Curl, School Social Worker, for a support circle to support your child’s first year in high school, and troubleshoot or celebrate anything that comes up!
We have several opportunities to join this group, but our first meeting will be on 9/8 at 8:30 AM here at FHS’ Family Engagement Center, and an additional circle on 9/12 from 5:30-6:30 PM before Back to School Night. This is a drop-in group and RSVP is required. Please RSVP or send questions to Ashley Curl (amcurl@fcps.edu) or Dara Markenson (dmmarkenson@fcps.edu). Space is limited to 20 participants.
SEL Screener Notification and Updates
FCPS is committed to supporting the mental wellness of all students. The Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener helps our students share their perspectives on how their schools and communities support them and help them develop the skills they need to succeed.
The screener is offered to all students in grades 3 through 12 in the fall and spring. It addresses skills like achieving goals, understanding and managing emotions, establishing and maintaining relationships with adults and peers, and making responsible decisions. Students also share how successful their school and community are at making them feel valued, included, and supported. Screener data is used to plan programming for the division, schools, and individual students.
Key updates to the screener this year include:
- Different versions for students in grades 3-5 and 6-12.
- Fewer topics with more questions to provide schools and families with more data to support planning.
- Additional questions aligned with FCPS’ commitment to educational equity.
Results are mailed home to families after each screening. Families who wish to opt their child out may do so by completing the opt-out form in the Annual Notice packet or SIS ParentVue.
For more information, please visit the Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener webpage.
Please note that the SEL Screener differs from the anonymous Fairfax County Youth Survey. For more information about the Youth Survey, see the Fairfax County Youth Survey site.
☎️ Parent Information Phone Line Available in Eight Languages
 Parents/caregivers who speak Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Spanish, Urdu, or Vietnamese may call our Parent Information Phone Lines for general information about the school division. View the list of phone numbers.
with us throughout the year by:
Fairfax HS PTSA
Table of Contents:
- No Fuss Fundraiser
- Back to School Night
- Raffle Drawing
- Mock SAT/ACT
- Event with FCPS Superintendent Dr. Reid
Support FHS Students and Teachers!
Donate today! We have a $3,000 fundraising goal to fund the PTSA budget fully. The Parent Teacher Student Association supports FHS through financing functions (e.g., college admission officer speakers) and supporting wellness, diversity, and volunteerism. The PTSA rewards academic achievement, offers student scholarships, funds classroom grants, teacher appreciation events, and the FHS Food Bank. We rely entirely on membership dues and donations to fund the PTSA budget, and as a 501(c)3, your donation is tax-deductible. For details on how the funds are spent, see the proposed budget Fairfax High School PTSA - Bylaws & Budget (fairfaxptsa.org)
Back to School Night!
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Please visit our website or look for the PTSA booth at Back to School Night on 9/12 to stay informed and become more connected at FHS! Fairfax High School PTSA (fairfaxptsa.org) The Back to School Night will be held from 6:30-9:00 p.m. Make sure you know your child's Lion Time teacher and room number to arrive at the correct location by 6:30 p.m. sharp! |
PTSA Membership Raffles
AND THE PRIZES GO TO...
Congratulations to our first winners in this year's PTSA membership raffle series!
Katherine West: FHS Football Discount Card
Amy Spokas: FHS Tote Bag
Adina Adler: Free Bundtlet from Nothing Bundt Cakes
If you have not been contacted already, please reach out to membership@fairfaxptsa.org to claim your prize.
Complete your Online Membership Here to be entered in our next raffle drawing on 9/13/23! Parents: $20; Teachers/Staff: $12; Students $8
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All 2023-24 FHS PTSA members, including staff, students, parents, and board members who become individual members by midnight the night before the drawing, are eligible to win.
The announcement of winners will be made through the weekly PTSA and/or Principal's email.
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Mock SAT
The sign-up link for the MOCK SAT on September 30 will be available soon.
Superintendent Community Engagement,
Dr. Michelle Reid
Dr. Michelle Reid, FCPS superintendent, is hosting Community Conversations across the division this fall. These special events are unique opportunities to help Dr. Reid get to know our school community and share more about her vision for our division.
Register to Attend: Superintendent Community Conversations | Fairfax County Public Schools (fcps.edu)
Family Engagement Resources
Find out more below about programs and supports offered in FCPS to build stronger family-school partnerships and better engage families.
Contact Family and School Partnerships: 703-204-4300 or
familyengagement@fcps.edu.
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Do you want to celebrate a Fairfax employee who does ordinary things in an extraordinary way, or goes beyond what is expected? If so, then click here to share with everyone. |
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