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The end of the first quarter is in sight!
Remember that Friday is an Early Release Day in Advance of the Long Weekend
I hope everyone has been enjoying this glorious fall weather. This past weekend I especially enjoyed being out and about with the ribbon cutting at the new Police Station and Animal Shelter on Lorton Road. This is only the second animal shelter in Fairfax County. It provides an excellent resource for this side of the county. It has also been decades since a new police station was opened. I was pleased to see so many of our South County Stallion alumni and Principal Khoshaba in attendance. The crowd was awed by the helicopter flyover.
Success for our Marching Bands and Sports Teams
This past weekend both Mount Vernon and West Potomac High Schools participated in the VBODA marching band assessments. I am thrilled that both schools received superior ratings across the board. Also excelling on our fields are our varsity and junior varsity boys and girls sports teams. If you have the chance, please attend a game and cheer our student athletes and musicians on.
I had the honor of attending West Potomac’s College and Career Readiness advisory Committee this morning. It was an excellent opportunity to discuss how the school, which recently received the Virginia Department of Educations Exemplar award for continuous improvement, can best support its students whom are taking an Advanced Placement, Dual Enrollment or honors course for the first time. It was exciting to hear that the school continues to increase its on-time graduation rate to over 96% of its students up from 88% in 2019. The school exceeds county and state averages. West Potomac’s counselling department is RAMP certified for its excellence. This prestigious honor is shared by many of the schools in Mount Vernon. I had the pleasure of supporting South County Middle School’s application two weeks ago.
Superintendent Reid's Academic Matters
FCPS Accreditation Results Exceeds the State
During the Academic Matters segment of last Thursday’s School Board meeting, the Superintendent discussed at a high level FCPS’ annual pass rates and accreditation outcomes. The Virginia Board of Education’s accreditation ratings are based on school quality indicators. Indicators include state assessment results and achievement gaps, graduation and dropout rates, and participation in college/career readiness programs. For the 2023 accreditation ratings, 99.5% of our schools are accredited (compared to the state average of 89%) and 0.5% of our schools are accredited with conditions (compared to the state average of 11%). All of the schools in Mount Vernon are fully accredited. Well done Team FCPS!!
FCPS’ annual pass rates on state assessments continue to be higher than the state average by an average of five percentage points, as you can see below.
 We believe we’re now seeing a return to baseline levels in pass rates, as post-pandemic assessment growth has leveled off. Reading, Mathematics, and Science pass rates for FCPS are up by an average of almost 9% since the 2021-22 school year. Notably, FCPS maintained steady pass rates in Science between school years 2021-22 and 2022-23, despite the introduction of new state science assessments. This change is typically associated with lower scores for the first year of testing.
Algebra Access
Dr. Reid also shared an update on our 2023-30 strategic plan’s initiative to increase the number of students who successfully complete Algebra 1 by eighth grade, one of the measures of Goal 3: Academic Growth and Excellence. Our Algebra Access Network Improvement Community (AANIC) is working to increase the diverse representation of students who participate and are successful in the rigorous mathematics opportunities available at FCPS. AANIC’s work is collaborative and supported by data, as they learn how we can best implement their findings division-wide. Both Hayfield Secondary and South County Middle are part of the initial cohorts.
As you can see below, this approach starts with FCPS’ youngest learners and extends across multiple departments.
 Successfully completing Algebra 1 paves the way for an advanced academic trajectory — including Dual Enrollment courses, Advanced Placement (AP), and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses — that supports postsecondary success for our students. A recent study from the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) found that completing Algebra 1 by eighth grade led to 30% more ninth graders and 16% more 11th graders taking advanced courses. This work matters!
Watch this video to learn more about the AANIC cohorts at Kilmer and Key middle schools and hear our students explain why algebra matters to them. Many of the AANIC cohort students are from historically underrepresented populations with lower participation rates in advanced math. For these learners, academic success isn’t a question of aptitude, but of opportunity and encouragement. As you hear in the video, these learners initially thought the coursework would be too challenging. But with outreach — and some gentle nudging ;>) — they enrolled and are finding success. This type of stick-to-itiveness is wonderful to hear from our young people! And it will serve them well for the rest of their lives.
Purple Stars Schools Update
On Wednesday, October 26, the Virginia Department of Education, and the Virginia Council on the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children recognized eighteen FCPS schools as 2023 Purple Star Schools. Purple Star Schools are military-friendly schools that have demonstrated their commitment to meeting the needs of military-connected students and their families as they transition into and out of our community. Schools apply for this prestigious recognition through a rigorous application process and must reapply every three years to remain active.
Now, more than one-third of FCPS’ schools have earned their Purple Star Designation.
Our families can rely on Purple Star Schools to have an awareness and appreciation of military culture, and to be dedicated to supporting the educational and social-emotional challenges military-connected students face as they serve with their families. Purple Star Schools exemplify a welcoming and inclusive school environment; one in which all students and families feel a sense of belonging. With Veteran’s Day coming up, I encourage you to join one of our many local celebrations of this important date.
Congratulations to Mount Vernon’s newest schools to achieve this important recognition. They are Belle View ES, South County Middle and South County High School.
Fairfax County Youth Survey
Conducted annually, in partnership with the County Government, using nationally normed questions, the Fairfax County Youth Survey provides insights into the behaviors and attitudes that affect the health and well-being of Fairfax County youth. This year’s survey results continue to show improvement in many areas including mental health, exercise, and feeling safe at school. There have also been reductions in risky behaviors. Read more about the report’s findings, and find the full report on the county’s website.
Results from the Fairfax County Youth Survey highlight the importance of students having three or more “protective factors.” Protective factors are individual, family-based, school-based, and community-based assets (such as participating in extracurricular activities, having parents available for help, or having teachers recognize good work) that support healthy habits and positive choices. Learn more about promoting positive outcomes.
Survey data shows that students with at least three protective factors have a lower likelihood of reporting mental health challenges and engaging in a variety of risky behaviors, including substance and opioid abuse. These findings led to the development of the Three to Succeed program, which is being implemented divisionwide to educate FCPS students, families, and staff on the importance of protective factors and increasing the number of high school students with three or more of them.
School Bond
With the upcoming election on November 7th and early voting underway, I get lots of questions about school bonds. School Bonds benefit both our students and the community because our buildings and fields are used almost every day of the year through community use. Because of the age of the buildings in Mount Vernon, many of the schools have been renovated or had capacity enhancements over the past 8 years. This year Saratoga ES’ renovation is on the bond for planning. To learn more about school bonds, please refer to: https://www.fcps.edu/Bond2023
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology Application
Middle school students who have an aptitude and passion for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) are encouraged to apply for admission to the Class of 2028 at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST). The application is available on the TJHSST Freshman Application Process webpage. Applications must be started by 4 p.m. Wednesday, November 15, with a deadline to submit the application by Friday, November 17, at 4 p.m.
FAFSA Applications Impact Your Students Financial Aid for College
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Opening in December
The FAFSA is needed to determine a student's eligibility for financial aid. Families of current seniors should be thinking about completing financial aid applications in order for students to be eligible to receive financial help to cover the costs of post-secondary education. With the late opening of the FAFSA, there are some things families can do now.
A funding opportunity is available for students who are unable to complete the FAFSA — the Virginia Alternative State Aid (VASA) program. Find out which aid option is right for your family on the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia website.
SIBSHOPS: An Exciting, In-person Workshop for Brothers and Sisters of Children with Special Needs!
The Sibshop workshops are for children in grades 2-6 enrolled in Fairfax County Public Schools who have siblings with special needs to meet other siblings in a relaxed setting, share and receive peer support; celebrate the many contributions made by brothers and sisters of special needs; play games and have fun.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 06 2023
9 a.m. – noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Providence Community Center
Contact: Andrea: avbylykbashi@fcps.edu
Free Registration Required
Sherwood Hall Library Gives Away Books to Visiting Students – ½ Price Sale This Weekend
Over the past three weeks, the Friends have provided free books to groups of fourth through sixth graders from Woodlawn and Groveton elementary schools during their visits to the library as part of our effort to support our local schools and community. On November 4th and 5th, the Friends of Sherwood Library Bookstore will offer all kids books at half price. Books range from board books to young adult, with many beautiful picture books. The Bookstore will be open Saturday, November 4th from 10am to 4pm and Sunday, November 5th, 1pm to 3pm.
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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