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Para leer este boletín en otros idiomas, visite nuestro sitio web.
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.يرجى زيارة موقعنا الألكتروني لقراءة هذه النشرة الإخبارية بلغات أخرى
اس نیوزلیٹر کو دوسری زبانوں میں پڑھنے کیلئے ، براہ مہربانی ہماری ویب سائیٹ ملاحظہ کیجیئے۔
Note: This newsletter contains links to translated versions of the content for your convenience. These translations are generated by Google Translate and are not intended to be a substitute for professional translation services.
Mason District Community,
Daylight Saving has provided us with a little more light as we welcome springtime and wrap up the third quarter of the school year. We hope our students and families are able to take advantage of the upcoming Spring Break to reflect on progress of the school year to date and review plans for the final quarter. As we head toward the end of the school year, the high school graduation schedule is included below for your planning purposes.
In celebration of Black History Month, Lift Every Voice and Sing was performed by the Justice High School Chamber Choir at the February 22nd School Board meeting. I invite you to listen to their beautiful rendition of this song, often referred to as “The Black National Anthem.”
Last month, I had the opportunity to attend the Global STEM Fair at Edison High School. I was very impressed by the knowledge and presentations by the 11th grade students. Presentations focused on generating clean electric power for regions around the world with low access to electricity.
I was also happy to judge the science fair at Justice High School and engage with more creative and inventive students.
Finally, I had the opportunity to join in the festivities at Justice High School's International Night. Such a wonderful celebration of culture and diversity!
I value the input I receive from the Mason Community and am happy to address questions or concerns via email or phone. You can reach me by email at rjanderson@fcps.edu. If you are interested in scheduling a phone call, please reach out to my assistant, Cristy Coffey, at cmcoffey@fcps.edu to arrange a time.
 Included in this issue:
Mason Moments
Justice Forensics - Super Regional Runners Up!
Congratulations to the Justice High School Forensics team! They finished the VHSL Super Regional tournament as Runners Up for the 5th consecutive year.
Gold Medalists moving on to the State Meet: Emy Fase, Elias Kassa, Laura Stoker and Valeria Peterson.
Regional Scholastic Art Winners
The 2024 Regional Scholastic Art Awards program has awarded Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) students in grades 7-12 a total of 714 awards for outstanding artwork.
Artworks were submitted and judged in categories including drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, ceramics, sculpture, digital art, design, architecture, jewelry, fashion, film and animation, mixed media, and art portfolios.
Congratulations to the following Mason District students!
Holmes Middle School
- Ruby Connelly, Honorable Mention
- Adam Osman, Honorable Mention
- Elliott Rekstad, Honorable Mention
Falls Church High School
- Maya Benke, Honorable Mention
- Chengna Lin, Silver Key
- Christopher So, Honorable Mention (2)
Justice High School
- Jenna Kassem, Honorable Mention, Gold Key
- Piper Koury, Silver Key
- Tra My Nguyen, Honorable Mention
- Faiza Warsame, Silver Key
- Paisley Wilkins, Honorable Mention
- Fey Zurita-Sejas, Gold Key
Lake Braddock Secondary School
- Sachiko Convery, Honorable Mention, Silver Key, Gold Key
Learn more and view the complete list of FCPS awardees
FCPS School Communications Award
Fairfax County Public Schools presented awards for outstanding school communications at the School Communicators Conference held January 26, 2024. The 2023 Awards of Communication Excellence celebrate the creation of exceptional website, newsletter, and social media content.
 Congratulations to Annandale High School, recognized for its newsletter, the Annandale Insider!
Learn more about the awards and the 2023 winners.
Winning Student Designs
In May, the FCPS Office of Communications called for entries for new graphics to acknowledge the religious and cultural observances identified on the 2023-2024 School Year Calendar. Middle and high school students were invited to create visuals that positively represented the observances celebrated in the FCPS community.
The submitted entries were judged by a panel of FCPS cultural liaisons and graphic designers. The eleven winning designs will be featured on FCPS and school social media platforms, and in various newsletters leading up to the holidays.
Winners of the challenge included two Mason District students:
Najenji D. from Justice High School (Christmas design featured in December)
Dayanara M. from Falls Church High School - Easter design below
Mason District Athletes
Congratulations to State Swim Champions from Justice High School:
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Emma Redman in both the 100 YD Breaststroke and the 200 YD Individual Medley
- The Girls 200 YD Freestyle Relay Team - Claire Coughlin, Annika Wentland, Reagan Kampschror, and Emma Redman
Congratulations to the National District Champions for Girls Indoor Track - the Justice High School Girls Indoor Track Team!
Congratulations to George Lynch, a wrestler from Falls Church High School who was crowned the National District Champion in his weight class.
Senior Simone Pendleton became the Falls Church Girls Basketball all-time leading scorer during the game on February 8, 2024. Simone was also named to the 2nd Team All-State, 1st Team All-Region, National District Player of the year, and Defensive Player of the Year! Congratulations, Simone!
GRAMMY Winner at Annandale HS
Annie Ray, orchestra teacher at Annandale High School, is the winner of the 2024 GRAMMY Music Educator Award, which honors teachers for their impact as music educators and commitment to music education in schools. I am thrilled that her impact and commitment to music education were recognized on this scale.
Ms. Ray is the founder and co-director of the FCPS Parent Orchestra which began in 2018 with 25 parents and has grown to over 200 parents/guardians and staff. The ensembles provide a unique opportunity for caregivers to connect with their child. Ms. Ray also founded Crescendo Orchestra, serving students with severe developmental or intellectual disabilities.
Learn more about Annie Ray.
Read-On Young Readers
I recently had the opportunity to read to some enthusiastic students at Braddock Elementary School through the Read-On Young Readers (ROYR) program.
ROYR was founded to mitigate the potential reading & English language loss to students due to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The program has expanded to include in-person readings in addition to the virtual program.
Students are paired with volunteers who have a wide range of backgrounds and experience, including several retired teachers and administrators. The program has partnered with three FCPS schools, including two serving Mason District students: Mason Crest Elementary and Braddock Elementary.
The goal of the program is to instill the love of reading and to be another dependable adult in the student’s life. ROYR also provides each student three new books every month to help grow their personal libraries.
If you are interested in volunteering with ROYR, please visit their website to complete the volunteer form and to learn more about their program.
School Board Work Updates
CIP Update
The School Board approved the FY 2025-2029 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) on February 8, 2024. The approval included an amendment which I presented to add Parklawn Elementary School to the proposed CIP to allow staff to address the number of temporary classrooms and projected capacity deficit at the school.
Parklawn has enrolled almost 200 international students seeking refuge since the 2021-22 school year. This is not a trend in birth rates or construction which could have been predicted by Facilities staff. This rapid increase in unexpected student enrollment has created an urgent need. Parklawn currently maintains 29 trailers and has a projected capacity ranging from 103% to 112% in the next five years. Without the modular units, the projections range from 144% to 156% for the same span of time.
Budget Update
The School Board adopted the FY 2025 Advertised Budget on February 22, 2024.
This advertised budget largely focuses on compensation and does not contain new initiatives. With a proposed salary increase of 6%, this budget seeks to support teacher recruitment and retention efforts.
It is imperative for FCPS to be competitive in the local job market. FCPS is the largest school division in Virginia, but ranks near the bottom in teacher compensation, especially for teachers with a master’s degree.
FY24 Master’s Lane Beginning Teacher Salary
FCPS per-pupil spending ranks in the middle of all divisions in the Washington area, with Arlington, Falls Church, Alexandria, and Loudoun all spending more per pupil. Meeting our budget needs is a challenge given the historic underfunding by the Commonwealth of Virginia, using outdated staffing formulas that no longer meet the rising needs of our students. Currently, Virginia provides less funding per student than many of our neighboring states, including Maryland, Kentucky, and West Virginia.
An increasingly diverse FCPS student population with higher needs requires more resources and staffing. The majority of the FCPS budget comes from a Fairfax County transfer. This budget is requesting an increase of $254 million, or 10.5% from the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.
The 10.5% is lower than the requests of Loudoun County Public Schools and Prince William County Public Schools, asking 11.3% and 10.6%, respectively. A 2.3% overall enrollment increase over FY 2023 is expected, as well as enrollment increases of 19.4% in FRM, 12.9% in ESOL, and 10.7% in Special Education.
The chronic underfunding by the Commonwealth exacerbates the challenges of funding specialized instruction and tools to address evolving needs effectively.
Historically, the average budget transfer from Fairfax County has been 52.6% of county disbursements. For the past two years, the budget transfer from Fairfax County has been less than the historical average.
The County’s FY 2025 Advertised Budget includes an FCPS transfer of 51.4%, or $178.6 million. If our County partners match the historical average budget transfer amount of 52.6% for FY 2025, the total transfer would increase by approximately $63 million to help bridge the gap between the FCPS request of $254 million and the $178.6 million in the County’s Advertised Budget.
The School Board will conduct another Budget Work Session on May 7th, followed by a Public Hearing on May 14th. The FY 2025 Approved Budget is scheduled to be adopted by the Board at the May 23rd School Board Meeting.
FCPS News
New Regulation on Meditation and Reflection Spaces
FCPS has created a regulation to ensure all students and staff have reasonable accommodation and access to meditation and silent reflection spaces within the school division. Regulation 1502: Expectations for Meditation and Silent Reflection Space Accommodations provides guidance for schools on how to manage requests for silent reflection during instructional and non-instructional time and for students to leave school for religious activities.
These spaces are designated areas within a school or on school premises for individuals to engage in prayer, meditation, or silent reflection, inclusive of their religious or non-religious beliefs. Parents/caregivers must provide written permission for students requesting to miss instructional time on a regular basis. View Regulation 1502 for more information.
New! Teacher-Referred Tutoring in Schoology
A new Teacher-Referred Tutoring program feature provides targeted support and extends student learning. Teachers can now refer students for tutoring with their specific needs already identified. Students can get extra support — on their own schedule — and reinforce their in-class learning. Encourage your child to click the Tutor.com icon in Schoology for homework help, concept review, writing support, and test prep. Look for session referrals from students’ teachers on the Tutor.com portal homepage.
AP/IB Assessment Fees
FCPS covers the fees for every student’s first six AP/IB exams. Fees for additional exams are waived for students who qualify for the free and reduced-price meals program and have submitted a consent to share information for benefits for other programs. This information is automatically applied when the student registers for a test beyond the 6th exam.
The Free and Reduced-Price Meals webpage includes both the online application and links to the Consent to Share Information for Benefits for Other Programs form, both of which are available in multiple languages.
2024 Graduation Dates
School
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Date/Time
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Location
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Annandale HS
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June 3, 2024, 9:30 a.m.
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Eagle Bank Arena
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Edison HS
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June 5, 2024, 7:30 p.m.
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Eagle Bank Arena
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Falls Church HS
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June 7, 2024, 2:00 p.m.
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Eagle Bank Arena
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Thomas Jefferson HSST
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June 8, 2024, 7:30 p.m.
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Eagle Bank Arena
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Justice HS
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June 6, 2024, 7:30 p.m.
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Eagle Bank Arena
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Woodson HS
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June 6, 2024, 2:00 p.m.
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Eagle Bank Arena
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Calendar Reminders
Friday, March 22, is the end of the third quarter.
Monday, March 25, to Friday, March 29 is spring break. Schools and school offices will be closed.
Monday, April 1, and Tuesday, April 2, are school planning and teacher workdays, respectively. There will be no school for students on these days. See the school year calendar
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Opportunities
Exploring Middle School Start Times
In September 2023, Prismatic was awarded a contract to explore adjusting start times for middle schools to 8 a.m. or later, beginning in the fall of 2025.
At the February 22, 2024 School Board meeting, Prismatic Services Inc. presented an analysis of middle school start times including background information and community engagement plans. View the presentation slides.
Community forums will take place in April and May. Prismatic Services, Inc. will lead the forums. All forums will deliver the same presentation and provide the same feedback opportunities. Please attend the event that works best for your schedule:
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Monday, April 29, 6-8 p.m., Glasgow Middle School.
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Monday, May 6, 6-8 p.m., Whitman Middle School.
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Monday, May 20, 6-8 p.m., Hughes Middle School.
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Wednesday, May 22, 6-8 p.m., Frost Middle School.
Registration is not required, but it does help with planning. Click the location of the event to register. Language interpretation and childcare will be provided. Learn more about exploring middle school start times.
Superintendent Community Conversations
Superintendent Reid will host a series of Community Conversations this spring. The events are opportunities for you to share your thoughts and ask questions.
While all events are intended to be inclusive for all families, there is a conversation scheduled in the Mason District on May 16, 2024 at 6:30 p.m. at Poe Middle School. Registration is open now for this event. Please see the registration form for additional information about transportation, childcare, and language interpretation.
Find a complete list of the Superintendent’s scheduled Community Conversations.
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Scholarship Opportunity
Scholarship applications now open! Applicant must be a Fairfax County resident living in affordable housing supported by the FCRHA.
Find out more.
NOVA Vision 2024
April 17, 2023, 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Annandale Campus
FCPS and Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), are offering an opportunity for students with disabilities interested in attending NOVA to learn about available options. The orientation will include presentations from Accommodations and Accessibility Services and Counseling Services, a mock NOVA classroom experience for students, and a NOVA student panel with Q&A session. Click here to register.
Participate in the Family Engagement Survey
The FCPS Family Engagement Survey is available until Friday, March 22. Families are encouraged to complete the survey as it provides the opportunity to share family perspectives and offer feedback on their family’s engagement experience within FCPS. The survey results will help the school division better recognize, understand, respect, and address family strengths and needs in our school community.
Parents/caregivers should have received an email invitation with a unique survey link from K12 Insight on March 3. The subject line was: FCPS Family Engagement Survey. Families may also access the survey through the FCPS website.
Nominations Open for First Class Award for Inclusion
The Advisory Committee for Students with Disabilities (ACSD) is seeking nominations for the First Class Awards. The awards are presented annually to educators, administrators, and students who support, design, and/or implement programs or activities that include students with disabilities that result in positive outcomes for all students. The ACSD will recognize award winners at the Family Summit on Saturday, April 20.
Nominate an individual who has made an exceptional contribution to inclusive practices in Fairfax County Public Schools by Friday, March 22. Email SpecialEdConf@fcps.edu with questions.
Magnet School Registration
Three FCPS elementary magnet schools — Hunters Woods, Bailey’s Primary, and Bailey’s Upper — provide enhanced learning programs in science, technology, and performing arts.
Registration for the 2024-25 elementary magnet lottery will be open through Friday, April 12. Learn more about the schools, their programs, and locations.
Join FCPS
🥗 Food and Nutrition Hiring
Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) will be hosting job fairs:
No registration is needed. For more information or general questions, contact FNS at 703-813-4800 or WorkForFNS@fcps.edu.
🚍 Transportation Services Hiring
The Office of Transportation Services will be hosting bus driver job fairs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the following dates:
This is a great opportunity for stay-at-home parents to earn income with benefits (and bring your preschooler to work with you!), as well as for retirees, college students, or career switchers.
No registration is needed to attend. Apply today! Contact 571-423-3000 or DriveForFCPS@fcps.edu with questions.
Virginia Stingrays Recreational Softball
Applications Now Open for VIP Camp
Find out more and complete an application online.
FCPS Summer Camps and Learning Programs
Registration is now open for several summer camps and learning opportunities offered by Fairfax County Public Schools for all students.
Career and Technical Education camps and Institute for the Arts camps will be held in July at Lake Braddock Secondary School from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bus transportation will be available from select FCPS middle and high schools.
Career and Technical Education
Tech Adventure Camp (TAC) is a week-long exploratory camp designed to allow current K-5 students to explore STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math), culinary, health, trades, and business and marketing areas. Visit the TAC webpage to register.
CTE Summer Academy (CSA) is a week-long enrichment program that allows students in grades 6-11 to dive deeper into CTE program areas, develop skills, and begin career exploration. Visit the CSA webpage to register.
Institute for the Arts Camps
IFTA is a two- or three-week summer enrichment program for students currently in grades 6-11. Students select from nearly 90 classes in art, dance, health and physical education 9 (graduation requirement), music, and theater. Visit the IFTA webpage to register.
E-IFTA is a weekly arts camp for students in grades 2-5 who love to sing, dance, act, perform, make, and create. Students take part in four daily classes related to dance, music, theater, and visual art. They work with FCPS fine arts teachers who create fun and engaging classes. Visit the E-IFTA webpage to register.
Self-Directed Economics and Personal Finance
Summer is a great time for high school students to fulfill the Economics and Personal Finance course requirement. During the self-directed course, students work independently to complete the requirements. The course is available between Friday, June 14, and Friday, July 26. Students must register by Friday, May 24. For more information, see the Summer Learning information page.
Summer Online Campus
Take advantage of the opportunity to earn a high school course credit via this summer’s online campus program. Registration ends Friday, June 7. Mathematics, health and physical education, career and technical education, English, science, social studies, and world language courses are available to eligible students.
Credit Recovery Academy
The Credit Recovery Academy provides an opportunity for students to recover one high school course credit. Students may not take these courses for new course credit. Students will attend class in person in July. Transportation information will be communicated to families prior to the start of the program. Registration begins on Monday, April 22. Register on the Summer Learning webpage.
English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
This free online class provides FCPS middle and high school English Learners the opportunity to continue developing their academic, reading, and writing skills in online discussions with an ESOL teacher. This class is pass/fail only and fulfills the online requirement toward graduation.
The class takes place from Monday, June 24, to Friday, July 12. Registration is open through Friday, June 7. Learn more on the Summer Learning webpage.
Upcoming School Board Meetings
Regular School Board Meetings (Luther Jackson Middle School)
- March 21, 2024 at 7:00 p.m.
- April 11, 2024 at 7:00 p.m.
Work Sessions (Gatehouse Administration Center)
- April 2, 2024 at 10:30 a.m.
- April 16, 2024 at 11:30 a.m.
All meetings will be broadcast live on Channel 99 (Verizon channel 11) and on the FCPS website. The meetings are recorded for future viewing and posted to the FCPS School Board YouTube channel.
Would you like to share your ideas and concerns with the School Board and staff? Register HERE to speak at a regular meeting or public hearing.
Reuniones de la Junta Escolar de FCPS en Español
Para ver las reuniones de la Junta Escolar grabadas o para ver en vivo durante las reuniones regulares en YouTube, por favor vaya al canal de YouTube de FCPS en Español o escanee el código QR.
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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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