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Braddock community, welcome back from a well-deserved Spring Break!
I hope you all had a chance to take a breath, be present with your loved ones, and enjoy some of the things we love to do outside our wonderful school campuses! All our students, teachers and other FCPS staff work so hard every day, and I love the learning I see going on in our school buildings. Sometimes, though, it is just as nice to take a break and build those core memories together. Those experiences we create inform who we are and help guide future choices. In my opinion, these moments are fleeting but vital to staying grounded to what is important. I hope your spring break was full of those fun, grounding moments.
What was your favorite moment of spring break? Mine was our “pajama jams” night, a tradition our family started during Covid where we hang out in our pajamas while my son plays a concert for us of his and our favorite tunes! It is amazing how much joy the arts bring into our lives.
And how fortunate are we to live in a community with so much to offer families? As we enter into the last leg of this school year, I encourage you to take every advantage of events and other opportunities to show up for your child at their school - it matters so much. Our teachers and staff, PTAs/PTOs, boosters, and other organizations provide such a rich tapestry of enrichment for our students that makes such a difference in their lives. I am grateful for the energy and passion our teachers and staff bring to their classes and buildings and the joy in learning that I see in my school visits is palpable. I am excited for spring sports and spring plays and musicals!
Take care of yourself and your families, and please let me know how I might be of service to you.
 Rachna
In this issue:
- Neurodiversity News
- Music & the Arts
- Budget Corner
- More from the School Board
- Focus on Braddock
- Out & About
- Coming Up
- More Stuff Parents Should Know
School Board Proclaims March 18-24 Neurodiversity Affirmation Week
The School Board on March 21 unanimously approved its first-ever proclamation recognizing Neurodiversity Affirmation Week, which this year was from March 18-24!
This is as personal for me as it is for many of you whose lives and those of our loved ones are deeply impacted by this important educational, societal and civil rights issue which is ever-present in the classroom, throughout our local community and beyond.
 FCPS staff leadership, School Board, students, educators and advocates celebrate approval of first Neurodiversity Affirmation Week proclamation.
The proclamation is the result of decades of work by FCPS educators, parents, students and community partners who recognized long ago that neurodiversity exists and presents educational challenges and opportunities as unique as the workings of each of our brains. It reads, in part:
“... every person on our planet is neurodiverse as we all think, behave, feel, perceive, and learn in different ways that are unique to each individual due to their identities and experiences, all of these different ways of being and functioning are value neutral, meaning that there is not one ‘better’ or ‘right’ way.
“Fairfax County Public Schools is committed to ensuring equitable access to a quality education for all students by universally designing instruction and educational environments, employing a Neurodiversity Specialist, the first in the nation for K-12 school divisions, lifting up neurodiverse staff members, recognizing that there are different ways of being in our schools and communities, affirming the abilities and unique strengths of every student and staff member, presuming competence, promoting positive self-concepts and identities, and ensuring spaces and school communities do not require students to “mask” their unique individual characteristics or assimilate to participate.”
Further, the resolution embraces “a strengths-based model that also recognizes that society’s current norms, beliefs, and structures can create barriers to access and affirmation for neurodivergent individuals.”
I am so proud of this moment, but there is much more to be done to support neurodiverse students within FCPS. Stay tuned for more, and read the full resolution here.
In addition, this month, new dynamic posters - designed in-house by FCPS staff - were hung in each of our schools as a constant reminder of the uniqueness of human thought. A hi-res digital version is available here for your own use.
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"Footloose" at Robinson Secondary School!
Footloose tickets are now on sale! The Rambunctious Theater Co. at Robinson Secondary is getting ready to cut loose! Even if you don’t have a student in the show, it is sure to include some of your friends’ kids and others you may know from the neighborhood. Support the arts! Show dates are April 19 (7 p.m.) & 20 (2 and 7 p.m.) and 26 & 27 (same times.)
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🏐 New Athletic Opportunities for Students
The FCPS budget is almost entirely focused on a 6% compensation increase for our teachers and staff, which is in alignment with our surrounding jurisdictions, and on the instructional needs of our students.
While most of our budget is compensation and instruction, we also propose to expand high school athletics with boys volleyball and girls wrestling, giving students more ways to nurture their passion and enhance their well-being.
FCPS is now in the middle of the annual budget process, which includes opportunities for you to give feedback. See the Budget Calendar for details.
The state hasn’t finalized its budget, and so it is unclear what it plans to do to address the JLARC study that demonstrated Virginia underfunds public education by approximately $1,900 per student less than our surrounding states. In addition, FCPS is currently slated to receive 51.4% of the total county budget, down from the approximately 52.6% that has been our 20-year average share of the total county budget. This has resulted in a shortfall of nearly $90 million from our ask, and may lead to some tough decisions regarding compensation and programs. Stay tuned as we work through the budget process.
Learn more about the FCPS FY 2025 Advertised Budget.
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Upcoming Board Meetings
I encourage you to follow the School Board’s work and be a part of the public process. Agendas and other information are available on BoardDocs.
- April 2, 10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., work session
- Strategic Plan Goal 2 Baseline Report
- Student Rights & Responsibilities
- April 11, 5-6:30 p.m., closed session
- April 11, 7 p.m., regular session
- April 15, 10:30 a.m.-noon, Public Engagement Committee
- April 15, noon-2 p.m., Governance Committee
- April 16, 9 a.m.-noon, Governance Committee (if needed)
- April 16, 10:30-11:30 a.m., Forum (Sick Leave Payout)
- April 16, 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Work Session (FY23 audit report, SPED Enhancement Plan)
- April 18, 7-9 p.m., Comprehensive Planning Development Committee (CPDC)
Farmers Markets Will be Open Soon
This may not seem school-related, but good nutrition is foundational to having a productive day no matter who you are. I personally can’t wait for the area’s farmers markets to open for the year so I can check out the fresh meats, fruits and vegetables that always make our table so colorful and healthy. Check out the list of farmers markets in Fairfax County, and hopefully I will see you there. The Burke Farmers Market on Saturday mornings and Audrey Moore Farmers Market on Wednesday afternoons are two of my favorites - wonderful places to support small farmers, get some yummy food, and catch up with friends!
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 Program from The Arc's benefit breakfast.
I was humbled this week to attend a vitally important conversation on opioid addiction and how we all need to come together to fight this crisis, and then attend The Arc of Northern Virginia's "A Life Like Yours" breakfast to support Arc's programs helping support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities live full and complete lives. It was wonderful to see my former School Board colleagues Delegate Laura Jane Cohen and Senator Stella Pekarsky in attendance!
 With Del. Laura Jane Cohen, FCPS Chief Academic Officer Dr. Sloan Presidio, and FCPS Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid.
Safe, Supported, and Included — the FCPS Family Summit 2024
The FCPS Family Summit will take place on Saturday, April 20, 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m., at Marshall High School. The conference will cover topics that are helpful for all families, such as social-emotional resources, along with a specially curated online component to provide support for students with disabilities and their families.
Some of the topics include raising resilient, independent children; forming meaningful connections with children; addressing big emotions; and the dangers of opioids and fentanyl. The conference is being planned by several FCPS offices in collaboration with the Fairfax Alliance of Black School Educators, Black Women’s Educational Alliance - DC Chapter, Hispanic Educators Association, and Asian Educators Association.
This year’s theme is Safe, Supported, and Included, which aligns with Goal 2 of the FCPS Strategic Plan. More details will be available after spring break.
Community Forums on Middle School Start Times
Fairfax County Public Schools is exploring options for adjusting middle school start times and invites the public to be part of the process. Prismatic Services, Inc., an educational consulting firm, 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., at Glasgow Middle School.
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Monday, May 6, 6-8 p.m., at Whitman Middle School.
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Monday, May 20, 6-8 p.m., at Hughes Middle School.
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Wednesday, May 22, 6-8 p.m., at Frost Middle School.
Registration is not required but does help with planning. Click one of the dates above to register. Language interpretation and childcare will be provided. Learn more about the project exploring middle school start times.
⛱️ Summer Camp for Middle Schoolers
All rising middle schoolers are invited to attend a summer of fun and leisure with VIP Camp. VIP Camp — which takes place Monday, July 1, to Thursday, August 1 — is designed to encourage teens to develop healthy and positive recreation interests and features a wide variety of leisure activities and programs.
Registration is open. VIP Camp costs $100 to attend. Reach out to your school's after-school specialist for scholarship availability due to financial hardship. This camp is sponsored by Fairfax County Public Schools and Fairfax County’s Department of Neighborhood and Community Services.
New Regulation on Meditation and Silent Reflection Spaces
FCPS has developed Regulation 1502 to ensure all students and staff have reasonable accommodation and access to meditation and silent reflection spaces within the school division. The regulation 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 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. Families are encouraged to contact their child’s teacher regarding accommodations. Visit FCPS' Guidelines for Religious Activities webpage for more information.
Updated COVID Recommendations
In accordance with the updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) respiratory virus guidance, FCPS and the Fairfax County Health Department (FCHD) have updated school COVID-19 recommendations.
The COVID-19 isolation period of five days is no longer recommended.
New respiratory virus guidance applies to respiratory viral illnesses, including COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Students who have symptoms of, test positive for, or have been diagnosed with a respiratory virus may return to school when the student is fever-free for 24 hours without fever reducing medication; AND the student’s symptoms have improved or resolved.
Students should follow additional precautions as outlined per the CDC upon resumption of normal activities.
Should I Send My Child to School?
Please refer to the chart on this attendance webpage if your child is experiencing symptoms or illnesses, and you are unsure if they should go to school.
Thank you for helping keep our students and staff healthy!
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.
© 2024 Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax County, Virginia
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