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The Dunne Dispatch (Report Card Edition) - 04/07/2024
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Spring is here! This new season not only marks the transition to longer days and beautiful trees and flowers in full bloom, but it also marks a season of change in several schools in the Mount Vernon community. Please stay informed and actively involved in the principal selection process for Mount Vernon HS, Belle View ES, Hollin Meadows ES, and Fort Hunt ES. See below for more information and next steps. Your input and participation are vital to the success of our schools.
Spring also brings several opportunities to recognize and celebrate the rich diversity of people and communities that call Fairfax County home. Blessed Eid to those who will celebrate Eid al-Fitr next week. During April, we honor National Arab American Heritage Month as an opportunity to learn about and celebrate the many valuable contributions Arab Americans have made to American society. This month, we also recognize two key components of our student community as we honor Autism Acceptance Month and celebrate the Month of the Military Child.
- Did you know that one in 44 children is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder in the United States, according to the CDC? Our schools and staff play a vital role in creating and ensuring inclusive environments that accommodate and affirm autistic students. Thank you to our students, families, staff, and community partners who help make all of our schools inclusive learning communities.
- FCPS is proud to have more than 14,000 military-connected students. Thank you to all our students and their families who serve. We are grateful for your contributions to our classrooms and our nation. Thank you to Col. Joseph Messina and Dr. Reid for their recent visit to Fort Belvoir Elementary School and their joint message to celebrate military-connected youth.
The Dunne Dispatch alternates between a bi-weekly calendar of events and bi-weekly report on School Board updates, student accomplishments, and school celebrations. Below is an update on my recent FCPS work, student success stories and school recognitions. Contact me anytime if you have questions, concerns, or comments. I read all correspondence received and make every effort to respond to each within three business days.
Very respectfully,
 Mateo Dunne, Mount Vernon District Representative
In the Community
- On March 13, I participated in the Mount Vernon Budget Town Meeting hosted by Supervisor Dan Storck. and the Mount Vernon Council of Citizens' Association. We were joined by staff from FCPS and the County to review and discuss the proposed FY 2025 Budget for both the County and schools. I appreciated the opportunity to answer your questions and hear your concerns. Watch my opening remarks. Watch the recording of the full town meeting.
- On March 24, my Pembroke Welsh Corgi and I enjoyed a beautiful spring day at the Ides of Bark. What a great chance to meet neighbors and their four-legged friends!
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Upcoming School Board Meetings
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Thursday, April 11, 7 p.m.: Regular Meeting
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Tuesday, April 16, 10:30 am: Work Session
Watch School Board Work Sessions and Regular Meetings via the FCPS website or on FCPS Cable Channel 99 or FCPS en Español YouTube channel. Sign up to speak at a regular meeting or at Public Hearings.
Working for You
- I have continued to advocate publicly for FCPS to focus any salary increases on school-based employees who are paid below market (especially teachers). The Superintendent has proposed a 6% salary increase for all FCPS employees, but I oppose any salary increase for the Superintendent (who earns as much as the President) and her direct reports (most of whom earn more than the Secretary of Defense). In addition, I have continued to advocate publicly for FCPS to establish above-market salaries for hard-to-fill positions such as special education teachers. Watch my interview with WJLA-7 here or read my interview with The Connection here.
- Last month, I attended multiple community meetings regarding the selection of principals at Mount Vernon HS, Belle View ES, Hollin Meadows ES; and I will also join the session on April 8 to discuss the principal selection process for Fort Hunt ES. I am working closely with FCPS’s Region 3 Office to ensure parents/families and community members are fully aware of the process and have the opportunity to have input and engage in the principal selection process for our local schools. FCPS needs to hear our voices so the principals are aligned with our community expectations and requirements. Learn how to participate in the principal selection processes for Mount Vernon HS, Belle View ES, Hollin Meadows ES, and Fort Hunt ES.
On the Board
- I abstained from the School Board vote to approve the FY 2024 Third Quarter Budget Review. I abstained from this vote because I am continuing to evaluate the efficacy and efficiency of FCPS programs and the alignment of FCPS spending with the Strategic Plan and School Board priorities.
- I voted against proposed changes to the “Educational Employees’ Supplemental Retirement System of Fairfax County” (ERFC) program, which was established in 1973 to provide a supplemental pension (in addition to Social Security and the Virginia Retirement System pension) to retired FCPS employees. The Superintendent has proposed to allow FCPS employees who are eligible for retirement to begin to receive pension benefits while they are still employed by FCPS. I am concerned about the potential costs of this “Deferred Retirement Option” program (DROP), which the Superintendent stated were unknown at this point. My colleagues voted to prioritize the use of year-end funding to fund the DROP, but I opposed this motion because I want to focus our limited funding on increasing workforce compensation for school-based employees such as teachers and school bus drivers.
- I abstained from a vote on the Glasgow Middle School Boundary Study because I am working with my colleagues to revise Policy 8130 governing school boundaries, which will enable the Superintendent to undertake a holistic review of school boundaries across the county. FCPS has relied on piecemeal changes to school boundaries for decades, which has resulted in increased costs, island schools, split feeders, long bus rides, and misplaced investments.
- I continued my careful scrutiny of contracts with outside vendors to ensure FCPS is receiving valuable services in return for taxpayer dollars.
- I also continued my careful scrutiny of FCPS programming. I was heartened to learn that FCPS has adopted proven math instruction programs whose efficacy has been validated through randomized control studies by third parties.
Celebrations and News from Our Students and Local Schools
Mount Vernon District Students
Mount Vernon District 2024 Peace Award Winners
- Students from 26 Fairfax County public schools have been named recipients of the 2024 Student Peace Awards of Fairfax County, designed to recognize young people who work as peacemakers. The Student Peace Awards of Fairfax County began in 2006 as a way to encourage people to think more about peace as both a means and an end and to recognize young people who work as peacemakers. Congratulations to the following recipients from Mount Vernon District Schools:
Read more about the 2024 Student Peace Award recipients online.
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Whitman MS Student Serves as Surovell’s Senate Page. RJ Nena, Jr., an 8th Grade student at Whitman MS, has just completed a unique and historic experience: serving as a Virginia Senate Page. The program, established in 1850, plays a vital role in the daily operations of the state Senate. RJ was selected by Senator Scott Surovell to represent our community as part of the Senate Page Class of 2024. Read more about RJ’s experience.
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🎨 Scholastic Art Awards Recognize Students' Creative Work. The 2024 Regional Scholastic Art Awards program awarded FCPS students in Grades 7-12 over 700 awards for outstanding artwork, including 176 Gold Key awards, 172 Silver Key awards, and 366 honorable mention awards. Art was submitted and judged in the categories of drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, ceramics, sculpture, digital art, design, architecture, jewelry, fashion, film and animation, mixed media, and art portfolios. Congratulations to the following Mount Vernon District students:
Hayfield HS
- Shadi Ahmed, Stuck (Digital Art), Silver Key
- Wirada Hirunkij, If it makes you happy; then it is not a waste of time. (Photography), Gold Key
- Anna Inozemtseva, Portrait (Photography), Gold Key
- Sydney Jackson, Faded (Photography), Honorable Mention
- Isabelle Quinn, Night Terrors (Mixed Media), Gold Key
- JahMarley Robinson, Geeking to the Moon (Photography), Silver Key
Mount Vernon HS
- David Barnor, Foodie (Photography), Honorable Mention
- Gabrielle Convery, Art (Photography), Honorable Mention
- Ryan Cox, Snail Shell Moon (Digital Art), Gold Key
- Ryan Cox, Woodlawn History (Design), Gold Key
- Jack Dova, Untitled (Photography), Silver Key
- Deion Monroe, Distant Memory (Photography), Honorable Mention
- Madison Monroe, Cat's Hungry (Digital Art), Honorable Mention
- Immy Murphy, The Things You Valued (Digital Art), Silver Key
South County HS
- David Griffith, A Life of Anxiety (Art Portfolio), Gold Key
- Nickie Patterson, Bot (Drawing & Illustration), Honorable Mention
- Alanna Sullivan, Faded Hues (Photography), Honorable Mention
- Dan Tiongco, I'm being possessed by the ghost inside my hat I got from the thrift Store (Digital Art), Gold Key
West Potomac High School
- Aria Flora, Tree House (Sculpture), Gold Key
- Sophia Fowler, Selene (Photography), Honorable Mention
- Sophia Fowler, Talk To Me (Photography), Honorable Mention
- Annalise Grindstaff, Take Me to Church (Digital Art), Honorable Mention
- Hannah Hogan, Self Portrait: Sunlight (Digital Art), Honorable Mention
- Emma Kapiotis, Lacework (Photography), Gold Key
- Emma Kapiotis, Into the Bleak Midwinter (Photography), Silver Key
- Citlaly Maldonado, Hallucinate (Photography), Honorable Mention
- Citlaly Maldonado, Hidden Treasure (Photography), Silver Key
- Hawah Nasseri, Omens (Photography), Honorable Mention
- Monica Palacios, Development of a Childhood (Art Portfolio), Gold Key
- Faren Sachs, Deep Inside (Photography), Gold Key
- Faren Sachs, Doubled LAYER (Photography), Gold Key
- Jonathan Sorli, Forever Autumn (Photography), Honorable Mention
- Chloe Stuart, Winter Chocolate (Photography), Honorable Mention
- Chloe Stuart, Wonderland (Photography), Honorable Mention
The complete results from the 2024 Regional Science and Engineering Fair, including a full list of winners, are available online on the FCPS Science Fair website.
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Celebrating Mount Vernon District’s VHSL Winners. Congratulations to all the FCPS student-athletes who participated in the 2024 winter sports season. This year, four teams and 36 individuals won the Virginia High School League (VHSL) Class 6 championship in their respective sports, and five teams and 36 individuals were the state runners-up. A special shoutout to State Champion Hayfield HS Student-Athlete Ethan Osbur (Wrestling, 190 pounds)! Congratulations also to state runners-up from Mount Vernon District Schools:
- Mianna Mason, South County HS, Indoor Track and Field, Girls 55 Meter Dash.
- Nayan Kasperowski, South County HS, Indoor Track and Field, Boys 1600 Meter Run.
- Nayan Kasperowski, South County HS, Indoor Track and Field, Boys 1000 Meter Run.
- Jordann Germain, South County HSl, Indoor Track and Field, Girls 300 Meter Dash.
- South County HS, Indoor Track and Field, Girls 4 x 400 Meter Relay.
Mount Vernon District Staff and Schools
- Congratulations to Whitman MS for being recognized for its innovative methods for addressing chronic absenteeism. Chronic absenteeism is associated with lower test scores and grade performance, decreased likelihood of on-time graduation, increased dropout risk, and lower likelihood of college enrollment. The impacts of chronic absenteeism compound over time, where students who are chronically absent in early grades are more likely to be absent in later grades, and students who are chronically absent during multiple school years are more likely to need academic intervention. Watch Whitman Middle School’s approach to address this critical issue.
- Congratulations to South County MS for being one of two FCPS school counseling programs recognized by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) as a model program. South County MS was awarded the Recognized ASCA Model Program (RAMP) designation for 2024 for successfully demonstrating how their comprehensive school counseling programs benefit all students. The RAMP designation is awarded to schools that align with the criteria set in the ASCA national model and recognizes schools that are committed to delivering a comprehensive, data-driven school counseling program and an exemplary educational environment. Read more about South County MS's achievement online.
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Saratoga ES nominated students for demonstrating a Positivity Project (P2) character strength and were recognized at a P2 assembly. As students were recognized, their classmates cheered, and school leaders reported that the Saratoga spirit radiated throughout the building.
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Edison HS’s Bistro 1093, which was named for the number of patents held by Thomas Edison, has been welcoming guests at the pop-up restaurant inside the Academy for many years. With good reason, it has been described as one of the best-kept culinary secrets in all of Fairfax County. Bistro 1093 provides Culinary Arts students a chance to experience the hospitality industry. On most Thursdays between January and May, approximately 20 diners pay just $12 to enjoy a three-course lunch that includes freshly baked bread and beverages from a menu researched, designed, tested, and prepared by Culinary Arts students. Read more about Bistro 1093 online.
- Mount Vernon Pyramid Art Show, April 18, 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
FCPS Events and Activities
April is the Month of the Military Child
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Our Schools, Our Future: Community Conversations Continue. Join Superintendent Dr. Reid for Our Schools, Our Future– A Community Conversation. Your voice matters! Share your thoughts about FCPS and bring your questions to an upcoming session. Two conversations will take place at schools located in Mount Vernon District:
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Tuesday, April 30, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at South County Middle School.
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Wednesday, May 8, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Hybla Valley Elementary School.
Sessions at schools in other magisterial districts include:
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Tuesday, April 16, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Graham Road Elementary School.
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Thursday, May 2, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Terraset Elementary School.
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Thursday, May 16, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Poe Middle School.
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Tuesday, May 28, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Katherine Johnson Middle School.
Pre-registration for a Community Conversation is not required but will help FCPS plan. Childcare and interpretation services will be provided for all events based on staff availability. Events are open to all. More information and public registration available online
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Register Today for the FCPS Family Summit, April 20. Registration is open for the FCPS Family Summit, which 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 supports 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 theme — Safe, Supported, and Included — aligns with Goal 2 of FCPS’ 2023-30 Strategic Plan.
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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. One session will take place at a Mount Vernon District school: Monday, May 6, 6-8 p.m., at Whitman Middle School. Registration is not required but does help with planning. Register online. Language interpretation and childcare will be provided. Learn more about the project exploring middle school start times.
Upcoming Events and Activities
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2024 Jackson Casey Scholarship Now Available. Deadline to apply: April 14. The Fort Hunt Youth Athletic Association (FHYAA) announces the launch of the application process for the 2024 Jackson Casey Scholarship. The Jackson Casey Scholarship was established in memory of Jackson Casey, a Fort Hunt Youth Athlete who participated in lacrosse, basketball, and football and was a good teammate and friend to many fellow players. Jackson's legacy, talent, and sportsmanship will forever be remembered by those he touched. The recipient(s) of this scholarship will not only be a current or former Fort Hunt athlete(s) but also exemplify these character traits. The scholarship is open to high school seniors graduating in the Class of 2024 who are current or former FHYAA athletes. FHYAA will award $3,000 in scholarships to two winners. To apply, students must complete the online application and submit a 750-1,200-word essay reflecting on the life lessons learned by participating in athletics. The submission deadline is April 14, 2024. The winners will be announced in May 2024. Applications are available online.
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NOVA Virtual Sessions for Seniors and Their Families, April 30, 7:00 p.m. Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) is offering virtual information and application sessions. Information sessions will provide an overview of NOVA and the opportunities, services, and resources designed to connect high school seniors to the NOVA Nighthawk Community. A virtual application workshop will be held Tuesday, April 30, at 7 p.m. Sessions are open to all FCPS seniors and their families. For questions, email admissions@nvcc.edu or call 703-323-3000.
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United States Army Garrison Fort Belvoir Youth Program. The United States Army Garrison Fort Belvoir Youth Program caters to students grades 6-12 by offering a variety of affordable activities, trips, and programs to enrich the experiences and connections of our military-connected youth. Programs range from leadership and workforce preparation opportunities to life skills and fitness programs. Within the Fort Belvoir Youth Program, the Youth Center opens after school and provides access to a diverse range of facilities including a gym, game room, art room, and dance studio. The free Middle School Teen program offers a homework lab, computer lab, open recreation, and special interest activities. The Youth Center offers a teen lounge for high school students to watch movies, play games, or just hang out. To take advantage of the Youth Center and all it has to offer, attendees must register through Child and Youth Services Parent Central Services. For more information, visit the Fort Belvoir Youth Center. To connect with FCPS resources, please email militaryfamilies@fcps.edu.
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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