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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,

The school year has come to an end and students are off to their summer activities. However, I'd like to extend a final congratulations to the class of 2024! I had the opportunity to attend several graduation ceremonies and have been impressed by the speakers and energized by the enthusiasm and excitement our graduates exude. Good luck graduates on your next adventures.

It’s also important to recognize the staff who spent considerable time in service of our students and invested their energy into the growth and successes of our most precious commodities.

While the school year has come to a close, the work of the School Board continues. Until the annual recess in mid-July, the Board continues its engagement in revising the boundary policy among other priorities.  

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

2024 VMEA Blue Ribbon Award (Corrected*)

The VMEA Blue Ribbon Award is the highest award given to school music programs in the Commonwealth of Virginia and recognizes achieved excellence in Band, Orchestra, and Choral Performance. All top eligible performing groups must receive a final Superior rating at VMEA District Concert Performance Assessment to qualify for this award. Two Mason District schools earned this prestigious award this year! Congratulations to Poe Middle School, Glasgow Middle School and Justice High School on this significant achievement! 

*Poe Middle School was inadvertently left out of the story published earlier this month.

2024 Cappies

The Cappies of the National Capital area held its annual awards gala honoring excellence in high school theater on June 10 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Congratulations are extended to the Justice High School Wolfpack Theatre with a total of eight nominations and two wins!

Sofia Hemmens, Supporting Actor in a Male Role in a Play, The Picture of Dorian Gray

Elijah Kassa, Lead Actor in a Male Role in a Play, The Picture of Dorian Gray

FCPS Honors 

Each year, the FCPS Department of Human Resources sponsors the recognition of outstanding employees who demonstrate the best instructional and support practices.

Congratulations to Columbia Elementary School teacher Ms. Shea Hestmark, recognized as the FCPS Outstanding Elementary Teacher of the Year!

Congratulations to Principal Raven Jones from Luther Jackson Middle School, for her recognition as the Outstanding New Principal of the Year!

Additional Mason District finalists:

• Ms. Katie Shaw, Annandale HS - Outstanding Secondary School New Teacher finalist
• Ms. Ingrid Badia, Annandale Terrace ES - Outstanding New Principal finalist
• Ms. Ellen Rogers, Belvedere ES - Outstanding School-Based Professional Employee finalist
• Ms. Christy Hanlon, Justice HS - Outstanding School-Based Leader finalist
• Ms. Amanda Castellucci, Woodburn ES - Outstanding Elementary School Teacher finalist
• Ms. Rebecca Forgy, Parklawn ES - Outstanding Principal finalist
• Mr. Shawn DeRose, Annandale HS - Outstanding Principal finalist

Congratulations to all of the 2024 winners, finalists, and school recipients from each category.

Hispanic Leadership Alliance Scholarships

The Hispanic Leadership Alliance presented scholarships to 33 students on May 29, 2024 in recognition of demonstrated leadership and mentoring in their educational and social activities. Each applicant will be the first in their families to attend a postsecondary institution.

Congratulations to the scholarship recipients from the Mason District:

Annandale High School - Navarrete Amaya

Falls Church High School - Gerson Barrera Najarro, Victoria Machado

Justice High School - Laina Huynh Amaya, Arlet Almaraz Pérez, Jorge Carrasco, Katerin Quispe Coronel, Nayla Bonilla-Mendez, Marilyn Aguilon Gómez, Yoselin Martínez, Michael Barrera, Genesis Rivera, Victor Hirmas

Lake Braddock Secondary - Alexandra Castro-Velez

Mason News

Justice High School Principal Dr. Sean Rolon has been named the new principal of Justice High School, effective June 20, 2024.  Dr. Rolon has served as a classroom teacher, assessment coach, and most recently as an assistant principal at Falls Church High School. Welcome to Justice High School, Dr. Rolon!

Glasgow Masterclasses

On Wednesday, June 5^th, Glasgow Middle School hosted their annual Spring Trip Masterclass - an event where Band, Orchestra and Chorus students work with a guest clinician to put together a performance before heading on their Spring Trip the following day. The masterclass is a wonderful opportunity for students to work towards a common goal with inspiring clinicians. 

Glasgow Chorus had the honor of having Philip Keirstead lead the 2024 masterclass. Our choirs thrived under his engaging and inclusive teaching style which helped them to successfully perform the song Peace on Earth and Lots of Little Crickets.

The Glasgow Orchestra was led by Gerald Fowkes, Orchestra Director at Fairfax High School whom the students found to be hilarious and inspiring. The Orchestra of 70 students performed Golden Grove by Brian Balmages. 

Lastly, the Glasgow Band was conducted by Abby Izzo, the band director at Parkside MS in Prince William County. The band put great work into preparing their piece and ended that night's concert with a bang!

Enjoy the performances:

Chorus Masterclass

Orchestra Masterclass

Band Masterclass

Belvedere PYPX

I recently attended the Belvedere Elementary School Primary Years Program (PYP) Exhibition which was a culmination of student learning about the world around them throughout the year. Through the PYP, students develop into globally-minded thinkers, inquirers, and problem solvers.

Students presented the ways in which they applied their knowledge to develop plans to make a difference in their community.

These 5th grade students wrestled with big ideas in ways they found actionable. From Title IX to making Columbia Pike safer for pedestrians, the timely and thoughtful topics and presentations were exceptional!

College Bound!

Many of the 2024 Justice High School AVID and IB graduates plan to attend college this fall at the schools identified below. We are very proud of our students for whom despite many challenges did not allow current circumstances to dictate their future. Congratulations and best wishes to our graduates!

Boundary Policy Work

As previously shared, the Board’s Governance Committee has been working on the revisions to the Division’s Boundary Policy and the full Board will discuss the committee’s proposed draft during the Work Session on Tuesday, June 25, 2024.

The meeting will be livestreamed and the community is welcomed to attend in person to view the proceedings at Gatehouse Administration Center - 8115 Gatehouse Road, Falls Church. Note that the Boundary Policy session is scheduled from 1:00 to 4:30 p.m.

The proposed draft Boundary policy, to be voted on by the Board in the near future, directs the Division Superintendent to review the boundaries of the entire division every five years. The draft changes also include a plan for community engagement and clearly outline the division’s response in cases of emergency. 

Opportunities

Early Release Mondays

In an effort to provide elementary teachers with significant blocks of uninterrupted, in-person, and collaborative planning time, FCPS has developed a plan that includes seven 3-hour early release Mondays for elementary students in the 2024-25 school year. 

A steering committee of school leaders, teachers, and families is being created to ensure this work is supported and implemented consistently across all elementary schools. If you are interested in being a part of the steering committee, please complete this form for consideration by Friday, June 28. 

FCPS staff will be hosting two Community Conversations about the elementary early release Mondays at Gatehouse Administration Center on:

• Tuesday, June 25, 5:30-6:30 p.m. 
• Wednesday, June 26, 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Your questions and ideas are welcome.  Please register by clicking on one of the dates above. Language interpretation and childcare will be available as needed. Please visit our website for more information and email questions to ESPlanning@fcps.edu. 

Summer Reading Adventure

Join the Fairfax County Library Summer Reading Adventure to earn virtual badges and receive prizes! Youth and adults can participate.

Register Today! 

NOVA Early Online College Fall 2024

NOVA Early Online College (EOC) allows rising high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to take up to two tuition-free college courses. EOC courses for the fall semester take place Monday, September 23, through Tuesday, December 17, 2024. Students should register by Friday, July 26, at 5 p.m.

Courses are asynchronous, online, and for college credit only. Thirteen courses are offered along with courses that fulfill the IT Technical Support Career Studies Certificate. EOC courses meet the requirements for most of NOVA’s associate degrees as well as being highly transferable as general education requirements for most colleges and universities. 

Summer Meal Program

To support access to healthy meals during the summer months, Fairfax County Public Schools will be participating in the Summer Food Service Program to provide meals free of charge to children and teens 18 and under at the sites and times listed below. 

Meal service will not be provided on July 4^th and 5^th, 2024.   

Several schools in the Mason District will be offering breakfast and/or lunch:

Annandale Elementary, Bailey's Primary, Beech Tree Elementary, Braddock Elementary, Bren Mar Park Elementary, Camelot Elementary, Columbia Elementary, Holmes Middle, Luther Jackson Middle, Mason Crest Elementary, North Springfield Elementary, Parklawn Elementary, Sleepy Hollow Elementary, Timber Lane Elementary, Westlawn Elementary, Woodburn Elementary.

Meals will be provided, on a first-come, first-served basis.

Summer 2024 Cold Breakfast Menu

Summer 2024 Cold Lunch Menu

Please check the full schedule for dates and times meals will be offered at each location.

Goal Reports

Over the past several months, the Division Superintendent presented reports to the School Board in the five areas identified in the Strategic Plan.

The full presentations and the metrics developed for the 2023-2024 school year are shown below. It is hoped that progress to these measures will be provided in the near term to the School Board and community.

Goal 1: Strong Start: Pre-K - 12

(presented 12/12/2023)

Full Report / PowerPoint Presentation

Goal 1 Report Highlights:

• Students with Pre-K experiences are linked to higher rates of literacy, mathematics and executive functioning skills at Kindergarten;
• Pre-school attendance is linked to higher rates of high school graduation and higher rates of college attendance.

Measurable Progress:

By the end of the 2023-2024 school year, FCPS seeks to: 

• Increase percentage of all students with Pre-K experience from 75% to 80%. All subgroups* are expected to increase Pre-K at least 5 percentage points, except for Students with Disabilities who are expected to maintain the current percentage of 90% and White students for whom the goal is from 88% to 90% or more; (Measure A of Goal 1 – page 15 of full report)
• Increase percentage of students meeting grade level expectations for reading, mathematics and executive functioning in the fall from 71% to 76% and by 5 percentage points for 8 of the 9 reported subgroups; (Measure B of Goal 1 – page 17 of full report)
• Increase percentage of English Learners who meet the state criteria for growth from 45% to 50%. (Measure D of Goal 1 – page 49 of full report)

*Subgroups: 1) Economically Disadvantaged, 2) Multilingual Learners/English Learners, 3) Students With Disabilities, 4) Students With 504 Plan, 5) Asian, 6) Black, 7) Hispanic, 8) Multi-Racial/Two or More, 9) White

Notable Data:

• 75% of FCPS students entered with Pre-K experiences: 20% of students are served in FCPS programs, 55% are served by programs outside of FCPS (private, County offerings) and 25% do not participate in any Pre-K experience at all;
• Of the 75% of FCPS students with Pre-K experience, English Learners have the lowest rates of participation at 55%, Hispanic students at 57% and Economically Disadvantaged students at 62%; (page 15 of full report)
• Of the students entering FCPS without Pre-K experience, the data per pyramid show Mason District schools as follows: AHS pyramid - 37%, FCHS pyramid - 33% and JHS pyramid - 41%; (page 13 of full report)
• 71% of FCPS Kindergarten students met grade level expectations at the beginning of K for reading, mathematics and executive functioning; (48% of K without Pre-K and 78% with Pre-K experience); (page 18 of full report)
• 62% of kindergartners met grade level expectations in reading, mathematics and executive functioning in the spring, with 35% of English Learners, 39% of Economically Disadvantaged students, 40% of Hispanic students, and 40% of Students With Disabilities meeting these expectations; (page 19 of full report)
• 55% of students in 1st through 3rd grade met grade level expectations on the mathematics screener by the spring, with 24% of English Learners, 27% of Economically Disadvantaged students, and 27% of Hispanic students meeting this expectation; (page 21 of full report)
• 69% of 3rd grade students read on grade level, with 34% of English Learners, 41% of Economically Disadvantaged students, and 41% of Hispanic students reading at grade level; (page 21 of full report)
• 45% of English Learners made the expected growth as defined by the state. (page 48 of full report)

Goal 2: Safe, Supported, Included, and Empowered

(presented 4/2/2024)

Full Report / PowerPoint Presentation

Goal 2 Report Highlights:

• Chronic absenteeism is defined as being absent from school for any reason (excused and unexcused) for at least 10% of the school year which is 18 days of the 180-day school calendar. 
• Nationally and within FCPS, chronic absenteeism increased during and after the pandemic. National data show a 13.5 percentage point increase and FCPS data show 7.8 percentage point increase.
• 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.
• Middle school chronic absenteeism is associated with an increased risk of not graduating from high school.
• Discipline disproportionately refers to instances when students who belong to specific demographic groups are subjected to disciplinary actions at greater rates than students who belong to other demographic groups.  

Measurable Progress:

By the end of the 2023-2024 school year, FCPS seeks to:

• Increase student attendance rates from 87% to at least 90% for all students. All subgroups are expected to increase attendance at least 5 percentage points, i.e., For Economically Disadvantaged students from 79% to 84%, Hispanic students from 80% to 85% ML and SWD from 81% to 86; (Measure D of Goal 2 – page 12 of full report)
• Reduce discipline disproportionality, discipline referral risk from 2.1 to 2.0 for students who are Economically Disadvantaged and from 1.8 to 1.7  for Black students, Multilingual Learners and Students With Disabilities; (Measure F of Goal 2 – page 27 of full report)
• Reduce discipline disproportionality of suspensions from 3.0 to 2.9 for Students With Disabilities and from 2.9 to 2.8 for students who are Economically Disadvantaged and from 2.3 to 2.2 for Black students;  (Measure F of Goal 2 – page 29 of full report)
• Increase the percentage of schools with at least 85% of students who are absent for less than 10% of the school from 64% of schools to 69% of schools. (Measure D of Goal 2 – page 14 of full report)

Notable Data: 

• 87% of all students were absent for less than 10% of the school year to include 79% of Economically Disadvantaged students, 80% of Hispanic students, and 81% of Multilingual Learners and Students With Disabilities were absent less than 10%. (page 12 of full report)
• 66% of students were absent less than 5% of the school year. (page 13 of full report)
• 81% of VDOE designated current and former Multilingual Learners were absent less than 10% of the school year to include 70% of ELP level 9 (kindergarten) students, 73% of ELP level 1 students, 77% of ELP level 2 students, 82% of ELP level 3 students, 87% of ELP level 4 students, and 89% of ELP level 6a-6d students were absent less than 10% of the year. (page 16 of full report)
• Discipline referral risk is 2.1 for students who are Economically Disadvantaged and 1.8 for Black students, Multilingual Learners and Students With Disabilities. (page 27 of full report)
• Boys were over 2 times more likely to receive discipline referrals and suspensions.  
• 1% of all students received a suspension consequence. The percentage is 3% for each of the following groups: Economically Disadvantaged students, Multilingual Learners, Students With Disabilities, and Black students. (page 29 of full report)
• Students With Disabilities discipline involvement rates are highest for Black students at 7% and Economically Disadvantaged and Multilingual Learners at 5%. (page 32 of full report)

Goal 3: Academic Growth and Excellence

(presented 11/14/2023)

Full Report / PowerPoint Presentation / Supplemental Information

Goal 3 Report Highlights:

• Students with 504 plans, Asian, Two or More Races, and White racial/ethnic groups have fairly high rates of performance with approximately 80 percent of students in these groups reading on grade level by 3rd grade.
• Economically Disadvantaged, English Learners, Students With Disabilities, Hispanic, and Black student groups have low rates of performance on reading on grade level by 3rd grade. 
• Gaps exist in kindergarten for the same student groups that have lower rates of passing the 3rd grade reading SOL exam. This means that gaps start early and persist through higher grade levels.
• FCPS needs to improve its efforts to develop students’ foundational skills and content knowledge aligned to Algebra 1, beginning in early elementary school to ensure students are prepared for Algebra 1 success by 8th grade.

Measurable Progress:

By the end of the 2023-2024 school year, FCPS seeks to:

• Increase Pass Rates of the Grade 3 SOL/VAAP reading exam from 69% to 74% and by 5 percentage points for each of the 9 reported subgroups; (Measure B of Goal 3 - page 13 of full report) 
• Increase the percentage of students who receive a verified credit in Algebra 1 by the end of 8th grade from 51% to 56% and by 5 percentage points for each of the 9 reported subgroups; (Measure C of Goal 3 - page 24 of full report)  
• Increase the percentage of schools that increase the percentage of students successfully completing Algebra 1 by the end of 8th grade from 31% to 36%; (Measure C of Goal 3 - page 25 of full report)
• Increase the percent of students in the senior cohort who earned a C- or higher in at least one AP/IB/DE or other 1.0 weighted course and/or earned CTE finisher status before graduating from 85% to 90% and by 5 percentage points for 5 of the 9 reported subgroups (Economically Disadvantaged, English Learners, Students With Disabilities, Black students, and Hispanic students), and by 1-2 percentage points for 2 of the 9 reported subgroups (Two or More and White students) and to maintain 90% for 2 of the 9 reported subgroups (504 Plan and Asian students); (Measure D of Goal 3 - page 40 of full report)
• Increase the percentage of English Learner students who meet the benchmark of reading on grade level by 3rd grade from 34% to 39%; (Measure F of Goal 3 - page 50 of full report)
• Increase of English Learner students meeting the benchmark of succeeding in Algebra 1 by 8th grade from 7% to 12%; (Measure C of Goal 3 - page 53 of full report)
• Increase the percentage of English Learners meeting the benchmark of succeeding in Advanced or CTE coursework by the end of high school from 42% to 47%. (Measure D of Goal 3 - page 59 of full report)

Goal 4: Equitable Access and Opportunity

(presented 5/7/2024)

Full Report / PowerPoint Presentation

Goal 4 Report Highlights:

• The FLES program provides opportunities to explore cultural aspects of the target language so that students grow in their ability to interact with other cultures. The program is designed to provide all students in a FLES elementary school site, grades K through 6th the opportunity to communicate in a target language. FCPS offers FLES programs in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish.

There were no progress measures for the 2023-2024 school year.

Notable Data:

• 16 of 42 title 1 schools (38%) offer a foreign language in Elementary Schools which includes Bailey's Primary, Belvedere, Beech Tree, Braddock, Parklawn, Sleepy Hollow, and Woodburn. 
• 16 of 25 middle schools offer 3 or more World Language Offerings which includes Glasgow and Luther Jackson.

Goal 5: Leading for Tomorrow's Innovation

(presented 3/19/2024)

Full Report / PowerPoint Presentation

Goal 5 Report Highlights:

• Students who recently became English proficient (ELP levels 6a-6d) had a 98% on-time graduation rate and a 2% dropout rate.
• Students With Disabilities in FCPS had a 95% on-time graduation rate which was similar to the Division average.
• Students With Disabilities had a 4% dropout rate, which is lower than Virginia standards for accreditation of at or below 6%.
• 25% of Students With Disabilities who received level 2 services received an Applied Studies Diploma.
• Students who were Economically Disadvantaged had a 91% on-time graduation rate which was similar to the Division average.
• Students who were Economically Disadvantaged were almost 2 times more likely to drop out compared to students who were not Economically Disadvantaged.

Measurable Progress:

By the end of the 2023-2024 school year, FCPS seeks to:

• Increase on-time graduation rates for English Learners/Multilingual Learners from 73% to 78% and for Hispanic students from 82% to 87% and to maintain the 7 of the 9 reported subgroups; (Measure C of Goal 5 - page 15 of the full report)
• Reduce dropout rates for English Learners/Multilingual Learners from 25% to 20%, for Hispanic students from 16% to 11% and for Economically Disadvantaged students from 7% to less than 6%. (Measure C of Goal 5 - page 18 of the full report) 

Upcoming School Board Meetings

Regular School Board Meetings (Luther Jackson Middle School)

• June 27, 2024 at 7:00 p.m.
• July 11, 2024 at 7:00 p.m.
• July 18, 2024 at 7:00 p.m.

Work Sessions (Gatehouse Administration Center)

• June 24, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. (Committee Reports)
• June 25, 2024 at 10:30 a.m. (Forums and Work Session)

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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@MasonDistrictSB

@masondistrictsb

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

E-mail: Ricardy Anderson |  Phone: 571-423-1083 | Twitter

Cristy Coffey, Executive Admin Assistant, 571-423-1064, cmcoffey@fcps.edu