FCHS News & Announcements - 8/19/24


English | Español | አማርኛ | 中文 | 한국어 | Tiếng Việt | العربية | فارسی | اردو


bus loop

Important Dates

  • 8/28 - Back to School Night (5:00 pm, more information to follow)
  • 8/30 - Holiday
  • 9/2 - Holiday

Useful Links/Information

FCHS Bell Schedule

Schoology

SIS ParentVUE

FCPS School Year Calendar


Phones Down, Engagement Up: FCPS Cell Phone Policy and Storage Pilot

Keeping cell phones off during the school day helps students focus and learn. It also boosts positive social behavior. Review FCPS’ cell phone expectations by grade level with your child and help keep our classrooms free of distractions! If you need to reach your child during the school day, please call 703-207-4000. 

At the May 9, 2024 School Board meeting, the School Board directed the superintendent to develop a pilot program for cell phone storage at FCPS. Starting with the 2024-25 school year, select high schools will be cell phone-free during all instructional times by using cell phone storage units in each classroom. Students at these schools will begin using the storage units on Tuesday, September 3. 

Schools in a control group will not be asking students to centrally store their phones during instruction times, but will be following the policy closely and recording violations.  

Our school is participating in this pilot as a storage school and we will be following the guidelines above closely. We appreciate you reinforcing with your child why you support the FCPS Cell Phone Policy. Find more information and additional resources on our cell phone storage webpage


btsnbtsn

Free Meals at FCHS

FCHS has qualified for the USDA Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) meal program for the 2024-2025 school year. CEP is a non-pricing meal service option for schools in low-income areas. CEP allows schools to serve breakfast and lunch at no cost to ALL students without collecting household applications for free and reduced-price meals.

CEP General Information

  • CEP is a USDA program; eligibility is based on direct certification for free meals at individual FCPS schools.
  • All students at CEP schools automatically receive no-cost breakfast and lunch every day of the school year (even if the student would not qualify for free meals). 
  • If a student purchases an additional breakfast or additional meal, it will be at cost to the family. 

Free and Reduced-Price Meal Applications, Additional Benefits, and Related Information

For families that may want to receive benefits (class fees) beyond meals that are income-based, the FCPS CEP Consent to Share Information for Other Programs will continue to be utilized and is included in the free and reduced-price meal application process. Parents are encouraged to complete and submit the CEP Consent to Share Form


From the College & Career Center

Monday, August 26,  7:00-9:00 pm FCHS Lecture Hall- Senior Parent/Student College Night- FCHS College & Career Specialist, Terri Markwart, will walk parents/guardians through the college application process. Parents and students in grades 9-11 are welcome as well!

August 26-29- Student Counselors and FCHS College & Career Specialist will meet with students during government classes to discuss post-secondary (after high school) options which may include: four-year college, two-year college, vocational training, and military careers. Please encourage your students to attend this important meeting and to register for more specific follow-up sessions.

Representatives from Colleges all over the U.S. will begin visits to FCHS the Week of August 28Juniors and Seniors must sign up in Naviance to meet with college representatives

Wednesday, October 9  FCPS SAT & PSAT Test Day- ALL FCPS sophomores and juniors will have the opportunity to take the PSAT. ALL Seniors are eligible to take the SAT, but they MUST REGISTER BY SEPTEMBER 4! There is no cost associated with either test on October 9. All students are encouraged to participate.

Sunday, October 20- George Mason University College Fair- 4:00–6: 30 pm Eagle Bank Arena. Students will have the opportunity to meet with representatives from over 250 colleges and universities.  

Thursday, October 24, 7:00-9:00 pm, FCHS Lecture Hall-  College Financial Aid Night. College Access Fairfax and Ms. Markwart will provide information on how to pay for college; scholarships, aid, grants, and loans. Basic FAFSA information will also be provided. 

Tuesday, January 23, 7:00-9:00 pm, FCHS Cafeteria- FAFSA Completion Event. College Access Fairfax, Ms. Markwart, and FCHS staff will assist students and families with completing their FAFSA or VASA. 

Please contact Terri S Markwart, College & Career Specialist, tmarkwart@fcps.edu with any questions.


What Is a School Board?

The Fairfax County School Board is responsible for running the public schools in Fairfax County. Twelve School Board members are elected by county voters every four years. 

A student representative serves on the board as a non-voting member. They are chosen by their peers each year.

The School Board makes general rules and sets guidelines to ensure Fairfax County Public Schools runs properly. They follow the laws of Virginia and the rules set by the Virginia Board of Education. 

Learning about your local School Board is important. Understanding their policies and initiatives can help you advocate for positive changes and ensure that the educational needs of all students are met. There are many ways to get involved.

Learn more about the School Board, how to participate in their meetings, and where to watch their meetings.

Back to School Message Videos:

Ricardy Anderson

Karl Frisch


Update Your Child’s Immunizations and Records

Please check with your healthcare provider as soon as possible to make sure your child is up-to-date on the immunizations required by the state of Virginia. Starting Monday, September 30, students who have not provided proof of immunization will not be allowed to attend school. 

You can check your child’s immunization compliance and submit their immunization record in SIS ParentVUE. Records may also be delivered to a school’s front office. 

If your child needs a vaccine, please make an appointment with your healthcare provider, visit the Fairfax County Health Department website for a list of child immunization clinics, or access other local services. If needed, families may also provide other immunization documentation including a healthcare provider’s written statement of a permanent or temporary medical exemption or a notarized Religious Exemption Form. 

Find more information on immunizations on the FCPS website.


Annual Notice of Survey, Records, Curriculum, Privacy, and Related Rights

Fairfax County Public Schools wants all parents and caregivers to understand its policies regarding surveys, records, curriculum, privacy, and related rights.

In its Annual Notice of Survey, Records, Curriculum, Privacy, and Related Rights and Opt-Out Forms (Annual Notice), FCPS provides explanations of the rights listed above as well as forms that may be used to exercise opt-out choices. Two versions of the Annual Notice are available: a grades K-8 version and a grades 9-12 version. Parents/caregivers with children at different grade levels should read each applicable version of the Annual Notice, because the notices and opt-out rights vary depending on the student’s grade level.

Get more information and view the 2024-25 Opt-Out Booklets.


No-Cost Virtual Therapy for High School Students

Virtual therapy sessions are available to FCPS high school students at no cost to provide a safe space to address concerns such as:

  • Mood/behavior changes, motivation, grief/loss
  • Anxiety, worry, fears
  • Social skills, bullying, peer and family relationships
  • Academic stress

You may refer your child by calling 571-749-2940 or by contacting our school counselor, social worker, psychologist, or director of Student Services. Find our contact information on this webpage.

Visit the FCPS Teletherapy webpage for more information.


Varsity Tutors Provides On-Demand Support at No Cost

FCPS is partnering with Varsity Tutors to provide students and families with extra resources for learning. Every student can take advantage of Varsity Tutors’ services at no cost, including weekly live online classes, on-demand 24/7 chat tutoring, essay editing, and study resources such as recorded content, practice problems, and diagnostic tests. Learn more about online tutoring with Varsity Tutors.


School Calendar

Be sure to bookmark the FCPS school year calendar to keep track of school holidays, breaks, and observances:

  • Days marked with a blue “H” are student holidays. Schools are closed on these days.
  • Days marked with an orange “O” are religious and cultural observance days (or evenings if only half marked). There is school on these days, but certain events that cannot be made up may not be scheduled on these days. 
  • Days marked in pink are holidays for students, but working days for teachers and staff.

We begin school on Monday, August 19 and here are some other important dates near the start the school year:

August 30 and September 2 - Labor Day - No School


Ticket Prices for FCPS Athletic Events

Effective with the start of the 2024-2025 school year, all FCPS schools will have consistent regular season, district tournament and region tournament entry fees for general admission. Adults (18 and over) will now be $7. FCPS students will be $5. Schools will continue to offer free admission to senior citizens and children under 6.

Falls Church High School Athletic Booster Club offers exclusive membership opportunities: https://fchsathleticboosters.org/membership/. All ticket sales and booster club memberships directly fund Falls Church Athletic programs.


Falls Church Spirit Wear

Stock up now on FC t-shirts (short-sleeves and long-sleeves), hats, sweatshirts, tropical shirts, lanyards, and more! Proceeds will benefit FCHS Athletics. 100% of Pop Up shops profits (at the FCHS Open House, Back to School Night, football games and select other events) support our athletic programs.

Online Spirit Shops provide a portion of profits to our athletic programs. Visit https://www.sharpplant.com/pages/fchs or https://www.spiritshop.com/school/virginia/falls-church/falls-church-high-school Questions? Contact spiritwear@fchsathleticboosters.org

#WeAreFC


FCPS Cares

FCPS Cares

Do you know a Falls Church HS or FCPS employee who does ordinary things in an extraordinary way or goes beyond what is expected? If so, then click here to share with everyone.


Falls Church Pyramid