Upcoming Events September 4: Late Buses Start, every Wed & Thursday September 6: Unite and Excite, 4:30-6:30pm, Field House parking lot; Home game vs. Oakton, kick off at 7pm September 13: Homecoming Game vs. Centreville September 14: Homecoming Dance, FHS Field House September 18: Back to School Night, 6:30pm

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August 23, 2024

Greetings Fairfax Families,

This week has been absolutely PAWSome. The return of students to our school always brings our building to LIFE and fills the hearts of every educator. Students had an amazing first week as they focused on connecting with our staff, connecting with one another, and also sharing their hopes and anticipations for what they will learn this year in each course. It is always a pleasure asking students what their favorite course is or which course they are most excited about, and I received a variety of answers this week from AP Literature to Technical Theater to Chemistry to Probability and Statistics to Physics to PFIT! What is always affirming in this question is that there is always a space and place for EVERY LION to ROAR. 

Not only are we bringing the energy and excitement during the day, but our activities are in full swing after school. The FHS Marching Band gave us a sneak peek of their fall show and it was energizing. Our Boys and Girls Volleyball teams have taken to the court for scrimmages and the football team welcomed Langley for some pre-season fun. Fall sports are looking FAIRFAX FIERCE and officially begin next week. 

The first week back to school can feel exhausting for students, educators, and parents. Please use this weekend to rest and rejuvenate because we get to do it all over again on MONDAY!  The staff of FHS are committed to a year filled with  creating deeper connections, providing enhanced educational opportunities, and leveraging transformational moments inside and outside the classroom. We also look forward to deepening our partnerships with each of YOU. 

Please mark your calendars for our Back to School Night on September 18, this is a great opportunity to meet our staff and find out all about each course your child is taking. Together we all W.I.N. 

Welcome back, 

Senior Class Meeting!

Marching Band Preview Night!

Included in this issue:

Fairfax Lions Need to Know:

• Save the Date: Graduation is Thursday, June 5, 2025, 8:30AM @ FHS
• Calendar Reminders: Labor Day, Unite & Excite, BTS Night
• Homecoming Info, Sept. 13 & 14
• Reminders for Visiting our School
• Update Your Child's Immunizations & Records
• Important: Cell Phone Policy
• Lightspeed Parent Report for Device Activity

Fairfax Lions Nice to Know:

• Transportation Patience and Safety
• Everything You Can Do in SIS ParentVUE 
• Mental Health Teletherapy
• Quick Links

Fairfax HS PTSA

• Welcome to a New School Year!
• Membership
• No-Fuss Fundraiser
• Mock SAT/ACT

Fairfax Lions Need to Know:

Save the Date! Graduation June 5th

FAIRFAX HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION DAY is Thursday, June 5, 2025, 8:30am, in the stadium. Senior Families, please check the Senior Section on the school website for all the latest information. There will be a Senior Parent meeting at 5:30pm on Wednesday, Sept. 18th, before Back to School Night starts at 6:30pm.

🗓️Calendar Reminders: Labor Day

Friday, August 30, and Monday, September 2, are Labor Day holidays for all FCPS employees and students. 

Virginia legislation requires that schools opening prior to Labor Day must be closed the Friday immediately preceding Labor Day. 

We hope everyone takes the long weekend to celebrate a strong start to the school year and enjoy time with family and friends. See the complete school year calendar.

Back to School Events

Save the date for these important events!

• September 4: LATE BUSES START; Late buses run every Wednesday and Thursday; students must be signed in with a teacher, club, or activity to receive a late bus pass. 
• September 6: UNITE & EXCITE, 4:30-6:30pm in the Field House parking lot; Home Football Game vs. Oakton kicks off at 7:00pm.
• September 18: Back to School Night; special sessions for SpEd, MLL, Seniors, FLE review start at 5:30pm; introductions and classroom visits start at 6:30pm.  

Homecoming Game Sept. 13, Dance Sept. 14

Homecoming is EARLY this year, save these dates! 

• Spirit Week is Sep. 9-13
• Parade is 4pm on Friday, Sept 13
• Game, vs. Centreville HS, is 7pm on Friday, Sept 13
• Dance is 8-11pm on Saturday, Sept 14, in the Field House

Student Leadership will share more information once school starts. Follow them on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fairfaxhslions/

Safe Start to School

Please know we take the safety and security of our students and staff very seriously. All school visitors must enter FHS by way of “Door 1.” All school visitors will need to check in to the school visitor system in the front office before entering the school. 

When outside, visitors are not permitted to visit school buses or playgrounds or to observe students from parking lots or other areas on school campuses. 

Parents/caregivers are welcome to check in with their child's teacher via email during the first week if they are anxious about how their child is transitioning.

Fairfax High School, in conjunction with Fairfax City Police, are committed to ensuring a safe start to the school year. During daily dismissal you may see police presence in areas around the school as students walk and commute home. 

🩺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. 

FCPS Cell Phone Policy

STUDENT PHONE POLICY DOCUMENT & GUIDELINES

High School Cell Phone Pilot Control Group

Phones are not to be used during school except for when allowed by Regulation 2601, High school students may use their phones during passing times and at lunch.

Every classroom will have a secure storage unit where students will deposit their phones at the start of class and then retrieve their phones at the end of class.

DAILY PROCESS

1. As a student enters each classroom, they will silence their cell phones (or place in airplane mode). Smartwatches also need to be placed in silent or airplane mode. If a student brings airpods to school, these must be stored in the student’s backpack during class. 
2. As the student enters each classroom, they will place their phones in their backpacks. 
3. When class ends, students will be able to access their phones.
4. For the first few weeks of the pilot, schools may have a daily schoolwide announcement first thing in the morning to remind students to silence their phones and to place phones in their backpacks as they enter each of their classrooms.
5. Students may still use their phones during passing time and at lunch (but not in restrooms except in emergencies), in accordance with the SR&R.
6. Students with IEPs who have an accommodation allowing access to their phones or students with a documented medical need requiring access to their phones will be allowed to have access to their phones.

VIOLATIONS

Staff Response and Discipline

• First Violation
• Staff Response: the phone is confiscated by a staff member and held until the end of the class. The phone will be secured by a staff member in the student’s classroom if the violation occurs in the classroom, or the phone will be secured in the office if the violation occurs in the hall or bathroom during class time. The student can pick up their phone at the end of the class. A parent/guardian is notified.
• Discipline: the student receives a warning and it is logged in SIS.
• Second Violation
• Staff Response: the phone is confiscated and given to the front office/subschool office. The student can pick up their phone at the end of the school day. A parent/guardian is notified.
• Discipline: the student receives detention and it is logged in SIS.
• Third Violation
• Staff Response: the phone is confiscated and given to the front office/subschool office. A parent/guardian is notified.  A parent/guardian or designee must pick up the phone. The phone will not be released to the student. 
• Discipline: the student receives detention, a parent/guardian conference is held, and it is logged in SIS. 
• Fourth Violation (and all other subsequent violations)
• Staff Response: the phone is confiscated and given to the front office/subschool office.  A parent/guardian is notified.  A parent/guardian or designee must pick up the phone. The phone will not be released to the student. 
• Discipline: phone privileges are lost for 20 consecutive school days and it is logged in SIS.  For each of these 20 days, the student will report to the front office at the beginning of each day to turn over their phone until the end of the day.

🔍 Lightspeed Parent Report on Device Activity

FCPS has tools to help parents know more about their child’s activity on any FCPS device. These tools are provided at no cost to families by Lightspeed, the school division’s internet content filtering service.

Parents may sign up for a weekly Parent Report, which will provide a list of the top sites your child visited. The report also offers parents the ability to sign up for free access to the Internet Use Parent Portal. Through the portal, parents may pause their child’s access to the internet on their FCPS device during non-school hours.

Learn more about Lightspeed Parent Reports.

Fairfax Lions Nice to Know: 

🚍 Transportation Patience and Safety

Thank you for your patience as we all get used to new routines this school year. We appreciate our families following Kiss and Ride procedures and being patient while waiting for your children’s buses. 

If a student’s bus is delayed, parents may access the Bus Delay Notification System or use the Here Comes the Bus mobile app to receive the delayed bus report. Email messages will be sent to announce significant bus delays. For Fairfax High School, contact Area 3 Transportation at 703-249-7000 with any additional questions. For any concerns after 5:30 p.m., contact Safety and Security at 571-423-2000. 

To make sure you receive email messages about bus delays, update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE. 

SPANISH:Paciencia y Seguridad en el TransporteMuchas gracias por su paciencia mientras todos nos acostumbramos a las nuevas rutinas de este año escolar. Apreciamos que nuestras familias sigan los procedimientos de Kiss and Ride, y que sean pacientes cuando esperan a los autobuses de sus hijos. Si el autobús de su hijo está retrasado, los padres pueden acceder el sistema de notificaciones de retrasos de autobuses o usar la aplicación móvil Here Comes the Bus para recibir el reporte de retraso de autobuses. Para reportar retrasos considerables de autobuses se enviará un correo electrónico. Contáctese con la Oficina de Transporte para Fairfax HS llamando al 703-249-7000 si tienen preguntas adicionales. Para cualquier preocupación después de horas (después de las 5:30 p.m.), comuníquese con la Oficina de Seguridad llamando al 571-423-2000. 

Para asegurarse de que recibirán mensajes de correo electrónico cuando haya un retraso de autobuses, actualicen su información de contacto en SIS ParentVUE.

KOREAN:교통 관련 안전 및 양해 사항

새 학기 새로운 루틴에 적응할 수 있도록 기다려 주셔서 감사합니다. Kiss and Ride와 더불어 자녀의 버스를 대기하면서 기다려주신 가족 여러분께 감사드립니다. 

학생의 버스가 지연되는 경우 학부모는 버스 지연 알림 시스템에 연결하시거나 Here Comes the Bus 모바일 앱을 사용하여 버스 지연 보고를 받으실 수 있습니다. 심각한 버스 지연을 알리는 이메일 메시지가 전송됩니다. 추가 질문이 있는 경우 교통 사무소에 703-249-7000 로 문의하세요. 근무 시간 이후(오후 5시 30분 이후) 우려 사항이 있는 경우 안전 및 보안팀 571-423-2000 으로 문의하세요. 

버스 지연에 대한 이메일 메시지를 받으려면 학생 정보 시스템 ParentVUE에서 연락처 정보를 업데이트하세요.

🖥️ Everything You Can Do in SIS ParentVUE

Want to get ahead of the back-to-school forms and checklists? Make sure you have a SIS ParentVUE account for your family and log in to find forms and updates.

If you do not have a SIS ParentVUE account, contact your child's school for an activation code and follow the directions on the SIS ParentVUE Account webpage.

Update Contact Information

Be among the first to know about weather closings, bus delays, and other critical communications from your school and FCPS by providing your cell phone number and email in SIS ParentVUE. To update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE, click the “Online Packets” tab in the upper right of the screen, then click the “Online Verification/Update” icon. 

Parents/caregivers who do not have a SIS ParentVUE account should print and complete the Emergency Care Information Form needed for updates and submit it to their child’s school.

Complete Permission Forms

Families can now easily grant permission for their children to access a variety of school resources through the Parent Digital Consent system. This online tool can be accessed using your SIS ParentVUE account. Parents can easily opt their child in or out of a variety of resources including online educational tools, school counseling services, and tutoring services. They can also change how student information is managed.

Visit the Parent Digital Consent webpage to access the system. Watch this video to see how to use the tool.

Submit Absences

Parents can submit daylong absences through SIS ParentVUE. Log in and click “Report Absence.” Note: Partial day absences and changes of transportation should still be reported directly to the school front office. 

Don’t Have a SIS ParentVUE Account Yet?Contact your school for an activation code and follow the directions on the SIS ParentVUE Account webpage. 

SPANISH: Todo lo que puede hacer a través de SIS ParentVUE¿Quiere acceder fácilmente a los formularios y listas de comprobación para la vuelta al cole? Acceda a su cuenta SIS ParentVUE para encontrar formularios y ver actualizaciones.Actualice la información de contactoEsté entre los primeros en saber sobre cierres por mal tiempo, retrasos de autobuses y otras comunicaciones críticas de su escuela y FCPS proporcionando su número de teléfono celular y correo electrónico en SIS ParentVUE. Para actualizar su información de contacto en SIS ParentVUE, haga clic en la opción "Paquetes en línea" en la parte superior derecha de la pantalla, luego haga clic en el ícono "Verificación/actualización en línea". 

Los padres/cuidadores que no tengan una cuenta SIS ParentVUE deben imprimir y completar el Formulario de Información de Cuidado de Emergencia (PDF) y enviarlo a la escuela de su hijo.

Completar formularios de permisoLas familias pueden ahora fácilmente dar permiso para que sus hijos accedan a una variedad de recursos escolares a través del sistema de Consentimiento Digital de los Padres. Se puede acceder a esta herramienta en línea utilizando su cuenta SIS ParentVUE. Los padres pueden optar fácilmente por que sus hijos accedan o no a recursos que incluyen herramientas educativas en línea, servicios de orientación escolar y servicios de tutoría. También pueden cambiar cómo se gestiona la información del estudiante.Visite la página web de Consentimiento Digital de los Padres para acceder al sistema. Vea este vídeo para aprender a utilizar la herramienta. 

Cómo reportar las ausenciasLos padres pueden enviar ausencias de un día a través de SIS ParentVUE. Inicie sesión y haga clic en "Reportar Ausencia". Nota: Las ausencias de día parcial y los cambios de transporte aún deben informarse directamente a la oficina de la escuela. ¿Aún no tiene una cuenta SIS ParentVUE?Póngase en contacto con su escuela para obtener un código de activación y siga las instrucciones de la página web de la cuenta SIS ParentVUE. 

Mental Health Teletherapy

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, Ashley Anderson, abanderson@fcps.edu.

Find information on our school website here: https://fairfaxhs.fcps.edu/resources/student-wellness-resources

Quick Links

• Fairfax HS Academy
• Educate Fairfax 
• FCPS Family Academy
• Family Resource Center
• FCPS CARES
• FCPS News
• Job Openings
• Mental Health Resources and Emergency Services Information
• SIS ParentVUE
• Standard School Year Calendar

throughout the year:

• Visit the Fairfax High School Website
• Sign up for News You Choose messages or update your account
• Visit the Fairfax PTSA Website

Fairfax HS PTSA

Table of Contents:

• Membership - please sign up!
• No-Fuss Fundraiser
• ANG - We Need Your Help!
• Mock SAT/ACT

Join the PTSA Today!!

Be entered in our membership raffle drawing!!

Join the Parent Teacher Student Association, PTSA, to support our FHS teachers, students and community!  Your dues and donations work to fund all of our activities and programs.  Scan the code provided or JOIN, by Monday, August 19th for the most chances to win!  Being a member helps keep you engaged and informed of what is happening in our school community and provides opportunities to get involved as your  availability permits.   FINALLY, becoming a member does not mean you are required to volunteer, but we would love to have you on board!

Parent/Adult: $20 Teacher/Staff: $12 FHS Student: $8

PTSA No Fuss Fundraiser - Donate Today!

Support our FHS Students and Teachers with your generous donations! Our No-Fuss Fundraiser has a goal of $2200 to fully fund the  proposed 24-25 PTSA budget.  The Parent, Teacher, Student Association supports FHS students and teachers through financing events amd  supporting wellness, diversity, and volunteerism. The PTSA rewards academic achievement, offers student scholarships, funds classroom grants, puts on teacher appreciation events, and supports the FHS Food Bank.

We rely entirely on membership dues and donations to fund the PTSA budget, and as a 501(c)3, your donation is tax-deductible. For details on how the funds are spent, see the proposed budget HERE.

All Night Grad - We Need Your Help!

SENIOR PARENTS: WE NEED YOUR HELP!!  

We are in search of All Night Graduation (ANG) Party Volunteers. If you have a senior in the Class of 2025 and might be interested in helping to continue this longstanding tradition, please reach out to our PTSA President, Maria Felton, president@fairfaxptsa.org, for additional information. Thank you!!

Mock SAT (digital) / Mock ACT (paper)

On Saturday, September 21, 2024 the FHS Academic Boosters will partner with Applerouth Tutoring to offer the Mock SAT (digital format) and the Mock ACT (paper format) exams.

This is a perfect opportunity for students who haven’t started their testing to become familiar with the format in a stress-free environment at FHS for only $25. Students will receive detailed score reports to help them determine which areas they need to study.

Mock (digital) SAT registration (limited to 75)

Test Time: Saturday, September 21^st, 9:00am – 11:45am

Students must be from FCPS and bring a fully charged FCPS computer

https://applerouth.onecanoe.com/school/8801

Mock (paper) ACT registration (limited to 50)

Test Time: Saturday, September 21st, 9:15am – 1:30pm

https://applerouth.onecanoe.com/school/8801

Can’t make the September date? The next test at FHS will be March 22, 2025.  You can sign-up now using the above.

Questions: Academicboosters@fairfaxptsa.org

Do you want to celebrate a Fairfax employee who does ordinary things in an extraordinary way? Or goes beyond what is expected? If so, then click here to share with everyone.

3501 Lion Run Fairfax, VA 22030  | Main Office: 703-219-2200

Attendance: 703-219-2211| Web