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Upcoming Events
January 11: Saturday School CANCELED
January 14: College Planning Night, Class of 2026
January 15: Senior Parent Virtual Meeting
January 16: NEW DATE: Curriculum Night
January 17: Principal's Coffee, 7:30am, Career Center
January 18: Saturday School 9am-12pm, Library
January 20: Holiday (Martin Luther King, Jr’s Birthday/ Inauguration Day)
January 21: PTSA Meeting, Library, 7pm-8pm
January 21: ANG Meeting, Library, 8pm-9pm
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❄️👏A huge thank you to all the City Schools' staff working hard to clear snow and get our schools ready for students to return!
Pictures and Message courtesy of City of Fairfax Schools
January 10, 2025
Happy Friday Fairfax,
Happy New Year! I hope this message finds you well and that you had a joyful and restful holiday season. As we step into a brand-new year, I am filled with excitement and optimism for the opportunities that lie ahead for our PAWSome school community.
First, I want to extend my deepest gratitude to our dedicated staff who worked tirelessly to ensure the campus was safe and ready for learning following the recent snow days. Their hard work and commitment does not go unnoticed, and it is because of their efforts that we can continue providing a welcoming environment for our students.
As we gear up for the first full week of 2025 back at school, I encourage all our families to stay informed about the exciting events we have planned. From curriculum night to college planning night to our Class of 2025 meeting, there is so much to look forward to. Be sure to check out our website for the "NEW" course advising page.
Let’s make this year a memorable one by continuing to work together to support our students’ growth and success. Thank you for being an integral part of our Fairfax family. Here’s to a fantastic start to 2025 and to always remembering WE ROAR at FHS.
In partnership,
Included in this issue:
Calendar Reminders
- NO Saturday School, Jan. 11
- Principal's Coffee, Friday, January 17, 7:30am, Career Center
- January 15: Senior Parent Virtual Meeting
Fairfax Lions Need to Know:
- Cell Phone Policy Reminder
- Gradebook Available Until End-of-Quarter
- Student Services Updates! New Dates and Info!
- Be the First to Hear about Closings and Delays
Fairfax Lions Nice to Know:
- College Planning Night for Juniors, January 14
- College Partnership Program
- Varsity Tutors
- Academy Open Houses Begin this Month
- District News - In Case You Missed It
- Quick Links
Fairfax HS PTSA
- Meeting Reminders
- Join the PTSA!
🗓️Calendar Reminders
NO Saturday School this week
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Please note, due to the snow days this week, Saturday School for Jan. 11th has been CANCELLED.
The next Saturday School will be held on Jan. 17.
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Principal's Coffee, January 17
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The next Principal's Coffee will be held Friday, January 17, at 7:30am in the College & Career Center (rm. L106).
Please join us for a casual conversation with the Principal, to hear about everything going on at Fairfax!
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Senior Parents: Save the Date - Virtual Meeting, Wednesday, Jan. 15
Senior Administrator, Brian Plancich, and Director of Student Services, Ashley Anderson will host a virtual meeting from 6:30-7:00 pm on Wednesday, January 15 for senior parents. This meeting will share information regarding Spring events, graduation events, and the graduation ceremony. There will also be a senior class meeting held at school, the morning of January 15, to communicate similar information with our seniors as we are now less than five months until June 5. If you are unable to attend, a link to the slides will be shared with contact information included.
A link will be shared with senior families on Monday.
📵Cell Phone Policy Reminder
Phones Down, Engagement Up: FCPS Cell Phone Policy
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 our main office, 703-219-2200.
Gradebook Available Until End-of-Quarter
Gradebook Available Until End-of-Quarter Based on community feedback from the first quarter closure, FCPS revisited the scheduled dates for closing the Gradebook and Report Card modules in the SIS ParentVUE and StudentVUE apps.
Moving forward, the app will close in alignment with the actual quarter-end dates. This change will allow students and families to view their assignments and grades until the last day of the quarter. Gradebook will be closed for the second quarter from Tuesday, Jan. 28, 4pm to Tuesday, Feb. 4, 6am.
Access Your Child’s Grades Through SIS ParentVue
Learn how your ParentVUE account allows you to easily access grade reports and other helpful information about your child.
Curriculum Night - New Date: January 16
Due to snow days, we have rescheduled our Community & Curriculum Night to Thursday, January 16.
This will allow teachers to review information with students that was originally scheduled for January 7 and 8, prior to Curriculum Night and the Curriculum Fair.
We are aware that our NEW curriculum night coincides with KJMS’s Curriculum Night. You will see an alternate virtual night for parents to attend on January 23 below. We will send out links closer to the date.
Academic Emphasis:
Wednesday, January 15 and Thursday, January 16
Teachers will review departmental course offerings during class time for the 2025-2026 school year.
Curriculum & Community Night:
Thursday, January 16, 6-8PM – NEW DATE, SAME TIME
This is our Academic Advising event for the classes of 2026, 2027, 2028, and 2029 (rising 9th, current 9th, 10th, and 11th grade). The evening aims to provide families with information to help select courses for the 2025-2026 school year. Topics to include electives, advanced placement, dual enrollment, and honors level classes. There will be optional information sessions for rising 9 from 6:15 to 7pm and then rising 10-12 from 7:15 to 8pm in the Auditorium. Throughout the night, tables will be set up for families to learn about courses directly from staff currently teaching courses or students that are currently enrolled.
Curriculum Fair:
Friday, January 17, during Lion Time
Students select 4 electives to visit and learn more about in consideration of courses for the 2025-2026 school year.
Academic Advising Meetings begin:
Tuesday, January 21
Students will meet with their School Counselor through their English classes to select courses for the 2025-2026 school year. Parents that want to be a part of this conversation are encouraged to reach out to their students' counselor.
Virtual Academic Advising Night:
Thursday, January 23, 6-8PM – NEW MAKEUP EVENT ADDED
Virtual Curriculum Night option. This is an Academic Advising event for the classes of 2026, 2027, 2028, and 2029 (rising 9th, current 9th, 10th, and 11th grade). The evening aims to provide families with information to help select courses for the 2025-2026 school year. Topics to include graduation requirements, electives, advanced placement, dual enrollment, and honors level classes. Rising 9th grade can attend virtually from 6 to 7PM and rising 10-12 may attend from 7-8PM. This event will be recorded. Links will be provided closer to the date.
On-Time Academy Application Deadline:
Friday, March 7, 2025
Students interested in an academy course must have a submitted application to be considered on time. Applications are completed through their School Counselor.
Last day to change course requests for the 2025-2026 school year: Friday, June 6
Please view our Academic Advising site (https://fairfaxhs.fcps.edu/student-services/academic-advising) for all information. If you have questions, please reach out to your child's counselor.
❄️ Be Among the First to Hear About School Delays/Closings
Watch this video to see how FCPS makes weather closing decisions.
FCPS’ website is generally the first place to find out about emergency weather closings. Other communication channels will be used as quickly as possible, including email, text, social media, and news stations. Learn more about how schedule changes are communicated.
Be among the first to hear about weather delays and closings! Update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE. Emails and text messages are sent to parents and caregivers based on the addresses and cell phone numbers entered on this platform.
Spanish: ❄️ Sea uno de los primeros en enterarse de los retrasos/cierres de escuelas
Mire este video para ver como FCPS toma decisiones sobre cierres por mal tiempo.
El sitio web de FCPS es generalmente el primer lugar para enterarse de los cierres de emergencia por el clima. Otros canales de comunicación serán usados lo más pronto posible, incluyendo correo electrónico, texto, medios sociales, y estaciones de noticias. Aprenda más sobre cómo se comunican los cambios de horario.Sea uno de los primeros en enterarse de los retrasos y cierres por mal tiempo. Actualice su información de contacto en SIS ParentVUE. Los correos electrónicos y mensajes de texto se envían a los padres en función de las direcciones y números de teléfono móvil introducidos en esta plataforma.
Fairfax Lions Nice to Know:
College Planning Night for Juniors, January 14
This is a reminder to please attend…
College Planning Night
for juniors and their parents/guardians
Tuesday, January 14, 2025 @ 7:00-8:30 pm
Fairfax High School – Auditorium
We are almost halfway through junior year, so it is time to start thinking ahead to the college admissions process!! This year’s format will be an in person, panel discussion and will be targeted to juniors who are interested in attending a four-year college or university. Four, very experienced College Admissions Officers will share valuable advice for your college search. We plan to ask important questions about research, preparation, applications, acceptance and making the final decision. We’ll wrap up with Q&A time dedicated to answering all of your admissions-related questions.
All juniors interested in attending a four-year college or university are encouraged to attend! No RSVP required.
Note: The format of this event is a panel discussion and will not be recorded. If you cannot attend on January 14, you are welcome to go to Chantilly HS on Monday, January 13 @ 7:00 pm, or Madison HS on Wednesday, January 15 @ 7:00 pm. It will be the same exact program with the same speakers.
For more information, contact: Ms. Maureen Kim, Fairfax HS College & Career Specialist at MHKim@fcps.edu, or 703-219-2204.
See the full flyer: Junior College Night Flyer 2025.pdf
College Partnership Program
Do you have a student between grades 8 - 11, who wants to go to college? If so, they should consider applying to the College Partnership Program (CPP), which offers support from exploration to application! The deadline to apply is February 28, 2025.
CPP offers programming to help prepare students and families from 9th grade all the way through applying to and enrolling in college, including:
- Academic counseling
- College visits
- Help with completing college and scholarship applications
- Monthly meetings
- A summer overnight experience on a college campus
- News and information related to colleges and careers via Schoology
All students are eligible and encouraged to apply to this program, and are expected to meet the following requirements:
- Maintain a GPA of 2.5 or higher in core classes
- Attend monthly CPP meetings
- Are willing to pursue advanced coursework
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Demonstrate leadership in school or community activities
The goal of the program is to systematically mitigate the impact of barriers to access and opportunity, and support students who are from populations that are historically underrepresented on college campuses. This includes students who are the first in their family to attend college in the U.S., Multilingual learners, students who are economically disadvantaged, and students with disabilities.
Application Link: https://tinyurl.com/u2e3hme3
The application is only open to students using their FCPS G-Suite account. All applications will be submitted ONLINE ONLY.
If you have questions, please reach out to Nikki Bender, nsbender@fcps.edu, Dara Markenson, dmmarkenson@fcps.edu, or Bertha Mensah, bnmensah@fcps.edu.
📑 Varsity Tutors
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.
🗓️ Save the Date: Academy Open Houses Begin in January!
FCPS high school academies will hold open houses for interested students beginning in January.
A high school academy is a center within a high school that offers advanced technical and specialized courses to prepare students for postsecondary education and/or career fields. Students enrolling in academy elective courses will be provided with opportunities to participate in a variety of career experiences including shadowing, mentoring, or internships with local businesses.
Learn more: https://bit.ly/41vtnk1 or visit fcps.edu and search for “Academies and Specialized Programs."
District News - In Case You Missed it
FCPS NewsIn case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics and others:
- National Merit Commended Scholars
- Celebrating the Best of 2024 in FCPS
- Cell Phones Off, Learning On
Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.
Quick Links
District News - In Case You Missed It
throughout the year:
Fairfax HS PTSA
Table of Contents:
- Meeting Reminders
- Join the PTSA!
PTSA & ANG January Meeting Reminders
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The next PTSA meeting is January 21, 2025, at 7:00pm in the Library.
Immediately following is the ANG meeting at 8:00pm.
See you there!
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It's Never Too Late to JOIN PTSA
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JOIN the PTSA to support our FHS teachers, students and community! Your member dues and donations work to fund ALL of our activities and programs, help keep you engaged and informed about what is happening in our school community, and provide opportunities to get involved and have fun with other families. Join us! |
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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. |
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