Celebrating Student Achievements, Arts in Our Schools, and a Culture of Belonging

Fairfax County Public Schools sent this bulletin at 03/19/2025 07:00 PM EDT
student in science class


A Glasgow Middle School student enjoys learning in a science lab.

🏀 Winter VHSL Sports Champions

basketball team smiling and posing for a photo on the court after a win


Congratulations to all the FCPS student athletes who participated in the 2024-25 winter sports season. Five teams and 36 individuals won the Virginia High School League (VHSL) Class 6 championship in their respective sports, and five teams and 35 individuals were the state runners up. See the winners. 

✨ Consistent availability of and accessibility to extracurricular activities is part of Goal 4 of the FCPS Strategic Plan.

🥣 Herndon High School Students Win Culinary Challenge

culinary students smiling


Four Herndon High School students won the Real Food for Kids Culinary challenge — a competition where area students create delicious, healthy meals they would like to eat in their school lunchrooms. As part of the Herndon team’s prize, FCPS’ Office of Food and Nutrition Services will adapt and serve their recipe in lunchrooms across the division! Read more about their winning dish.  

✨ Amplifying student voice is part of Goal 2 of the Strategic Plan: Safe, Supported, Included, and Empowered.

🔬 TJHSST Student Places in Top 10 of Regeneron Science Talent Search

student shows off his tri-fold science project


Ray Zhang (pictured at last year’s science fair), a student at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, placed 10th in the national 2025 Regeneron Science Talent Search. The competition is the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors. Read about Ray’s project and inspiration.

🎤 Community Conversations With Superintendent Dr. Reid

Dr. Reid listens to someone with a microphone speak


Your voice matters, and Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid wants to hear from you! A series of Community Conversations is being held across the school division. These events are an opportunity for you to share your thoughts and ask questions regarding FCPS. Events are planned for the following dates from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.:

Events are open to all. Childcare and interpretation services will be provided. Click on the date to register for that event. Visit our webpage for other opportunities to connect with Dr. Reid.

✨ Vibrant home, school, and community partnerships is Pillar B of the Strategic Plan.

📝 At Kilmer Middle School, Students Get “Written Up” for Good Behavior

teachers smile in the hallway


Positive referrals happen frequently at Kilmer Middle School. Staff members make an effort to recognize students’ good deeds and positive habits by writing about them and displaying them in the school cafeteria window. The students also receive a coupon, which they can redeem for snacks donated by the Kilmer PTA. Find out how the program is having a positive effect on students.

✨ Kilmer’s referral program supports Goal 2 of the Strategic Plan: Safe, Supported, Included, and Empowered.

🎨 Celebrating Arts in Our Schools: Honoring Angela Ah Ryoung Sung

teacher works on project with student


March is National Arts in Our Schools Month, highlighting the transformative power of the arts in education. This week, we celebrate the exceptional contributions of Angela Ah Ryoung Sung, 2024 Outstanding Elementary School New Teacher Finalist and art teacher at Sangster Elementary School. Angela’s passion for the arts and her commitment to fostering creativity in students make her a vital part of the school community. Read more about how Angela supports and highlights young artists’ talents.

Become Unskippable: Share the Facts

This week is National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week. Talking with teens about the facts of fentanyl is a conversation you can’t skip. Learning about fentanyl gives teens a better understanding of the risks and effects of the drug.

Share these important facts with your child:

  • Even half a fentanyl-laced pill can be fatal. Just a few salt-sized grains of fentanyl are enough to cause an overdose.
  • More than half of local street pills contain a deadly dose of fentanyl. As of 2023, seven in 10 counterfeit pills in the U.S. contain enough fentanyl to cause a fatal overdose.
  • Fentanyl is usually taken accidentally. Many people have no idea they’ve taken it until they overdose because you can’t see, smell, or taste it in pills and powders.
  • Overdoses can happen in an instant. In as little as four minutes, the lack of oxygen can lead to brain damage and even death.

Learn more about how to have conversations with your child in a way that will make you Become Unskippable.

Resources to Help Infants and Toddlers Meet Milestones

teacher works with student


Are you concerned about your infant, toddler, or preschool-aged child’s development? Resources are available if your child exhibits difficulties in one or more of the following areas:

  • communication
  • fine and/or gross motor skills
  • self-help skills
  • problem solving 
  • attention skills

Learn more about typical developmental milestones.

The Infant & Toddler Connection of Virginia (ITC) is the state’s early intervention system for infants and toddlers (0-36 months) with disabilities and their families. ITC provides evaluations and services for children who have developmental delays or medical conditions that may affect development. Parents are encouraged to contact ITC at 703-246-7121 to share their concerns.

Early Childhood Child Find is the process of identifying children with potential special education needs between the ages of 20 months and 5 years (children must be two by September 30). 

FCPS Early Childhood Identification and Services (ECID&S) offers a free referral process to identify potential developmental delays or disabilities. Special education services are provided for all children who are found eligible through the referral process. Parents are encouraged to contact 571-423-4121 with questions or to make a referral.

✨ Helping students be ready for kindergarten is part of Goal 1 of the Strategic Plan.

✨ Strategic Plan Goal 4: Equitable Access and Opportunity

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During the Strategic Plan update portion of last week’s School Board meeting, Dr. Reid discussed Goal 4: Equitable Access and Opportunity. She focused on the consistent availability of and accessibility to electives, extracurricular, co-curricular, and enrichment activities. 

Participation in out-of-classroom activities is linked to a number of positive outcomes, such as consistent attendance, academic achievement, and attending college. Outcomes also include increased self-esteem, mental health, and feelings of belonging; and decreased likelihood of risky behavior. 

Watch our video to learn about two new sports this year: girls wrestling and boys volleyball. All 25 FCPS high schools added these sports, with 440 boys and 239 girls participating! This is in addition to winter cheer, which was added last year at high schools, and cross country and track and field, which were added at middle schools.

🎓 Equipping Students for Success After High School

In the Academic Matters section of the meeting, Dr. Reid spoke about Career and Transition Services, which support students who have individualized education programs (IEP) as they prepare for life after high school. 

In addition to learning about workplace and life readiness skills in the classroom, FCPS students can gain experience through real-world and work-based learning experiences with more than 50 business and community partners.

✨ Supported and successful transitions that lead students to high school graduation and postsecondary opportunities is part of the Strategic Plan Goal 5: Leading for Tomorrow’s Innovation.

🚙 On the Road With Dr. Reid

Want to keep up with more of Dr. Reid’s updates and travels? Check out her latest Weekly Reflections.

📐 Review Potential K-12 Mathematics Instructional Resources

FCPS will begin using new mathematics instructional resources for middle and high school students in the 2025-26 school year and for elementary school students in the 2026-27 school year. The community is invited to review materials and provide comments. Access resources on the FCPS Mathematics webpage.

You may view hard copies of instructional materials on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., through this Friday, March 21, at 8270 Willow Oaks Corporate Dr., Suite 100. All community feedback will be shared with the review committee and the Fairfax County School Board before the board votes on the new curriculum in spring 2025.

Next Steps in the Budget Process

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The next steps in the FCPS Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Budget process include:

  • The School Board presents the budget to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, April 22.
  • The Board of Supervisors will conduct public hearings Tuesday, April 22, through Thursday, April 24. Community members can submit testimony or sign up to speak. 

Visit the county government website to view the Fairfax County FY 2026 Advertised Budget. The community is also invited to complete an online survey to provide feedback on the county’s FY 2026 Advertised Budget. 

Learn more about the FCPS FY 2026 Budget process.

🗓️ Calendar Reminders: Quarter End, Eid al-Fitr, and Teacher Workday

Friday, March 28, is the last day of the third quarter. It is a full day of school. 

All FCPS schools and offices are closed on Monday, March 31, for Eid al-Fitr. 

Tuesday, April 1, is a teacher workday and there is no school for students. 

See the complete school year calendar.

SIS ParentVUE End-of-Quarter Closure

The Gradebook in SIS ParentVUE and StudentVUE will be closed for the end of the quarter from Friday, March 28, at 4 p.m. to Monday, April 7, at 6 a.m.

Learn how to activate your ParentVUE account to easily access grade reports and other helpful information about your child.

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