Students at Whitman Middle School collaborate during a science class.
Next Steps in the Budget Process
Next steps in the budget process include a School Board work session on Tuesday, May 20, and the School Board voting to approve the budget on Thursday, May 22. Visit the FCPS budget webpage for more information.
🛑 Stop for School Buses or Face a Fine
Cameras have been installed on the stop arms of 50 FCPS school buses. The cameras are used to identify drivers who pass stopped school buses while children are entering and exiting the bus. Now that the warning period has ended, citations are now being issued.
According to Virginia law, drivers must stop for stopped school buses with flashing red lights on and their stop signs extended. Motorists should stop when approaching from any direction, unless there is a barrier or median separating their lane from where the bus is stopped. Motorists should remain stopped until everyone is clear, and the bus is moving.
Read more information about the stop arm cameras and ways that we work with our county partners to keep students safe on their way to and from school.
☀️ Families Ready for Summer Excitement Following Extravaganza
More than 1,100 students and family members attended FCPS’ second annual Summer Extravaganza. Kids enjoyed fun learning activities, food, music, and entertainment, while parents received helpful information from FCPS offices and community partners. Visit the Summer Extravaganza webpage for links to participating organizations.
The event is designed to provide families with valuable resources that support continued learning and engagement beyond the classroom, while fostering meaningful connections within the community. Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid participated as well and wrote about what she observed in her Weekly Reflections.
✨ The Summer Extravaganza supports Pillar B of the Strategic Plan: Vibrant Home, School, and Community Partnerships.
🐝 X-a-n-t-h-i-c Spells Success for Student on Her Way to 100th Scripps National Spelling Bee
“Xanthic” was the word Nikita Ramakrishnan, an eighth grade student at Rocky Run Middle School, spelled correctly to win the 2025 Fairfax County Spelling Bee. The adjective, from Greek, means yellowish.
Nikita will compete in the 100th Scripps National Spelling Bee. The Scripps National Spelling Bee runs May 27-29. The final two nights air live on ION. Read more about Nikita and her impressive accomplishment.
🔧Roadside Assistance: Automotive Student Helps a Driver in Need
It’s one of the scariest things to happen to any driver: a sudden, unexpected issue with your car forces you to the side of the road.
This recently happened to a woman in Chantilly, but she was at the right place at the right time when her car broke down. A Chantilly Academy student was right there, equipped with the skills needed to help her get moving again. Read about how the student helped the driver in need.
✨ Work-based learning programs, like this one at Chantilly Academy, are part of Strategic Plan Goal 5: Leading for Tomorrow’s Innovation.
🎮 Middle School eSports Teams Have Teachers, Students, and Parents Cheering Their Debut
As soon as the last bell rings at Key Middle School on Thursdays, roughly a dozen boys are engaged in battles against other middle schools from as far away as Michigan.
They’re competing on behalf of their school, just like their track and field or cross country teams do. Robinson Secondary School, and Key and Hughes middle schools are fielding eSports teams. Read more about these students’ competitive eSports debut.
🤖 The “Most Fun Ever” With Oakton Robotics
In her latest Our Voices, Our Future video conversation, Dr. Reid talked to the Oakton High School Robotics Team. They shared how concepts like geometry and trigonometry are essential for designing and building their robots, highlighting the practical use of math skills.
The conversation also touched upon the importance of taking risks, learning from failure, and effective communication within the team.
✨ Students innovating and preparing for the future is part of Strategic Plan Goal 5.
🎼 NAMM Names FCPS One of the Best Communities for Music Education for 2025
Fairfax County Public Schools has been honored by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation as one of the Best Communities for Music Education. Read more about this honor.
FCPS Hispanic Leadership Alliance Honors 32 Students and Leaders
The Hispanic Leadership Alliance — a certified employee group of Fairfax County Public Schools — presented scholarships to 32 high school seniors, adult learners, and community leaders pursuing health care, education, engineering, psychology, law, public policy, and cybersecurity. See the list of scholarship recipients.
📍 Phase 2 Community Boundary Review Meetings
You are invited to participate in a series of community boundary review meetings to review and reflect on the initial draft scenarios before the start of summer break:
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Thursday, May 15, 6:30-8 p.m., at Oakton High School
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Friday, May 16, 6:30-8 p.m., at Robinson Secondary School
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Monday, May 19, 6:30-8 p.m., at Herndon High School
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Friday, May 23, 7-8:30 p.m., at Lewis High School
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Wednesday, May 28, 7-8:30 p.m., at Annandale High School
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Thursday, May 29, 6:30-8 p.m., at Whitman Middle School
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Friday, May 30, 6:30-8 p.m., at Chantilly High School
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Friday, June 6, 6:30-8 p.m., at Glasgow Middle School
Click on the date to register. Each meeting will be hybrid, meaning that you may attend in person or via Zoom. Childcare for in-person participants and language interpretation/translation for all participants will be available as needed.
If you register to attend online, you will receive a Zoom link within 24 business hours. The email will come from “no-reply@zoom.us.” Please check your spam folder if you do not receive the link.
Visit our Comprehensive Boundary Review webpage for more information, including a timeline for the remainder of the boundary review process.
🚍 Student Bus Passes Offer Free Transportation
All Fairfax County middle and high school students can get a Student Bus Pass SmarTrip card to ride the Fairfax Connector and Fairfax CUE buses for free! With the pass, fares are free from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week, all year. Learn more about the Student Pass. Complete the application and return it to your school office.
Additionally, students at Justice, Annandale, Falls Church, and Marshall high schools, and Davis Center can ride Metrobus for free. Visit the Fairfax County website for details and approved Metrobus routes. Complete the application and return it to your school office.
Children 12 and younger ride for free on the Fairfax Connector with a paying adult.
Bus Discount Program for Adults
Fairfax Connector’s Transit Ridership Incentive Program (TRIP) provides 50% off fares for low-income residents ages 18-65. Learn more about the TRIP program and how to apply.
🎈 FCPS CARES Winners Collaborate to Support Students and Colleagues
FCPS CARES allows parents/caregivers, staff, and community members to recognize employees for going above and beyond to help others and show they care. Among the CARES of the Month recipients for March is the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) team at Timber Lane Elementary School — Clara Vilalobos Cortes, Catherine Muha, Scott Taggart, Tricia Tyskowski, and Elizabeth Smith.
“This dedicated group of educators has demonstrated outstanding collaboration, innovation, and a commitment to supporting both our students and general education teachers in remarkable ways,” said Principal Benjamin Chiet in his nomination. The team has worked with FCPS’ ESOL office to create videos to support the implementation of Benchmark Express curriculum.”
Other FCPS CARES of the Month recipients include:
- Tatiana Sanchez, Maria Angulo, Max Mongkolrattanatorn, Yolanda Barboza, Nubia Bonilla Euceda, Pakamas Davidson, Kim Ensley, Graciela Guevara, Seung Hur, Sun Kang, Japinder Kaur, Paramjit Kaur, Mi Kim, Mija Lee, Hue Long-Tran, Phuc Luu, Elka Morales Lopez, Ranjit Nijjar, Li Wang, and Jun Zhu, Office of Food and Nutrition Services
- Rebecca Schnabel, Navy Elementary School
- Charles Armstrong and Greg Dombrowski, Edison High School
- Amanda Alsbaugh, Oak View Elementary School
- Jesus Henriquez Otero, Stone Middle School
- Christina Cashman, Roseann Contreras, and Stephanie Dawley, Lewis High School
Read about all the recipients.
✨ Students reading on level by third grade is part of Strategic Plan Goal 3: Academic Growth and Excellence.
🎭 Justice High School’s “Almost, Maine” Captures the Beautiful Weirdness of Falling in Love
Fairfax County Public Schools students are talented actors, musicians, and visual artists. Many FCPS high schools participate in the Washington, D.C., chapter of the Critics and Awards Program for High School Theatre, otherwise known as the Cappies.
The Cappies is a program through which high school theater and journalism students are trained as critics, attend shows at other schools, write reviews, and publish those reviews in local newspapers. There are 15 Cappies chapters across the United States and Canada.
This review of “Almost, Maine” at Justice High School was written by Amanda San Pedro of South County High School.
🚌 A Classroom on Wheels
In the Academic Matters section of last Thursday’s School Board meeting, Dr. Reid discussed a classroom on wheels. This project showcases the efforts of Auto Tech and Engineering students at Marshall Academy. They have been working to transform a retired school bus into a mobile learning lab. Once completed, the bus will travel to neighborhoods to offer students extra academic help and also help strengthen connections between families and schools.
Dr. Reid shared a video providing in-depth information about the Classroom on Wheels project and how the Marshall Academy students worked together to get it started.
This project supports Pillar B of the Strategic Plan: Vibrant Home, School, and Community Partnerships.
💪 Let’s Finish the School Year Strong!
Student attendance at school is important all year long, up to the last day of school. Attendance has an effect on student performance and on school accreditation. See how to:
- Check your child’s attendance record.
- Help your student stay engaged at school.
- Report future absences.
- Understand the FCPS school calendar.
Learn more about attendance resources.
🗓️ Calendar Reminders
Limited Early Release Monday
Elementary schools in the following pyramids will release three hours early on Monday, May 19:
- Centreville, Chantilly, Fairfax, Herndon, Langley, Madison, Marshall, McLean, Oakton, Robinson, South Lakes, and Westfield.
Find out more about Limited Early Release Mondays.
Memorial Day (Holiday)
Monday, May 26, is Memorial Day. Schools and school offices will be closed. See the complete school year calendar.
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