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Note: This newsletter contains links to translated versions of the content for your convenience. These translations are generated by Google Translate and are not intended to be a substitute for professional translation services.
Hello Braddock Families,
I hope you've had a wonderful summer filled with adventures, relaxation, and quality time together. My staff and I were able to visit with some of you over the summer at get-to-know-you events and we are looking forward to meeting you at an open house or Back-to-School Night soon.
From our youngest students to our seasoned high school pros, the first day of school marks the beginning of a new journey. And every member of our FCPS family is working to make sure your child and your family have the best start to the new school year possible. All things are possible - I started kindergarten not knowing a word of English and I ended up graduating from Berkeley Law School thanks in no small part to the efforts of my public school teachers!
My journey progressed step by step and your child’s will as well. My best wishes go out to every student who will learn to read and write this year, find a home in theater or music class, friends at the robotics club, immerse themselves in higher level math, learn a new language, find fun (and maybe glory) on the playing field and/or much more. We are lucky to have so many opportunities in FCPS for students to find their strengths and passions. Our staff is committed to partnering with you to support each student's academic, social, and emotional development and helping them explore their interests and find their path.
As the year progresses, my staff and I are always available to answer any questions you might have or address any concerns. Please feel free to reach out to my office at braddockconstituent@fcps.edu.
All my best,
Rachna
 In this issue
 Welcome Back to School! You can watch my Back to School video message here.
 FCPS's Outstanding New Elementary Teacher Awarded at Little Run ES
This week at Little Run Elementary, Principal Christie Yarn and her staff joined together to celebrate Ms. Andrea Edmonson, a 3rd-grade teacher, for being named FCPS’s Outstanding New Elementary Teacher. Ms. Edmonson, who started out as a substitute five years ago, quickly fell in love with teaching and progressed from part-time sub to full-time teacher, getting her license along the way. Her passion for teaching and unwavering commitment to her students shine brightly every day.
 National Night Out
What a great evening at National Night Out! I loved connecting with neighbors, first responders, and community leaders who make our neighborhoods safe, strong, and united. Made it to 10 events across Braddock! A special bonus—running into longtime friends!
 I love this community. It really does feel like a small town—so many people I met tonight grew up here and chose to come back to raise their own families. That says so much about the welcoming, close-knit spirit of Braddock.
Tonight was a powerful reminder that public safety isn’t just about policing—it’s about relationships, trust, and neighbors looking out for each other. That’s what National Night Out is all about.
 Popsicles on the Playground
Had a wonderful time talking to families, teachers, and staff and greeting excited students ready to get back to school at Ravensworth Elementary School's popsicles on the playground event! Grateful to our PTAs and PTSOs for hosting these events to help build community and connections for students and their families.
The next School Board meeting after will be August 28, 2025 at Jackson Middle School. Find out how to watch and participate in School Board meetings.
The final Braddock Nights summer concert events are coming up. These free concerts are held Saturdays at 7:30 PM throughout the Summer at Royal Lake Park and Lake Accotink Park. The final events are:
- At Royal Lake Park, 5344 Gainsborough Dr, Fairfax, VA 22032
- At Lake Accotink Park, 7500 Accotink Park Rd, Springfield, VA
Click below for information on the last Arts in the Parks event, a free Children's entertainment series, every Saturday from 10-10:45am at Wakefield Park in front of the Audrey Moore Rec Center, 8100 Braddock Road, Annandale.
Canterbury Woods Elementary School grad Kristen King spent much of her sixth grade year ensuring the buses ran on time.
Kristen, a captain on her school’s safety patrol, oversaw the travel patterns of all 18 buses at her school, including those used by deaf and hard of hearing students. Those buses are used to transport riders from all over the county to Canterbury Woods, which is home to Fairfax County Public School’s (FCPS) elementary program for students who are deaf or hard of hearing.
She walked the parking lot with clipboards containing names of students who weren’t at school that day, were staying after school, or opting not to take the bus for one reason or another; communicating with bus drivers on a walkie-talkie about who to expect on any given day. It was her job to ensure that buses didn’t waste time waiting for students who weren’t using the bus that afternoon, or, alternatively, leave a student behind in the building.
“Kids get bussed in from very far away, even an hour in some cases, and if a student misses their bus, it’s a big deal, their parents have to drive all the way in to pick them up,” Kristen said. Kristen, who was one of two FCPS students honored by the American Automobile Association (AAA) as a Safety Patroller of the Year, soon realized her job may be a little easier if she picked up some basic sign language skills to better communicate with the students she was supporting.
Boundary Review Updates
On Tuesday evening, our Superintendent’s Boundary Review Advisory Committee met at Gatehouse Administration Center. While I typically share key takeaways from the meeting the following business day, it was important to send a communication yesterday regarding the school year calendar. To avoid sending two messages in one day, I am sharing key takeaways from the August 5 committee meeting, and other boundary review updates, today.
Key Takeaways
Welcome and Overview
The consultant welcomed advisory committee members to the meeting and reminded them of the timeline and the upcoming community meetings that start in mid-October. He shared that at the next advisory committee meeting in early September, they will be sharing out the transportation analysis to help inform the work.
Programmatic Impact Analysis to Date
The consultant presented an overview of the analysis that has been done to date on FCPS programming and identified key themes.
Working Session and Group Sharing: Review of Priorities Identified by the Advisory Committee Subgroups and Group Sharing of Top 3 Key Priorities
Members broke into their subgroups to review and discuss the key priorities they have been working to identify, and then each subgroup presented their top three priorities to the full advisory committee and identified common themes.
Closing
Dr. Reid closed out the meeting and reminded everyone that their attendance is very important. We have about five months to deliver a thoughtful plan. As we are scheduling community meetings in October-November, she asked advisory committee members to make every effort to attend the meetings in their communities.
Access the meeting agenda, slides, and other materials that committee members received. Please see additional updates below:
Additional Phase 2 (Part 1) Community Feedback
Comments from the Pigeonhole platform, which was used to collect feedback at the spring community meetings, are now available on our website. The data is organized by region.
We are working to upload more than 13,000 comments submitted via the FCPS Boundary Explorer Tool and from FCPS’ primary online communications tool. Please stay tuned.
We will continue to share feedback submitted via our primary communications platform with the committee and the consultant through 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, August 20. This will allow them enough time to review the feedback, which will help inform the next set of draft scenarios.
What’s Next
Fall Community Boundary Review Meetings
In the fall, the consultant will update the Boundary Explorer Tool with refined scenarios. We will present the scenarios and gather feedback during another round of community meetings as part of Phase 2 (Part 2).
Final Advisory Committee Scenario Development
The consultant will develop boundary scenarios in November and December. Then, the committee will review those and make any final recommendations to the superintendent.
Superintendent’s Recommendations
I will consider the committee’s recommendations, and based on my review, I will present recommendations and a proposed implementation plan to the Fairfax County School Board in January 2026.
Reminder
No boundary changes have been proposed for the upcoming (2025-26) school year.
I invite you to learn more about the comprehensive boundary review and sign up for our School Boundary Review newsletter. Thank you for your time and engagement. This work matters.
Student Online Verification/Update (OVU) opens July 25, 2025
The 2025-26 Online Verification/Update (OVU) packet will be available in ParentVUE starting this Friday, July 25th. The OVU packet allows parents to electronically update phone numbers, emergency contacts, health conditions, and upload immunization records for their students via ParentVUE. Electronic capture of this information improves data quality and reduces staff workload. Please encourage all families to sign up for a ParentVUE account so they can have direct access to student information.
ParentVUE Online Verification/Update (OVU) Packet | Fairfax County Public Schools
🏫 Calendar Reminders: 2025 First Day of School
Monday, August 18, is the first day of school for the 2025-26 school year. View the 2025-26 school year calendar for additional important dates.
Important Updates to the Student Rights and Responsibilities (SR&R)
There are several SR&R updates for the 2025-26 school year, including changes to the cell phone policy. Other updates include better clarity or new procedures around topics such as discipline data, parent notifications, hate speech, and integrated discipline training. The full list of changes is available on BoardDocs.
📵 Cell Phone Policy Update for High Schools
Beginning in August, high school students can only use their cell phones and other personal devices (AirPods, smart watches, etc.) during lunch and before or after school. This is a change from FCPS’ previous cell phone policy, which allowed high schoolers to use devices during passing periods. Students must keep devices off and away during classroom time and during passing periods between classes beginning this fall. If your student has an IEP or 504 and needs an accommodation as an exception to this policy, please check with your IEP or 504 team/case manager.
Read more about the updated Cell Phone Policy.
The views contained within this newsletter reflect the views of the individual school board member who is the publisher of this newsletter and may not reflect the views of the Fairfax County School Board.
© 2023 Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax County, Virginia
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