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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.
Dear FCPS Families,
Welcome back! I hope you had a summer full of great memories with your loved ones and enjoyed everything our amazing community has to offer.
This year is especially meaningful for me; we’re sending our daughter off to kindergarten, and I’m feeling the same mix of excitement and nerves as many of you. It’s a powerful reminder of how important our schools are, not just for learning, but as safe, nurturing spaces where kids grow and thrive.
Fairfax County Public Schools are the heart of our community. No matter where you live or your background, every child deserves a world-class education in an inclusive environment. And your involvement makes a difference, whether it’s joining the PTA, cheering at games, or reaching out to a teacher.
Our teachers and staff have been preparing all summer for a great year. Let’s continue working together to support every student’s success.
Here’s to a fantastic school year. Let’s do this, FCPS!
Sincerely,
Kyle McDaniel
Member, At-Large
Fairfax County School Board
Back to School Events
Get ready for the 2025-2026 school year by attending a Back to School event! Below are links for every back to school event by Region. Find out your school’s region here.
Update on Federal Funding
Last Friday, Dr. Reid sent out a statement regarding our efforts to resolve a matter with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) concerning Fairfax County Public Schools’ policies and regulations on bathroom and locker room use based on gender identity. You can read her full statement here. I want to reiterate these particular words from her statement: “…FCPS remains dedicated to creating a safe, supportive, and inclusive school environment for all students and staff members, including our transgender and gender-expansive community. Any student who has a need or desire for increased privacy, regardless of the underlying reason, shall continue to be provided with reasonable accommodations.”
Back to School Checklist
We’re Eager to Welcome You Back to School!
As summer winds down, we are looking forward to welcoming students back to our classrooms. Please review this checklist to make sure your child is ready!
☑️ Sign Up for SIS ParentVUE
Access your student’s attendance records, grades, and assignments at any time with SIS ParentVUE. Contact your registrar if you need an activation code. Find out more about SIS ParentVUE.
☑️ Update Your Contact Information
Be sure you receive important information! Update your phone number(s) and/or email address(es) in the Parent/Guardian section of SIS ParentVUE.
☑️ Update Immunizations and Records
Immunizations are required for all students to attend school in Virginia. This is an important part of protecting them from certain diseases and keeping them healthy.
When your child is immunized, remember to request a copy of their immunization record and bring that to our front office or submit the record via SIS ParentVUE as soon as possible. Find more information on FCPS’ website.
☑️ Learn About School Meals
Parents/caregivers need to provide their students with money to purchase meals at school, send them with a packed lunch, or apply (and be approved) for free and reduced-price meal benefits.
☑️ Bookmark the School Year Calendar
Be sure to bookmark the FCPS school year calendar to keep track of school holidays, breaks, and observances:
- Days marked with a blue “H” are student holidays. Schools are closed on these days.
- Days marked with an orange “O” are religious and cultural observance days (or evenings, if only half marked). There is school on these days, but certain events that cannot be made up may not be scheduled on these days.
- Days marked in pink are holidays for students but working days for teachers and staff.
Please note that some holidays and observances, such as Eid al Fitr, may shift, and the calendar may be adjusted.
September 9th School Closure
As shared by the superintendent, all FCPS schools will be closed on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, due to the special election in Virginia’s 11th Congressional District. More than half of our schools serve as polling sites, and closing schools will ensure the safety of students and staff while minimizing disruptions.
Boundary Update
Please see the following update from Superintendient Michelle Reid on the Boundry Review process:
On Tuesday, August 5, 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 BoundaryReview newsletter. Thank you for your time and engagement. This work matters.
Other Updates
🫱🏻🫲🏾 Volunteer FCPS Helps Community Members Connect With Schools
A new volunteer management system, Volunteer FCPS, will allow students, parents/caregivers, and community members to register and search volunteer opportunities within the school division.
All volunteers (new or returning) will register in Volunteer FCPS, complete a volunteer orientation, and be required to sign in using the visitor kiosk. Some volunteers will also be required to undergo a background check. Visit the Volunteer FCPS website for details.
📱 Congressional App Challenge
The Congressional App Challenge serves as an opportunity for high school students to be more engaged in coding in their district. Every year, Members of Congress challenge students in their districts to create and submit their original apps for a chance to win the Congressional App Challenge (CAC). Each challenge is district specific. U.S. Representatives publicly recognize their winning teams, and each winning app may be put on display in the U.S. Capitol Building for one year.
- Winning apps are eligible to be displayed in the US Capitol Building and featured on the House of Representatives’ website.
- Winning students are invited to #HouseofCode Capitol Hill Reception in Washington D.C.
- Additional sponsor prizes TBA!
For more information, please visit here.
To register, please visit here.
🏗️ School Bond Referendum on Ballot Tuesday, November 4
A $460 million School Bond Referendum will be on the Tuesday, November 4, general election ballot.
Bond-funded projects provide safe, welcoming, effective, and modern spaces for students to learn and staff to work.
The building and renovation of our schools is not funded through FCPS’ operating budget. Voter-approved bonds that allow payment for projects over time, while seeking to avoid an increase in property tax rates, fund building and renovation. Without bond funding, renovations would likely cease, delaying much needed repairs at many schools. Potential bond-funded projects are identified in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026-30 Capital Improvement Program, which was adopted by the School Board in February.
Voters have a direct role in shaping the future of FCPS schools. Read more about the 2025 Bond Referendum. Learn more about registering to vote.
🔒 Weapon Detection System
In our latest effort to strengthen our layered safety and security programs, FCPS piloted a weapon screening system across our high schools last spring. This weapon screening system will be expanded to all middle and high schools this fall. Learn more on the weapons detection frequently asked questions page.
🗓 Calendar Reminder
Schools and offices are closed on Friday, August 29, and Monday, September 1, for the Labor Day holiday. We hope everyone takes the long weekend to celebrate a strong start to the school year! See the full school year calendar: bit.ly/3Q2nbH5
📵 New Cell Phone Policy
Cell phones and personal devices (airpods, earbuds, headsets, and other items connected to the internet) must be off and away for the entire school day (or “bell to bell”) with the exception of lunch time in designated lunch spaces. This is a change from FCPS’ previous cell phone policy, which allowed high schoolers to use devices during passing periods. The cell phone policy for elementary and middle school students has not changed (off and away for the entire school day, bell to bell). Learn more about the cell phone policy: fcps.edu/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.
© Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax County, Virginia
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