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Upcoming Events
September 9: NEW SCHOOL HOLIDAY due to Virginia Special Election - No School
Sep. 16-19: Underclass Yearbook Pictures
September 22: Cultural Observance Day: Rosh Hashanah (begins at sundown)
September 23: No School - Rosh Hashanah
October 8: SAT School Day and PSAT/NMSQT
October 17: Homecoming Game
October 18: Homecoming Dance
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Freshmen Recess!!
 
September 5, 2025
Greetings Fairfax Family and Friends,
It was a true delight to welcome our families into the school for Back to School Night at Fairfax High School and Fairfax Academy. Thank you to everyone who attended and helped make the evening a success. Our staff truly values this opportunity to connect with parents and build the partnerships that are so essential for a PAWSome year.
We were excited to host several special sessions this year, including our planning meeting for the Class of 2026 to help them prepare for senior year, a celebratory AVID signing ceremony honoring our students' commitment to college readiness, and our "Meet Your Case Manager" connection time, which allowed families to meet with a caring champion for their student. The energy and engagement from our community were incredible, and we are looking forward to a fantastic year ahead!
This week, we hosted our first late bus day of the school year. Students had the opportunity to stay after school for extra help from their teachers, attend the Learning Lounge, and also participate in club meetings. Late buses will be available each Wednesday this year. Please begin to encourage your students to utilize the time available during both Lion Time and Late Bus Days.
We launched our first recess with The Freshman Academy this week. The Class of 2029 was elated to engage in a fun break with their friends and take advantage of all the optional activities from line dancing and BINGO to pickle ball and soccer. Team Lionheart, Team Braveclaw, and Team Loyalpaw are all doing a great job implementing our binder and organization system as well as beginning to reflect on their grades and goals for the year.
Have a wonderful weekend FAIRFAX!
Nats Game Field Trip!
Celebrating students for their WIDA growth by taking them to the NATS game!
Included in this issue:
Staff Spotlight
- FHS Bus Driver, Lucas Champion
Program Spotlight
Calendar Reminders
- No School September 9
- Save the Date! Graduation is JUNE 3, 2026 @ 8:30am
- September is Attendance Awareness Month
- Patriot Day, September 11, National Day of Service
Fairfax Lions Need to Know:
- Safety Drills during the School Year
- No-Cost Meals Available September 9
- Digital Consent Form
- FHS Sub School Info
Fairfax Lions Nice to Know:
- SEL Screener Parent Notification and Updates
- Lunch Line Help
- Upcoming Changes to FCPS High School Transcripts
- FCPS Resources
- Quick Links
FHS Bus Driver Celebrates the First Day of School!
FCPS and Fairfax HS bus driver, Lucas Champion, celebrates the first day of school with our students! Watch the NBC News4 story!
FHS Bands "Tag" Day this Saturday, Sept. 6
This Saturday, September 6, the Fairfax High School Band and Color Guard will take part in their annual Tag Day. Tag Day is a tradition that has supported music education in our community for decades. Throughout the day, students will be dressed in uniform, traveling in groups with parent drivers to neighborhoods across the Fairfax High School community. If you aren’t available when they stop by, they will leave information on how you can give. Funds raised on Tag Day are vital to the success of our music program.
Your generosity helps us purchase and repair instruments, provide uniforms and equipment, cover travel expenses for competitions, bring in clinicians to enhance instruction, and offer scholarships so every student can fully participate. Every contribution, large or small, directly supports the students of Fairfax High School and the opportunities they enjoy through music.
If you won’t be home on Saturday, you can still participate by making a donation online at fhsbands.org/tagday. We invite you to join us in showing support for our hardworking students and in keeping this proud tradition alive. On behalf of Fairfax High School, thank you for your generosity and encouragement for our band program. 🎶🎺🥁
🗓️Calendar Reminders
✅Special Election - No School September 9
Virginia Governor, Glenn Youngkin, has set Tuesday, September 9, as the date for a special election in Virginia’s 11th Congressional District. Because more than half of our schools serve as polling locations, the Fairfax County Office of Elections asked us to consider closing for the day. Therefore, all FCPS schools will be closed on Tuesday, September 9, 2025.
Read Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid’s message about this change to the 2025-26 school year calendar.
🎓Save the Dates! Graduation and Prom!
✨ PROM is SATURDAY, MAY 2, 2026 - The Pearl Street Warehouse
@ the Wharf in D.C. More info to come!
September is Attendance Awareness Month
Attendance Matters
Attending school regularly helps students feel better about school — and themselves. See our tips on how to encourage positive school attendance in middle and high school: https://bit.ly/3QwTbn2
When to Stay Home
When should you keep your child home from school? Attendance is critical for student success, but if a child is ill, it may be best to keep them home. See our suggestions for when a sick child should stay home: https://bit.ly/3qoiahm
Please see Fairfax High School attendance info here:
https://fairfaxhs.fcps.edu/about/attendance-reporting
Patriot Day September 11
September 11 National Day of Service
With the upcoming 24th anniversary of September 11, FCPS acknowledges the loss of life, the heroism of our first responders, and the resilience of our country. The September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance, also called Patriot Day, is a chance to reflect and act in service to others to honor those who were injured or killed in the terrorist attacks.
All FCPS students are encouraged to participate in service learning as it supports Portrait of a Graduate (POG) attributes and social and emotional learning (SEL) skills. Middle and high school students can learn more about service learning by logging into their Naviance account to access x2VOL.
Safety Drills during the School Year
Keeping students and staff safe is a priority for FCPS. Each school has an emergency preparedness plan to respond to incidents such as fires and tornadoes. Schools are required by state law to practice emergency drills, including lockdown drills, each year. Schools are also required to notify parents and guardians at least 24 hours before a school conducts a lockdown drill. However, schools are not required to give the specific date and time of the drill in advance.
The first lockdown drill of the school year must take place within the first 20 days of school. Preschool and kindergarten students are exempt from practicing the first lockdown drill.
Your child may come home and talk about their experience during the drill. We encourage you to talk with your child about the importance of being prepared for emergencies. Please review these frequently asked questions to support your students before and after school lockdown drills.
⚠️ Know Our Security Terms
FCPS uses specific terminology to describe the actions school staff and students should take to ensure safety in a variety of situations. It is important for staff, families, and students to understand what the different terms mean and how they impact school operations.
Watch this video to learn about safety terms including lockdown; secure the building; and stay put, stay tuned.
If students, staff, or families have a safety concern at school (that is not an immediate emergency), they should submit a tip to the FCPS Safety Tipline. In an emergency, please call 9-1-1.
No-Cost Meals Available for Students on Sep. 9
As a reminder, all FCPS schools will be closed for students and school staff on September 9 due to a special election in Virginia’s 11th Congressional District. FCPS will provide student meals at a select number of schools at no cost. Please keep in mind that:
- Lunch and a snack will be served together from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Meals must be eaten on site at participating schools.
- Enrichment activities will be available for children. Participation is encouraged but not required.
- Only children 18 and under may receive meals.
- Each child may receive one lunch and one snack.
View a list of school sites that will be providing meals for children on September 9. If you have questions, please contact the Office of Food and Nutrition Services at 703-813-4800.
📝Please Complete the Digital Consent Form
✅ Remember to Complete Permission Forms for School Resources
Families can easily grant permission for their children to access a variety of school resources through the Parent Digital Consent system. Opt your child in or out of a variety of online educational tools and choose how student information is managed.
Please visit the Parent Digital Consent webpage today to access the system. Watch this video to see how to use the tool
FHS Sub School Info
What is a Subschool? A subschool is an office within our school building that works with students and staff from a specific grade or department. These offices help students with check-in and check-out notes, field trip forms, CUE bus passes and the like.
NEW this year, our subschools are by GRADE, not alpha.
Subschool 1 & 2
Room A114
Grade 10 (class of 2028): Asst. Principal Berneatta Barnes
Grade 12 (class of 2026:) Asst. Brian Plancich
Office Assistant: Teri Waters, twaters@fcps.edu; 703-219-2395
Subschool 3 & 4
Room D127
Grade 9 (class of 2029): Asst. Principal Dana Walker
Grade 11 (class of 2027): Asst. Principal Troy Ketch
Admin. Assistant: Blanca Sanchez, bhsanchez@fcps.edu; 703-219-4988
Fairfax Lions Nice to Know:
SEL Screener Parent Notification and Updates
The Fall Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener will be administered to students in grades 3 through 12 in October.
Students use the SEL Screener twice a year to share their perspectives on how well their school and community help them develop skills they need to succeed. The screener works by asking questions or presenting statements that students can think about and respond to. This gives students a way to share how well their school community makes them feel valued, included, and supported.
After each screening, results are available in the Documents tab of SIS ParentVUE and mailed to families without a ParentVUE account. For more information including SEL Screener questions and opt-out information, please visit FCPS’ Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener webpage.
🍎Help Your Child Navigate the Lunch Line
Help your child get through the lunch line quickly and have more time to eat:
- Teach your child their student ID number to receive meals at school.
- Sign up for and add money to MySchoolBucks to purchase meals at school.
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Apply for free and reduced-price meals. Students who were approved for free and reduced-price meals last year are eligible for the first 30 days of school this year (or until a new application is processed). Families should submit a new application as soon as possible, so eligible students continue to receive meals at no cost.
If your child has any food allergies, learn how to submit accommodations for dietary restrictions and allergens.
Access menus for breakfast, lunch, and other school meals, as well as allergen and nutrition information.
Upcoming Changes to FCPS High School Transcripts
To provide a more comprehensive and accurate record of a student's educational journey, FCPS students’ transcripts will now specify the location where certain courses are taken. This change, which the School Board approved in December 2024, will affect courses taken at the following FCPS locations:
- FCPS High School Academies
- FCPS Interagency Alternative Schools
- FCPS Online Campus
- Classes taken concurrently at other FCPS schools
Starting Friday, September 26, students’ transcripts will list these courses under a separate heading for the corresponding program. Transcripts and report cards printed before this date will still show all courses listed under the student's base school.
This update will provide a clearer picture of the diverse academic opportunities our students are pursuing across the district.
If you have any questions, please reach out to our Student Services office.
Get to Know FCPS and the Resources Available to Families
We know that as a parent or caregiver, you play a critical role in your child’s education. The FCPS Family Academy compiles classes, webinars, workshops, and programs offered by the school division to help you support your child’s needs and learning at home.
The Family Academy also includes information about resources to help ensure your child has what they need to succeed. Check out some of the upcoming Family Academy sessions:
- Co-Parenting: Two Parents, Two Homes (available in English and Spanish)
- Loving Solutions
- Military-Connected Youth Family Advisory Council
- Parent Project
- Family Resource Center Webinars on topics including: How to Prepare for School; Building Collaborative Relationships Between Caregivers and Educators; Worried Parents, Anxious Kids; and What Families Need to Know About Drugs for Their Students with Disabilities.
Visit the Family Academy catalog for more information on these sessions and to register to attend.
Quick Links
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