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Upcoming Events
September 22: Cultural Observance Day: Rosh Hashanah (begins at sundown)
September 23: No School - Rosh Hashanah
Sept. 27 - Oct. 5: Blue Star Welcome Week
October 8: SAT School Day and PSAT/NMSQT; No School for 9th grade
October 17: Homecoming Game
October 18: Homecoming Dance
November 3: "Roar Roundup" Parent-Teacher Conferences, Field House
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September 19, 2025
Happy Friday!
It was a truly fabulous week here at Fairfax High School. Our students continue to engage in rigorous tasks and challenge one another's thinking as they dive deeper into their coursework. The energy in our classrooms is a testament to their dedication and our staff's commitment to high-level instruction. IT IS PAWSome.
It is important to reflect on the power of partnerships this week as we had the honor of hosting friends from the Korean school system to observe our school practices and pedagogy. It was a wonderful opportunity to share our work and learn from our international colleagues.
These partnerships continued to strengthen right here at home within our community. We held our first PTSA meeting of the year and have had the opportunity to have great collaboration with our many booster programs as well. We want to encourage all families to get involved with our PTSA or one of our many boosters: Athletics, Theater, MTAS, Choir, Orchestra, and Band. Your involvement is key to our success.
Key Information for the Week Ahead
Next week, we're sharing both attendance report cards and full schedule progress reports. Our commitment is to communicate in multiple ways to guarantee your student's success. One of our School Improvement Goals this year is to achieve less than a 12% chronic absenteeism rate. We want to remind everyone that both excused and unexcused absences impact our school's accountability score. We need you in school EVERY DAY!
These midpoint course performance reports offer a crucial opportunity to plan for success in the remaining weeks of the quarter. Please take a moment to review them with your student and talk about their progress. If your student needs support, we have several resources available: Lion Time, Learning Lounge (on Wednesdays), Varsity Tutors, and Coach Class appointments. Our teachers are also always available to support students—just reach out to make a plan.
Together we ROAR!
Fairfax HS & Fairfax Academy Welcomed visitors from the Sejong City Office of Education in Korea!
Included in this issue:
Calendar Reminders
- Sun Day, September 21
- Rosh Hashanah, September 22-23
- Roar Roundup, November 3
Fairfax Lions Need to Know:
- Bond Referendum
- Boundary Review
- Resources for Life after High School
Fairfax Lions Nice to Know:
- Early Check-Out Procedures
- AP/IB Testing Opt-Out
- PSAT/SAT School Day, October 8 - No School for 9th Grade
- Mock SAT/ACT info
- Quick Links
🗓️Calendar Reminders
🌞 Celebrate Sun Day on September 21
Celebrate the launch of FCPS’ solar initiative and the arrival of 17 new electric school buses at Louise Archer Elementary School on Sunday, September 21, from 10 a.m. to noon. Come learn more about the great work FCPS is doing to reduce its carbon footprint and meet sustainability goals.
Bring the family for live music, solar story time, student-led sustainability demos, and other activities. Register for Sun Day today.
Rosh Hashanah begins Sundown, Sep. 22; Schools and Offices closed Sep. 23
Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown on Monday, September 22. That day is an evening-only observance day. Important events will not be held after school.
Tuesday, September 23, is a holiday for all FCPS students and staff. Schools and offices will be closed.
See the complete school year calendar.
🦁 Save the Date - Roar Roundup November 3
Fairfax High School is excited to welcome back mini-Parent/Teacher Conferences.
The ROAR Round Up will be hosted on Monday, November 3, from 8:30 am-11:30 am, in the Field House.
The field house will be set up with rows of tables, organized by department, with teachers sitting in alphabetical order within each department. They will have signs above their heads so you know who's who.
Lines form in front of each teacher; when it is your turn, step forward and sit down. You will have 4-6 minutes to chat with the teacher. If you request a longer conference, it may be better to work with the teacher or counselor to schedule an appointment for a different time.
How long will it take? It depends on how many other parents are there to see the same teachers as you. If you are the only one in line to see your child's 7 teachers, you could be done in 20-30 minutes. You can come within any time during the 8:30-11:30 window.
More info to come! See you there!
🏗️ Bond Referendum
What Is a Bond? To pay for large-scale construction and renovation work, Fairfax County sells bonds, which allows the county to pay for these projects over time, like a home mortgage. By maintaining its triple-A bond rating, Fairfax County bonds are purchased by institutional investors at very low rates, saving the county considerable amounts of money that might otherwise be paid in interest. The county estimates that the triple-A rating has saved taxpayers at least $1 billion in financing costs.
FCPS uses bonds to fund all of its capital improvement projects – the projects that are focused on the infrastructure of schools and facilities. From important renovations to new safety features like security vestibules, this work is paid for by bonds.
FCPS will have a bond referendum on the ballot this Election Day, Tuesday, November 4. Bonds can make a difference that represent an investment in public education now and in the future.
Read more about the FCPS 2025 Bond Referendum, watch the video, and learn more about registering to vote and making a voting plan.
🗺️ Boundary Review
Participate in an Upcoming Community Boundary Review Meeting
As a reminder, FCPS will hold two sets of community boundary review meetings this fall — one in September and another in October. Each set of meetings will focus on two pyramids per meeting.
All September meetings will include an overview of where FCPS is in the comprehensive boundary review process, an update and opportunity for feedback on school start times, how community input is informing the process, and next steps in the boundary review process.
The meeting for our pyramid will be held [insert event information for your pyramid]. Please register by clicking “in person” or “virtual,” depending on how you would like to participate.
Child care for in-person participants and language interpretation/translation for all participants will be available as needed.
Visit the FCPS website for a full list of meeting dates and information about the October meetings.
🎓Resources for Life After High School
Roadmap to College: What Students Should Do Each Year of High School Join the FCPS Family Resource Center for this engaging and informative webinar on what high school students should do to stand out on college applications. Attend for a guide for families and clear strategies for college preparation and success. This webinar is for families of upper-middle and high school students. Register to attend online on Friday, October 31, from 10 to 11:30 a.m.
College Fair and Postsecondary NightPrepare for your student’s future at College Fair and Postsecondary Night. The annual FCPS College Fair will be held Sunday, October 19, at George Mason University’s Eagle Bank Arena, from 4 to 6 p.m. Approximately 200 colleges and universities will be represented, including two- and four-year schools and U.S. Service Academies.
The virtual postsecondary night event will be held on Tuesday, October 21, from 5 to 8 p.m. Both events will help students prepare for the next chapter of their educational journey. Learn more about the College Fair and postsecondary virtual event.
Financial Aid Resources for Parents and StudentsParents and students in the Class of 2026 are invited to attend a series of workshops designed to help them understand the financial aid and scholarship processes. Join College Access Fairfax at any of the following virtual presentations. Click on a date to join the session:
- Paying for College for Seniors
- Paying for College for Military Families
- FAFSA Line-by-Line
For more information, contact info@collegeaccessfairfax.org.
Be one of the first to submit the 2026-27 FAFSA® form! The U.S. Department of Education is looking for students to help test the 2026-27 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form before it’s released by October 1.
By joining beta testing, students can:
- Submit their 2026–27 FAFSA form early.
- Get a head start on the financial aid process.
- Be part of shaping the future of the FAFSA experience.
Sign up today.
Career and Transition Services (CTS) Presents the Moving on to Life in the Community Resource FairThe Moving on to Life in the Community exhibitor fair will introduce and connect families and students with IEPs to adult service providers and community supports they may need upon exiting the school system. Register to attend the community resource fair at Robinson Secondary School on Thursday, November 6, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Fairfax Lions Nice to Know:
📝 Need to pick up your student early? Please follow our Check-Out Procedures
If you need to pick up your child early from school, please have them drop off a check-out note to their subschool. They will be issued a pink pass allowing them to leave school early. Forms can be found on the school website, or students can pick them up in the subschools.
Please see the attendance info on our school website for all the details.
Please note that we cannot accommodate last-minute check-outs after 2:30pm. Questions, please call the subschools listed above. Thank you for your cooperation!
2025-26 AP/IB Test Opt-Out Timeline and Fees
As part of the FCPS Approved Budget, the fees for the first six AP/IB tests taken for courses in which students are enrolled for high school credit will be paid for by FCPS. Students taking AP tests without enrolling in the corresponding FCPS course are responsible for the test fee(s).
FCPS encourages all students to take AP/IB tests for courses in which they are enrolled. However, students will have the opportunity to opt out of the test(s) by filling out an Opt Out form to be provided by the school. To assist in the decision-making process, students will be provided a report with their previous tests and current AP/IB course enrollment during Lion Time on Thursday, September 25, and must be returned to the Student Services Office (L107) by October 31.
AP students must make Opt Out decisions by October 31st. Student accounts will be billed in December for tests that exceed the six FCPS-funded tests. The nonrefundable fees are $99 per AP exam.
2026 AP Testing
Reference the College Board AP exam dates site for dates of AP Exams.
PSAT/SAT Day
All high schools will administer the PSAT/NMSQT and SAT on Wednesday, October 8, 2025. Standard PSAT/NMSQT and SAT school day testing requires approximately three hours to administer. A two-hour early release is scheduled for all high school and secondary school students on PSAT/SAT Day to provide staff development or to allow teacher-directed time.
High school academy courses will not be held on October 8, 2025, and all high school shuttles are canceled for the day. High school academy staff will support based school activities.
12th Grade - Students who signed up to take the SAT will be in school. Seniors who have not signed up for the SAT will also have an unscheduled school day. Seniors are encouraged to complete any missing work as well as work on their college applications if applicable.
If your student has decided to NOT take the SAT, please have them complete this Google Form. They will need to be logged into their fcpsschools.net account.
10th & 11th Grade - Students are expected to be at school to take the PSAT/NMSQT. If your student is not taking the PSAT/NMSQT, please make sure to notify the appropriate attendance line. Students are already pre-registered by FCPS.
Early Checkout- If you'd like your student to be dismissed early at 11:30 a.m., please fill out the provided form. The deadline for submitting the early dismissal form is noon on October 7, 2025. Parents and guardians will not be permitted to enter the building or check out their student until after 11:30 a.m.
9th Grade - Unscheduled day for most students and they will be at home. Ninth grade students are encouraged to complete any missing work or assignments that need to be completed prior to the end of the first quarter.
**Please note that students with disabilities taught on an adapted curriculum (students receiving low incidence special education services) will continue to receive in-person instruction with a 2-hour early release on October 8.**
If you have questions about the PSAT/NMSQT administration or alternative activities, please contact Leslie Trieu latrieu@fcps.edu.
Mock SAT (digital) or Mock ACT (paper)
FHS Academic Boosters is partnering with Applerouth Tutoring to offer the Mock SAT (digital format) and the Mock ACT (paper format) exams twice this school year: Saturday, November 1st and Saturday, March 7th.
This is a perfect opportunity for students who haven’t started their testing to become familiar with the format in a stress-free environment at FHS for only $25. Students will receive detailed score reports to help them determine which areas they need to study.
Students taking the Mock SAT must bring a fully charged computer.
NOVEMBER 1 TESTS:
1. Mock (digital) SAT registration (limited to 75): Cost $25
2. Mock (paper) ACT registration (limited to 50): Cost $25
MARCH 7 TESTS:
1. Mock (digital) SAT registration (limited to 75): Cost $25
2. Mock (paper) ACT registration (limited to 50): Cost $25
Questions: Academicboosters@fairfaxptsa.org
Quick Links
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