Sisters from Frost Middle School, Anne (left) and Hannah Przydzial, celebrate after the Fairfax County cross country championship.
📓 Help Us Write FCPS’ Next Chapter: Fiscal Year 2027 Budget
There’s a story behind the success of every FCPS student — a story about what’s possible when FCPS receives the appropriate funding for world-class teachers, rigorous academics, and future-ready learning experiences. At FCPS, student success starts with a strong budget!
We’re currently developing our Fiscal Year 2027 Budget, which will be presented by Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid to the School Board in January.
During this process, we’ll be sharing our budget story with you. The different chapters will explain the impact of chronic underfunding, why strong funding benefits all of Fairfax County, what’s at stake when our schools don’t get the support they need, and what Fairfax County residents can do to support our schools, students, and teachers.
We invite you to follow along and learn how you can help our community write its next chapter!
❄️ Prepare for Winter Weather
Winter weather will be here before you know it! Watch this video to see how weather closing decisions are made at FCPS.
FCPS’ website is generally the first place to find out about emergency weather closings. Other communication channels will be used as quickly as possible, including email, text, social media, and news stations. Learn more about how schedule changes are communicated.
Be sure to plan for the winter season. Verify and update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE, bookmark the FCPS website, and arrange emergency child care if needed.
⛄ Keep Your Child Warm During Outdoor Activities
Your school’s principal will monitor the weather for low temperatures, wind chill advisories and warnings, and weather advisories that may prevent children from being outside. Make sure your child is dressed appropriately with a warm coat and other cold-weather clothing, so they can comfortably enjoy their time outdoors. See the National Weather Service’s tips on staying safe during cold weather.
If you need assistance getting cold-weather clothing for your family, please call Fairfax County Coordinated Services Planning (CSP) at 703-222-0880. Their multilingual staff can assist with any challenges you are facing, including food, shelter, employment, financial assistance, and health.
🦃 Community Meal Nights Hosted by FCPS
The FCPS Office of Food and Nutrition Services will host dinners for our students, families, and anyone in the community who needs a meal this month! These dinners will offer a welcoming environment where families can connect over a warm meal.
Enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving-inspired dinner from 6 to 7 p.m. on:
Meals will be offered at no cost for both children and adults on a first-come, first-served basis. No registration is required, and you do not need to be an FCPS student or family to receive a meal.
Learn more about the meal and view the full menu.
🏈 Reid All About It: Oakton Flags Down Inaugural Championship
In her Weekly Reflections, Dr. Reid congratulated the Oakton High School Girls Flag Football Team, which won the first FCPS championship in the sport. There were 775 athletes in the inaugural program. Read more about flag football in Weekly Reflections.
Volunteer FCPS Helps Community Members Connect With Schools
The new volunteer management system, Volunteer FCPS, allows individuals to search and register for volunteer opportunities across the division or at their local school.
Volunteer FCPS is how FCPS provides a safe, consistent, and welcoming environment at all of our schools. Anyone interested in volunteering with FCPS must:
- Create a profile in Volunteer FCPS.
- Register for opportunities through Volunteer FCPS.
- Sign in and out of schools using the visitor kiosk on EVERY visit – no exceptions.
Recent Updates to Volunteer Opportunity Levels
Due to the overwhelming response from our community, FCPS is temporarily pausing fingerprint requirements for most Level 3 volunteers. Those who have already been fingerprinted will be processed to be eligible for all Level 3 opportunities.
Field trip chaperone opportunities will now be classified as Level 2 (not requiring a comprehensive background check that includes fingerprinting).
To ensure continuous safety, all new volunteers are required to sign a Volunteer Certification Statement. This statement is a legal confirmation that you have no history of violent felonies, physical or sexual crimes against children, or crimes of moral turpitude (dishonesty, fraud, things that are immoral by society’s standards).
By visiting the Volunteer FCPS website, individuals can complete a volunteer orientation.
💻 Action Required! Update Your Permission for Google Tools
Google recently made changes to how educational applications are managed and accessed on the Chrome web browser and Chromebooks. Many applications are moving from the Chrome Web Store to the Google Play Store.
To ensure your child can continue accessing all approved instructional tools, FCPS has updated its digital consent platform to include both the Chrome Web Store and the Google Play Store.
Please review and provide your consent through our easy-to-use Parent Digital Consent system for these two new options:
- Additional Google Services – Chrome Web Store
- Additional Google Services – Google Play Store
Thank you for your continued partnership in supporting safe and effective digital learning experiences for all students. For questions or support, please visit FCPS’ Family Technology Resources page or open a ticket with our Technical Support desk.
Parents Can Manage Screen Time on FCPS Devices
FCPS offers the Lightspeed Parent Portal to help you manage screen time on your child's FCPS device at home. With a Parent Portal account, you can control your child’s access to YouTube and pause website browsing during after-school hours.
Please note that parent controls are active only during after-school hours, defined as Monday through Friday from 3:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. (including student holidays) and all day Saturday and Sunday.
If you haven't signed up for the portal yet, use the link at the bottom of your weekly Lightspeed Online Student Activity Report email. To learn more, please visit the Lightspeed Parent Portal page.
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener: Parent Reports
Students in grades 3-12 took the SEL Screener last month, providing information on skills like achieving goals, understanding and managing emotions, establishing and maintaining relationships, and making responsible decisions. The screener also asks students whether their school community makes them feel valued, included, and supported.
Individual student SEL Screener results will be available to families in the Documents section of SIS ParentVUE this week. For families who do not have an active ParentVUE account, printed results will be shared by the school.
For support in understanding your child’s results or for ideas on how to support them at home, please review the Family Guide or reach out to your school-based mental health team.
Monitoring Support for Your Child in ParentVUE
All FCPS schools use an approach called Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) to make sure every student recieves the help they need to learn.
MTSS helps school teams deliver high-quality instruction for all students and provide extra time, support, and interventions as needed. Families are partners in this process. Your child’s school will share information about their individual learning, needs, and progress.
To see your child's intervention plans and progress, log in to SIS ParentVUE. Families can expect progress to be updated quarterly.
🗓️ Save the Date: Special Education Conference
The 2026 Special Education Family Conference will be held on Saturday, March 21, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at Marshall High School. Families, educators, and community members are invited to this no-cost, in-person event to learn more about special education services, supports, and resources.
The call for proposals will begin after Thanksgiving break. Event registration will be available following winter break. Mark your calendar and stay tuned for more details! For additional questions, please email SpecialEdFamilyConf@fcps.edu.
🏫 School Board Votes on Programming for New Western High School
At last week’s meeting, the School Board approved making the new western high school a comprehensive high school with traditional boundaries. The new high school will also have a special programming pathway option. It will open in the 2026-27 school year for students in grades 9 and 10 who opt in to attend the school. Watch the presentation.
🏅 ESPN Recognizes Special Olympics Excellence at Bush Hill Elementary
Bush Hill Elementary School is celebrating a banner year. The school has been named to the 2025 ESPN Honor Roll for its exemplary and inclusive Unified Special Olympics programming. The distinction comes as Bush Hill is named a Special Olympics Unified Champion School for the second time. Read more about Bush Hill’s incredible programs.
🪨 Fairfax Villa Elementary Students “Rock” World Kindness Day
At Fairfax Villa Elementary School, students in the Peer Buddies program worked together last week to paint “kindness rocks” and color notes of encouragement. These will be placed around school grounds to remind everyone of the importance of warmth and compassion in honor of World Kindness Day, which was celebrated on November 13. Read more about the festivities.
✨ The Peer Buddies program and the Fairfax Villa Kindness Rocks project demonstrate schools meeting the 2023-30 FCPS Strategic Plan Goal 2: Safe, Supported, Included, and Empowered.
Advancing Family Partnerships: Amal Elsayed Makes a Lasting Impact
November is Family Engagement Month, a time when FCPS pauses to honor the essential role families play as a child’s first and most influential teachers. It is also an important moment to recognize the individuals across our division who nurture these partnerships every day. Among them is a dedicated advocate, Amal Ibrahim Elsayed, Family Resource Center liaison at the Dunn Loring Center.
Read more about Amal’s incredible impact.
📍Superintendent’s Boundary Review Advisory Committee Meeting Update
The Superintendent’s Boundary Review Advisory Committee met last Wednesday. View Superintendent Reid’s meeting recap as well as the meeting agenda and other materials that advisory committee members received. You may also learn more about the comprehensive boundary review and sign up for our School Boundary Review newsletter.
Inclusive Practices Across FCPS
In the Academic Matters portion of last week’s School Board meeting, Dr. Reid presented on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and inclusive practices in FCPS, which are part of the 2023-30 Strategic Plan’s Goal 2: Safe, Supported, Included, and Empowered.
UDL helps educators minimize any barriers to learning. Every student is unique, and UDL helps guide teachers and provides the tools they need to be flexible and meet the needs of each unique student.
Inclusive practices aim to create a school environment where all students — no matter their background, abilities, or needs — can learn together in the same classrooms. This helps everyone grow, learn from each other, and achieve their full potential. FCPS is committed to helping every student feel included and supported.
Read more about UDL and inclusive practices at FCPS in Dr. Reid’s Weekly Reflections. See the presentation slides or watch the Academic Matters presentation.
🎁 Support FCPS Students Through Educate Fairfax This Holiday Season
Educate Fairfax exists to support FCPS students, educators, and families. Thanks to your generosity, the foundation invested $1.27 million last year to expand our students’ access and opportunities, support staff, and strengthen alumni and community engagement.
Educate Fairfax offers various opportunities to support our teaching and learning community. Last year, the Educate Fairfax Grants program reached more than 36,000 students across 100 schools. This fall, they received a record 258 applications from 136 schools, yet they can only fund about half. For every supported project, another meaningful idea must wait.
Your support can also make a meaningful difference for students and families facing food insecurity. Partnering with FCPS Food and Nutrition Services, the foundation helps provide meals over long breaks from school, easing the financial and emotional challenges for families. This is why your partnership matters.
As 2025 closes, we invite you to join the 25 for 2025 Giving Challenge. Whether you donate $25 or $25,000, your support fuels innovation and helps every student thrive. Watch how Educate Fairfax makes a difference. Please consider giving today.
🗓️ Calendar Reminder: Thanksgiving
Schools and offices will be closed Wednesday, November 26, through Friday, November 28, for the Thanksgiving holiday.
See the complete school year calendar.
Note: FCPS This Week will not be distributed on Wednesday, November 26, due to the Thanksgiving holiday.
FCPS ACE Black Friday Sale: Save 20% Off Driver’s Ed and SAT Prep Classes!
‘Tis the season for learning! And you can save 20% when you register for any of the hundreds of classes offered through FCPS Adult and Community Education (ACE) from 6 p.m. on Thursday, November 27, through 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, November 30!
Register for as many classes as you want — adult learning courses, SAT prep courses, or driver education classes for your teen (including Behind-the-Wheel) — and even gift them to friends and family. Visit the ACE website for details.
Please Note: This offer cannot be combined with any other discount and does not apply to gift card purchases.
Quick Links
|
