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Upcoming Events
November 26, 27 & 28: Thanksgiving Break; FCPS buildings and offices closed.
December 8: Religious/Cultural Observance: Bodhi Day
December 16: PTSA Meeting, 7pm, and ANG Meeting, 8pm - both in the Library
December 22 - January 2: Winter Break, No School
January 5: School resumes, FHS Blue Day
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🦃🍁🍂Happy Thanksgiving!
November 25, 2025
Dear Fairfax High School Families,
As we pause this week to celebrate Thanksgiving, I want to extend my deepest appreciation to our entire community. I want to thank all of our families, faculty, and community partners for making this school a truly PAWSome place. Your unwavering support for our students is the foundation of our success.
One of the things I am most grateful for is the opportunity to work and serve alongside each of you. Your belief in our students’ potential inspires our work and drives our achievements.
From our family to yours, we wish you a peaceful, joyful, and relaxing time off. Happy Thanksgiving! 🦁
Included in this issue:
Student Spotlight
- Geospatial Alumni Students
Community Spotlight
- Please Donate to the Red Bag Program
Calendar Reminders
- Thanksgiving, Nov. 27
- National Special Education Day, Dec. 2
- Next Saturday School Dec. 6
- Principal's Coffee, Friday, Dec. 12
Fairfax Lions Need to Know:
- Second Late Bus Day Added
- Action Required for Google Tools
- Feed the Den Food Drive
- Student Services Updates
- Weather Closings
Fairfax Lions Nice to Know:
- Yearbook Senior Ads
- ACE Classes Black Friday Sale
- Apply Anytime for Free & Reduced-Price Meals
- Monitoring Support for Your Child in ParentVUE
- SEL Screener Parent Reports Now Available
- Quick Links
Geospatial Alumni Visit
Two FHS alumni, Emma and Katharine (class of 2023), who took Geospatial Analysis at Fairfax, recently visited to share their GIS experiences at Virginia Tech and offerings through VT's College of Natural Resources and Environment.
Geospatial Analysis, a dual-enrollment class through JMU focusing on GIS mapping projects, will be rebranded as “Earth Science 2: Geospatial Analysis” in 2026-2027. As part of this rebranding, the course will once again count as a graduation science! Students - if you’re looking for a valuable skillset to pair with your future major or career, be sure to stop by A140 and see Mr. Smolinski.
Food for Others RED BAG Program
More than 10,000 students at 56 local middle and high schools in Northern Virginia rely on Food For Neighbors for food support. Our Red Bag Program unites communities to collect and deliver food directly to FAIRFAX HIGH SCHOOL, ensuring students in need don’t go hungry. What started in Herndon, VA, is now growing across Northern Virginia.
Food For Neighbors is helping students thrive by turning community kindness into nourishing meals.
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Have you seen the RED BAGS in your neighborhood? Donate food and leave it on your doorstep to be picked up.
Make a Difference TODAY!
Request a RED BAG
Make a DONATION
Get INVOLVED
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🗓️Calendar Reminders
Happy Thanksgiving!
Schools and offices will be closed Wed. - Fri., November 26 to 28. Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving! Classes will resume on Monday, December 1, Gray Day for FHS. See the complete school year calendar.
National Special Education Day, Dec. 2
National Special Education Day is recognized each year on December 2 and commemorates President Gerald Ford’s signing of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1975. We celebrate our teachers and staff who serve and support our students receiving special education services, as well as our families who are partners in the education and support of those students!
Learn more about the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
Special Education Resources for Families
Fairfax County Public Schools has the following resources available to help assist families of students with special needs.
- The Office of Special Education Procedural Support helps staff, families, and students with the implementation of and compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, as amended.
- Kathy Murphy, the assistant ombuds for special education, provides information and support to caregivers and students regarding special education and Section 504 services. Contact the Ombuds Office by submitting a question, calling 571-423-4014, or emailing ombuds@fcps.edu.
Additionally, the Virginia Department of Education has updated the Virginia Family's Guide to Special Education. This state guide was developed to help those involved in special education including families, teachers, school administrators, advocates, and students.
Next Saturday School is Dec. 6
Please Note: There is NO Saturday School on Nov. 29th due to the Thanksgiving Holiday.
The next Saturday School being held is Dec. 6. No signup required, and snacks provided! Transportation is on your own. Students should enter the building at Door 1, check in at the Security Desk, and report to the Library.
Next Principal's Coffee December 12
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The next Principal's Coffee will be held on Friday, December 12, from 7:30-8:30am in the Career Center. Visitors must sign in at the kiosk in the main office. |
🚌 Second Late Bus Day Added!
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A second late bus day was added to the FHS schedule, so our late bus days are now Wednesdays AND Thursdays. Students must be signed in with a teacher, coach or club and receive a bus pass from them in order to ride the late bus. |
💻 Action Required! Update Your Permission for Google Tools
Google recently made changes to how educational applications are managed and accessed on the Chrome Browser and Chromebooks. Many applications are moving from the Chrome Web Store to the Google Play Store.
To ensure your student(s) 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 for these two new options through our easy-to-use Parent Digital Consent system:
- 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.
Food Drive Extended to December 9!
The Feed the Den Food Drive has been extended to DECEMBER 9.
All proceeds get donated to Fairfax Food Pantry!
Families, check in with your students - it's a grade-level competition! Items should be dropped off in the front office, and labeled with your student's GRADE. Canned Products Only, please! Thank you for your support 🙏💙
Student Services Updates
Graduation Status: New Feature in ParentVUE and StudentVUE
A new graduation status section is now available in ParentVUE and StudentVUE. The Graduation Status is a tool that helps parents and students monitor and track their progress in meeting graduation requirements. This feature includes progress towards the Standard or Advanced Studies diploma for high school students and middle school students who have enrolled in one or more high school courses. This new graduation status section is available in addition to the course history and unofficial transcript options in ParentVUE and StudentVUE.
To view the graduation status section, please take the following steps:
- Login to your SIS ParentVUE Account
- Go to “Course History” for your middle or high school student
- Go to “Graduation Status” and toggle “on”
For questions about graduation requirements, please contact your school counselor. Additional information about ParentVue is available on the following website: https://www.fcps.edu/resources/technology/student-information-system-sis-fcps/sis-parent-account-overview.
Weather Closings
 ❄️ 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, the new FCPS mobile app, and news stations. Learn more about how schedule changes are communicated.
Be sure to plan for the winter season. 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
We 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. View 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.
Fairfax Lions Nice to Know:
🎓📖 Yearbook Senior Ads
Hello Fairfax Families!
We know you have a whole collection of baby pictures of your Senior just waiting for their senior ad. Here's your chance! Design and create a senior ad to help them celebrate this milestone in their 2026 Fairfax High School Yearbook. A senior ad is a wonderful way to commemorate not only your child’s time at high school, but to celebrate the young adult they’ve become—the person you helped to shape. There are several sizes available from 1/8 of a page to a full page dedicated entirely to your student. And remember, yearbooks are forever, so be sure to grab yours before room in our book runs out.
CLICK HERE to see the options and get started. The deadline to purchase an ad is December 15, 2025.
🚘📝 ACE Black Friday Sale
FCPS ACE Black Friday Sale: Save 20% Off Driver’s Ed and SAT Prep Classes!Save 20% when you register for any of the hundreds of classes offered through FCPS 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.
This offer cannot be combined with any other discount and does not apply to gift card purchases.
Apply Anytime for Free & Reduced-Price Meals
Families are encouraged to apply for free and reduced-price meals at any time during the school year.
If your income changes — for example, due to a furlough, layoff, or job loss — you may become newly eligible. Once approved, your benefits stay active for the rest of the school year and for the first 30 days of the next school year.
Students who qualify for free and reduced-price meals or attend a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) school receive free breakfast and lunch every school day. It’s a great way to make your food budget go further and save time from packing meals. Learn more about FCPS Food and Nutrition.
Impact of Federal Shutdown on Local CommunityFairfax County is home to around 80,000 federal employees and thousands of federal contractors. Its Federal Workforce Resource Hub is intended to help navigate current and future issues for residents, government employees, active military/veterans, contractors, nonprofits, and businesses who may be affected by actions, changes, or disruptions to federal services or employment.
Find more community resources available to families.
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 gets 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. We will share information about your child’s individual learning, needs, and progress.
You may view your child's intervention plans and progress in SIS ParentVUE. Expect progress to be updated quarterly, with report card due dates.
Social and Emotional Learning 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 how well 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 the week of November 17. For families who do not have an active ParentVUE account, results will be shared by our school.
For support in understanding your individual student’s results or for ideas on how to support them at home, please review the Family Guide or reach out to school staff.
Quick Links
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Do you want to celebrate a Fairfax employee who does ordinary things in an extraordinary way? Or goes beyond what is expected? If so, then click here to share with everyone. |
throughout the year:
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