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 Every day, Key Center staff work hard to support students, build inclusion, and create positive learning experiences for all. Now is your chance to help recognize someone who truly goes above and beyond.
Fairfax County Public Schools is accepting nominations for the First-Class Awards. These awards honor individuals and teams who support, design, or lead inclusive practices that benefit students with disabilities and their peers.
We encourage families to nominate a Key Center staff member who:
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Shows excellence in their role
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Has a positive impact on both disabled and non-disabled students
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Helps create a welcoming, inclusive school community
There are many award categories, including teachers, administrators, instructional assistants, therapists, support staff, teams, and specialty program staff. This means many different Key Center staff members are eligible to be nominated.
If there is someone at Key Center who has made a difference for your child or family, please consider submitting a nomination. Your voice matters, and this is a meaningful way to say thank you.
Nominations are due by February 20, 2026.
Please use the nomination form to share how an administrator, staff member, or team has made an exceptional contribution to inclusive practices in FCPS.
Thank you for helping us celebrate the incredible people who make Key Center such a special place for our students.
 We are excited that the Key Center Rockets team will be participating in the Mosaic Polar Plunge on Saturday, January 24th, 2026! This event benefits Virginia Special Olympics, an organization that provides sports training and athletic competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Key Center PTA receives 50% of the total funds raised by the Key Center Rockets team! This exceptional percentage means your support directly translates into resources for our students.
We still have a lot of ground to cover in order to meet our fundraising goal for the year, but we can do it!
Here are a few ways you can help:
❄️ Share our team fundraising page with friends and family or post it on social media and ask for donations.
❄️ Recruit a new team member to join our team.
- From the fundraising page, they should click “Join Team.”
- On the registration page, they must select “School Team Registration” (not Mosaic Polar Plunge Registration) so they are added to our school team.
Thank you so much for supporting our students and our PTA. Every share, donation, and team member truly makes a difference!
Note: All donations are tax-deductible, another great reason to make this a part of your donations in 2026!
 Fairfax County is seeing very high levels of influenza (flu) illness. Visits to emergency departments and urgent care centers for flu-like illness have increased, especially among children, and multiple flu outbreaks have occurred in our community and school settings.
Consider these tips from the Fairfax County Health Department to help reduce the spread of flu and other germs.
 The Lewis Museum of Service is being hosted in the Key Middle School Library for the first two weeks of January. This student-created, traveling museum highlights powerful stories of service and community impact.
Librarian Monisha Blair has ensured that this museum experience is accessible for Key Center students by including adaptations such as picture symbols and visual supports.Students from the Key Center 17–22 program (Sontag and Stewart classes) contributed a special exhibit honoring disability rights advocate Judy Heumann which became a valuable addition to the museum.
Read the full story and see how our students engaged with the exhibit in this feature on the Key Center website.
 This workshop is intended for family members of students with Autism and/or Intellectual Disabilities. Topics covered will include:
- Understanding why challenging behaviors happen
- How to prevent challenging behaviors from happening
- How to respond and stay safe when challenging behaviors do happen
January 21st, 2026
Choose one virtual session:
10:00am - 11:30am or 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Join using this meeting link
All family members and caregivers are welcome to attend ABA Family Training. No registration is needed.
To request an interpreter, contact Stephanie Watkins at (571) 423-4110 or by email at sawatkins@fcps.edu and provide your name and contact information (phone number and/or email).
For additional questions, contact Tina Wilkerson by email at twilkerson@fcps.edu.
 Get ready to show your Key Center pride! We’re excited to announce that the Key Center Spirit Wear online store will be opening soon. Families will be able to shop a variety of spirit wear items—perfect for students, staff, and supporters.
🛍️ Store Opens: January 19th
🛍️ Orders Close: February 6th
Look for a flyer in your student’s backpack with ordering information early next week!
 Tuesday, January 27, 2026 - Zoom 6 to 7 p.m.
Military families face special challenges and stressors during their service to our country. Deployments, frequent moves, and the demanding nature of military life can be stressful on spouses, children, and service members alike. These challenges can often lead to feelings of isolation, anxiety, or burnout.
The mental health and emotional well-being of our military families is important. This workshop will provide insights and resources to help build resilience during difficult times. Representatives from Military OneSource, Military and Family Life Counselors (MFLCs), and the Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Department of Special Services (DSS) will present and share information during this workshop.
This virtual event will be held via Zoom on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, from 6 to 7 p.m. Register using this form to receive the Zoom link.
 The Smithsonian Accessibility Program invites families to attend a Morning at the Museum program at the National Museum of African American History and Culture on Sunday, February 8, from 8:00–10:00 a.m.
This special early-morning event gives visitors time to explore the entire museum. Guests will also be able to visit the soon-to-open exhibition, “At the Vanguard: Making and Saving History at HBCUs.”
Registration is required. Families can sign up through the museum’s ticketing platform. For questions or help with registration, families should contact the Smithsonian Accessibility Coordinator by email at KunynskyjL@si.edu.
 Tuesday, January 20, 2026 | 5:30 - 6:30 pm
This virtual presentation is sponsored by PEATC in partnership with Winchester Public Schools
There are state government benefits available to individuals with disabilities. It’s important to understand that benefits such as personal assistance and community support can play an important role in planning for the future. Navigating state disability services can be difficult, time-consuming, and overwhelming. This workshop explains Virginia’s Medicaid Waivers, eligibility for services, and how to obtain this state benefit. *Spanish interpretation available*
Click here for more information on the Disability Benefits webinar.
 Sensory Saturdays at Beloved Yoga Studio
Fairfax County Therapeutic Recreation Services offers Sensory Saturdays. These are monthly sensory-friendly experiences for individuals with disabilities and their families, hosted by Beloved Yoga Studio in Reston.
Dental Care - Local and Regional Resources
The following is a list of dental care providers in Fairfax County and surrounding area that offer low cost or sliding-fee dental services to low-income families. Please call them for information about services offered, eligibility, and costs.
- HealthWorks, 703-443-2000, press 2 for dental services
- Howard University School of Dentistry, 202-806-0007
- Neighborhood Health, 703-535-5568, press 9 for dental services
- Northern Virginia Community College Restorative Clinic, 703-822-6607
- Northern Virginia Dental Clinic, 703-820-7170
- Washington Hospital Center, 202-877-6737
More information is available on the Fairfax County Health Department website.
SibShops and SibTeen
These workshops are offered on January 29th from 9AM to Noon at the Jim Scott Community Center in Fairfax.
The SibShops workshops are for children in grades 2-6 enrolled in Fairfax County Public Schools who have siblings with support needs to meet other siblings in a relaxed setting. Celebrate the many contributions made by brothers and sisters of children with special needs, share sibling experiences, and receive peer support. Play games and have fun. This program has reached the registration limit, but a waitlist for SibShops can be accessed here.
SibTeen is a community-building group for Middle School siblings of children with support needs in grades 6-9 enrolled in Fairfax County Public Schools. We have fun activities, both recreational and art-based, as well as discussion activities. It’s a unique opportunity for students to share about their lives and support each other while normalizing their life experiences. Register for SibTeen here.
Food Assistance and Resource Guide
Food insecurity impacts more than 96,000 Fairfax County residents. Learn how to help and discover the many resources available to support those who need food assistance or shelter. View the county’s Human Services Resource Guide.
Workshops and Webinars
Visit the Family Academy Catalog to learn more about other resources.
 Not yet a member of our PTA? We would love to have you join! You can also support Key Center by volunteering with our PTA or making a donation through our Educate Fairfax site.
Key Center PTA Membership
Key Center PTA Volunteer Opportunities
Key Center PTA donations
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January 19
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Martin Luther King Jr. Day & Orthodox Epiphany- School Holiday
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January 28
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End of 2nd Quarter - 2 hour Early Release - 11:40am
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January 29
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Staff Development Day- Student Holiday
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January 30
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Teacher Workday - Student Holiday
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February 16
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Presidents’ Day - Holiday
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