A first grade student works in art class at Newington Forest Elementary School.
April Statewide Election: No School for Students
There will be no school for students on Tuesday, April 21, for the Virginia statewide election. Student activities, athletic practices, and events may proceed as scheduled. Principals and directors of student activities may adjust event start times and entry points to ensure clear separation between student activity areas and polling spaces.
Fairfax County Public Schools will still exceed the required number of instructional hours for students, as set by the Virginia Department of Education.
FCPS Teachers and staff should check their email for a message from the division (sent this morning, March 11) with additional details.
County Seeking Budget Input
About 70% of the FCPS budget comes from the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. They are currently reviewing the county’s 2027 Fiscal Year Advertised Budget and are considering possible adjustments before the final county budget is adopted in May.
Provide the county with feedback by completing this survey.
Reid Reads Across Fairfax
Wondering how a school superintendent celebrates Read Across America Week? Find out in Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid’s Weekly Reflections!
Your Voice Matters!
Family Engagement Survey Open Through March 23
The FCPS Family Engagement Survey is open! Your feedback is critical in helping us to better recognize, understand, respect, and address family strengths and needs in our schools.
Survey topics include:
- Welcoming environment.
- Communication.
- Student success.
- Advocacy.
- Family and school partnerships.
- Community partnerships.
The survey will be available in English, Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Pashto, Spanish, Urdu, and Vietnamese.
Parents/caregivers received a survey link via email from FCPS on Monday, March 9. The survey is also available on the FCPS website. Paper surveys will be available at each school. The survey will close Monday, March 23.
Community Conversations: Share Your Thoughts With Dr. Reid
Connecting with community members across Fairfax County is critical to Dr. Reid. Her Community Conversations are opportunities for you to share your thoughts and ask questions. Events will be held this spring (from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., unless otherwise noted) on:
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Tuesday, March 17, from 6:45 to 7:45 p.m., at Glen Forest Elementary School.
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Monday, March 23, at Ravensworth Elementary School.
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Monday, April 13, at Belle View Elementary School.
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Monday, April 20, at Westgate Elementary School.
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Wednesday, April 22, at Crestwood Elementary School.
Click on a date to register to attend that event. Registration is not required, but helps with planning, especially for child care and interpretation services.
Events are open to all. Visit the superintendent’s engagement webpage for the most up-to-date information.
Presidential Scholars Candidates Include 80 FCPS Students
The 2026 U.S. Presidential Scholars candidates have been announced, and 80 are from FCPS! They are part of a group of 5,000 students from around the country selected for the honor and represent more than 38% of Virginia’s candidates. See the list of scholar candidates.
2026 Student Peace Awards Honor 37 FCPS Students
Students from 28 Fairfax County public schools have been named recipients of the 2026 Student Peace Awards of Fairfax County. The awards are designed to recognize young people who work as peacemakers. Read about the students and their projects.
Centreville High School Prom Dress Shop Open this Weekend
All students with financial challenges throughout the greater Washington region have a chance to get free prom gear this weekend. Marketing students from Centreville High School and the Fair Oaks Classroom on the Mall program will open their Prom Dress Shop on Friday, March 13, at Centreville High School.
Read more about the annual Prom Dress Shop.
Celebrating Art and Music in Our Schools
In March, we recognize the importance of arts education in fostering student creativity, confidence, and critical thinking.
This wouldn’t be possible without talented educators like Andrew Sharrock, band teacher at Glasgow Middle School, who was named Outstanding Secondary School Teacher at last year’s FCPS Honors celebration. Read about Sharrock and the Glasgow band program.
Four FCPS Teachers Among Wolf Trap Grant Winners for Performing Arts
Sharrock is one of four FCPS middle and high school teachers who will receive grants from the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts. These grants fund music, dance, and theater projects in public school classrooms in Northern Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. Read about the winners and their projects.
Introducing Students to Classical Music Through Soccer
As part of our Spotlight video series, hear from Brandon Morris, an FCPS Outstanding Elementary New Teacher finalist and music teacher at Chesterbrook Elementary School. Morris explains the link between Georg Frideric Handel’s “Zadok the Priest” and a famous soccer anthem.
Sleep Awareness Week
The National Sleep Foundation’s Sleep Awareness Week is March 8 to 14. The observance highlights the critical link between sleep and health, both physical and mental. Read more about sleep health and sleep strategies you can try at home.
Readers Are Leaders: Building Confidence — One Book at a Time
Each week, members of the boys basketball team from Herndon High School trade in their practice shoes for storybooks as they travel down the road to Herndon Elementary School to read alongside their younger buddies.
The visits are part of the Readers Are Leaders initiative, a program designed to strengthen literacy while building meaningful relationships between students of different ages. Read more about the Readers are Leaders program at Herndon.
Students Talk Sports Injuries, Mobile Gaming, and Mental Health in Public Speaking Program
Thirty students gather before the school day starts several times a month to hone their presentation skills and get feedback from teachers and peers on refining their very own TED Talks. Learn more about Kent Garden Elementary School’s public speaking program.
When Cell Phones are Down, Learning and Engagement Are Up
Cell phones can significantly impact academic performance. Research has shown that it takes students 10 minutes or more to shift their focus back to learning after being interrupted by a single cell phone notification!
Keep students focused on learning by helping our schools stay phone-free. Here are some helpful tips:
- Remind your child about the FCPS cell phone policy and tell them why you support it.
- Contact your school’s front office (rather than your child directly) if there is a family emergency during the school day.
- Text or call your child about non-urgent matters before or after the school day.
Visit our cell phone policy webpage for more information and answers to frequently asked questions.
Family Academy Offers Support to Parents and Guardians
The FCPS Family Academy offers resources and in-person and virtual classes, workshops, webinars, and programs for families. The following webinars and workshops will take place in April:
- Co-Parenting: Two Parents, Two Homes (in Spanish)
- The Connected Family: Navigating the Digital World Together
- Introduction to Career Pathways for Students
- Getting to Know Fairfax County Public Schools: A Family Orientation (for military families)
- Sibshops and SibTeens (for siblings of students with support needs)
There will also be Family Resource Center webinars on topics including developing organizational skills with your child and literacy instruction for students with significant disabilities.
Visit the Family Academy Catalog to explore these and other resources.
Calendar Reminders
Eid al-Fitr and Nowruz (evening-only observance day, holiday)
Thursday, March 19, is an evening-only observance day for Eid al-Fitr, which begins at sundown. Friday, March 20, is a holiday, and all schools and offices are closed. See the complete school year calendar.
71st Annual Regional Science Fair
The 71st annual Fairfax County Regional Science and Engineering Fair will take place at Robinson Secondary School on the weekend of March 13 to 15.
The fair is open to the public on Sunday, March 15, from 1 to 3 p.m. Community members are invited to see the project displays and congratulate our high school student participants. Visit the science fair webpage for more information.
ACE March Madness Sale!
Pick your learning bracket and save! From Saturday, March 14, to Monday, March 16, you can buy multiple classes from FCPS Adult and Community Education and save 10%, 15%, or even 20% off your tuition. Build your bracket with two or more classes and build your savings. See details and save on learning that won’t bust your wallet!
Virginia’s Governor Wants to Hear From You About Virginia’s Public Schools
The Virginia Department of Education offers a survey for Virginians to submit feedback on public schools. Let our governor know what a successful school looks like to you, and what challenges or barriers are currently preventing students from thriving. The survey will close on Friday, April 10.
State Seeks Input on Fine Arts Standards of Learning
The Virginia Department of Education has initiated a process to review and revise the K-12 Fine Arts Standards of Learning. It is anticipated that the review will be completed by June 2027.
An important part of the review process for the Fine Arts Standards of Learning is requesting comments from classroom teachers, students, parents, administrators, curriculum supervisors, fine arts educators, and other groups who have worked with the current standards.
Comments may be submitted via the 2020 Fine Arts SOL Public Comment Form. Public comments will be received for Visual Arts, Music, Theatre Arts, and Dance Arts through Monday, March 30.
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