CSMS News You Choose April 21
Fairfax County Public Schools sent this bulletin at 04/21/2026 11:42 AM EDT
A message from Principal Laxton
Dear Sandburg Families,
We hope you had a wonderful week! Thank you for your continued partnership in supporting our students and school community.
FCPS Student Experience Survey
Our school will participate in the FCPS Student Experience Survey. This survey will gather important feedback from students about their school experiences to help FCPS make meaningful improvements.
All students in grades 6–12, except those who previously opted out, will receive a link to the survey in their FCPS email on February 23. We will administer the survey during the school day on February 25th. Any student may take the survey at home if they are unable to take the survey during the school day.
We believe it is important to hear directly from our students about what we are doing well and where we can improve. This work also aligns with the equity commitments in FCPS’ 2023–30 Strategic Plan, which include a focus on amplifying student voice and experiences as we work toward meeting division goals.
We encourage families to speak with their children about the importance of providing thoughtful and honest feedback.
Get2Green
- Get2Green is proud to have organized Earth Week at Sandburg along with other FCPS schools during the week of April 20th. Throughout the week students will be engaging in thoughtful reflection on our impact on the Earth. To support this work, we are having a spirit week to engage the student body. Below you will find our spirit day themes for the week. We look forward to your participation!
Monday, April 20th: Wildlife Day - Wear Animal Print
Wednesday, April 22nd: Earth Day - Wear Green
Thursday, April 24th: Climate Change Day - Wear Red
Friday, April 25th: Watershed Day - Wear Blue
- Our outdoor classroom space continues to flourish! We will be receiving support from the Fairfax County Stormwater Management Department’s Revitalize, Restore, Replant (R3) program beginning the week of April 27th! They will be providing 500 native plants to revitalize a large portion of the larger courtyard by Door 6. Shout out to Coach Wilson and his team for helping to prepare that space! We will be having student groups support the planting throughout the week. Please look for volunteer gardening opportunities in the near future!!!
Greetings from Sandburg’s Testing Team!
We are beginning testing season soon, and we wanted to share our upcoming SOL dates:
4/28/26 – Reading SOL (7th & 8th Grade)
5/5/26 – Science SOL (8th Grade)
5/12/26 – Math SOL (7th & 8th Grade)
Please complete the Google Form or use ParentVue to let us know whether your student should retake a test if eligible.
https://forms.gle/sj8FyjUjSU8wmMpN6
If you have questions, please contact Ms. Johnson, Testing Coordinator, at mgjohnson1@fcps.edu.
Thank you for your continued support of your student and Sandburg!
REMINDER: 8th Grade End-of-Year Events (Corrected)
Parents and Families, please save these upcoming dates as we celebrate our 8th graders' final weeks of middle school!
Wednesday, June 10th
- 8th Grade Awards Ceremony: 8:00 AM in the Auditorium.
- Parents are invited to attend as we recognize students for Honor Roll, Department, Elective, and House awards.
- 8th Grade Dance: 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM in the Large Gym.
Friday, June 12th
- Field Day & BBQ:
- Wonderers House: Activities from 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM; Lunch from 11:00 AM – 11:30 AM.
- Navigators House: Lunch from 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM; Activities from 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
Monday, June 15th
- Field Day & BBQ: All-day event for Ascenders and Vanguards houses.
Tuesday, June 16th
- Field Day & BBQ: Morning event for the Innovators house.
VOLUNTEER INFORMATION
We love our parent volunteers! Please note that all volunteers must be registered through the official portal. If you are interested in chaperoning the dance or helping with Field Day stations, please ensure you are registered here:
Volunteer FCPS Portal: https://www.fcps.edu/get-involved/volunteer-fcps
Important Note: We will continue to share more details and specific activity sign-up links as these dates approach.
Thank you for your support in celebrating our 8th-grade students!
📱 STUDENT CELL PHONE & HEADPHONE REMINDER
As we move through the school year, we want to provide a quick reminder regarding our expectations for cell phones and personal listening devices (earbuds/headphones). We appreciate your partnership in reinforcing these habits with your students.
School Expectations From 7:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m., student cell phones and personal listening devices should be powered off and stored out of sight unless specifically directed by a staff member for instructional purposes.
Family Conversations We encourage families to talk with their children about:
- Leaving items at home: Whenever possible, leave personal electronics at home.
- Storage: Keeping phones powered off and stored in backpacks throughout the school day.
- Safety & Interaction: Keeping earbuds and headphones put away between classes and in common areas to ensure students can hear safety announcements and engage with their school community.
Main Office Support If you need to reach your child during the school day, please call the Main Office. We will ensure your message is delivered or make arrangements for you to connect with your child immediately.
Thank you for your continued support in keeping our learning environment focused and distraction-free!
🎖️ Supporting Our Panthers: A Special Note for Our Military Families
Hello Panther Family!
One of the things that makes our school community so vibrant is the diversity of our families, including those who serve our country.
Did you know that we receive special funding from the U.S. Army to help power our after-school programs? These funds are vital for providing the clubs, activities, and support systems that our students love. To keep these programs running strong, we need to ensure our records are up to date!
Can you help us?
If you are currently Active Duty U.S. Army, a U.S. Army Civilian employee, or work with the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), we want to hear from you.
Please take 60 seconds to do the following:
- Drop us a quick "Hello": If you haven’t confirmed with us yet this year, please send a brief email to jlcarter3@fcps.edu.
- Check the Box: Ensure you’ve selected the military-connected box on your Digital Consent Form via the link below:
By taking these small steps, you are directly helping us provide the best possible experience for our students.
Thank you for your service, your sacrifice, and for being such an essential part of the Panther family!
Warmly,
Jamaal Carter
After School Specialist & Building Use Coordinator
Quick Links & Phone Numbers
Attendance Phone Line: 703-799-6131
Attendance Email: sandburgmiddle.attendance@fcps.edu
SIS Parent Vue Account Set-Up Video
Parent Information Phone Lines: Phone lines available in different languages to assist families.
Mental Health Resources and Emergency Services Information
Sandburg MS Administration
Jennifer Laxton: Principal jklaxton@fcps.edu
Frank Steventon: Assistant Principal fbsteventon@fcps.edu
Amber Richard-Kleeschulte: Assistant Principal alrichard@fcps.edu
Rob Kerr: Assistant Principal rjkerr@fcps.edu
John Grey: Assistant Principal jrgrey@fcps.edu
Ryan Espinoza-Gray: Interim Assistant Principal rnespinozagr@fcps.edu
Eugena Weaver: Director of Student Services ejweaver@fcps.edu
Counselors
Tiffany Clemons - tnclemons@fcps.edu
Vania Espichan- vpespichan@fcps.edu
Claire Majors- clmajors@fcps.edu
Melinda Wilkerson- mlwilkerson@fcps.edu
Oshin Wilson- otwilson@fcps.edu