The Braddock Buzz

Fairfax County Public Schools sent this bulletin at 05/01/2026 02:53 PM EDT

News from Braddock District School Board Member Tom Dannan

Dear Neighbors,

We are quickly approaching the final stretch of the school year and there is still so much happening around our Braddock community! It has been just over a month since my swearing in and I have loved having the opportunity to be completely immersed in all things Braddock and FCPS.

Earlier this month, I got to visit the Strings program and White Oaks Elementary with fellow School Board member and Chair Sandy Anderson from the Springfield District. I was so impressed by award-winning Mr. Johnson-Stawarz and his 4th grade cello class, who showcased how much they have progressed throughout the school year. The kids also taught us the basics of playing the cello; I guess you’re never too old to learn a new instrument!

Tom Dannan and Sandy Anderson Playing Cello

I also got to stop by and meet one of the new White Oaks Watch DOGS—this is a phenomenal program to help support schools by providing positive male role models for students, and by demonstrating the importance of education by their presence. I commend the White Oaks PTA for working to launch it there. If you’re a dad (or father-figure), consider volunteering with the Watch DOGS program to experience the positive impact it has on students in the community. 

Later on in the month, I was excited to visit several Elementary classrooms to observe our new Language Arts curriculum (Benchmark) in action and talk with educators about ways we can continue to support this transition. Benchmark focuses on the key skills that make up good reading, such as phonics and vocabulary, and is taught through various methods to ensure curriculum is effective, appropriate, and aligns with Virginia's English Standards of Learning and the Virginia Literacy Act (VLA). You can learn more about the Benchmark curriculum in Fairfax here. 

I also had the honor of attending the Student Leadership Development Mock Forum. Our student leaders displayed their dedication and commitment to crafting thoughtful, detailed, and informed proposals to address key issues within FCPS. I genuinely felt some form of imposter syndrome, hearing our talented FCPS kids share their ideas and passion. Kudos to Mr. Ryan Hembree, the Braddock District representative, who spoke energetically about his concept of a Student Vote Pilot program.

Hoping for beautiful weather this weekend!

Yours in service,

Tom Dannan

School Board Meeting Updates

At our last regular meeting on Thursday, April 23rd I was glad to vote in favor of a resolution supporting delayed, developmentally appropriate smartphone use as a community norm and encouraging families to delay providing their children with smartphones for non-essential use until the completion of 8th grade.

Building off of this, I’m excited to share that we have now submitted a School Board forum topic to establish an Educational Technology Review Committee (ETRC), modeled on the school division’s Instructional Resource Review Committees, which evaluate, select, and recommend (basal) teaching materials. The board will discuss this at our work session on Tuesday, May 5. I welcome any and all feedback on this effort.

Additionally, the Board accepted a Strategic Plan update focused on expanding equitable access to advanced coursework and strengthening college and career readiness. We also engaged in a lengthy discussion following a presentation on significant growth in eighth-grade Algebra 1 enrollment and continued progress in expanding access to advanced math pathways.

You can view the most recent School Board meeting here to learn more about these actions. You are also welcome to attend School Board meetings (schedule) and register to share your thoughts with us during community participation (sign-up). 

Stay Informed About the FY 2027 Budget💸

The FY 2027 budget process is moving forward, with several important opportunities for decisions and community input:

May 5: Board of Supervisors adopts the budget, tax rates, and transfer to FCPS

May 7: Approved budget presented to the School Board

May 12, with May 13 if needed: School Board public hearing on the budget

May 14: School Board budget work session

May 21: School Board adopts the approved budget

July 1: FY 2027 begins

 These milestones will help shape the final budget. I encourage our community to stay engaged, attend upcoming meetings, share feedback during public hearings, and reach out to School Board members and County Supervisors. Community input is an important part of this process, and your voice helps advocate for the resources our students, educators, and schools need. To learn more about the budget, visit this webpage.

Braddock in Action

On Saturday, April 18th, I had the pleasure of attending the FCPS Special Education Family Conference at Marshall High School. Keynote speaker Dr. Shelley Moore gave a powerful presentation about how to approach inclusion in our Special Education classrooms and the world around us. 

The energy was high as a number of FCPS staff and students received First-Class awards are presented each year to recognize and celebrate the efforts of educators, administrators, support staff, and students who demonstrate excellence in all facets of education related to disability. We have the honor of having one of these amazing winners as part of our Braddock community.

Congratulations to First Class Award Recipient for Elementary Support Staff: Aura Ortiz, Custodian from Bonnie Brae Elementary. Thank you for all that you do for our kids!

🌳2026 Best of Green Schools K-12 Educator Award by the Center for Green Schools at the U.S Green Building Council (USGBC)

Laure Grove is the lead environmental stewardship educator at Terra Centre Elementary where innovative design and strong partnerships support hands-on environmental education. Under her leadership, Terra Centre Elementary earned consecutive Eco-Schools U.S. Green Flag Awards and launched a student-led monarch project that influenced Fairfax County to adopt the Mayor’s Monarch Pledge and implement countywide pollinator and sustainability initiatives.

Through audits, advocacy, and community partnerships, Ms. Grove empowers students to build sustainability knowledge, leadership skills, and meaningful community impact. We are so lucky to have Ms. Grove in our Braddock community!
Ms. Grove holding her award
National Board Certified Teachers 🍎
FCPS ranks in the top 30 school districts nationwide for the number of National Board-certified teachers, with more than 200 active National Board-certified teachers currently supporting students and schools. In FCPS, many of our National Board Certified Teachers have moved into leadership roles throughout the division. 

FCPS congratulates the following newly certified National Board teachers:

  • Stacy Pekarik, Wakefield Forest Elementary School

The following board-certified teachers have renewed their board certification for an additional term: 

  • Krista Gallagher, Cardinal Forest Elementary School
  • Kathleen Gannon, Lake Braddock Secondary School

IB Diploma Recipients

Nearly 400 Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) students earned the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma and 76 students earned the IB Career-related Certificate in 2025.

The IB Diploma Program (IB DP) is a two-year program for juniors and seniors consisting of six subject group courses and DP core components. IB Diploma students complete internal and external assessments, exams, a Theory of Knowledge course, a creativity activity service project, and a 4,000-word extended essay. There are 69 FCPS IB Diploma recipients from the Braddock District!

Robinson Secondary Braddock District IB Diploma Recipients 🎓

Abigail Meehan Grace Nguyen Marion La Serte
Amirah Racine Haeun Lee Mark Lacoletti
Anghelina Gaur Helena Rossi Matipa Maimbo
Anna Fabrycky Henry Bianchetti  Miles Lasmanis
Annie Eason Henry Counts Nicole Barsotti
Ayla Martinez Hudson Mallett Noah Matthias
Benjamin Dunn Jakob Patrick Noah Nguyen
Benjamin Sklarew James Wyllie Nora Prather
Cecilia Younger Jasmine Patrick Panagiotis Mentis
Celina Liu Jasmine Sklarew Peter Sheridan
Charlotte Dowdy Jocelyn Ruano-Sanchez Robel Anteneh
Charlotte Elliff Joseph Watkins Ruku Day
Chase Lindenberg Julia Noud Samuel Heatherington
Collin Wyman Julio Vilegas Santhony Chan
Dominic Thieman Kate Nagler Sarah Papadopoulos
Duykhang Nguyen Katherine Harris Shawn Hubbard
Elanor Hamo Kirsten Ngo Sofia Garcia
Eloise Ricour Kyle Chen Soma Fulwiler
Emma Tukhi Lando Rebeyro Sophia Meer
Fiona Mebrahtu Lia Kang Tatiana Gallo Suarez
Gabriela Brungardt Lucas Newcomb Tatum Apollo
Garrison Cade Lucy Hicks Victoria Khvan
Gerard Llames Mariam Gabriel Zaya Economides

Nine FCPS Students Named Winners of 2026 National Merit Corporate-Sponsored Scholarships

Nine Fairfax County Public Schools students have been awarded 2026 corporate-sponsored scholarships from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Of those nine students, two of them are from the Braddock District. The students are part of a group of more than 700 National Merit finalists chosen to receive scholarships financed by corporations, company foundations, and other business organizations.

Braddock District Scholarship Recipients 

  • Sarah Roelke of Lake Braddock Secondary School (public health), National Merit Dr. James R. Schlesinger Memorial Scholarship.
  • Aidan Wright of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) (chemical engineering), National Merit Dr. James R. Schlesinger Memorial Scholarship. 

244 FCPS Students Named 2026 National Merit Finalists

Two hundred forty-four students from 18 Fairfax County Public Schools are among the finalists named by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation for 2026. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, which also serves as the Governor’s Regional School for Northern Virginia, has 105 finalists.

Fairfax County Public Schools Braddock District 2026 National Merit finalists:

  • Lake Braddock Secondary School:, Manas Puri,  Ronald Zhang
  • Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology: Grace Amartuvshin, Moira Clark, Eric Guo, Ibrahim Harchich, Kashi Kamat, Petr Kisselev, Nikita Lugovoy, Payton Morris, Elijah O’Donoghue, Ethan O’Hara, Hannah Ryu, Julia Showers, Rachel Truong, Aidan Wright, Max Zhao
  • West Springfield High School: Timothy Campbell, Kennedy Leary
  • Woodson High School: Kavya Balachandar, Aiden Brennan, Ethan Lee, Alexander Liu, James Ngo, Ada Qin, James Stansbery, Noah Yen-Goossens

Robinson Senior Abby Huisman Named Military Child of the Year Finalist

Abby Huisman posing with her Father for Military Child of the year

Robinson Secondary School student Abby Huisman knows how hard it is to start at a new school. Growing up, she moved seven times with her family as they followed her father’s 28-year career in the Air Force. Now, as a senior at Robinson, Abby makes it her mission to help students going through the same experience. She serves as vice president of Rambassadors, a 200-member organization that plays a key role in welcoming new students — many of whom are military-connected — to Robinson. She’s one of many Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) students helping provide a space where military-connected students feel safe and welcome.

Two FCPS Students Receive Grand Prize Award at 2026 Virginia State Science Fair

The Virginia Science and Engineering Fair was held on April 11 at the Bolick Center on the campus of Piedmont Virginia Community College in Charlottesville. Fifty-seven students from FCPS participated in the state level fair. Two FCPS student projects received the Grand Prize and one of them is from our Braddock District.

Grand Prize Winner from the Braddock District
Huge congratulations to Daniil Prokofev from Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology for the project, “From SMILES to Synergy: Overcoming Drug Resistance in ER+ Breast Cancer.”

VHSL Class 6 Debate State Championship

Class 6 Lincoln Douglas: Second place Natalia Voloshin from Robinson Secondary School

CLASS 6 TEAM: (TIE) Sixth place Robinson Secondary School 

2025-26 VHSL State Speech Meet Results

Impromptu: Second Place Paola Mascola from Robinson Secondary School

FCPS Students Chosen for 2026 All-Virginia High School Band, Orchestra, Chorus and Middle School Chorus Group

Braddock District All Virginia High School Band 🥁

Lake Braddock Secondary School: Zaid Nory, Lukas Steinhelper

Robinson Secondary School: Caroline Cotovsky, Austin Cotton, Maddy Fontenot, Joshua Nebiyu, Jack Patterson, Henry Sorenson, Saif Syed

Thomas Jefferson High School: Madison Carney

Woodson High School: Ian Gonzalez, Justin Hoang, Natalie Jiang, James Kahler, Logan Lee, Andrew Liang, Maya Pendleton, Nathan Vailikit

Braddock District All Virginia High School Chorus🎶

Annandale High School: Tyler Miller

Lake Braddock Secondary School: Bee Giska

Robinson Secondary School: Miles Ball

West Springfield High School: Kiana Kamran, Joshua Martin, Elizabeth Maxted, Griffin Wagner

Woodson High School: Mary Kate Jones, Lisa Kurian, Faith Lee, Audrey Shifflett

Braddock District All Virginia High School Orchestra 🎻

Lake Braddock Secondary School: Edwin Chung, Eugene Chung, Kara Kweon

Robinson Secondary School: Daniel Foote, Michael Sweet, Max Vu 

Thomas Jefferson High School: Moses Guo, Max Zhao

Woodson High School: Audrey Kan, Nicholas Kim, James Ngo

Braddock District All Virginia Middle School Choir🎶

Frost Middle School: Alia Kronmiller, Emily Fay, Shivani Kolelveetil, Sarah Lee, Supriti Sahgal

Holmes Middle School: Ava Viktoria Raisinger

Braddock District 2026 VHSL Class 6 All State Boys Wrestling Team 🏅

  • West Springfield High School: Adam Husseini (120)
  • Robinson Secondary School: Troy Kang (126)
  • Lake Braddock Secondary School: Josiah Bolme (285)

FCPS' Middle School Battle of the Books

Lake Braddock Middle Schoolers holding their trophy

On Wednesday, April 15th, 16 Middle Schools competed in FCPS' Battle of the Books; a book trivia competition where students work in teams to read through a list of 15 titles throughout the school year, and compete to see which school knows the books best. This year the team from Lake Braddock Secondary School took home the win in a final tiebreaker against the reigning champions at South County Secondary. Way to go Bruins!

What’s Brewing in Braddock? 

🏀 Lake Braddock Bruins Summer Boys Basketball Camp
The Lake Braddock Secondary School Boys Basketball Team is holding a boys basketball camp Monday, July 6, through Friday, July 10, 2026, for rising 7th-12th-grade students. The camp will be held at the Lake Braddock gym from 9 a.m. to noon for $100. Register and find more information online. Questions? Contact Coach Brian Metress at bcmetress@fcps.edu.

🚴 Bike & Roll to School Day on May 6!
Love riding your bike? Celebrate Bike & Roll to School Day and join students, families, and teachers across the country in biking to school together! This national event promotes healthy habits, encourages walking and biking, and helps reduce car traffic. While it’s a one-day event, Bike to School Day inspires long-term change by showing communities the benefits of bike-friendly, active school commutes. Mark your calendars for Wednesday, May 6!

🏆 Nominations Open for the Bussey Memorial Equity Award
Nominations are now open for the 2026 Dr. Lawrence Bussey Memorial Equity Award. This award recognizes an employee, student, or community member who has demonstrated significant and impactful efforts to improve the educational experiences and outcomes of students from groups who are marginalized or underserved. Any staff, student, or community member can nominate an individual for the award. All nomination materials must be submitted by Monday, May 18. The Minority Student Achievement Oversight Committee (MSAOC) sponsors this award to honor the legacy of Dr. Bussey, a founding member of the MSAOC and a longtime advocate for students and families. Full details and the nomination information form can be found on the Dr. Lawrence Bussey Memorial Equity Award website.

Free Workshops and Events from the Family Resource Center and Family Academy
Parents and caregivers can access free webinars, confidential consultations, a lending library, and resources to help adults support the success of all students, including those with learning challenges, special needs, and disabilities. Learn more about the Family Resource Center (FRC). Sign up for the FRC newsletter to receive their latest offerings, or visit their webinar web page. The Family Academy is a one-stop shop for resources, tools, and learning opportunities for families. The Family Academy offers in-person and virtual classes, workshops, webinars, and programs for families in our learning catalog. Sign up for the Family and School Partnerships newsletter or visit the Family Academy catalog for classes, workshops, webinars, and programs for families.

May and June offerings include:

FCPS Family Cafe: Introduction to Career Pathways for Students
Join Family and School Partnerships to explore career pathways, academies, and the wide range of courses and certifications available to students in FCPS.

This virtual workshop will be held on Wednesday, May 13, at 6:30 p.m., and will highlight the various career and technical education courses available to middle and high school students in FCPS. Currently, there are more than 160 Career and Technical Education (CTE) course options. Many CTE programs include industry credentials, work-based learning, and participation in career and technical student organizations, allowing students to develop the skills needed to be successful in future education, training, and careers.

Register in advance for Career Pathways to receive the Zoom link. Email FamilyEngagement@fcps.edu for more information or call 703-204-4300.

🎭Braddock District Theatre
There are a lot of upcoming theatre performances around our District. Buy your tickets through the links listed and come support all of our amazing, hard working, young thespians!

Mama Mia Promotional art for West Springfield High School

Legally Blonde promo art for Robinson SecondaryCabaret Promotional art for Lake Braddock
Sweeney Todd promotional art for Woodson High School Theatre