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Dear Lee District Families and Staff,
In the last few weeks there have been many meetings held, letters written and community forums organized to discuss potential plans for re-opening our schools in the fall. We understand that there are many differing opinions on what are the best options—and these vary greatly based upon your own personal situation.
With this in mind, families and staff have been presented with two options: one that is virtual and one that is in-person with strict adherence to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and State and County Health Department Guidelines. We realize that there are many unknowns in both options and we are listening to your concerns and working hard to address your questions as quickly as possible. Our Leadership Team has informed us that parents and caregivers and staff must make a decision by July 10, 2020. This is due to the time needed to match virtual and in-person cohorts and build master schedules at each school.
FCPS families:
On June 29, the Superintendent sent an enrollment letter to parents and caregivers about the enrollment options available to students this fall. A copy of this enrollment letter was also sent by the U.S. mail to all families. We encourage families to choose their option based on health and safety concerns rather than on the availability of course or program options. School schedules, available courses, and participation in school activities may be limited in either option. However, both options will meet all state standards of learning and graduation requirements.
To help answer questions we have been receiving from parents and students, please visit the Return to School Frequently Asked Questions website: https://www.fcps.edu/return-school/return-school-questions-and-answers.
Dr. Brabrand will be holding another Town Hall Meeting on
Monday, July 6 at 6:30 pm and will be prepared to answer as many of your questions as he can.
FCPS Teachers:
On June 25 you received a memorandum regarding returning to work for the 20/21 School year. Over the last few days all teachers should have received an email/letter with instructions as to how to share your preferred teaching option with a survey housed on the FCPS network.
Staff members and teachers have also raised questions and we have included a frequently asked questions website for staff: https://www.fcps.edu/return-school/return-school-frequently-asked-questions-staff.
Please know that our first priority is the health and safety of all students and staff.
On July 1, Virginia moved into Phase 3 with less restrictions on where we can eat, shop, and gather as our state’s COVID hospitalization rates have fallen and our percentage of positive tests continue to trend downward. But simultaneously, alarming stories of COVID-19 cases are rising in 27 states—these stories can add to the worry and confusion of what is the best option. Families and staff, please know that if there is a resurgence of the COVID-19 virus in Virginia that requires a closure of schools all students would participate in online distance learning. Students would receive four days of synchronous instruction and one day of asynchronous learning.
We are working to answer student, parent and staff questions about the Return To School plans as quickly as we can. To also help answer your questions, you may contact the principal where you work or that your child attends.
Make the decision that is best for your family.
Thank you for your continued patience. Have a safe and a wonderful Fourth of July weekend.
- Tammy
Upcoming School Board Meetings
Thursday, July 9, 2020 at 3 pm
Special Electronic Forum Topic
Thursday, July 9, 2020 at 3:30 pm
Special Electronic Regular School Board Meeting
Monday, July 14 at 1:30 pm
Special Electronic Work Session
Wednesday, July 15 at 4:00 pm
Special Electronic Lee High School Renaming Community Meeting
Wednesday, July 22 at 4 pm
Special Electronic Public Hearing - Renaming Lee High School
Thursday, July 23, 2020 at 3 pm
Special Electronic Forum Topic
Thursday, July 23, 2020 at 3:30 pm
Special Electronic Regular School Board Meeting
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For agenda, handouts and virtual meeting access, click here.
Members of the public are welcome to attend virtually at https://www.fcps.edu/tv/ch99.
School Board Votes to Change the Name of Robert E. Lee High School
The Fairfax County School Board has voted to change the name of Robert E. Lee High School, and will gather community input prior to voting on the new name on July 23. The new name will go into effect with the start of the 2020-21 school year.
Superintendent Scott S. Brabrand submitted his recommendations for a new name for the school as new business at the School Board’s business meeting on June 23 at which time a one-month public comment period began.
Brabrand’s recommendations include the following:
John Lewis (U.S. Congressman), Barack Obama, Mildred Loving, Cesar Chavez, Legacy, and Central Springfield.
The School Board has the final say on the new name and can consider the superintendent’s recommendations or choose a different name.
School Board vice chair and Lee District representative Tamara Derenak Kaufax said, “We are grateful for the feedback provided by the community during this process. We have carefully considered their input, and will be moving forward with the name change at Lee High School. As I stated in February when this process began, Confederate values are ones that do not align with our community. I have seen the pain and hurt that these names have inflicted on friends, colleagues, and community members. Our schools need to be places where all students, staff, and members of the community feel safe and supported.” Derenak Kaufax and at-large member Karen Keys-Gamarra initiated the name change.
The community meeting will be held on Wednesday, July 15, 2020 at 4:00 p.m. The meeting will be held virtually via Blackboard Collaborate. If you wish to participate virtually in the community meeting, please register to have a link sent to you. Register for Community Meeting. Registration for this community meeting will be limited to Lee District residents; however, there will be a public hearing for any other interested participants, see below.
The community meeting format will include an update on the process and then collect feedback from the community on the Superintendent’s name recommendations. Community members will be asked to work virtually in breakout rooms to discuss the recommendation and provide their thoughts on whether they support any of the recommended names or if they have another name they prefer for the school. The feedback will be collected at the end of the meeting, transcribed and posted online. It will be shared with the School Board and the Superintendent.
The School Board Public Hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, July 22, 2020 at 4:00 p.m. and will be held virtually. If you would like to speak at the public hearing, sign up will open at 6:00 a.m. on July 8. Sign up to speak.
Community members can also share their input by emailing comments to Region3admin@fcps.edu.
The School Board will take action on the new name of Lee High School on Thursday, July 23 during its regular meeting at 3:30 p.m. The new name of the school will go into effect at the start of the 2020-21 school year.
We invite you to attend the community meeting and public hearing to provide your input. Information about the renaming process is also available online.
School Board Passes LGBTQ+ Pride Month Resolution
The Fairfax County School Board passed a resolution in support of LGBTQ+ individuals and Pride Month at its business meeting on June 25. To read the full resolution, visit: https://www.fcps.edu/news/school-board-passes-lgbtq-pride-month-resolutionhttps://www.fcps.edu/news/school-board-passes-lgbtq-pride-month-resolution
Social Studies Teachers Collaborate with Colleagues Statewide to Create Anti-Racist, Culturally-Responsive Curriculum
A group of Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) teachers have been collaborating with colleagues from five other Virginia school districts to create a social studies curriculum that presents diverse perspectives and challenges students to critically examine materials, events, and institutions for bias, identity, and multiple perspectives.
The new curriculum will be available to students in grades 3, 4, 6, 7, and 11 as soon as this fall. Click here to read the full news release.
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Language Arts and Math Essentials Summer Practice Books
Language Arts and Math Essentials Summer Practice Books will be mailed home to FCPS students who were enrolled in grades K-8 during the 2019-20 school year. Books will be mailed to all families enrolled as of June 12, including those families opting out of receiving printed distance learning packets. Practice books will begin arriving on June 26. The ESOL and special education offices are also developing practice books that will be mailed to select elementary, middle, and high school students and posted to FCPS 24/7.
Collect for Kids Kicks Off!
Summer is here, and we're already thinking about how FCPS will "Return to Learn" in the fall. With nearly 60,000 students qualifying for free and reduced meals, we already know that many of our students will not have the school supplies they need to be successful in their learning journey, whether in-person or virtual.
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Your contribution to Collect for Kids can help us provide kits of supplies for these students which will be delivered to them in August before the start of school. Please help us make sure all students have what they need to be creative, and successful, in school.
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 From Summer 2019, the Lee District Collect for Kids efforts with the Fairfax County Fire Department.
2020 Special Needs Summer Camp Guide with Covid-19 Updates
If your child has special needs and you are looking for something to keep your child busy this summer, the Parent Resource Center (PRC) can help you find what you’re looking for.
The FCPS Parent Resource Center compiles a list of summer camps for children with special needs. The 2020 version is updated to include private camps offering virtual and face-to-face opportunities due to the Covid-19 virus.
This guide offers families options for children with the following disabilities:
- ADHD
- Autism
- Deaf/Heard of Hearing
- Emotional Disabilities/Mental Health
- General Special Needs
- Intellectual Disabilities
- Learning Disabilities
- Medical Conditions and Physical Disabilities
- Social Skills
- Speech and Language
- Visual Impairments
Contact the PRC for a copy of this guide.
Fairfax County Public Library’s Summer Reading Adventure Helps Kids Read for Fun
Many studies have found that reading for pleasure is beneficial for kids in many ways, including keeping up their reading skills over the summer and helping them succeed in school.
Fairfax County Public Library helps make reading fun by providing tools, access, and incentives during its Summer Reading Adventure. Held in cooperation with Fairfax County Public Schools, the Summer Reading Adventure runs June 12 through August 14 and invites all children and teens—birth through high school—to read for fun over the summer. The theme in 2020 is “Imagine Your Story!” This summer the program will be virtual.
Adult Summer Reading Program
Children shouldn't have all the fun! Adults like reading and receiving incentives, too. Fairfax County Public Library has a system-wide Adult Summer Reading Program for age 18 and up. This summer only, the program will be virtual. You can complete gameboard challenges or read or listen to books of your choice.
Learn how to participate in the Adult Summer Reading Program
School Counselors, Psychologists, and Social Workers Are Available During the Summer
Need to speak with a counselor? Any FCPS parent may schedule a 30-minute phone consultation with a school psychologist or school social worker, for either themselves or their middle or high school student. Consultations provide an opportunity for parents to receive guidance on how to support their child’s emotional well-being during their time away from school. Student consultations will provide support and strategies to students who may be experiencing difficulties with anxiety, mood, behavior, or peer or family interactions during this unprecedented and challenging time.
Note: Parent consultations are available for all grade levels. Student consultations are only available for middle and high school students.
Schedule a phone consultation online.
Family Resources Update
Total Meals Served Since March 14: 1,653,098 (through July 1)
USDA and VDOE have approved meal service at all existing food distribution sites (including bus routes) over the summer months. Food and Nutrition Services will continue to monitor data and community feedback to adjust grab and go delivery points as needed. Meal distribution information is kept current on the FCPS website.
Family and School Partnerships: Building Resilience to Handle Challenging Times
Life doesn’t come with a road map and if the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us anything, it's that things can change rapidly and at any time.
So how do we weather the storm when the road takes an unexpected, stressful, possibly life-changing turn? One factor that contributes to how well one adapts to handle challenges over time is resilience.
What is Resilience?
The American Psychological Association (APA) defines resilience as “the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress — such as family and relationship problems, serious health problems, or workplace and financial stressors. As much as resilience involves ‘bouncing back’ from these difficult experiences, it can also involve profound personal growth.”
Building Resilience
The good news is that one can develop resilience to handle challenges in life through the use of some simple strategies each day! Give these strategies a try; it may pay off for you and your family in big ways:
The views contained within this newsletter reflect the views of the individual school board member who is the publisher of this newsletter and may not reflect the views of the Fairfax County School Board.
© 2020 Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax County, Virginia
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