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Dear Lee District Families,
I hope you and your family are continuing to stay healthy and safe, whether you have remained in our virtual classrooms or have returned to our buildings for in-person learning.
Below you will find updates on School Board actions and upcoming events.
Take time to enjoy the warmer weather this weekend and don’t forget to “Spring forward”!
Stay well,
Tammy
Upcoming School Board Meetings
- March 16, 2021 at 11 a.m. All-Day Work Session
- March 18, 2021 at 7 p.m. Hybrid* Regular School Board Meeting
Visit the citizen participation webpage to sign up to speak at a regular meeting. Visit BoardDocs for more meeting logistics, agendas and handouts.
*Effective November 5, 2020 the School Board will return to in-person Regular Meetings at Luther Jackson Middle School. For more information, click here.
The meetings will be broadcast live on Channel 99 (Verizon channel 11) and on the FCPS website. The meeting will be recorded for future viewing and posted to the FCPS School Board YouTube page
School Board Ready to Sign Contracts for Solar Program
The Fairfax County School Board voted unanimously to move forward with a solar program that will allow FCPS to purchase renewable energy with little or no upfront or operational costs. The Fairfax County Public Schools program will install solar panels on school buildings with the goal of reducing FCPS’ greenhouse gas emissions and electricity costs.
Spotlight on Equity in Education: Meet Shannon Merriweather
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Shannon Merriweather is one of five equity specialists in FCPS. She serves the schools and staff members in Region 3.
Shannon is also a member of the team working to gather input to develop an anti-racist and anti-bias curriculum for the school division. Get to know Shannon Merriweather.
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FCPS Welcomes In-Person Return for Students in Groups 6 and 8 Earlier This Week
Last week, FCPS returned ~25,000 students, including grades 8, 9, and 12, to FCPS classrooms.
This week, we returned ~13,500 students in Groups 6 and 8, including grades 1, 2, 7, 10, 11, grades 6 at Poe, Glasgow, and Holmes Middle Schools, plus some Pulley and Davis Career Center students.
On Tuesday, March 16, FCPS will be returning the remaining ~27,000 students, in grades 3 through 6, who had previously selected to return to in-person learning.
High School Students Invited to Fairfax County 2021 Virtual Teen Job Fairs
Fairfax County high school students looking for their first part-time job, summer and seasonal job opportunities, or who want more information about potential career pathways are invited to attend one of six upcoming teen job fairs and resume building workshops in Fairfax County. Local businesses and agencies will be on hand to offer a range of opportunities including part-time employment, internships, and volunteer work for prospective students.
Volunteer opportunities and resume building workshops will also be available for younger students. The two job fairs will be held on Saturday, March 13, from 2 to 5 p.m., and Saturday, March 20, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Students can register for the March 13 Job Fair and the March 20 Job Fair.
Healthy Minds Podcast
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Purposeful Conversation - March 12, 2021
In recognition of National Social Work Week, join Sharita Crawford, a social worker in Region 3. Sharita shares a day in the life of a social worker and discusses the importance of purposeful conversation as we continue to process our thoughts around the pandemic. Listen here to the podcast.
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Photo of the Week
Special Education Conference 2021
 Our 16th Annual Special Education Conference will be held virtually on Saturday, April 17, 2021. The conference will include a combination of synchronous (live) and asynchronous (recorded) sessions supporting our conference's theme: Inclusion: The time for inclusion is now.
Registration and schedule information can be found here.
Health and Safety Reminder: How FCPS Responds to COVID-19 Cases at School
It has been an exciting few weeks welcoming new groups of students back to in-person instruction. We hope you and your student have reviewed the five key mitigation strategies, and discussed the importance of following them every day, to help keep everyone safe inside our school buildings.
While we are doing everything possible to keep our schools safe, we want to remind you of our notification process if we are made aware of a positive COVID case in an FCPS building. FCPS is working closely with the Fairfax County Health Department to help with contact tracing and we will be following their guidance on any potential public health recommendations.
Get more information on the response to a COVID positive case at a school.
Students Relocating Within Virginia and Contiguous States May Remain Enrolled in FCPS Schools
The Fairfax County School Board has voted to support an exception to Policy 2202, Section III. I. that allows families who are permanently relocating within Virginia or to states contiguous with Virginia to request their child remain enrolled in their current Fairfax County public school (either virtually or in-person) for the remainder of the 2020-21 school year, effective immediately.
The temporary exception, which does not change the policy long-term, is to support students and families who may be relocating during the COVID-19 emergency for the remainder of the 2020-21 school year.
 Video: Food and Nutrition Services Team Served 10 Million Meals in the Last Year
The FCPS Office of Food and Nutrition Services has reached an incredible milestone. The dedicated staff served 10 million meals between March 2020 and March 2021! FCPS is extremely thankful for the hard work and collaboration to support our families during this challenging time.
Recognizing FCPS Social Workers During SSW Week, March 7-13
 This year’s National Association of Social Workers theme is “Social Workers are Essential.” School social workers are master's degree professionals who are trained to examine and address life’s challenges in a holistic way. FCPS social work staff have expertise in many areas including mental health, human development and behavior, trauma, and family systems. They increase student and family engagement by fostering positive relationships and creating hope and opportunity for youth and families in need. School social workers' support of students and families is particularly critical during the COVID-19 pandemic. They also facilitate skill building and strengthen support systems to help students cope, problem solve, overcome barriers, and access resources to support distance learning and the return to school buildings. Thank you to all of our school social workers.
Seeking Applicants for the School Health Advisory Committee (SHAC)
I am seeking an appointee to represent the Lee District on the School Health Advisory Committee (SHAC). This committee assists with the development of health policy in the school division and evaluates the status of school health, health education, school environment, and health services. The committee meets monthly and is a one-year term.
If you are interested in serving on this committee, please email a brief statement on why you are interested, along with a copy of your resume, to my assistant, Cheryl Austin. For questions, please call 571-423-1069.
GrandInvolve in the News
Excerpt from GrandInvolve's February 2021 Newsletter
We appreciate our community partnerships that further our mission to "Change the World, One Child At a Time."
Thank you to the following organizations that featured GrandInvolve and celebrated our volunteers this month: FCPS Office of Partnerships. Thank you to Jay Garant, Director of Business and Community Partnerships at Fairfax County Public Schools, for spotlighting our GrandInvolve volunteers in a blog post on the FCPS website.
Read the article Sharp as a Tack is Sharp as a GrandInvolve Volunteer here. We couldn't agree more!
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Daylight Saving Time Begins: Move Your Clocks Ahead One Hour on Sunday
This Sunday, March 14, at 2 a.m., daylight saving time begins. Don’t forget to move your clocks ahead one hour!
FCPS Quick Links:
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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