Lee District Budget Town Hall, Return to School, Upcoming Board Meetings, Grading Policy, SOLs, and more ...

Dear Lee District Families,

We’ve made it through a challenging winter and spring is finally here! 

Today is the last day of the third quarter and our students will be dismissed two hours early. Spring break is March 29-April 2. Monday, April 5 is a teacher workday and student holiday. Teachers will not be available for office hours and students are not expected to complete asynchronous assignments.

This newsletter provides updates on recent School Board actions and what’s happening in April. 

I hope you and your family will have some time to relax and enjoy doing things that make you happy during this break! 

Happy Passover and Happy Easter to those who celebrate. 

Stay well,
Tammy


Lee District Budget Town Hall: Thursday, April 1 at 6:30 pm

Please join Lee District Supervisor Rodney Lusk and me for the Lee District Budget Town Hall on Thursday, April 1 at 6:30 pm. The town hall will be televised on Channel 16. Watch virtually here.

Find the Fairfax County FY2022 advertised budget at https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/budget/advertised-budget-plan.

Find the Fairfax County Public Schools FY2022 advertised budget at https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/FY2022-Advertised-Budget.pdf.

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Upcoming School Board Meetings

  • Tuesday, April 6, 2021 at 10 a.m. Forum
  • Tuesday, April 6, 2021 at 11 a.m. All-Day Work Session
  • Thursday, April 8, 2021 at 7 p.m. Hybrid* Regular School Board Meeting
  • Tuesday, April 13, 2021 at 3:30 p.m. Governance Committee Meeting
  • Wednesday, April 14, 2021 at 5:30 p.m. Audit Committee 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


Return To School

A total of 109,000 students and staff have successfully returned to in-person learning and this week, the superintendent announced that the division will be returning to five days a week of in-person learning in the fall. Read the full news release here.

Yesterday, the Superintendent sent an announcement to parents about the new guidance from CDC around social distancing in schools. Read the full letter here


FCPS Reaching Out to In-Person Students to Confirm Their Spots

The return to in-person learning offers FCPS an important opportunity to engage and support our most vulnerable students in new ways. To that end, we are working to maximize our in-person learning capacity and are asking that all students who have registered to attend in-person do so on a regular basis. If registered students are not attending regularly by March 26, schools may reassign them to virtual learning and allow other students to receive in-person support in their place.

Updates, including summer programs and opportunities, will be posted online and shared as we continue to develop, plan, and support our students, families and FCPS community.


Standards of Learning (SOL) Tests Will Be Delivered In-Person This Spring 

Across Virginia, students will be taking SOL tests in-person this spring. Federal and state education departments have decided that SOL assessments will proceed as usual for reading, mathematics, and science. More information is available about SOL assessments at each grade level. For students attending school 100% virtually, school staff will work with families to schedule an appointment for in-person SOL testing.

Caregivers have the right to refuse SOL assessments if they have concerns about participation related to the pandemic, including health, social-emotional, and instructional time concerns. For questions about SOL testing or to refuse testing, contact your student’s school. A remote non-SOL test option is in development, and information will be provided for families of qualifying students in the coming weeks.


Meal Distribution During Spring Break

FCPS is committed to providing all students access to meals March 26 through April 5 when there is one early release school day, the week of spring break when schools are closed, and one teacher workday when students are not in school. See the food distribution webpage for more information.


Grading Policy Changes for 2020-2021

In response to family feedback and student check-in results, FCPS will be seeking to lessen the stress and anxiety posed for some students who have been challenged by the virtual learning environment during the past (and ongoing) pandemic year.

FCPS will provide three additional grading changes to support middle and high school students. More information on the grading policy changes is available online.  


School Year Calendar Approved for 2021-2022

The Fairfax County School Board voted to approve a calendar for the 2021-22 school year that is designed to recognize, respect, and honor the plurality of religious and cultural observances in Fairfax County. Read the full news release here.

The calendar decision was a difficult one here is a link to the Board's discussion during the meeting.


FCPS Planning 2021 End-of-Year Celebrations

Graduation Ceremonies

Governor Northam provided updated guidance about end of year ceremonies, graduations. We will celebrate the Class of 2021 with in-person graduations.

The guidance includes:

  • Graduation events held outdoors will be capped at 5,000 people or 30 percent of the venue capacity, whichever is less.
  • Graduation events held indoors may have up to 500 people, or 30 percent of the venue capacity, whichever is less.
  • Graduations are defined as events where a diploma or degree is conferred.
  • Masks and social distancing are required.

High school principals will be providing more details about graduation soon.

All Night Graduation Parties and Proms

  • The Governor’s Executive Order considers prom and All-Night Graduation Parties (ANGP) as social gatherings. 
  • The Executive Order specifies that social gatherings are limited to 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors. 
  • Proms are school sponsored events. 
  • All-Night Graduation Parties are not school sponsored events and are organized by parent groups. 

We will provide further guidance to principals and PTSA groups as soon as more is learned.


Capital One Volunteers Resonate with FCPS' Call to Engage. Thrive. Inspire.

The Capital One Coders program is part of the company's Impact Initiative, created to advance socioeconomic mobility by advocating for an inclusive society, building thriving communities, and creating financial tools that enrich lives. Read more about this program here.


Photos of the Week

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Bush Hill Elementary School teachers and students take advantage of the nice weather to have class outdoors.

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Hybla Valley Elementary students keep safe social distance with the help of hula hoops.


Register for Upcoming Free Webinars from the FCPS Parent Resource Center

The FCPS Parent Resource Center (PRC) is offering four free parent webinars in April. They are:

  • Construyendo y manteniendo familias fuertes Un seminario web presentado en español (Building and Keeping Strong Families: A Webinar Presented in Spanish), on Tuesday, April 6, 6:30 to 8 p.m.
  • Skill, Not Will: The Collaborative Problem-Solving Approach Webinar for Families, on Friday, April 9, 10 to 11:30 a.m.
  • COVID-19 Vaccines and the Vaccination Process in Fairfax County: A Webinar for Families, on Tuesdays 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
  • Encouraging Positive Behaviors at Home Series: Minimizing Prompts and Maximizing Your Child’s Independence, on Thursday April 22, 10 to 11:30 a.m. and 6:30 to 8 p.m.

More information on each session and how to register is available online.

Note: Previous webinars have been recorded and can be viewed on the PRC YouTube channel.


Understanding the Virginia Mathematics Pathways Initiative

Fairfax County Public Schools is preparing for the implementation of the Virginia Department of Education’s (VDOE) Virginia Mathematics Pathways Initiative (VMPI) and we want families to be aware of proposed changes to Mathematics course offerings. To understand the proposed changes to the course progressions, VDOE is offering Community Informational Sessions on the following dates:

  • Tuesday, March 23, 6:30 p.m.—Why Change Mathematics Instruction? (View this session from earlier this week).
  • Tuesday, April 13, 6:30 p.m.—How Does VMPI Affect Virginia Children’s Futures?
  • Tuesday, April 27, 6:30 p.m.—Essential Concepts in Grades 8-10
  • Tuesday, May 25, 6:30 p.m.—Advanced Pathways in Grades 11-12

Questions participants would like to have addressed during the sessions can be submitted online. For additional information, visit VMPI's webpage.


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 appointees serve 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.


Seeking Applicants for the 2021 Citizen’s Bond Committee

The 2021 Citizen's Committee for the Bond is again seeking appointees for a committee that promotes community support for a school construction bond. General tasks of the committee include communing support for the bond to HOA boards, other organizations and chambers and distributing information electronically and in print such as yard signs, shirts, stickers, and Facts booklets (though the committee will be discussing methods as per COVID-19 restrictions). Typically, the committee meets about 6-9 times from July to November.

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.


OAG Auditor General Buzz Newsletter Now Available 

FCPS’ Office of Auditor General (OAG) publishes Audit Buzz to provide information about OAG’s role, the service they provide, and the work they do. In this issue of Audit Buzz, OAG summarizes the status of current engagements and highlights a survey that was sent to FCPS instructional staff and parents of students with disabilities. Stay up to date with OAG’s current and planned work by reading the latest issue of Audit Buzz.


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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