Welcome Back!
Welcome to a new school year! I hope you and your family had a wonderful and restful summer break. As you and your family begin the new year, I hope you enjoy meeting your new teachers, staff, and friends! We are very excited for the new year ahead, and hope that you are too.
 Dr. Brabrand, Ryan McElveen and I visiting with the team at Stenwood ES on their first day of school!
Here Comes the Bus®
New this year! The FCPS Office of Transportation Services is introducing a new school bus arrival app, offered at no charge to parents and guardians of FCPS students. Here Comes the Bus® provides real-time bus locations, providing timely school bus arrival information through an encrypted and secure system. For more information and instructions on how to sign up online, click here.
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In cooperation with the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, the School Board created a new task force with a mission to proactively address climate change and environmental sustainability. The joint task force, known as JET, is made up of representatives from both boards, community partners, and students. Our first meeting will be held on September 3rd at 4:30 pm in the Mason Governmental Center in Annandale. More information on our mission and a list of members can be found in this recent news release.
The Equity Profile is a part of the work outlined in the One Fairfax Policy, a social and racial equity policy that commits both boards (Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and the School Board) to consider equity in decision-making and in the development and delivery of future policies, programs and services.
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Data is published on an annual basis and can be disaggregated and analyzed to view trends in division and school performance. The Student Demographics Data provides information about all students, various demographic groups, and specific student populations. The Equity Profile will be published annually and is a living document that will be updated as needed.
The Fairfax County School Board adopted the Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) FY 2020 Approved Budget of $3.0 billion that includes a $55.2 million investment in teacher salary scales—including a 1.0 percent market scale adjustment and $46.8 million for a step increase for eligible employees, and a 1.0 percent market scale adjustment for non-teacher salary scale employees.
The FY 2020 budget includes an additional $16.1 million for instructional programs, an increase in substitute pay for retirees, and investments in student mental health, student safety, and substance abuse prevention programs.
For additional information on budget development, visit the FCPS budget webpage.
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Oakton High School’s renovation is on track and now in its second year of the planned four-year project. Find updates, details on each phase, and view artist renderings of the new spaces here. |
Planning and design for the Falls Church High School renovation is well under way. Check out the artist renderings and stay updated on the design and renovation process here. |
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The School Board has been reviewing existing Policy 8130 to ensure equity and effectiveness when considering school boundaries. The current discussion is about updating our existing boundary policy that has not been updated for approximately 30 years. The current review of the boundary policy is part of an overall strategy to address growth in the county and overcrowding in several schools.
This is not a proposed boundary adjustment. Any potential boundary adjustment will be discussed and decided through a transparent process that engages the community.
The Board has held four meetings to discuss the boundary policy:
- Last October, there was a review of common practices for boundary changes.
- In February, the Board reviewed educational research on boundaries and related FCPS practice.
- In March, the Board provided guidance on goals for a boundary policy and factors to prioritize in a boundary policy.
- In July, the Board continued discussions on goals and prioritization of factors and reviewed the draft policy.
At the July work session, the Board asked our staff to ensure there is a process for increasing community engagement before we move forward. We have also asked for a full report of the work to date so that it can be shared with the community. I would be happy to answer any questions you may have on this continuing work.
 As we continue with our FCPSOn initiative, every FCPS high school student will receive a school-issued laptop to use during the 2019-20 school year. FCPSOn provides students with equitable access to meaningful learning experiences and technology to support that learning. FCPSOn provides students with real-world technology skills that will be essential as adults in our globally connected world. Students will develop skills needed to be successful in the workforce of the future.
The devices are not meant to replace teachers. Teachers are supported through ongoing, dynamic professional learning that will result in purposeful, collaborative student learning experiences. Paired with new guidelines for cellphone use in schools, we hope this update will help ALL students learn and succeed.
Thank you to Kilmer Middle School’s SRO, Timothy Judd! Officer Judd works in the FCPD Marine Patrol Unit division during the summer. He and a colleague organized a “Boaters for Backpacks” collection effort for Collect for Kids at the local marinas. Collect for Kids is a coordinated school supply and backpack donation drive for students in need within FCPS. On August 21, Officer Judd and his colleagues delivered over 200 backpacks to the FCPS Gatehouse Administration building! What a wonderful way to make a difference and support our students.
Officer Judd and colleagues collected and delivered over 200 backpacks for Collect for Kids!
The 2019-20 school year began on August 26 and will end on June 12, 2020. The full calendar for the 2019-20 school year includes the student holidays below.
2019-20 Calendar
In July, the Board also approved the 2020-21 calendar, giving parents and teachers a little over a year for planning purposes. For a second consecutive year, a committee composed of representatives from internal and external constituent groups assembled to assist in the development of this calendar. After a survey was administered to families and employees in May, the calendar was developed with a focus on instruction and learning time for students, providing meaningful professional learning opportunities for our instructional staff.
In addition, in keeping with the One Fairfax policy and our Strategic Goals of Caring Culture and Student Achievement, the School Board will create a Task Force on Religious Observances to review current policies and practices regarding religious holidays, observances and practices of our students and staff. The task force will consist of community members who are representative of our diverse stakeholders and a range of religious faiths. The task force will review best practices and policies from within our system as well as those in other school divisions. The goal of the task force will be to help identify and recommend areas of improvement that may include communication, education, and regulations related to our school year calendar and appropriate accommodations of religious obligations during the school day.
Thursday, September 5th
4:30 - 5:30 pm
Panera, Mosaic District
8191 Strawberry Lane, Suite A
Merrifield, VA 22042
VolunteerFest
2019 Providence District VolunteerFest will take place on October 26 in conjunction with Volunteer Fairfax's countywide VolunteerFest and National Make a Difference Day. Visit the event website for more details.
Would you like to share community events through my upcoming newsletters? Please contact Cristy Coffey at cmcoffey@fcps.edu with the details.
I appreciate your continued partnership and support of our schools. Meeting with community groups and residents is a priority and I would love to hear from you or speak at a community or HOA meeting. You can reach me at dapalchik@fcps.edu.
I wish you a wonderful school year!
Dalia
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