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Fairfax County Public Schools entered its final full week of the school year with graduations, national honors, student awards and the completion of a major elementary school renovation.
The week concluded Sunday evening with the 26th annual Cappies, a celebration of high school theater attended by educators, families and performing arts supporters. Superintendent Michelle Reid said the event underscored the role of theater in a well-rounded education and included a reunion with Herndon High School theater figure Scott Pafumi.
Student programs show measurable gains
New “Shining a Light on Success” videos featured programs at three schools.
At Robinson Secondary School, 200 student leaders participate in the Rambassador program, mentoring middle school students, assisting military families and ensuring new students have a friend on their first day.
Twain Middle School highlighted the progress of its multilingual learners, who recorded nearly 20% growth on the WIDA English-language proficiency assessment during the past year.
Centreville Elementary School showcased its Literacy Lab, which is being used to strengthen reading instruction and collaboration among teachers.
Fairfax principal earns top regional honor
Fairfax High School Principal Georgina Aye was named the 2026 Washington Post Principal of the Year.
Since becoming principal, Aye has expanded student participation in Advanced Placement, dual-enrollment and honors courses. Her family-engagement work has included personally teaching evening English classes for parents and caregivers.
Under her leadership, Fairfax High also received its first Purple Star School designation for supporting military-connected families. Aye previously received the FCPS 2025 Outstanding Principal award.
The FCPS Office of Communications also earned several National School Public Relations Association honors. “Sharing Our Success,” the division’s annual report, received an Award of Excellence, while the FCPS This Week newsletter earned an honorable mention.
Awards of Excellence also went to the “Bear Week: New Menu Items” social media campaign and “The FCPS Strategic Plan in Action” video series. Golden Achievement Awards recognized “Reclaiming the Narrative: A Strategic Framework,” communications surrounding a crisis at Brookfield Elementary School and the “Bonds Build Better Schools” campaign.
TJ posts its best Science Olympiad finish
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology placed 10th among 60 high schools at the 2026 National Science Olympiad Tournament at the University of Southern California.
The result was the school’s best finish across 10 national appearances since its team was established in 2010.
Rohan Bairi and Tayne Han won Astronomy, while Juwon Kim and Kylie Rudinsky took first place in Protein Modeling, a trial event.
Third-place medals went to Jack Gao and Han in Dynamic Planet, Ariana Mamedova and Nathan Liu in Engineering CAD, and Gao and Bairi in Remote Sensing.
Luke Kang and Zain Marshall placed fourth in the trial event Code Craze. Jennifer Zhang and Justin Yuan finished fourth in Disease Detectives, while Bairi and Timothy Oh placed fourth in Materials Science.
Ayla Zhang and Oh earned fifth place in Chemistry Lab. Kim and Rudinsky finished sixth in Botany, another trial event. Biology teachers Aubrie Holman and Samantha Hale coach the team.
Eight students from six FCPS high schools were also named winners of 2026 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards. They joined more than 2,500 National Merit finalists selected for scholarships financed by higher-education institutions.
Recipients were evaluated through their academic records, essays, extracurricular activities, awards, leadership roles, SAT results and recommendations from high school officials.
Graduation season reaches full stride
Graduation ceremonies were held for Quander Road School, Bryant High School, Cedar Lane School, Mountain View High School and AIM, Fairfax High School, Oakton High School and Chantilly High School.
Celebrations also took place for Woodson, West Springfield, Hayfield, South Lakes and South County high schools, along with Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology.
Student speeches and performances were central to the ceremonies as families and educators recognized the graduating class of 2026. Additional graduations were scheduled for the following week.
The week’s school activities also included Monday’s softball game between Madison and Marshall high schools.
Mosaic Elementary unveils major expansion
Mosaic Elementary School celebrated the completion of a major renovation Tuesday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The project added approximately 50,000 square feet to the building. Improvements include a new gymnasium and library, a larger cafeteria, more classroom space and upgraded safety features.
Principal Mahri Aste, school employees, families and FCPS facilities and capital-improvement teams helped carry the project through construction. Funding came through Fairfax County’s 2019 and 2021 bond referendums.
Mosaic was also featured in a video explaining how employees use elementary early-release days. New teachers work with experienced mentors on classroom management, lesson planning and supportive learning environments, while Collaborative Learning Teams review student progress and develop lessons, assessments and targeted assistance.
Employees also analyze data, review school goals and coordinate their work with the 2023-30 FCPS Strategic Plan. Mosaic’s early-release projects have included Get 2 Green, through which students help design gardens and improve outdoor learning areas.
FCPS examines systems after Baldrige award
FCPS recently launched a webpage explaining the Baldrige Excellence Framework and how the school division is using it to improve leadership, internal systems and student support.
The division received the 2026 Regional Gold Level Baldrige Award in May, becoming the first educational organization to earn that level of recognition as a first-time applicant.
The honor followed a two-year application and evaluation process. An appreciation event was held Tuesday at Willow Oaks for the cross-functional team that contributed to the effort, including school leaders, operational employees, subject-matter experts and senior administrators.
Later Tuesday, a choir concert at Liberty Middle School highlighted the work of student performers as well as the employees and volunteers supporting the program.
Students receive community scholarships
The Asian Leadership Alliance honored three FCPS seniors with scholarships during a Wednesday banquet at Willow Oaks.
The recipients were Sophia Shi of Edison High School, Elaina Rivers of Hayfield Secondary School and Manas Puri of Lake Braddock Secondary School.
The alliance’s board considered applicants’ résumés, transcripts, recommendations and a personal essay or video about a meaningful cause and the importance of participation by the Asian, Pacific Islander and Desi American community.
Five more students were recognized Saturday at the Michelle Leete Memorial Scholarship Brunch at Gum Springs Community Center.
The recipients were Emily Martineau and Cameron Thorpe of West Springfield High School; Noah Isirimah and Sovay Reid of Lake Braddock Secondary School; and Amara Orakwue of Centreville High School.
The scholarship honors Leete’s work in public education, equity and community service. She held leadership roles with PTAs at Weyanoke Elementary, Holmes Middle and Edison High schools and served as vice president of both the Virginia PTA and the Fairfax County Council of PTAs. The NAACP Fairfax Branch continues her legacy through the scholarship program.
Reid recognized for PTA partnership
Reid was named a Virginia PTA Power Partner and one of its Superintendents of the Year during the organization’s annual meeting and awards ceremony Friday at Thomas Dale High School near Richmond.
The awards recognize principals and superintendents who build family-school partnerships through PTA collaboration and foster environments that welcome parents and volunteers in support of students’ academics, health and well-being.
Reid credited the Fairfax County Council of PTAs, individual school PTAs, parents, caregivers, educators and community members for the recognition.
Summer event draws nearly 2,000 people
Nearly 2,000 community members, including more than 500 students, attended the FCPS Summer Extravaganza at Woodson High School on Saturday.
Activities included robotics demonstrations, a petting zoo, hands-on educational programs, summer-learning resources, food trucks and performances by current students and alumni.
The Office of Community Relations created and led the event with support from 55 student volunteers and 25 adult volunteers. Multiple FCPS offices participated, including Human Resources, Food and Nutrition Services, Information Technology and Communications.
Support also came from Educate Fairfax, Fairfax County VA250, the Office of Human Resources and the Northwest Federal Credit Union Foundation.
The week ended with Reid attending an Old Glory professional rugby game at George Mason University. She said FCPS expects to work with the team on efforts to introduce rugby in county schools, with additional details anticipated in the coming months.