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Fairfax County Public Schools is heading toward the new school year after a busy stretch of summer graduations, academic programs, arts camps, teacher preparation and community events.
Among the division’s newest arrivals is Tim Jones, the executive chef for Food and Nutrition Services. Jones brings experience from professional kitchens and community food programs and plans to develop student meals that are nutritious, culturally varied and appealing to students.
Summer collaboration also brought Falls Church High School’s Science and Math Standards of Learning Bootcamp to Annandale High School while the Falls Church campus is closed for renovations. The program operated alongside Annandale’s own summer initiative.
Falls Church assistant principals Mary Birmingham and Tracy Sawyers led the visiting team. Annandale staff supporting the combined effort included Assistant Principal Jae Lee, Director of Student Services Erin Crowley, math coach Karen Olarinde and Assistant Principal Aaron Schneider.
On July 21, about 200 new ambassador teachers gathered at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington for the start of their U.S. cultural exchange experience through Participate Learning. The organization works with school divisions to place international educators in classrooms and advance cultural exchange, global education and dual-language immersion.
Three days later, the Gatehouse Administration Center welcomed 20 educators from eight countries who will teach in Fairfax schools during the coming year. The teachers met members of the leadership team and discussed the experiences and perspectives they will bring to students.
Another summer initiative, Algebra Power Up, is giving rising eighth graders additional preparation for Algebra. More than 200 students enrolled across three pilot hubs at Liberty, Key and Holmes middle schools.
During a visit to Liberty Middle School, Summer Principal Montell Brown, Liberty Principal Adam Erbrecht and K-12 mathematics senior manager Amy Hunter showcased lessons that incorporated storytelling, charades, equation games and other interactive exercises. The program supports the school division’s goal of helping students successfully complete Algebra 1 by eighth grade.
On July 22, the Warehouse Operations team worked with Kids R First, a nonprofit that supplies school materials to students in need. Staff collected ordered supplies, delivered them to Hughes Middle School for sorting and then transported pallets to schools throughout the division.
Communications training was another part of the summer preparations. Principals and school communications leaders attended the Office of Communications’ 2025 Comms Camp at the Willow Oaks Administrative Center, with a focus on explaining school programs and sharing the work taking place in classrooms.
At West Springfield High School, special education department chairs gathered for a Summer Academy attended by School Board member Rachna Sizemore Heizer. Participants discussed issues affecting students, employees and families as they prepared for the approaching academic year.
Summer graduation recognizes 104 students
Fairfax High School hosted the FCPS Summer Graduation on Wednesday afternoon, celebrating 104 students from 21 high schools. The summer program allows students to recover high school course credits and complete their graduation requirements.
Fairfax High School Principal Georgina Aye welcomed graduates and their families. Student speaker Razan Abdelhalim described her development from an introverted elementary student into a determined artist and early graduate. She plans to attend the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore.
Dr. Michelle Boyd, assistant superintendent for Region 6, delivered the commencement address and encouraged graduates to remain “unshaken, unstoppable, and unapologetically you.”
The following day, recent Chantilly High School graduate Arushi Surve discussed her environmental work with Superintendent Michelle Reid. Surve is the founder and president of Mission Green Global, an international youth-led nonprofit that encourages young people to take direct action on environmental concerns.
Their conversation included the possibility of forming a student advisory group to the superintendent focused on current environmental issues.
Student performers build full productions in days
Hayfield Secondary School’s Summer Stage presented Mamma Mia! on Thursday evening after only 13 days of rehearsals and technical preparation. More than 90 students, ranging from rising seventh graders to recent graduates, participated onstage or behind the scenes. They represented eight schools.
The Hayfield Drama Boosters sponsor the annual camp. Theater teacher Dr. Pat Mitchell, a Westfield High School graduate, created the program after joining Hayfield in 2015 and has directed it each summer since then.
Holmes Middle School chorus teacher Karli Eddinger directed the vocals, while Hayfield graduate Carlea Maben served as assistant director. Students created choreography and led technical teams responsible for building and painting the set and operating microphones, music and lighting.
On Friday evening, Langston Hughes Middle School staged its Summer Broadway production of Cinderella. Students developed their performance, communication and teamwork skills with support from musicians, directors, producers and stage and set crews.
Lake Braddock Secondary School also hosted Production Camp through the Institute for the Arts. Middle and high school students worked in visual arts, music, theater and dance while developing a full-length musical in three weeks.
The participants staged SIX: TEEN EDITION, a musical comedy that reimagines the six wives of King Henry VIII as pop singers telling their stories through music and choreography. Beyond the performance itself, the camp emphasized communication, collaboration, resilience and working toward shared goals.
Military families connect with school and community resources
The Blue Star Families Back-to-School Military Fair brought military families with secondary students to Edison High School on Saturday morning. Organized in collaboration with the Office of Family and School Partnerships, the event offered free school supplies and access to school and community resources.
Participating FCPS offices included the Office of the Ombuds, Educate Fairfax, the Family Resource Center and Career and Technical Education. George Mason University’s Veterans and the Arts Initiative and the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority were among the community organizations represented.
A First Annual Military Connected Youth BBQ was also scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 13, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Mount Vernon High School. The gathering was planned to help military-connected students and families maintain relationships and build new connections across Fairfax County.
Money Camp returns after five-year absence
Oak Hill Elementary School revived its Money Camp after a five-year break caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and school renovations.
The program uses a classroom mini-economy to teach practical financial literacy. Students take jobs, earn income, pay taxes, make spending decisions and eventually create small businesses.
Sixth-grade teacher and longtime camp leader Jeanette O’Malley directed the program with advanced academics resource teacher Cathy Lahr, sixth-grade teacher Amy Klopfenstein and Dana DeOcampo, a first-grade teacher at London Towne Elementary School.
The division also launched its first summer internship cohort. Twenty-one current students and recent graduates were chosen from nearly 950 applicants for the six-week paid program.
The interns are contributing to operational projects while gaining workplace experience designed to prepare them for life after high school. The highly competitive program emphasizes professionalism, practical skills and connections between students and future careers.
Together, the graduation ceremony, academic interventions, arts programs, international teacher exchanges, supply distribution and internships reflected the breadth of work continuing across Fairfax schools during the summer break.