Article Text
Fairfax County Public Schools’ Class of 2025 outperformed both Virginia and global averages on the SAT while posting higher scores than the previous graduating class.
Fairfax students recorded an average total score of 1183, compared with 1112 statewide and 1029 worldwide. Their average scores of 596 in Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and 587 in Mathematics also exceeded the corresponding state and global results.
The county’s average rose five points from 2024, including a two-point increase in reading and writing and a three-point gain in math. Participation remained comparatively strong: 65.7% of Fairfax seniors took the exam, versus 51.3% across Virginia.
Grants open for classroom projects
The 2025 Educate Fairfax grant cycle is accepting applications from FCPS faculty and staff through 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 12. Applicants are scheduled to receive decisions between Nov. 17 and 21.
The nonprofit foundation supports projects designed to expand hands-on learning and advance the school system’s 2023-30 Strategic Plan. Previous grants helped establish the student-operated Cosmic Coffee business at Coates Elementary School, a Hayfield Secondary School program that refurbished laptops for veterans, and vegetable gardens supplying fresh food to families facing food insecurity at Thoreau Middle School.
Girls flag football begins inaugural season
FCPS also unveiled uniforms for its first girls flag football season during events at Westfield and Annandale high schools. The new sport is sponsored by the Washington Commanders.
Players participated in professional photo sessions, recorded 360-degree videos and joined a question-and-answer program with former Washington athletes. The two events were held on consecutive evenings so teams from across the county could participate.
Families discuss budget and new high school
Community Conversations at McNair Upper Elementary and Annandale Terrace Elementary brought parents and other residents together to discuss the fiscal year 2027 budget, middle school start times, staffing and additional school concerns.
The proposed western high school was another major subject. FCPS is still considering different options for the school, and Superintendent Michelle Reid said she plans to hold a separate community meeting focused on its future after families requested more discussion.
Employees raised their own concerns during a conversation at Braddock Elementary. Topics included teacher planning time, the success of Participate Learning, testing levels at Title I schools, and the balance between assessment and instructional days. Participants also discussed beginning next year’s budget conversations earlier with the Board of Supervisors and state representatives.
Classroom visits span high school and elementary grades
Reid began Tuesday at Justice High School, touring classrooms with Principal Sean Rolon. The visit concluded in an Advancement Via Individual Determination class, where students were working on college-application preparation. More than 70% of the students enrolled in Justice’s AVID program last year went on to four-year universities.
At Falls Church High School, Principal Ben Nowak showed Reid areas completed during the school’s multiyear renovation. Remaining construction was on schedule to finish in March.
The tour included multilingual biology classes taught by Michelle Perkins and Nalleli Soto and a ninth-grade honors biology class led by Mia Thompson. Students were studying cell theory and scientists who contributed to its development. In a multilingual geometry class taught by Victor Sawhney-Duran and Autumn Vaught, the lesson focused on parallel lines.
Falls Church also offers “Second Chance Breakfast” between first and second periods. Students who missed breakfast—or want another serving—can choose items including yogurt, cereal, waffles and juice.
Reid later visited Wolftrap Elementary School, where fourth graders in School-Based Technology Specialist Sarah Park’s Makerspace attempted to construct the tallest possible tower using only note cards or paper and tape. One structure exceeded 40 inches as students practiced collaboration, communication and creative problem-solving.
First graders were engaged in several stages of math instruction. Lorraine Dyer’s students combined sets as a foundation for addition, compared greater and smaller quantities, and began exploring early multiplication concepts. Amanda McAdams’ class used finger counting to solve problems, while Allison Chung’s students worked independently through math lessons.
The Wolftrap visit ended in the cafeteria with a look at new offerings from the Food and Nutrition Services office.
Automotive teacher wins $50,000 prize
Rebecca Fenton, the school system’s only female automotive instructor, received a Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence during a surprise announcement Tuesday.
The national honor includes $50,000 for Marshall Academy. Fenton was among 25 public high school skilled-trades educators selected from more than 1,000 applicants.
Candidates completed a multiphase process involving an initial application, essays and a short video. Fenton trains in emerging automotive fields to prepare her students for careers, including advanced electrical systems, alignment and tire-service equipment, and hybrid and electric vehicle technology.
Music, athletics and employee input fill the week
The Centreville High School Wind Ensemble performed Tuesday evening at George Mason University during the 55th-anniversary celebration for the Mason Symphonic Band and Wind Symphony. The ensemble is directed by Mason alumna Melissa Hall.
On Wednesday, the Superintendent’s Teacher Advisory Committee held its first meeting of the school year. The committee gives instructional employees a channel to provide feedback to Reid and her leadership team about issues affecting the division. Representatives are expected to report meeting results to colleagues at their schools.
Reid joined education leaders from Frederick and Fauquier counties Thursday for a panel at the Learning Futures and Tech Symposium at the PATH Foundation Resource Center in Warrenton. The discussion covered mathematical trends that could signal future changes, artificial intelligence’s place in education, and ways teachers can prepare students for evolving careers.
At George Mason University on Friday, the Public School Leaders Network heard Delegate Vivian Watts discuss possible changes to Virginia’s education-funding system and seek responses from regional elected officials.
The week also included several athletic events. Reid attended Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology’s Friday field hockey game against Edison, a Saturday volleyball tournament at Hayfield Secondary School, and Westfield High School’s girls field hockey tournament.
Summer event earns county recognition
The FCPS Community Relations team received Celebrate Fairfax’s Event of the Year Award for its work on the Summer Extravaganza.
Director Angie Aldave and Intercultural Engagement Manager Gracie Mendez accepted the award Saturday. Aldave conceived and launched the annual event two years earlier, bringing school departments and community organizations together for activities intended to keep children learning during summer break.
The program was supported by participating departments, community partners, volunteers, Dr. Lynette Henry and Educate Fairfax. Celebrate Fairfax’s Board of Directors is led by Debbie Kilpatrick, who also serves as president of the Fairfax County Council of PTAs.
The week concluded Sunday at Lake Anne Plaza in Reston, where Reid and principals from the South Lakes High School pyramid served as ceremonial starters for the South Lakes pantry’s “Do It Your Way” 0.5K fundraiser.
The school food pantry was established in 2017 to help address hunger and nutrition needs among South Lakes students. Thirty-eight percent of the school’s students participate in the free and reduced-price lunch program.