Article Text
Fairfax County Public Schools is preparing to ask families, employees and students whether school start times should change across the division.
A confidential survey will be emailed Tuesday, April 1, to parents and caregivers, staff members, and students in grades 5-12. It will remain open for two weeks and be available in multiple languages.
The division’s goal is to begin middle school at 8 a.m. or later starting with the 2026-27 school year. FCPS previously held community forums and surveyed middle school families about the issue.
Students and staff earn major honors
Lake Braddock Secondary School’s senior gymnasts captured Virginia’s state championship for the fourth consecutive year. The Bruins now have 13 state titles, more than any other school in Virginia.
At the 70th annual Fairfax County Regional Science and Engineering Fair, nine FCPS projects received grand prizes. More than 600 students presented approximately 400 high school projects before over 200 professional judges, with 40 professional organizations and businesses participating.
Grand-prize recipients are eligible for the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in May. Many other competitors qualified for the Virginia State Science and Engineering Fair in April.
Justice High School teacher Kirsten Salonga was named the 2025 AFS-USA Global Educator of the Year. Salonga teaches biology and environmental science to multilingual learners and chairs the school’s science department. The award recognizes educators who incorporate cultural diversity, global competence and international perspectives into their teaching.
Salonga and Hayfield Secondary School mathematics teacher John Mika were also selected as Virginia finalists for the 2025 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, a leading national honor for K-12 STEM educators.
Alyce Pope, who has been involved with FCPS Head Start for more than 40 years, was named a finalist for the National Education Association’s Education Support Professional of the Year award. Pope began as a parent in the Higher Horizons Head Start program, later served as a classroom and administrative assistant, and now helps families enroll in the program.
Free prom clothing and spring registration events
Centreville High School students and participants in the Fair Oaks Classroom on the Mall program have opened their annual Prom Dress Shop. The program provides dresses and accessories at no cost and has helped hundreds of students attend prom.
The shop will open at Centreville High School from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, April 4; 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 5; and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 6. Community members may donate gently used, dry-cleaned prom dresses and accessories.
Elementary schools are also holding kindergarten open houses this spring for families of children entering school in August. FCPS offers school-readiness resources and a five-step kindergarten registration process for parents.
Summer and family programs announced
The free FCPS Summer Extravaganza is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 10, at Woodson High School. The event will highlight summer learning and enrichment opportunities across Fairfax County.
Activities will include student performances, story time, face painting and a moon bounce. An FCPS Student Program Marketplace will sell student-made goods, with proceeds supporting participating programs.
The Family Academy plans several free webinars and events in April through the Family Resource Center. Topics include programs for siblings of children with special needs, executive-function development in high school students, mathematics strategies for students with significant cognitive disabilities, accommodations for twice-exceptional students and the role of boundaries in adolescent development.
Students bring “Greased Lightnin’” to the stage
Edison Academy students in the Automotive Collision Service class are recreating the famous Greased Lightnin’ car for the Edison Theatre Company’s spring production of Grease — School Edition. The student-built hot rod will appear onstage at Edison High School.
At Whitman Middle School, monthly challenges are being used to encourage consistent attendance. FCPS is reminding families that two absences per month can leave students behind academically and is urging students to finish the school year with regular attendance.
Superintendent Michelle Reid recently recorded an installment of Our Voices, Our Future with Clermont Elementary School art teacher Madeline Deveney. Their conversation covered Deveney’s path into art education and how she connects classroom subjects with student art projects.
Community meetings and transportation event approach
Four community conversations with Reid are scheduled from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.:
- Tuesday, April 1, at Lorton Station Elementary School.
- Monday, April 7, at Greenbriar West Elementary School.
- Monday, April 21, at Mount Eagle Elementary School.
- Wednesday, April 23, at Mason Crest Elementary School.
The meetings are open to everyone, with childcare and language interpretation available.
FCPS has also published frequently asked questions about its Comprehensive Boundary Review. Residents whose questions are not covered may submit them through the division’s boundary-review webpage.
The annual Bus Safety Road-eo will take place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, April 1, at the Stonecroft Transportation Center. School bus drivers and attendants will demonstrate their skills on obstacle courses, followed by an awards ceremony. Food trucks and activities for all ages are also planned.
Closures and calendar deadlines
Friday, March 28, is the final day of the third quarter and remains a full school day. Schools and offices will close Monday, March 31, for Eid al-Fitr. Tuesday, April 1, is a teacher workday, with no classes for students.
The SIS ParentVUE and StudentVUE gradebook will be unavailable from 4 p.m. Friday, March 28, until 6 a.m. Monday, April 7, while end-of-quarter work is completed.
Spring break runs from Monday, April 14, through Friday, April 18. Schools and school offices will be closed.
The School Board will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 27, at Jackson Middle School. Its agenda includes an update to the physical restraint and seclusion policy, the second phase of the security vestibules project and contract awards.
Nominations for the A. Heath Onthank Award, Fairfax County’s highest employee honor, are due Friday, April 4. FCPS and Fairfax County employees are eligible to be nominated.