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Fairfax County Public Schools will mark its first official snow day of the school year Tuesday, January 7, with traditional time off rather than virtual instruction. The division has posted optional activities for families looking for ways to stay busy safely at home.
As FCPS begins 2025, the school system is also continuing its literacy campaign. Recent efforts to make the Benchmark Advance program engaging for younger students have included themed celebrations, fashion shows and tutoring with older students. Families have participated through literacy nights, virtual bedtime stories and Readers Theatre activities.
A new student assessment summary will reach many Virginia families by the end of January as the Virginia Department of Education revises its school accountability system.
Families will receive the report if their children took at least one Standards of Learning test between the 2015-16 and 2023-24 school years. It will show each student’s state percentile ranking on every applicable test, allowing families to compare the results with those of other Virginia students who took the same exam in the same year.
The document will be available in the Documents section of SIS ParentVUE. Students whose families do not have ParentVUE access will receive it through their current school.
The state describes the purpose of accountability as building trust among schools, parents and students through reporting that is transparent, concrete and easy to understand. FCPS said its staff will continue working with families to help students reach their potential.
A Langley High School student is also drawing attention for an Eagle Scout service project that put musical instruments into the hands of children with fewer resources.
Brendan, who began playing trumpet at Cooper Middle School and now performs in Langley’s marching band, worked with volunteers to collect and repair more than 100 instruments for Hungry for Music. The organization distributes instruments to low-income students around the world.
Brendan said the project allowed him to “bring the love of music that I have to kids’ lives who might need something like this, who don’t have the opportunities I have to have the nice instruments.”
FCPS families will also have six more opportunities to participate virtually in the division’s Community Boundary Review. The scheduled meetings are:
- Friday, January 10, from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
- Thursday, January 16, from 1 to 2:30 p.m.
- Saturday, January 25, from 9:30 to 11 a.m.
- Monday, January 27, from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
- Tuesday, January 28, from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
- Monday, February 10, from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Registration is required to receive an individual Zoom link. Each session will be limited to 400 participants, and language interpretation will be available.
Two FCPS yearbooks, meanwhile, have been named finalists for the Columbia Scholastic Press Association’s 2025 Crown Awards. Cooper Middle School earned its first finalist selection for the Pathfinder, while Marshall High School was recognized for the Columbian.
The Crown Awards honor overall excellence in student print and digital media. Gold and Silver Crown recipients will be announced during the association’s 101st annual Spring Convention in New York City in March.