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Fairfax County Public Schools plans to bring robotics teams to every school through a four-year expansion beginning with 46 new schools in the coming year, Superintendent Michelle Reid announced during a packed week of academic, athletic and arts events across the county.
The announcement came at the FIRST Robotics Competition at Hayfield Secondary School, where 37 teams — including six from FCPS — competed after spending three months designing, building, testing and repairing their robots. More than 90 mentors and volunteers supported the students.
Reid said the event stood out for its collaboration as well as its engineering. She toured the competition with Hayfield student Alex, watched Oakton High School students explain how their team applied mathematics and credited Hayfield robotics instructor Joseph Kerns for his leadership.
The week also brought encouraging early literacy figures. According to results from the Virginia Language and Literacy Screening System, 42.6% of FCPS students in kindergarten through second grade were considered at low risk of needing reading intervention last fall. That figure reached 52.6% during the winter assessment.
FCPS introduced the division-wide Benchmark Advance language arts curriculum for kindergarten through sixth grade this school year. Reid planned to discuss the literacy results further during the School Board’s Academic Matters presentation Thursday.
Championships and community service
FCPS closed the winter sports season with five teams and 36 individual athletes winning Virginia High School League Class 6 championships. Another five teams and 35 individuals finished as state runners-up.
The championship teams were Lake Braddock Secondary School in gymnastics, its fourth consecutive title; South Lakes High School in boys basketball, its second straight championship; Chantilly High School in boys swimming and diving; South County High School in girls indoor track and field; and West Springfield High School in boys indoor track and field.
At Beech Tree Elementary School, students collected 471 cereal boxes for Cereal4All, which supplies cereal to Food for Others. They arranged the donations through the school’s hallways and stairs before toppling them in a domino display.
Reid also met Monday with U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, FCPS employees, parents and community members to discuss the national landscape and its effects on the school division.
Classroom visits span cooking, algebra and fitness
At Frost Middle School, Principal Anthony Harris accompanied Reid through several classrooms. Students in Amy Hansen’s family and consumer sciences class baked large chocolate chip cookie cakes, while Jennifer Murphy’s students cut fabric and operated sewing machines to make aprons for later classwork.
Students in Megan Fowle’s Algebra 1 class worked on dividing polynomials, and Reid also visited a seventh-grade mathematics class taught by Lorenda Wieder and Mark Perlin.
At Fairfax High School, Principal Georgina Aye, administrators and student ambassador Myles welcomed Reid. Heather Davids’ AP Seminar students were preparing research-based essays and presentations, and Reid observed a “Paws Up!” recognition for positive student behavior.
In a biology class taught by Caroline Mikhail and Alaina Willis, students studied proteins, the pH scale and other elements of biochemistry. Multilingual learners in Candi Freeman’s English class practiced vocabulary and speaking.
The visit ended in the weight room, where physical education teachers and football coaches Richard Taylor and Matthew Frank held a testing day to measure progress toward students’ fitness goals. With students serving as spotters, Reid lifted a 45-pound squat-rack bar.
Twain educator honored for intensive student support
Samantha Vivian-Beck received the second FCPS CARES of the Quarter award during a presentation Tuesday at Twain Middle School. The recognition is offered in partnership with Educate Fairfax and the school division’s employee recognition team.
Vivian-Beck serves as the crisis resource teacher for Twain and its Comprehensive Services Site Program. Her nomination highlighted her care for all students, particularly those who have not yet experienced success.
Her work includes leading Twain’s student mentoring program and developing a life-skills course for students with emotional disabilities. She also created the Hype Cafe, a student-operated business that sells hot drinks and baked goods to employees twice a week while teaching management and customer-service skills.
Reid later hosted the Quad 2 Family Vision Group at Shrevewood Elementary School and held employee and community conversations at Haycock and Cunningham Park elementary schools. Discussions covered topics including literacy and college enrollment. The next employee conversation was scheduled for April 29 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Providence Elementary School.
Students take the stage, field and civic spotlight
More than 100 fifth- and sixth-grade musicians from elementary schools in the Lewis and Edison pyramids performed Tuesday with the Greater Springfield-Franconia Area Honor Band at Lewis High School. The students had rehearsed after school each week for 10 weeks.
Reid also watched part of a boys soccer match between Lewis and Wakefield high schools alongside Lewis Principal Alfonso Smith.
On Wednesday, the Superintendent’s Teacher Advisory Committee met at Kilmer Middle School. Each school has a representative on the committee, which gathers instructional employees’ feedback, brings concerns to division leaders and reports meeting results to school colleagues. The work supports the FCPS 2023-30 Strategic Plan’s goal of maintaining a diverse, adaptable and supported workforce.
Reid also met the newest members of the Fairfax County Youth Leadership Program, now in its 25th year. The competitive program prepares high school students for civic involvement through learning sessions, internships in county departments and presentations to middle school civics classes. Participants also meet county leaders and learn how local government affects daily life.
At Oakton High School’s annual 12th Grade Model Congress on Thursday, seniors simulated the federal legislative process. Students researched issues, drafted and presented bills, sought leadership offices, served on committees, debated proposals and voted.
Reid then visited Glen Forest Elementary School as a guest reader, sharing Leonardo, the Terrible Monster with Ms. Vega’s first-grade class.
During Leadership Greater Washington’s Education Day, Reid joined other superintendents for a panel with community leaders, businesses, nonprofit organizations and elected officials. The discussion addressed education funding, artificial intelligence, emerging technology and partnerships among schools and the public and private sectors.
She also met virtually with the FCPS Aspiring Leaders of Color Affinity Group to discuss her path into school leadership and ways participants could prepare for their next professional steps.
FanQuest celebrates inclusion
Annandale High School hosted FanQuest on Friday, bringing its Special Olympics basketball team together with Marshall High School’s Statesmen for a showcase game centered on inclusion and respect for students with disabilities.
Annandale also raised its Unified Champion banner. Assistant Principal Jae Lee said the recognition reflected the school’s commitment to ensuring every student feels included and valued. The event was covered by FOX 5 News.
That evening, Reid attended Edu-Futuro’s “Empowering Voices, Transforming Lives” gala. The organization supports the community through college and career preparation, scholarships and financial assistance, family programs, leadership development and self-advocacy instruction.
Arts and athletics fill the weekend
After Saturday’s robotics competition, Mount Vernon High School hosted its annual Atlantic Indoor Association Indoor Guard and Percussion competition. Sixty-five school ensembles presented productions lasting seven to 10 minutes before judges with national marching-band and drum-corps experience.
The performances resembled elaborate indoor halftime productions and came near the end of a competitive season held on weekends throughout February. The season was scheduled to conclude at the A.I.A. Indoor Championships at Hampton Coliseum in Hampton.
Participating FCPS schools included Mount Vernon, Fairfax, Thomas Jefferson, Westfield, Herndon, McLean, Oakton, West Springfield, Hayfield Secondary, South County and Kilmer Middle. Three colleges also performed, including George Mason University Indoor Percussion.
Reid later attended a Woodson High School boys baseball game hosted by Westfield High School. FCPS also held a virtual instructional job fair Saturday, drawing hundreds of teacher candidates and involving the Human Resources team, principals, assistant principals and other school employees.
Science fair and spelling bee close the week
Hundreds of students presented projects Sunday at the 70th annual Fairfax County Regional Science and Engineering Fair at Robinson Secondary School. The event gave participants opportunities to develop collaboration, critical-thinking and STEAM skills across a wide range of research topics.
Reid emphasized that projects still produce valuable learning when the findings do not support the original hypothesis. Sponsors, science and administrative employees, school leaders and communications staff supported the event.
Later Sunday, students gathered for the Fairfax County Spelling Bee, organized and administered by the Fairfax County Council PTA. The annual competition drew students, families and school employees for multiple rounds of advanced spelling.
Reid also highlighted the work of Madeline Deveney, a third-year art teacher at Clermont Elementary School, in an episode of Our Voices, Our Future. Deveney discussed becoming an art educator, connecting classroom curricula with art projects and guiding the creative development of her 500 students.