Article Text
Fairfax County Public Schools staff worked through the weekend to clear thick ice, distribute thousands of meals and prepare buildings for a safe reopening after an unusually difficult winter storm.
Officials planned to review weather conditions and neighborhood safety on the afternoon of Feb. 2 before deciding when schools could reopen. Families and employees were told to expect an update later that day.
The response involved facilities employees, other division staff, about 1,400 custodians and hundreds of bus drivers and transportation workers. Food and Nutrition Services employees prepared and distributed more than 4,000 snow-day meal kits.
The scale of the cleanup was substantial. FCPS operates 199 schools and centers covering more than 28 million square feet, along with over 40,000 parking spaces and more than 400 acres of paved surfaces. Crews had to treat and clear sidewalks, entrances, parking areas and internal roads.
Long periods of sleet followed by freezing temperatures created a heavy layer of ice that complicated the work.
Meal distributions continued while schools were closed. Food and Nutrition Services handed out 653 kits Wednesday, 1,412 Thursday and 1,965 Friday, for a three-day total of 4,030 meals. Each kit contained breakfast, lunch, supper and healthy snacks using items served on regular school menus.
The meals were available free to every child under 18, with no eligibility documents required. Distribution sites included Dogwood Elementary School.
Student artists and writers earn recognition
FCPS also launched ARTiFAX, a recognition program for students in grades seven through 12 who are enrolled in visual arts programs. The program gave awards to 299 submitted works in categories including Artistry, Authentic Voice, Collaborative Artwork, Creative Process, Cultural Context, Emerging Artist, Reflective Voice, Senior Portfolios and Thematic Concept.
Each participating school also named a Best in School honoree. One winning work, Pinning Hopes, was created by McLean High School student Thomas Chestnut.
Four FCPS students received honors in the National YoungArts Foundation Competition, joining more than 700 winners selected through reviews by panels of artists in individual disciplines:
- Wonwoo Do of McLean High School for photography.
- Heidi Hager of Oakton High School for voice and music creation.
- Kobimtochi Odo of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology for poetry.
- Dev Rai of Oakton High School for nonfiction writing.
Do and Rai were named Winners of Distinction, making them eligible for nomination as U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts.
Five more FCPS students were among 23 winners selected from 1,500 entries in the Local Letters for Global Change writing contest. Participants used reporting and independent research to propose solutions in letters to decision-makers.
Ria Goel of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology won first place in the Information and Artificial Intelligence category for writing about the environmental effects of AI data centers. Classmate Armaan Sheoran took second place in the same category with a letter about using AI technology for school security.
Oakton High School student Sunghun “Daniel” Chung placed third in that category for examining mental-health risks associated with AI chatbots. Fellow Oakton student Yoonsub David Choi won first place in the Peace and Conflict category for a letter about corporate accountability for gun violence.
Eraj Wali of Thomas Jefferson High School was a finalist in the Human Rights category for writing about labor protections for gig workers.
Willow Springs Elementary School STEAM and computer science teacher Carley Fisher-Maltese and Katherine Johnson Middle School eighth grader Arina Pavlenko also collaborated on a new book, The Garden at School. Fisher-Maltese wrote the book, while Pavlenko, a Willow Springs alumna, illustrated it.
Based on their experiences at the Willow Springs garden, the story follows three children as they discover their school garden, its bluebird trail and a garden leader who introduces them to the natural world.
Bus drivers train on new tablets
More than 1,100 school bus drivers attended training Thursday for Tyler Drive, a Mobile Data Tablet system being introduced across FCPS.
The technology is intended to improve routing accuracy, real-time communication and operational awareness. Transportation Services, the Information Technology team and Tyler Technologies are collaborating on the rollout.
The training continued despite the difficult weather, with drivers participating in hands-on sessions and discussing how the tablets could support their daily work.
February is also Love the Bus Month, recognizing drivers, attendants, dispatchers, supervisors and transportation support teams. FCPS employees were encouraged to wear yellow Friday, Feb. 20, in appreciation of those workers.
Virtual conference draws 203 participants
A last-minute move to a fully virtual format did not stop 203 people from attending Friday’s School Communicators Conference.
The Office of Communications shortened the agenda after the format changed. Speakers included Emily Lucht, digital communications director for the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association and Foundation, and Peter Stephan, general counsel for the District of Columbia Office of Disability Rights.
Both addressed federal accessibility guidelines scheduled to take effect in April 2026, along with broader issues involving inclusive communication and public engagement.
Awards recognized school websites, social-media accounts and newsletters. Westlawn Elementary School and Alanna Dushok received the Best in Show award for their work across all three formats.
Girls wrestling field reaches 195 athletes
Weekend athletic events included girls basketball games between Robinson and West Springfield and between the C.G. Woodson Cavaliers and Fairfax Lions.
The girls wrestling zone qualifiers later Saturday drew 195 student-athletes for the final rounds and awards ceremony.
Among the participating coaches was Westfield High School girls wrestling coach Harry Van Trees, who has coached FCPS wrestling teams for 42 years. The growing field reflected the continued expansion of girls wrestling and the increasing level of competition within the school division.