Dear FCCPS Families, I hope you all are doing well and staying healthy. Last week I sent you a very long email updating where we are with respect to reopening plans for our school division. This week’s promises to be shorter :). On Tuesday evening, I briefed the School Board about our updated measures and metrics and explained our students’ return Kindergarten -... READ MORE >

Dear FCCPS Families, It has been a couple of weeks since you have heard directly from me, and I feel like the time is right to update you on some of the many things that are happening across the state and in our school division. Let me start by saying thank you for your continued support of FCCPS and working so well with your kids. As a working parent of... READ MORE >

FCCPS Transportation is preparing for that time when students return to school. The staff has been participating in training, cleaning buses, and addressing minor maintenance issues. All drivers will be performing their usual pre-trip inspections and driving bus routes approximately once each week. Diesel buses do not do well sitting for long periods of time, and... READ MORE >

Dear FCCPS Families, Happy Friday, everyone. This was a big week for us in FCCPS as we welcomed our new staff and faculty to our system and began the onboarding process. Yesterday was the first official day back for all of our teachers and staff, and we are working diligently to make the best of a situation none of us had hoped for. This week’s version of the Road... READ MORE >

Falls Church City Public Schools is thrilled to welcome 28 new professional staff members to #TeamFCCPS this week. The annual new teacher and professional orientation began this morning and continues for most of this week. All staff return next week in preparation for the first day of school on August 24th. The 2020-21 Class of New Teachers and Professional... READ MORE >

Dear FCCPS Families, Happy Friday. As we close in on the start of the 2020-21 school year we want to start focusing our next few editions of the Road to Reopening to what the day in the life of a student will look like when we open our virtual doors on August 24th. Please take a look at the videos below and the other information provided to help with your family’s... READ MORE >

Dear FCCPS Families, Happy Friday, and I hope you had a nice lazy midsummer week. We continue to collectively put our best thinking, creativity, and small division focus on our reopening plans, and we are very excited to begin the school year on August 24th. We look forward to welcoming all of our students online. This takes time to plan and develop. We appreciate... READ MORE >

Dear FCCPS Families, Over the past weeks, we have collectively put our best thinking, creativity, and small division focus on our reopening plans. All along, we’ve said we would be prepared for whatever the conditions presented us and make the appropriate adjustments to keep our students, staff, and families safe. Circumstances have changed in the last two weeks,... READ MORE >

FCCPS Community, As Virginia continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic, and with the health and safety of our students, families, staff, and community foremost in mind, tomorrow evening, I will make a recommendation that the School Board adopt a fully virtual start to the FCCPS 2020-21 school year. The Board is expected to discuss and take action on the... READ MORE >

Happy Friday, everyone. I hope you have big plans for this weekend. This is the fourth installment of The Road to Reopening, and you can continue to expect it every Friday as we approach the start of school. Over the past week, we have seen some shifting in other school divisions in our region here in Northern Virginia. Please know we are watching this very... READ MORE >

Happy Friday everyone. I hope you have big plans for this weekend. This is the third installment of The Road to Reopening, and you can now expect it every Friday as we close in on the start of school August 24th. This issue is focused heavily on K-5 (MDES, TJES), and next week’s edition will be more Secondary focused again. However, please take a read through as... READ MORE >

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you had a restful and enjoyable weekend. This is a new communication that I plan to send weekly to update you as we continue our plans for our reopening on August 24th. The intention is to send it on Fridays going forward but this week you will get two editions...today and Friday. This communication is to share quick clarifying... READ MORE >

Dear FCCPS Families and Community, This has been an unprecedented year and I would like to begin by saying thank you. Your work as parents, dedication to your children’s education, and care were amplified at the end of the school year in a brilliant and beautiful way. Through your partnerships with our teachers and your efforts, our students in FCCPS were widely... READ MORE >

Versión en español a continuación Dear FCCPS Families and Staff, Well...what a school year it has been. This Friday Update will be the last I will send for the foreseeable future as the school year is officially coming to an end. However, do be on the lookout in the next several weeks for another community survey to help inform our reopening plans for... READ MORE >

May 29, 2020 Versión en español a continuación Friday Update Dear FCCPS Families and Staff, The end of the year is drawing near...this is the last Friday for our students. We are almost to the finish line, and I am so thankful to you - Students, Families, Faculty, and Staff - for making it happen for our students this spring. During unusual... READ MORE >

The Falls Church School Board unanimously approved the school division's Fiscal Year 2020-21 budget; a once-promising financial plan derailed by a global pandemic. The $52,191,532 revenue and spending plan represents a $2.4 million decrease over the School Board's pre-pandemic Advertised Budget. The adjustment eliminates salary improvements for staff but does not... READ MORE >

May 22, 2020 Versión en español a continuación This year, like all school years, has been marked by milestones and waypoints. However, this year’s waypoints have been very different...March 13th (Friday the 13th) - school closure, March 18th - the start of online learning, Spring Break, April 13th - the start of new instruction, and now we are at Memorial... READ MORE >

May 15, 2020 Versión en español a continuación This is longer than usual so get a cool drink, settle in, and read…:) Dear FCCPS Families and Staff, It has been another interesting week in FCCPS. Thank you all for your continued support of our schools. I mentioned in my weekly Wednesday @peternoonan Twitter message that we, as a... READ MORE >

May 8, 2020 Versión en español a continuación Dear FCCPS Families, Another week has come to a close here in our FCCPS learning community. This was a special time, as it was Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week. We are so grateful to our community for their thoughtful recognition and appreciation of our teachers and staff. The cards, emails, social... READ MORE >

May 1, 2020 Versión en español a continuación Dear FCCPS Families and Staff, May 1st has arrived, and we are moving into the last full month of school. As you all know, every day, my family (though usually only the two adults) tries to take a long walk to maintain exercise and mental health. We spend this time reflecting on our current and collective situation.... READ MORE >

This week's activity packet for preschoolers included an alphabet matching game.This student had a great time playing it and Spring Bingo. Students are also participating in daily group video activities. READ MORE >

Versión en español a continuación Dear FCCPS Families, I hope you and your family are doing well, are healthy, and safe. This has been another remarkable week in the Falls Church City Public Schools. Your students, our teachers, and you are making it happen, and for that, we are grateful. Last week, I sent you an article that described... READ MORE >

Versión en español a continuación We have finished up the first week of ‘new’ instruction, and the first full month of online instruction. It is amazing to reflect on how far we have come! Thank you again for all of your support during this time. Below you will find our latest updates on the many projects we are continuing to work on during the closure to keep... READ MORE >

Dear FCCPS Families, Welcome back to school! I hope you all had a great spring break, albeit different, and you and your students feel ready for the challenge of new material. This week marks a turning point for us in FCCPS insofar as we will begin to introduce new content to our students PK-12. As mentioned previously, we would much prefer to be face-to-face, but... READ MORE >

With the cancelation of Standards of Learning tests this year, modifications made to the upcoming International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement assessments, and the need to prepare for summer instruction, the Falls Church School Board is shortening the current school year by 13 days to June 4th for students and June 5th for teachers and staff. The change is... READ MORE >

Tuesday Update En español abajo Dear FCCPS Family, Happy last day of March. We are a week from the official Spring Break, and while we may not be able to do all the things we want during the holiday, it is my hope that during the break you can all feel some modicum of relief by not having to stay on your kids about getting their work done. We... READ MORE >

Please remember! If COVID-19 closures have resulted in a change in your family's income, you could be eligible for assistance through the National School Lunch program. FCCPS accepts applications for the Free Reduced Meals Program at all times. Please visit https://www.fccps.org/o/FCCPS/page/free-reduced-meals--14 to download the application for the FRM program.... READ MORE >

Friday Update March 27, 2020 En español abajo Dear FCCPS Family Thank you for your continued support of our schools. As Team FCCPS continues to meet, we have all reflected on how fortunate we are to work in a small school division where we can know our kids, our families, and each other in ways that support strong relationships and care. Congratulations to... READ MORE >

Yesterday (Monday, March 23rd) was an emotional and sad day for our school system. I understand your sadness, frustration, and concern about the decision. Regardless, I am confident that we will move forward in a way that continues to be supportive of our students. We are strong, we are together, and we are @FCCPS (#bettertogether). Last night, I joined School... READ MORE >

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam announced this afternoon, at his press conference, all public schools in the Commonwealth will remain closed for the remainder of the school year. The news is not what we were hoping for or expecting, but together we will get through this. It was only ten days ago we announced our closure due to the coronavirus (COVID-19).... READ MORE >

FCCPS Principals are sharing their schools' e-learning plans for the weeks ahead. In addition to sharing via email and Schoology, the plans are also found in the specific schools COVID-19 Information pages and in the FCCPS app. MD COVID-19 MEH COVID-19 gadellm@fccps.org. Speaking will be done via the call-in number. Thank you all for your continued... READ MORE >

Students at Jessie Thackrey have been instructed well in the art of hand washing. They know how to get the soap onto all their fingers and the fronts and backs of their hands. As they rub in the soap, they have the ABC song, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, or Happy Birthday to sing to themselves to ensure they wash long enough. After rinsing and then drying off... READ MORE >

On Tuesday evening, the Falls Church School Board unanimously approved its Advertised Budget for the 2020-2021 school year. Reflecting an investment in our students, our staff, and our schools, the budget includes a step increase for eligible employees, and a 1% Cost of Living Adjustment for all FCCPS staff members. The $54.6 million budget, which now heads to the... READ MORE >

The Virginia Department of Health announced there are 2 presumptive positive cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Northern Virginia; a Fort Belvoir resident and a City of Fairfax resident in his 80s both of whom recently traveled abroad. The Virginia Department of Health and Fairfax County Health Department held a press conference Sunday, March 8. With... READ MORE >

Fees for Summer Day Camp operated by the FCCPS Extended Day Care Program will rise two percent this summer. EDCP, which is self-supported, charge fees to recover costs. The Day Care Advisory Board approved the increase last week and, per current policy, the School Board signed off on it as well, Tuesday night. The program cites increases in staff wages, cost of... READ MORE >

Four years into Falls Church City Public School's Stop-Arm Camera program and it continues catching violators, and the fines continue to roll in. In 2019, a total of 1,082 citations were issued to drivers who passed a Falls Church school bus with its red lights flashing. For the first five months of the current fiscal year (July through November), the program... READ MORE >

Falls Church City Public Schools is now accepting interest applications from Falls Church City residents for tuition placements at Jessie Thackrey Preschool for the 2020-2021 school year. Spaces in the classrooms are first reserved for preschoolers with special needs and then for those at risk according to Virginia Preschool Initiative guidelines. A limited number... READ MORE >

FCCPS is offering free English classes for the parents and adult family members of FCCPS students with sessions beginning on January 14th. The beginner level (Nivel Principiante) will be held from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. and the intermediate level (Nivel Intermedio) will run from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesdays. Both sessions will be held in the Family Resource Center at... READ MORE >

The students from Jessie Thackrey Preschool, along with many other toddlers and preschoolers, attended the second annual Pop Tots concert at Mason yesterday morning. The band performed holiday favorites including a Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer sing-along, and many familiar movie tunes. The "little people" joined the band on stage to sing and sit with Mrs.... READ MORE >

Falls Church City Public Schools is thrilled to announce the new FCCPS app! It's everything FCCPS, in your pocket! With the new app, you can access staff directories, lunch menus, news updates, and even emergency notifications. Best of all, YOU control what notifications you receive! Download the app on Android: https://bit.ly/30xyIV5 or iPhone:... READ MORE >

Thank you in advance for your assistance as Falls Church City Public Schools works to improve how we serve our students, families, and community. We appreciate your time. Effective July 1, 2019, the General Assembly passed legislation allowing school divisions to start the school year up to 14 days before the September Labor Day holiday. Previously school... READ MORE >

Award-nominating season is here! Recognize outstanding FCCPS employees by submitting a nomination for one of our awards: FCEF Teacher of the Year; Professional Specialist of the Year and Support Staff Employee of the Year. Nomination forms for all three awards are below. The deadline for submitting nominations is Friday, January 3. All nominees will be surprised in... READ MORE >

The Falls Church School Board received four options for the 2020-21 school calendar from its Ad Hoc Calendar Committee during its regular meeting last night. The options include two that would see school opening two weeks before Labor Day and two with the first day of school on the day after Labor Day. The Virginia General Assembly last year changed the law... READ MORE >

The preschool day offers many chances for play, including building with different kinds of blocks and toys. These students had their creativity flowing! READ MORE >

Last Friday, the Family Resource Center hosted an Open House to show off its new space. Erika Sequiera, third from left, runs the center for all of FCCPS from the area at TJ. She supports families with children in all the system's schools with a particular focus on support for non-English speakers. Visitors to the opening included city employees, administrators... READ MORE >

The "Prize Patrol" had a very busy Wednesday! The Falls Church Education Foundation was out in the schools awarding Super Grant funds for 16 requests, totaling over $68,000 in Super Grants and over $19,000 in Advanced Training. Awards are in response to teacher and staff requests. It went to a wide variety of initiatives, including training, classroom libraries,... READ MORE >