SUPERINTENDENT’S UPDATES
Dear FCCPS Families,
I trust you are well and having a great start to spring. As the weather changes, I am reminded of renewal and all the good stuff that happens this time of year - from rites of passage like graduation to activities, field days, and fun.
The big news to share this week is that the secondary campus (Henderson and Meridian) concluded their two-year self-study journey of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme with a visit from an external team with members from around the world. The process is designed to reflect on the program's purpose and implementation and receive feedback from experts about areas of strength and growth. After three days of meetings with teachers, students, and administrators, their feedback at the exit conference was amazing. On more than one occasion, the reviewers indicated that the strength and power of our grades 6-12 program is “not common” and “unusual.” Further, they indicated that Henderson and Meridian had “no matters to be addressed.” This is like an unqualified clean audit of our program through a rigorous evaluation.
A huge “shout out” to Dr. Rory Dippold and Mr. Dan Coast for their coordination of the process, to our amazing faculty and staff who commit every day to the tenets and foundational elements of the IB, and to our students and families for their commitment to ensuring that our students truly live the values of the IB learner: Inquirers, Knowledgeable, Thinkers, Communicators, Principled, Open-minded, Caring. Risk Taker, Balanced, and Reflective. Our colleges, universities, and work environments want these values and skills from our graduates. We are excited that our approaches to teaching and learning are, and will continue to be, rooted in the IB for every student in FCCPS.
When IB issues the final report, we will post it so anyone who wishes may review it.
Next week the elementary schools will undergo the same process of reflection and celebration. I look forward to sharing the same results regarding their work in the coming weeks.
One other announcement of which we are extremely proud. The U.S. Green Building Council has awarded Meridian High School a LEED Gold Certification. The award acknowledges the sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selections, and indoor environmental quality baked into the design and construction of our wonderful new facility. You can read more about it on our website. I’ll let you know when the plaques arrive!
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. We appreciate your partnership in our work together.
Peter Dr. Peter J. Noonan, Superintendent
#BetterTogether #WeAreIB #IBforAll
Kindergarten Early Registration Now OPEN!
Families with rising kindergarten students: Complete the Rising Kindergarten Form
Also, please submit the following items to the Mount Daniel front office:
A copy of your child's birth certificate
The school entrance health form and immunization record completed by your child's doctor
A copy of your lease/ownership deed for the address where the student lives
A utility bill for the address where the student lives
More information about kindergarten registration is available here. Email the Mt. Daniel office with questions. mdoffice@fccps.org.
SAVE THE DATES: Summer School/Extended School Year Summer School will begin on Tuesday, July 5th, and run through Thursday, July 28th. Programming will be held weekly Monday - Thursdays, except in observance of Monday, July 4th. The times for each school site’s program are listed below, more details regarding programming and registration will be available on the website in the next few weeks. JTP 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 p.m. Mount Daniel 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Oak Street 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Secondary Campus 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. |
COVID Reminders & Information
Falls Church Covid Status –LOW
FCCPS follows the CDC Guidelines based on community transmission levels and information available in our FCCPS Pandemic/Communicable Disease Response Matrix for daily operations.
Symptomatic Students/Staff
Any student/staff member who is displaying COVID-like symptoms should not attend school/work until symptoms are resolving (including being fever free for 24-hours without the use of fever-reducing medication), AND
They provide a negative COVID test (lab, proctored, or home tests are accepted) OR an alternate diagnosis or clearance from a medical professional.
Adjustments will be made for students with known health conditions based on the guidance of our nursing staff. Coronavirus Self-Checker | CDC
A great new tool: The CDC’s Quarantine and Isolation Calculator
BinaxNow Rapid Testing
Proctored rapid tests are available in each school health clinic.
Please contact the School Health Aide or go to the health clinic to get a rapid test.
All BinaxNow tests are proctored tests. Users must set up a Navica account and visit http://virginia.emed.com/ to begin the “test for school” process. FCCPS BinaxNow Tip Sheet.pdf
Each school health clinic has an iPad to help support testing. Parents (not school staff) must administer the test for their students. FCCPS BinaxNow Tip Sheet.pdf
PCR Testing
Free PCR testing is available to students and staff every Tuesday and Thursday.
To join, register here! It only takes a minute and continues to be an essential part of our Covid-19 mitigation strategy.
FCCPS COVID By The Numbers
Weekly updates to the data below ensure that all community members are informed about positive cases, and testing.
Data: | Number Positive of Cases for Weeks 28 - 30 | Cumulative Since August 1 |
# of Student Cases: | 8 | 399 |
# of Staff Cases | 2 | 85 |
# of Students in Quarantine as a Close Contact | 0 | 203 |
FCCPS Rate of Transmission | LOW for Falls Church City LOW for Fairfax Health District | |
Please note that this data is just a snapshot of FCCPS in total and is adjusted based on the outcomes of each contact tracing investigation.
All FCCPS positive cases are included regardless of source. These data include parent/staff reports, ViSSTA results, HD notifications, and healthcare providers.
ViSSTA Testing Data Weeks of | Number Tested | # Positive |
Week of March 7-11 Tuesday Thursday |
247 262 |
1 0 |
Week of March14-18 Tuesday Thursday |
215 239 |
0 1 |
Week of March 21-25 Tuesday Thursday |
263 254 |
1 tbd |
Important COVID Links for Parents:
Important Mental Health Resources for Families:
Call 911 should you need immediate support in a life-threatening situation.
CrisisLink Regional Hotline: 703-527-4077 CrisisText: Text HOME to 741741
Mobile Crisis Unit: 703-573-5679
Merrifield Center Emergency Services: 703-573-5679
National Hope Line: 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433)
LGBTQ Lifeline: 1-866-488-7386
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255)
SAMHSA National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (1-800-662-4357)