School news roundup
Funding cuts – The 2026 advertised budget for Fairfax County under consideration by the Board of Supervisors proposes the elimination of some key programs that benefit students.
The advertised budget would eliminate the $3.9 million Middle School After School Program, which is particularly important for lower-income families in Mason District.
The budget also targets the Values in Prevention summer camp for rising middle-school students; the Bridge to Kindergarten summer program for children who haven’t attended preschool; a program that helps students with developmental disabilities transition to life after high school; and high school crossing guards.
Mason Supervisor Ricardy Anderson will join Mason Supervisor Andres Jimenez at a virtual Budget Town Hall on March 26 at 6 p.m. It will be livestreamed on Channel 16 and Facebook Live.
Submit feedback on the budget on a county survey here. Public hearings on the budget are scheduled for April 22-24.
Wrestling champ – Hayes Miller, a 7-year-old second-grader at Mason Crest Elementary School, won the Virginia Wrestling Association’s State Tournament (for his age and weight).
Hayes has been wrestling for the past three years with the Annandale Mat Rats, a program affiliated with the Annandale Boys & Girls Club. The Mat Rats practice at Annandale High School.
To qualify for the tournament, held March 8-9 at Roanoke College in Salem, wrestlers had to place in a regional qualifier, reports his dad, Andrew Miller of Annandale. Hayes not only qualified, but came in first in the North Regional tournament in February. He was undefeated in the state tournament.
Students deliver coffee – Poe Middle School students with disabilities operate a coffee cart to deliver hot beverages to teachers.
A feature article by FCPS communications staff explains how teacher Renee Ruggles started the program to build self-confidence and social skills among students with multiple disabilities.
Students with limited mobility, for example, develop fine motor skills by scooping coffee grounds and placing a Poe Ravens label on coffee sleeves.
“There is a pride when they walk around buildings with badges identifying them as coffee cart workers,” Ruggles said. “They take it seriously, and other students and staff are seeing them in a positive light – it’s a big deal.”
Healthy teeth – Students in the dental careers program at the Falls Church Academy provided oral assessments and organized fun activities to educate students at Annandale Terrace Elementary School about dental health. Dr. Julie Jung with New City Clinic and Transcendental provided dental screenings to students.
Drama winners – The Annandale Theatre Company at Annandale High School won first place at the VHSL Occoquan Region One-Act Championship. “After their incredible first-place finish at Districts, our talented cast and crew took the stage with ‘Juliet Wakes Up,’ delivering a performance that wowed the judges and secured their victory at Regionals,” said Principal Shawn DeRose.
“This incredible achievement is a testament to the dedication, creativity, and hard work of our students and theater arts teacher Kylie Murray,” he said.
Peace Awards – Students from 25 high schools were honored with 2025 Student Peace Awards, including several from schools in Mason District.
The Student Peace Awards program encourages youths to think about peace as both a means and an end and to recognize young people who work as peacemakers.
Among the 2025 award recipients from the Annandale/Mason District area:
- Sage Nagle of Annandale High School is a Student Equity Ambassador Leader and member of the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council.
Sage organizes Annandale’s Inclusion Revolution Week and Heritage Night, which provide an opportunity for students to share their cultures. As president of the school’s Special Olympics program, she helped organize FanQuest, a celebration that invites the entire school to cheer for Special Olympics athletes.
Related story: TJ students invent a cheaper braille reader for the blind
- Shri Bala, a student at Falls Church High School, has worked at the school and national level to promote sustainability and equity in urban architecture. She founded high school chapters of the American Institute of Architecture Students and Habitat for Humanity.
Shri also founded Gold2Green, a project with Falls Church’s engineering department to design and obtain equipment to create self-watering planter buckets for gardens. Through a partnership with Hands On Harvests, the buckets were distributed to more than 80 Falls Church families to enable them to grow their own food.
- Woodson High School student Harun Khan tutored three children of recent immigrants in English. He is developing a web-based application that helps people prevent food waste in their homes by donating soon-to-expire food to local food banks.
Harun also serves as the media manager for Woodson’s Environmental Club, which has worked alongside master gardeners to grow, harvest, and donate close to 1,000 pounds of produce to Food for Others.
- The Muslim Student Association at Justice High School received a Peace Award in recognition of its efforts to educate students about Islam, Islamic culture, and the tragedies in the war-torn regions of Sudan and Palestine.
