School news: back to school edition
Schools closed Sept. 9 – Fairfax County Public Schools is closing all schools on Sept. 9, the day of a special election for the 11th congressional district.
More than half the schools will serve as polling locations. Keeping the schools open would create building and parking challenges, FCPS explains. Voting would take place in cafeterias or gyms, and the law requires polling places to remain open and accessible.
The special election involves candidates James Walkinshaw (D) and Stewart Whitson (R).
Cell phones – High school students are no longer allowed to use cell phones in between classes. Phones and other personal devices connected to the internet, such as headsets and earbuds, must be turned off and put away for the entire school day, except for lunch time in designated areas.
Also, cell phones can no longer be used as instructional tools.
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The cell phone policy for elementary and middle school students has not changed. Phones must be turned off and put away for the entire school day, bell to bell.
Girls’ football – FCPS is partnering with the Washington Commanders to pilot flag football for girls in every high school starting this fall.
Flag football has gotten more popular in recent years. It’s now a college scholarship sport and will be an Olympic sport for the first time in the summer of 2028.
“We know that sports offer a number of benefits,” said Superintendent Michelle Reid. “Beyond physical fitness, sports also build resilience, teamwork, positive mental health, and help students feel a sense of belonging.”
Early release Wednesdays – The school day at all FCPS elementary schools will end three hours early on eight Wednesdays this year. This is being done to give teachers a dedicated block of time to prepare lessons, participate in professional development, and collaborate with peers.
An early release pilot was implemented during the 2024-25 school year, with elementary schools closed early on select Mondays. This year, early release has been moved to Wednesdays, because too many holidays fall on Mondays.
Early release dates for elementary schools in the Annandale, Falls Church, and Woodson pyramids are scheduled for these Wednesdays: Sept. 10, Oct. 29, Nov. 12, Feb. 18, March 18, April 22, and May 13.
Early release dates in the Justice pyramid will be on Sept. 17, Oct. 15, Nov. 19, Dec. 17, Feb. 25, March 25, April 29, and May 20.
Elementary schools will provide free supervised activities on those dates for families that have unique childcare needs. Families who want to take advantage of that service need to opt in by Aug. 25 on the Parent Digital Consent application.
Bus technology – FCPS is piloting a new safety and routing system on school buses. The new tablet-based technology includes real-time navigation, Radio Frequency Identification check-ins for students, and live bus tracking for families.
New menu items – The FCPS Office of Food and Nutrition Services is rolling out new food options in school cafeterias.
Examples of new lunch items include vegan chili, Spanish rice, Peruvian drumsticks, chicken masala pizza, and “brunch for lunch.” Additional breakfast offerings include cinnamon apple overnight oats, egg and cheese bagels, and French toast sticks.
Exemplary patrols – Two FCPS students were honored by the American Automobile Association as 2024-25 Safety Patrollers of the Year.
Kristen King, who completed the sixth grade at Canterbury Woods Elementary School in Annandale, was honored for going above and beyond to help deaf and hard-of-hearing students get on the right school bus. Canterbury Woods hosts the FCPS elementary program for students with hearing impairments.
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According to a feature story on the FCPS website, Kristen walked the parking lot with clipboards containing names of students who were absent, were staying after school, or opting not to take the bus that day. She used a walkie-talkie to talk to bus drivers to ensure they weren’t waiting for students who weren’t taking the bus home or leaving any students behind.
“Kids get bused in from very far away, even an hour in some cases, and if a student misses their bus, it’s a big deal; their parents have to drive all the way in to pick them up,” Kristen said.
She even learned some basic sign language for phrases like “your bus is here” or “this is the way.”
The other safety patrol honoree, Saanvi Vangapalli of McNair Upper Elementary School in Herndon, was recognized for ensuring safety on school buses.