School news roundup
Middle school start times – FCPS is exploring options for changing middle school start times to ensure young teens get enough sleep.
In September, FCPS awarded a contract to Prismatic Services to develop a plan for starting the middle school day at 8 a.m. or later, beginning in fall 2025. Middle schools currently start at 7:30 a.m.
Four community forums have been scheduled, including April 29, 6-8 p.m., at Glasgow Middle School and May 22, 6-8 p.m., at Frost Middle School.
Justice principal – The Justice High School PTSA is hosting a series of community listening sessions to gather input on the qualities needed in the school’s next principal.
Fairfax County Public Schools has begun the search process to replace Principal Tiffany Narcisse. Since FCPS is not planning to hold community meetings, the PTSA has stepped in to do so.
Sessions are scheduled for April 1 at Woodrow Wilson Library, April 4 on Zoom, April 6 at the Willston Center, April 9 at Bailey’s Community Center, and April 11 at Justice High School.
Related story: FCPS seeks community input on the next principal for Justice HS
The PTSA also released a survey for Justice students to provide input.
FCPS is convening a community advisory panel to interview candidates on April 24 and invites people to submit comments to [email protected] by April 12.
Summer camp – Registration is open for the VIP Summer Camp for rising sixth, seventh, and eighth graders. The camp will be held at Holmes Middle School and is open to students living within the boundaries of Holmes, Luther Jackson, Glasgow, Poe, Thoreau, and Kilmer middle schools.
The program will be held July 1-Aug. 1, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Transportation will be provided. The fee is $100. Applications are due May 29.
Mulch Madness – The Annandale High School PTSA’s Mulch Madness program is now underway. Mulch sales support the All Night Graduation Celebration and senior scholarships. The deadline to order mulch is March 27. Pick up mulch on April 6 or have it delivered.
Plant sale – The Sleepy Hollow Elementary School PTA’s annual plant sale is underway through March 29. There are geraniums, marigolds, heliotrope, petunias, tomatoes, lavender, and many more. Order plants here. The plants are scheduled to arrive for pickup on April 20.
Tech excellence – The Luther Jackson Middle School’s Engineering Department received the International Technology and Engineering Educator Association’s Program Excellence Award. This award is one of the highest honors given to technology and engineering education programs at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.
Star student – Thanh Nguyen, a student at Annandale High School has been named a National Merit Scholarship Finalist. Thanh was selected from a pool of more than 16,000 semifinalists.
More sports – The advertised budget for FCPS for fiscal year 2025 includes $800,000 to add two high school sports – boys volleyball and girls wrestling. According to FCPS, these sports will give students “more ways to nurture their passion and enhance their well-being.”
The school board is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the budget on May 14 and will adopt an approved budget on May 23.
Related story: School board rejects Glasgow boundary study
Preschool special ed – Sleepy Hollow Elementary School is launching an early childhood special education program next fall. The program will provide support for the developmental needs of 3 and 4-year-olds, including communication, early literacy, social development, and other skills outlined in each student’s Individualized Education Program.
Exemplary teacher – Kirsten Salonga, who teaches environmental science and biology for ESOL students at Justice High School, has been named a winner of the National Science Teaching Association’s 2023 Robert E. Yager Exemplary Teaching Award. A former Fulbright Scholar, Salonga implemented a program on Hydroponics in Action in her classes.
Student chefs – Students in the Family and Consumer Sciences class at Luther Jackson Middle School won third place in the Real Food for Kids culinary competition. Their winning dish, Cornucopia Cascade, was praised by the judges for its creativity, presentation, and execution.
Peace awards – Students from 26 public schools have been named recipients of the 2024 Student Peace Awards of Fairfax County.
The Peace Awards were created in 2006 to encourage people to think more about peace as both a means and an end and to recognize young people who work as peacemakers.
Among the 2024 awardees:
Husna Basiri, of Annandale High School, volunteers as a Dari interpreter when students meet with their counselors. She created a club, called Dunya, that helps students navigate the school system, organizes field trips and college visits, and advocates for the needs of refugees.
Hlena Hailemariam, of Falls Church High School, serves as a Student Equity Ambassador Leader. She established the East African Association at the school, launched a youth mentoring project at county libraries, and founded the Falls Church Student Equity Coalition.
Dalya Paka, of Justice High School, is a member of SEALS (Student Equity Ambassador Leaders), which provides student input at school board meetings, and co-created the Student Council at Justice.
Outstanding employees – Annandale High School Principal Shawn DeRose was named Region 6 Outstanding Principal. Katie Shaw, a special education teacher at Annandale was named Region 6 Outstanding New Teacher, and Erik Healey, AHS director of student services, was named Annandale Pyramid Outstanding Leader.