School news roundup

Split feeders – At its most recent meeting, on April 25, the Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent’s Boundary Review Advisory Committee discussed a proposal for eliminating split feeders.

Split feeders refer to elementary schools where less than 25 percent of students move on to a different middle school than everyone else. The same situation arises for middle schools when students are split off to different high schools.

Split feeders can disrupt social continuity, as students are separated from friends and familiar peer groups when transitioning to the next level.

Thirty elementary schools and six middle schools are split feeders, including the following schools that serve Annandale/Mason District students:

Holmes Middle School sends students to Annandale High School and Edison High School. The draft proposal would move all 372 students from Edison to Annandale.  

The split feeder at Columbia Elementary School would be eliminated by removing an attendance island, as described in the committee’s previous meeting.

The split feeder at Mason Crest Elementary School would be eliminated by adjusting its boundary as previously discussed to avoid having schools outside their attendance zone.

Related story: Advisory committee is considering plans to adjust school boundaries

Eco-Schools – Twenty-two Fairfax County Public Schools were honored with a Green Flag award from the National Wildlife Federation through the EcoSchools U.S. program, including Beech Tree, Belvedere, and North Springfield elementary schools and Woodson High School. Annandale Terrace received a Silver Award.

This student-led program provides opportunities for youth leadership, raises environmental awareness, connects students to the natural world, and drives positive environmental change. 

TJ admissions – FCPS has offered admission to 550 middle school students to the Class of 2029 at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. FCPS received 2,605 applications.

The offers went to students from each middle school in Fairfax County, as well as students from nearby jurisdictions.

Carson Middle School and Longfellow Middle School received the most acceptances, with 48 from each school, followed by Cooper with 25 and Rocky Run with 22.

FCPS didn’t specify the number of students from Poe, Holmes, or Glasgow, as it only listed schools that had more than 10 students accepted.   

Among the students selected, 62.7 percent are Asian, 4.4 percent are Black, 5.5 percent are Hispanic, 10.5 percent are economically disadvantaged, and 6.5 percent are multilingual learners.

Happy anniversary – The Fairfax County School Board recently recognized three Mason District Schools with proclamations commemorating landmark anniversaries.

Weyanoke Elementary School is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, Sleepy Hollow Elementary is 70 years old, and Bailey’s Upper Elementary School was established 10 years ago.

Solar power – The Fairfax County School Board on April 24 approved a contract for Sun Tribe to add rooftop solar power at 15 elementary schools.  The contract covers these schools in the Annandale/Mason District area: Braddock, Columbia, Glen Forest, and Wakefield Forest. The total estimated savings for the life of the contract is just over $3 million.

Sun Tribe agreed to sell all electricity generated by the solar systems to FCPS for 25 years. The rooftop solar facilities will be connected to the electrical distribution system maintained by FCPS’s utility provider. Excess solar energy not immediately usable at the site will be transferred to the utility, and FCPS will receive credits under a net metering arrangement.

Blue Ribbon – Annandale High School Performing Arts has been named a Blue Ribbon School. This recognition is awarded when a school’s band, chorus, and orchestra all receive superior ratings, the highest possible, at the district assessment.

Wolf Trap Grants – The Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts has awarded grants to 14 teachers at public high schools and middle schools in the D.C. region to fund music, dance, and theater projects in their classrooms. 

Luther Jackson Middle School teacher Stacy Jones received a grant for the project “Reviving Ghanian Traditions Through the Blues Workshops.” Students in her advanced theater arts class will work with a Kennedy Center teaching artist to learn about Ghanian traditions, connecting the African culture to the African American tradition of the blues.

CJ Redden-Liotta, a music teacher at Falls Church High School, was awarded a grant for the project “75th Anniversary Composer Residency.” In honor of the choir department’s 75th anniversary, student singers are collaborating with composer Sherry Blevins to create a piece reflecting their own culture and experiences.

Student artists recognized – The following students from Mason District schools were honored with 2025 Regional Scholastic Art Awards:

• Glasgow Middle School: Kate Holbrook (painting).
• Poe MS: Caleb Candia Chambi (film & animation). 
• Falls Church High School: Chloe Brown (digital art), Jenn Quiroz-Fernandez (film & animation), and Christopher So (photography).
• Justice HS: Camila Churata Sierralta (sculpture), Colleen Early (photography), Bee Fish (digital art), Ella Galway (art portfolio), Pilar McKitrick (painting), My Nguyen (ceramics & glass), and Ella Palmer (painting).

Community yard sale – The Annandale High School PTSA invites the community to a yard sale and market on May 10, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at the school’s front parking lot at 4700 Medford Drive. The event also includes craft vendors and a bake sale.   

Educate Fairfax Grants – Following a highly competitive process, Educate Fairfax has awarded 107 grants to schools totaling over $180,000.

The following projects were funded at schools in the Annandale/Mason District area:

• Annandale HS – Launching Careers Through NOVA.
• Beech Tree ES – Ozobots for ALL.
• Belvedere – Third Grade Gardening and Seed Sale.
• Bren Mar Park ES – StrongStart.
• Columbia ES – Building Bridges: Fostering STEAM and FLES through LEGO® Ed.
• Falls Church Academy – Academy Ambassador Collaboration.
• Falls Church HS – Field Trip to Northern Virginia Community College.
• Glasgow MS – 3D Printed Atoms.
• Glen Forest ES – After School Club Access.
• Holmes MS – Stories in Harmony: Personal Journeys through Music Improvisation.
• North Springfield ES – Fourth Grade Goes to Jamestown.
• Parklawn ES – Parklawn Pizza Professionals.
• Sleepy Hollow ES – STEAM for All: Inclusive Tools for Future Engineers.
• Westlawn ES – Audio Books for All.
• Woodburn ES – Typing Club.
• Woodson HS – College Partnership Program.

AAUW award winner – Julia Albertani, a junior at Annandale High School, received the Student Inclusion Recognition Award from the American Association of University Women’s Annandale-Springfield chapter.

The AAUW award recognizes Julia’s leadership on the executive board of the Annandale Special Olympics program, which helps create a more inclusive and compassionate school community. Her work on Annandale’s FanQuest has empowered athletes with disabilities to shine while inspiring her peers to build meaningful connections across differences.

Great communicators – FCPS recognized nine schools with School Communications Awards, including five in Mason District:

• Newsletters: Erin Hughey from Weyanoke Elementary School and Jill Burrer from the Falls Church Academy.
• Outstanding websites: Ingrid Badia, Ashley Ireland, Candice Raynor, and Nicole Scher from Annandale Terrace Elementary School.
• Outstanding social media: Jen Cory, Shawn DeRose, and Jae Lee from Annandale High School and Mike Astudillo, Sarah Boludart, and Shannon Dumont from Columbia Elementary School.