School news roundup – February 2026

Boundary update – Fairfax County Public Schools updated its boundary explorer tool to show the school boundaries adopted by the school board on Jan. 22. The changes will take effect for the 2026-27 school year. The tool lets families plug in their address and view their assigned school.

The school board will not provide transportation to students who choose to remain at their current school. That means only those students with private transportation will be able to access that option. That’s an equity issue that FCPS Superintendent Michelle Reid has indicated she will review in the near future.

Also, while the final boundary plan addresses overcrowding at Glasgow Middle School and Parklawn Elementary School, it doesn’t reduce enrollment at those schools as much as school board member Ricardy Anderson had proposed. It also fails to reduce overcrowding at Weyanoke Elementary School.

Students who choose to stay at their current school could be ineligible to participate in Virginia High School League sports and other activities. Anderson urges families to review the VHSL guidelines before making a decision.

Related story: School board approves boundary changes

Teen artists – FCPS has launched ARTiFAX, an art recognition program created exclusively for students in grades 7-12 enrolled in visual art programs.

The ARTiFAX Awards recognized 299 exceptional artworks submitted by students.

Submissions were reviewed and judged across a range of categories, including Artistry, Authentic Voice, Collaborative Artwork, Creative Process, Cultural Context, Emerging Artist, Reflective Voice, Senior Portfolios, and Thematic Concept.

An exhibition featuring the winning artworks is on view at Northern Virginia Community College’s Ernst Community Cultural Center in Annandale through March 13. An awards ceremony and reception will be held on Feb. 25.

The exhibit includes artworks by these students from Mason District:

• Annandale High School – Alice Banks, Cody Calvin, Rena Charles, Diego Gomez, Kaylee Hunter, Ellanor Lee, Margaret Moreland, Mikayla Nguyen (best in school), Kai Rumpf.
• Falls Church High School – Nalani Applehans (best in school), Chloe Brown, Carol Cahir, Olivia Gilbert, Jasmine Lara, Zymala Mendes, Alissa Morris, Crystal Nguyen, Lynn Nguyen Ramos, Joselyn Quiroz, Raegan Rajala, Polina Skoryk, Josephine Wallinger, Laura Winters.
• Justice High School – Sahar Abdou, Yasmine Chatib, Melani Giron, Abigail Hebert, Nate Obias (best in school), Ryan Vorce.
• Luther Jackson Middle School – Fatima Acevado Ayala (best in school), Zelda Cabrera, Naomi Hechtman, Ryker Sorensen.
• Poe Middle School – Gwendolyn Alt, Ayesha Risha (best in school).  

Sing for Smiles – Woodson High School student and Mason District resident Rekha Thirumlai brightens up the lives of assisted living residents through the nonprofit she founded called Sing for Smiles.

A team of about 50 students and partners performs popular hits through the decades and leads interactive games, such as musical bingo and charades, for seniors dealing with dementia. Most of the volunteers are Woodson students, but the group also includes middle school students and adults.

At a recent broadcast about Sing for Smiles on an ABC7 News “Helping Hands” segment, Rekha said research shows music can help Alzheimer’s patients reconnect with their memories. Her goal is bringing joy and mental stimulation to those facing cognitive decline.

The next Sing for Smiles event will be at The Virginian, a senior living community in Fairfax.

Commended scholars – Among the Fairfax County students named National Merit Commended Scholars by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation are these students at Mason District schools:

• Annandale High School – Tyler Miller, Jasmin Dinh, Khyber Zaheer.
• Falls Church High School – Eloise Gibson, Sagar Kapadia, Alexander Neff, Darren Nong,
• Justice High School – Chloe Bernasconi and Bluebell Linden.

Speech and music contests – The Annandale Rotary Club invites Annandale High School students to earn scholarship funds by competing in a speech contest. Participants will deliver a five to eight-minute speech on Rotary International’s theme, United for Good. The competition will be at the school on March 9 at 3:30 p.m. Register for the speech contest here.

The Annandale Rotary Club is also hosting a music contest showcasing Annandale High School students’ talents in solo vocal, keyboard, or instrumental performances on March 16, 3:30 p.m. Register here.

Both contests offer cash prizes of $500 for first place, $250 for second place, and $150 for third place.

Educational trips – Culinary students at Annandale High School spent four days exploring the food, culture, and history of New Orleans.

They visited restaurants, museums, and a culinary school. They also stopped at Brennan’s Restaurant, a Creole culinary landmark, where they met General Manager Christian Pendleton, a graduate of Falls Church High School.

Annandale High School performing arts students took an educational trip to Universal Studios in Orlando, where they connected classroom learning to real-world storytelling, stagecraft, and career possibilities.

Fasting meal kits – Students who are fasting during Ramadan (Feb. 17-March 19) can get meal kits to take home at the end of the school day. Students can request one school breakfast and one school lunch per day. People fasting during Ramadan can only eat between sunset and dawn.

Families are charged based on the student’s meal status (free, reduced, or paid). Parents must fill out meal request forms in advance. Learn more here.

Student journalists – Sixteen Justice High School publications students have been invited to Columbia University in New York for a prestigious national gathering of student journalists.

They hope to attend the annual three-day workshop sponsored by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, but they need to raise funds to make it happen. Donations will help cover registration, accommodations, and transportation.

Bailey’s needs clothes – The Helping Hands Boutique at Bailey’s Elementary School is accepting donations of clothing for local families. The biggest needs right now are for new or gently used leggings, sweatpants, tops, and children’s shoes.

Donations can be dropped off at the boutique located in Bailey’s Family Center Trailer. It’s open Monday-Friday, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. For more information, contact Family Liaison Laura Doughty at [email protected] or 703-575-6836.