School news roundup – October 2026, part 2
A distinguished school – Annandale High School has once again earned a “distinguished” rating, the highest performance category on Virginia’s School Performance and Support Framework.
The framework, established by the Virginia Department of Education, measures high school performance in three areas: mastery (how students are meeting academic expectations), readiness (how schools are preparing students for what comes next), and graduation rate.
Both Justice and Falls Church high schools were given a rating of “meets expectations.”
Easy GMU admissions – This year, George Mason University expanded its Direct Admissions Program to all Fairfax County high schools. Eligible seniors can apply to GMU without an application fee, essay, or letters of recommendation.
To qualify, seniors must have a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher at the end of junior year, be on track to graduate, and complete a parent consent form. Students must also submit a Direct Admissions application by Nov. 1.
Certain programs have additional requirements, including engineering, visual and performing arts, and nursing.
Impact Awards – The following educators from schools that serve Annandale/Mason District students have received FCPS Impact Awards.
- Collaboration and Partnerships:
- Liz Crowley, instructional coach, Bailey’s Upper Elementary School.
- Sarah Hinkhouse, career experience specialist, Edison High School.
- Ivanova Plazas, family liaison, Belvedere Elementary School.
- Equity and Cultural Responsiveness:
- Marien Ochoa, administrative assistant, Justice High School.
- Student Achievement and Success:
- Rahah Mahmood, third grade teacher, Bailey’s Upper Elementary School.
- Collaboration and Partnerships Team Winners – Partnership Plus Team: Woodson High School.
- Innovation and Improvement Team Winners – Arts Ensemble Team: Bailey’s Upper Elementary School.
- Three Annandale educators who served on different FCPS teams were also recognized with FCPS Team Impact Awards: resource teacher Alex Carver, served on the On-Time Graduation Resource Teacher Team; Assistant Principal Katy Padilla served on the Project GLAD (Guided Language Acquisition Design) GLADiators team, and Principal Shawn DeRose served on the Baldrige Performance Excellence Team.
SafeWalkr app – Three students at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology developed a GPS app, called SafeWalkr, that helps students find safer walking routes to and from school.
Daniil Prokofev got the idea after being frustrated when his phone’s GPS directed him through shrubs, unclear paths, and onto a road without sidewalks.
He teamed up with fellow TJ students Ashwath Muppa and Isaac Leetyn to create SafeWalkr using programming skills they learned in class.
Their mission took shape during HackTJ, the school’s annual coding competition. Leveraging skills from a machine learning class taught by TJ teacher Nicole Kim, they built an algorithm designed specifically for student safety using Fairfax County records, Google Maps imagery, and street databases to identify sidewalks, crosswalks, and traffic conditions.
Several FCPS officials helped get the SafeWalkr app approved as a pilot project. It was launched on Oct. 7 for 14 schools, including Annandale Terrace and Ravensworth elementary schools, and Justice High School.
Related story: School news roundup – October 2026
TJ applications open – Eighth-graders who have an aptitude and passion for science, technology, engineering, and math are encouraged to apply for admission to the Class of 2031 at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology.
Applications must be started by 4 p.m. on Oct. 28. The submission deadline is 4 p.m. on Oct. 30.
Afterschool fun – Glasgow Middle School is celebrating its afterschool activities at an evening event on Oct. 29 called “Lights on Afterschool.” The event is celebrating “safe spaces, bright futures, and all the amazing things happening after school.”
Activities include a gaming tournament, a STEM and robotics showcase, cooking demonstrations, a light bulb wall featuring student messages, and VIP Camp and Teens in Action reunions. Students can earn raffle tickets by bringing a friend.
A Purple Star Division – Every Fairfax County school has earned a Purple Star, enabling FCPS to become the only division of its size in the nation to achieve the Purple Star designation.
Purple Star schools are recognized for meeting certain goals in supporting military-connected students. They must have a staff member assigned as a point of contact for military-connected students, for example, and at least 70 percent of school staff must complete training on the unique needs of those students.
More than 12,600 military-connected students are enrolled in FCPS.
Related story: An at-large school board candidate emerges
Accessible books – FCPS is rolling out Bookshare this month, a free digital library that provides accessible e-books and text-to-speech tools for qualifying students with disabilities.
Through FCPS’ partnership with AIM-VA (Accessible Instructional Materials of Virginia), Bookshare will help ensure students have the resources they need to fully engage with their learning. The Assistive Technology Services team will work with schools over the coming weeks to establish accounts and expand access to these resources.
Facilities feedback – The FCPS Office of the Chief of Facilities Services and Capital Programs is seeking community input on school facility needs and how facility improvements are prioritized.
The survey asks about building conditions, how the facilities renovation queue works, how facilities affect teaching and learning, and what information would help people better understand this process.
The survey will be available soon. It will remain open until Saturday, Oct. 31.