Connecting to the Classroom with Tech

From email to e-newsletters, Blackboard to e-books at the library, tech tools are very much a part of the back-to-school equation

Back to school 2012 is a bit different than in earlier years. While some things will always be handled via paper and pen, technology tools are helping to make sure that parents are informed on the issues big and small. Here are a few ways that FCPS and your child's teacher will use technology to keep in touch and provide resources to help your child learn. KIT and KIT-Plus KIT (Keep in Touch) and KIT-Plus are the e-newsletter services that provide up-to-the-minute information for the public on school delays or closings, emergencies, information about FCPS programs and news stories. Parents, students and employees are automatically enrolled via their contact information provided to the schools. Parents and community members can also select …

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Jean Westcott

12:10 pm on Thursday, September 6, 2012

PWCS uses Parent Portal http://pwcs.schoolfusion.us/modules/cms/pages.phtml?pageid=238543&sessionid=5844061c42bd4282795b048fe16a0901 and PWCS e-news http://pwcs.schoolfusion.us/modules/groups/homepagefiles/cms/493839/File/FAQs/Sign%20up%20online%20for%20PWCS%20Enews.pdf . One major difference in the two school divisions is that PWCS allows you to access grades.   more ›

Back to School by the Numbers

Fairfax County Public School students start the 2012-13 school year on September 4.

School starts Tuesday for Fairfax County students.  Patch looked at U.S. Census Bureau data to provide a few back to school facts: • American families spent $7.7 billion at clothing stores in August 2011. The only months with higher sales were November and December. • Sales at bookstores in August 2011 totaled $2.4 billion. • As of October 2010, there were 79 million children and adults enrolled in school — from nursery school through college — throughout the United States. • As of October 2010, 72 percent of children ages 3-6 years old who are in kindergarten attend all day. • Twenty seven percent of students age 12-17 were enrolled in a gifted/talented class in 2009. • The number of students age 5-17 who speak a language other than …

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Superintendent Jack Dale to Visit Local Schools on Opening Day

FCPS Superintendent Dale's schedule for the first day of school includes two visits to schools attended by Fairfax Station students.

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Superintendent Jack D. Dale will visit six schools on the first day of the 2012-13 school year, including two local schools. Superintendent Dale is scheduled to visit: His Sept. 4 first day of school schedule also includes: Times for school visits are approximate, depending on traffic, according to a FCPS press release.

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Susan Larson

5:08 pm on Sunday, September 2, 2012

Thank you, Mr. Farrell for sharing your opinion. I did edit the release, and I published the information so that parents who might want to know Mr. Dale was visiting their child's school could meet him. Other that that, you're correct in that I gave it no more attention.   more ›

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Fairfax Sheriffs Take Kids Back to School Shopping

The 19th annual 'Shop with a Sheriff' event benefited 24 children who are homeless.

The Fairfax County Sheriff's Office partnered with Target in Burke Wednesday to provide 24 children who are homeless with a back-to-school shopping spree. Now in its 19th year, Shop with a Sheriff pairs deputies and other Sheriff's Office staff with school-aged children temporarily residing at the Katherine K. Hanley Family Shelter in Fairfax and the Patrick Henry Family Shelter in Falls Church. "The deputies and Sheriff's Office staff themselves generate contributions from local businesses and individuals to fund this annual event," said Braddock District Supervisor John Cook. "It is a great contribution to the community." The children ranged in age from kindergarteners to young adults, and enjoyed the company of the deputies and staff as…

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South County Middle School Offers 'Sneak Peek'

Events at the new middle school to prepare students and parents for the 2012-13 school year.

  Summer is almost over, and the brand new South County Middle School is opening its doors this week to students and parents alike. The Mustang Round-up  Seventh Grade Locker Night For some kids, this will be their first experience with a locker. "Students have five minutes between classes, and combination lockers can add some stress at first," said Stokes. "Within a month they're wizards with them."  Seventh and Eight Grade Student Orientation (Parents will be allowed to attend their own orientation at the school from 8:45-10 a.m.) First Day of School The first official school bell will ring at South County Middle School at 7:55 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 4. The school is the first of six that will be visited that day by Fairfax County Public…

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School Year Kicks Off with 'All Star Lunch Program'

New program teaches Fairfax County students about healthy eating.

Lower calorie counts, reduced sodium and saturated fats, and more fruits and vegetables are some of the changes Fairfax County Public Schools students will find when they return to school next month. The system's changes to its school lunch program come with new federal nutrition standards being implemented this fall in schools across the country, the largest reform of national lunch and breakfast programs in 15 years. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, part of First Lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move!" campaign, also includes changes to school breakfast programs during the 2013-2014 school year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In Fairfax, part of the changes include an "All Star Lunch" program, designed by the …

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FCPS 2012-13 Calendar

School starts Sept. 4, but bookmark this calendar for rest-of-the-year reference.

If you have kids in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), surely you know that Sept. 4 is the first day of school. But when is spring break? How about teacher workdays? Patch presents this FCPS 2012-13 calendar for you to bookmark to keep information handy this year.    Sept. 4, 2012 School Begins Oct. 8 Columbus Day Holiday Nov. 2 First Grading Period Ends Nov. 5 - 6 Student Holidays Nov. 21 Students Released 2 Hours Early Nov. 22 - 23 Thanksgiving Break Dec. 24 - Jan.  1, 2013 Winter Break Jan. 21 Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday Holiday Jan. 25 Second Grading Period Ends Jan. 28 - January 29 Student Holidays Feb. 18 George Washington’s Birthday - Presidents' Day Holiday March 25 - 29 Spring Break April 12 Third Grading Period Ends …

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No FCPS Athletic Fee in 2012-13

Playing on a team will be much more friendly to wallets.

Student-athletes in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) no longer have to pay a $100 athletic fee to play on a team. The School Board eliminated the fee as part of the FY2013 Budget it passed last spring. The elimination of the fee will result in a revenue reduction of $1.7 million annually, FCPS estimates. Athletes formerly had to pay $100 per sport, though the fee was capped at $200 even if a student was on three school sports teams. It was waived for students who qualified for free and reduced lunch. The fee was in effect during the 2010-11 and 2011-12 school years. The $1.7 will be made up with additional transfer money from Fairfax County.   

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