Fairfax County Public Schools

Donated ‘learning garden’ unveiled at Centreville elementary school

Published September 6, 2024 at 11:30AM

Centre Ridge Elementary School students install a learning garden (courtesy Cox Enterprises)

Going forward, Centre Ridge Elementary School will incorporate vegetables into the classroom as well as the cafeteria, thanks to a newly installed garden.

A “learning garden” from the nonprofit Captain Planet Foundation was unveiled at the Centreville school yesterday (Thursday). Built by a group of sixth-grade students and donated by Cox Enterprises, the conglomerate that owns the broadband company Cox Communications, the vegetable and herb garden will serve as an educational tool, while also providing access to produce.

News

UPDATED: Reston man charged with unlawfully filming FCPS students

By Angela Woolsey and James Jarvis

Published September 4, 2024 at 1:30PM | Updated September 4, 2024 at 2:43PM

Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Michelle Reid and Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis discuss an investigation into a former FCPS contractor who allegedly filmed students (staff photo by James Jarvis)

Fairfax County police have filed new charges against a Reston man who was already facing sexual assault and child porn allegations.

Arturo Elmore-Adon, 25, was charged yesterday (Tuesday) with seven counts of unlawful filming after detectives found videos he had allegedly taken of four girls, all of them Fairfax County Public Schools students, the Fairfax County Police Department announced today.

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Test results shared by state were misleading, FCPS superintendent says

By Angela Woolsey

Published August 27, 2024 at 9:30AM | Updated September 9, 2024 at 12:50PM

Fairfax County Public Schools (file photo)

Fairfax County Public Schools is giving the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) a demerit for its recent reveal of annual student test scores.

The results released last week omitted assessments outside of the Standards of Learning (SOL) tests that students take statewide, creating a misleading impression of how FCPS is doing, Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid said in an Aug. 23 letter to state officials, including Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

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Virginia students make some gains on annual test scores; schools see less absenteeism

By Nathaniel Cline / Virginia Mercury

Published August 21, 2024 at 10:30AM

A student takes a school test (via Ben Mullins on Unsplash)

Virginia students’ reading and math assessments for the 2023-24 school year saw some improvement over last year after months of recovery efforts, according to data released by the Department of Education Tuesday. However, pass rates in other subjects are still behind results from the 2022-23 school year.

Pass rates for grades 3 through 8 in reading, math, and science Standards of Learning tests all showed increases statewide by at least 1%. Writing showed the highest increase — 17 percentage points — while history and social science saw little gain, less than a percentage point.

Countywide

Fairfax County reveals next 10 schools to get speed cameras

By Angela Woolsey

Published August 19, 2024 at 9:30AM

A speed camera on Kirby Road outside Chesterbrook Elementary School (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

With students officially back in class, Fairfax County is expanding its use of speed cameras to enforce the 25-mph limit in school zones.

Over the next few months, the county will roll out cameras to 10 additional locations near public schools for the first phase of its speed camera program, building on a pilot program that launched in February 2023 with eight sites.

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Fairfax County to roll out phone-free pilot in select schools next month

By James Jarvis

Published August 16, 2024 at 9:30AM

Woman types on smartphone (via freestocks/Unsplash)

During the new school year, which kicks off Monday (Aug. 19), students at select Fairfax County middle and high schools will be required to hand in their phones in order to turn up their focus.

Starting Sept. 3, Fairfax County Public Schools will begin rolling out a new phone-free pilot program, requiring middle and high school students to secure their cell phones in magnetically sealed pouches or lockers during class to reduce distractions.

News

Langley High School football coach suspended after sexual solicitation arrest

By Angela Woolsey

Published August 13, 2024 at 3:30PM

Langley High School in McLean (via Google Maps)

The head football coach at Langley High School in McLean has been suspended after he was charged in Maryland with soliciting sex from a teen girl.

David Clay Murray, 48, was arrested in Fairfax County and charged by the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office last Friday (Aug. 9) with five counts of sexual solicitation of a minor, the sheriff’s office said in a press release issued yesterday (Monday).

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FCPS gets set for varsity boys’ volleyball and girls’ wrestling programs

By James Jarvis

Published August 12, 2024 at 3:30PM

West Springfield High School students try out for the new varsity boys' volleyball team (courtesy Donnie Biggs/Fairfax County Public Schools)

Boys’ volleyball has staged a comeback and girls’ wrestling will soon take to the mats in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS).

Thanks to new funding, Fairfax County Public Schools will offer both sports at the varsity level for the first time during the upcoming 2024-2025 school year, which starts classes next Monday (Aug. 19). Boys’ volleyball will start this fall, followed by girls’ wrestling in the winter.

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Fairfax County Public Schools ACE launches over 250 new training, certification programs for adult learners

By Emily Richardson / Inside NoVA

Published August 6, 2024 at 9:30AM | Updated August 8, 2024 at 11:35AM

Fairfax County Public Schools Adult Community Education is based in the Plum Center for Lifelong Learning in Springfield (via Google Maps)

Fairfax County Public Schools Adult and Community Education is launching more than 250 new courses for the trades, construction, IT and health care.

The new courses include in-person, hybrid and asynchronous offerings in line with the program’s focus on “new collar” workforce development, according to a school system news release. New collar defines high-paying professions that combine technical skills with specialized education rather than a four-year degree. Those roles are found in industries with high demand for workers in Northern Virginia — especially the trades, health care and technology — according to Paul Steiner, head administrator of FCPS Adult and Community Education, also known as ACE.

Countywide

Another Heat Advisory issued for D.C. area as record-hot summer continues

By Angela Woolsey

Published August 1, 2024 at 1:30PM

A hot summer continues in Fairfax County (staff photo by James Jarvis)

Prepare for more hot, humid weather tomorrow (Friday) as the D.C. area endures its fifth heat wave of 2024.

The National Weather Service has already issued a new Heat Advisory for tomorrow that’s scheduled to take effect from noon to 8 p.m. across the region, including Fairfax County. A similar advisory is now in effect for today (Thursday), prompting the county to activate its heat plan.