FCCPS’ FRIDAY FINAL LOOKAHEADFor the School Week: January 11-15, 2021 Outlooks are based on the FCCPS Health Metrics Dashboard and Thresholds. COHORT 1: Special PopulationsCurrent week: Hybrid InstructionOutlook: As not all of our Key Indicators are RED - Cohort 1 will remain in Hybrid next week. COHORT 2: Elementary/Grades K-5Current Week: VirtualOutlook: With... READ MORE >

Dear FCCPS Families, I trust you all had a safe and healthy holiday break. I wanted to send some updates and clarifications regarding our next steps for reopening FCCPS. While my letter to all of you about returning this month was filled with excitement and enthusiasm, it also included a revised set of metrics for reopening and, if needed, thresholds for returning... READ MORE >

Dear FCCPS Families, I hope you all are enjoying your winter break with some great family time. I want to make sure you receive this update regarding the return to school beginning next week. ALL students are slated to return in the month of January. Throughout the pandemic, we have experienced ups and downs that have created hardship for each of us. All along, we... READ MORE >

The Falls Church City School Board seeks applications from qualified individuals to fulfill the term of School Board member Lawrence Webb, who will resign effective January 4, 2021. Applications may be submitted by qualified voters in the City of Falls Church who are not employed by the School Board. The appointee will serve from the date of appointment until... READ MORE >

Thanks to the hard work of the staff at The McGuire Group, the GMHS Sentimental & Surplus Auction is ppen! Bidding runs through Dec. 28. Check out the auction catalog to see a great collection of items for business, home, and gifts! https://www.themcguiregroupllc... READ MORE >

Falls Church Community, On December 8th, the Falls Church School Board voted to proceed with the process of renaming two of the division’s schools. The renaming process will follow the guidelines outlined in the FCCPS Regulation FFA-R School Building Names Committee. At this time, Superintendent Peter Noonan is accepting applications for persons interested in... READ MORE >

Dear FCCPS Families, First and foremost, I want to thank all of you for your incredible support throughout the first part of this school year. Your dedication to your children and FCCPS is second to none, and I am so appreciative of you. Your support of our school division during this time has been so wonderful. We are all so grateful. We also received the most... READ MORE >

Bid on some great items at the GMHS Auction Dec. 21-28.Auction Link will be published here on Dec. 21. It will include surplus items and nostalgic treasures - something for everyone! Look for new and vintage items like tables, industrial shop tools, library bookshelves, cubbies, whiteboards, electronics, kitchen equipment, even basketball hoops and scoreboards,... READ MORE >

Dear FCCPS Families, It has been a long couple of weeks for all of us. I hope you were able to take some time to read my message regarding the Board’s decision to rename both George Mason High School and Thomas Jefferson Elementary. The choices faced by school leaders are not easy whether returning to virtual/hybrid/face-to-face learning, renaming schools, or... READ MORE >

Tuesday's School Board meeting saw the unanimous approval of the 2021-22 academic year calendar. The school year will begin one week before Labor Day, includes a two-week Winter Break and more holidays, including Veterans Day!The final day of school is scheduled for June 23rd, however there is the possibility of a June 17th end-date. The division is awaiting the... READ MORE >

Dear FCCPS Families, Today, we received updated data from the Virginia Department of Health for our region. Unfortunately, the information has not changed from last week when we decided to take a one week pause. We remain in a “high” rate of burden and have substantial disease transmission for our region. The data points we monitor translate to “red x’s” on our... READ MORE >

Dear FCCPS Families & Staff Members, This is not the letter I wanted to send to our community the afternoon before Thanksgiving. This morning we received updates from the Virginia Department of Health on the COVID metrics for our region and school division. We have been monitoring the impact of COVID across the nation and increases here in our home community.... READ MORE >

Dear FCCPS Families, This week we were able to reach a huge milestone in our reopening efforts safely. All of our K-5 Elementary grades returned for hybrid instruction. It has been eight months since we’ve had all of our youngest learners in the buildings. The sights and sounds of in-person learning were so wonderful this week! I am certainly thankful for all of... READ MORE >

Dear FCCPS Families, As we have stated all along, we have and will continue to review data and make decisions based on what we see with respect to health, operational, and instructional metrics. Today’s data we received from the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and Fairfax County Health District (FCHD) is not moving in a good direction. While we remain in the... READ MORE >

Dear FCCPS Families, We had a fantastic reopening with our Kindergarten and 3rd students this week! Thank you to our teams at Thomas Jefferson and Mount Daniel for all of their hard work and dedication! As we reopen with our “next wave” of Elementary students on Tuesday, we do so with excitement and caution as we move forward. We continue to monitor our data and... READ MORE >

Dear FCCPS Families, This has been an unusual and stressful week for us all (a common refrain it seems). Despite the election and politics, we continue to be focused on monitoring our health, operations, and instructional metrics. Our reopening planning continues. We had our weekly call with the Fairfax County Health Department today and there has been little... READ MORE >

(Vea a continuación la traducción al español)Dear FCCPS Families, It has been another busy week full of outstanding online learning opportunities provided by our exceptional teachers and staff. I am so proud of all the hard work our students have put in over this quarter, despite the circumstances. This week’s message will be centered around our work for the... READ MORE >

Dr. Warren Pace passed away on Sunday, October 18 (1928-2020). He served as FCCPS Superintendent for 20 years, from 1971 to 1991. He is pictured above with former superintendents Mary Ellen Shaw left and Lois Berlin at a 2013 event at Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School. "Dr. Pace was one of the biggest of giants that helped FCCPS become the amazing system it... READ MORE >

Dear FCCPS Families, Thank you so much for your continued support of our schools. I wanted to send a quick update today to ensure the communication continues to flow. There are a few items of note this week. Secondary Update Over the past couple of weeks, I have received quite a bit of feedback about getting our Henderson and Mason students back sooner than the... READ MORE >

Dear FCCPS Families, I hope you all are doing well and staying healthy. Last week I sent you a very long email updating where we are with respect to reopening plans for our school division. This week’s promises to be shorter :). On Tuesday evening, I briefed the School Board about our updated measures and metrics and explained our students’ return Kindergarten -... READ MORE >

Dear FCCPS Families, It has been a couple of weeks since you have heard directly from me, and I feel like the time is right to update you on some of the many things that are happening across the state and in our school division. Let me start by saying thank you for your continued support of FCCPS and working so well with your kids. As a working parent of... READ MORE >

Farrell Kelly is an 8th Grade Teacher at Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School, NBCT and President of the Falls Church City Education Association The last six months have been challenging for teachers, as we have been buffeted not only by our own hopes and expectations for school but also by those of our local communities and nation. We all want to be back in the... READ MORE >

NBC4's Northern Virginia Bureau Reporter Drew Wilder reports on the first day of all-virtual school in Falls Church. READ MORE >

FCCPS Transportation is preparing for that time when students return to school. The staff has been participating in training, cleaning buses, and addressing minor maintenance issues. All drivers will be performing their usual pre-trip inspections and driving bus routes approximately once each week. Diesel buses do not do well sitting for long periods of time, and... READ MORE >

Dear FCCPS Families, Happy Friday, everyone. This was a big week for us in FCCPS as we welcomed our new staff and faculty to our system and began the onboarding process. Yesterday was the first official day back for all of our teachers and staff, and we are working diligently to make the best of a situation none of us had hoped for. This week’s version of the Road... READ MORE >

Falls Church City Public Schools is thrilled to welcome 28 new professional staff members to #TeamFCCPS this week. The annual new teacher and professional orientation began this morning and continues for most of this week. All staff return next week in preparation for the first day of school on August 24th. The 2020-21 Class of New Teachers and Professional... READ MORE >

Dear FCCPS Families, Happy Friday. As we close in on the start of the 2020-21 school year we want to start focusing our next few editions of the Road to Reopening to what the day in the life of a student will look like when we open our virtual doors on August 24th. Please take a look at the videos below and the other information provided to help with your family’s... READ MORE >

Dear FCCPS Families, Happy Friday, and I hope you had a nice lazy midsummer week. We continue to collectively put our best thinking, creativity, and small division focus on our reopening plans, and we are very excited to begin the school year on August 24th. We look forward to welcoming all of our students online. This takes time to plan and develop. We appreciate... READ MORE >

Dear FCCPS Families, Over the past weeks, we have collectively put our best thinking, creativity, and small division focus on our reopening plans. All along, we’ve said we would be prepared for whatever the conditions presented us and make the appropriate adjustments to keep our students, staff, and families safe. Circumstances have changed in the last two weeks,... READ MORE >

FCCPS Community, As Virginia continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic, and with the health and safety of our students, families, staff, and community foremost in mind, tomorrow evening, I will make a recommendation that the School Board adopt a fully virtual start to the FCCPS 2020-21 school year. The Board is expected to discuss and take action on the... READ MORE >

Happy Friday, everyone. I hope you have big plans for this weekend. This is the fourth installment of The Road to Reopening, and you can continue to expect it every Friday as we approach the start of school. Over the past week, we have seen some shifting in other school divisions in our region here in Northern Virginia. Please know we are watching this very... READ MORE >

Happy Friday everyone. I hope you have big plans for this weekend. This is the third installment of The Road to Reopening, and you can now expect it every Friday as we close in on the start of school August 24th. This issue is focused heavily on K-5 (MDES, TJES), and next week’s edition will be more Secondary focused again. However, please take a read through as... READ MORE >

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you had a restful and enjoyable weekend. This is a new communication that I plan to send weekly to update you as we continue our plans for our reopening on August 24th. The intention is to send it on Fridays going forward but this week you will get two editions...today and Friday. This communication is to share quick clarifying... READ MORE >

Dear FCCPS Families and Community, This has been an unprecedented year and I would like to begin by saying thank you. Your work as parents, dedication to your children’s education, and care were amplified at the end of the school year in a brilliant and beautiful way. Through your partnerships with our teachers and your efforts, our students in FCCPS were widely... READ MORE >

Today, Mary Ellen Henderson Principal Valerie Hardy unveiled the administrative team for the coming years along with the addition of a new special education leader. The announcement came in a letter to MEHMS staff and families - Building a team of leaders is essential for every strong organization. As a division and as a school, the growth and development of... READ MORE >

Mary Ellen Henderson Career Technology Education instructor, Dr. Ray Wu-Rorrer, has won a Gerald Day Excellence in Authorship Award from the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association (ITEEA). Dr. Wu-Rorrer was honored with the Top Peer-Reviewed Article by a Classroom Instructor award for an article written last fall - "Developing a STEAM... READ MORE >

Check out our virtual summer resources to keep our Huskies engaged this summer!Henderson Summer ResourcesHenderson Summer Virtual Clubs READ MORE >

Versión en español a continuación Dear FCCPS Families and Staff, Well...what a school year it has been. This Friday Update will be the last I will send for the foreseeable future as the school year is officially coming to an end. However, do be on the lookout in the next several weeks for another community survey to help inform our reopening plans for... READ MORE >

May 29, 2020 Versión en español a continuación Friday Update Dear FCCPS Families and Staff, The end of the year is drawing near...this is the last Friday for our students. We are almost to the finish line, and I am so thankful to you - Students, Families, Faculty, and Staff - for making it happen for our students this spring. During unusual... READ MORE >

The Falls Church School Board unanimously approved the school division's Fiscal Year 2020-21 budget; a once-promising financial plan derailed by a global pandemic. The $52,191,532 revenue and spending plan represents a $2.4 million decrease over the School Board's pre-pandemic Advertised Budget. The adjustment eliminates salary improvements for staff but does not... READ MORE >

May 22, 2020 Versión en español a continuación This year, like all school years, has been marked by milestones and waypoints. However, this year’s waypoints have been very different...March 13th (Friday the 13th) - school closure, March 18th - the start of online learning, Spring Break, April 13th - the start of new instruction, and now we are at Memorial... READ MORE >

May 15, 2020 Versión en español a continuación This is longer than usual so get a cool drink, settle in, and read…:) Dear FCCPS Families and Staff, It has been another interesting week in FCCPS. Thank you all for your continued support of our schools. I mentioned in my weekly Wednesday @peternoonan Twitter message that we, as a... READ MORE >

May 8, 2020 Versión en español a continuación Dear FCCPS Families, Another week has come to a close here in our FCCPS learning community. This was a special time, as it was Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week. We are so grateful to our community for their thoughtful recognition and appreciation of our teachers and staff. The cards, emails, social... READ MORE >

May 1, 2020 Versión en español a continuación Dear FCCPS Families and Staff, May 1st has arrived, and we are moving into the last full month of school. As you all know, every day, my family (though usually only the two adults) tries to take a long walk to maintain exercise and mental health. We spend this time reflecting on our current and collective situation.... READ MORE >

Henderson rolls out an online TV show, 'Treat Yo' Self' hosted by theatre teacher Ms. Gross. This first episode features interviews with Dr. Noonan, Counselor Ms. Filmyer, and a student update with Fiona. Expect additional episodes weekly! Yay! READ MORE >

Versión en español a continuación Dear FCCPS Families, I hope you and your family are doing well, are healthy, and safe. This has been another remarkable week in the Falls Church City Public Schools. Your students, our teachers, and you are making it happen, and for that, we are grateful. Last week, I sent you an article that described... READ MORE >

Versión en español a continuación We have finished up the first week of ‘new’ instruction, and the first full month of online instruction. It is amazing to reflect on how far we have come! Thank you again for all of your support during this time. Below you will find our latest updates on the many projects we are continuing to work on during the closure to keep... READ MORE >

Dear FCCPS Families, Welcome back to school! I hope you all had a great spring break, albeit different, and you and your students feel ready for the challenge of new material. This week marks a turning point for us in FCCPS insofar as we will begin to introduce new content to our students PK-12. As mentioned previously, we would much prefer to be face-to-face, but... READ MORE >

All Henderson students and staff are invited to show their school spirit this week as post-spring-break kicks off the presentation of new content for the online learning. Spirit week themes are"Twos-day" Tuesday Share two pictures: one of your “school at home” outfit and one of what you’d wear if you were at Henderson."Windowsday" Wednesday Snap a shot of the... READ MORE >

With the cancelation of Standards of Learning tests this year, modifications made to the upcoming International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement assessments, and the need to prepare for summer instruction, the Falls Church School Board is shortening the current school year by 13 days to June 4th for students and June 5th for teachers and staff. The change is... READ MORE >

Tuesday Update En español abajo Dear FCCPS Family, Happy last day of March. We are a week from the official Spring Break, and while we may not be able to do all the things we want during the holiday, it is my hope that during the break you can all feel some modicum of relief by not having to stay on your kids about getting their work done. We... READ MORE >

Please remember! If COVID-19 closures have resulted in a change in your family's income, you could be eligible for assistance through the National School Lunch program. FCCPS accepts applications for the Free Reduced Meals Program at all times. Please visit https://www.fccps.org/o/FCCPS/page/free-reduced-meals--14 to download the application for the FRM program.... READ MORE >

Friday Update March 27, 2020 En español abajo Dear FCCPS Family Thank you for your continued support of our schools. As Team FCCPS continues to meet, we have all reflected on how fortunate we are to work in a small school division where we can know our kids, our families, and each other in ways that support strong relationships and care. Congratulations to... READ MORE >

Yesterday (Monday, March 23rd) was an emotional and sad day for our school system. I understand your sadness, frustration, and concern about the decision. Regardless, I am confident that we will move forward in a way that continues to be supportive of our students. We are strong, we are together, and we are @FCCPS (#bettertogether). Last night, I joined School... READ MORE >

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam announced this afternoon, at his press conference, all public schools in the Commonwealth will remain closed for the remainder of the school year. The news is not what we were hoping for or expecting, but together we will get through this. It was only ten days ago we announced our closure due to the coronavirus (COVID-19).... READ MORE >

FCCPS Principals are sharing their schools' e-learning plans for the weeks ahead. In addition to sharing via email and Schoology, the plans are also found in the specific schools COVID-19 Information pages and in the FCCPS app. MD COVID-19 MEH COVID-19 gadellm@fccps.org. Speaking will be done via the call-in number. Thank you all for your continued... READ MORE >

On Tuesday evening, the Falls Church School Board unanimously approved its Advertised Budget for the 2020-2021 school year. Reflecting an investment in our students, our staff, and our schools, the budget includes a step increase for eligible employees, and a 1% Cost of Living Adjustment for all FCCPS staff members. The $54.6 million budget, which now heads to the... READ MORE >

Falls Church City Public Schools announced 16 nominees for FCCPS Employee Awards on Wednesday, January 22. Colleagues, students, and parents made the nominations based on their exceptional dedication to the students and community of Falls Church. A "Prize Patrol" including Superintendent Peter Noonan, Chief Academic Officer William Bates, Chief Financial Officer... READ MORE >

The Virginia Department of Health announced there are 2 presumptive positive cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Northern Virginia; a Fort Belvoir resident and a City of Fairfax resident in his 80s both of whom recently traveled abroad. The Virginia Department of Health and Fairfax County Health Department held a press conference Sunday, March 8. With... READ MORE >

The questions were challenging, even incredibly hard, and yet the Henderson competitors knew answer after answer! The final for the Geography Bee on Thursday, January 16 lasted for under an hour. The top three finishers are framed by Dr. Dippold left, who served as a judge, and Mr. Kelly right who organizes the event. Students from left 7th grader Ruben Krishna in... READ MORE >

Four years into Falls Church City Public School's Stop-Arm Camera program and it continues catching violators, and the fines continue to roll in. In 2019, a total of 1,082 citations were issued to drivers who passed a Falls Church school bus with its red lights flashing. For the first five months of the current fiscal year (July through November), the program... READ MORE >

FCCPS is offering free English classes for the parents and adult family members of FCCPS students with sessions beginning on January 14th. The beginner level (Nivel Principiante) will be held from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. and the intermediate level (Nivel Intermedio) will run from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesdays. Both sessions will be held in the Family Resource Center at... READ MORE >

Henderson's FIRST robotics team, the "Robo Tigers" competed this past weekend at Centreville HS. After five matches, the MEH Robo Tigers placed third out of 26 teams, almost entirely from area high schools. The Robo Tigers also won an innovation award from Collins Aerospace, part of the criteria states, "The Collins Aerospace Innovate Award celebrates a team that... READ MORE >

Sixth-grade students are working hard, creating museum displays to honor talented innovators, artists, and Native Americans from the United States' westward expansion. This summative assessment is called "The Smithsonian Needs You!" and requires students to use a minimum of four primary sources, and citations, while creating multiple sections. Individually students... READ MORE >

The GIVE Day club at Henderson raised over $10K to fund the packing of 33,000 nutritious, shelf-stable meals of dried vegetables, rice, grain, and vitamin packs. The collaboration with "Rise Against Hunger" is in its 4th year. Ninety-eight student ambassadors led the way on planning, fundraising, and yesterday's set up. Each grade had a chance to assemble meals at... READ MORE >

The whole Henderson Math Club has earned congratulations on their success on the first Math Olympiad test. A special shout-out goes to Will Kroboth and Ashwin Colby for their perfect scores. The group will be participating in the AMC8, MathCounts, and MathCon tests throughout the year. The Club meets every Monday after school. GM high school students Niharika... READ MORE >

Falls Church City Public Schools is thrilled to announce the new FCCPS app! It's everything FCCPS, in your pocket! With the new app, you can access staff directories, lunch menus, news updates, and even emergency notifications. Best of all, YOU control what notifications you receive! Download the app on Android: https://bit.ly/30xyIV5 or iPhone:... READ MORE >

Thank you in advance for your assistance as Falls Church City Public Schools works to improve how we serve our students, families, and community. We appreciate your time. Effective July 1, 2019, the General Assembly passed legislation allowing school divisions to start the school year up to 14 days before the September Labor Day holiday. Previously school... READ MORE >

Award-nominating season is here! Recognize outstanding FCCPS employees by submitting a nomination for one of our awards: FCEF Teacher of the Year; Professional Specialist of the Year and Support Staff Employee of the Year. Nomination forms for all three awards are below. The deadline for submitting nominations is Friday, January 3. All nominees will be surprised in... READ MORE >

The Falls Church School Board received four options for the 2020-21 school calendar from its Ad Hoc Calendar Committee during its regular meeting last night. The options include two that would see school opening two weeks before Labor Day and two with the first day of school on the day after Labor Day. The Virginia General Assembly last year changed the law... READ MORE >

While Veterans Day is a regular school day this year at Falls Church City Public Schools, many of our students are honoring America's brave men and women in service to our country. George Mason High At George Mason High School, thanks go to Ms. Gurgo and Mr. Sheedy for creating a Veterans Day display left in the school's lobby, recognizing alumni and staff... READ MORE >

Last Friday, the Family Resource Center hosted an Open House to show off its new space. Erika Sequiera, third from left, runs the center for all of FCCPS from the area at TJ. She supports families with children in all the system's schools with a particular focus on support for non-English speakers. Visitors to the opening included city employees, administrators... READ MORE >

Henderson's Student Council Association began holding town halls last year to gather input on issues important to students. On Thursday, October 31, the first one of this year occurred during Husky FLEX. The meetings are run by the student council representatives. There was time for administrators to give status reports on issues brought up last year, including... READ MORE >

The "Prize Patrol" had a very busy Wednesday! The Falls Church Education Foundation was out in the schools awarding Super Grant funds for 16 requests, totaling over $68,000 in Super Grants and over $19,000 in Advanced Training. Awards are in response to teacher and staff requests. It went to a wide variety of initiatives, including training, classroom libraries,... READ MORE >

Thanks go out to Delegate Marcus Simon (far left) and State Senator Dick Saslaw center for taking time for their annual FCCPS visit to "walk a school" and understand some of the exciting initiatives and continuing work. This year they learned about a seventh-grade project in a CTE (Career and Technical Education) class, the study of different states of matter in an... READ MORE >

The seventh grade split into two groups last week and took turns going to two locations. The visit to InnerQuest focused on teamwork through a ropes course, an obstacle course, and efforts like balancing the large platform above. The second location was LaserQuest, where students compete against one another playing laser tag, learning about how angles work in the... READ MORE >

Mr. Block's Breakfast Club at Henderson meets throughout the year before significant math assessments. It is already attracting a dedicated group of students a half hour before school starts. Their aim this week was to learn and review the order of operations, integers, distribution, combining like terms, and domain, range, and function. Twenty-eight students came:... READ MORE >

Please click here to view the presentation regarding Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. READ MORE >

GRADE 6 - Lang & Lit Year 1 Summer Reading List GRADE 7 - Lang & Lit Year 2 Summer Reading List GRADE 8 - Lang & Lit Year 3 Summer Reading List As you complete your reading, consider using the following prompts to keep your analytical skills sharp. Reader Response Prompts for Fiction Explain a character's problem and then offer your character advice on how to... READ MORE >

Henderson Middle School Summer Hours: Effective June 24 - Aug 2Monday - Thursday 8:00 - 12:30Closed on Friday6th Grade Supply List 7th Grade Supply List 8th Grade Supply List Encore Supply List READ MORE >

A Message from the Mason Athletic Department Fall Sports start as early as July 30th Schedule your student’s sports physical today! VHSL Physical Forms are the only acceptable forms and a new one is required every school year. Remember that certain healthcare providers require weeks to produce the signed forms – plan ahead!! The form is available on-line from... READ MORE >

It's almost Field Day! We need volunteers to help make this year's event awesome! Field Day will be on Tuesday, June 5th. For those of you who don't know, Field Day is a fun, active day for all students, spent outside on the athletic fields. We need adult volunteers to run each station in order to make Field Day safe and fun for everyone. We also need to borrow... READ MORE >

Check out the presentation from our Rising 6th Grade Parent Night here. READ MORE >

Would you like to receive text message alerts from FCCPS? Follow these simple instructions to stay informed about school closings and other timely information. From your device, text the letter Y to 67587 To opt out, simply reply STOP. This will ONLY work for those people who have numbers in our system, such as parents and staff. Another way to stay up to date... READ MORE >

At MEH, students have awesome opportunities for authentic learning that extends beyond a traditional classroom. Students are able to collaborate frequently with peers on various creative projects. With such opportunities, comes additional responsibilities. Please review the Student Technology Guide to refresh your memory regarding acceptable computer behaviors. READ MORE >