Superintendent's Weekly Reflections

Hello Team FCPS,

The new school year is finally here, and I know I speak for everyone on Team FCPS when I say we are so excited to welcome back all of our students, both old and new!

We’ve been hard at work making sure FCPS continues to provide a world-class education where every student is prepared for a future yet to be imagined. If you haven’t already, I invite you to  watch my welcome message where I talk about some of the things I’m most excited about this new school year. A special thank you to the Wolfpack at Wakefield Forest Elementary School who showed me their amazing new school renovations and helped me out with the video!

On Monday morning I attended a kickoff for our Transportation Team. Everyone was excited to start the new school year and test drive ;>) the recent improvements we’ve made to the safety and efficiency of our transportation services! As you may have read in the last edition of  Weekly Reflections , this includes our new tablet-based system, which has:

• Turn-by-turn navigation and real-time route adjustments in case of detours.
• Radio Frequency ID (RFID) card scanning so that drivers can verify student identities, track when and where students get on and off the bus, and confirm that students are on the correct route.

Eventually, families will also be able to monitor their child’s location through the Here Comes the Bus app! Watch our video to  learn more about the system and see a demonstration with Bus Driver Supervisor Lei Shi. Thank you to all of our dedicated drivers, routers, mechanics, and transportation staff! Not only do they transport our community’s most precious cargo safely to and from school, they’re often the first and last friendly Team FCPS face our students see each day. They set a positive tone for learning and help create a sense of belonging — this work matters! 

On Tuesday evening I dropped by Herndon High School to see the Hayfield vs. Herndon Boys Volleyball Scrimmage. Lots of great energy and teamwork on display — I can tell these student-athletes will be serving up ;>) a strong fall season! Go Hawks!! Go Hornets!!

Wednesday was a busy day for community engagement! I started the early evening at the division-wide Military Families BBQ at Mount Vernon High School. The event idea was thanks to feedback from parents and students in the Military Family Advisory Council and the Military Youth Advisory Council. I was so glad to see many of our new and returning military-connected students and families coming together in community to get a strong start to the school year with resources and fun games (and some delicious Mission BBQ and Crumbl cookies — thank you to Educate Fairfax for sponsoring this event!). While I was there I had a great conversation with South County High School’s Military Connected Youth Club Council — go Stallions!! Thank you MVHS for hosting!!

Military-connected students bring so much value to our community, but they also face some unique challenges when transitioning in and out of school districts. We are committed to helping them and their families feel welcome, connected, and engaged while they’re here. This includes supports like our  Purple Star Schools , which are recognized for their dedication to helping military-connected students and their families by meeting criteria such as having designated points of contact and a military family webpage, a Student Ambassador Program where students support new peers with their transition into the school, and more. Just over half of our 199 schools have this designation, and we’re working hard to get to 100% so that we can become a Purple Star Division by September 2026!

Later that evening, I dropped by Mark Twain Middle School for their annual Tiger Fest. It was wonderful to see so many families and staff getting ready for the start of the new school year! These events are especially important for our rising seventh and ninth graders, who are making a big transition to a new school with new expectations. Thank you to the staff at Twain for helping these young Tigers start their school year feline ;>) confident and prepared. Go Tigers!!

My last stop on Wednesday evening was at Fairfax High School, where I cheered on our students at a Field Hockey scrimmage. Thank you to all of our Team FCPS coaches for helping our students strengthen not just their athletic skills, but also their resilience, teamwork, and sense of belonging at school! Go Lions!! 

On Thursday morning, I joined our Department of Technology (DIT) Team's school year kickoff breakfast at the Wilton Woods Center, a base for more than 230 of our DIT employees. While I was there I toured the Network Operations Center, which is the heart of all FCPS technology and where teams work to provide all of FCPS with the high-speed network access and digital tools we rely on to communicate, teach, and learn. The center hosts all infrastructure, critical software applications, and cloud-based services, and the team monitors and supports critical platforms and applications such as Google Workspace, Schoology, and SIS. The center manages about 2,000 servers and connects all 254 FCPS sites. I also visited the Records Management office, where the DIT team stores student records for up to 75 years and assists former students with transcripts. As you can see in the picture, behind us are records waiting for sorting. The team annually shreds between 5 and 7 tons of paper per year — wow!

Afterwards I met with the Technology Architecture and Assessment team, who reviews software and hardware for privacy and accessibility. This work is especially important with the rise of AI tools in education! Before I left I also spoke with team members from our Office of IT Governance. They provide system stability and security by managing disaster recovery, setting IT policies, and overseeing change management to minimize the impact of unforeseen events. Thank you to DIT for giving me a firsthand look into all they do for our students, staff, and families! From maintaining networks to managing student information systems and protecting data, this work matters!!

I then headed over to FCPS’ Substance Abuse Prevention Specialists (SAPS) school year kickoff, where I had the privilege of speaking with the team about their critical role in ensuring the safety and well-being of our students. I’m proud of the work that this team does and the progress they made last year in reducing substance use discipline infractions, alcohol related suspensions, and especially out-of-school suspensions for vaping (down by 34% — wow!) among our 7th and 8th graders as compared to the 2023-24 school year. Thank you to our SAPS for all that they do! Our staff will continue to work closely with students and families to help each and every student thrive. Together, all things are possible!!

Thursday also included a visit to Key Center’s Back to School Night, which took place midmorning. It was so inspiring to see the strong sense of community and support for our students with diverse learning needs! Thank you to the Key Center team for their dedication and for helping unlock ;>) a strong start to 2025-26!! Go Rockets!!

Later in the morning, I joined our community partners for a Chamber of Commerce lunch and visit to the National Museum of the U.S. Army. Learning happens best in community and we continue to be so grateful that our community shows up for us each and every day.

On Thursday evening, I traveled to Fort Belvoir for a Community Town Hall, where I shared information about FCPS’ strategies for bullying intervention and prevention, as well as the supports we have in place for military-connected students. We are committed to providing a learning environment where students are safe, supported, included, and empowered through Goal 2 of our 2023-30 Strategic Plan . This commitment includes  working closely with our students, staff, and families to recognize and report bullying. We want each and every FCPS student to feel safe and know they belong! Together, all things are possible. 

I finished the evening at a Girls Volleyball game between South County and McLean high schools. Lots of energy and great teamwork from these athletes! Go Stallions!! Go Highlanders!!

On Friday morning I attended an event for Laurel Ridge Elementary School’s 55th anniversary. It was wonderful to join students, staff, and community members in celebrating the school’s history and long-standing tradition of strong family engagement. I love that their original focus was “Kindness is spoken here”. So timely both then and now. Go Lions!!

A big thank you to our Robinson Secondary School Drum Line for their support of the event, many of whom attended Laurel Ridge as young lions ;>)

I’m thrilled to say that  all FCPS high schools are piloting Girls Flag Football this fall. Thank you to the Washington Commanders for supporting this initiative — with college scholarships already available and Olympic inclusion coming in 2028, there’s never been a better time for our students to get in the game!

If you know any students who may be interested, please encourage them to talk to their school’s activities office to get involved — though I have a feeling they won’t need to be persuaded after  watching this energizing hype video!   I can’t wait to attend games this year!!

In another update on school safety, as of July 1, new Virginia legislation now authorizes public schools to enroll employees, volunteers, and contractors in Rap Back — a continuous background check monitoring system. This initiative marks a significant milestone in strengthening school safety and reinforces FCPS’ commitment to maintaining a secure environment for all members of its community. As the largest school division in Virginia, FCPS is at the forefront of this state-wide effort, helping to lay the groundwork for broader implementation across the Commonwealth. Ultimately, this program will contribute to the protection of nearly 1.3 million K-12 students across Virginia. Almost 18,000 of our employees have completed the form, already! We are keeping FCPS safe.

I was delighted to spend my Saturday morning with a few of FCPS’ very youngest learners at both Freedom Hill and Terraset elementary schools. These two schools were hosting kindergarten playdates to give incoming students and their families the opportunity to get to know their teachers, meet new friends, and get excited for the first day of school. A student’s very first school experience can have a big impact on their love of learning and sense of belonging throughout the rest of their academic career — thank you to Team FCPS and to our families for helping make it positive and joyful! Go Eagles!! Go Tigers!! It is exciting to welcome the Class of 2038!!

On Saturday afternoon I spent time at Hayfield Secondary School with the many members of Team FCPS who continued the work to support a safe and healthy start to school following a weather event late this summer. I remain so grateful for the many members of Team FCPS as they work tirelessly to support each and every one of our students and their educational journey with us. 

What a fabulous summer weekend and week ahead!!  I know there is a renewed energy borne of the start of a new school year around the corner. I appreciate each of you and your continued forbearance with dynamic challenges and opportunities. As we approach another year, I am reminded to pause and reflect on the musings of one of my favorite characters;  "You're braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." – Winne the Pooh. 

Wishing each of you an amazing first week of the new school year,

Michelle Reid, Ed.D. Superintendent