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August 20: Spartan Spree (Open House)
August 24: 1st Day of School
September 4-7: Labor Day Holiday
September 8: Back to School Night
As summer winds down, we are looking forward to welcoming students back to our classrooms. Use the following list to help make sure your child is ready!
☑️ Sign Up for SIS ParentVUE
Access your student’s attendance records, grades, and assignments at any time with SIS ParentVUE. Contact our registrar at landrade1@fcps.edu if you need an activation code. Find out more about SIS ParentVUE. Also, download the new ParentVUE mobile app so you can access your child’s records easily from anywhere!
Update Your Contact Information
Be sure you receive important information! Update your phone number(s) and/or email address(es) by clicking “My Account” and reviewing the “Online Verification/Update.” On that form, you can also update immunization records, health information, and emergency contacts.
☑️ Update Immunizations and Records
Immunizations are required for all students to attend school in Virginia. This is an important part of protecting them from certain diseases and keeping them healthy.
When your child is immunized, remember to request a copy of their immunization record and bring that to our front office or submit the record via SIS ParentVUE as soon as possible. Find more information on FCPS’ website.
☑️ Learn About School Meals
Families need to provide their children with money to purchase meals at school or send them with a packed lunch. Alternatively, families may apply to receive free and reduced-price meal benefits, pending approval.
☑️ Bookmark the School Year Calendar
Be sure to bookmark the FCPS school year calendar to keep track of school holidays, breaks, and observances:
- Days marked blue with an “H” are student holidays. Schools are closed on these days.
- Days marked orange with an “O” are religious and cultural observance days (or evenings, if only half marked). There is school on these days, but certain events that cannot be made up may not be scheduled on these days.
- Days marked as TW, SD, and SP and in pink are holidays for students but working days for teachers and staff.
- Please note that some holidays and observances, such as Eid al Fitr, may shift, and the calendar may be adjusted.
We are excited to welcome you to our Spartan Spree! This special event is designed to help both new and returning students feel confident, connected, and prepared for a successful school year.
Spartan Spree is a great opportunity for students to:
- Explore their class schedules
- Become familiar with the building
- Pick up their FCPS laptop in the Cafeteria
- Learn about clubs, activities, and athletics in Spartan Hall
- Drop off medications in the Clinic, if needed
- Pick up parking passes
We encourage our 9th grade and new students to attend a brief welcome session in the Auditorium beginning at 9:00 AM. You'll hear from our administrative team and learn about the resources and support available at West Springfield High School!
Event Details:
Date: Thursday, August 20th
Location: West Springfield High School
Arrival Times:
- 9th Grade & New Students-9:00 AM
- Returning Students-11:00 AM
Spartan Spree concludes at 1:00 PM for all students and families.
Parents can drop off medication on August 20 from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Only a 30-day supply of medication should be brought to school at a time. All prescription medications, including licensed prescriber drug samples, must be in their original containers and labeled in English by a licensed prescriber or pharmacist. The pharmacy label must match the authorization. Non-prescription medication must always be kept in the original, unopened bottle or box with the name of the medication visible and contain no more than 30 pills.
Please reach out to your Public Health Nurse, Maricel Villarivera, at MVillarivera@fcps.edu if you have additional questions regarding medications or would like to schedule a different medication drop off.
Senate Bill 108 is a new Virginia law that went into effect on July 1. It requires that all schools in the state follow a “bell-to-bell” phone-free policy and prohibit cellphone possession and use for the entire school day. The updated FCPS Cellphone Policy aligns with this law, which means high school students are no longer able to use cellphones, cellphone accessories, or smart devices (like smart glasses, earbuds, headsets, and other items connected to the phone) during lunchtime.
Across all grade levels, cellphones, cellphone accessories, and all smart devices must be off and personally stored for the duration of the school day. Watches that serve a dual purpose (like a smartwatch) must be off and personally stored for the duration of the school day, too. Personal devices that connect to a cellphone or cellphone accessory or operate as a smart device must also follow the FCPS Cellphone Policy.
This policy does not apply to school-issued devices. However, school-issued devices must be used in accordance with FCPS Regulation 6410, Acceptable Use Policy, which allows the use of school-issued devices for educational purposes. More details are available on the FCPS Cellphone Policy webpage.
This year, all WSHS students will be required to check out a WSHS Chromebook to be used for all instructional purposes during the school day. A change to FCPS’ Student Rights and Responsibilities, students may not use personal devices including personal laptops, tablets, smartwatches, smartphones, and similar devices during the instructional day.
Chromebooks will be distributed during Spartan Spree on Thursday, August 20 in Spartan Hall:
- New Spartans from 9am-11am
- Returning Spartans from 11am-1pm
Students who are unable to attend Spartan Spree can check out a device at a scheduled time during the first two days of the school year. Any students who kept a Chromebook over the summer should ensure it is fully charged for the first day of school. Lost or missing chargers can be paid for in the WSHS MySchoolBucks store.
As part of the ongoing commitment to strengthening layered safety and security programs, FCPS will implement a new student ID system for students who ride our school buses.
The implementation of the student IDs is designed as an additional safety measure for our 130,000 FCPS students who ride the bus each day, ensuring they are on the right bus and that they get on and off at the correct bus stop, as well as making sure only authorized students are on our buses.
The IDs will be provided to students who ride the bus. Those students will be expected to tap on and tap off the bus. The student IDs do not track student movement. The only information available is when a student taps on or off a bus. Much like our Here Comes the Bus app, our new app will allow parents/guardians to track the progress of the school bus.
It is possible that the ID program will expand in the future to include uses such as library cards and meal payment. Learn more about the new transportation system and student ID cards.
Make sure your child has all of their required immunizations before the first day of school. Check their immunization records to see what they might be missing. You can:
- Request immunization records online through the Virginia Immunization Information System (a free service).
- If your child was immunized outside of Virginia, get records from those states’ systems.
- Request records from your health care provider. Some may charge for copies.
Review school-required immunizations to verify that your child is up to date.
Required Immunizations for Rising 12th GradersSeveral immunizations are required for students entering 7th and 12th grades.
- All students entering 12th grade are to receive two doses of Meningococcal vaccine (MenACWY) prior to the beginning of school.
- To meet the MenACWY 12th grade requirement, one dose must be administered at age 16 or older.
As long as your child meets the age requirements listed above, they can be immunized at any time.
Where to Receive Immunizations
If your child needs an immunization, make an appointment with your family’s healthcare provider or one of the following immunization events.
FCPS, in partnership with Inspire Health Alliance, will be providing school-required immunizations and optional flu shots for all FCPS students, ages 18 and under, with no out-of-pocket costs. Multiple events will take place at designated FCPS locations. Additional dates will be made available throughout the school year. Parents or guardians may view upcoming events and schedule an appointment for their student. Participation is voluntary.
If you do not have a healthcare provider, visit a Health Department clinic. Fairfax County Health Department (FCHD) clinics offer immunizations to all Fairfax County students, as well as those who are behind on their scheduled immunizations or need a booster.
Summer back-to-school immunization clinics are also available. Appointments are encouraged, but walk-ins are also welcome. FCHD offers limited walk-in hours for immunization services on a first-come, first-served basis. Immunizations are also available by appointment.
Inova Cares Back to School Pediatric Health Fairs provide children ages 5 and up with free school physicals and immunizations. Weekend clinics are available in July and August. These health fairs are for VA Medicaid or Uninsured Inova registered patients only. Appointments are required. Call 703-698-2550 to make an appointment. Bring vaccine records to the appointment.
Local immunization clinics and additional resources are available on the FCPS Immunization Resources webpage and from the FCHD.
Signing up for a SIS ParentVUE account helps you to support your child’s academic success! Caregivers can view important information like attendance, grades, progress reports, and assessment scores through ParentVUE. Once you have activated a ParentVUE account for an FCPS student, you will keep the same account until the student graduates. Information about students in the same family can be accessed through the same ParentVUE account. It is available online and as a mobile app for Apple and Android devices. Need help creating a SIS ParentVue account? This video walks through the steps. Find out more about SIS ParentVUE.
If you already have an account, be sure your contact information is up to date. Parents/guardians can update their phone numbers or email addresses in the Parent/Guardian section. View additional details about ParentVUE.
On Wednesday, July 29, FCPS families who haven't activated their ParentVUE account will receive an email with the subject “Fairfax County Public Schools ParentVUE Activation Letter.” The email will include instructions to activate a ParentVUE account. If you don’t have an account and don’t receive the email, please check your spam folder or submit a request for an activation key through our SIS Parent Assistance Form.
All families are encouraged to activate their accounts as soon as possible to ensure they receive immediate access to important student information and school communications.
On Tuesday, July 28, a new ParentVUE mobile app became available in the Apple and Google app stores. This new app provides parents and caregivers with a more secure sign-in. The current “classic” app will remain active for about six months. Families must download the new app by December 2026 to ensure they have continued mobile access to their child’s school data.
In the new app, families can enroll in multi-factor authentication (MFA) for FCPS Single Sign-On. While enrollment is optional, we strongly recommend that everyone enable this security feature.
Learn more about installing the new ParentVUE app. Parents needing assistance should submit a Parent Support Request.
Are you passionate about making a difference in your community and around the world? The Fairfax Global Leaders Fellowship is now accepting applications for the Class of 2027!
Students must:
- Be a Fairfax County resident or attend Fairfax County Public Schools.
- Be a rising high school senior (Class of 2027).
- Have a minimum 3.5 GPA.
Before applying, please have your resume (.doc or .pdf) and high school transcript (.doc or .pdf) ready to upload. Students will also answer several short questions as part of the application.
There is no cost to apply. Students admitted to the program pay a one-time $75 administrative fee to support program expenses. The fee will be waived for students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals or who are experiencing financial hardship.
To apply, complete the Global Leaders Fellowship Application Form by Tuesday, September 1, at 11:59 p.m. (You must use a personal Gmail account to apply.)
Questions? Please email apply@fairfaxleaders.com
SAT School Day and PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT) exams will be held at West Springfield High School on Wednesday, October 7, at no cost to families. The digital SAT School Day exam is offered to 12th grade students, and the digital PSAT/NMSQT exam is provided to 10th and 11th grade students.
Find out more about SAT and PSAT assessments in FCPS.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, eating breakfast at school is associated with better attendance rates, fewer missed school days, and better test scores. Studies show that students who eat both school breakfast and lunch tend to have healthier diets than those who don't participate in school meals.
Families who qualify for free or reduced-price school meals can receive breakfast and lunch for their students at no cost or at a reduced cost. This includes more than one-third of FCPS students. Families must complete the Free and Reduced-Price Meals (FRM) application before the start of each school year. Approved applications may also qualify students for additional benefits.
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