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Hello, Springfield District,
As we kick off our school year together, I am excited to reflect on a summer filled with meaningful conversations, important milestones, and opportunities to connect with members of our Fairfax County Public Schools community.
I started my summer with one of my favorite events of the year. At this year’s Leadership Kickoff at Fairfax High School, leaders from around the Division shared what it takes to sustain the excellence we see every day as 1Team in FCPS! From there, the summer picked up speed with the Accelerate 2026 conference sharing more about artificial intelligence with our staff members, the Summer Equity Symposium, and Great Beginnings for our new staff. Across all these events, it was clear we are continuing to build momentum for FCPS students and staff!
Summer also gave me lots of opportunities to celebrate our students and schools. At the Summer Graduation Ceremony, we honored our last batch of 2026 graduates from around the Division. I was also excited to join a fleet of new Aviators at the ribbon-cutting for Skyview High School, marking a monumental achievement for everyone across Fairfax County who made this happen in less than 12 months after FCPS purchased the property!
Some of the summer’s most rewarding moments came through visits with students, families, and staff across the county. At Rolling Valley Elementary and Fairview Elementary, I joined my colleague from the Braddock District, Tom Dannan, to enjoy popsicles and connect with students and families. Sully District Representative Seema Dixit and I also had a wonderful opportunity to visit several schools we share, including Liberty Middle School, where we welcomed the new principal, and Union Mill, where we joined new students on a scavenger hunt to learn where things are in the school.
My conversations with families and community partners are always central to my work on the School Board, and I was thrilled to return to my parent leader roots and join Tom Dannan’s PTA/PTO Roundtable. As a PTO leader for seven years before I joined the School Board, I certainly know how hard these volunteers work to create an amazing year for our families! Please take a minute to join your school’s parent group and learn how you can get involved.
The first days of school brought their own special energy. Alongside Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid, I visited Kings Glen, and Hunt Valley Elementary Schools during the first and second days of school. From proud principals to excited kids, there is palpable energy in our schools this year. I know it is going to be an amazing year!
I want to thank every staff member—from bus drivers and building supervisors to teachers, administrators, cafeteria workers, and custodians. As always, your dedication and hard work made the start of this school year possible, and I am grateful for the care you show our children every day.
I will be in touch soon,
Sandy
This newsletter includes information on the following issues:
Springfield District Community Opportunity
Adult and Community Education Advisory Committee
Are you looking to become more involved with the Fairfax County School Board and help shape the direction of Fairfax County Public Schools programs?
I am seeking applications from Springfield District residents interested in serving a one-year appointment to the Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Adult and Community Education Advisory Committee (ACEAC). ACEAC represents the community and brings resource and programmatic issues associated with adult education to the School Board's attention.
ACE is one of seven volunteer community advisory committees that focus on specific issues affecting FCPS students and make annual recommendations to the School Board. They include one appointee representing each of the county’s nine magisterial districts, as well as at-large appointees, a school board liaison, staff liaisons, and other members. For six of those, including ACEAC, terms are one year, running from August to July, and most committees meet once a month, usually in the evenings.
To learn more about ACEAC, visit the ACEAC webpage. You may also learn about the School Board’s other Community Advisory Committees.
If you are interested, please fill out this brief Google Form by 5 p.m. on Monday, September 14, 2026.
Springfield Scene
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Congratulations to Centreville High School graduate Michael Gambone for being named the 2026 VHSL Class 6 All-State Baseball Team Player of the Year!
Accolades also go to Mr. Montell Brown, former Centreville High School Assistant Principal, for receiving the Dr. Lawrence Bussey Memorial Equity Award. This FCPS honor recognizes Mr. Brown’s commitment to reducing educational disparities, raising awareness of disproportionality, and creating opportunities that improve outcomes for historically underserved students.
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Shout-out to Chantilly High School’s Ishaan Shukla for taking first place in Public Administration and Management at the 2026 Future Business Leaders of America National Leadership Conference! Read more online.
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Congratulations to Fairfax High School’s Kay Walters for being named the 2026 Virginia Association of Marketing Educators Teacher of the Year! This award honors outstanding marketing educators who demonstrate exceptional dedication to their students, schools, and communities. This recognition celebrates those who go above and beyond to support and elevate marketing education in Virginia.
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In Dr. Reid’s Shining the Light on Success series, Katherine Johnson Middle School was featured for its Unified Basketball program, which brings together students of all abilities to compete, support one another, and form meaningful friendships both on and off the court!
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Shout-out to Lake Braddock Secondary School graduate Addison Forde for being named to the 2026 VHSL Class 6 All-State Softball Team and graduates Amelia Cole and Olivia Wallace for being named to the 2026 VHSL Class 6 All-State Girls Outdoor Track Team in the 100-meter hurdles and 300-meter hurdles, respectively. Additionally, Darien Vita for being named to the 2026 VHSL Class 6 All-State Girls Soccer Team!
Congratulations to Lake Braddock graduate Gavin Clarke for receiving a 2026 Distinguished Business Scholar scholarship from the Mount Vernon Springfield Chamber of Commerce!
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Oak View Elementary School teacher Amanda Dey was featured on NBC Washington for her work to improve student attendance in a group of children who had recently arrived in America and were still adjusting to their new life in Fairfax County, Virginia. It turns out soccer was the key!
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Congratulations to Oakton High School DECA chapter member Ayush Ranjan and his peers for creating and illustrating The Seed That Grew, a children’s book that introduces saving, investing, patience, and long-term financial growth through an engaging children’s story. They also developed classroom read-alouds, discussion questions, activities, and assessments so educators could use the book as a complete financial literacy lesson.
Through the project, they:
- Distributed 274 books across 17 FCPS schools.
- Conducted eight classroom read-alouds.
- Raised more than $1,000 to support printing and distribution.
- Expanded the initiative to student communities internationally.
- Measured a 74% increase in student understanding through pre- and post-lesson assessments.
The project has now been highlighted by both FOX 5 DC and WTOP, and it earned a first-place award at the 2026 Virginia DECA competition. Their work demonstrates the power of student-led leadership and service – these are key aspects of a Portrait of a Graduate.
Additionally, Oakton recently achieved Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) Design certifications. From the start, the project incorporated CHPS criteria to ensure the facilities promote healthy, energy-efficient learning environments. Oakton High School began its design phase in 2014, received its permit in 2018, and completed construction in fall 2022. That project achieved 40 points.
This work ensures our students, teachers, and school communities have vibrant spaces where they can thrive, learn, and grow together every single day. For all projects permitted after 2025, FCPS will be transitioning to the Green Globes building certification program, which will ensure these future projects are sustainable and environmentally responsible.
The accolades continue with the Oakton Boys Outdoor Track 4x100 meter relay team, named to the 2026 VHSL Class 6 All-State Boys Outdoor Track Team!
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Shout-out to Robinson Secondary School Girls Outdoor Track and Field Team for winning the VHSL Class 6 state championship! Additionally, Oliva Jones was named to the 2026 VHSL Class 6 All-State Girls Outdoor Track Team in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, and 400-meter dash! Petra Gruendel was also named to the 2026 VHSL Class 6 All-State Girls Outdoor Track Team in the 1600-meter run!
The winning continues with Robinson’s Women’s Crew, Women’s 3-4+, Women’s 2-4+, and Women’s Jr.-8+ winning the Division 2 Virginia Scholastic Rowing Association Trophy Pont Championship! Way to go, ladies!
Kudos to Robinson’s Dylan Carbaugh for being named to the 2026 VHSL Class 6 All-State Boys Lacrosse Team!
Congrats to Robinson for winning the VHSL Class 6A Army National Guard Cup! This prestigious award recognizes the most successful overall athletic program in Virginia's largest classification. With this championship, the Rams have now captured three Army National Guard Cups in the last four years and five overall Army National Guard Cup titles! Fantastic!
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Shout-out to South County High School’s Men’s Crew and Men’s 2-4+ for winning the Division 2 Virginia Scholastic Rowing Association Trophy Pont Championship!
Additionally, South County High School’s Peyton Tom was named to the 2026 VHSL Class 6 All-State Softball Team! Fantastic!
Congratulations also go to South County’s Dan Velazquez on being named the Virginia Technology and Engineering Education Association High School Teacher of the Year! This prestigious statewide honor recognizes Dan's outstanding leadership, excellence in instruction, professionalism, and unwavering commitment to preparing students with the knowledge and skills essential for success in design, engineering, and technology.
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Kudos to West Springfield’s Farrah Rodgers named to the 2026 VHSL Class 6 All-State Girls Lacrosse Team, graduate Nicholas Bailey named to the 2026 VHSL Class 6 All-State Boys Outdoor Track Team for the 400-meter dash, and Allie Horner named to the 2026 VHSL Class 6 All-State Girls Outdoor Track Team for the 3200-meter run! Additionally, the girls 4x800-meter relay team was named to the 2026 VHSL Class 6 All-State Girls Outdoor Track Team and the boys 4x400-meter relay and 4x800-meter relay teams were named to the 2026 VHSL Class 6 All-State Boys Outdoor Track Team!
Shout-out to West Springfield graduates Melina Teklu, Christian Sadek, and Aadi Mathur for receiving a 2026 Distinguished Business Scholar scholarship from the Mount Vernon Springfield Chamber of Commerce!
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Congrats to Woodson High School’s Isaac Schools for being named to the 2026 VHSL Class 6 All-State Boys Outdoor Track Team in the 3200-meter run! |
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