What's Happening Mount Eagle

May 16, 2025

A Message from Ms. Kirkland

This week we celebrated Decades Day in style! The eighties really made a come back with chains, boom boxes, and lots and lots of neon. Well done Mount Eagle!

Students in Grade 3-5 took their Math SOL this week. I couldn't be prouder of the hard work they put into showing all they have learned. Piles of scrap paper was used as students showed their thinking, solved in multiple ways to check their work, and worked with focus and persistence. They truly showed what our vision looks and sounds like. Well done!

Monday, May 26 is Memorial Day and is a holiday for staff and students. For many, this weekend marks the unofficial start of summer. Whether you will be at the park, by a pool, or traveling near or far, I hope you a wonderful holiday weekend and come back ready to finish strong.

During the last weeks of school, students in the primary grades will be finishing end of year assessments and while some of their peers will be taking SOL Retakes. In all grades, students will be reflecting on their growth as individuals and as a community. Please continue to send your children to school every day on time so that they can fully participate in these important learning opportunities.

As always, thank you for your partnership.

Kate

Kate Kirkland, Principal

kekirkland@fcps.edu

Spring Concert | May 30

Our Band, Strings, and Chorus students will perform together on Friday, May 30 at 2:30pm. Doors will open for families at 2:15pm. Please note that seating is limited for this event. Some audience members may need to stand to view the performance.

All School Meeting - June 11

As is tradition, all grades will gather for a final All School Meeting for the year right after the news on Wednesday, June 11. Parents are welcome to join our meeting. Just come to the gym after drop-off. Plan to stand or join seating on the floor - we have limited seating available, as we all participate together.

Phase 2 Community Boundary Review Meetings

Families, staff, and community members can explore and visualize potential boundary scenarios using a customized Boundary Explorer Tool. The tool will be accessible from the FCPS website. You are also invited to participate in another series of community meetings in order to review and reflect on the initial draft scenarios before the start of summer break:

Click the date to register. Each meeting will be hybrid, meaning that you may attend in person or via Zoom. Childcare for in-person participants and language interpretation/translation for all participants will be available as needed. Another round of community meetings will be held in the fall.

Visit FCPS’ Comprehensive Boundary Review page for more information.

Future N. Kings Hwy and Route 1 Improvements

On Monday, April 28, Dr. Reid visited Mount Eagle to host a Community Conversation. A community member raised a question about how planned improvements to Route 1 and N. Kings Hwy will impact the Mount Eagle campus, and requested that FCPS work in collaboration with Fairfax County to ensure plans meet the needs of the school community. Dr. Reid's office reached out to county stakeholders, and shared the update below.

There are two overlapping transportation projects on Kings Hwy at Mt. Eagle ES. There is a short-term project by FCDOT to install a Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon (PHB) at the school's entrance to assist pedestrians crossing Kings Hwy before the construction of the Richmond Highway BRT Project. The short-term project has recently initiated preliminary design and will focus on assisting school children and pedestrians at the crosswalk across Kings Hwy in front of the school. Then there is the long-term Richmond Highway BRT Project by FCDOT which will make improvements on North Kings Hwy such as widening the sidewalk. Please note, all the referenced work is funded and implemented by FCDOT. Currently, there is no FCPS-led active construction work on Mount Eagle’s property, but FCPS will continue to be collaborative partners.

Please see responses to the some frequently asked questions:

Did the BRT project remove or have plans to remove the fence from the school property and will it be replaced?

It will need to be removed so the Richmond Highway BRT Project can expand the sidewalk. A new fence is proposed and is intended to have similar characteristics to the existing fence.

Does the BRT project have plans for the expansion of the sidewalk in front of the school?

The sidewalk will not be significantly expanded, but the dimensions will be slightly increased by the Richmond Highway BRT Project, from approximately 4 ft wide to 6 ft wide. The sidewalk will also be placed slightly farther from the curb of North Kings Hwy.

Does the BRT project have any anticipated changes to the school's parking lot?

No, the long-term Richmond Highway BRT Project is only touching infrastructure it is required to for purposes of the sidewalk. The driveway exit will also be reconstructed by the Richmond Highway BRT Project to provide a more accessible crosswalk slope for pedestrians. The short-term FCDOT PHB Project is only touching the infrastructure required to install the PHB.

What is the possibility of installing a traffic light in the vicinity?

FCDOT is proposing to install a Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon (PHB) otherwise known as High-intensity Activated crossWalK (HAWK) on North Kings Highway at Mt. Eagle ES not a traffic light/traffic signal. PHBs are intended to help pedestrians safely cross mid-block locations and uncontrolled intersections. More information about PHBs can be found on the FHWA website: Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons | FHWA”