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Celebrating Our Students, Staff, and Community this Summer
Dear Neighbors,
As we head into summer with the school year officially behind us, there’s so much to celebrate across our Providence District and Fairfax County Public Schools community. From graduation ceremonies honoring the Class of 2025 to powerful performances, awards, and new beginnings, this season is full of moments that remind us of what makes our schools and students so special.
We’ve seen creativity take center stage at the Cappies Awards, students earn top honors in statewide competitions, and our educators and staff recognized for their tireless dedication. We’ve also marked milestones with the unveiling of a historical marker at Colin Powell Elementary and welcomed new leaders to our division, whose experience and vision will shape the path ahead.
As always, thank you for staying connected and supporting our students and schools.
In service,
Karl Frisch
Chair and Providence District Representative
Fairfax County School Board
Table of Contents
Congratulations to the Class of 2025
Join me in congratulating the Class of 2025. These graduates have worked hard, overcome challenges, and achieved a significant milestone. I look forward to seeing where their paths lead and am confident their futures are bright.
 Check out this video tribute to the dreamers, the doers, and the difference-makers of the FCPS class of 2025:
Celebrating Student Theater and Journalism at the Cappies
 It was a great night at the Kennedy Center, where my colleagues and I celebrated student theater and journalism at the Cappies Awards, marking the event’s 25th anniversary! I was especially thrilled to cheer on nominees and winners from Oakton, Marshall, McLean, Falls Church, Fairfax, Woodson, and Madison – and to present the award for Supporting Actor in a Female Role in a Play:
 Congratulations to three outstanding students from the Providence District who were recognized with Cappies awards. Isaac Frenza of Fairfax High School won Lead Actor in a Male Role for his performance in Much Ado About Nothing. Victoria Reyes of Oakton High School was part of the award-winning team honored for their work on Into the Woods – Props, and Eliot Hettler, also from Oakton High School, was part of the team recognized for Into the Woods – Sets.
[Watch the Cappies in its entirety: Video 1, Video 2, Video 3]
Providence Students Making Us Proud
The NAACP Michelle Leete Memorial Scholarship is awarded annually to four outstanding high school seniors in Fairfax County who demonstrate a strong commitment to advocacy, leadership, and community service. Congratulations to Sean Cranford of Woodson High School on being selected as one of this year’s recipients!
Congratulations are also in order for Daria Nasypbek and Catherine Allred of Oakton High School, and Yash Kini and Juliana Cui of James Madison High School, for their recent victories at the VHSL state debate competition. Kudos as well to Sarah Patel of Oakton High School for her impressive second-place finish in the VHSL Girls Tennis Championship singles tournament.
FCPS Honors Its Incredible Staff
 It was such a pleasure to attend the 2025 FCPS Honors Awards and witness the recognition of so many outstanding educators and staff. I was honored to join in celebrating their dedication, innovation, and service to our students and schools. A special highlight of the evening was the beautiful performance by Oakton High School students—what a treat! Check out this video of their performances, my opening remarks, and the various awards presentations:
General Colin L. Powell Historical Marker Dedication
 I was honored to join the Colin Powell Elementary School community for the unveiling of a new historical marker honoring General Colin Powell’s legacy. The celebration was made possible by the joint Board of Supervisors and School Board historical marker project, which I was proud to help launch with Supervisor Dalia Palchik in 2022, to bring attention to the historical contributions of Fairfax County’s Black and African American community.
This unveiling marked the fourth installed marker from the project and the third on an FCPS campus. I’m grateful to our students for their enthusiastic participation in these projects and our principals and teachers for guiding student research, serving on nomination committees, and welcoming us into their schools for the unveiling ceremonies.
FCPS Leadership Team Appointments
Please join me in welcoming two new members to our FCPS Leadership Team:
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Dr. Jameile Choice, Region 1 Assistant Superintendent, has over 15 years of experience in public education. Most recently, he served as the Executive Director of Transformation and Innovation in Dallas ISD—one of Texas’ largest school divisions. He has been a strong advocate for equity, innovation, and academic excellence. Under his leadership, schools have made impressive academic strides, and he is known for developing impactful school leaders and fostering student-centered school cultures. Dr. Choice is passionate about giving every student access to quality education and values strong, collaborative relationships with principals, educators, families, and the broader community.
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Erik Gordon, Chief of Facilities Services and Capital Programs, is a seasoned leader with expertise in facilities management, strategic planning, and enterprise operations, developed over a 30-year career in the Army and roles in the private and federal sectors. He currently serves as the Director of the Design and Construction Directorate at the U.S. Department of State, where he oversees domestic design and construction initiatives. His background includes leadership roles at Raytheon Technologies and the Army National Guard. He holds degrees in architecture, facility management, and strategic studies.
FCPS Summer Equity Symposium
 I was grateful to attend the kickoff of the FCPS Summer Equity Symposium—an important gathering of educators, staff, and community partners committed to advancing equity, excellence, and opportunity for every student. The event set the stage for meaningful dialogue around practices that disrupt inequities, elevate student voice, and build more culturally responsive learning environments. Conversations like these help shape stronger, more inclusive schools where all students feel seen, valued, and supported—not just in theory, but in daily practice across our classrooms and communities.
Summer Meals for Students
FCPS’ Summer Meal Service Program provides breakfast and lunch free of charge to all children aged 18 and younger. Check FCPS’ Food and Nutrition Services webpage and the USDA Summer Meals for Kids Site Finder for specific dates, times, and locations. If you have any questions regarding the Summer 2025 meal service, please email SummerMeals@fcps.edu or call 703-813-4800.
Student Rights and Responsibilities (SR&R) Updates
There are some changes coming to the Student Rights and Responsibilities (SR&R) in the next school year, including updates to the cell phone policy. Other SR&R changes include added clarity and/or procedures around discipline data, parent notifications, hate speech, and integrated discipline training. The full list of changes is available on BoardDocs.
Cell Phone Policy Update for High Schools: Beginning in August, high school students can only use their cell phones and other personal devices (AirPods, smart watches, etc.) during lunch and before or after school. This is a change from FCPS’ current cell phone policy, which allows high school students to use devices during passing periods. Next school year, students must keep devices off and away during classroom time and during passing periods between classes.
Read more about the Cell Phone Policy.
Careers with FCPS
Many in our community have lost their jobs serving us in the federal government, where they played critical roles in scientific advancements, national security, law enforcement, and more. FCPS welcomes their expertise to help shape the future of our students. Visit our careers website for more information about current job openings, job fairs, and recruitment events.
Upcoming School Board Meetings
Regular Board Meetings (Luther Jackson Middle School)
- Thursday, June 26, 2025, at 7:00 p.m.
- Thursday, July 10, 2025, at 7:00 p.m.
All meetings are broadcast live on Channel 99 (Verizon channel 11) and on the FCPS website. Meetings are also recorded for future viewing and posted to the FCPS YouTube channel. Visit the community participation webpage to sign up to speak at regular meetings or public hearings.
Reuniones de la Junta Escolar de FCPS en Español: Para ver las reuniones de la Junta Escolar grabadas o para ver en vivo durante las reuniones regulares en YouTube, por favor vaya al canal de YouTube de FCPS en Español.
The views contained within this newsletter reflect the views of the individual school board member who is the publisher of this newsletter and may not reflect the views of the Fairfax County School Board.
© Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax County, Virginia
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