Student Achievements, Programs for Young Learners, Community Events, and More!

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Student Achievements, Programs for Young Learners, Community Events, and More!

Dear Neighbors,

Winter has certainly made itself known — reshaping schedules, canceling events, and reminding us how quickly plans can change. Even so, important work continues!

This edition of our newsletter highlights significant student achievements and shares information about opportunities for our youngest learners, including kindergarten registration, the Dual Language Immersion lottery, and the Community Peers preschool program at Stenwood Elementary. It also includes details on upcoming high school student theatre productions, cultural and community events such as the annual Chinese New Year Festival, and athletic opportunities, including tryouts for Crosstown Hoops.

You’ll also find key dates for the upcoming budget process and information about career opportunities with Fairfax County Public Schools.

Thank you for staying connected and for your continued support of our students, staff, and school communities. I hope you and your family are staying warm and well.

In service,

Karl Frisch
Providence District Representative
Fairfax County School Board

Table of Contents

National Merit Commended Scholars

Congratulations to the 806 FCPS students recognized as National Merit Commended Scholars by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, reflecting a 16% increase over last year. I’m especially proud to recognize the 77 Providence District students who earned this recognition:

  • Falls Church High School: Eleanor Kim, Sarah Le, Anjali Modak, Penelope Mollen, Georgia Pirrello, James Schaal, Kevin Tillett, Sasha Wendell
  • Madison High School: Kennedy Alltucker, Judith Backman-Cruz, Preston Beckwith, Corinne Bremer, Jinzhu Cui, Ksenia Koltovich, Henri Martirosyan, Nora Stein
  • Marshall High School: Arash Behdad, Charlotte Buntoro, Flann Campbell, Jamie Choe, Julia Friefeld, Ryan Hannah, Stephanie Hildebrandt, Kelly Hwang, Clara Karnes, Kathy Nguyen, Nathaniel Ni, Joshua Paine, Michael Romanov, Alexander Rozenberg, Mehran Saidmuradov, Nora Sim, Zoe Sin, Ella Steele, Georgia Streett, Millicent Vanstory
  • McLean High School: Lila Binder, Wonwoo Do, Leo Gates, Ryan Kang, Jolie Korfonta, Hemish Prateek Malekar, Andrew Nguyen, Nicole Purevtugs, Anna Sargent, Roman Sargent, Shivansh Sharma, Chrysostomos Tsiglifis, Jasper Willems, Sovan Vipou Yun
  • Oakton High School: Catherine Allred, Haru Arai, Abigail Hegg, Arhan Jain, Amy Lee, Jing Lin, Fabrizio Ozkan, Kendra Rempel, Elias Rhee, Kasra Shuman, Helen Tosounidis, Jason Wong, Jennifer Xu, Victoria Yu
  • Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology: Julia Baer, David Coley, Hrishi Desai, Malvika Dias, Aanya Gupta, Emma He, Christoph Knaeble, Joon Won Lee, Navya Pandula, Abigail Steele, Sophia Tzvetanov
  • Woodson High School: Diya Antony, Kaylee Bryson

FCPS Team Advances in NASA TechRise Challenge

Congratulations to the students from Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology whose project, “G.A.L.A.C.T.I.C. - Gravitational Acoustic Loading and Analysis of Catheter and Tubing In Circulation,” was a winner in the NASA TechRise Student Challenge. I’m proud to highlight Providence District student Katherine Russell for her contributions to this outstanding team! The students will now receive a grant to build their project, and once completed, NASA will launch it into low orbit in May to conclude the experiment. Follow the team’s progress here.

Providence District Student Named National Finalist in MTNA Junior Strings Competition

Justin Lee, an eighth grader at Luther Jackson Middle School and a Providence District resident, has been named a National Finalist in the MTNA Junior Strings Competition, Cello, to be held this March in Chicago. He advanced to the national level after winning both the Virginia State and Southern Division competitions. Justin has been playing the cello since age four. Congratulations to Justin on this outstanding achievement!

Community Peers Preschool Program at Stenwood Elementary

Stenwood’s Community Peers program will invite a limited number of community preschoolers (two per class), who are ages 3.5 (by September 30) to 5 years, to participate in its daily preschool activities.

If you are interested in having your child considered for this opportunity, complete the Community Peers Preschool Program Interest and Information Form by Friday, February 27. Please note that bus transportation cannot be provided for the community peers. Stenwood will host a playdate for interested students in late March/early April. Feel free to reach out to Stenwood at 703-208-7600 for more information.

It’s Kindergarten Registration Time!

Kindergarten helps children learn and practice the social, emotional, problem-solving, and self-regulation skills they will use throughout their lives.

Fairfax County Public Schools typically conducts kindergarten registration events, including orientation, in the spring. Eligible children can be registered throughout the summer, but registering your child early helps schools prepare and ensure they have the teachers and resources needed on the first day of school.

FCPS offers support and resources to help all families with registration and the transition to kindergarten. For registration information, including support in other languages, please visit the FCPS Registration webpage.

Apply for Your Child to Learn in Two Languages

FCPS’ 2026-27 Dual Language Immersion (DLI) Program lottery is open. The program offers kindergarten and first-grade students the opportunity to learn in English and another language—French, German, Japanese, Korean, or Spanish—for half of each instructional day.

The online, countywide lottery is open to Fairfax County residents. Families must have a SIS ParentVUE account. Students not currently enrolled in FCPS should register at their base school before applying for the immersion program.

Families applying for first grade must do so by Thursday, February 12, at 4 p.m. Those applying for kindergarten must do so by Monday, March 2, at 4 p.m. Contact Brigid Williams at 571-423-4600 with any questions.

Application for the 2026 Student Representative to the School Board

Each year, FCPS students have the opportunity to apply for the position of the student representative to the School Board. The student representative is not a member of the School Board but serves in a nonvoting, advisory role, bringing student perspectives forward and representing the interests of students across FCPS.

Current FCPS students in grades 9, 10 and 11 who reside in Fairfax County or Fairfax City are eligible to apply. A written component is due Monday, February 23 and a 30-second candidate video statement is due Monday, March 16. The Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council student delegates will vote to elect the representative to the School Board.

 [More Information and Apply Here]

Crosstown Hoops: Kilmer vs. Thoreau Tryouts

The annual Crosstown Hoops basketball tournament is scheduled for Thursday, April 9, at Madison High School. Please note that this year, students must be fully cleared—including an athletic physical and all required forms—before trying out.

Difficult Run Stream Valley Park Habitat Restoration

oakmont park event

 

Did you know that invasive plants are a major threat to local wildlife, including migrating birds? You can make a difference by volunteering to remove invasive plants and restore natural habitat. Join your neighbors and friends in the Providence District at Oakmont Park, Sunday, February 8, 10 a.m. to noon. No prior experience is necessary. Volunteers ages 11 and under must be accompanied by an adult. [More Information and Register Here]

Asian Community Service Center’s Annual Chinese New Year Festival

nyevent

 

Join the Asian Community Service Center for its 17th annual Chinese New Year Festival, Saturday, February 14, from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Luther Jackson Middle School. This is a wonderful opportunity to experience a vibrant celebration of culture and tradition. [Additional Information]

Seeking Comprehensive Planning and Development Committee Applicants

Fairfax County Public Schools invites applications from persons interested in serving on the School Board’s Comprehensive Planning and Development Committee. Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, February 8, 2026. Applicants must reside within the boundaries of Fairfax County and should have expertise in architecture, construction, engineering, facilities management, capital financing, permitting and procurement, land-use planning, or development. The Board will appoint five community members to staggered terms. [More Information and Submit an Application]

Key Budget Decision Dates and How You Can Get Involved

Our budget funds the world-class educators, rigorous academics, and future-ready learning experiences that make our schools among the best in the nation. Read our budget story — what makes us exceptional and how underfunding threatens the excellence our community has come to expect. Help us write our next chapter by understanding the Fiscal Year 2027 Budget. Make your voice heard and help strengthen our schools, our students, and our community.

Key Budget Decision Dates:

  • February 26: School Board adopts the FY27 advertised budget
  • April 14: School Board presents FCPS’ budget to the Board of Supervisors (BOS)
  • May 5: BOS adopts the budget, tax rates, and transfer to FCPS
  • May 7: Approved budget presented to the School Board
  • May 21: School Board adopts FY27 approved budget

Winter–Spring Theatre Schedule (for Schools Attended by Providence Students)

Mark your calendar to join us in supporting the arts in our community by cheering on the incredible work of our students and educators:

Marshall High School

    • Fri, Apr 24 | 7:00 p.m.
    • Sat, Apr 25 | 2:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
    • Thu, Apr 30 | 7:00 p.m.
    • Fri–Sat, May 1–2 | 7:00 p.m.

Falls Church High School

    • Thu–Sat, Apr 23–25 | 7:00 p.m.
    • Sun, Apr 26 | 3:00 p.m.
  • Student Directed One-Act Festival (Ticket Link Coming Soon)
    • Fri, May 8 | 7:00 p.m.

Oakton High School

  • Clue [Tickets]
    • Thu–Fri, Feb 12–13 | 7:00 p.m.
  • A Night of One Acts (Tickets available at the door)
    • Thu, Mar 12 | 7:00 p.m.
  • Little Shop of Horrors [Tickets]
    • Fri, Mar 13 | 7:00 p.m.
    • Sat, Mar 14 | 2:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
  • Anything Goes (Ticket Link Coming Soon)
    • Thu, Apr 30 | 7:00 p.m.
    • Fri–Sat, May 1–2; Wed–Sat, May 6–9 | 7:00 p.m.

McLean High School

  • Men On Boats (Ticket Link Coming Soon)
    • Fri, Feb 6 | 7:00 p.m.
    • Sat–Sun, Feb 7–8 | 2:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.

Woodson High School

  • Disney’s Finding Nemo JR. The Musical [