Dear Families,
SOL testing has been going very well, and we are proud of the effort our students have shown. We currently have a strong pass rate, and many students will have the opportunity to re-take assessments after receiving targeted remediation and practice sessions with their teachers and support staff. Please continue encouraging your child to do their best. While passing is certainly something to celebrate, growth and perseverance are equally important accomplishments that deserve recognition!
As the end of the school year approaches and summer break gets closer (hopefully with consistent sunshine☀️!), there is naturally an increased level of excitement and energy in the air. Sometimes that excitement can also lead to an increase in student behaviors. We ask that you please speak with your child about the importance of continuing to arrive on time, come prepared to learn, and demonstrate respect and kindness to their peers and all staff members they interact with throughout the day — including our bus drivers, who have the extremely important responsibility of transporting students safely to and from school each day.
Rambunctious behavior on buses can be extremely dangerous, as it may distract drivers and compromise the safety of everyone on board. We appreciate your partnership in reinforcing these expectations at home.
We are also excited that our 8th grade students will celebrate their end-of-year Beach Bash next Thursday, 5/28! Please see the SignUpGenius link below if you are able to volunteer your time or donate items for the event. We also want to remind students to keep the “3-strike rule” in mind — students must remain in good standing in order to attend.
Thank you for your continued support throughout the school year. Have a wonderful long weekend, and Happy Eid to all who celebrate!
 Mark Your Calendars!
May 25- Holiday (Memorial Day)
May 26- Teacher Workday -No School- Student Holiday
May 27- Holiday (Eid Al-Adha)
May 28- 8th Grade "End of the Year" Beach Bash- 2:30-4:30pm
June 1- Chorus Spring Concert-7pm @ Luther Jackson
June 2- Band Spring Concert-7pm @ Falls Church High School
June 3- Orchestra Spring Concert-7pm @ Falls Church High School
June 17- Last day of School (2 hour early release)
The entire 2025-2026 FCPS Calendar can be found here.
Families, remember that when coming to the school to pick up your student, an official photo ID must be presented to the Main Office staff. Please understand that this is for security purposes. Driver’s licenses, passports, and military IDs are appropriate examples of official IDs.
Director of Student Services, Nick Zubieta-onzubieta@fcps.edu
Expunging a High School Credit
Students who take a high school credit-bearing course in middle school can request that the grade be omitted from the student's high school transcript and the student not earn high school credit for the course. High school courses offered at the middle school level include World Languages, Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, Academic Language, Beginning ELD, Developing ELD. If your middle school student earned a grade in a high school level course that they would not like to be counted toward their overall high school GPA, the attached form must be completed and returned to your student’s counselor. Students have up until the first 9 weeks of the upcoming school year to return the completed form. Please note that students would need to retake the expunged course if they would like to earn credit for it.
Luther Jackson is on social media! Check out our Facebook and Instagram @lutherjacksonms for all things LJ.
On-Time Attendance
If you drop your student off at school, make sure that they do not have to rush and arrive late to school. Help our students develop the habit of being punctual. Also encourage your student to arrive at each class on time. Arriving late is a classroom interruption and distraction for the teacher and all students.
We will begin to reinforce our school’s tardy policy, which includes tardy sweeps, detention, and parent contact for repeated tardiness. We will also recognize punctuality with fun incentives for our students. Thank you for your support.
Updated Attendance Codes
Attendance Codes have been updated for the 2025-26 school year. These updates will allow schools to better identify the primary reasons for student absences, which will help school teams identify patterns of absenteeism, make informed decisions, and develop effective strategies to improve attendance. Please note which codes qualify as “Excused” and which are “Unexcused.”
Codes no longer used:
- EXC-Excused
- PRE-Prearranged Absence
- UNL-Unexcused Local
Updated Code:
- MED-Illness or Injury Related
Excused Codes:
- COL-College Visit
- FAM-Family Emergency
- FRL-Funeral
- LGL-Legal Obligations
- MAP-Medical Appointment (Prescheduled)
- MIL-Deployment Related
- OEX-Other-Excused
Unexcused Codes:
- NON-Non-School Activity
- OUN-Other- Not Excused
- VAO-Vacation, Outing, or Non-Emergency Family Travel / Visit
When students need to miss school, it is important for parents/guardians to communicate those absences with the school. This can be done by calling the attendance phone line at 703-204-8282.
Whether students miss school because of illness or any other reason, missing school leads to learning loss.
Help your child succeed by encouraging them to attend as many days as possible, but do make sure your child stays home if they are sick. Visit FCPS’ website for information on when to keep your child at home.
If your child has a chronic illness, make sure to notify their teacher so that support can be provided if needed. Also, keep an open line of communication with your school's public health staff.
Read about how families can help form good attendance habits. Attend today, achieve tomorrow!
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