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Mason District Community,
Happy New Year!
Our students are nearing the end of the 2nd quarter which will officially close on January 28, 2025. Please be sure to check ParentVue and Schoology to ensure your student has submitted their assignments. Instructions can be located here. Please take this opportunity to reach out to your student’s teachers - yes even for the high schoolers - to inquire about their work habits and progress. ParentVue access will close on January 28th to allow time for teachers to complete end-of-quarter grading work.
On Monday, January 20th, we honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and invite the community to participate in activities to commemorate Dr. King's contributions to this nation. Please see a list of events scheduled in Fairfax County.
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly."
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
I value the input I receive from the Mason Community and am happy to address questions or concerns via email or phone. You can reach me by email at rjanderson@fcps.edu. If you are interested in scheduling a phone call, please reach out to my assistant, Cristy Coffey, at cmcoffey@fcps.edu to arrange a time.
In this issue:
Mason Moments
2024 All-Virginia Jazz Band, VMEA Senior Honors Choir, and All-Virginia Elementary Orff Ensemble
Forty-eight students representing 17 Fairfax County high schools and one elementary school have been selected for the 2024 All-Virginia Orff Ensemble, the 2024 All-Virginia Jazz Band and Jazz Ensemble, and the 2024 Virginia Music Educators Association (VMEA) Senior Honors Choir.
Congratulations to Colt Armstrong from Falls Church High School who was selected to participate in the Senior Honors Choir.
Review the full list of selected musicians.
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National Merit Commended Scholars
Six hundred ninety-three FCPS students have been identified as National Merit Commended Scholars by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) in recognition of their outstanding ability and potential for academic success in college.
Congratulations to the National Merit Commended Scholars from the Mason District:
Annandale High School - Joshua Stein, Safa Touri
Edison High School - Victoria Bujoreanu
Falls Church High School - Christopher Haase, Minh-Vien Nguyen, Isabella Phillips
Justice High School - Sofia Hemmens, Grace Rutherford, Katherine Bille, Tucker Trissell
Thomas Jefferson HSST - Jarin Earle, Tona Otoro, Malati Pandey, Michael Rodriguez, Elizabeth Thakuri, Chloe Toda, Ryan Wells
Woodson High School - Rylan Cave
Review the full list of National Merit Commended Scholars from FCPS.
Mason News
Baskets for Babies
Kids Give Back joined Good Morning Washington to talk about their annual "Baskets for Babies" event. (7News)
Annandale High School student Tyson Perkins and Mason Crest Elementary School student Michael Hall were recently featured on Good Morning Washington with Kids Give Back. They presented their work with a local non-profit to promote their "Baskets for Babies" initiative. This program encourages children to assemble and distribute essential items for families with infants, teaching the importance of giving back. Tyson and Michael shared their experiences and discussed the Atoms Games, an Annandale event that builds school community and gives back to Annandale families. Watch the WJLA segment.
Holmes Band Director and the Commanders
Luis Perez, band director at Holmes Middle School (pictured above at left), has been involved with the Washington football team for nearly as long as he’s worked at Holmes. He’s in his 29th year with Holmes and 28th as a trumpeter for the Washington Commanders Marching Band. Pictured with him are two former students who are also members of the marching band. Read more about Mr. Perez's experience as a teacher and band member.
Mason Crest Tiger Team
Being the new kid in school is not always easy. At Mason Crest Elementary School, the Tiger Team is trying to make it easier.
Mason Crest ES sees a lot of changes in their student population every year. During the 2023-24 school year, Mason Crest ES experienced a 21.7% mobility rate (a measure of the number of students moving in and out of a school during the school year), which is almost double the average mobility rate of 13.25% across FCPS.
A year ago, Monica Buckhorn, Ellyn Pearson, and Kimberley Mathews, three Mason Crest teachers, initiated the student-led welcome committee to boost community, assist new students in adapting to the school, and hopefully improve attendance rates. Read about the Tiger Team.
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School Anniversary Proclamations
The School Board recently recognized three Mason District schools with proclamations in celebration of their anniversaries:
Annandale High School’s 70th Anniversary proclamation was presented at the October 24, 2024 School Board Meeting.
Justice High School’s 65th Anniversary proclamation was presented at the December 5, 2024 School Board Meeting.
Annandale Terrace Elementary School’s 60th Anniversary proclamation was presented at the December 19, 2024 School Board Meeting.
Bren Mar Park ES Renovation
Bren Mar Park Elementary School will soon enter the construction phase and the community is invited to attend an in-person meeting to learn about what to expect as this phase of the project begins.
The January 8th meeting which has been cancelled due to inclement weather is rescheduled for February 12, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. in the school cafeteria.
The dedicated capital project webpage will be updated throughout the process. Updates are also available through the FCPS News You Choose subscription for this project. Once signed up or logged in, choose the Capital Projects (School Construction) and the school's construction topic.
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Welcome, New Principals!
Woodburn Elementary
Ms. Kanchana Iyer: new principal of Woodburn Elementary, effective November 18, 2024.
Ms. Iyer has held several teaching and leadership positions within Fairfax County Public Schools for over 28 years.
Welcome to Woodburn, Ms. Iyer!
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Glasgow Middle School
Ms. Lisa Barrow: new principal of Glasgow Middle School, effective January 21, 2025.
Ms. Barrow has served in various roles in Fairfax County Public Schools for over 25 years, including principal of Sleepy Hollow Elementary School from 2011 to 2016. She returns to the Justice Pyramid after most recently serving as the principal of Cooper Middle School.
Welcome to Glasgow, Ms. Barrow!
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TJHSST
Mr. Michael Mukai: new principal of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST), effective January 21, 2025.
Mr. Mukai is a TJHSST alumnus and has worked in Fairfax County Public Schools since 1995, most recently as the principal of West Springfield High School for over 10 years.
Welcome back to TJHSST, Mr. Mukai!
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Middle School Start Times
On December 3, 2024, the Board received a presentation on the Middle School Start Times study during which several options were offered. Please see a summary of the options below.
The Board engaged in a robust discussion at the December 3, 2024 work session about the timing of the implementation of the changes in start times for middle schools. It’s important to note this initiative is the second part to the Healthy Start Time focus that resulted in the high school start time changes from 7:20 a.m. to between 8:00 and 8:10 a.m. in the 2015-2016 school year.
My position, which is also supported by Dr. Prieto, the consultant procured to produce this study, remains that the Comprehensive Boundary Review and the Middle School Start Times should not be coupled, nor do I believe the Middle School Start Times changes should be implemented after the completion of the Boundary Work given the number of unknown factors associated with the Boundary Review. Furthermore, the timeline presented to the public on February 22, 2024 indicating a potential Middle School start time change implementation for the Fall of 2025 should continue to be the target.
This matter continues to be an important initiative for the Mason District community, especially given that approximately 3,500 of students in our middle schools are subject to a 7:10 am start time for three years instead of two years compared to middle schools in other parts of Fairfax County.
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