English | Español | አማርኛ | 中文 | 한국어 | Tiếng Việt | العربية | فارسی | اردو

Important Upcoming Events Thursday, May 21, Last Day of Late Buses & Afterschool activities Monday, May 25 - Holiday - Memorial Day- No School Tuesday, May 26 - Teacher Workday - Student Holiday Wednesday, May 27 - Religious or Cultural Observance - Eid al-Fitr - No School

May 25 - Memorial Day Holiday: Schools and Offices Closed

All schools and offices will be closed on Monday, May 25, for the Memorial Day holiday. Learn about the history of Memorial Day. See the complete school year calendar.

May 26 - Teacher Work Day: No School for Students

Tuesday, May 26, is a teacher work day. There is no school for students. See the complete school year calendar.

May 27 - Eid al-Adha Holiday: Schools and Offices Closed

Eid al-Adha begins at sundown on Thursday, May 26. Wednesday, May 27, is a holiday for Eid al-Adha and schools and offices are closed. See the complete school year c

Carson Clinic End of Year Updates

The school health room is reminding parents and guardians that all medication stored in the health room must be picked up no later than the student dismissal time on the last day of school. Medication left in the health room after that time will be destroyed. It is school policy that medications must be picked up by the parent or guardian. Medication cannot be sent home
with your student. If your student will be enrolled in a summer program sponsored by Fairfax County Public Schools, the existing medication authorization form(s) may be used for the summer program, but you will need to pick up the medication on the last day of school and deliver the medication and completed forms to the summer learning site on the first day of the summer program. Please let the health room know if you would like a copy of the form(s).

Sincerely,  

Hannah Wilkinson, BSN, RN 

Public Health Nurse III 

Laptop and charger collection information

Student laptops and chargers will be collected on Thursday, June 11 and Friday, June 12, 2026.  Laptops and chargers will be collected during your child’s regular PE class.  In preparation for laptop return please make sure any stickers on the laptop are removed.  The sleeve with the ID card with your child’s name on it should not be removed.

Students who have a final exam on Thursday that requires laptop use can turn in their laptop on Friday, June 12th.  All laptops and chargers of students not enrolled in summer programs must be returned by Wednesday, June 17, 2026  the last day of school.

Students who are enrolled in a summer program will return their laptop no later than July 31, 2026.  Laptop return information for students in summer programs will be sent to families at a later date.

New Cellphone Policy Starts July 1

On Thursday, May 7, the Fairfax County School Board approved changes to the FCPS Student Rights and Responsibilities (SR&R). The approved changes include updated guidance for cellphone possession and use, to align the FCPS cellphone policy with Senate Bill 108. This new Virginia law goes into effect on July 1 and states that all schools in the Commonwealth must follow a “bell-to-bell” phone-free policy.

This means that starting July 1, 2026, across all grade levels at FCPS, student cellphones, phone accessories, and all smart devices (including watches that serve a dual purpose, such as smart watches, as well as earbuds, headsets, smart glasses, and other items connected to the internet) must be off and personally stored (i.e., put away in backpacks) for the duration of the school day — thus, no cellphones from bell to bell.

High school students will no longer be able to use cellphones and personal devices during lunchtime.More details are available on the FCPS Cellphone Policy webpage.

Other SR&R Changes for the 2026-27 School Year

Visit the FCPS website orthe School Board agenda to learn about additional updates, including:
     • Added guidance and procedures for in-school and out-of-school suspensions and discipline investigations, including supports for students with disabilities and multilingual learners. 
     • Expanded guidance and standardized disciplinary procedures (“Universal Grade Matrices”) related to harassment, hate speech, discriminatory behavior, and Title IX reporting requirements.
     • Responses to incidents involving intimate images, fighting, physical aggression, object throwing, and drug policy violations.

Support Your Children During Important Spring Assessments

Students will be participating in spring assessments based on their grade level and courses. This includes summative assessments like Standards of Learning (SOL) tests, which measure what a student knows, and progress assessments like Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) tests, which measure where they are in their learning.

FCPS encourages all families to support their students in taking these tests. Virginia requires schools to test at least 95% of students on SOLs, so when families choose not to participate in testing, it can impact a school’s accreditation, accountability ratings, and ability to measure student progress accurately.

Parents and caregivers can help their children perform their best on these tests by reminding them to get a good night’s sleep, eat a healthy breakfast, and the cell phone policy still applies during testing season.

It is important that students attend school on scheduled testing dates. If you are aware of a conflict that may cause your student to miss a test, please notify your student’s school as soon as possible.

Learn more about how to support your child and why test participation matters.

Your Child's Mental Wellness Matters: Access Comprehensive Services

Reach out to the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board (CSB) for specialized youth mental health services designed to help your child succeed. The CSB has individual and family counseling, psychiatric diagnostic evaluations, medication management, parenting groups, peer support, crisis response, recovery supports that include medication-assisted treatment (MAT), intensive services, and other services. 

Contact CSB Entry and Referral to get started by calling 703-383-8500 or emailing csb@fairfaxcounty.gov.

Family Information Phone Lines

FCPS family information phone lines are available in nine different languages. An FCPS employee will respond to your call in your preferred language within 24 hours, Monday through Friday. 

Call the phone line with questions about your child’s education or FCPS, and someone will help connect you to resources or arrange for you to speak to the appropriate school employee. Learn more about family information phone lines

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener Results Now Available

Dear Parents & Guardians.

Students in grades 3-12 took the SEL Screener during the month of March, providing information on their SEL skills like achieving goals, understanding and managing emotions, establishing and maintaining relationships, and making responsible decisions. The screener also asks students how well their school community makes them feel valued, included, and supported.

Individual student SEL Screener results are now available to families in the Documents section of SIS ParentVUE. For families who do not have an active ParentVUE account, we will share copies with you directly.

For support in understanding your individual student’s results or for ideas on how to support them at home, please review the Family Guide or reach out to your child's school counselor or the testing coordinator, Ms. Majmundar at bmajmundar@fcps.edu.

Rising Grade 7 RCMS-101 Registration Open Now!

Rachel Carson is excited to host our summer Jump Start Program, RCMS 101. The RCMS 101 program is a primarily nonacademic transitional program that focuses on helping rising 7th graders get to know RCMS and the expectations of middle school. Students will participate in sessions covering topics such as study skills, organizational strategies, time management techniques, and introductions to each content area with a Rachel Carson staff member. RCMS 101 helps ensure a smoother transition to middle school by introducing students to staff, peers, school layout, and basic policies before the school year begins. Students will partake in community building games and daily fun activities throughout the two day session that center on this information.
 

Click the link below to register your rising 7th grade student.

RCMS 101 Google Registration Form

Click HERE to view the flyer.

SOUTH LAKES COURSE INFORMATION: RISING 9^th GRADERS

There will be two windows this year that will give students the opportunity to change their course selections for the 26-27 School Year. NO CHANGES ARE GUARANTEED.

Electives

When: May 11 - May 15

For What: Elective course request change. This is the FINAL CHANCE to request this kind of change. We will NOT have a process to change electives in the fall. The request is NOT guaranteed. Courses may be full.

How: Email your SLHS school counselor who will make the change if space is available. If the course is full the student will be added to wait list.

Core Courses

When: June 8 - June 12

For What: Core course changes

How: Email your SLHS school counselor who will make the change if space is available. If the course is full the student will be added to wait list.

2026 Summer Camps and Learning Programs

Registration for the Summer 2026 Online Campus courses is available until Friday, June 5. Courses are open to middle and high school students who meet prerequisites. The Online Campus provides an opportunity for students to take one high school level course for new or repeat credit over the summer.

Students need to have a computer and make sure their