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 Hello, Springfield District,
This spring has been filled with opportunities to celebrate student voice, school communities, and the many milestones that make this season so meaningful across FCPS. I had the pleasure of participating as a government official in West Springfield High School’s 11th-grade Honors US/VA History monument project, holding a technology town hall to connect with parents, and being on hand to congratulate Fairfax High School Principal Dr. Georgina Aye, The Washington Post Principal of the Year.
It was also wonderful to celebrate excellence across our division at FCPS Honors. So many of the Springfield District principals, teachers, and staff members were represented. I am constantly in awe of our amazing staff! We were also able to honor one of our former amazing staff members, Marsha Manning, the first principal of South County Middle School. In a small gesture to her service, the South County Middle School Library will be renamed in dedication to Ms. Manning and stand for all that she did to build community for South County families.
But, in all the craziness of this time of year, my favorite part is graduation season! And, this one was no exception. Watching the joy, pride, and inspiration of our students and their families while we celebrate the penultimate achievement in their high school career is a special time for me. This year, I was able to join eleven different ceremonies and cheer on our amazing graduates! Congratulations to the Class of 2026 from Bryant, Centreville, Chantilly, Fairfax, Mount Vernon, Mountain View, South County, West Potomac, and West Springfield high schools, as well as Lake Braddock and Robinson secondary schools. Your hard work, resilience, and accomplishments are worth celebrating, and I cannot wait to see where your next chapter takes you. Congratulations, Class of 2026!
Don’t forget to complete FCPS’ calendar survey that was emailed on Friday, June 5, from noreply@fcps.edu by Monday, June 22, at 11:59 p.m.
I will be in touch soon,
Sandy
Follow along on social media!
This newsletter includes information on the following issues:
Springfield Scene
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Alexa Ralston, a Centreville High School graduate who also attended Chantilly Academy, was part of the FCPS Teachers for Tomorrow program, which gives students hands-on experience in the field of education while they are still in high school.
For Ralston’s required internship, she chose to return to Union Mill, the elementary school she attended, to work with Sara Kennedy, the special education teacher who taught her from fourth through sixth grade. Read their incredible story.
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Shout out to Centreville’s Baseball Team for winning the Northern Region Championship!
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The Chantilly Academy Air Force JROTC Program received the Distinguished Unit Award, recognizing the exceptional accomplishments, leadership, and service demonstrated by the cadets and instructors. Additionally, Lt. Col. Rue was named the Region 4, Subregion 5 Outstanding Officer Instructor for the second year in a row, recognizing his exceptional leadership, mentorship, and dedication to cadet success! Congratulations!
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Congratulations to Fairfax High School Principal Dr. Georgina Aye for being named the Washington Post Principal of the Year! This honor recognizes Dr. Aye’s transformative leadership and her unwavering dedication to creating an inclusive, high-achieving community for students, staff, and families.
The nomination spoke of how she inspires academic excellence and professional growth at Fairfax High School. Under her transformational leadership, the school experienced a significant increase in enrollment for Advanced Placement (AP), dual enrollment, and honors courses. Her focus on support for all students led to the school receiving its first-ever Purple Star School recognition for its work with military-connected families.
Read more in FCPS News.
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Kudos to Fairfax Academy’s How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying cast and crew for winning Best Musical at the Brandon Victor Dixon Awards. Additionally, John Poncy won Best Actor and will move on to the National High School Musical Theatre Awards in New York City, and will perform on Broadway!
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Katherine Johnson Middle School U.S. History teacher, Mr. Corey Knight, for being named the City of Fairfax Rotary Teacher of the Year! Way to go!
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The Region 4 Leadership Team and I are pleased to announce Cathy Wood as the new principal of Keene Mill Elementary School.
Ms. Wood joins the Keene Mill Elementary School community with 18 years of experience in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) and is a dedicated and proven educational leader with a deep commitment to fostering inclusive, collaborative school cultures and driving academic excellence for all students.
Ms. Wood most recently comes from Laurel Ridge Elementary School, where she has served as an Instructional Coach and Assistant Principal. During her tenure at Laurel Ridge Elementary School, Ms. Wood successfully collaborated with the Advanced Academic Office to build and implement a local full-time Advanced Academic Program (AAP) center. Under her leadership, the number of students identified for AAP services and those qualifying for Advanced Math nearly doubled. Furthermore, Ms. Wood brings a wealth of experience in managing and supporting specialized programs. At Laurel Ridge Elementary School, she managed a partial Spanish Immersion program, working closely with the World Language Office, teachers, and parents to pilot new initiatives and foster a united school culture. She also brings experience in supporting comprehensive special education services, ensuring every child’s individual needs are met through strong Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS).
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Ms. Wood’s dedication to instructional excellence is evident throughout her career in FCPS. By prioritizing strong classroom instruction, strategic intervention, and targeted data analysis, she has consistently helped grade-level teams significantly increase student achievement and SOL pass rates.
Ms. Wood holds an Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) degree in Administration and Supervision from the University of Virginia, as well as a Master of Arts in Teaching and a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies from James Madison University.
Ms. Wood is incredibly excited to bring her passion for learning and dedication to relationship-building to the Keene Mill community. Please join us in congratulating Cathy Wood on her new role as principal of Keene Mill Elementary School, effective August 1, 2026.
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Shout out to Lake Braddock Secondary School Speech Team member Brianna Le for being named the 2026 National Champion in declamation speaking at the National Catholic Forensics League’s Middle School Championship Tournament! She is the fourth Lake Braddock student in history to win a national championship in forensics and the first to do so in a public speaking event rather than debate!
Congratulations to Lake Braddock’s Gretchen Parrott for receiving an Educate Fairfax scholarship at their second annual Beyond the Tassel Scholarship Celebration! Read more in FCPS News.
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Kudos to Lake Braddock’s Girls Soccer Team for claiming the Occoquan Region title!
Congratulations to Lake Braddock’s Amelia Cole for winning the VHSL Girls Outdoor Track 100-meter hurdles state championship with a time of 13.87, a new personal record and a new school record!
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This spring, the Liberty Middle School science classroom welcomed baby chicks, giving students a chance to connect their learning to real life. The chicks were hatched right in the classroom over about 22 days, making the experience even more exciting and meaningful for students.
As part of recent lessons on heredity, DNA, and traits, students focused on observing the chicks and identifying differences between them. They noticed variations in feather color, size, and other distinguishing features, helping them better understand how traits can vary within a species. Seeing these differences firsthand made abstract science concepts more concrete.
Read more on the Liberty website.
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Mountain View High School graduate Trey Heathe was featured in FCPS News for his persistence after overcoming hardship to build his future one cut at a time. ✂️
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After exploring the 7 requirements of a Living Building, Mountain View Environmental Science students visited the Woodlands Stewardship Learning Center—a certified Living Building—and left inspired to design their own in class.
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Shout out to the Oakton High School Girls Soccer Team for taking the Region Championship title and to the Boys Outdoor Track 4x100-meter relay Team for winning the VHSL Class 6 state championship!
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Kudos to Robinson Secondary School’s Boys and Girls Lacrosse Teams for winning the Occoquan Region championships!
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Additionally, Robinson’s Oliva Jones won the VHSL Girls Outdoor Track 400-meter dash state championship, and Petra Gruendel won the 1600-meter run state championship! Way to go!
The winning continues with Robinson earning the 2025-26 Sherman Read Cup! Established on June 20, 2007, by the West Springfield Rotary Club, the Sherman Read Memorial Cup honors Leslie Sherman (West Springfield HS) and Mary Read (Annandale HS), two student-athletes who lost their lives in the April 16, 2007, Virginia Tech shootings. The traveling cup celebrates its legacy of leadership, enthusiasm, and selfless service.
The cup is awarded annually to the Patriot District high school (Alexandria City, Fairfax, Lake Braddock, Robinson, South County, West Potomac, and Woodson) with the best overall record in sports and activities.
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Congratulations to South County High School for being named a 2026 Jostens Gold School of Distinction for fostering an exceptional culture, meaningful student engagement, and strong community connections! Even more impressively, this recognition places South County among the top 2% of Renaissance schools nationwide, a testament to the extraordinary dedication, unwavering spirit, and collective excellence of our students, staff, families, and community partners.
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Shout out to South County’s Ryan Charters for completing his Eagle Scout project on campus! Ryan designed and built several beautiful tables and benches that will provide students with inviting spaces to gather, collaborate, and connect for years to come. Way to go!
South County’s Dexter Burris was recently featured in FCPS News for his costume artistry and ARTiFAX Best in Artistry Award. Read more!
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Kudos to South County Middle School’s Boys Track 4x400-meter relay team for winning the FCPS Middle School Track Championships!
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Congratulations to West Springfield High School’s Softball Team for winning the Occoquan Region Championship! | |
