Welcome Back to School!
Families across Fairfax County are busy with supply lists and getting kids out of the house on time, while teachers are working hard to familiarize students with new classes, rules, and school year. It is a time of exhilaration and exhaustion.
4 Public Education wishes you a happy, healthy 2023-24 school year. To start the school year off right, we have some tips:
Signup. It is easy to sign up for school or FCPS newsletters, calendars, or PTAs. Feel free to sign up for the 4PE newsletter while you are at it.
Be mindful of School Bus Transportation and Safety. The first couple of weeks involve delays and other issues.
If you are having problems, contact FCPS Office of Transportation Services (not your local school) to fix routes, delays, or other issues.
To keep track of your student’s bus, you can use the Here Comes the Bus mobile app or check the School Bus Delays page.
Everyone has a responsibility for school bus safety. Students, adults, and bus drivers have rules to follow to keep everyone safe.
Give grace to yourself and others. It is common to feel overwhelmed during the first weeks of a new school year for students, parents, teachers, and administrators. Everyone deserves some grace and forgiveness when things are new and confusing.
Talk to school staff. If something is not working for your student, start a dialogue with the teacher and/or administration. Many families are surprised to find out how willing schools are to solve a situation, particularly if it is interfering with a student’s educational success.
Exercise your rights. FCPS has clearly outlined parent's and guardian's rights. However, as 4 Public Education has noted in its blog, you only have these rights if you are willing to exercise them.
Remember that change is hard. Change is hard for kids and adults. If things feel overwhelming, sometimes it helps to stop for a moment to center oneself and do some deep breathing. If kids can do it, so can adults!
Know your School Board. Fairfax County has 12 school board members, one for each magisterial district and 3 at-large members. Sign up for their newsletter.You can contact them by phone or email with questions or comments. Also, you have the right to provide public input during school board meetings. 4PublicEducation.org will host a seminar on School Board public input in September.
May you and your student(s) have a wonderful school year!

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