Back to School Prep Time!
Presidents : Meet with your principals, more tips  here
Treasurers: Complete audits, more tips  here

*FCCPTA Back to School Mailing arrives in school offices next week*

July / August Issue
For Officers
  • Three For Me Volunteer Program Returns
  • Attract more parents to meetings
  • Family Engagement Conference Planning Underway
  • Not too late for training!
  • Local PTAs Represent! Virginia PTA Awards
  • Directory Info Updates

For Members (feel free to cut and paste for your e-news)
  • Stop Summer Slide!
  • Candidate Forums
  • New FCPS Ombudsman to assist Parents
  • Collect for Kids
For Officers
Three For Me. Need help attracting new volunteers? We’ve updated National PTA’s Three For Me Program to help show parents how dedicating a mere three hours of volunteer time can make a big difference to their kids and school. Check it out  here . 
Boost Meetings with Parent Programs. PTA meetings are your chance to build a sense of community among parents and teachers. Turn each meeting into time well-spent by featuring timely guest speakers. FCCPTA’s website is organizing a clearinghouse of speakers and programs that tend to attract parents. Don’t see a favorite program on the list? Send it to Jane Miscavage,  [email protected] .
Family Engagement is FCCPTA's major focus this year. Research shows that students perform better when their parents are involved in school. FCCPTA is preparing to support your outreach efforts to attract and activate new members with a Family Engagement Conference Oct 20. We'll provide ways for your local PTA leaders to attract and include more parents than ever before. Contact  [email protected] if you’d like to suggest a topic, speaker or program, and if you’d like to join the planning committee.
Not-To-Miss Training Opportunities! PTA training helps officers and chairs organize and sidestep the pitfalls of managing volunteer organizations. It’s not too late to register for Virginia PTA’s training August 4 in Chantilly (details here / register here ). Can’t make it on the 4 th ? Attend training from your beach chair/RV/tent/sofa with one of National PTA’s  eLearning courses .
Congratulations to the following Fairfax County Council PTAs for their Family Engagement efforts! Virginia PTA will present Family Engagement and Membership awards during the August 4 th Northern Regional PTA Leadership Training at Freedom High School in Chantilly. 

  • Olde Creek Elementary School PTA – Virginia PTA Power Partner Principal of the Year, Dr. Dustin Wright. 
  • Buzz Aldrin Elementary School PTA – Elementary Volunteer of the Year, Kate Brown. 
  • Laurel Ridge Elementary School PTA – Family Engagement Award. 
  • Hollin Meadows Elementary School PTA – Male Engagement Award. 
  • Walt Whitman Middle School PTA – Diversity and Inclusion Award. 

Read about these award winners here . Award criteria can be a valuable planning tool for your PTA! Learn more about Virginia PTA Family Engagement Awards  here .

A new Virginia law is changing the types of information schools can release for PTA directories . Read more  here .
For Members
Stop Summer Slide! Did you know that students who don’t have access to recreational reading materials and educational opportunities during the summer months have lower reading achievement scores during the school year? Children who experience the “summer slide” are three grade levels behind by the end of elementary school and many never close the achievement gap. The good news is that keeping academic skills sharp during the summer doesn’t have to be a boring chore for kids and parents don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on summer activities. Participating in Fairfax County Public Library’s  Summer Reading Adventure encourages kids to read for fun in any format or genre and allows them to explore their interests and passions through books and by attending engaging library programs—all for free. 
Congressional Candidate Forums. In Virginia there is an election every year. Fairfax County Council PTA partners with the League of Women Voters and other nonpartisan organizations to hold forums where citizens can learn more about candidates.Three forums will be held this fall for Congressional candidates in the 8th, 10th and 11th Districts of Virginia. Forums also provide opportunities for student volunteering and service hours. Details  here .
Collect for Kids is in full swing. Maybe you've seen backpack collection boxes in your local grocery store, or heard appeals from a local non-profit to donate school supplies. That's "Collect for Kids" at work, Fairfax County's consortium of organizations that commit to provide low-income students in FCPS with the supplies they need to start school in August. Over 54,000 students qualify for free or reduced meals in Fairfax County. That's a lot of backpacks and notebooks! Let's make sure all students have what they need to be successful in school! Find out more on the Collect for Kids  website . 
FCPS' new Ombudsman, Armando Peri, can help parents navigate the 10 th largest school system in the US. This new position will provide an independent, confidential resource for students, families and community members, offering formal and informal help to resolve concerns, problems, complaints and other student-related issues. Read more about Armando Peri  here .
Please designate a liaison to attend FCCPTA General Membership Meetings . These meetings begin at 6:30 p.m. with an update from Superintendent Scott Brabrand and run until 8 p.m. All meetings are held at FCPS Gatehouse Administrative Building.
  • October 17, 2018
  • January 23, 2019
  • March 27, 2019
  • May 22, 2019