1.30.25

Dear Neighbor,

Today, our region and nation grieve for those lost in last night's fatal crash involving a commercial plane and Army helicopter from Fort Belvoir at Washington National Airport.

I know we are all keeping the families, friends, and communities of those lost in our thoughts. Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) will provide support and crisis counseling for students, staff, and families hurting from this tragedy. FCPS has also provided a resource page that may help navigate difficult conversations on this topic with children.

I am profoundly grateful to the first responders who mobilized extensive public safety resources to support emergency response and recovery following the crash. Working closely with regional partners, the Fairfax County Police Department's Fairfax One helicopter, Marine Patrol Unit, Dive Team, and Fire and Rescue Department, dispatched 22 units and 68 personnel who provided critical resources and support. The Department of Emergency Management and Security also played a key role in supporting the regional Incident Management Team to ensure a coordinated and effective response. Fairfax County leadership remains in close contact with regional partners and will continue to provide any assistance necessary as recovery efforts continue.

Lake Braddock Alum Earns Oscar Nominations

A Lake Braddock Secondary School alum has received two Oscar nominations for a movie he directed and released this past summer.

"Nickel Boys," directed by RaMell Ross, received nominations for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay.

RaMell graduated from Lake Braddock in 2000 and then attended Georgetown University. He played basketball at both schools before finding a love of photography that changed everything for him.

His 2018 documentary "Hale County This Morning, This Evening" won the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Creative Vision at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for an Academy Award in 2019.

Fairfax County is proud of RaMell's accomplishments on the silver screen and on the court. I'm excited to watch the Oscars and root for the former Bruin!

Slam Dunk for Literacy

The Annandale High School boys and girls basketball teams are leading by example.

In the winter, these students mentor third graders at Braddock Elementary School who need a few extra hours practicing reading.

Every Wednesday after school for 10 weeks, the players work through literacy skills with their mentees to help close the gap and support Fairfax County Public Schools' goal ensuring all students are reading at grade level by the end of third grade.

This collaboration creates a community that supports each other and passes that on to the next generation. I'm incredibly grateful to these student-athletes for their sportsmanship and teamwork on and off the court!

Yours in service,

Supervisor James R. Walkinshaw

Please share this newsletter with your friends and neighbors. If this email was forwarded to you, consider subscribing to receive Braddock District news and updates.

Continue reading below for more information on:

• Visit the Historic Courthouse This Weekend
• FCPA Camp Registration Opens Soon
• Get Involved with Plan Forward
• LLI's February Forum
• SSPA Process Launched
• Apply to be the School Board's Student Representative!
• Stuff the Bus

Visit the Historic

Courthouse This Weekend

As part of the City of Fairfax Annual Chocolate Lovers Festival, the Historic Fairfax Courthouse is opening its doors to the public!

Visit the courthouse, view historic Fairfax Court records (including George Washington's will), and observe the Fairfax Bar Association’s mock trial and game show in the Historic Courthouse throughout the day.

• 10:00 a.m. – “Wolf v. Pig” Mock Trial
• 12:00 p.m. – “So You Think You Are Smarter than a Lawyer?”

The showroom will be open from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 1. View a detailed schedule for all events at the courthouse on the City of Fairfax's website.

FCPA Spring and Summer Camp Registration Opens Soon

Registration for Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) spring and summer camps begins next week. Mark your calendar so you don’t miss out.

FCPA has taken steps to improve the camp registration process based on community feedback. This year, camp registration times will begin on two separate dates, based on your selected camp location.

Camp classes located in the eastern region of Fairfax County are designated as Team Green Camp and will start registration on February 4. Classes taking place in the western region of the County, Team Blue Camp, will begin registration on February 6.

Visit the Park Authority Camp Registration page to search camp locations and listings and find tips to prepare for registration day. 

Get Involved with Plan Forward

As Fairfax County's multi-year project, Plan Forward, moves ahead to update policies that guide land development, new community outreach opportunities are coming up. Meetings, both in-person and virtual, kick off Wednesday, February 5.

Plan Forward focuses on updating the policies in the Policy Plan, a part of the Comprehensive Plan which affects future land use decisions and potential development. The County started community outreach for Plan Forward in the spring of 2024 to get different types of community feedback for potential policy updates.

Community members are encouraged to join a community meeting, in person or virtually, this February to learn about new research findings that impact the Policy Plan, to submit feedback, and ask questions. Besides attending a meeting, County residents can get involved by:

• Signing up for email updates on Plan Forward.
• Tuning into Channel 16 to watch a Board of Supervisors Land Use Policy Committee or Planning Commission Policy Plan Committee Meeting about a topic of your interest. Tentative dates can be found on the project webpage.
• Sharing what you see for the future of Fairfax County.
• Answering the Plan Forward community survey.

Community input will inform recommendations to update the Policy Plan and consider any new policies needed to enhance the Policy Plan. Learn more about Plan Forward on the County's website.

LLI's February Forum

The Lifetime Learning Institute (LLI) invites you to their virtual February forum to hear Michael Stewart, whose grandfather was a warden at Alcatraz, the notorious federal prison in California.

Having learned much from his grandfather’s stories, Michael will share perspectives about the “Rock” – inmates, staff, families, escape attempts, and more.

The virtual program will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, February 5, and is open to the public. Register for the link or read more on LLI's website.

SSPA Process Launched

Fairfax County’s next round of the Site Specific Plan Amendment (SSPA) process kicked off on January 13.



SSPA is the County’s process for giving the public a way to propose a land use change, known as a “nomination,” in the Comprehensive Plan for a single site or collection of sites.

The Comprehensive Plan guides the County's land use and development decisions and sets forth the community’s future vision. The nomination period will run until February 13, and nominations will be accepted online through PLUS, the County’s Planning and Land Use System. Read more about the SSPA on the County's website.

Apply to be the School Board's Student Representative!

Each year, FCPS students have the opportunity to apply for the position of the student representative to the School Board. The student representative is not a member of the School Board but serves in a nonvoting, advisory capacity, representing the interests of the students of Fairfax County Public Schools. For more information on this role, see FCPS Policy 1802. The Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council (SAC) student delegates will vote to elect the representative to the School Board.

Eligible students are:

• Currently in grades 9, 10, and 11.
• A resident of Fairfax County or Fairfax City.
• A student in Fairfax County Public Schools.

Students do not need to be current members of SAC to apply. The first part of the application is due by Monday, February 24. Read more on FCPS' website.

Stuff the Bus

Fairfax County's Stuff the Bus initiative began in 2011 in response to a critical need to help restock the shelves of local food pantries after the holidays.

This collaborative program is a partnership between Fairfax County Government and local nonprofits. Now in its 14th year, Stuff the Bus continues to support food assistance efforts for families and households. Stuff the Bus has collected more than 220 tons of food to feed people experiencing food insecurity in Fairfax County since its inception.

You can stuff the bus every Saturday in February from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. at various locations in Fairfax County.