Falls Church City Public Schools

Listen in as the FCCPS School Board discusses nearly $1 million in strategic investments to enhance student safety and support long-term planning. In this 77-minute session, you'll hear Dr. Dade and team present funding priorities, including critical safety improvements at Meridian High School, cybersecurity upgrades, and our first comprehensive facilities assessment in nearly two decades. Boa...

Join Oak Street Elementary's literacy leadership team for an informative conversation about research-based reading instruction and how we're supporting every student's literacy development through the Virginia Literacy Act. In This Episode: Our literacy experts break down what families need to know about literacy instruction at Oak Street Elementary, including state requirements, class...

Listen to the audio from the October 7, 2025 School Board meeting, featuring important discussions on strategic priorities, AI policy development, and celebrations of community excellence. Recognitions & Milestones VSBA Media Honor Roll Certificates awarded to Falls Church News Press and The Lasso 50th Anniversary celebration of FCCPS Extended Daycare Program Five Meridian seniors named Nation...

This episode features the Falls Church City Public Schools Board Work Session from September 30, 2025. The meeting includes a detailed discussion of traffic safety improvements at the secondary campus, with City Manager Wyatt Shields and Superintendent Dr. Terry Dade outlining short-term and long-term solutions for the busy Route 7 and Haycock Road corridor. Director of Assessment and Accountabili...

Join us for an essential conversation about special education services and student supports at Mount Daniel Elementary School. In this comprehensive episode, Special Education Administrator Kate Mahr teams up with School Psychologist Kim Yeager and School Social Worker Sarah Coughter to walk parents through everything they need to know about supporting students with diverse learning needs. In This...

Episode Description: Get to know the Oak Street Elementary leadership team and dive deep into what makes the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme unique at our school. In this first Principal's Coffee of the 2025-26 school year, Principal Karim Daugherty introduces her administrative team and explains how FCCPS delivers world-class IB education. Featured Speakers: Karim Daughert...

Episode Description Listen to the Falls Church City Public Schools Board Meeting from September 9, 2025, featuring Superintendent Dr. Terry Dade's first opening schools report and a comprehensive look at dual enrollment opportunities. This Episode Includes: Opening Schools Update Dr. Dade shares highlights from the 2025-26 school year launch, including staff convocation, individual school cele...

Principal Timothy Kasik welcomes families to Mount Daniel Elementary for our annual Parent Coffee, introducing the dedicated staff and sharing what makes our kindergarten through second-grade learning community special. Meet the Leadership Team Principal Kasik shares his educational journey from Cleveland to FCCPS, while Assistant Principal Lindsay Covey, Special Education Administrator Kate Mahr,...

The FCCPS School Board held their first work session of the academic year Tuesday evening, addressing several key initiatives: IB Program Evaluation : Our district will undergo its five-year International Baccalaureate evaluation in February 2026. A visiting team of IB experts will assess all five schools from February 9-13, meeting with students, teachers, parents, and board members. Recent highl...

The Falls Church City School Board kicked off the 2025-26 academic year with a celebration of Meridian Boys Soccer team's Class 3 State Championship victory ! The Mustangs' 13th state title ties a VHSL record, capping off their remarkable 17-2-2 season. Senior Fletcher Saaty was honored as Virginia's Class 3 Player of the Year, while the entire team maintained a 3.7 GPA, proving they&#...

The School Board Work Session featured the annual reports of advisory committees and an update on the cell phone policy. Highlights include the Extended Daycare Program's 50th anniversary celebration, planned for October 5th, as well as collaborative work on supporting twice-exceptional learners and feedback on the implementation of our cell phone policy following new Virginia state legislatio...

The Falls Church School Board meeting honored two retiring leaders who have shaped FCCPS for nearly a decade. This meeting features heartfelt tributes to Superintendent Dr. Peter Noonan and School Board Clerk Marty Gadell, with former school board chairs returning to celebrate their remarkable service. Meeting Highlights: Recognition of Superintendent Dr. Peter Noonan (2017-2025) - celebrating his...

Hear the historic ribbon-cutting ceremony of the Marian Costner Selby Peace Garden at Meridian High School held on May 18, 2025. This special event honored Marian Costner Selby, the first Black student to integrate George Mason High School (now Meridian High School) in Falls Church, Virginia in 1961. The ceremony featured: Remarks from FCCPS Superintendent Peter Noonan and Principal Peter Laub Rec...

During the May Regular School Board meeting, the Board approved the FY2026 budget of $69.4 million, which funds additional teachers, staff compensation increases, and essential student services. The Board recognized numerous student achievements, including FCCPS Band and Chorus, Scholastic Bowl, Winter/Spring athletes, Odyssey of the Mind, and Robotics teams. The annual staff awards were presented...

In a unanimous vote, the School Board appointed Terry J. Dade as the next Superintendent of Falls Church City Public Schools. Mr. Dade will begin his role on July 1, succeeding Dr. Peter J. Noonan, who is retiring after eight years of dedicated service. Mr. Dade brings over 25 years of educational leadership experience and is currently Superintendent of Cornwall Central School District in New York...

Student Behavior Supports The School Board received a comprehensive presentation on student behavior management approaches across the district. Administrators shared how Falls Church City Public Schools implements a proactive, educational approach to discipline that aligns with IB principles. Key points included: Schools use a tiered approach to behavior management with clear expectations communic...

The Falls Church City School Board met on Tuesday evening, with several notable highlights: The Board unanimously approved Resolution 02-25, designating April 2025 as the Month of the Military Child. Several military family students shared their experiences, including Nora Stuff, a Meridian High senior and future Air Force Academy cadet who is creating welcome packets for new families as part of h...

School Board Meeting Highlights - March 25, 2025 The Falls Church City School Board held its fourth budget work session and special meeting on Tuesday evening: Dr. Noonan and School Board Chair Gould presented the FY2026 budget to City Council, marking the seventh consecutive year meeting City guidance. The City Manager has proposed a 2.5-cent tax rate decrease while maintaining the school transfe...

School Board Chair Tate Gould presents the FY 2026 budget to City Council. Key highlights include: Budget meets City Council's 5.9% guidance for the seventh consecutive year Enrollment is at its highest level in years, with projections for 159 additional students next year Budget includes funding for additional teachers and staff to maintain low student-teacher ratios Employee compensation inc...

Join Principal Timothy Kasik and the Mount Daniel Elementary School staff as they warmly welcome families of incoming kindergartners for the 2025-2026 school year. This comprehensive information session introduces you to the dedicated team that will guide your child through this important transition. In this video, you'll meet: The administrative team, including Principal Kasik and Assistant P...

Join Mount Daniel Reading Specialists Carly Swanson and Phyllis Kravinsky as they provide an informative overview of literacy instruction at our school. Learn about the Virginia Literacy Act and how this new legislation has shaped our approach to teaching reading and writing at Mount Daniel. This presentation explains the structured literacy model now being implemented across Virginia schools and...

Join FCCPS Pre-K-12 Math Coordinator Jen Fessenden and Math Specialist Larkin Epstein as they provide an informative overview of mathematics instruction at our school. This presentation covers the math workshop model used at Mount Daniel, weekly collaborative planning between specialists and teachers, and Virginia's new math standards that emphasize communication and reasoning skills. Learn ab...

The Falls Church City School Board held its regular meeting on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Here are the key highlights from the meeting: Howie Cates was honored for his advocacy in making the Oak Street Elementary playground more accessible. A video of the recent ribbon-cutting ceremony was shown, highlighting how Howie identified accessibility issues with the playground's mulch surface that made...

In this Parent Coffee presentation, Beth Green, the Enrichment teacher at Mount Daniel Elementary, provides a comprehensive overview of the school's enrichment philosophy and programs. With 15 years of experience at Mount Daniel and a background in gifted education, Beth explains how enrichment at the school happens at multiple levels:🔹 Classroom differentiation forms the foundation of enrich...

Here's what was on the agenda: Recognition of School Board Appreciation Month Recognition of School Board Clerk Appreciation Month Overview Presentation of the Summer Learning Program Q&A session regarding the FY 2026 budget