The first two weeks of the school year have flown by, and I’m pleased to report that our students and staff are settling in nicely. We had a wonderful back-to-school night and enjoyed the county fair. It was great to see so many families come out and support our school.
Our school theme this year is “You Belong Here.” We want everyone to feel welcomed, valued, and supported. This means creating a space where every student can be themselves, reach their full potential, and build strong connections with their peers and teachers. Let’s work together to make this a year of kindness, respect, and belonging for all.
As we work to build communities of belonging, it will be essential that we all put down our phones in order to engage with each other. Madison joins 15 other high schools as part of FCPS’s cell phone storage pilot. FCPS and Madison’s goal is to ensure that students are available for learning, engage in class, meet new people and create connections and communities of belonging. For more information on the pilot, click here.
In addition to the cell phone pilot, FCPS has refined the division’s grading policy to provide a more consistent and transparent approach across all schools. Madison will continue to use a rolling gradebook and letter grades but will transition to using the FCPS 100-point grading scale. One big difference between last year and this year will be the use of weighted categories: formative (30%) and summative (70%). Summative tasks will be eligible for reassessment/grade replacement up to 100%. The formative category tasks are not eligible for reassessment/grade replacement. We highly encourage families to discuss the importance of completing work in the formative category as this is where students receive feedback on their learning prior to being assessed. Additionally, some teams may use a completion category to communicate work habits.
We are continuing our work on the design of quality assessments that effectively measure student learning. Our teachers continue to refine their practice in providing timely and meaningful feedback that supports student learning, growth and development. Our staff will continue to be part of the Learning Model Community of practice where we focus on high quality assessment design. We will also continue to be part of the Lighthouse School partnership with ISTE and ASCD. As an ISTE Lighthouse School, we will be exploring AI tools and their use in schools for both teachers and students.
We believe that these initiatives will contribute to a positive and productive learning environment for our students. Your support and involvement are crucial in ensuring the success of our school community.
We will also continue our work to reduce our chronic absenteeism rate. At Madison, our chronic absenteeism rate for the 2023-2024 school year was just over 13%. VDOE states that “Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing ten percent or more of the academic year for any reason, including excused absences, unexcused absences, and suspensions. Based on a 180-day school year, that means approximately 18 days per year or 2 to 3 days per month.” To meet accreditation requirements, our chronic absenteeism rate must be below 10%. We need your partnership in getting this number below 10%. If you are worried about your child’s attendance or lack of engagement in school, please reach out to your child’s school counselor to discuss your concerns early! Please don’t wait.
As we run full speed ahead into September, let’s remember to work together so we can make this year a year filled with growth, learning, and unforgettable memories.
Thank you for your continued support and dedication to our school.
Sincerely,
Liz Calvert, Principal
Madison High School
2500 James Madison Drive
Vienna, Virginia 22181
Phone: 703-319-2311
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://madisonhs.fcps.edu/