Fairfax High School PTSA
Why FHS PTSA? PTA ValuesCollaboration: We will work in partnership with a wide array of individuals and organizations to broaden and enhance our ability to serve and advocate for all children and families.Commitment: We are dedicated to children’s educational success, health, and well-being through strong family and community engagement, while remaining accountable to the principles upon which our association was founded.Diversity: We acknowledge the potential of everyone without regard, including but not limited to: age, culture, economic status, educational background, ethnicity, gender, geographic location, legal status, marital status, mental ability, national origin, organizational position, parental status, physical ability, political philosophy, race, religion, sexual orientation, and work experience.Respect: We value the individual contributions of members, employees, volunteers, and partners as we work collaboratively to achieve our association’s goals.Accountability: All members, employees, volunteers, and partners have a shared responsibility to align their efforts toward the achievement of our association’s strategic initiatives.
PTA's mission is to make every child’s potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children. Every Child, One Voice
Mission
The Parent Teacher Student Association PTSA welcomes ALL parents to create a supportive community. The PTSA supports the ENTIRE school community, including students, staff, and parents. Help us continue to provide excellent programming and fund student activities and teacher grants - join the PTSA today.About Us
The Parent Teacher Student Association keeps you informed and involved at FHS! Membership dues directly support FHS students and teachers, funding school functions like guest speakers, Teacher Appreciation and student scholarships and awards. Let us help you get connected with the things that your student enjoys and build a supportive community.Join us at PTSA meetings the 3rd Tuesday of the month to add to the conversation, hear valuable updates and a report from our principal.All parents can get involved at Fairfax. Volunteer opportunities are year-round, daytime, evenings and weekends!Fairfax PTSA is a 501(c)(3) organization so your donation is tax deductible.UPCOMING PTSA & FHS EVENTS
PTSA Meeting
All FHS parents are invited to the next PTSA meeting, March 21 from 7-8pm in the FHS Library. Hear all the exciting updates from this month and help plan the rest of the semester!
Upcoming School Events:
Anonymous Tip Line Puts Safety First
If you or your child have concerns or information relating to feeling unsafe in any way at school, we encourage you to reach out to a member of the security or administrative team so that we may quickly address the issue.
Students and parents may also utilize the FCPS Office of Safety and Security safety tip line, which you can access anonymously online , by text (888-777; Keyword TIP FCPS), or by phone (571-423-2020).
If your tip is an emergency and immediate assistance is necessary, please dial 911.
Students, staff, and community members should report school safety issues such as threats, unsafe or dangerous situations, illegal drug activity, theft, gang activity, the existence of weapons, vandalism, and concerns about student wellness. Tip line users may identify themselves or remain anonymous.
Concerns that do not impact the safety of our schools—concerns or information about programs, regulations, or policies—can be sent to the FCPS ombudsman online , at 571-423-4014, or ombudsman@fcps.edu .
Important Information for Parents
Did you know that we are still in an opioid epidemic? Opioids are a class of drugs that include the illegal drug heroin, synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, and pain relievers available legally by prescription, such as oxycodone (OxyContin®), hydrocodone (Vicodin®), codeine, morphine, and many others (NIH).
The opioid epidemic began with an increase of prescribing these highly addictive medications in the early 1990s.The increase of these medications in society created the issues of overuse and misuse that contributed to the ongoing opioid crisis. In 2010, there was a similar influx of continual problematic opioid use. As a result of the rising opioid overdoses in the community, Fairfax County developed the Opioid Task Force in 2017. Fairfax County created the Substance Abuse Prevention Program in response to the need for prevention education in the schools in 2018. This effort placed Substance Abuse Prevention Specialists in each pyramid.
Opioid abuse is now the leading cause of unnatural death in Fairfax County according to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. It is in our community and often goes unnoticed. In 2017, over 100 deaths were attributed to opioid overdose in Fairfax County. Over 1,200 opioid overdose deaths were reported in the State of Virginia. The 2021 data from the first and second quarters indicate there has been a slight decline since the COVID-19 pandemic. How does this affect our families?
Prescriptions in the home are one of the primary ways children gain access to opioids (i.e. OxyContin), and other addictive and harmful medications, such as benzodiazepines (i.e. Xanax). You can make a beneficial impact on this issue by not saving medication for future use, properly disposing of unused medication, and not giving your prescriptions to children. You can access drug disposal boxes at designated locations throughout the county. For general questions about the FCPS Substance Abuse Prevention Program, please contact the Office of Student Safety & Wellness at: (571) 423-4270.
Resources:
Safe Disposal Medication Sites: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/health/drug-disposal
Truth Initiative Student Opioid Story: https://youtu.be/FiqPh38dtd4
Narcan Training (English & Spanish): https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/community-services-board/heroin-opioids/revive
Fairfax County Youth Substance Use Trends: https://youtu.be/FiqPh38dtd4
Rainbow Fentanyl: https://www.dea.gov/press-releases/2022/08/30/dea-warns-brightly-colored-fentanyl-used-target-young-americans
For further information & support:
De’Ja Ruffin (McNeil), MSW
Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist
Fairfax City state of the schools report
Every summer, Fairfax City Schools publishes the State of the Schools Report. Please click below to learn more about our school board, our schools and our community!
https://www.cityoffairfaxschools.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=1662463&type=d&pREC_ID=1810804
2022stateoftheschools-2.pdf