VIDEO: Hayfield Students Look Forward to Sports and Homecoming

Students at Hayfield Secondary School are excited about Homecoming, the football season and trying out for other sports.

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Back-to-School Photo Contest Winner

Kesler and Cooper Osborne won Kingstowne Patch's Back-to-School Photo Contest.

Last week, we asked Patch readers to submit Back-to-School photos for a chance to win free Patch swag.  The entry from Dena, of her sons Kesler and Cooper Osborne, was selected in a random drawing. Congratulations! Please contact me at lisa.brown@patch.com to claim your prize.  Thanks for participating!

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VIDEO: Lee High Students Head Back to School

Lee High Students look forward to the 2012-13 school year.

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School's in Session Driving Tips

Prevent tragedies with these back to school driving tips from AAA.

As Fairfax County children head back to school this week, drivers are reminded to be especially vigilant.  "The afternoon hours are particularly dangerous for walking children," according to AAA, the a not-for-profit organization providing members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive services and information. "Over the last decade, nearly one-third of child pedestrian fatalities occurred between 3 and 7 p.m," the organization reported. AAA offers six ways drivers can help keep kids safe during the school year:

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Connecting to the Classroom with Tech

From email to e-newsletters, Blackboard to e-books at the library, tech tools are very much a part of the back-to-school equation

Back to school 2012 is a bit different than in earlier years. While some things will always be handled via paper and pen, technology tools are helping to make sure that parents are informed on the issues big and small. Here are a few ways that FCPS and your child's teacher will use technology to keep in touch and provide resources to help your child learn. KIT and KIT-Plus KIT (Keep in Touch) and KIT-Plus are the e-newsletter services that provide up-to-the-minute information for the public on school delays or closings, emergencies, information about FCPS programs and news stories. Parents, students and employees are automatically enrolled via their contact information provided to the schools. Parents and community members can also select …

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Jean Westcott

12:10 pm on Thursday, September 6, 2012

PWCS uses Parent Portal http://pwcs.schoolfusion.us/modules/cms/pages.phtml?pageid=238543&sessionid=5844061c42bd4282795b048fe16a0901 and PWCS e-news http://pwcs.schoolfusion.us/modules/groups/homepagefiles/cms/493839/File/FAQs/Sign%20up%20online%20for%20PWCS%20Enews.pdf . One major difference in the two school divisions is that PWCS allows you to access grades.   more ›

Share Your Back-to-School Photos

Enter your back-to-school photos for a chance to win free Patch swag!

Kingstowne-area kids returned to school on Tuesday, and for many, it was a milestone. Whether it was your kid's first day of Kindergarten or the first day of high school, we want to see your photos! By sharing a photo, you enter a drawing for a chance to win a Patch tote bag filled with other Patch goodies. Entries will be accepted until Monday at 9 a.m. The winner will be chosen in a random drawing and announced Tuesday morning at 6 a.m.  In the caption of the photo, please include the student's name, grade level and school. Please read Patch's Official Rules for Giveaway Contests.  

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PHOTOS: Fairfax Sheriffs Take Kids School Shopping

Lee District Supervisor Jeffrey C. McKay participates in the 19th annual 'Shop with a Sheriff' event, which benefited 24 children who are homeless.

The Fairfax County Sheriff's Office partnered with Target in Burke Wednesday to provide 24 children who are homeless with a back-to-school shopping spree. Now in its 19th year, Shop with a Sheriff pairs deputies and other Sheriff's Office staff with school-aged children temporarily residing at the Katherine K. Hanley Family Shelter in Fairfax and the Patrick Henry Family Shelter in Falls Church. The children ranged in age from kindergarteners to young adults, and enjoyed the company of the deputies and staff as much as the shopping. Those who contributed to the event included: For information about supporting Shop with a Sheriff, contact Captain Stacey Kincaid via email or at 703-246-3673. [TTY for hearing impaired is 711.]

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Superintendent Jack Dale to Visit Local Schools on Opening Day

FCPS Superintendent Dale's schedule for the first day of school includes a visit to Key Center in Springfield.

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Superintendent Jack D. Dale will visit six schools on the first day of the 2012-13 school year, including one school in the Kingstowne area. Superintendent Dale is scheduled to visit: His Sept. 4 first day of school schedule also includes: Times for school visits are approximate, depending on traffic, according to a FCPS press release.

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Back-to-School by the Numbers

Kingstowne students return to school on Sept. 4.

The summer is winding down and in a couple short weeks Kingstowne-Rose Hill students will be back in session. The first day of school is the day after Labor Day - Tuesday, Sept. 4. Here are a few back to school facts: • American families spent $7.7 billion at clothing stores in August 2011. The only months with higher sales were November and December. • Sales at bookstores in August 2011 totaled $2.4 billion. • As of October 2010, there were 79 million children and adults enrolled in school — from nursery school through college — throughout the United States. • As of October 2010, 72 percent of children ages 3-6 years old were in kindergarten attend all day. • Twenty-seven percent of students age 12-17 were enrolled in a gifted/talented …

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No Athletic Fee for FCPS Students in 2012-13

Being a student-athlete in Fairfax County will be much friendlier to wallets.

Student-athletes in Fairfax County Public Schools no longer have to pay a $100 athletic fee to play on a team. The School Board eliminated the fee as part of the FY2013 Budget it passed last spring. The elimination of the fee will result in a revenue reduction of $1.7 million annually, FCPS estimates. Athletes formerly had to pay $100 per sport, though the fee was capped at $200 even if a student was on three school sports teams. It was waived for students who qualified for free and reduced lunch. The fee was in effect during the 2010-11 and 2011-12 school years. The $1.7 will be made up with additional transfer money from Fairfax County.

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