Anonymous
08/20/2025 09:50
Subject: Will school weapon detections cause class time delay?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:If your kid has a club or sport that starts before the doors open at 730 - how does this work now?
Dd did FCA last year and the meetings were at 715. DS was in the Weight room at 630am for XC .
Are all early morning extra curriculars not possible anymore?
They have to leave the school building to go back through the metal detectors according to my kid.
For example, a kid has morning practice at the school, and is inside the gym, locker room, music room, theater, etc.
When that ends, they leave the school, get in line, and wait to go through the detector.
This is so poorly planned.
Kids who have first period in trailers also have to wait in line for the detector in the main building, and then turn around, exit and head to the trailers.
But the detectors are there only for the school day. Sports after school? No detector. Early morning meeting? no detector (but then kicked out for screening. Make it make sense!
Anonymous
08/20/2025 09:49
Subject: Re:Will school weapon detections cause class time delay?
For those that ever need to their contact info:
Superintendent : mcreid@fcps.edu
Chief of Schools : gjponce@fcps.edu
Legal Counsel : jefoster@fcps.edu
Chief of Staff : mksmith@fcps.edu
Chair : karl.frisch@fcps.edu
At Large : rkmcdaniel@fcps.ed
At Large : rlmcelveen@fcps.edu
At Large : imoon@fcps.edu
Braddock : rsizemorehei@fcps.edu
Hunter Mill : mkmeren@fcps.edu
Dranesville : ralady1@fcps.edu
Mason : rjanderson@fcps.edu
Springfield : sbanderson@fcps.edu
Franconia : mstjohncunni@fcps.edu
Mount Vernon : mdunne@fcps.edu
Sully : sdixit@fcps.edu
Superintendent : mcreid@fcps.edu
Chief of Schools : gjponce@fcps.edu
Legal Counsel : jefoster@fcps.edu
Chief of Staff : mksmith@fcps.edu
Chair : karl.frisch@fcps.edu
At Large : rkmcdaniel@fcps.ed
At Large : rlmcelveen@fcps.edu
At Large : imoon@fcps.edu
Braddock : rsizemorehei@fcps.edu
Hunter Mill : mkmeren@fcps.edu
Dranesville : ralady1@fcps.edu
Mason : rjanderson@fcps.edu
Springfield : sbanderson@fcps.edu
Franconia : mstjohncunni@fcps.edu
Mount Vernon : mdunne@fcps.edu
Sully : sdixit@fcps.edu
Anonymous
08/20/2025 09:48
Subject: Will school weapon detections cause class time delay?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:If your kid has a club or sport that starts before the doors open at 730 - how does this work now?
Dd did FCA last year and the meetings were at 715. DS was in the Weight room at 630am for XC .
Are all early morning extra curriculars not possible anymore?
They have to leave the school building to go back through the metal detectors according to my kid.
For example, a kid has morning practice at the school, and is inside the gym, locker room, music room, theater, etc.
When that ends, they leave the school, get in line, and wait to go through the detector.
This is so poorly planned.
This makes no sense. A pure waste of time. Student could have use the time in the line to study.
Anonymous
08/20/2025 09:46
Subject: Will school weapon detections cause class time delay?
Some background info:
https://wjla.com/news/local/fairfax-county-schools-weapons-detections-west-potomac-high-school-stabbing-knife-metal-detector-school-resource-officer-fcps-security-system
https://wtop.com/fairfax-county/2025/06/fairfax-co-schools-planning-to-make-weapon-detectors-permanent/
In the second report, In the final weeks of the school year, Dunne said “there have been at least one or two guns that were caught in students’ backpacks being brought into a school, and there were knives and other weapons that were also detected as well.” Anyone in the pilot high school heard of the incident? It sound pretty serious, did the school call police and FBI? Any report about the investigation?
https://wjla.com/news/local/fairfax-county-schools-weapons-detections-west-potomac-high-school-stabbing-knife-metal-detector-school-resource-officer-fcps-security-system
https://wtop.com/fairfax-county/2025/06/fairfax-co-schools-planning-to-make-weapon-detectors-permanent/
In the second report, In the final weeks of the school year, Dunne said “there have been at least one or two guns that were caught in students’ backpacks being brought into a school, and there were knives and other weapons that were also detected as well.” Anyone in the pilot high school heard of the incident? It sound pretty serious, did the school call police and FBI? Any report about the investigation?
Anonymous
08/20/2025 09:44
Subject: Will school weapon detections cause class time delay?
Anonymous wrote:If your kid has a club or sport that starts before the doors open at 730 - how does this work now?
Dd did FCA last year and the meetings were at 715. DS was in the Weight room at 630am for XC .
Are all early morning extra curriculars not possible anymore?
They have to leave the school building to go back through the metal detectors according to my kid.
For example, a kid has morning practice at the school, and is inside the gym, locker room, music room, theater, etc.
When that ends, they leave the school, get in line, and wait to go through the detector.
This is so poorly planned.
Anonymous
08/20/2025 09:41
Subject: Re:Will school weapon detections cause class time delay?
Anonymous wrote:My child came home yesterday and told us this new procedure (they have not yet implemented/starting using the metal detectors yet):
- Students will need to remove backpacks and take out laptops, phones, watches, etc before walking through
- Students will need to remove jewelry before walking through
They were told it will take 25-30 minutes for the entire student body (this is a MS) to enter the building, so he was told they might open the doors earlier. This seems a little crazy to me.
So girls with body jewelry are going to have to take off clothing to go through the detectors?
Anonymous
08/20/2025 09:37
Subject: Will school weapon detections cause class time delay?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Can someone be an angel and please post the correct emails and numbers to contact? Thank you. I’m too tired to focus since we started the insanely early MS times.
Kyle McDaniel, rkmcdaniel@fcps.edu 571-423-1090
Ilryong Moon, imoon@fcps.edu, 571-423-1089
Ryan McElveen, rlmcelveen@fcps.edu, 571-423-1091
Rachna Sizemore Heizer, rsizemorehei@fcps.edu, 571-423-1088
Robyn Lady, ralady1@fcps.edu, 571-423-1087
Marcia St. John-Cunning, mstjohncunni@fcps.edu, 571-423-1081
Would be great if people posted the replies they got when they contacted reps.
Melanie K. Meren, mkmeren@fcps.edu, 571-423-1082
Ricardy Anderson. rjanderson@fcps.edu, 571-423-1083
Mateo Dunne, mdunne@fcps.edu, 571-423-1086
Karl Frisch, kvfrisch@fcps.edu, 571-423-1084
Sandy Anderson, sbanderson@fcps.edu, 571-423-1080
Seema Dixit, sdixit@fcps.edu, 571-423-1085
Dr. Michelle Reid, superintendent@fcps.edu, 571-423-1010
Anonymous
08/20/2025 09:35
Subject: Will school weapon detections cause class time delay?
Anonymous wrote:Can someone be an angel and please post the correct emails and numbers to contact? Thank you. I’m too tired to focus since we started the insanely early MS times.
Kyle McDaniel, rkmcdaniel@fcps.edu 571-423-1090
Ilryong Moon, imoon@fcps.edu, 571-423-1089
Ryan McElveen, rlmcelveen@fcps.edu, 571-423-1091
Rachna Sizemore Heizer, rsizemorehei@fcps.edu, 571-423-1088
Robyn Lady, ralady1@fcps.edu, 571-423-1087
Marcia St. John-Cunning, mstjohncunni@fcps.edu, 571-423-1081
Melanie K. Meren, mkmeren@fcps.edu, 571-423-1082
Ricardy Anderson. rjanderson@fcps.edu, 571-423-1083
Mateo Dunne, mdunne@fcps.edu, 571-423-1086
Karl Frisch, kvfrisch@fcps.edu, 571-423-1084
Sandy Anderson, sbanderson@fcps.edu, 571-423-1080
Seema Dixit, sdixit@fcps.edu, 571-423-1085
Dr. Michelle Reid, superintendent@fcps.edu, 571-423-1010
Anonymous
08/20/2025 09:34
Subject: Will school weapon detections cause class time delay?
My DC told me that her Thermo Jar didn't trigger the detector. I put a metal fork in her lunch box today to test whether the detector will beep. The email from school didn't say no to metal forks and I packed spaghetti for my DC today.
Anonymous
08/20/2025 09:27
Subject: Re:Will school weapon detections cause class time delay?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:My child came home yesterday and told us this new procedure (they have not yet implemented/starting using the metal detectors yet):
- Students will need to remove backpacks and take out laptops, phones, watches, etc before walking through
- Students will need to remove jewelry before walking through
They were told it will take 25-30 minutes for the entire student body (this is a MS) to enter the building, so he was told they might open the doors earlier. This seems a little crazy to me.
They were told it will take 25-30 minutes for the entire student body (this is a MS) to enter the building, so he was told they might open the doors earlier. This seems a little crazy to me.
My DC's school requires students to remove laptop, umbrella and 3-ring binder from the backpack. When my DC was passing the weapon detector, DC was told to held the laptop, umbrella and 3-ring binder high above the head. The binder fell down the ground, it took several minutes to sort it out. The teacher at the weapon detector was unhappy. She kept telling kids to remove things from their backpacks and said: "I am not going to help you hold your stuff." I am not blaming her. This may not be her duty on her contract. But FCPS should at least provide some boxes like the ones used at the airport security checkpoint for student to put their stuff when passing the detector.
That’s totally f&ked up, I’m sorry. Holding heavy materials high above your head? They can fall. We need to organize and rise up and fight back. Our kids deserve better.
Anonymous
08/20/2025 09:24
Subject: Re:Will school weapon detections cause class time delay?
Anonymous wrote:My child came home yesterday and told us this new procedure (they have not yet implemented/starting using the metal detectors yet):
- Students will need to remove backpacks and take out laptops, phones, watches, etc before walking through
- Students will need to remove jewelry before walking through
They were told it will take 25-30 minutes for the entire student body (this is a MS) to enter the building, so he was told they might open the doors earlier. This seems a little crazy to me.
They were told it will take 25-30 minutes for the entire student body (this is a MS) to enter the building, so he was told they might open the doors earlier. This seems a little crazy to me.
My DC's school requires students to remove laptop, umbrella and 3-ring binder from the backpack. When my DC was passing the weapon detector, DC was told to held the laptop, umbrella and 3-ring binder high above the head. The binder fell down the ground, it took several minutes to sort it out. The teacher at the weapon detector was unhappy. She kept telling kids to remove things from their backpacks and said: "I am not going to help you hold your stuff." I am not blaming her. This may not be her duty on her contract. But FCPS should at least provide some boxes like the ones used at the airport security checkpoint for student to put their stuff when passing the detector.
Anonymous
08/20/2025 09:19
Subject: Will school weapon detections cause class time delay?
Can someone be an angel and please post the correct emails and numbers to contact? Thank you. I’m too tired to focus since we started the insanely early MS times.
Anonymous
08/20/2025 09:18
Subject: Will school weapon detections cause class time delay?
What i find sad about that is you have hundreds of kids dragging themsleves out of bed early, trying to problem solve the problem the dumbass adults have created, and being thwarted by petty admin refusing to unlock the doors before 7:40 on the dot. When the lines have been over an hour ling.
Anonymous
08/20/2025 09:15
Subject: Will school weapon detections cause class time delay?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Woodson started the screenings today.
My son was there at 7:50.
School starts at 8:10
It is currently 8:33 and he is still in line to get in.
Yep. And Woodson is not a huge school. It doesn't get better BTW.
At Westfield this morning there were hundreds of kids standing outside at 7:30. School doesn't start for 40 min!
Its basically the same start time as middle schools now just to stand in a long line.
They won't unlock the doors until 7:40.
Yes, this is essentially the middle school start time for high school! You know, the early time that the SB wants to make later? (insert eye roll)
How do we get this to change? Call WTOP? National news? If we can show that our kids are now sitting ducks outside in the morning, maybe this will change?
The most effective thing is a big volume of parent calls. Emails are ok but calls show you are serious. If the phone rings constantly for a few days, they get the message. That's what led to the SB putting out a statement saying there were no maps last Fall on the boundary review. Even if no one picks up there should be a voicemail system.
The Superintendent's number is listed and manned by a full time admin. Call there in addition to the SB. Phrasing things the way a reporter would is also something that raises their sense that there is a Big Problem. "Parents are complaining about students missing a lot of class and being less safe by just standing in a mob outside schools. Does your office have a comment?"
A PP posted mentioned the equity angle. Definitely use that with the more progressive school board members. There is one member who never responded to me until I accused them of inequitable behavior and then I got *2* follow up phone calls.
Get a group of friends/neighbors and all commit to making one call and one email to someone a day for the next week.
Anonymous
08/20/2025 09:03
Subject: Will school weapon detections cause class time delay?
Our kids literally can’t get in the building quickly. That is not safe at all.