The Family Engagement Series provides families with resources that will assist with their student's success. Sessions that are hosted virtually are recorded and will be shared on this webpage when they are available for viewing.
If you have questions or don't see a past event listed here, please contact Yanet Boyd, Supervisor of Family and Community Engagement, at [email protected].
Target Audience: Adults 18 and older
Date: January 6, 2026
This session focuses on the Adult Education Program. Learn about the educational opportunities for adults who wish to acquire competencies necessary for further education, employment, or personal enrichment.
Presenter: Toi Tanton, Coordinator of Adult Education Program, with Prince William County Public Schools
Target Audience: High school students and families
Date: January 22, 2026
This session focuses on students and families interested in learning about advanced coursework options, including Advanced Placement (AP), Cambridge Programme, Dual Enrollment, and International Baccalaureate. We’ll explain how these programs prepare students for college and career success, outline the unique benefits of each, and share practical tips for supporting your child’s academic journey. Representatives from the National Educational Opportunity Network will also join us to provide details about specific dual enrollment courses that may be offered at your student’s high school. Take the next step toward helping your student reach their highest potential!
Presenters: Dr. Laura Evans, Coordinator of Advanced Academics and Specialty Programs, with Prince William County Public Schools and Chris Harried, School Success Manager, with National Education Equity Lab
Target Audience: All PWCS students and families
Date: September 25, 2025
This session focuses on conversations on the new Cell Phone-Free Education Policy. This town hall will ensure understanding of the policy’s implementation, provide a platform for families to ask questions and share feedback, and highlight resources and strategies to support healthy device use at home and school.
Presenters: Prince William County Public Schools Staff
Watch Cell Phone-Free Education Policy: Family Engagement Town Hall
Target Audience: All PWCS students and families
Date: November 12, 2025
This session focuses on empowering families to become true co-educators alongside our schools. This session will explore how families and educators can build authentic, lasting partnerships that go beyond traditional school events. Participants will learn practical strategies to foster trust, shared responsibility, and collaborative decision-making that support student success.
Presenter: Dr. Karen Mapp is a professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education whose work over the past 25 years has focused on building strong partnerships among families, communities, and educators to improve student achievement. She is a nationally recognized expert in family and community engagement, having served in leadership roles at the U.S. Department of Education, Boston Public Schools, and several influential organizations. Dr. Mapp is also a prolific author and the creator of the Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships.
Watch Co-Parenting with Schools: Building Meaningful Family Partnerships Beyond Events
Target Audience: All PWCS students and families
Date: March 25, 2026
Presenters: Leilani Liguid, Coordinator of Outreach and Recruitmen, with Northern Virginia Community College, and Zia Felder, Supervisor of Compliance, with Prince William County Public Schools
Watch Discover NOVA and Reporting Discrimination and Harassment in PWCS
Target Audience: All PWCS families of English Learners and Multilingual students
Date: March 17, 2026
Join us for a webinar that focuses on multilingual learners. We will talk about what “gifted” means, how students are identified for gifted programs, and how you can support your gifted or advanced learner at home.
Target Audience: All high school student-athletes in grades 7-12, families, coaches, and high school counselors
Date: December 9, 2025
Presenter: Ivorye Long, Assistant Director of Outreach and Strategic Partnerships, with National Collegiate Athletic Association
Target Audience: All PWCS students and families, including those receiving Special Education and Section 504 services
Date: September 4, 2025
This session focuses on the crucial role the Parent Resource Center plays in supporting staff, parents, and families of children with disabilities. Since its establishment in November 1992, the Parent Resource Center has been dedicated to fostering collaboration between families and educators by equipping families with knowledge, tools, and support to advocate for their children’s educational needs.
Presenter: Eleanor Contreras, Coordinator of the Parent Resource Center and Family Engagement, with Prince William County Public Schools
Watch Navigating Support Together – A Family Guide to the Parent Resource Center
Target Audience: All PWCS students and families
Date: December 4, 2025
This session focuses on how to effectively communicate with PWCS schools, no matter what language you speak. Learn how to access important information and services in your preferred language, ensuring your voice is heard and your children's needs are met. We will go over the cultural and linguistic tapestry of PWCS and the available translation and interpretation services, resources, communication strategies, and helpful contacts within the PWCS system for successful home-school communication. This session is designed to empower you to fully participate in your child's education.
Presenter: Juan Lizama and Cynthia Covarrubias, Coordinators of Translations and Interpretation Services, with Prince William County Public Schools
Watch Overcoming Language Barriers: Getting Information from PWCS in Your Preferred Language
Target Audience: All PWCS English Learner students and families
Date: February 18, 2026
This session focuses on how English Learners are identified and supported. Families will learn about instructional standards, curriculum, and resources designed to help multilingual learners succeed.
Presenters: Felicia Norwood, Christina Lo, and Kristine Lentz-Johnston, Supervisors of English Learner Instruction, with Prince William County Public Schools
Target Audience: PWCS students in Grade 12 and their families
Date: October 7, 2025
This session focuses on how students and families can navigate the college financial aid application process. We’ll cover essential topics including eligibility requirements, types of financial aid available, necessary documentation, and key deadlines to ensure you're prepared every step of the way.
Presenter: Jason Puryear, Director of the College Place, in Alexandria, Virginia
Target Audience: Rising 11th and 12th grade students and families
Date: January 13, 2026
This session focuses on rising 11th and 12th grade students and families. Together, we will explore how NOVA Dual Enrollment can help you earn college credit while in high school. This session will discuss different dual enrollment opportunities through NOVA, eligibility requirements, and the application process. Discover how dual enrollment can help you save time and money by earning college credits, while gaining valuable experience in college-level coursework.
Presenters: Dr. Laura Evans, Coordinator of Advanced Academics and Specialty Programs, with Prince William County Public Schools and Lacey Faunce, Coordinator of Dual Enrollment, with Northern Virginia Community College
Target Audience: All PWCS students and families
Date: April 9, 2026
Join us for an informative webinar all about Prince William County Schools Summer 2026 opportunities. We will share what families need to know about Summer School and our exciting Discovery Enrichment programs, including important dates, who can participate, and how to sign up. It is the perfect way to get ready for a summer of learning and adventure!
Presenters: Mandy Livings and Laura Gast, Coordinators of Extended Learning Opportunities, and Patrick Heath, Coordinator of Instructional and Information Technology Training, with Prince William County Public Schools
Watch PWCS Summer 2026: Summer School and Discover Enrichment
Target Audience: High school students in grades 9-12 and their families
Date: September 9, 2025
This session focuses on understanding the PSAT, which is administered each fall to students in grades 9 -11. Additionally, representatives from Khan Academy will demonstrate how Prince William County Public Schools’ students in grades 9 – 12 can access and utilize the platform that is provided by the district to strengthen SAT preparation and build confidence.
Presenters: Dr. Laura Evans, Coordinator of Advanced Academics and Specialty Programs, Amy Hardt, Coordinator of Advanced Academics and Specialty Programs, with Prince William County Public Schools, and Raven Casseus, District Success Manager, with Khan Academy
Target Audience: Students in grades 9-12 and families
Date: February 10, 2026
This session will guide students through the college scholarship search process. Students will learn how to create strong, competitive scholarship applications by exploring different types of scholarships, discovering how to find scholarships using a variety of search tools, understanding key college application components, and learning how to identify and avoid scholarship scams.
Presenter: Jason Puryear, Director of The College Place, in Alexandria, Virginia
Target Audience: All PWCS families of elementary students
Date: October 14, 2025
This session focuses on exploring the elementary school specialty programs offered in PWCS. Discover the exciting options available for your students and learn how these programs can support their unique interests and learning needs.
Presenters: Dr. Laura Evans, Coordinator of Advanced Academics and Specialty Programs, and Amy Hardt, Coordinator of Advanced Academics and Specialty Programs, with Prince William County Public Schools
Watch Specialty Programs Information Session for Elementary Students
Target Audience: All PWCS middle school students and families
Date: October 23, 2025
This session focuses on exploring the middle school specialty programs offered in PWCS. Discover the exciting options available for your students and learn how these programs can support their unique interests and learning needs.
Presenters: Dr. Laura Evans, Coordinator of Advanced Academics and Specialty Programs, and Amy Hardt, Coordinator of Advanced Academics and Specialty Programs, with Prince William County Public Schools
Watch Specialty Programs Information Session for Middle School Students
Target Audience: All PWCS high school students and families
Date: October 28, 2025
This session focuses on exploring the high school specialty programs offered in PWCS. Discover the exciting options available for your students and learn how these programs can support their unique interests and learning needs.
Presenters: Dr. Laura Evans, Coordinator of Advanced Academics and Specialty Programs, and Amy Hardt, Coordinator of Advanced Academics and Specialty Programs, Christine Good, Supervisor of Career and Technical Education, and Nathan Staples, Supervisor of Athletics and Student Activities, with Prince William County Public Schools
Watch Specialty Programs Information Session for High School Students
Target Audience: All PWCS students and families
Date: November 5, 2025
This session focuses on important updates for the school year. The Math team will introduce new curriculum resources and explain Momentum, the updated assessment students will take this year. The English Language Arts team will review last year’s implementation of the Virginia Literacy Act (VLA) and highlight what’s new in literacy instruction as we continue to align with the VLA for grades K-8 and the shifts in instructional standards for grades K-12. This is a great opportunity for families to learn how these changes support student learning and success.
Presenters: Dr. Justin Maffei, Supervisor of Secondary Math, Carla Drew, Supervisor of Secondary English Language Arts and Literacy, Dr. Christopher Latham, Supervisor of Elementary Math, and Marisa Miranda, Supervisor of Elementary English Language Arts and Literacy, with Prince William County Public Schools
Watch Support Learning at Home: What's New in Math and Literacy?
Target Audience: English Learners in kindergarten through grade 6 who are at English Learner Levels 1 or 2
Date: February 24, 2026
This session focuses on Lexia English. Lexia English is a program that helps students learn English by practicing speaking and listening. During the session, families will learn how the program works, how students use it in Prince William County Public Schools, and how they can support their child’s language learning at home.
Presenter: Dr. Bevin Reinen, Lexia Success Manager, with Lexia
Target Audience: Students in math courses in grades kindergarten through Algebra 2 and families
Date: February 3, 2026
This session focuses on the new math tools your child is using this year! We’ll walk you through the updated Savvas materials, share how they support the Standards of Learning, and explain what Momentum Math assessments tell us about your child’s growth. You will also learn how SuccessMaker can help support your child’s learning at home in a personalized way.
Presenters: Christopher Latham, Supervisor of Elementary Math, and Dr. Justin Maffei, Supervisor of Secondary Math, with Prince William County Public Schools
Watch Supporting Student Success: Understanding New Math Resources and Tools
Target Audience: All PWCS students and families
Date: September 18, 2025
This session focuses on exploring how schools can foster strong attendance by prioritizing the unique needs of students and families. Whether it's through food access, mental health support, or flexible communication, these efforts build trust and engagement, making attendance a natural outcome. Strong attendance is not just about tracking absences, it is about creating a culture where students and families feel seen, supported, and motivated to show up every day.
Presenter: Kim McClarin, Supervisor of Student Prevention Programs and Family Assistance, with Prince William County Public Schools
Watch The Secret Ingredient for Stronger Attendance is Student and Family Support
Target Audience: All PWCS students and families
Date: March 4, 2026
Join us to discover what is new in PWCS! In this webinar, families will learn about the updated grading policy adopted in June 2025. You will learn about what is changing, what stays the same, and how these updates support student success. You will also explore how artificial intelligence is being used by students and staff in PWCS and what it means for learning today. Come share your feedback, ask questions, and get a clear picture of how these changes can benefit your child.
Presenter: Dr. Stephanie Soliven, Associate Superintendent for Teaching and Learning, Patrick Heath, Coordinator of Instructional and Information Technology Training, Patrick Ferraris, Coordinator of Internal Communications and Special Projects, and Elizabeth White, Coordinator of Digital Curriculum, with Prince William County Public Schools
Watch Understanding PWCS Grading, Assessment Policy, and Artificial Intelligence