Sunrise Valley Elementary in Reston has earned Virginia's Purple Star designation three years running, and the school's playbook for welcoming military-connected students is now the template as Fairfax County Public Schools works toward becoming a certified Purple Star Division.

That district-wide goal got a visible boost Saturday, Aug. 1, when FCPS and Blue Star Families hosted the third annual Mission Ready: Back to School Resource Fair at West Springfield High School, according to FCPS. The event, open to active-duty, National Guard, Reserve and veteran families, offered school supplies, information tables staffed by FCPS offices and community partners, and a room full of people who understand what a mid-year permanent-change-of-station move feels like.

"We're really committed to working on building relationships for our military families," FCPS family partnerships specialist Katie Server said at the fair. "Bringing everybody together really lets them have that village around them that they need to feel welcome, feel like they belong, and to help with anything they may need."

Children picked up supplies, played games and made new friends while parents moved table to table asking about the year ahead.

Deborah Judy, a Navy spouse and FCPS parent, described arriving in Fairfax County after three years in England and leaning on a military liaison counselor to help her children adjust to the size of local schools and settle into a normal routine. She said the transition was positive and smooth.

The Giffen family knows the drill. Jack, an 11th-grader at Robinson Secondary, has lived in Alaska, California, Texas, Missouri, Kansas and Virginia more than once during his father Matt Giffen's nearly 20-year Army career. His mother, Jessica Giffen, said the family returned to the same house and school community they had left, because her sons asked to come back.

Reston's Purple Star model

Sunrise Valley earned its third consecutive Purple Star designation in October 2025. The award requires staff training, dedicated resources and year-round programming such as Purple Up! Day and Blue Star Welcome Week. The school's family liaison serves as a single point of contact for incoming military families, smoothing transitions and connecting them to community resources.

The Purple Star Division goal means equipping every school in the district to serve military-connected students, according to the district's back-to-school announcement. The effort ties to Goal 2 of the 2023–30 FCPS Strategic Plan: students feeling safe, supported, included and empowered.

What Reston military families should know

The first day of school is Monday, Aug. 24. Families who missed the fair can sign up for the FCPS Military Family newsletter or email the Office of Family and School Partnerships with questions about enrollment, transitions or available support.