Three proud principals were pleased to promote FCPS to prospective employees at a recruitment fair in Millersville, Pennsylvania. Principals include (from left to right) Aimee Monticchio, Hughes MS; Maureen Marshall, Stratford Landing ES; and Christine Slattery, Garfield ES.
FCPS’
2019-20 School Year Calendar Survey Is Open!
Want to weigh in on the development of the 2019-20 School Year
(SY) Calendar? Here’s your chance! This morning, all contracted employees should have
received an email from FCPS Survey with a link to the calendar survey. Parents and families
will also be invited to take a similar survey. Data from both groups will be
used to propose the SY 2019-20 calendar to the School Board.
Your participation is critical in helping
leadership make the right decisions as a division, so please take the survey at
your earliest convenience. All responses are confidential. Questions?
Please contact slwayland@fcps.edu.
Nomination materials for team and individual
Excellence Awards are now available. Excellence Awards celebrate teams or
individuals who exceed expectations in supporting the initiatives of the FCPS Strategic Plan. Each winner will receive a $1,000 cash award and a certificate
from the superintendent presented at a ceremony in the fall.
Nominations close on May 11; this is the date packets must be at the region or department assistant superintendent’s office for
signature and submission. Please visit the Excellence Awards page for information on award eligibility, the
nomination process, and to access nomination materials.
Fairfax County, as well as the entire DC region, will be testing the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) system on Thursday, April 5, between 10-11 a.m. WEA is a public safety system allowing people who use cellphones and other enabled mobile devices to receive geographically-targeted, text-like messages about threats to safety in their area. So, don’t be surprised when your phone gives off a loud buzz–it’s only a test. Find out more about the WEA test on Fairfax County's website.
Photo of the Week
Pi Day resulted in an infinite number of pie-ssibilities for Lynne Bursch and other members of Instructional Services' Math Office. We hear it took about 3.14 employees to make each pie. (Photo: @FCPSMathTeacher on Twitter)
Long-Term Disability Plan Premium Increase
The cost you pay for your Long-Term Disability benefits per pay period has increased as of April 1. The new rate is 0.333/100, based upon your salary. Your April paycheck will show this increased deduction. There are no changes to the other related Long-Term Disability plan benefits. If you have any questions, please contact the Disability and Leaves Office at disabilityandleaves@fcps.edu.
The annual
retirement ceremony, We Honor You–Celebrating Your Service to FCPS, will
be held on May 8, 6 p.m., at Thomas Jefferson High School for
Science and Technology. The evening begins with an hors d’oeuvre reception for
retirees, along with their family and friends. This is followed by a
recognition ceremony with the superintendent, Leadership Team, and the School
Board.
Those planning to
retire should submit their Notification of Resignation-Retirement form (HR-2)
as soon as possible. Invitations will be sent this month to those who have
retired since the 2017 retirement ceremony last May and those who plan to
retire prior to December 31, 2018. Find more information about the retirement
ceremony, including photos from previous ceremonies, on the Retirement Ceremony webpage. Please email
questions to WeHonorYou@fcps.edu.
An electronic election to fill one trustee
position on the Board of Trustees for the Educational Employees’ Supplementary
Retirement System of Fairfax County (ERFC) will be held April 24-26. Notice 4771 outlines
the election process and includes a petition for interested candidates to use
in qualifying for the election. Candidates must also submit a statement for
inclusion in election materials, explaining in 100 words or less their
qualifications for the trustee position. Petitions and candidate statements
must be returned to the Office of Equity and Employee Relations (EER), Suite
2615, Gatehouse Administration Center, 8115 Gatehouse Road, Falls Church, VA
22042, by 4:30 p.m. on April 6. If you have questions, please call EER at
571-423-3252.
#OurFCPS Faces: Rachel Olarinde
Falls Church HS Principal Benjamin Nowak and English Teacher Rachel Olarinde
FCPS' Strategic Plan Goal 2–Caring Culture states "We commit to foster a
responsive, caring, and inclusive culture where all feel valued, supported, and
hopeful." Rachel Olarinde truly exemplifies
this statement. Rachel is an English teacher at Falls Church HS as well as a recent FCPS Cares of the Month winner.
Day Leary, English Department chair, submitted an FCPS Cares on Rachel's behalf. In it, Day shared that "Rachel goes above and
beyond to pay careful attention to the mental health of our students. She
figured out that the locker right outside of her classroom had a broken lock,
so she turned it into The Locker of Hope. In that locker, she leaves gum
and treats, inspirational quotes, good books, and pamphlets for students who
may want to know how to get help with mental health issues. She never
shies away from engaging in tough conversations and in multiple situations, Rachel has
been told by students that she is the reason they reached out for help."
Rachel is in
her 7th year at FCPS and at Falls Church HS. She loves talking about literature and language
with students. She adds, “I love that everything is always different from day to
day. I hate being bored.” In her free
time, Rachel enjoys writing stories and poems, playing tennis, and
“engaging in massive projects that I can never hope to finish.“
Rachel, thank you for changing–and perhaps even saving–students' lives.
Grab some co-workers and take a virtual walk around the Hawaiian Islands by registering for the Ola Ala Fitness Challenge!
This six-week online fitness challenge, hosted by the Employee Wellness Program, will take you and your co-workers across the beautiful islands of Hawaii. You will travel from Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, learning more about Hawaii and its culture along the way. Create a team and log active minutes to progress along the route. As a bonus, participants will have chances to win Fitbits, gift cards to Amazon, Target, and Dick’s Sporting Goods, as well as other health-related prizes.
The challenge begins on April 9. Register now through April 13 on the Ola Ala website. Get all of the details on the Employee Wellness website or email fitnesschallenge@fcps.edu.
Mental Health Awareness Workshop
At one time or another, most people experience
symptoms of mental illness. Too frequently, the response to such symptoms in
the workplace is confusion, fear, judgment, avoidance, and rejection. This
leads to a worsening of symptoms and a deterioration of performance.
Employees are encouraged to attend
the Employee Assistance Program's (EAP's) Mental Health Awareness
Workshop on May 1, 5 p.m., at Gatehouse Administration Center. The event is
designed to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness and promote
ways of supporting one another in the workplace. The session will address signs
and symptoms of distress and effective ways of providing support for
coworkers. To attend, please register on MyPLT for
#HR-808040, section 2018-2.
FCPS' 13th annual Special
Education Conference will be held on Saturday, April 21, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Hayfield
SS. Dr. Pamela Mims, the keynote speaker, will present Using Evidence to
Guide Practice: Justifying Inclusion for All. Choose from over 60 workshops. Register now.
Staff Staples
Note: Intranet access is required to open some of the links in this email. If you're using a mobile device or working remotely, you can connect to the intranet via the Pulse Secure VPN (Virtual Private Network). Email RequestIT@fcps.edu with questions.
Employee News is sent to all FCPS employees every Tuesday. Please email EmployeeNews@fcps.edu with potential submissions or questions. Submissions are due by 4:30 p.m. on Thursdays. Thank you!
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