School psychologists were recently recognized by the School Board in honor of School Psychology Awareness Week. (Photo: Office of Psychology Services)
When FCPS cancels or delays the opening of school due to inclement weather or other emergencies, staff, students, and parents are notified in multiple ways as soon as the decision is made.
FCPS' official Twitter account, @fcpsnews (with the blue checkmark), is where you'll first see closing or delay announcements. Here’s why: We have found Twitter to be the fastest, most effective method of disseminating news. Once “tweet” is clicked, the message appears instantly on FCPS’ Twitter page. You don’t need to have a Twitter account to see FCPS’ tweets. Either bookmark the page or text “follow @fcpsnews” to 40404, and you’ll receive SMS text updates.
Additional communication channels used to announce a delayed opening or closure include FCPS’ public website, email, text, Facebook, television stations, radio stations, and Channel 21. Subscribers to the Delayed Openings and School Closings email on News You Choose will also be notified. Please keep in mind that there may be a delay from the time messages are transmitted to them being received by users. For example, more than 430,000 emails and texts are being transmitted during every weather closure or delay. But, FCPS has no control over how long it takes cell and internet service providers to distribute emails and texts to customers.
We are aware that many employees did not receive an email and/or text notification of FCPS' weather closure announcements last Thursday. This issue was due to an apparent infrastructure issue at Blackboard Connect, the outside vendor currently used to disseminate essential communications via email and text. FCPS has contracted with a new vendor to handle essential communications which will be will be implemented in December. Stay tuned for more details on that implementation.
Please view FCPS' Weather Cancellation Procedures page for more information on weather closings and delays.
 In case you missed it yesterday, Superintendent Brabrand's weekly video message had a Thanksgiving twist. Four staff members, all FCPS graduates, joined Dr. Brabrand around a Thanksgiving table to talk about what makes FCPS so special. You'll be surprised by some of the staff members' unique connection to FCPS. Take a look!
Congratulations to the FCPS Cares of the Month recipients for October:
- Central Office: Daureen Burton-Richardson, Financial Services
- Region 1: Kay Kim, Aldrin ES
- Region 2: Katie Marrefi, Poe MS
- Region 3: Cathy Bowman, Hollin Meadows ES
- Region 4: Jill Halter, Mountain View HS
- Region 5: Larkin Gibas, Frost MS
See what makes the winners special. Acknowledge the great work of an FCPS employee.
Photo of the Week
Lanier MS' confident custodial team was excited to learn helpful tips and tricks to increase their comfort with technology. As Matt Bechtel, Lanier's instructional technology coach and SBTS tweeted, "We are ALL a community of learners." (Photo: Matt Bechtel)
After-School Specials for Instructional Coaching
FCPS' Instructional Coaching Program is hosting three after-school specials for teacher leaders interested in becoming an instructional coach for the 2019-20 school year. Sessions will be held on January 10, February 21, and March 7, 2019, from 4:45-7:45 p.m., at Willow Oaks. The sessions will focus on the instructional coaching model in FCPS, roles of an instructional coach, and application process. Interested teacher leaders should register for one of the sessions in MyPLT. Search for course IC-1001. Please contact Michelle Lis, mllis@fcps.edu, for more information.
Stephen Giese is Fairhill ES' sensational school-based technology specialist (SBTS) and web curator. He has worked at FCPS for 10 years. Prior to his arrival at Fairhill, Stephen taught 5th and 6th grades at Armstrong ES and Colvin Run ES.
As an SBTS, Stephen gets to "collaborate with teachers as they integrate technology into the classroom." He adds, "I plan with teachers and brainstorm how to meet the needs of their learners through technology. Together, we plan opportunities to engage students and allow them choice in both how they learn content and how they demonstrate their knowledge through the use of technology." He also facilitates professional learning around digital resources and builds the foundation for collaboration through digital tools.
Stephen’s work as a web curator was recently recognized for excellence in web design and use of web-based tools in the 2018 Best of the Web Awards. Judges stated, “The revolving hero image on [Fairhill's] homepage offers a variety of views inside the school, and the subpages are rich with content [...]."
Principal Candace Hunstad says, “Stephen is the best of the best. He is the go-to resource teacher in our building. He supports teachers, students, and families with an infinite amount of patience and always with a smile. [...] During his day, you can often find Stephen taking great pictures of all the fun things happening around the building, co-teaching with classroom teachers, and helping put out any and all technology issues. His always positive attitude makes Fairhill a great place for staff to work and for children to learn.”
Stephen says, “I love so many aspects of my job. Each day is different, and I have the opportunity to work with all of the teachers and all of the students at our school." He is also very grateful. “Our school is a Positivity Project Partner School, and I have done a lot of reflecting on the character strength of Gratitude. In both my professional and personal life, I am grateful for each day as an opportunity to learn and grow and positively impact the lives of others.”
In his free time, Stephen enjoys spending time with his wife and three kids. He also enjoys coaching baseball, going to Washington Nationals games, and spending time outdoors with his family.
Stephen, we are very grateful for your impact on students and staff!
FCPS' Equity and Cultural Responsiveness team is co-hosting a #NoVAedchat with Dr. Sharroky Hollie, author of "Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Teaching and Learning," and Nina Thomas, coordinator, Professional Learning and Cultural Responsiveness. The Twitter chat will be held Wednesday, November 28, 8-9 p.m., and will focus on equity and cultural responsiveness in the classroom. Prepare to share your passion and practice for creating an optimal environment for all students and staff to thrive! Please register via MyPLT. Chat participants will receive professional development credit. Please contact Nina Thomas, jathomas1@fcps.edu, with questions.
Each Tuesday, we highlight one of FCPS' amazing teachers on Instagram as part of our #TeacherTuesday series. So, hop on over to our IG page and check out today's #TeacherTuesday profile!
Thanksgiving Closure for Schools and Offices
 All schools and offices will be closed Wednesday, November 21-Friday, November 23, for the Thanksgiving holiday. Enjoy your time off and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
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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