This Mount Vernon Woods ES team won first place in the Magic Carpet Ride, which was part of the #MVWWinterfest celebration. (Photo: Clint Mitchell, principal)
FCPS is now using a new vendor to provide emergency and essential email, text, and phone notifications. Only employees who have listed their cell phone number(s) in UConnect, will receive FCPS text messages messages for delayed openings, school closings, and other critical communications. If you haven't checked UConnect yet, please follow the steps below:
- Log into UConnect.
- Click Bookmarks > Employee Self Service > Personal Information > Contact Numbers.
- Click Add.
- On the Detail section, click Contact Type, then select Cell Phone.
- Enter your cell phone number in the Phone Number field.
- Enter the Start Date or leave on the default date (today’s date).
- Click Update.
Contact HR Technology Support with questions at 571-423-3350.
Congratulations to the FCPS Cares of the Month recipients for November:
Central Office
Gary Ricci, Ulli Vaerst, Robbie Hellman, Chris Draper, and Riya Mehta–Willow Oaks
Schools
- Madina Niaz, Navy ES
- Maurice Hirsh, Justice HS
- Abby Boduch, Helen Luk, Megan McColley, Stacie Saucedo, Mary Wall, and Amy Wickham–Lynbrook ES
- Janice Dalton, Laurel Hill ES
- Anne Buellesbach, Lake Braddock SS
- J Taylor, London Towne ES
See what makes the winners special. Acknowledge the great work of an FCPS employee.
Helpful Tips for Tax Season
Once the holiday season ends, tax season begins. Start preparing now with these simple tips from the Office of Payroll Management:
- Keep your last pay advice from 2018 within reach.
- Take advantage of the IRS Withholding Calculator.
- Once your W2 arrives (on or around January 31), put it in a safe place with your other tax-related documents.
- Remember to consult your tax professional about your 2019 W4 withholding forms and make updates online in UConnect.
Photo of the Week
Just another day at Annandale HS, where the principal chills with Dave Grohl! Principal Tim Thomas tweeted, “Went outside to investigate a film crew on campus, only to discover that it was Dave Grohl from @foofighters, who went to AHS and whose mother was an English teacher at AHS. What a treat! Go Atoms!!” That’s Chris Tippins, AHS’ Safety and Security specialist, on the left. Rock on, Annandale! (Photo: Tim Thomas)
Holiday style is back and bolder than ever in schools across FCPS! Crestwood ES, pictured above, is no exception. (Is that a snowman suit?!) Take a break and make your way to our Facebook page for more fun and festive holiday fashions. We'll continue to add photos to the photo album throughout the week! (Photo: Crestwood ES)
Change to SACC’s Inclement Weather Policy
School-Age Child Care’s (SACC) inclement weather policy for days when FCPS announces a two-hour delayed opening has been revised. Effective January 7, 2019, on days when FCPS announces a two-hour delay, SACC centers will open at 8 a.m. (instead of 7 a.m.) for children enrolled in the before-school session. SACC's one-hour delayed opening will provide additional time for road conditions to improve and be adequately assessed, and for parking lots and sidewalks to be cleared as needed.
#OurFCPS Faces: Jessica Albright
Jessica Albright in Madagascar.
Jessica Albright is a sixth grade teacher at Lemon Road ES. She's in her seventh year at FCPS and all of them have been at Lemon Road. Jessica says the best part of her job is “getting to know my students and learning what makes them unique, then working as a class to appreciate and embrace differences and a variety of personalities in order to collaborate well with each other and work together as a positive community.” She also enjoys "celebrating student successes and collaborating with a fun, resourceful, caring staff."
Principal Ashley Castillo says, “Jessica Albright is a passionate sixth grade teacher-leader [...]. She brings a wealth of knowledge about best practices about teaching, equity, and the natural ability to build relationships with each of her students, colleagues, and parents.”
Jessica is also a part of FCPS' newly-formed Equity and Cultural Responsiveness Team (ECR). She partners with ECR specialists to plan and deliver professional development to Lemon Road staff. Jessica started an Equity Team at the school, which participates in a Cultural Proficiency Cohort. Among other activities, she “provides ideas and insights on equity and culturally-responsive teaching for the weekly staff newsletter." Jessica also monitors a Region 2 shared folder (which she created) for equity leads to share their work so others can use similar ideas.
Ashley adds, “As an equity lead, Jess has hit the ground running. She meets regularly with school administration to plan meaningful ways to package equity as a priority that aligns with each of our goals rather than an additional component."
In her free time, Jessica enjoys traveling, hiking, reading, playing board games, and watching or attending baseball (Red Sox) and football (Patriots) games.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and passion with staff and students, Jessica!
Academy Catalog Spring 2019
The FCPS Academy course program offers a wide variety of professional learning opportunities to instructional staff for the purpose of increasing knowledge and enhancing skills aligned with Division priorities. This spring, 90 unique courses with newly formatted course descriptions are being offered! Registration will begin on January 8, 2019, at 5 p.m. Some of the offerings follow:
- A Proactive Instructional Approach to Classroom Management
- Building a Trauma-Informed Classroom
- Best Practices for Teaching and Learning: Applications for School Librarians
- Intentionally Planning for, Teaching, and Assessing Portrait of a Graduate
- Growth Mindset and Best Practices in Advanced Academics
- Developing a Culture of Deeper Learning to (re) Consider Teaching and Education
To access the Academy Course Catalog, please log into MyPLT. Click the “Course Offerings” tab, on the upper left. On the left sidebar, scroll down to "Catalog" and select “Academy Catalog.” (If you're using a mobile device, start by clicking the three bars on the top right.) Please contact Ji Ahn, Academy@fcps.edu, with questions.
More than 1,610 homeless children are enrolled in FCPS; 383 of them are without a parent or guardian. As part of the mission of the Foundation for FCPS to serve our kids in need, FCPS' Homeless Liaison Office is collecting gift cards to give to our homeless or unaccompanied youth for their basic needs throughout the year. Here's how you can help:
- Purchase as many gift cards, in any amount, as you would like. (Walmart, Target, and grocery store gift cards are suggested.) Be sure to mark the value on the back of the card(s).
- Send gift cards to Patti Parisi, Financial Services, Gatehouse, Room 4214; Tina West, Special Services, Willow Oaks, Room 2109; or Amy Verdin, Foundation for FCPS, Gatehouse, Suite 5101.
- No time to shop? Send cash or checks to The Foundation for FCPS, or donate online. The Homeless Liaison Office will do the shopping for you.
Last year, because of the kindness and generosity of FCPS employees, families, and friends, more than $7,200 in cash and gift cards was collected. We hope you'll help again this year! Please contact Patti Parisi, 571-423-3750, with questions.
FCPS' 14th Annual Special Education Conference will be held on Saturday, April 6, 2019, at Lake Braddock SS. The event will focus on supporting inclusive and post-secondary practices for students with disabilities. Registration will begin in February 2019. FCPS educators, administrators, and pre-service teachers will be able to earn five recertification points for attending the entire conference. Visit the Special Education Conference website or email prc@fcps.edu with questions.
All schools will be closed for winter break December 24, 2018-January 4, 2019. Twelve-month employees will be on vacation December 24-January 1. Access the 2018-19 Employee Calendar.
This is our last issue of Employee News for 2018. We will return on Tuesday, January 8, 2019. Have a memorable, magical holiday, and thank you for reading Employee News!
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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