New school psychologists connected at FCPS' Great Beginnings Summer Institute. (Photo: FCPS Office of Psychology Services)
Would you like to gain a better understanding of how teacher leaders positively impact schools and the Division? Are you interested in building your knowledge and skills around core teacher leadership competencies? If so, the Office of Professional Learning and Family Engagement invites you to apply for an upcoming Teacher Leadership Cohort. Please visit the Teacher Leader Cohort webpage on the intranet to learn more about each cohort and access the application. The deadline for submitting applications is October 4. Please email questions to Raegan Hanson at rnhanson@fcps.edu.
Blood Drive at Sideburn Support Center
The Office of Facilities Management will be hosting a blood drive on Thursday, September 26, from 6-10 a.m., at the Sideburn Support Center (across from Robinson SS). Please donate if you can. Friends and family may participate as well. Blood donations take about one hour, and platelet donations take about two hours. A free breakfast will be provided for those who attempt to donate. Please tell your supervisor that you are donating blood or platelets! Questions? Contact Sharon Allen at 703-764-2405 or skallen@fcps.edu.
Photo of the Week
West Springfield HS principals from the past and present attended the school's Ribbon Cutting Ceremony last week. Mark Greenfelder (left), executive director, Office of School Support, was principal from 2011-2014. Mike Mukai (center) has been West Springfield's principal since 2014. Paul Wardinski (right) was principal from 2007-2011. Above, they are each holding the school Spartan "S" from the school's original signage. Fun Fact: All three staff members are FCPS grads! Mark attended West Springfield HS. Mike went to Thomas Jefferson HS for Science and Technology. And, Paul graduated from Mount Vernon HS. (Photo: West Springfield HS)
Are you wondering who's brand new, moving up, or moving around at FCPS? Be sure to check out People on the Move on the intranet! There's also a link to it at the bottom of every Employee News issue.
The Foundation for FCPS is the separate 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports FCPS and its students. It can help schools and staff in several ways. For example, the Foundation:
- Offers teacher grants between $1,000-$2,500 to fund innovative projects centered around workforce development. In the past two years, the Foundation has given more than $150,000 to teachers in FCPS. Watch for their next grant cycle in spring 2020.
- Accepts donations for schools from their communities. They handle all aspects of the giving process, from working with donors to acknowledgements and recognition. They can even set up a special dedicated donation link.
- Assists the 56,000 FCPS students in need by raising community funds to provide essential school supplies and necessities.
- Celebrates FCPS employees with financial support of the annual FCPS Honors, as well as divisionwide recognition events.
Visit the Foundation's website or call 571-423-1031 for more information.
#OurFCPS Faces: Hanna Nguyen
If Hanna Nguyen looks familiar, it may be because she was named 2019 Outstanding Elementary New Teacher at FCPS. Hanna teaches fifth grade at Garfield ES. She started teaching in August 2017 and has been making a tremendous impact on students ever since. Hanna's former colleague Alicia Ogrodny (now at Fort Belvoir ES) submitted the following FCPS Cares submission about Hanna:
"Hanna is an amazing second year teacher who goes above and beyond for her students. She welcomes all students each morning with a smile and a handshake or side hug. She makes sure to pull aside students who need a little pep talk each morning. Hanna takes her lunch time to have lunch bunches with students and really build strong bonds with them. In addition, Hanna is teaching an afternoon hip hop club and also teaches a fifth grade class before school science club."
The following is how Hanna was described at FCPS Honors:
"Hanna radiates positivity and greets her students with a huge smile every morning. She is there for them whenever they need a laugh on a tough day or a motivational talk to remind them to keep trying. Her students have transformed into everything from environmentalists to poets in her classroom. She has the ability to come up with innovative ways to teach content, while getting the kids to dance, rap, compete, or even let their creativity fly through a project. She has taught a hip hop dance club after school and is currently a part of a science club that meets before school. Her passion and love for her students shines through her commitment in helping them see their own true potential."
Thank you, Hanna! Keep shining!
FCPS' sixth annual Mental Health and Wellness Conference will be held on Saturday, October 5, at Fairfax HS, at 8 a.m. Inova and Kaiser Permanente are partnering with FCPS on this event.
From 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m., the focus will be on social and emotional learning. Marc Brackett, Ph.D., founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, will deliver the keynote address. A special session for high school students—the Our Minds Matter Teen Summit—will also be held during the morning. Breakouts will include sessions on stress and anxiety, fostering resilience, healthy use of technology, drugs and the adolescent brain, vaping, and other topics. Attendees are invited to stay for Inova’s Act on Addiction Summit, from 12:30-4 p.m. The summit will offer several breakout sessions addressing substance misuse identification, resources, and recovery. Breakfast and lunch will be provided courtesy of Inova. Register now!
FCPS will host its 2019 Real Assistive Technology for Everyone (RATE) Conference at Carson MS, on Saturday, October 19, from 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. The RATE Conference is an educational technology conference focusing on the use of assistive technology to support all students, especially those with special needs. This year's keynote speaker is Fadel, an FCPS post-secondary student. He will share how assistive technology has impacted his life and school experiences.
FCPS employees will receive five recertification points for attending the conference. View the conference schedule and sessions. Register now!
Join Fairfax County Government for another round of community meetings September 16-25, where you’ll learn more about progress on the first-ever countywide strategic plan. In the months since public feedback yielded nine areas of focus, teams have been working to further define and shape the future of our community in these areas:
- Cultural and recreational opportunities.
- Economic opportunity.
- Education and lifelong learning.
- Effective and efficient government.
- Health and environment.
- Housing and neighborhood livability.
- Mobility and transportation.
- Safety and security.
- Self-sufficiency for people with vulnerabilities.
Come hear about each area, then share your thoughts, insights, opinions, and experiences that will be used to help further shape a countywide strategic plan. Register for a community meeting.
Hispanic Heritage Month is acknowledged annually from September 15-October 15. The celebration was created to honor the rich history, culture, and many contributions of Hispanic Americans. Visit the Library of Congress' website to learn more about Hispanic Heritage Month.
Staff Staples
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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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