Poe MS congratulated the staff members above for leading such talented students in their spring musical, "Lion King Jr." (Photo: Poe MS)
Today, Superintendent Brabrand announced to FCPS staff and families that Monday, March 16, will be designated as a staff development day/student holiday, in order to provide an opportunity for staff to prepare for the possibility of distance learning in the event of a school(s) closure. Please check FCPS' Coronavirus page for all COVID-19 updates.
Have you added your cell phone number(s) to Uconnect yet? If not, please do it as soon as possible. Only employees who have listed their cell phone number(s) in UConnect will receive FCPS text messages regarding delayed openings, school closings, and other critical communications. Please follow the steps below to add your cell phone number to UConnect:
- 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.
Please contact HR Connection with questions at 571-423-3000.
If you participated in the Flexible Spending Account (FSA) for 2019, please remember that you have until Tuesday, March 31, to submit claims for your 2019 FSA expenses. You can file your claims through your Optum account. Get instructions for filing a claim. It’s important to file your claims by the March 31 deadline. Any unclaimed 2019 Dependent Care FSA funds will be forfeited. However, up to $500 of unclaimed Health Care FSA funds can be carried to 2020.
We can't get enough of these happy faces! Beech Tree ES Principal Karim Daugherty tweeted this photo, giving thanks to Facilities Management staff "for always taking such great care of Beech Tree!" Pictured from left to right are Trung Truong, kitchen equipment technician; William Viands, plumber; and Armando Sanchez, assistant building supervisor at Beech Tree ES. (Photo: Esther Baca, Administrative Assistant/Finance, Beech Tree ES)
FCPS is hosting several open meetings to receive feedback on the draft version of our new Family Engagement Policy. The policy's purpose is to promote effective and meaningful family-school partnerships–inclusive of all families–as an essential element in supporting student success. We invite parents, staff, students, and community members to attend one of the meetings. The first will be held Thursday, March 12, 9-10 a.m., at Lake Anne ES. View the full schedule.
The Foundation for FCPS invites teachers, counselors, and other school personnel to apply for the annual work-based learning grant program. The Foundation funds classroom initiatives that are focused on developing career-connected experiences that enable students to reinforce and deepen their classroom learning, explore future career fields, and demonstrate their acquired Portrait of a Graduate skills.
Grant amounts will range from $1,000-$2,500. The application period is open now through April 15. Funding will be provided in August for the 2020-21 school year. View information about the grants and access the application. Please contact Amy Verdin with questions at foundation@fcps.edu or 571-423-1031.
#OurFCPS Faces: Tamara Nagle
Cub Run ES librarian Eric Timpson (left) and Assistant Principal Shelia Sobeski (right) celebrate teacher Tamara Nagle (center) for being named an FCPS Cares of the Month recipient.
Tamara Nagle believes, “Every child needs one teacher who is irrationally crazy about him or her.” It is that kind of belief that reaps success for students. Tamara is a noncategorical teacher at Cub Run ES, which means her special education classroom contains students with a wide variety of special needs and capabilities.
Tamara has been teaching at FCPS for 22 years. Her previous schools include Dogwood ES and London Towne ES. She says the best parts of her job are “seeing the kids excited to be at school and even more excited when they realize they can do something. Seeing the academic growth and positive behavior improvements. Working with fantastic teams over the years.”
Tamara’s “why” is simple: “Because I can have an impact here.” And she definitely does. Here's what Jenni Coakley, Cub Run's principal, had to say about the recent FCPS Cares of the Month recipient: “Tamara Nagle has taken the FCPS Theory of Action to heart (To Continuously Improve Teaching and Student Learning). In particular, she has embraced Dr. Brabrand’s commitment to knowing each student by name and by need. She is now reaping the benefits of student success that is suggested will follow. This year, she began working with a student new to our building who had a significant number of absences last year and generally left most days after two or three hours of instruction due to behavior concerns."
Coworker Eric Timpson, who nominated Tamara for an FCPS Cares of the Month, picks up where Jenni left off: “Mrs. Nagle assembled her team and collaborated with our administration to garner support for her goal of keeping this child in school. So far this year, attendance has dramatically improved, the student is regularly making it through the entire day, [...] and their school work is flourishing.”
Tamara, thank you for making such a tremendous impact on FCPS students!
Teachers and Administrators: Join the Schooltalk Twitter Chat
The Equity and Cultural Responsiveness team, @FCPSEquity, along with @FairhillES, @teamhunstad, and @BrigidDu, invite you to join their Twitter chat on Schooltalk: Rethinking What We Say About–and to–Students Every Day by Mica Pollock. Come share, reflect, and rethink what we say about–and to–our students every day! Prepare for the chat by viewing these questions and this Schooltalk article on Teaching Tolerance. If you're new to Twitter chats, please refer to these helpful tips.
Register now to participate in Well Traveled, the latest online wellness challenge, where you can virtually travel across America by logging your physical activity, sleep, and produce servings. You can travel alone or with a team, visiting interesting destinations along the way. There are also great health-related prizes participants can earn such as gym bags, yoga mats, Fitbits, and gift cards to Target, Amazon, and Dick’s Sporting Goods! The challenge begins Monday, March 23.
Get the details on Employee Wellness' webpage. Then, create an account and register for the challenge. Questions? Please email fitnesschallenge@fcps.edu.
FCPS' annual retirement ceremony, We Honor You–Celebrating Your Service to FCPS, will be held April 29, at 6 p.m., at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. The evening will begin with an hors d’oeuvre reception, followed by a recognition ceremony with Superintendent Brabrand, the Leadership Team, and the School Board.
Print invitations have been sent to the homes of those who have retired since the April 2019 retirement ceremony and to those who submitted their Notification of Resignation-Retirement form (HR-2) with a retirement date prior to December 31, 2020. If you did not receive an invitation and you believe you should have, please email WeHonorYou@fcps.edu. Visit the Retirement Ceremony webpage for more information.
The SSEAC election will be held April 21-23, to fill the following representative vacancies:
Two-Year Term
- Group 2–Central Office Clerical/Technical.
- Group 5–Trades/Maintenance/Security.
- Group 6–Finance Support and Supply Operations.
- Group 9–School-Based Clerical.
Three-Year Term
A petition to nominate candidates is available on the SSEAC’s webpage. Interested candidates must submit a petition signed by 20 employees who work in their specific community-of-interest group (for example, an HVAC technician should sign up for Group 5) and must also submit a statement of no more than 50 words describing why they would be the best candidate for the position. Petitions and statements must be returned to Gatehouse Administration Center, Office of Equity and Employee Relations (EER), Suite 2517, by March 27. If you have any questions, please contact EER at 571-423-3252.
It’s the second week of Equity in Education Month! Kim Amenabar, Equity and Cultural Responsiveness educational specialist with the Office of Professional Learning and Family Engagement, talks about the need for students to be able to identify with their learning and see other perspectives in their learning. Watch this short video.
Responses to the 2020 Census will shape how more than $675 billion in federal funding is distributed annually to local communities. For FCPS those resources include Title I aid, the National School Lunch Program, Head Start, and special education grants. Around mid-March, census post cards will be arriving in mailboxes encouraging families to complete the census online, by mail, or by phone. Please spread the word to help ensure every child is counted in FCPS! Visit the 2020 Census website.
March is National Athletic Training Month. This year’s theme is “ATs Impact Health Care Through Action,” an appropriate slogan reflecting the important role certified athletic trainers employed by FCPS play in keeping our students safe. Through educational programs for students, parents and coaches, pre-season sports screenings, and emergency planning, these nationally-certified and state-licensed medical professionals are dedicated to promoting the health and safety of our student-athletes before, during, and after practices and competitions. Visit FCPS' Athletic Training Program page.
Correction
In last week's article entitled, "Apply to Serve on the ERFC Board of Trustees," the correct dates for the electronic election should have been listed as March 31-April 2. We apologize for the error.
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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