Liberty MS administrators are masked up and ready to take on the world!
FCPS is monitoring COVID-19 health data every day to make decisions on when students and staff can return for in-person learning. The school division posts the regional health data collected by the Virginia Department of Health on the COVID-19 Health Metrics webpage and monitors two core indicators related to coronavirus infections: the number of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people and the percentage of people who test positive for COVID-19. Both indicators are increasing in Northern Virginia.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has set thresholds to help school communities understand the risk of introduction and transmission of COVID-19 in schools. View thresholds for Groups 1-6.
Today's health data shows 381.6 cases per 100,000 people in the last 14 days and 8.2% positive test cases in the past 14 days. FCPS will continue to monitor community health data closely, and bring additional groups of students and teachers back for in-person instruction as soon as it is safe to do so.
Congratulations to FCPS CARES of the Month recipients for October! The winners are:
- Central Office: Brad Hollis, Instructional Programs Support Center, Instructional Services.
- Region 1: Nick Sylor and Padma Iddamalgoda, Madison HS.
- Region 2: Joshua Floyd, Glasgow MS.
- Region 3: Angela Perez, Whitman MS.
- Region 4: Kristy Carballo, Robinson SS.
- Region 5: Emily Tobin and Michelle McCoy, Deer Park ES.
See what makes the winners special. Recognize a staff member today.
Photo of the Week
Madiha Nassimi, a special education teacher at Waples Mill ES, works with students virtually. Elmo is happy to help.
Congratulations to Our Newest Principals
We are excited to acknowledge our newest principals:
Please join us in congratulating them!
Instructional Coaching Program Information Nights
Teacher leaders interested in applying for the instructional coaching candidate pool for the 2021-22 school year are invited to attend one of two virtual information nights. During these sessions, teachers will:
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Learn more about the roles of an instructional coach and the FCPS instructional coaching model.
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Learn about the qualifications and application process.
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Have an opportunity to ask questions and learn from experienced instructional coaches.
Please click one of the dates below to register via MyPDE:
Contact Michelle Lis with questions at mllis@fcps.edu.
#OurFCPS Faces: Sue Chappell
“Bring on 2021!” says Susan “Sue” Chappell. As the administrative assistant (AA) at Woodburn School for the Fine and Communicative Arts, Sue really misses being face-to-face with students and staff. But, despite the challenges brought on my the pandemic, she and her colleagues are making it work. Sue explains, “Different supply lists, supplies for home, supplies for school–both for teachers and students. Setting up rooms, cleaning schedules, stickers on the floor…a whole lot of coordination goes into all of it.”
Sue, her husband, and their children are proud FCPS alums. She attended Cedar Lane ES (now an alternative high school), Thoreau MS, and James Madison HS. Fun Fact: She met her husband in seventh grade.
Sue began her FCPS career at Oakton HS 28 years ago as a part-time cashier in the cafeteria. She cooked sometimes as well. The flexible hours allowed her to be at home with her young children and earn full-time benefits. Seven years later, Sue took a part-time office assistant job at Woodburn. She later became the principal’s administrative assistant, which she has been for 17 years.
Principal Katy Richman says that Sue is “the most amazing AA and plays an instrumental role in maintaining our positive school culture. There is nothing she cannot do. She is a loyal assistant to me, an ear and source of support for many of our staff, and an advocate for using our funds to support students. I could go on and on.”
Sue says she loves the financial aspect of the job, but “bottom line,” it’s the relationships she’s formed at Woodburn and within FCPS that keep her here. She adds, “When I started at Woodburn, I was one of the youngest and now I’m the…YIKES, oldest! Woodburn’s a great place to work!”
In her free time, Sue enjoys being with her two children and three grandchildren (ages 8, 1 ½, and 6 months). She says, “We may be in a pandemic, but they are in my bubble!" Sue is also an amateur cake decorator. She made her first wedding cake last year for her daughter’s wedding.
Sue’s biggest news is that she’s on the road to retirement. She boasts, “I’m a bit over a year into the county’s DROP [Deferred Retirement Option Program]. I’ll be retiring from FCPS on October 1, 2022, with 30 years of service!”
Can we make that date flexible, Sue? We're looking forward to many more years of your dedicated service!
Employee Wellness is hosting a four-part mindfulness series this month, in partnership with Kaiser Permanente. During the sessions, you will learn the basics of mindfulness and meditation, and how this practice can help you feel calmer, focused, and less caught up in a constant stream of thinking. The sessions will also explore how to be more at peace with what comes up in daily life through the practice of acceptance, self-kindness, and gratitude. Employees who participate in at least two sessions will be entered in a raffle to win a wellness prize!
Read the full course description (VPN required). Sign up today. Questions? Please email HRWellness@fcps.edu.
The November 30 Coping with Compassion webinar session will be held on Monday, December 7, at noon. The webinar will raise awareness of maintaining appropriate self-care, despite the demands of professional or personal pressures. Please register now.
NOTE: If you cannot attend the live session, please register to receive the recording.
For additional information, visit our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Guidance Resources online, and use Web ID: FCPS, or call our EAP at 1-855-355-9097.
The Foundation for FCPS’ Kids in Need initiative is partnering with FCPS for our annual gift card drive to benefit homeless students. FCPS typically identifies up to 3,000 children per year as homeless. Many of them are unaccompanied, living without a parent or legal guardian. Securing essential needs such as clothing, medicine, emergency food, and hygiene supplies is even more of a struggle since the pandemic began.
If you are able to help, please make a donation which will be used to purchase gift cards and empower students to make purchases for their own personal needs. If you would like to donate a physical gift card(s), please mail it to:
Patti Parisi
Gatehouse Administrative Center, 4214
8115 Gatehouse Road
Falls Church, VA 22042
Please contact Patti Parisi with questions at poparisi@fcps.edu. Thank you!
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 ITServiceDesk@fcps.edu with questions.
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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