 
Bus driver, Bonnie Napper, is all set for her morning route.
Rededication Ceremony of Lewis High School Honors Civil Rights Icon John R. Lewis
John R. Lewis High School in Springfield, Virginia, became the first high school in the nation to be named in honor of the late civil rights icon and congressman.
Last Friday, FCPS held a rededication ceremony for John R. Lewis High School. During the event, attended by multiple dignitaries, elected officials, staff and students, the division and speakers reaffirmed FCPS’ commitment to equity and anti-racist principles. Dr. Brabrand said, “This is an historic day for our school division and our community. This is a moment when we can reflect on our past and look to our future while we continue our important work around equity and anti-racism.”
The Fairfax County School Board voted unanimously to remove the former name last July.
View photos from the ceremony or read more about it.
Retirees–Submit Your HR-2 Retirement Form
Due to the current COVID safety protocols and limits on gatherings, FCPS is regretfully unable to host a central, in-person Retirement Ceremony in 2021. Retirees will be recognized on the FCPS website, and each retiree will receive an engraved retirement gift. Letters have been sent to those who have retired since April 2020 and those who have submitted their Notification of Resignation-Retirement form (HR-2) with a retirement date prior to December 31, 2021. If you received a letter, please go to the link provided to enter your information for the engraved gift. If you did not receive a letter, and you believe you should have, please email elboivin@fcps.edu.
Learn to Teach in Nature; Get2Green Cohort for Teaching in Nature’s Classroom, May 17-August 30
Get2Green is hosting a cohort of FCPS teachers to participate in this free, nationwide Teaching in Nature's Classroom course. Limited garden grant support opportunities are available.
Teaching in Nature’s Classroom is an interactive, reflective course run by author Nathan Larson, as a companion to his book Teaching in Nature’s Classroom: Principles of Garden-Based Education. Learn best practices, collaborate with teachers across the country, and reflect on your own teaching practices in outdoor learning environments with this flexible, self-directed course to engage students in outdoor learning opportunities.
Sign up for the FCPS cohort by May 14. Visit the Teaching in Nature's Classroom site to learn more, opt to receive graduate credit, and download your free copy of the book. Contact Donna Volkmann at dovolkmann@fcps.edu for more information.
Apply for Get2Green Scholarships: Chesapeake Bay Foundation Summer Courses
Get2Green is providing a limited number of full scholarships for K-12 FCPS educators to participate in two Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) summer courses: Northern Virginia: Fostering a Sense of Place with Meaningful Watershed Education Experiences from August 2-6.
Each participant must complete this Google form in order for Get2Green to pay for registration. Please contact Donna Volkmann with questions at dovolkmann@fcps.edu.
Congratulations to Our March FCPS CARES of the Month Winners
- Central Office: Michael Ross – Gatehouse Administration Center.
- Region 1: Julia Bargo – Madison HS.
- Region 2: Jonathan Baker – Haycock ES.
- Region 3: Sofie Khalid-Schieber – Woodley Hills ES.
- Region 4: Jessica Csomay – Robinson SS.
- Region 5: Marcy Fisher – Eagle View ES.
Read more about what makes them special. Recognize a colleague who goes above and beyond to help others and shows they care.
Are You the Victim of Fraudulent Unemployment Claims?
Unemployment insurance fraud has become a national issue that every state is struggling with, including Virginia. Recently several FCPS employees have been impacted by fraudulent Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) claims. To date, the number of employees impacted is relatively small. We have no evidence that this is related to the September 2020 ransomware issue.
If you are contacted by someone from FCPS’ Office of Equity and Employee Relations regarding the possibility of a fraudulent VEC claim filed in your name, you will be directed to take the following steps:
- FCPS will confirm with you if you have applied for VEC benefits within the last two years.
- If not, submit a fraudulent claim/identity theft report directly to VEC.
- Reach out to your local law enforcement agency to file a police report. Reports may be made directly to your school resource officer, if you work with one, made over the phone at 703-691-2131, or online at Financial Crimes Online Reporting (FiCOR) (fairfaxcounty.gov)
As an additional resource, the VEC recently announced that the US Department of Labor has launched a new website in English and in Spanish, to help individuals whose identities have been stolen and used fraudulently to file unemployment.
To contact VEC with specific claim questions, please call 1-866-832-2363 or check their website for additional contact information.
Register for Mental Health Awareness Webinar
Find ways to recognize the signs and symptoms of distress and support coworkers with effective strategies in this mental health awareness webinar. Register now for one of the upcoming sessions.
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. Sign up for our EAP-Wellness Newsletter to get monthly updates and announcements of our Employee Wellness offerings.
Photo of the Week
Dominion Energy’s Solar for Students program gives students first-hand learning on capturing solar energy from a solar array. Centreville Elementary School is the first school in the county to receive a 1.2-kilowatt solar system that converts sunlight into electric power. Students will be able to track the generation of electric power by viewing their system's data online.
Update Your Calendar With Upcoming Religious and Cultural Observances and Employee Leave
FCPS is committed to honoring the religious and cultural diversity of our employees as demonstrated by allowing staff the time away from the workplace to observe those beliefs and practices. As part of the School Year 2021-22 Calendar development, 15 religious and cultural observances were identified. Of the 15 identified observances, the following fall within the fourth quarter: Theravada New Year, April 27, 2022; Orthodox Good Friday, April 30, 2022; and Eid al Fitr, May 13, 2022.
Additionally, a draft update to FCPS Regulation 4817-Religious Accommodations for Employees was proposed. As an interim measure, the updated Regulation 4817 will be in place for the balance of the 2020-21 school year. One significant update to the regulation allows employees to take leave for observances without an opportunity for their supervisor to deny based on operational needs.
Staff can subscribe to have the dates sync with their Google, Outlook, or other online calendar applications. To do so, go to the Subscribe to Calendars web page and select Religious and Cultural Observances.
Register Now for Spring into Motion
It’s a great time of year to commit to your health by joining Spring into Motion! This four-week online wellness challenge is designed to help you boost energy and improve your health while enjoying the benefits of an active lifestyle. View the two-minute preview video. In addition to creating healthy habits, win prizes for you and your school! Questions? Visit the Spring into Motion page (VPN required) or email HRWellness@fcps.edu.
June 8 Primary Election
Tuesday, June 8, is the Democratic Primary Election. Because the Fairfax County Electoral Board and City of Fairfax Electoral Board will be using 165 school facilities as polling locations, June 8 will be a virtual synchronous learning day (no in-person classes) for students. Teachers may teach from their school building or from home.
 Student Athletics Face Mask Updates
Face masks for all outside sports will no longer be required for athletes during times of physical exertion. This includes all Virginia High School League (VHSL) spring sports as well as fall sports that practice and play outdoors. Athletes must wear a mask during all other times when not engaged in physical exertion. This includes when on the sideline, going to and from practice, when huddled as a group during stoppage of play, or as stated, any time not actively engaged in physical exertion. Coaches and all others are always to wear a mask. All indoor sports and outdoor sports athletes coming indoors for practice will always be expected to wear a mask.
VHSL’s specific guidance on masks currently is stated as: “participants should not be required to wear face coverings while actively engaged in workouts or competitions, however, athletes, coaches, and officials should wear masks to the greatest extent possible”.
Please be aware these standards are subject to change based on community and FCPS health conditions and will be reviewed on a regular basis. It is important to continue to take all appropriate precautions to ensure the health and safety of everyone.
Stress Less with Wellness at Work Expo
May is Mental Health Month and FCPS Employee Wellness is celebrating with a Wellness at Work Expo! The daily activities are designed to help you reduce stress and improve your wellbeing. Activities include guided meditations, a seminar and demo about foods that boost mood, a fun virtual dance party, and more! Sign up to participate in the expo.
Questions? View the Wellness at Work Expo flyer to learn more or email HRWellness@fcps.edu.
Access On-Demand Wellness Classes with Wellbeats
Wellbeats is your new on-demand fitness and wellbeing benefit to inspire healthy habits! The platform includes 800+ workouts, nutrition, cooking, and mindfulness classes for all ages, ability levels, and interests and is available to all benefit-eligible employees. Don’t forget to share a picture of your homepage with employee wellness on Twitter or Instagram @FCPSWellness or email your submission before April 30 to HRWellness@fcps.edu to enter a wellness raffle! Questions? Visit the Wellbeats page or email HRWellness@fcps.edu.
Employee Hub Launches on May 5
 The new employee intranet site is almost here! On May 5, look for your invitation to log in to the Employee Hub!
A few reminders:
- When logging into the Hub, you may be prompted for Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) if you’re not already logged in through another application.
- The FCPSnet will remain available through June 30 to give you time to adjust to the Employee Hub.
- NEW content will only be added to the Hub (not FCPSnet) starting May 5.
See you in the Hub!
Our FCPS Faces Profile: Joe Morris
Although Joe Morris, carpenter at Edison Satellite Center, has only worked for FCPS for two years, he’s already making a big impact. Encouraged by his wife, Juli-Anne (who enjoys teaching at Annandale HS), he applied for the structural services division, and now he puts his carpentry skills to use at seven schools and Lorton Center.
Joe enjoys that his position entails a different job and location each day. As an FCPS carpenter, he repairs or replaces anything from doors, floors, siding, shingles, skirting, floor tiles, ceiling grids and tiles, carpet, drywall, masonry, roof and window leaks to outbuildings, press boxes, dugouts, benches, and even smart boards. Multiply that by seven and that’s a lot of work!
Supervisor Kevin Gough agrees. “Joe is a hard worker and always willing to help out. We are glad to have him here with us at FCPS.”
When Joe isn’t fixing leaks and solving structural problems, he enjoys music, golf, and fishing. And, Joe also shares that he’s #4 of 14 siblings!
Thank you, Joe, for hammering away at the project of the day for FCPS.
Read more about Joe in a recent FCPS CARES.
Autism Awareness Month
Staff from the Due Process and Special Education office celebrated coworker, Cameron Hibschman, who recently passed away. Cameron was a specialist in the office with a big personality and supporter in FCPS special education. Coworkers wore shirts in his honor to celebrate Autism Awareness Month. Kindness and acceptance were extremely important to Cameron.
April Issue of the Audit Buzz Now Available
FCPS’ Office of Auditor General (OAG) publishes Audit Buzz to provide an update of the OAG’s work. In this issue of Audit Buzz, OAG summarizes the status of current engagements and information on Enterprise Risk Management in this month's Knowledge Hive. Read the latest issue of Audit Buzz!
Celebrating Bilingual Learners Month: Check Out New Support Resources
In April, we recognize FCPS’ bilingual/multilingual learners. Did you know that FCPS students speak 193 languages and come from 200 countries? The average number of languages at a school is 34; the highest at a single school is 73. Approximately 50% of all FCPS students (K-12) are enrolled in a World Language course.
To support teachers and schools, World Languages and ESOL services, in collaboration with many division stakeholders and educators, developed this Google site. Teachers and school staff will find ideas for classroom learning experiences across content areas and grade levels.
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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