 
Assistant principal Anaya Bryson creates chalk drawings with students during recess at Westlawn ES.
 FCPS to Require Masks for the Remainder of the School Year
For the remainder of the 2020-21 school year, FCPS will be requiring students and staff to continue to wear masks and socially distance during instructional time both indoors and outdoors on school grounds including for recess. FCPS will maintain CDC requirements of 3 feet social distance in classrooms and 6 feet social distancing in our cafeterias through June 15. Both these requirements are aligned with the Fairfax County Health Department guidance and helps maintain consistency as we finish out the year.
As per national, state and local guidance, there are unique and specific mask and social distancing requirements for graduation, athletics, school performances, and other school-specific events held indoors and outdoors. FCPS will be transitioning to updated guidelines for these specific events starting May 28.
For specific information regarding these requirements, please visit this webpage.
Fairfax County School Board Approves FY 2022 Budget Focused On COVID-19 Recovery
The Fairfax County School Board unanimously approved a Budget for FY 2022 that places the well-being of all FCPS students, staff, and families at its core during a time where the county's finances have been greatly impacted by the pandemic. The FY22 Approved Budget prioritizes and funds resources that support our students’ academic and social-emotional needs including increasing technology support for students and their families.
With this budget, FCPS recognizes the sacrifices and commitment of our teachers and staff during the pandemic with a 2% Market Scale Adjustment (MSA) for all employees. Read more about the FY 2022 Approved Budget.
FCPS Receives ESSER III Funds; Your Input Is Vital
FCPS will receive American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) III funds to help safely reopen and sustain the safe operation of schools. The funds also address the impact of COVID-19 on students by supporting their academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs.
FCPS is seeking stakeholder input on how our community would like the grant to be used in support of students, staff, and school operations. The community is invited to speak at a Fairfax County School Board Public Hearing about the ESSER III grant on June 7 at 6 p.m. Sign up to speak. Members of the FCPS community can also submit their input using the FCPS Online Feedback Form. Please visit the ESSER page for more information.
Earn Your $100 Wellness Incentive Before Summer Break
Did you take advantage of your $100 wellness incentive in 2020? Employees participating in an FCPS health plan as the primary cardholder can earn a $100 wellness incentive again in 2021 when they complete their online health assessment (HA) now through December 31.
An HA is an online questionnaire related to your general health and well-being that is easy to complete in about 15-20 minutes. The HA is confidential. Only you and your health plan receive the individual information. Your information is never shared with FCPS in compliance with state and federal privacy laws. Click on your health plan to get started:
Get all of the details by visiting the Employee Wellness Website. Please send questions to employeewellness@fcps.edu.
MyPDE Required Training Notification
As all remaining required training for SY 2020-21 is due on June 1, many employees received an auto-generated notification from MyPDE regarding the impending deadline. This notification will be sent periodically before and after the deadline until the employee completes the required training.
Some of the required training is only offered synchronously, with no additional training dates scheduled for the remainder of the year. If no offerings are available, contact the course sponsor listed on the training for further instructions.
If you believe you have been assigned a training in error, please check with the course sponsor listed on the training or your supervisor.
If a course shows as Assigned, but you believe you have already completed it, try the following:
- Start a fresh session of MyPDE using Chrome and relaunch the course.
- Confirm you answered every question and met the Pass threshold. (Some courses require 100%; others 80%.)
- Click on the last slide to Exit and Complete.
- Close the player window and confirm the status change to Attended.
For more information about the MyPDE notification update, click on 2/2/21 Employee News.
For technical assistance, please submit a ticket to RequestIT or call 703-503-1600.
Calendar Reminder: FCPS Schools and Offices Closed on May 31 for Memorial Day Holiday
As a reminder, schools and offices will be closed on Monday, May 31, for the Memorial Day holiday. Classes will resume on Tuesday, June 1. See the complete 2020-21 school year calendar.
All Students to Be Virtual on June 8 Due to Democratic 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.Get more information about the primary elections.
Twenty-One Students Receive Scholarships from FCPS Hispanic Leadership Alliance
The Hispanic Leadership Alliance—a certified employee group of Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) employees—presented scholarships to 21 students on Monday, May 10.
Scholarship recipients were recognized for leadership and mentoring skills in their educational and social activities. Candidates are committed to furthering their education while improving their communities. Each of the applicants will be the first in their families to attend a postsecondary institution.
 Free Virtual Fitness Classes
The June fitness class schedule has been released! Participation is limited, so claim your spot in classes like Zumba, Ballet Body Sculpt, Mat Pilates, and more now! Can’t attend live? Class recordings are made available on the Employee Wellness Website. View the full schedule and register for a class.
Wellbeats: Join the Most Popular Classes This Month
Wellbeats is your new on-demand fitness and wellbeing benefit to inspire you to stay healthy and feel better than ever! The platform includes 800+ wellbeing classes for all ages, ability levels, and interests and is available to all benefit-eligible employees. Don’t know where to start? Try one of Fairfax County Public School’s most played classes (login required to play class):
Questions? Visit the Wellbeats page or email employeewellness@fcps.edu.
 OurFCPS Faces Profile - Jameka Mensah
Jameka Mensah is a 1st grade teacher at Annandale Terrace ES and has worked at FCPS for four years.
What’s the favorite part of your job? My favorite part of my job is seeing when students are engaged in learning and realize they are learning something new. I love seeing their faces and how proud they are of themselves the moment they realize they understand and can apply their learning. I love celebrating those individual moments with each of them. I also enjoy sharing about my life with my students and them sharing about their lives with me!
What are a few of your job responsibilities? Working with my team to create engaging and meaningful instruction, setting an environment for students to respect one another and others’ ideas, supporting the students' growth by understanding their learning styles and differences, making every effort to ensure that no one is left without tools that they need to learn, and content delivery.
Is there something you’d like us to know about you? I love spending time with my family and seeing the world in new ways through the eyes of my children.
What’s the top item on your bucket list? To move to a Spanish-speaking country
What do you like to do in your spare time? I enjoy reading, researching and learning about new things, arts and crafts, eating, making and trying new foods.
In Search of Vietnamese and Korean Speakers to Serve as Election Officers for June Primary Election
Do you know anyone who can help? The Fairfax County Office of Elections needs additional bilingual election officers to assist voters for the Primary Election to be held on Tuesday June 8, and in future elections.
Specifically, individuals who speak Vietnamese and English fluently or Korean and English fluently are needed to serve in Annandale, Centreville, Chantilly, and Falls Church. Bilingual officers will perform all regular election officer duties, including assisting most voters in English, but will be assigned to precincts with a significant number of voters who may primarily speak Vietnamese or Korean. To serve as a designated bilingual election officer, you must also complete a short oral language skills assessment.
Fairfax County is the largest voting jurisdiction in Virginia with 243 precincts countywide. It takes thousands of enthusiastic and trained election officers to ensure that we have efficient and well-run elections. Compensation begins at $175 and training is provided online for new officers.
To apply, go to https://www.vote4fairfax.com/apply/ (Be sure to indicate if you speak Vietnamese or Korean).
More information is available online.
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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