Teacher Daryl Yarmolovich combines the fun of reading with the fun of a holiday sweater at Lynbrook Elementary School. This is our last Employee News before we take a break before the holidays. We will return on the first Tuesday back - January 4. Have a great break!
You Can Be Part of the Superintendent Search
On December 13, the School Board held a work session to discuss the process, timeline, and engagement opportunities that are part of the Superintendent search. Watch the work session on the FCPS YouTube Channel.
There are many ways you can share your voice during this process. Below is a snapshot of upcoming activities:
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Survey: GR Consulting, the search firm handling the superintendent search, will be administering a survey. The survey will be available in multiple languages and will be a great opportunity for the FCPS community to weigh in on the most important qualities our next superintendent should possess. Look for the survey in your email inbox next week.
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Staff Focus Groups: The search firm will hold in-person focus groups with previously identified FCPS staff members. These focus groups are planned for December 14-16.
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Parent, Student, Community Focus Groups: The search firm will hold in-person focus groups with previously identified parents, students, and community members. These focus groups are planned for January 10-12
Stay Healthy This Season
It’s time for winter break, holiday gatherings, and travel. Northern Virginia has entered a high level of community transmission, so check out these tips for staying safe along with COVID-19 testing and travel guidance to help us all have a happier and healthier season.
VaxUP FCPS!
Vaccination continues to be the best way to protect yourself from the risk of severe illness. We encourage everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated or boosted. Find out how to schedule a vaccination or where to find a walk-in clinic.
COVID-19 Testing
Testing helps reduce the spread of COVID-19. FCPS’ diagnostic and optional screening testing sites will not be available from December 18-January 2. Testing will resume on January 3, 2022. If needed, other local providers are available for testing and vaccinations during that time.
Holiday Cybersecurity Tips from DIT Office of Cybersecurity
The holiday season is here, and online shopping is at an all-time high. DIT Office of Cybersecurity (OCS) wants to ensure your holiday purchases don’t turn into a holiday nightmare! Stay safe and secure this season with a few simple cybersecurity tips.
Assessing Where Our Students Are at the Start of the School Year
This week, you may see stories in the media about the impact of the pandemic on students across the nation. This is because the national iReady assessment data used by school districts to identify students who need additional supports has been shared nationally.
While FCPS did see some impacts of the pandemic on students, our impacts were generally less substantial than were seen nationwide pre- and post-pandemic. Remember that data included in this report reflects student assessment results from the first few weeks after students returned to school for the 2021-22 school year. This does not measure Quarter 1 progress.
FCPS is directing significant ESSER funding to support our students in reading and math to ensure gaps are addressed. This includes after-school tutoring, individualized tutoring during the school day, and English Language Development time.
You can find the data and read about our next steps on our website.
How New Fairfax County Magisterial Districts Affect Schools
Last week, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors adopted its redistricting plan. School boundaries remain the same, but some schools may change their School Board Member representation. Read more and see a list of impacted schools on our website.
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Collective Bargaining Webpages Go Live Friday
Staff representatives are developing a proposed collective bargaining resolution to present to the Fairfax County School Board. The School Board is expected to adopt the resolution that will determine the scope and breadth of collective bargaining for FCPS. This Friday, December 17, a collective bargaining resource page will go live on the Employee Hub. You can stay informed throughout the process by checking this page and continuing to read Employee News.
A collective bargaining webpage will also go live on FCPS.edu this Friday.
Boundary Study Report Presented to School Board
In February 2020, FCPS engaged with MGT Consulting Group to conduct an analysis of school boundary policies and additional best practices, educational research, and factors that could be considered for school boundary practices in order to refine FCPS Policy 8130: Facilities Planning, Local School Boundaries, Program Assignments, and School Closings.
MGT presented their final report to the School Board at yesterday’s work session. Their report includes your feedback from September’s boundary survey. Thanks to everyone in the FCPS community who participated.
If you missed the work session, please watch the presentation for a summary of community input and results of the boundary policy study. Visit FCPS’ Boundary Policy webpage for more information.
Special Education Review Timeline Extended
Last month, the School Board voted unanimously to approve a recommended modification of the Special Education Comprehensive Review Contract between Fairfax County Public Schools and American Institutes for Research (AIR). The modification recommended adding $87,443 to the review to broaden its scope of focus groups, classroom observations, and data analysis. The final report will now be delivered between September and November 2022.
View the video of the November 22 Fairfax County School Board meeting or read more information on Boarddocs.
Fairfax County Parents Will Help in Partnership Review
The Fairfax County Special Education Parent Teacher Association (SEPTA) has been invited to participate in the National PTA’s update of its National Standards for Family-School Partnerships. The update aims to find ways to provide better support for schools and their communities that lead to increased academic success.
Reminder: School Board Meeting on Thursday, December 16
The School Board will hold a regular meeting on Thursday, December 16, at 7 p.m. Agenda items include:
- A new family engagement policy.
- A midyear budget review.
- Information about FCPS’ Capital Improvement Program.
See the complete regular meeting agenda. The meeting can be viewed on FCPS Cable TV Channel 99 (Verizon Channel 11), the FCPS YouTube Channel and on the FCPS website.
Interested in School Board action items? Sign up to get an update on any School Board votes the morning after the School Board meeting.
OurFCPS Faces Profile: Blanca Larco
Blanca Larco, a key member of the community at Haycock Elementary School for 33 years, is typical of our building supervisors who have worked extremely hard during the pandemic to keep our schools clean, open and safe. We want to thank all our custodians, building supervisors, and school support staff for going the extra mile since March 2020. We truly appreciate the work you do with a smile each and every day.
Read more about Blana Larco.
Staff Staples
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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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