To the individuals who came out to our School Board meeting to show their love for our schools, thank you!
A Safe and Supportive Workplace Is a Shared Responsibility
This week, we shifted our health and safety measures to make masks optional for students, staff, visitors, and volunteers. While we are encouraged by the declining rate of COVID-19 cases in our area, we must remain vigilant and do our part to maintain a healthy and safe environment for in-person learning and working. All FCPS employees should continue to practice safety and health protocols including self-administering the daily health screening questionnaire, staying home if feeling symptomatic, and reporting positive COVID test results to their supervisor.
While we are adjusting to these changes, remember that we are all responsible for cultivating a caring culture for our students and colleagues. Show respect and understanding for another person’s decision regarding masking. Give yourself and each other grace and compassion to have mixed feelings about the changes we are working through.
Get Boosted—Update Your Vaccination Status Form
All employees are required to update the Employee COVID-19 Vaccination Status Form with their most recent vaccine dose, including boosters. Employees who previously filled out the form should click the blue “Edit Your Response” link at the bottom of the Google form to update.
Employees must use their fcpsschools.net email address, and confirm that they are the employee logged into Google on Chrome before editing the survey. For questions about logging into Google or accessing this form, contact the IT Service Desk at ITservicedesk@fcps.edu or 703-503-1600.
Diagnostic Testing
Diagnostic testing continues to be available, Monday-Friday, for symptomatic employees and students. Drive-through testing sites and hours (subject to change) are available online. Currently, only one centrally located FCPS testing center is available each day–check the schedule online before making plans to visit a testing site. Registration is required to obtain results.
COVID-19 tests and vaccines can also be found throughout the community. To help find a location near you, see our resources online.
Fairfax County School Board Adopts FY 2023 Advertised Budget Focused on Excellence in Public Education
The Fairfax County School Board has adopted the FY 2023 (2022-23 school year) Advertised Budget focused on student achievement and recognition of world-class educators and operational staff.
This budget prioritizes investments that ensure all students receive the rigorous instruction and comprehensive support they need to thrive. 86% of the $3.3 billion budget goes directly to instruction. The budget includes three main areas of focus — Compensation, Opportunity and Access, and Critical Operational Needs. The budget includes a 4% Market Scale Adjustment for all employees, along with a step increase for eligible employees. Watch this video for a quick look at the budget highlights.
Fairfax County Executive Bryan Hill recommended fully funding FCPS’ budget request and FCPS will continue to work collaboratively with the Board of Supervisors and County Executive during the budget process.
The School Board presents the Advertised FY 23 Budget to the County Board of Supervisors on April 12.
Learn more about the FY 2023 Advertised Budget.
ESSER III School Plans Are Available Online
FCPS schools are receiving a portion of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) III funding to support unfinished learning and student wellness. Each school has submitted a plan, which has been reviewed and approved by the region and ESSER leadership teams. View the approved Fall 2021 school plans on FCPS’ website.
Please keep in mind that schools are currently revising their plans. Updated information will be available once the revision and approval processes are complete. Learn more about ESSER III.
Virtual Program Ends This Year
FCPS will discontinue the Virtual Program after this school year. The program was intended to be one year only to support students until the COVID-19 vaccine became widely available for school-age children. Community health professionals have advised FCPS that exemptions to in-person instruction should return to pre-pandemic criteria, now that children ages 5 and up are eligible for vaccination.
The innovation and perseverance of our employees made this program successful. This decision is not a reflection of the quality or success of the Virtual Program. It is the next step in our transition to the next phase of the pandemic. Thank you to everyone who helped make this program a success for our students.
What’s on the Employee News Blog?
Catch up on employee news anytime, anywhere on the Employee News Blog. The Employee News weekly email newsletter will include a recap of what's on the blog so you won’t miss anything you need to know.
This is how you can also give your feedback on specific topics. We want to hear from you! Then we will answer you questions in the blog or Employee News going forward.
In case you missed it, the Employee News Blog for the week of February 21 included:
- Special Education Extended School Year (ESY) Employment Opportunities Open February 23.
- Win Wellness Prizes — Register for Upcoming EAP Webinars.
We Are Bringing Our Inclusive Community Together at the March 26 Special Education Conference; Registration Now Open
FCPS’s 17th Annual Special Education Conference will be held virtually on Saturday, March 26, with a combination of synchronous (live) and asynchronous (recorded) sessions supporting the conference's theme: Bringing our Inclusive Community Together: Affirming, Assessing, Advancing. Welcoming ceremonies, guest speakers, FCPS presentations, and an exhibit hall are included. Registration for this free conference is now open online.
- Parents and community members will be able to register online.
- FCPS educators, administrators, and preservice teachers will be able to register online and earn recertification points for attending the conference.
- Individuals needing foreign language interpretation (Spanish, Ahmaric, Arabic, and Korean), American Sign Language (ASL), or Cued Language Transliterator (CLT) interpreters for the live sessions may request this on the registration form.
Speakers include:
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Dr. Lisa Cullins, A Conversation About Compassion Fatigue.
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Marlo Keller, Exceptional Family Member Program Pathways: Navigating the Halls of a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) School Move.
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Ann Dolin, Less Policing, More Parenting: How to Improve Your Child’s Executive Functioning Skills Without All the Arguments.
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Dr. Lisa Bateman, Reducing the Stigma Around Mental Health Challenges and How to Support Children in Asking for Help.
For questions, please contact specialedconf@fcps.edu.
Visit the Special Education Conference webpage for more information and to register.
Supporting Fine Motor Skills One Loop at a Time; First Grade Shoelace Challenge
It’s a life skill we all need to master sooner or later but for our younger students, tying shoelaces became something of a lost art during the pandemic. Staying at home meant there was less need to focus on bunny ears and that has meant fewer than expected children were able to take care of this task as they returned to in-person schooling. Instead, the job of re-tying multiple sets of laces a day has fallen to school staff.
Now, first grade teachers at Stratford Landing Elementary School in Alexandria are getting students back on track with a weekly shoelace challenge.
Win Wellness Prizes — Register for Upcoming EAP Webinars
Learn something to support wellness and you might win a prize. Upcoming webinars hosted by the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Guidance Resources, will feature interactive topics and a raffle drawing for wellness prizes, including recipe books, tumblers, or gym bags. Register for one or all of the following webinars:
Additional EAP webinar recordings on a variety of topics, from mindfulness and resiliency to communication and healthy eating, can be accessed on the Hub EAP page.
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.
Congratulations to the January FCPS CARES of the Month
The following employees were recognized as January FCPS CARES of the Month. Read about why these employees are being honored and recognize a colleague who goes above and beyond.
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Central Office: Blanca Maldonado, Facilities, Gatehouse Administration Center. “Blanca is without a doubt, a phenomenal human being and asset to FCPS. She has single-handedly used CCTV and other abilities, to make FCPS safer and far more effective.”
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Region 1: Mclu Buah, Cedar Lane School. “The custodial staff, most especially Ms. Mclu, have put forth a Herculean effort to keep the school safe and free of the wintery conditions during the days we have been in the building.”
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Region 2: Kim Marin, Glasgow Middle School. “As a first year teacher Kim Marin is an incredible asset to the Glasgow community. She has created a trusting and safe space inside her classroom walls. Many of the students come to her "just to talk".
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Region 3: Marye Carter, Riverside Elementary School. “Ms. Carter, who is an instructional assistant, has been stepping in to cover a vacancy for general music for the last few months. While not formally musically trained herself, she has, in this short time, gotten a crash course in music education and gone truly above and beyond to ensure that the students get the best experience possible in general music.”
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Region 4: Meredith Leech, Hunt Valley Elementary School. “Apparently my daughter had been sharing her sadness and frustration about the lack of snow every day in December. Meredith Leech's first thought upon seeing the snow outside was that my daughter had finally had her wish granted.”
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Region 5: Amy Moir, Woodson High School. “Choral Director Amy Moir clearly knows all of her students very well, casting every student who wanted to participate (in a recent performance) and finding them songs that showcase their strengths and that are engaging for the students and the audience.”
Calendar Reminder: Two-Hour Early Release on March 3, Student Holiday and Staff Development on March 4
As a reminder, students will be released two hours early on Thursday, March 3, and Friday, March 4, is a staff development day and a student holiday.
Staff development days are directed by the Chief Academic and Equity Officers. The goals of March 4 will be:
- to continue our commitment to equity and provide learning opportunities for all staff around equitable practices.
- to provide school leadership time to designate activities that match individual schools’ goals and needs.
- to provide designated school-based leaders professional development while leveraging the opportunity to meet when students are not present.
Morning Schedule:
- Equity professional development (60-75 minutes).
- Principals may use the remainder of the morning to plan activities for staff or provide individual/team planning time.
Afternoon Schedule (1 to 3:30 p.m.)
- Opportunity for virtual school-based leader professional development meetings (i.e. school-based technology specialists, instructional coaches, ESOL leads, department chairs).
- Principals may use the afternoon to plan activities for remaining staff or provide individual/team planning time.
Classes will resume on Monday, March 7. See the complete 2021-22 school year calendar.
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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