Community Conversations with Dr. Reid
Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid and Kings Park Elementary School Principal Dotty Lin recently participated in a Welcome Walk through the Kings Park neighborhood to greet young students and their families and introduce them to their teachers. Dr. Reid got to know this West Springfield neighborhood and its families better and greeted the children and parents with smiles and high fives.
For those not lucky enough to have a surprise visit from her at their home, Dr. Reid will be hosting Superintendent Community Conversations across the division this fall to get to know our communities. Events are being scheduled at high schools in each pyramid. Schools will share registration information with families and employees in advance of each event. See the list of events that have been scheduled.
Dr. Reid also recently updated the community that we are very close to being fully staffed for the first day of school. Join her for a live virtual staffing update Wednesday, August 17, at 6 p.m. or Thursday, August 18, at noon.
Six Days to go Until the First Day of School!
Are you ready? Join our countdown to the first day of school on August 22 on the FCPS homepage and social media.
Since Friday, we’ve encouraged community members to be sure to register their children, update immunization records, view the school year calendar, update their weCare contact information, and sign up for News You Choose. Visit the countdown webpage to see any days you may have missed.
Share in the countdown fun with us and make sure you, too, are ready for #FirstDayFairfax!
CDC Updates (Masks and More) on the Employee Hub
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.
Employees are reminded to review the Employee Hub’s COVID-19 Return to Work Reporting and Procedures and Employee COVID-19 Resources pages for updates to FCPS’ COVID protocols. FCPS continues to follow CDC guidance. The current CDC COVID-19 Community Level for Fairfax County is low. At this time, masks are not required.
However, FCPS requires all students, staff, and visitors to wear a face covering when indoors (except while actively eating/drinking) on school property (to include the buildings, school buses and other school provided vehicles) when the CDC COVID-19 Community Level is high. The Code of Virginia allows parents/legal guardians to elect for their child not to wear a face covering while on school property. We will let you know should the community level change.
The CDC has recently relaxed masking policies for those exposed to the virus who are not showing symptoms. If exposed: For 10 days, wear a mask, watch for symptoms and take extra-precautions around high-risk people and on day 5, take an antigen test.
If positive—regardless of vaccination status—you should isolate yourself from others when you have COVID-19. You should also isolate yourself if you are sick and suspect that you have COVID-19 but do not yet have test results.
If you test positive for COVID-19, stay home for at least 5 days and follow the CDC’s full isolation recommendations and FCPS Isolation and Quarantine Guidance chart.
After you have ended isolation, when you are feeling better (no fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and symptoms improving), wear your mask through day 10, or if you have access to antigen tests, you should consider using them. With two sequential negative tests 48 hours apart, you may remove your mask sooner than day 10.
Please note that you do not need a negative test to return to work. However, if your antigen test results are positive, you may still be infectious. You should continue wearing a mask and wait at least 48 hours before taking another test. Continue taking antigen tests at least 48 hours apart until you have two sequential negative results. This may mean you need to continue wearing a mask and testing beyond day 10.
Interested in Working in Special Education?
A Special Education hiring event will be held on Wednesday, August 17, from 5 to 6 p.m. Register for the Special Education Job Fair online.
View all available jobs with FCPS. For more information, contact HR Connection online, or at 571-423-3000.
Want to Teach? Residency Program Helps Get Qualified Educators in the Classroom
Catherine Coulter seems like the perfect hire for any Fairfax County Public School community looking to bring on a new teacher. Coulter, who has a master’s degree in education, six years of classroom teaching experience, and is an FCPS grad herself, had long wanted to teach in the community where she grew up.
Amid headlines about national and regional teacher shortages, Coulter was eager to stay in the classroom. There was just one hiccup—Coulter has a middle school teaching certification, and she hoped to pivot to teaching elementary students.
A new FCPS teacher residency program is helping Coulter, and others like her, bridge the gap to start teaching this fall while finishing up requirements to become fully licensed in Virginia.
Compensation, Salary, and Leave
Social Media, Multilingual, and Media Guidance
Thank you to the new teachers and FCPS staff who visited the Office of Communication and Community Relations (OCCR) booth at Great Beginnings and took our Social Media Quiz. The winners of our three FCPS “Great Communicator” Yeti tumblers are:
- Marianela Robbins from Parklawn Elementary School
- Andrew Aversa from Forestdale Elementary School
- Danielle Stauber from Poplar Tree Elementary School
Here are three helpful resources and tips from our office for all employees:
Welcome to #OurFCPS!
Sharing Our Success
At the start of the new school year, we invite you to look back over the 2021-22 year and relive some of our greatest moments. From the announcement of Dr. Michelle Reid as our new superintendent, to welcoming students back to the classroom five days a week, there was much to celebrate!
Applications Open for Educate Fairfax’s Work-based Learning Teacher Grants
Educate Fairfax is proud to fund innovative classroom initiatives that focus on developing career-connected experiences for students. Funded projects should enable students to reinforce and deepen their classroom learning, explore future career fields, and demonstrate their acquired portrait of a graduate (POG) skills. Educate Fairfax invites teachers, counselors, and other school-based personnel to apply for the Work-based Learning Teacher grant program for the 2022-2023 school year.
Grant amounts will range from $1,000 to $2,000, and the application is open through September 16. Awardees will be notified by November 1, and funding will be provided in November for the second half of the school year.
Teachers and principals can view information about the grants, read brief descriptions of last year’s projects, and access the application on Educate Fairfax’s website.
Upcoming National Board Certification Info Session, Tuition Reimbursement Available
Certification through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) is considered one of the most prestigious certifications a teacher can achieve. The Virginia Department of Education recognizes this by awarding $5,000 for the first year of certification and $2,500 each additional year a teacher maintains the certification and meets state requirements.
Fairfax County now offers full tuition reimbursement for the costs of submitting components for National Board Certification. Teachers can begin the certification process as early as their third year of teaching.
Interested teachers are invited to attend a virtual information session about the benefits and process for achieving National Board Certification on Thursday, September 1, from 5 to 6 p.m. Register for the information session on MyPDE. There is an asynchronous information session as well as additional information about the program on the FCPS National Board Certification website.
The Office of Professional Learning and Equity offers a three-credit Academy course and one-on-one support throughout the candidacy process. Please email Sara Royer for more information.
Give Life. Donate Blood or Platelets
Facilities Management will host an Inova Blood Donor Services blood drive at the 5025 Sideburn Road facility on Thursday, September 22 from 6 to 10 a.m. As a thank you for donating, all donors will receive an insulated travel drink tumbler.
Sign up to donate platelets.
Sign up to donate whole blood.
For more information, contact Jackie Roseman at JMRoseman@fcps.edu.
New Assistant Ombudsman for Special Education
Katherine (Kathy) Murphy, who currently serves as FCPS Section 504 Program Specialist in the Department of Special Services, has been named the new assistant ombudsman for special education, effective August 15. In this role she will support parents, students, and employees who have special education concerns and will provide deeper knowledge and understanding related to the special education process.
The FCPS Office of the Ombudsman provides an independent, confidential resource for students, families, community members, and employees who are seeking informal help to answer questions, resolve concerns, and voice complaints regarding FCPS matters.
Examples of services the Office of the Ombudsman provides include sharing strategies for parents to improve communication with, and between, school and home; helping to resolve disagreements between parents and schools or disagreements involving employees in the workplace; and providing ideas to foster parent participation in Individual Education Plan (IEP) meetings.
However, the Office of the Ombudsman does not change or make decisions, policies, or regulations; take sides; or provide legal advice.
Contact the Office of the Ombudsman by using the "Submit a Question" button at the top of the Office of the Ombudsman webpage, by calling 571-423-4014, or emailing ombudsman@fcps.edu.
2022 Student Rights & Responsibilities Includes Cell Phone Usage Update
The Student Rights and Responsibilities document (SR&R) explains expectations for student behavior and adult responses to enhance school safety and to create a fair, equitable, and supportive school environment. Read the Letter from the Superintendent on the 2022-23 Student Rights and Responsibilities: A Guide for Families. Key changes to the document for the 2022-23 school year include:
- Adding rights to protect citizenship and immigration status from unauthorized sharing.
- Changes to FCPS’ Acceptable Use Policy Regulation for Technology.
- A new section on cell phones.
The new section on cell phones prohibits cell phone use in classrooms. We recognize that this new policy will be a shift for many students and families this year, but research shows that managing phone use during class time will support students’ attention and ability to fully engage in their learning. Schools are partnering with parents to have students understand the importance of putting their phones away to minimize distractions during class.
More information about the SR&R is available online.
Calendar Reminder: Labor Day Holiday
Friday, September 2, and Monday, September 5, are Labor Day holidays for all FCPS employees and students. We hope everyone takes the long weekend to celebrate a strong start to the school year and enjoy time with family and friends. View the 2022-23 school year calendar.
Correction: May FCPS Cares Winners
Last week, we incorrectly listed one of the winners of the May FCPS Cares employee recognition program. The winner from Central Office is Pedro Rivera from ERFC. Read more about his nomination in the full list of May winners.
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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