Thank You Employees! Board Approves Bonus
In recognition of the continued impact the pandemic has had on education and to promote retention of staff, the Fairfax County School Board voted last week in favor of a one-time bonus for employees. Full time employees and hourly contracted employees will receive a $1,000 bonus in their paycheck at the end of November. Substitute teachers and other hourly employees will receive a $500 bonus (based on a yet-to-be-determined minimum threshold of workdays). Allocation plans are currently being developed and we will communicate this allocation once it has been determined.
Budget adjustments will also be made to further fund construction projects and to help cover for the rise in paper, fuel, and electricity costs due to inflation. The school board also plans to create an incentive to help fill substitute teacher positions, study the start time for middle schools, and engage with a third-party to provide a safety and security review for all FCPS buildings.
A detailed budget plan is available online (English only PDF).
COVID Diagnostic Testing
Through a state program, COVID-19 diagnostic testing is available at no cost during expected high risk periods at designated locations throughout this school year. This program is available to all current employees and currently enrolled FCPS students who are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 or have been in close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19. Upcoming testing dates include September 6-8 and 12-14.
No appointment is required, however employees must register online and sign a consent form. You will receive an email to access your results within approximately 48-72 hours. If you are symptomatic and a FCPS testing site is not available, testing is available in the community.
The testing vendor is available by email for additional support or questions regarding registration, results, or to make changes to your profile submission.
FCPS continues to follow the CDC’s guidance. We encourage you to review the following sites on the Employee Hub to ensure you have the most up-to-date information on health, safety, and FCPS guidance:
September Is Attendance Awareness Month
Creating a sense of belonging and building positive relationships with students are important factors in students attending school every day. Regular attendance has a direct impact on student success. For example, it correlates with high academic achievement, builds social and emotional learning, and increases a students’ chances of graduating from high school on time.
If you have a student who is not attending school regularly, please seek support as soon as possible. Your school counselor, social worker, family liaison, attendance specialist/attendance officer, or psychologist can help. Check the Employee Hub for additional attendance resources and materials.
Reporting Suspected Violations of the Trust Policy
FCPS has established an email address for staff, students, and families to report possible Trust Policy violations. If you feel someone has violated the Trust Policy, please email Trustviolations@fcps.edu.
If you are a staff member who receives feedback or reports about these issues, please encourage staff, students, and families to contact the Ombudsman at ombudsman@fcps.edu or email Trustviolations@fcps.edu.
If you are a program manager or principal and have questions about a possible Trust Policy violation, please email Trustviolations@fcps.edu.
Expectant Parent Resources
Thinking about expanding your family? The Office of Benefit Services will offer a virtual workshop on how to prepare and plan for child-related leave on Thursday, September 15, 4 - 5 p.m. To register, please visit the Expectant Parent Workshop webpage. All workshop materials, including the voiceover presentation and accompanying handouts, will also be posted online.
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 skills. Educate Fairfax invites teachers, counselors, and other school-based personnel to apply for this grant program for the 2022-2023 school year.
Grant amounts will range from $1,000 - $2,000, and the application is open until September 16. Awardees will be notified by November 1. 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 Instructional Staff Learning Opportunities
Teacher Leadership
Teacher-leaders continuously improve schools and classrooms across FCPS. If you are interested in growing your capacity as a teacher-leader, the educational specialists in Professional Growth and Career Development invite you to consider registering for an upcoming teacher leadership opportunity. Visit each link to learn more:
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PLC After School Specials: Monthly, two-hour long sessions with topics that offer skills and strategies leaders can employ when working with novice teachers in Professional Learning Communities. The first session, Creating a Welcoming Culture for Novice Teachers, is September 22.
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Teacher Leadership Cohorts: Current and aspiring teacher leaders who are interested in building their skills in leading others are invited to enroll in either Emerging Teacher Leadership or Developing Teacher Leadership Academy Courses. Registration is available August 30 to September 15 in MyPDE.
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Making an Impact: The Individual Teacher in a Professional Learning Community: K-12 teachers who want to explore the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to work interdependently in a Professional Learning Community (PLC) are invited to enroll in this Academy Course. The first meeting is September 21.
For more information on any of these opportunities, contact Hallie Case by email or by calling 571-226-7526.
New Cohort to Inspire Students
Instructional Services is building a cohort of Portrait of a Graduate Presentations of Learning (POG POL) Innovators for the 2022-23 school year. This cohort will support the continued growth and scaling of POG POL and meet the FCPS Strategic Plan Goal that all FCPS students will have the opportunity to participate in the program by 2025-26.
The cohort will be made up of individuals who have experience or an interest with helping students reach Portrait of a Graduate outcomes and want to grow as an educator and instructional leader.
Please view this document to learn more and sign up by Friday, September 30.
North TIER Fall 2022 Courses
North TIER has a wonderful line-up of online professional development courses for instructional staff and administrators. Courses are only $55 for a 30-hour course. A graduate credit option, earning two graduate credits from Colorado State University, has extra work and fees.
Check out the fall advertisement for details. FCPS staff who have never taken a course will create an account as they register. Seats fill quickly, so register early! Questions? Contact admin@northtier.org.
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.
Pursuing a Patent for a Pandemic Project
Kaavya Karthikeyan and Akanksha Tibrewala, both 17, live on the same block and have been friends since preschool—attending Greenbriar West Elementary School, Rocky Run Middle School, and now Chantilly High together. With a little extra time on their hands in the height of the pandemic, they started playing around with modifying a traditional walker to make it more helpful to people with Parkinson’s. Now they are seeking a patent for their pandemic project.
FCPS Online Classifieds Free for Employees
The FCPS Online Classifieds system—which is for employees only and can be found on the Hub—is a free way for employees to post ads for personally owned items that they are seeking to buy, sell, or give away. It's also a great tool to help an employee look for someone to share a ride to work, find a roommate, or rent real estate. The FCPS Online Classifieds system is completely self-service and allows users to post new ads or update or renew existing ads at any time. View a complete list of rules and frequently asked questions.
For more information, contact Andy Grunig.
Staff Staples
Note: Some links in this email require a VPN connection. You can connect to VPN using 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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