Chief Alton Clemmons, JROTC Air Force non-commissioned officers instructor at Chantilly Academy, adjusts the cap of a member of the color guard at Fairfax High School’s graduation ceremony.
🗓️ 2023-24 Employee and School Calendar Updates
The 2023-24 Employee Calendar is now available. Four additional holidays have been added to the 12-month/260-day-employee work schedule. In 2023-24, those holidays are July 3, September 25 (Yom Kippur), April 10 (Eid al-Fitr) and June 17 (Eid al-Adha).
Teacher Workdays and Work from Alternative Location Days
Effective July 1, under Regulation 4421, the school year calendar will designate workdays as teacher workdays (TW), teacher directed; school planning days (SP), principal directed; or staff development days (SD), superintendent directed. Clarifying these workdays will help ensure that all school staff have the same expectations around how professional workdays are to be used.
Additionally, 195-day teacher-scale personnel will have the option to work from an alternative location on several 2024 teacher workdays: Friday, January 26; Monday, April 1; Friday, May 3, Friday, June 14, and Tuesday, June 18.
Teachers may also choose to work Friday, August 11, 2023, in lieu of Tuesday, June 18, 2024; whichever day they choose, teachers have the option to work from an alternative location. In light of this change, the Great Beginnings Summer Institute will now be held Monday through Thursday, August 7-10.
The 2023-24 Standard School Year Calendar has been updated to reflect these changes. More information is also available on the Hub.
👩🎓 Employees Share Graduation Memories
On the Employee Blog this week, employees — such as Phoebe Dillard, theater director at Whitman Middle School (above) — share highlights of their high school graduations.
Join FCPS’ New Alumni Network!
We know many of our employees are alumni who either stayed in the area after graduation or returned here to work and raise their families. We want to celebrate you!
Please accept our invitation to join FCPS’ alumni network. You are an essential part of our effort to build a strong and interconnected community. By filling out this form, you will help us create a directory of our graduates, facilitating connections and providing opportunities for collaboration and engagement with FCPS. Thanks for your consideration!
Update on Background Checks and Requirements
In April, we shared information about FCPS’ updated process for background checks, as part of our ongoing effort to ensure the safety of our staff and students.
All FCPS employees have now been reviewed through the National Sex Offender Registry. There were no positive matches identified. We appreciate the efforts of the Departments of Human Resources and Information Technology to expedite this critical review.
Regulation 4116 establishes the procedures for pre-employment and ongoing background checks for employees. The regulation also requires that employees disclose and notify the Office of Equity and Employee Relations of any arrests including misdemeanors, felonies, or pleas that impact a person’s ability to work that happened after their initial hire date and while employed at FCPS.
As a continuing condition of employment, HR will submit employees for criminal record background checks on an ongoing basis to periodically monitor for unreported criminal record activity.
Beginning this summer, employees with digital fingerprint scans already on file will be automatically resubmitted to the Virginia State Police and FBI for review. Employees needing updated fingerprint scans will receive an email regarding scheduling an appointment to visit the Gatehouse Administration Center.
Please visit our FAQs page on the Hub for more information. For general questions, contact HRConnection@fcps.edu or 571-423-3000.
🏆 Hayfield Secondary Teacher Named Mount Vernon History Teacher of the Year
Ariel Alford, a history teacher from Hayfield Secondary School, has been awarded George Washington’s Mount Vernon 2023 History Teacher of the Year.
Currently in her eighth year of teaching United States and African American history, Ariel serves as a member of FCPS’ curriculum and professional development teams. Her work with Instructional Services has helped develop a high school curriculum that includes culturally responsible approaches to teaching U.S. history. She has also facilitated professional development for FCPS teachers teaching African American history and culture courses. Read more about Ariel’s inspirational work.
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How Many Years Have You Been with FCPS?
Whether this is your first year or 40th year, share your anniversary milestones and stories on Twitter @HR_FCPS. Look around your school or office to see how long your colleagues have worked for FCPS. Employees with multiples of five years of service have been sent colored lanyards designating years of service to FCPS. |
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Strategic Plan Vote at June 15 School Board Meeting
Superintendent Reid recently presented FCPS’ new Strategic Plan to the School Board. The board will vote on the plan at their meeting on Thursday, June 15. Find out how to watch and participate in the board meeting. See the complete meeting agenda.
School Board to Vote on Equity Policy June 26
Following more than a year of work by FCPS staff and community members, the School Board will vote on the proposed Equity Policy on Monday, June 26.
The FCPS Equity Policy makes commitments in six areas: Family and Community Partnerships, School Environment, School Funding, Student Agency, Teaching and Learning, and Workforce.
We will see the Equity Policy in action in the following ways:
- Explicit opportunities for engagement of marginalized students in school and division decision-making.
- Access to scaffolds and supports in Tier 1 instruction.
- Universal accessibility for students with disabilities.
- Access to information and personnel for multilingual families.
- Continuous opportunities for professional growth for all staff.
- Differentiated distribution of resources and access to facilities.
The Equity Policy was drafted through a collaborative effort including FCPS staff, association members, students, families, and community members. The School Board will review the draft policy at the Wednesday, June 21 work session. The policy will be implemented during the 2023-24 school year.
Community Review of Elementary English Language Arts Basal Instructional Resources
FCPS will adopt new Elementary School Language Arts Basal Instructional Resources for the 2024-25 school year. A review committee composed of community members, administrators, and teachers will meet in July and August to review the instructional materials under consideration and community feedback. All community feedback will be shared with School Board members as well.
Materials will be available from Saturday, July 1, to Monday, July 31. Visit the Community Review webpage for more information on how to access the resources online or in person.
Teaching Is More Than Just a Profession
For more than 20 years, Jennys McKinney has taught Spanish language and culture in her home country of Colombia and in the U.S., including at Navy Elementary School.
“One of the most gratifying aspects of teaching Spanish is the spark and excitement in my student’s eyes when they communicate in Spanish or make connections between Spanish and their home language and culture,” she says.
Read more about what inspires her as a teacher on the Employee Blog. While you’re there, tell us what inspires you!
🍎 So, You Want to Be a Teacher?
A virtual information session will be held on Wednesday, June 14, at 6 p.m., for employees who want to become teachers but do not yet hold a bachelor’s degree. Candidates will learn about pathways to becoming a teacher and have an opportunity to meet members of the James Madison University community and Northern Virginia Community College community. Register for the information session.
❤️ Webinar: Talking About Tough Subjects with Older Loved Ones
Register for the Talking About the Tough Subjects with Your Older Loved One webinar on Wednesday, June 14, at 4 p.m. Participants will learn strategies to help them have sensitive conversations about issues associated with aging, money, moving, health, wills, driving, and safety.
Find additional events and recordings of previous webinars on the Hub EAP page. Sign up for the EAP-Wellness Newsletter to get monthly updates and announcements.
🏀 NBA Star on Men’s Mental Health
According to Mental Health America, more than 6 million men suffer from depression per year, yet male depression goes underdiagnosed. Although mental health disorders affect both men and women, men are less likely to receive mental health treatment. Recognizing the signs is the first step in getting help. Better mental health is gained the earlier treatment begins.
NBA star Kevin Love has discussed what helped him appreciate the need to seek help after suffering a panic attack during a basketball game.
Your FCPS-sponsored Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Guidance Resources, offers employees and their household members free confidential counseling. Visit the EAP Hub webpage for more information.
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 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. 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.
🗓️ Calendar Reminder: Juneteenth
Monday, June 19, is a holiday for FCPS employees. Schools and offices will be closed.
Juneteenth commemorates the day in 1865 that word of the Emancipation Proclamation and the end of the Civil War finally reached enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, effectively marking the end of slavery in the United States. Learn more about Juneteenth.
Last Day of School/First Day of School
The last day of the 2022-23 school year is Friday, June 16. Students will be dismissed early. The first day of the 2023-24 school year will be Monday, August 21. See the school year calendar.
Employee News Is Taking a Summer Break
This is the last regularly scheduled issue of Employee News. Have a great summer! We’ll return in August with many resources to help you get the school year started off right!
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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