Marshall “Island” Credit Recovery staff celebrate the end of a successful summer program. The happy staff, who represent different schools, include (from left to right) Troy Burton, counselor; Ryan Harkness, administrative intern; Donnie Olajuwon, principal; Michael Carroll, computer resource teacher; Elissa Robinson, ESOL administrative resource teacher; Jana McLeod, special education administrative resource teacher; Linda Chen, assistant principal; and Page Sheppard, student information assistant.
🎉 New School Year, New Strategic Plan
August not only marks the start of a new school year for FCPS, but our work is now officially being guided by our new 2023-30 strategic plan! This student-centered plan serves as our North Star for how we ensure excellence, equity, and opportunity for each and every student. Remember, they are preparing for careers that don’t exist today. In order to keep pace with these needs, we have reimagined our plans for the future and how to best serve our students in this new era.
Need a refresher on the strategic plan pillars, goals, and measures before school begins? View the Strategic Plan webpage.
🏆 FCPS Honors Outstanding Employees
Outstanding employees from across Fairfax County Public Schools were recognized in June at FCPS Honors. Annually, more than 700 employees in both instructional and operational roles are recognized through the Outstanding Employee Awards Program. This year, 67 finalists representing 12 categories were recognized during the special award ceremony.
Visit the Honors webpage to learn more about the winners and watch a video of the event.
In-Person Tutors Needed
FCPS' Department of School Improvement and Support (DSIS) has identified schools with the most need for targeted in-person tutoring for students. The district is recruiting qualified tutors who will be matched to schools based on this need.
Are You Interested in Tutoring?
FCPS needs qualified tutors to provide in-person academic support to small groups of students. These FCPS tutors will be paid hourly at a rate of $48.58. The position is flexible, and the amount you work and where you work will be based on your availability, qualifications, and the needs presented throughout FCPS. However, tutors will need to be able to work at least three days a week for a total of 12 hours a week on a consistent basis.
Apply now! Email tutor@fcps.edu for more information.
Note: Current FCPS staff can only apply to tutor outside of their contracted hours.
Tutor.com Is Still Available Free for All FCPS Students
Online tutoring through Tutor.com is still available to ALL FCPS students as a resource for both support and enrichment. Last school year, more than 12,000 students participated in approximately 70,000 tutoring sessions. Tutor.com will remain available to all FCPS students at no cost this school year.
✍️ Employees Learn, Too!
Do you know when your required training deadlines are? Professional development is an important tool that supports growth and learning throughout your career. It also supports FCPS’ ability to provide the best education for students.
Please complete all of the required training by the assigned deadlines. Not only will this ensure you have all the information you need to start the year strong, it is also part of your professional responsibility and an expectation noted in employee evaluations. Go to your MyPDE portal for assigned mandatory training.
Cyberdefense Class in MyPDE
Many of our staff have been doing an amazing job of spotting phishing campaigns and strengthening their cyberdefense muscles. FCPS relies on staff to help protect the digital safety and privacy of our whole community. If you clicked on a phishing email, thank you for taking the time to watch the training videos to help you in the future.
If you are looking to level-up your cybersecurity skills, there is a Cyberdefense Fundamentals session that will cover basic cybersecurity concepts and guidelines. The sessions will be virtual via Zoom. Register through MyPDE.
🚀 Supporting the Mission Application Deadline Is August 14
Applications are being accepted for the 2023-24 cohort of Supporting the Mission.
Are you interested in leadership development or learning more about how offices and departments work together across the entire division? Supporting the Mission helps staff and teachers learn adaptive leadership skills and a foundational understanding of improvement science strategies to support planning and leading change for more equitable outcomes.
Teacher leaders, school-based administrators, and Schedule B and C staff (formerly US-20 and above) are encouraged to apply.
Those interested in Supporting the Mission should complete this form and have their supervisor complete a brief recommendation.
🏗️ School Bond Referendum on Ballot Tuesday, November 7
The $435 million School Bond Referendum — which supports the division's and county’s commitment to provide safe and up-to-date learning environments for all students — will be on the Tuesday, November 7, general election ballot.
The funding provided by voter-approved bonds is expected to provide planning, design, or construction funds for 16 schools; funds for three modular relocations; security vestibules; and inflation adjustments for prior bond projects. These projects are identified in the FY 2024-28 Capital Improvement Program, which was approved by the School Board in February.
The building and renovation of our schools is not funded through the division’s operating budget. Voter-approved bonds allow payment for these projects over time.
Read more about the 2023 Bond Referendum. Learn about registering to vote.
📅 First Day of School
The first day of the 2023-24 school year is Monday, August 21! FCPS staff, parents/caregivers, and students are invited to share their favorite pictures or videos from the first day of school on social media using the hashtag #FirstDayFairfax. We will share some of the photos on the FCPS Facebook and Instagram pages.
View the School Year Calendar and the Employee Calendar.
New Chair and Vice Chair Elected to School Board
The Fairfax County School Board elected Elaine Tholen (Dranesville District representative) as chair and Karl Frisch (Providence District representative) as vice chair for a one-year term during the Board’s annual organizational meeting on July 13. Read more.
🎒 Support Students With the Educate Fairfax School Supply Drive
To ensure that every child in the school district is prepared for school, Fairfax County Public Schools and Educate Fairfax are once again working with not-for-profit, for-profit, and government entities to provide school supplies to benefit FCPS students who otherwise might go without them.
More than 56,000 (31%) FCPS students qualify for free and reduced-price meals and struggle to afford basic necessities. Your $10 donation will help provide a complete school supply kit, which these students need to be successful at school.
Contributions can be made online through Educate Fairfax. Donations will be used to purchase bulk school supply kits at highly discounted pricing. For more information, visit the Educate Fairfax website.
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.
Submit an Employee News request. Submissions are due by 4:30 p.m. on Thursdays. Thank you!
|
