Marina Rozick, a resource teacher at Bailey’s Upper Elementary School, helps students line up in the hallway on the first day of school.
🎉 Congratulations on a Successful First Day!
All hands on deck! Even Media Relations Manager Julie Moult pitched in with kindergarten lunch at Annandale Terrace Elementary School.
There were celebrations across Fairfax County Public Schools yesterday as teachers and administrators welcomed students back to the classroom.
Enjoy some highlights from #FirstDayFairfax on Instagram, Facebook, and our photo gallery, or check out the video of sights and sounds below.
Thank You for Following Us
FCPS celebrated reaching 20,000 followers on Instagram before the first day of school. Thank you for following and celebrating with us! If you’re not among the 20,000, please follow us @fairfaxcountypublicschools.
Updated Employee COVID-19 Reporting and Procedures
Employees should continue to practice safety and health protocols by staying home if feeling symptomatic, and reporting positive COVID-19 test results to their supervisor.
When the COVID-19 public health emergency ended in May, standard coverage for FCPS medical and pharmacy plans and benefits resumed.
Administrative leave for COVID-19 ended on June 30. Employees should follow pre-pandemic reporting processes for sick leave in alignment with Regulation 4819.
Employees and case reporting managers may reference the COVID-19 Return to Work Reporting and Procedures and Employee COVID-19 Resources pages on the Employee Hub for more information.
💵 Compensation, Salary, and Leave
UConnect is the online gateway to your human resources and payroll information. The start of the school year is a good time to log in and verify your contact information. By providing your cell phone number through UConnect, emergency text messages from FCPS — such as weather closings — will reach you through the eNotify/School Messenger system.
Use UConnect to verify your benefits selections and leave balances, and view your pay and teaching credentials. To log in, enter the same username and password that is used with your @fcps.edu email. UConnect is only available to users when connected to the FCPS network or through VPN.
Time and attendance should be logged through MyTime, which can be accessed online or through the desktop application on FCPS computers. For more information, review leave policies or visit the Time and Attendance Hub page.
Visit the Payroll Management page on the Hub for resources on pay, paychecks, tax withholding, and W2s. Visit the Salary Services page for information on salary scales, employment verification, and job specifications.
Start Saving Today to Set Aside Summer Pay
FCPS partnered with Apple Federal Credit Union to provide a summer pay program to assist 10- and 11-month employees. While Apple offers a convenient program including interest earnings and payout options, any financial institution likely will afford similar opportunities. Find out more information about receiving pay during non-contracted months.
Enhancements to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Our FCPS sponsored Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with Guidance Resources just got better with even more resources to support you and your household!
Each household member can now get up to six counseling sessions per concern, per year. Please call our EAP line at 1-855-355-9097, to receive a referral to a local counselor that supports your family’s health.
Online Therapy Tools
Guidance Resources offers an evidence-based interactive Computerized Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CCBT) program that addresses the most common issues associated with behavioral health in a user-friendly fashion. CCBT offers expanded alternative access to behavioral healthcare when used in conjunction with other platforms and/or counseling.
Created to support mental well-being, the program includes a library of evidence-based content grounded in science to help deal with depression, stress, poor sleep, worry and anxious thoughts, low self-esteem, and other concerns.
Register today on the Guidance Resources website and click on “Digital Self-Care Tools” after you sign in. If you are new to Guidance Resources, register with Organization Web ID: FCPS.
Find additional EAP news on the Hub EAP page. Sign up for our EAP-Wellness Newsletter for monthly updates and announcements.
Check Your MyPDE Portal for Required Trainings
Professional development is an important tool that supports growth and learning throughout your career. It also supports FCPS’ ability to best serve our students. Requirements have been streamlined. Most of the annual trainings now have a pre-test option!
You can play your part by completing all required training by the assigned deadlines. Not only does this ensure you have all the information you need to start the year strong, it also is a part of your professional responsibility and an expectation noted in employee evaluations. Check out your MyPDE portal for assigned mandatory training.
FCPS CARES of the Month Recipients
FCPS CARES is an opportunity for parents, staff, and community members to recognize employees for going above and beyond to help others and show they care.
“Mrs. Carroll calls her students her ‘smart cookies’ and gives them the confidence to live up to that name,” said a parent with a student in Jaime Carroll’s first grade class at Canterbury Woods. Jaime (right) received her award from Principal Leslie Malkowski (left). “Mrs. Carroll is also wonderful at truly living out the FCPS ideal of meeting each child as an individual. She really connects with her students and sees them for who they are, then brings out the best in them.”
Another parent said Mrs. Carroll is “warm and supportive and just the right amount of tough. I have seen so much growth from [my son] and I attribute it all to her."
Also recognized in May as FCPS CARES recipients of the month were:
- Jordan Simmons, Bryant High School
- Cara Chaapel, Herndon Elementary School
- Patience Galvan, Kent Gardens Elementary School
- John Grey, Groveton Elementary School
- Missy Chappell, Hunt Valley Elementary School
Read more about all the recipients. Learn how you can acknowledge an FCPS employee.
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🙋 Importance of Accurate Attendance
Improving student attendance and reducing chronic absenteeism districtwide starts with taking accurate and timely attendance each day.
When attendance is not taken daily, it affects:
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Safety: Families will not receive a safety text/call alerting them that their child is not at school.
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Chronic Absence Data: This data can impact a school’s accreditation status.
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District Records: FCPS automatically reports attendance data to the state. It is important that it is reported correctly.
We appreciate your best efforts to take attendance within the first 10 minutes of class.
💪 Sharing Our Success
We invite you to look back at the 2022-23 school year and relive some of our greatest moments. See how our amazing students and staff excelled last year, and together, contributed to making FCPS a premier school division.
🎓 Earn Your Masters and Graduate Certificate in Education Leadership
George Mason University’s Education Leadership (EDLE) Program is hosting virtual information sessions for the spring semester. To register for a session, click the date and time below:
The program is for educators interested in pursuing a pathway to leadership and earning licensure in administration and supervision. The EDLE Program’s master’s degree and graduate certificate options are designed to fit the busy schedules of working professionals.
To learn more, visit the EDLE website, email edleprog@gmu.edu, or call 703-993-3633.
Portrait of a Graduate Presentations of Learning (POG POL) Innovator Cohort
POG POL allows students to think about how they have grown and share the impact with others. By the 2025-26 school year, FCPS is committed to making sure every student can take part in POG POL. The goal is for students to say, "I grew, I can prove it, and here's why it matters."
POG POL supports academic success and prepares students for the future, in line with our strategic goals.
Instructional Services is offering a POG POL Innovator Cohort to support divisionwide POG goals. Any instructional staff can join. This year-long professional learning program helps participants increase their POG and POG POL practices together with educators across the division.
Learn more about and sign up for the POG POL Innovator Cohort.
✨ 2023-30 Strategic Plan — Goal 1: Strong Start: Pre-K - 12
The 2023-30 strategic plan sets five main goals to create positive change in FCPS. These five goals show where we should focus our attention and will help us align our efforts. Our equity commitment and a set of measures in each goal will measure our success.
Our first goal in the 2023-30 plan is to help all students develop academic skills, curiosity, and a love for learning. These skills and attitudes are crucial for success from pre-K to 12th grade.
We are dedicated to equity. We will collaborate with families to make choices that support each student's success. Visit the Strategic Plan webpage to learn more about how we will measure the success of goal 1.
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💲 Savings for Staff
What’s left on your summer bucket list? The employee discount program might help make it happen! Take advantage of end-of-season sales while setting yourself up for success for the months ahead. If possible, take one last trip, finish work around the house, and make fond memories with family and friends.
Thanks to your FCPS Discount Program (Perkspot), you can enjoy your time while saving money! Learn more about Savings for Staff and log in to your Perkspot account to start saving.
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📅 Calendar Reminder: Labor Day
Friday, September 1, and Monday, September 4, are Labor Day holidays for all FCPS employees and students. Virginia legislation requires that schools opening prior to Labor Day must be closed the Friday immediately preceding Labor Day. 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 School Year Calendar and the Employee Calendar.
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!
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