Free Flu Shots, Preventative Health Tips, Continuing Education Opportunities

Fairfax County Public Schools sent this bulletin at 09/12/2023 07:00 PM EDT

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

Employee News: Essential Information for Staff

FCPS and Fairfax County Health Department staff help a student get her required school immunizations at the FCPS Welcome Center in Dunn Loring.

🎤 Our Schools, Our Community: On the Road with Dr. Reid

Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid will host a series of Superintendent Community Conversations and expanded school visits this year. The events are opportunities for community members to share thoughts and ask questions.

Superintendent Community Conversations are open to all and will be held in each FCPS region; one series this fall and a second in the spring. Visit our website for a full schedule of events and to register to attend. Dr. Reid will also be hosting separate conversations with FCPS employees this fall; dates and locations will be announced soon.

You may also have an opportunity to talk with Dr. Reid at an expanded school visit during this school year. She will invite families and caregivers to join her for a morning meeting before she visits schools. She will also meet with students to learn more about their school experience. School communities will be contacted by email as her visits are announced.

Dr. Reid is also interested in hearing from you at any time of the year! Feel free to submit a question via her webpage or email superintendent@fcps.edu.

🤧 Tips to Stay Healthy This School Year

Flu season is quickly approaching and communicable diseases continue to be present in our schools. We are committed to maintaining a safe environment for in-person learning. Staff members are encouraged to follow the health practices below to prevent the spread of illnesses:

Make an appointment to get a flu vaccine as soon as possible. Everyone six months old or older should get a flu vaccine (with rare exceptions). Flu vaccines are widely available at doctors’ and pediatricians’ offices, grocery stores, and pharmacies.
Get vaccinated against COVID-19 if you have not done so already. An updated COVID booster for the 2023-24 season should be released in the coming weeks and will more effectively target the current circulating strains of the virus. Find out where you can get a COVID-19 vaccine or booster in your community by visiting Vaccinate Virginia, or call (877) VAX-IN-VA or (877) 829-4682.
Check for mild, cold-like symptoms each day, such as fever, runny nose, cough, or shortness of breath. Employees are advised to stay home and get tested when feeling sick.
Don’t forget to wash your hands regularly, avoid touching your face with unwashed hands, and cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing.

The most up-to-date information regarding COVID-19 school health practices is available on the Health and Safety Guidance webpage. Thank you for your continued partnership in keeping our schools safe and healthy!

🙋 FCPS StaffConnect Can Answer Your Questions

As FCPS continues to update technology and streamline processes, the HR Connection application will be replaced by a new portal called FCPS StaffConnect.

Beginning Monday, September 18, employees and applicants will be able to request support for HR technologies such as Brassring, Smartfind Express, and UConnect; submit badge requests; and ask general HR questions.

Employees can already submit concerns about harassment and discrimination via FCPS StaffConnect and will be able to self-report arrests starting in September. More services will be available through this portal in the coming months.

Find FCPS StaffConnect on the Employee Hub or the Contact Us webpage. You may also direct questions to Human Resources by calling 571-423-3000.

🍂 Fall into Fitness with Walktober Wellness Challenge

Fall is the perfect time to get outside, get moving, and enjoy the brisk beautiful weather. Join Walktober, a virtual wellness challenge, taking place Sunday, October 1, to Tuesday, October 31.

Create a team with four to eight colleagues, or you can join an existing team. Register on the Walktober website between Monday, September 18, and Friday, October 6.

Walktober has both individual and team competitions, daily health tips, an interactive message board, and recipes. For more information, visit the Employee Wellness Hub page.

💡 Leadership Skill Development for Middle Managers

The Middle Managers RoundTable (MMRT) is a seven-month collaborative leadership development program for both operational and school leaders, conducted by the FCPS Office of Professional Learning and the Fairfax County Government. Coordinators, managers, and school-based administrators (not principals) who have a supervisory or management role can apply for the opportunity to develop their leadership skills. Apply to participate by Wednesday, September 27.

Program participants build leadership capacity and collaborate on a group capstone project. Get more information on MMRT (Fcpsschools.net login is required). Please email Tiffany Lee with any questions.

Academy Program Offers Microcredentials for Teachers

The FCPS Academy Course Program, which provides professional learning opportunities for instructional staff, has been expanded to include microcredentials.

Microcredentials are personalized, flexible, and performance-based. Similar to Academy Courses, teachers can earn licensure renewable points and salary credit when they successfully demonstrate competencies or skills in a “stack.” A stack is a collection of related microcredentials.

Rather than attending classes on a given topic, the learner can demonstrate how they incorporate the knowledge in their current role. Microcredentials can be completed at the learner’s own pace.

Registration is available in MyPDE starting Tuesday, September 19, and will close in December. For more information, watch the Microcredential video or visit the Microcredential page on the Employee Hub.

🧭 North TIER Professional Development Courses

Now is the time to invest in new learning you can apply throughout the year. North TIER has a wonderful line-up of online professional development courses that are only $55 for a 30-hour course. A graduate credit option, earning two graduate credits from Colorado State University, requires extra work and fees.

For more information, view the course catalog and learn how and where to register. Contact admin@northtier.org with any questions.

Keep C.A.L.M. and Choose Accessible Learning Materials

The FCPS accessibility team is launching FCPS Keep C.A.L.M. and Choose Accessible Learning Materials, a campaign to support our commitment to Universal Design for Learning.

Join colleagues as we explore using accessible text — it's one of the most important things we can do to provide accessible learning materials. Throughout the year, watch for updates through Schoology groups, newsletters, and social media with simple insights, tips, and tricks that will allow FCPS to Keep C.A.L.M. and make learning accessible for everyone.

Join the Campaign

Post on X (Twitter) how you champion universal access. Use the hashtag #FCPSKeepCALM and tag @accessible_fcps. Or if you're not into social media, complete this very short C.A.L.M. Google Form.

To learn more about accessibility visit Accessibility in FCPS and follow @accessible_fcps on X.

✨ 2023-30 Strategic Plan — Goal 4: Equitable Access and Opportunity

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 monitor our progress toward those goals.

Under Goal 4, high-quality academics will be available to all students. They will have access to excellent resources that support their success. Visit the Strategic Plan webpage to learn more about how we will measure the success of Goal 4.

🏗️ School Bonds Benefit Students

A bond referendum to benefit Fairfax County Public Schools will be on the ballot this election season.

The building and renovation of schools are not financed through the school system’s operating funds, but through bonds. Similar to obtaining a mortgage on a residence to spread the cost of home buying over several years, bonds spread the cost of major capital improvements over a number of years. This ensures that current and future residents and users share in the payment. The county’s bonded debt is not likely to be a contributing factor to any increase in local taxes.

Watch this video to hear from teachers about how good schools benefit students.

Read more about the FCPS 2023 Bond Referendum. Vote on Tuesday, November 7. If you aren’t a registered voter, learn how to register.

National Hispanic Heritage Month

From September 15 to October 15, FCPS recognizes and celebrates the histories and cultures of the members of our community who trace their heritage to Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Learn more about the heritage months, celebrations, and traditions celebrated in FCPS. Learn more about National Hispanic Heritage Month.

Fairfax Fiesta

Fairfax County's inaugural Hispanic Heritage Celebration, Fairfax Fiesta, will be held Saturday, September 23, from noon to 5 p.m., at the PARC at Tysons, 8508 Leesburg Pike. The Fairfax County Government and Celebrate Fairfax! will host the free event for all ages and backgrounds. Learn more about Fairfax Fiesta.

Rosh Hashanah: Evening Only Observance Day

Friday, September 15, is an evening only Observance day (O day) in recognition of Rosh Hashanah, which begins at sundown. Evening only O days are full school days, but important events will not be held after school on those days. Learn more about Rosh Hashanah from PBS.

Yom Kippur

All FCPS schools and offices will be closed on Monday, September 25, for Yom Kippur, the holiest day in Judaism. Learn more about Yom Kippur on Brittanica.com.

See the complete school year calendar and employee calendar.

🩹 Free Breakfast and Gift for Blood Donors

Sideburn Support Center will host an Inova Health System blood drive for FCPS employees on Friday, September 21, from 6 to 10 a.m. All who donate will be offered free breakfast and a gift. Register in advance.

💲 Apply for Educate Fairfax’s Work-Based Learning Teacher Grants

Educate Fairfax, the nonprofit that supports FCPS, invites teachers, counselors, and other school-based personnel to apply for a Work-Based Learning Teacher Grant for the 2023-24 school year. 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.

Grant awards range from $1,000 to $2,000, and the application will be open through Friday, September 22. Awardees will be notified by Wednesday, November 1. Funding will be provided in November for the second half of the school year.

Find information about the grants, descriptions of last year’s projects, and the application on Educate Fairfax’s website.

School Board Meeting on September 14 at 7:30 p.m.

The School Board will hold its regular business meeting on Thursday, September 14, at 7:30 p.m. Agenda highlights include:

Executive Expectations.
Academic Matters.
Fairfax County Purchasing Resolution.

See the complete agenda. Find out how to watch and participate in School Board meetings.

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!

Web | Facebook | X | YouTube

Update your subscriptions, modify your password or email address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. You will need to use your email address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please visit subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com.