Kings Park Elementary School staff members are ready to support their students for a day of learning! From left to right are Edna Molina, Loan Huynh, Elizabeth Sotomayor, Stephanie Chen, and Sagrario Gomez.
📝 Become a High-Impact Tutor
High-impact tutoring connects small groups of as many as five students with a tutor who meets with them before, during, and/or after school hours. Tutors meet regularly with their groups and routinely assess student growth to ensure the students are meeting or exceeding their goals. Find out how to become a high-impact tutor with FCPS.
As of October 17, FCPS has 161 tutors hired for this school year, working in approximately 60 schools. Additional tutors are continually being added to our roster. Read more about FCPS’ high-impact tutoring program.
💲 Earn Your $100 Wellness Incentive
Employees enrolled in an FCPS health plan as the primary cardholder may earn a gift card reward worth up to $100 for completing their annual physical and laboratory screenings by Sunday, December 31. The gift card is courtesy of our Employee Wellness Incentive program!
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Cigna Members: Earn a $50 gift card reward for completing the Annual Preventive Exam and earn a $50 gift card reward for completing the Biometric Screening.
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Kaiser Permanente Members: Earn a $100 gift card reward for completing the Total Health Assessment and Biometric Screening.
Email EmployeeWellness@fcps.edu or visit the FCPS Wellness Incentive Program Hub page for more information.
📜 Update Your Address to Receive W-2
W-2 tax forms are issued by the end of January for earnings in the prior calendar year. Employees are encouraged to opt in for W-2 web delivery. For instructions on opting in, view the Online W-2 Access Guide.
Paper W-2s will be mailed to the address on file (as of Thursday, December 28) for employees who have not opted in for web delivery.
To avoid delivery delays, please keep your address up-to-date in UConnect and submit a forwarding address with the U.S. Postal Service if you move. Undeliverable W-2s will be returned to FCPS. If an updated address is on file when the W-2 is returned, it will be re-mailed to the new address.
For technical assistance with online address changes, please call the Human Resources Welcome Center at 571-423-3000.
🩺 Open Enrollment Ends Next Week
Open enrollment is your annual opportunity to enroll or make changes to your medical, dental, and/or flexible spending account (FSA) benefits for the upcoming year.
Now through Friday, November 3, you can log in to UConnect to review your current benefit elections and make any changes. Your login information is your FCPS user ID and password. Visit the UConnect Quick Start Guide for step-by-step instructions on using UConnect during Open Enrollment.
Current FSA participants are not automatically re-enrolled. You must enroll in an FSA during open enrollment if you wish to participate in 2024.
Please visit the Open Enrollment webpage for additional information.
Help Shape the Direction of FCPS Websites
FCPS will be updating our current websites to improve user experience. Our website vendor will be focusing on key elements including design, layout, navigation, content, and accessibility.
Please take our survey in English, Spanish, or Vietnamese and let us know your thoughts about FCPS' central website (fcps.edu) and school sites, and how well they are serving you.
The survey is anonymous, should take less than 10 minutes to complete, and will close on Wednesday, November 1. We will share the survey results later this fall. Thank you in advance for your time. If you have any questions about the survey, please email our vendor at zgrimshaw@forumone.com.
Want to Provide More In-Depth Feedback?
In addition to the Website Redesign Survey mentioned above, we are looking for volunteers to provide more in-depth feedback on FCPS' current central website by participating in a usability study. This research is being conducted by our website partner, Forum One. You may participate by downloading an app on your personal phone or viewing a website.
If you are interested, please email Sara Tetreault, stetreault@forumone.com, as soon as possible. Please note in your email what your role is at FCPS.
📊 Results of the 2022-23 Fairfax County Youth Survey
The Fairfax County Youth Survey provides insights about the behaviors and attitudes that affect the health and well-being of Fairfax County youth.
Most Fairfax County students reported they feel safe at their school in the 2022-23 survey. Overall, the percentage of students who reported risky behaviors continued to decrease in many areas including substance use, sexual activity, and aggressive and delinquent behavior.
Mental health indicators including feelings of sadness/hopelessness, suicidal ideations, and suicide attempts also improved noticeably compared to 2021. Students who reported the recommended amount of physical activity increased compared to the prior year as well.
Read more about the report’s findings, and find the full report on the county’s website.
Protective Factors Support Healthy Habits and Positive Choices
Results from the Fairfax County Youth Survey highlight the importance of students having three or more protective factors. Protective factors are individual, family-based, school-based, and community-based assets (such as participating in extracurricular activities, having parents available for help, or having teachers recognize good work) that support healthy habits and positive choices. Learn more about promoting positive outcomes.
Survey data shows that students with at least three protective factors have a lower likelihood of reporting mental health challenges and engaging in a variety of risky behaviors, including substance and opioid abuse. These findings led to the development of the Three to Succeed program, which is being implemented divisionwide to educate FCPS students, families, and staff on the importance of protective factors and increasing the number of high school students with three or more of them.
Lynette Henry Named Executive Director of Educate Fairfax
The Chief Experience and Engagement Office announced the selection of Lynette Henry as the new executive director of Educate Fairfax, effective Wednesday, November 1.
In alignment with FCPS’ 2023-30 Strategic Plan, Lynette will be responsible for building on the foundation’s work and growing its contributions in support of excellence, equity, and opportunity for each and every student.
Lynette is currently the manager of FCPS' College Success Programs, where she supervises programming and services districtwide to increase access to resources and opportunities for student populations most in need of these services.
Her philanthropic work has resulted in funding that provided wraparound services and support to students and families; increased mentoring, parent engagement, and college and career opportunities; and extended after school and summer programs. She is known to reach across the division and broader community to engage multiple and diverse stakeholders, build and nurture relationships, and work tirelessly to achieve goals.
Lynette’s motto is, “Imagine the Best for Every Child … and Make It Happen!”
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⭐ Employee Recognition: Nominate and Celebrate Your Colleagues
We know FCPS employs some of the best and brightest! Recognize your colleagues by nominating them for one of the following:
- The FCPS CARES Program is an opportunity for parents, staff, and community members to acknowledge FCPS employees for going above and beyond to help others and show they care.
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Excellence Awards celebrate the efforts and achievements of individual employees and teams whose job performance produces exceptional results that support FCPS’ mission and vision.
- The FCPS Outstanding Employee Awards program (Honors) celebrates the efforts and accomplishments of exceptional school-based and nonschool-based employees throughout the district. Awards liaisons from participating schools and departments work with the Employee Awards Team throughout the selection process.
Employees are also honored upon their retirement at the We Honor You ceremony. Visit the Hub for more details on all the programs.
🌸 EAP Healthy Lifestyles Webinar
Join your colleagues Wednesday, October 25, 4:30-5:30 p.m. for an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) webinar that will take you on a transformative journey to explore the connection between mental and physical health, paving the way to a happier and healthier you.
Register for Healthy Lifestyles: Changing the Way You Think About Diet and Exercise to learn how to cultivate a holistic mindset, focus on long-term sustainable habits, prioritize balanced nutrition, and incorporate regular physical activity into your routine.
Visit EAP Guidance Resources Online (use Web ID: FCPS) to learn more. Find additional events on the Hub EAP page and find recordings of previous webinars on the Recorded EAP Workshops page.
Email EmployeeWellness@fcps.edu or call 1-855-355-9097 for additional information. Sign up for the EAP Wellness newsletter to get monthly updates.
🗓️ Calendar Reminders: Día de los Muertos and All Saints Day
Día de los Muertos is an opportunity to remember and celebrate the lives of departed loved ones. Wednesday, November 1, and Thursday, November 2, are observance days this year. Watch this video to learn more about Día de los Muertos.
See the Employee Calendar. See the complete school year calendar.
🕰️ End of the First Quarter
As a reminder, Friday, November 3, is the last day of the first quarter and a two-hour early release for students. Schools are closed for students on Monday, November 6, for a school planning day and Tuesday, November 7, for a teacher workday. See the Employee Calendar for details on who reports to work those days.
⏰ Daylight Saving Time Ends
Daylight saving time will end Sunday, November 5, at 2 a.m. Don’t forget to move your clocks back one hour!
✅ Election Day
Remember to get out and vote on Tuesday, November 7! The day will be observed as a holiday for students and teachers (only 12-month personnel report). For more information on voting, visit the Virginia Department of Elections website.
🏗️ FCPS Buildings Benefit All Community Members
FCPS buildings aren’t only used by our students and teachers; we estimate that visits from community members, students from other school districts, and other members of the public number in the millions. Most of the public meeting and recreational facilities available in the county are FCPS facilities. FCPS works with the Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood and Community Services and with the Fairfax County Park Authority to ensure that school facilities and athletic fields are available to the public after school hours.
The 2023 Bond Referendum will be on the ballot in November. Vote on Tuesday, November 7.
School Board Meeting Scheduled for October 26 at 7:30 p.m.
The School Board will hold its regular business meeting on Thursday, October 26, at 7:30 p.m. Agenda highlights include:
- FY 2024 Revised Budget
- Awarding of Contracts
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!
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