Falls Church Pyramid Team 22 bus drivers were the center of attention during a special “Thank You” event at Jackson Middle School.
Update Your Information, Correct Benefits Elections, Opt-In for Electronic W-2s With UConnect
Uconnect (VPN required) is the employee portal for human resources and payroll information. It is the quickest and easiest way to review your benefits, leave balances, tax withholding, and teacher credentials. You can also use it to review and update your personal information including your preferred name, phone numbers, and home address. Once logged in to UConnect, click on “+” next to Benefits, Employment, Pay, or Personal Information in the left column to explore your information. Click on “My Documents” to review your Total Compensation Statement, Contracts, Open Enrollment Statement, and W-2s.
Visit the UConnect webpage on the Employee Hub.
Open Enrollment Correction Window Available Through Friday, November 17
You should have received your benefit statement for 2024 in your FCPS.edu inbox last week. If you need to make corrections, please do so this week. To adjust your plans, covered dependents, or flexible spending account (FSA) enrollment, log in to UConnect by Friday, November 17, at 4:30 p.m. Visit the Open Enrollment webpage for more information.
Note: The IRS just announced that the 2024 limit for the health FSA is $3,200. If you elected to participate in the FSA program for 2024 and wish to increase your election, please go to Uconnect during the correction window to make the change.
🧾 Opt in for W-2 Web Delivery
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. View the Online W-2 Access Guide to find out how.
Paper W-2s will be mailed to the address on file with the Office of Payroll Management as of Thursday, December 28, for employees who have not opted in for web delivery.
Avoid delays in receiving your W-2 or health plan ID cards by updating your address in UConnect or submitting a forwarding address to the U.S. Postal Service.
For technical assistance with online address changes, please call the Human Resources Welcome Center at 571-423-3000.
🎖️ Thank You Veterans!
Silverbrook Elementary School held a heartwarming tribute to veterans and their families on Friday. Hear Dr. Reid’s remarks and see some of the sights from that day. View more highlights from around the district.
Visit the Employee Blog to read about FCPS employees who are veterans and how their service led them to their current careers.
🎉 Congratulations to 2023 Teacher Grant Recipients!
Educate Fairfax and FCPS are proud to announce that 57 grants will impact more than 16,000 K-12 students across the county.
These grants will 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 (POG) skills.
Now in its fifth year, our partnership with Educate Fairfax and the Teacher Grant Program has funded 255 grants to educators and impacted more than 80,000 FCPS students! Learn more about teacher grants.
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💛 Thank You to ALL Who Work in Our FCPS Community
For American Education Week, we celebrate everyone who works in the FCPS community! Learn more from the National Education Association.
Want to recognize someone from your school or office who goes above and beyond? Submit a nomination to FCPS CARES.
🧭 Learn to Lead With Compass Leadership Development Courses
FCPS offers Compass Courses to current and aspiring operational and instructional leaders (unless specified in the course title). Staff from across FCPS lead the courses to promote leadership skills and development.
Upcoming courses for the second quarter include Leading Your School to Get2Green, Improvement Science, and Engaging in Difficult Conversations. View Compass Quarterly (PDF), a newsletter showcasing all Compass course offerings for the second quarter. Sign up for classes in MyPDE.
Interested staff can also sign up for Compass Quarterly to plan your professional development calendar. Email COMPASS@fcps.edu with any questions.
Learning Tailored to Your Grade Level, Content Area, and Specific Needs
The Great Beginnings Quarter 2 Learning Series will be offered Tuesday, November 28 through Thursday, November 30, with different sessions on a variety of topics each night.
All sessions will be presented on Zoom from 5:15 to 6:45 pm. You can sign up for one session each night. While the sessions are designed for teachers in their first three years, they are open to all.
Prepare for Your Next Step at FCPS: Resumé and Interviewing Workshop
Join Region 2 Interim Assistant Superintendent Megan Vroman, Groveton Assistant Principal Chris Latham, and Education Specialist for Integrated Professional Learning Sara Royer in this workshop about moving your career to the next level.
A resumé and interviewing session will be held on Tuesday, November 28, 5-7 p.m., at Willow Oaks for operational and instructional employees at all levels. Participants will learn the do's and don'ts of a great resumé, and receive advice and practice on how to put their best foot forward in a professional interview. Participants should bring a current resumé and job description for a position in which they are interested. Register in MyPDE.
🙋 Student Attendance and Engagement
During the Academic Matters segment of Thursday’s School Board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid discussed student attendance and engagement. Attendance and absenteeism rates are one measure of Goal 2 of our Strategic Plan.
Chronic absenteeism — which is defined as a student missing 10% or more of school for any reason — is a concern across Virginia school districts. Although FCPS continues to outperform the state average in attendance rates, we are tracking chronic absenteeism closely and stressing the importance of attendance to students and parents while providing a multi-tiered system of intervention.
Attendance is critical for academic success. Data shows that:
- Missing just 10% of school — just two days a month — negatively affects a student’s academic performance.
- Only 17% of students who were chronically absent in both kindergarten and first grade were reading proficiently in third grade, compared to 64% of those with good attendance.
- Students who fail to read at grade level by the end of third grade are four times more likely than students who achieve proficiency to drop out of high school.
- By sixth grade, chronic absenteeism becomes a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school.
As we start the second quarter of the school year, let’s continue to stress the importance of strong attendance habits.
💲 Financial Empowerment: Your Path to Smarter Spending and Saving
In today's unpredictable economic climate, we all face financial challenges and opportunities, such as budgeting for holiday expenses, supporting aging parents, or preparing for retirement. Imagine a world where you are prepared for the unexpected, confidently navigating economic changes and securing your family's future.
The 10 Strategies for Improving Your Finances webinar highlights actionable steps for informed decision-making, setting priorities, and reshaping your financial future. The webinar will take place on Wednesday, November 15, 4:30-5:30 p.m. Register today.
For more information, email EmployeeWellness@fcps.edu.
💯 Don’t Miss Out on Your $100 Wellness Incentive
Employees enrolled in an FCPS health plan as the primary cardholder may earn a gift card worth up to $100 by completing their annual physical and laboratory screenings.
Follow the steps in the guides below by the end of the year to redeem your gift card:
Contact EmployeeWellness@fcps.edu or visit the Employee Wellness page for more information.
🚶🏽♀️ Bravo FCPS Walktober Challengers!
The Employee Wellness Team wishes to extend a huge “Thank you” to every participant in the Walktober Challenge. Every step you took mattered, and every cheer you gave encouraged others. Bravo!
Your support made this year’s wellness challenge a huge success with 4,084 participants, 489 teams, and more than 1 billion steps logged. Congratulations to the three leading schools in the challenge: Mosaic Elementary School, South County Middle School, and Bryant High School.
😴 Rest and Restore Before the Holidays
Join the Wellbeats Wellness Rest and Restore Campaign for soothing meditations to calm your mind, and gentle yoga to release tension and prepare for sleep. The campaign runs through Friday, December 15. Complete the program, and you’ll be entered in a drawing for a Wellbeats wellness accessories gift card.
Use your FCPS email address to access Wellbeats. Please email support@wellbeats.com for questions about your account.
New to Wellbeats Wellness? Watch this short video for a preview of classes.
📚 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. Public review of the recommended materials is part of the process for selecting new resources. The resources may be accessed in person and online from Wednesday, November 15, until Friday, December 15, at noon. Digital materials for public review and comment will be available on the Elementary Language Arts Basal Resource Review webpage. Those reviewing instructional materials may complete an electronic comment sheet that will be available on the website during the review period.
Visit FCPS' website for instructions on how to view hard copies of the instructional materials at Pimmit Hills Center. The Elementary Language Arts team will be there to answer questions Friday, December 1, 4-8 p.m., and Saturday, December 2, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
All community feedback will be shared with the review committee and the School Board.
🦃 Calendar Reminder: Thanksgiving Holiday
Schools and offices will be closed Wednesday, November 22, through Friday, November 24. Classes will resume on Monday, November 27. View the Employee Calendar.
Please note, there will be no Employee News next week. The next issue will be sent on Tuesday, November 28.
💵 Set Yourself Up for Savings This Holiday Season
PerkSpot helps FCPS employees give more while enjoying savings. Make sure you’re set up to stress less and spend less this holiday season with Savings for Staff, FCPS' employee discount program.
Stay tuned for exciting savings opportunities coming your way:
- Early-access deals, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and last-minute gifts.
- Giveaways throughout the season.
- Deals of the week.
- Savings guides to help you find the perfect gift at an affordable cost.
Log in to PerkSpot to join the holiday fun.
🚗 FCPS Online Classifieds: Find a Roommate, a Ride, or a Vacation Rental
The FCPS Online Classifieds system — which is for employees only and can be found on the Hub — is a free way for employees to post ads for personally owned items that they are seeking to buy, sell, or give away.
Examples include electronics, children’s items, fitness and sports equipment, furniture, cars, and tickets. It's also a great tool to help an employee find someone to share a ride to work, a roommate, or rental property.
🗳️ Thank You Voters! 2023 School Bond Referendum Passed
Thank you to the Fairfax citizens who supported the 2023 Bond Referendum. Roughly 67% of those voting in the 2023 election supported the $435 million bond referendum, continuing a long history of school bond approvals in Fairfax County.
Stay engaged as we build our future. Keep up-to-date on construction and capital improvements across FCPS by visiting our Capital Improvement Project webpage.
School Board Meeting Scheduled for Monday, November 20 at 7:30 p.m.
Due to the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, the School Board will hold its next regular business meeting on Monday, November 20, at 7:30 p.m. Agenda highlights include:
- Performance and Progress on Strategic Plan Goal 3
- Facilities Engagement Plan
- Annual Legislative Program
Check Boarddocs later this week to view the complete agenda. Find out how to watch and participate in School Board meetings.
Staff Staples
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Submit an Employee News request. Submissions are due by 4:30 p.m. on Thursdays. Thank you!
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