Wednesday, February 7, is Crossing Guard Appreciation Day. Be sure to say “Thank you!” to the crossing guards who help our students get to and from school safely, including Ferial Oweis, pictured above, who works at the entrance of Weyanoke Elementary School.
🎼 Annandale High School Music Teacher Gets a GRAMMY
An Annandale High School music teacher, whose work with children with disabilities has drawn praise, won the 2024 GRAMMY Music Educator Award. Orchestra Director Annie Ray, the 2023 Fairfax County Public Schools Outstanding Secondary School Teacher, attended the star-studded GRAMMY ceremony in Los Angeles to officially receive the honor. Read about her win. Congratulations, Annie!
New Regulation Allowing for Silent Witness
A new regulation was approved allowing employees to have a silent witness present when being counseled or disciplined by their immediate supervisor. The regulation establishes the roles of employees and silent witness representatives when an employee is the subject of management fact-findings for possible misconduct; or in the event of an issuance of a summary memorandum for poor performance or misconduct, letter of reprimand for misconduct, suspension for misconduct, or proposed dismissal for performance or conduct.
The Silent Witness regulation is separate and distinct from the procedures contained in any currently applicable conduct, performance, or grievance regulation. View Silent Witness Regulation 4463 on BoardDocs.
💚 Thank You, School Counselors
This week is National School Counseling Week, which highlights the tremendous impact school counselors — such as Marie Doñosos from Twain Middle School, pictured above, at center — have in helping students achieve academic success and plan for a career.
School counselors work with students in many ways, including classroom lessons, group sessions, and individual counseling. Read about some of our exemplary school counselors who were chosen as pyramid winners for the 2023 Outstanding School-Based Professional Employee Award.
🚍 Wear Yellow to Support Transportation Staff February 9
February is Love the Bus Month! On Friday, February 9, FCPS employees and students are encouraged to wear yellow in recognition of our drivers, attendants, and all transportation staff.
🍎 My First Year Episode 4: The Seasons of Learning
First-year teacher Ms. Vivi is back and ready to celebrate the seasons of learning. Watch how she keeps the magic of the seasons alive in her classroom at Shrevewood Elementary School.
Red Rover Tips for Teachers
Red Rover, FCPS’ new substitute management system, officially launched five weeks ago. More than 83% of school staff and substitutes have registered. Thank you to the employees who took time to train and educate others about the new platform and help make the transition easier.
As with any new technology, there is a learning curve. Here are a few tips on how to best navigate Red Rover:
- Add your absence with as much lead time as possible.
- Use only your fcps.edu email address.
- Click the question mark icon on the top menu bar for help.
- Create a “Favorites” list by clicking the edit button, typing in a substitute’s name, and adding them to the list.
More resources and tutorials are available on the Substitute Resources Hub page.
We ❤️ FCPS Families
Hunter Woods Elementary School is home to three generations of the Epperson family. Cory Epperson is a fourth grade teacher. Her son Justin is a special education teacher, and her granddaughter Olivia is a third grader.
Cory is a proud graduate of Fairfax High School, and Justin graduated from Oakton.
“Being able to collaborate with my son is so cool and allows me to see the competent colleague that he is,” Cory says. “Reading books to my granddaughter’s class or seeing her at recess or in the cafeteria is a great joy for me.”
Do you come from an FCPS family? What do you love about working for FCPS? Share your story and photos with us by emailing EmployeeNews@fcps.edu. We will feature the stories next week for Valentine’s Day on the Employee Blog.
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💻 Tutor.com Teacher Dashboard and Teacher-Referred Tutoring
The new Tutor.com Teacher Dashboard, which can be accessed in Schoology®, is a user-friendly interface that allows teachers to seamlessly toggle between class rosters for each of their classes and chart students’ Tutor.com engagement.
The easy-to-use dashboard also facilitates Teacher-Referred Tutoring. Teachers can now refer students for tutoring sessions in specific subjects, ensuring equitable access to students who might not otherwise participate in a Tutor.com session. Teachers may also add personalized notes to referrals to make sure students and tutors maximize their session time together.
These new tools are designed to help teachers identify students who are participating in tutoring sessions and using drop-off review services; receive real-time notifications that students are struggling with a lack of prerequisite knowledge or content mastery; refer students for tutoring, with their specific needs already identified; and then chart their progress.
Learn more about these new Tutor.com program features in the Teacher Dashboard Training.
📖 Summer 2024 K-6 Literacy Institute
All K-6 classroom, ESOL, and special education teachers will be trained on evidence-based literacy instruction using the newly adopted basal resource, which will be the English Language Arts curriculum in the 2024-25 school year. The Summer 2024 K-6 Literacy Institute will provide this training so that teachers are prepared to implement the new basal resource at the start of the 2024-25 school year.
Three consecutive days of training are available from Monday, June 24, to Wednesday, July 31, at locations across the county. Space is limited. Participants should register in MyPDE early for preferred dates or locations. Teachers will be compensated for attending.
Teachers who are unable to attend the Summer Literacy Institute will receive basic orientation to the new basal resource during an August staff development day. Additional sessions will occur in fall 2024 to ensure that all teachers are able to complete the training. The Summer Literacy Institute is recommended for all who are able to attend. For more information, please reference the K-6 Literacy Institute Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).
💘 Your Heart Deserves the Best: Wellbeats February Program
Pump it up! Did you know that the American Heart Association suggests a minimum of 150 minutes (2.5 hours) of heart-pumping exercise each week? Being more active can help us think, sleep, and perform daily tasks more easily. Wellbeats Wellness is your go-to tool to support your heart health this February, and year-round.
The Your Heart Deserves the Best program includes running and walking; high-intensity interval training; cycling; strength training; heart-healthy recipes with whole grains, fruits, and vegetables; and calming meditations.
Download the Wellbeats Wellness app or visit portal.wellbeats.com. Forgot your login information? Enter your FCPS email address and click “Forgot My Password.” New to Wellbeats Wellness? Watch this short video for a preview of classes. For any account issues, email support@wellbeats.com.
Wellness Kick-Off Event: Congratulations Prize Winners!
On January 24, the Employee Wellness team held a New Year’s kickoff event at Gatehouse. Three employees who stopped by to set up their Foundations wellness app were randomly selected for a Nutribullet blender prize! Congratulations to Mark Jones, Dee Laucevicius, and Michael Parker, pictured with Employee Wellness manager James Jadallah.
Staff will have another opportunity to win a Nutribullet blender during March’s Colorful Choices challenge, which kicks off on Monday, March 4! Stay tuned for details.
Download the Foundations wellness app and use organizational ID FCPS to create an account. Click on “Digital Self-Care Tools” after signing in.
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Employee HR Software to Be Streamlined
At the January 25 School Board Meeting, FCPS awarded Applications Software Technology (AST) the contract to implement an Oracle Human Capital Management (HCM) software solution to replace the 25-year-old Lawson Human Resources Information System.
A single platform will replace BrassRing, Onboarding, MyTime, UConnect, MyPDE, and other programs as we progress through the multi-phased project. This will streamline employee access to software related to leave, pay, and other employment functions.
The Oracle implementation will be broken into three phases over approximately three years and is anticipated to begin in mid-March. Read more about the contract on the HCM Project webpage on the Employee Hub.
Celebrating Achievements of African Americans
Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. FCPS Social Studies provides information and suggested activities and resources to support teaching and learning Black and African American history. This Black History 180 document supports the celebration of Black History Month in February, as well as every other school day.
Black history is American history. Students deserve meaningful, sustained opportunities to learn about the experiences and contributions of Black and African American people year-round, and Black History Month is one opportunity to honor these diverse and important stories.
Learn more about Black History Month. Get information about other heritage months, celebrations, and traditions celebrated in FCPS.
📅 Calendar Reminder: Presidents Day (Holiday)
All schools and offices will be closed on Monday, February 19, for the Presidents Day holiday.
Presidents Day is a time to honor and remember the birthdays and achievements of the country's most distinguished leaders, and to reflect on the role of presidents in shaping the nation’s history and development. Students should have the opportunity to engage in meaningful and enduring learning experiences that explore the remarkable history and impactful contributions of American presidents.
Resources for Presidents Day are available for teachers via this social studies Presidents Day 180 doc. Teachers and school leaders will find ideas for classroom learning experiences across content areas and grade levels. These resources have been curated specifically for the social studies curriculum, but are available and accessible for any content area.
See the complete school year calendar. See the employee calendar.
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School Board Meeting Scheduled for February 8 at 7:30 p.m.
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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