Second grade teacher Abigail Park high-fives a student at Hunt Valley Elementary School.
Pay Advice (Paystub) Delivery Changing in April
Beginning in April, employees will access their pay advices (paystubs) in UConnect (VPN required). They will be available in employee self-service on the morning of each payday. Learn more about this change in pay advice delivery.
Qualifying Life Events: When You Can Make Changes to Benefits
Generally, employees may only make changes to their benefits during the annual open enrollment period. However, FCPS does allow you to make changes following certain life events (or qualifying life events).
Benefit changes are time-sensitive, and the necessary paperwork must be submitted within the designated time frame (30 days) following the event.
Qualifying life events include marriage, birth, adoption, or custody of a child, a dependent turning 26, divorce, death of a covered dependent, change in employment status, or the loss of existing health coverage.
Visit the Qualifying Life Events webpage for more information.
Employee Leave Updates for FEU-Covered Employees
Effective Tuesday, July 1, the new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) for all covered employees in the Fairfax Education Unions (FEU) includes expanded leave benefits:
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Personal Leave: Less-than-12-month employees can now use up to six sick leave days as personal leave, an increase from five.
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Sick Leave Medical Documentation: Required only for sick leave absences exceeding five consecutive days. If an employee exceeds five sick leave days in a month (consecutive or nonconsecutive), Sedgwick, our short-term disability provider, will assess eligibility for additional benefits.
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Bereavement Leave: Employees will receive three bereavement days per year without deducting from sick leave.
Visit the Hub and the FCPS website for more information on FEU and collective bargaining.
Visit the Collective Bargaining Frequently Asked Questions page and click “How Do I Know if I Am in the Union?” for instructions on how to see if you are covered by FEU.
✨ A supported workforce is Pillar C of the FCPS Strategic Plan.
Developing a Strong Academic Foundation, Curiosity, and Joy for Learning
 
The FCPS Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Advertised Budget invests in academic growth and excellence for each and every student, which is one of the priorities of the FCPS Strategic Plan.
A strong start for every student is Goal 1 of the Strategic Plan. Pre-K classrooms are making a difference in our community. In this video, we explore the importance of bringing children under the age of five together, regardless of abilities.
Learn more about the FCPS FY 2026 Advertised Budget. View the Budget Development Calendar to stay up to date and learn about opportunities to provide feedback.
💬 Share Your Input on the County Budget
The Fairfax County government presented its Fiscal Year 2026 Advertised Budget Plan to the Board of Supervisors on February 18. The community is invited to share feedback through an online survey, email, phone calls, or by attending county Budget Town Hall meetings.
Inclusive Schooling Presentation
On Friday, March 14, inclusion advocates and best-selling authors Julie Causton and Kristie Pretti-Frontczak will present the what, why, and how of inclusive education. All FCPS staff are invited to register and attend in person or virtually.
The presentation will take place from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at Willow Oaks Administrative Center.
✨ Student academic inclusion and engagement is part of Goal 2 of the FCPS Strategic Plan.
🤖 Hands-On, Practical Experience with AI
The Department of Information Technology Upskilling Academy is offering four Artificial Intelligence (AI) Lab opportunities beginning in March.
These AI Frontier Labs will provide hands-on, practical experiences with Google Notebook LM and Gemini AI, allowing staff to experiment, create, and refine AI-driven tasks in an open, collaborative environment. Participants will generate immediate AI-powered solutions to meet instructional and administrative needs.
Don’t miss this opportunity to explore, test, and improve AI-generated outputs. Visit MyPDE for more information and to register.
💚 Thank You, School Social Workers!
The goal of every FCPS school social worker is to make sure every student can succeed. They assess and address social, emotional, and behavioral factors that may stand in the way of students learning and doing their best. Find out how some of our school social workers are improving their students' lives.
✨ Helping students feel safe, supported, included, and empowered at school is Goal 2 of the FCPS Strategic Plan.
🌞 FCPS CARES Recipient Creates Brighter Days
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FCPS CARES allows parents/caregivers, staff, and community members to recognize employees for going above and beyond to help others and show they care. Among the CARES of the Month recipients for December 2024/January 2025 is Erica Moore, a multiple disabilities teacher at Union Mill Elementary School. |
“Erica is someone who comes to school every day with the mindset that every child she works with will have a brighter day,” her nominator said. “Because of her, many students who struggle find glimmers in their day. Glimmers of hope. Glimmers of ‘Yes, I can!’ Glimmers of confidence. She constantly goes above and beyond for her students and fellow teachers.”
Other FCPS CARES of the Month recipients include:
- Lori Posner, Virginia Hills Early Childhood Center
- Lauren Drew, Cunningham Park Elementary School
- Abby Parsons, Beech Tree Elementary School
- Lainie Abrams and Jennifer Stoneburg, West Potomac High School
- Carlie Oddo-Bennett, Eagle View Elementary School
- Laura Steib, Columbia Elementary School
Read about all the recipients.
✨ Helping students feel safe, supported, included, and empowered at school is Goal 2 of the FCPS Strategic Plan.
📐 Review Potential K-12 Mathematics Instructional Resources
FCPS will begin using new mathematics instructional resources for the 2025-26 (secondary) and 2026-27 (elementary) school years. The community is invited to review the materials and provide comments. Access resources on the FCPS Mathematics webpage.
You may view hard copies of instructional materials on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., through Friday, March 21, at 8270 Willow Oaks Corporate Dr., Suite 100. In-person public review will not be available on Tuesday, March 11, and Wednesday, March 12.
All community feedback will be shared with the review committee and with Fairfax County School Board members before the board votes in spring 2025.
🥣 National School Breakfast Week
In the last issue of Weekly Reflections, Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid highlighted that it is National School Breakfast Week. FCPS’ Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) team provides nutritious, delicious breakfast items for about 30,000 students every day. So far this school year, they’ve provided 3.3 million breakfasts. Read Weekly Reflections for more information on how FNS is incorporating student voice and new menu items.
✨ Centering student voice is part of Goal 2: Safe, Supported, Included, and Empowered of FCPS’ Strategic Plan.
🗓️ Calendar Reminders
Instructional Job Fair
Fairfax County Public Schools is hosting an instructional job fair on Saturday, March 8, 9 a.m. to noon, at Lake Braddock Secondary School. Registration is required.
☀️ Daylight Saving Time Begins (Spring Forward)
Daylight saving time begins Sunday, March 9, at 2 a.m. Don’t forget to move your clocks ahead one hour!
Staff Staples
Note: Some links in this email require a connection to the FCPS network. If you have any questions, please visit the FCPS Tech Support Portal to search for self help articles or submit a ticket.
Submit an Employee News request. Submissions are due by 4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays. Thank you!
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