Kings Glen Elementary School staff (from left) Counselor Elaine Stottlemyer, Music Teacher Raymond Mason, and School-Based Technology Specialist Rebecca Canty receive flowers for Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week.
🍎 You Are Appreciated!
This week is National Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week. We recognize the remarkable contributions of our educators and staff members who go above and beyond every day to support, challenge, and inspire their students. Watch this video from Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid in which she shares her appreciation.
Two outstanding FCPS teachers — Shea Hestmark and Symone Keolani Jenkins — were recognized last year as FCPS Honors winners. They both exemplify the professionalism, compassion, and leadership that define excellence in education. Read more about these outstanding teachers.
FCPS Fiscal Year 2025-26 Budget Updates
The School Board will hold its next regular business meeting on Thursday, May 8, at 7 p.m., at Jackson Middle School. At this meeting, Dr. Reid will share her recommended adjustments to the budget, following Fairfax County Government’s mark up of its budget on Tuesday, May 6.
View the complete agenda. Find out how to watch and participate in School Board meetings.
The School Board will hold a public hearing on final budget adjustments on Tuesday, May 13, at 6 p.m. Sign up to speak by Monday, May 12, at 4:30 p.m.
🎤 Your Voice Matters: Employee Conversations With Dr. Reid
An Employee Conversation with Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid will take place Wednesday, May 7, 5-6 p.m., at Weyanoke Elementary School. Click on the date to register. Registration is not required, but it helps with planning.
For additional parking, please use the lot at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. A walking path connects directly to Weyanoke Elementary School. Door 2 of Weyanoke is located at the end of the path that connects the two schools.
You can reach out to Dr. Reid anytime by submitting a question via the superintendent’s webpage or emailing Superintendent@fcps.edu.
✨ A diverse, adaptive, and supported workforce is Pillar C of the 2023-30 FCPS Strategic Plan.
🌟 More Than 4,000 Years of Service Recognized at FCPS Retirement Ceremony
FCPS' annual Retirement Ceremony, We Honor You, was held last week. Retirees — including Noel Klimenko, assistant superintendent for Instructional Services (pictured above with Superintendent Reid) — along with their family and friends, FCPS' Leadership Team, and members of the School Board, attended the event. Each of the 170 retirees who attended had a profile read by a member of the leadership team and received a gift.
Those honored represented more than 4,000 years of service with FCPS. Thank you to all our newly retired staff members for all the ways you have supported and empowered our students and families, each other, and our division over the years. You've made an invaluable impact on our community! View the ceremony program, photos, and video.
🚙 On the Road with Dr. Reid
It’s performance season across FCPS, and Dr. Reid has been enjoying many musical and theater events — including “Footloose” at Herndon High School, pictured above. Read her latest Weekly Reflections for details on several productions.
Visit the FCPS calendar, sort by calendar type, and choose Fine and Performing Arts for a listing of events happening across the school division.
🎷 Creating Safe Spaces and Soundtracks: How Luke Pierce Is Changing Lives Through Music Education
As Teacher Appreciation Week shines a spotlight on educators making a difference, Luke Pierce stands out — not just for what he teaches, but how he teaches it.
At West Potomac Academy, there’s a classroom unlike any other. It’s not defined by rows of desks or stacks of worksheets, but by soundboards, headphones, and a shared love for music. This is where Luke Pierce teaches Music and Computer Technology — and where students are finding their voices, their confidence, and sometimes, their purpose. Read more about Luke or watch this video about his class.
📝 School Communicators Craft Stories — and Relationships — Across FCPS
School Communicators Day is Friday, May 9. Every day, school communicators work to build bridges between our schools and school division and our parents, staff, students, and community. Two of FCPS’ communicators — Beth Visioli (pictured above) and Karen Bolt — were recognized as outstanding professionals at last year’s Honors ceremony. Read about these communicators and their honors.
Reaching Each and Every Student and Caregiver
A cornerstone of communications at FCPS is making sure that every member of the community can access the tools and resources provided by the school division. On the FCPS website, we work to eliminate barriers that can prevent individuals from engaging with content. Read more about web accessibility on FCPS.edu. Watch this video about using the website.
School Health Specialists Promote Health and Safety for Students
Tomorrow is National School Nurse Day. In Fairfax County Public Schools, a staff of five School Health Specialists who are all registered nurses — Cheryl Montgomery, Carissa Morris, Kristin Shiraishi (pictured right), Anna Wendland (pictured left), and Anne Winters (pictured, center) — support county public health nurses and school health aides.
While public health nurses oversee the day-to-day care provided in the school health rooms, the FCPS School Health Specialists provide programmatic support to keep our students safe and healthy. Read about what brought them to school nursing, and how they find their role rewarding.
🗳️ Nominations Due Soon for the Bussey Memorial Equity Award
The Minority Student Achievement Oversight Committee (MSAOC) sponsors the Dr. Lawrence Bussey Memorial Equity Award to honor the legacy of Dr. Bussey, a founding member of the MSAOC and a longtime advocate for students and families.
This award recognizes an employee, student, or community member who has demonstrated significant and impactful efforts to improve the educational experiences and outcomes of students from groups who are marginalized or underserved.
Any staff, student, or community member can nominate an individual for the award. All nomination materials must be submitted by Monday, May 19. Visit the Dr. Lawrence Bussey Memorial Equity Award webpage for additional information and the nomination form.
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Teacher Leader Learning Opportunities
Grow your leadership skills with these professional development opportunities designed for passionate teacher leaders.
Instructional Coach Learning Cohort
Applications are now being accepted for the Instructional Coach Learning Cohort (ICLC), a comprehensive program designed to prepare passionate teacher leaders for the impactful role of an FCPS Instructional Coach. Apply to become an Instructional Coach for the 2026-27 school year. The first session begins on Thursday, October 9. Candidate decisions are made on a rolling basis, so early application is recommended.
Teacher Leadership Series
The Office of Professional Learning presents the Teacher Leadership Series for the 2025-26 school year. This series offers dynamic sessions designed to ignite your leadership potential, amplify your influence, and enhance your skills. Choose from six engaging topics and attend the sessions that best align with your individual growth goals. Whether you attend one session or all of them, this series offers a personalized pathway to elevate your impact within your school community.
☀️ Summer Student Intern Program
FCPS is launching a Summer Internship Program, a six-week, paid, in-person opportunity for FCPS high school students or alumni enrolled in post-secondary education. This program is designed to provide valuable hands-on work experience, professional development, and project-based learning across various FCPS departments.
Interns will support professional staff in their selected department with projects and participate in weekly professional development workshops on topics such as personal finance, communication skills, resume writing, and networking. Interns will shadow staff completing mission-critical projects that prepare the division for the upcoming school year.
Learn more about this internship program, which supports FCPS’ Strategic Plan Goal 5: Leading for Tomorrow’s Innovation.
Learn Spanish on Your Schedule
Up to 40% of your students may speak a language other than English in their homes. In recognition of National Bilingual/Multilingual Learner Advocacy Month, Adult and Community Education (ACE) is offering teachers the opportunity to learn Spanish on their own schedule, from home, office, computer, or phone.
Communicate more easily with your students, their parents, and coworkers by taking ACE’s most popular online course, Speed Spanish.
🗳️ 2025 SSEAC Nominations and Election
The Support Services Employees’ Advisory Council (SSEAC) will elect seven individuals who will each serve a two-year term for their specific community-of-interest group by working as liaisons between management and employees:
- Group 1 – Bus Drivers and Attendants
- Group 2 – Central Office Clerical/Technical
- Group 4 – Custodial and Plant Operations
- Group 5 – Trades/Maintenance/Security
- Group 6 – Finance Support and Supply Operations
- Group 8 – Educational Support
- Group 9 – School-Based Clerical
Interested employees must submit an electronic nomination petition, a candidate statement of contribution, and nomination endorsements of at least 25 members from the candidate’s specific community-of-interest group. The SSEAC election petition outlines the process.
Required materials must be received by Sherri Burris in the Office of Employee Relations by Thursday, May 8. An electronic election will be held from Tuesday, May 20, to Thursday, May 22.
For more information on the SSEAC, please see Regulation 1705, Employee Advisory Councils.
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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