Kalli Chaney teaches algebra at Irving Middle School.
Employee Conversations With Dr. Reid
Your voice matters, and Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid wants to hear from you! Employee Conversations will take place this fall from 5 to 6 p.m. on the following dates:
These events are an opportunity for you to share your thoughts with and ask questions of Dr. Reid. You can also reach out to her anytime by submitting a question via the superintendent’s webpage or emailing Superintendent@fcps.edu.
Weekly Reflections: Middle School Students Finding Sense of Belonging
In her latest Weekly Reflections, Dr. Reid highlighted Longfellow Middle School, where students are finding their interests, building confidence, and discovering a sense of belonging through after-school opportunities, meaningful clubs, and strong relationships with caring adults.
Watch this video to learn how Longfellow staff are helping students feel seen, valued, and connected during the important transition to middle school. View more Shining a Light on Success videos, which highlight the power and promise of public education.
Read more in Weekly Reflections.
Schools Build Belonging so Students Can Thrive
What does belonging look like in our schools? Fairfax County public schools are creating inclusive, supportive environments where every student feels known, valued, and connected — the second goal of the FCPS 2023-30 Strategic Plan. From mentoring to cross-grade collaboration, when students feel safe and supported, they can truly thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. See how Goal 2 is being put into practice at FCPS.
FCPS Awarded for Outstanding Achievement in Financial Reporting
FCPS earned the Award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Annual Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association. The award was given for its Popular Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2025. Learn about this award and read the report.
CARES of the Quarter Celebrates Teacher for Making a Meaningful Difference
Last week, at Franconia Elementary School, Second Grade Teacher Renee Octaviano was celebrated as the FCPS CARES of the Quarter recipient. Renee was recognized for her extraordinary commitment to supporting students and families experiencing food insecurity.
Renee expanded the Franconia Elementary School’s food share program into a weekend meal initiative, purchasing a refrigerator and portable coolers and providing students with ingredients and recipes to take home and share with their families. When funding became limited, she engaged the school community to help sustain the program through weekly donations.
Renee was surprised by the celebration, which was attended by FCPS and Franconia Elementary leadership, School Board members, Educate Fairfax staff, and a representative from community sponsor SaNDAI Global.
Supporting the Mission Application Closes Thursday
Build your knowledge and skills in core leadership competencies, systems leadership, and improvement science by applying to the 2026-27 Supporting the Mission cohort.
Participants will gain a greater understanding of the interdependence of FCPS departments and their collaborative work in service of the Strategic Plan goals. Groups will identify and use improvement science to explore a problem of practice (PoP) tied to the Strategic Plan goals.
At the end of the program, participants will present their PoP and recommended actions to division leadership and will have the opportunity to apply to present at the George Mason University/FCPS Learning to Improve Conference.
Interested employees should submit their interest and recommendation form by Friday, September 11. Eligible employees include teacher leaders, non-principal school-based administrators, and Schedule B and C employees. Contact Mary-Lynn Robosky, Qia Craig, or Jenny Louangoudom with questions.
Why You Should Make Text Accessible for Everyone
Always use live text in your documents (not images or screenshots of text) so readers can highlight, resize, translate, or listen to the content. Live text is easier to read no matter what device a person is using, whereas images of text (such as flyers) may require users to zoom in and have to scroll left and right in addition to up and down.
To ensure readability, type or copy text directly into whatever platform you are using and use a clear, simple font like Arial or Calibri.
Students Sadie and Sarah explain why accessible text matters to them in this one-minute video. Learn more on the Use Text page on Atlas.
Reporting Discrimination or Harassment
FCPS is committed to providing a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment for people of all races, national origins, and ethnicities. Individuals experiencing harassment or discrimination should report the incident as soon as possible.
Apply for an Educate Fairfax Innovation Grant
Do you have a bold, innovative idea that could spark curiosity, build connections, or open new doors for FCPS students?
Whether it’s giving students hands-on experience running a coffee shop, exploring robotics and coding with LEGO and Ozobots, creating an outdoor sensory garden, launching a student-led broadcast news team, or building real-world career skills through an in-school business (all of which were funded by grants from the 2025-26 school year), your innovative ideas can come to life with a grant from Educate Fairfax!
Educate Fairfax invites educators and staff to apply for an Educate Fairfax Innovation Grant of up to $2,000 by Sunday, October 4. Projects should be school-based and align with the FCPS Strategic Plan. Learn more about the grants and apply.
Annual Special Education Family Conference: Registration Open
Register now for the annual Special Education Family Conference: Connected Communities, Thriving Students. The free conference will take place on Saturday, November 14, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Hayfield Secondary School.
Hosted by FCPS in collaboration with community partners, this year’s conference highlights the power of partnerships that support student success. Families, educators, and community members are invited to this no-cost, in-person event to connect, learn, and explore available special education services, supports, and resources.
Participants can expect an inspiring opening session, engaging breakout sessions, an exhibitor hall featuring local resources, and lunch for all participants.
Register to attend the conference.
Volunteers are needed! Register as a volunteer.
Visit the Special Education Family Conference webpage for more information. Email any questions to SpecialEdFamilyConf@fcps.edu.
Stay in the Know With Here Comes the Bus
Even though FCPS has launched a new bus navigation system, some aspects like the new FCPS My Ride mobile app are still in development. Families should still use the Here Comes the Bus mobile app to track the location of their child’s bus. This app is still compatible with the new system.
FCPS will notify families and schools when the new app is ready to download and use. In the meantime, everyone should reinforce with students that they need to tap on and off the bus with their student ID cards.
Did you already download the new app? That’s okay! The new app is in the final stage of testing, so some features are not yet fully functional. At this time, you should refer to Here Comes the Bus for the most accurate information.
Election Guidance for FCPS Staff
FCPS employees are encouraged to vote and engage in their constitutional rights as citizens. But employees should be mindful to not involve their schools or workplaces in political campaigns or engage in campaign activities during their work hours or using FCPS technology resources (including email accounts).
Employees may not distribute or display campaign literature in schools or FCPS workplaces unless it is being used to further student understanding of Program of Studies objectives. FCPS employees are free to engage in political activity and speak on political issues outside hours of official employment.
Visit Atlas for additional election guidance.
Calendar Reminders: Rosh Hashanah (Evening-Only Observance)
Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown on Friday, September 11. That day is an evening-only observance day. Important events will not be held after school.
Yom Kippur (Holiday)
Monday, September 21, is a holiday, and schools and offices will be closed.
See the complete school year calendar and employee calendar.
School Board Meeting on Thursday, September 10
The School Board will hold a regular business meeting on Thursday, September 10. View the agenda. Find out how to watch and participate in School Board meetings.
Staff Staples
Note: Some links in this email may 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, one week in advance. Thank you!
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