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Student Information Assistant Tracy Aguilar welcomes families into the main office at Columbia Elementary School.
State of Our Schools: Together, Every Step Leads to Student Success
Hundreds of staff, students, and community leaders came together for this year’s State of Our Schools. The event celebrated student achievement, community partnerships, and the power and promise of public education in FCPS. Read more about State of Our Schools.
Sharing Our Success From the 2025-26 School Year
Sharing Our Success is a publication reflecting our accomplishments from the previous school year. Check out all there is to celebrate!
Weekly Reflections: Celebrating Staff Who Care
In her work across the division last week, Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid stopped by the Pulley Center as they celebrated a Fall Fun Day. See more highlights from her week in Weekly Reflections.
Colvin Run Teacher Is Honored as State’s Best
Patrick Noel was named Virginia Elementary Physical Education Teacher of the Year by the Virginia Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance. Read about this state-wide honor.
November Is National Family Engagement Month
Family Engagement Month is a time to remember that families are children’s first and most important teachers, advocates, and nurturers. This month, try one or more ideas below:
- Send a positive note home via Talking Points, email, or personal phone call. Even a short note jotted on a sticky note can go a long way toward establishing a positive relationship with families!
- Along with class updates, share open-ended discussion questions that families can ask at home. This can help parents get more involved in their child’s learning and help them continue conversations around classroom content.
- Encourage families to explore and participate in the FCPS Family Academy.
Remember to start small and listen to families. As you engage, look for ways to build on the strengths, knowledge, and experiences they bring to your school community and classroom.
Benefits of Using Accessible Headings
Have you ever had to scroll through a long document to find the section you need? There’s an easier way!
Use heading styles to organize content clearly so people, including you, can quickly scan, navigate, and understand a document. Learn how to use headings on Atlas.
Practice Using Headings
Open a document and look at the left side of the page. Click the Outline icon (in Google docs, this is a circle containing three lines). When the outline opens, do you see a list of topics you can click to move through the document? Are they meaningful? If either answer is “No,” watch for the next CALM tip to learn how to change that answer to “Yes!”
Join the Campaign
Celebrate wins, ask questions, and join discussions in the Conversations on Accessible Learning Materials Zoom Community Chat. Visit the Keep CALM and Choose Accessible Learning Materials Atlas page to learn more.
Join us on Zoom on Tuesdays from 10 to 11 a.m. and on Thursdays from noon to 1 p.m.
Honoring Our Veteran Employees
As we approach Veterans Day on Wednesday, November 11, FCPS would like to say a heartfelt “Thank you” to the many employees who are also military veterans.
Are you a military veteran? We would love to share your story! Email us at EmployeeNews@fcps.edu to share photos and tell us what brought you to FCPS and how your military career influenced or impacted the work you do now. Your story might be shared in a follow-up blog. Thank you for your service!
‘I Would Never Have Become a Teacher Without My Military Service’
In 1986, John Cummins, a special education teacher at Forest Edge Elementary School, joined the Army. During his deployment to Iraq in 2003, he began considering teaching as a career. He was stationed on a roof that overlooked a middle school. Because of a two-story-tall “blast hole” in the wall of the school, he spent a lot of time observing classes and the students. Read more about John’s journey to becoming a teacher.
Earn a Microcredential in UDL or Empowering Multilingual Learners
The courses for this year’s microcredential program will be available in MyPDE beginning Tuesday, November 10. A microcredential is a flexible, competency-based professional learning experience that helps educators strengthen their instructional practice and demonstrate what they’ve learned.
Each microcredential has six modules and will require approximately 30 hours to complete. Participants learn at their own pace and can choose microcredentials in either Universal Design for Learning (UDL) or empowering multilingual learners.
Upon successful completion, participants receive one Academy credit and a one-time stipend of $850. Visit the Microcredential Atlas page for more information and registration details.
Calendar Reminder: Veterans Day
Wednesday, November 11, is a school day. Please note that Fairfax County’s SACC and Beyond the Bell programs are closed on November 11 due to a county holiday.
See the complete school year calendar or the employee calendar.
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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