February 18, 2009

Next Issue: March 4

Deadline for Articles: Wednesday, February 25

Thank you for working to provide a quality education for all children in FCPS.

New Administrative Office Consolidation Proposal Presented to Fairfax County Board of Supervisors

On February 9, the School Board presented the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors with a newly negotiated proposal for the purchase of 8111 Gatehouse Road in Falls Church that significantly lowers the cost of acquiring and renovating the building. If approved, the new proposal would increase actual cash savings from $7 million to $11.4 million over the next three years, which can be used to address the school system's current budget challenges and increases long-term savings from $22.2 million to $62.2 million. As in the previous proposal, this project remains funded through savings and efficiencies, and no money will be taken from schools or students. (get details)

Literacy CafeSpotlight: Literacy Café at Groveton Elementary

Learn how young readers and writers gain confidence by performing prose and poetry in Groveton Elementary's Literacy Café. (watch video)

People on the Move

Learn who has been promoted, recently hired, or transferred to a new location. (get details)

Heart HealthTips for Your Health—Try These Heart Healthy Tips

February, American Heart Month, is a good time to assess your “heart healthy” behavior because heart disease remains the number one killer of both men and women in the U.S. Learn more in this tip sheet from Camille Bartus, FCPS wellness specialist. (get details)

About Our People

Read about your colleagues' accomplishments. (go)

FCPS to Honor Retirees on April 22, RSVP Deadline Is April 3

We Honor YouThe spring retirement ceremony, We Honor You— Celebrating Your Service to FCPS, will be held April 22 at Robinson Secondary School. The deadline for retirees to RSVP is April 3. (get details)

Department Newsletters

  • The winter issue of At Your Service, produced by the Department of Information Technology, is now available on FCPSnet.

  • The February, March, April issue of MoneyTalks, produced by the Department of Financial Services, is also now available on FCPSnet.

FCPS Online Classifieds System Free for Employees

Online ClassifiedsThe FCPS Online Classifieds system is a free way for employees to post ads for personally owned items that they are seeking to buy, sell, rent, or give away, to find a roommate, or to share a ride to work. (get details)

Other News and News of Continuing Interest

  • FCPS employees are invited to provide feedback on the possibility of changing school start and end times starting with the 2009-10 school year through an online survey and community dialogue meetings.
    (get details)

  • The state of Virginia has the nation's third-highest percentage of high school seniors earning a grade of three or higher on Advanced Placement (AP) examinations. (get details)

  • The Fairfax County School Board has voted to increase the grade point weight for Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), dual enrollment college, and honors courses. (get details)

  • 2008 W-2 forms were mailed to each employee’s home address on January 21. The Office of Payroll Management has provided some information to help you interpret your W-2 when it arrives. (get details)

  • While many details for summer school 2009 are still in discussion, the special education extended school year (ESY) program has announced dates and information for teachers and related service providers who are interested in participating in the summer program. (get details)

School Board Approves FY 2010 Advertised Budget

The School Board has approved the FY 2010 advertised budget, which includes budget cuts and cost avoidances that reduce the cost of supporting student learning by $157.5 million and calls for a net loss of 248.1 positions. Projected enrollment growth of 5,000 students is expected to offset these savings by $40 million while state revenues are anticipated to drop from 15 to 20 percent below the current year’s revenues. Note: The county executive is scheduled to release Fairfax County government's FY 2010 advertised budget on February 23. (get details)

Free Financial Education Workshop Set for March 10, 12 at Gatehouse

A free financial education workshop for FCPS employees—Ten Steps to Financial Success—will be held from noon to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, March 10, and 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 12, at Gatehouse Administration Center I. (get details)

Communications Corner: Newswire Provides Content for School, Department, and Office Newsletters

NewswireLooking for stories for your school (including PTA or PTO), department, or office newsletter? If so, check out Newswire, which is provided by the Department of Communications and Community Outreach. It is designed for the busy editor, and no downloading is necessary. Simply cut and paste the articles into your document. New content is added monthly. Note: If you would like to be notified when new content has been posted, sign up to receive PTA/PTSA/PTO information from the Keep in Touch (KIT) system.

Volunteer VGLA Scorers Wanted

Elementary and middle school educators with content expertise and experience collecting Virginia Grade Level Alternative (VGLA) evidence are encouraged to apply to be 2009 VGLA scorers. Applications will be accepted online beginning February 23. (get details)

Call for Coaches

The latest position openings are posted. (go)

SchoolSceneThis Week's "SchoolScene"

To view a promotional clip from this week's show, click here. Or, to view any of this week's stories, go to the SchoolScene web page.

2009 Leadership Conference Date and Location Selected

The 2009 Leadership Conference will be held August 5 from 8 a.m. to noon at Hayfield Secondary School in Alexandria. Be sure to add this date to your calendar. Additional information will follow as plans are developed.

Samantha Hill Named News Liaison of the Month for January

Samantha Hill, marketing teacher at Woodson, has been named the News Liaison of the Month for January by the Department of Communications and Community Outreach. (get details)

Important Notice for Supergram Article Submissions

Article submissions for Supergram should be sent to Andy Grunig at andy.grunig@fcps.edu. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, Grunig can be reached at 571-423-1212. Please Note: The Job Opportunities publication and web pages are provided by the Department of Human Resources.

FCPS by the Numbers


Regional Scholastic Art AwardsThe number of regional Scholastic Art Awards received by FCPS students from the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers. (get details)

Quote to Note

"Sandwich every bit of criticism between two thick layers of praise."

Mary Kay Ash