2008 Virginia Schools Census Under Way: We're Counting on You

The 2008 Virginia School Census began on March 1, and we are counting on you to bring our state sales tax dollars home to our schools.

The commonwealth of Virginia requires each school division to conduct a census every three years as a means to distribute a portion of our state sales tax dollars to school divisions. Fairfax County Public Schools counts all persons residing in Fairfax County and the City of Fairfax with birth dates on or between January 1, 1989, and December 31, 2007.

Each child counted in the 2008 census will bring approximately $1,000 per child per year, or $3,000 over three years, back to FCPS in state sales tax dollars.

There are four ways to respond to the census. The preferred method is via the web at www.fcps.edu/census. Each household also has the option of faxing or mailing the form or responding via an interactive voice response system at 703-752-0950.

For questions or further information about the census, please contact the census office at 703-329-7765 or Census2008@fcps.edu. All responses are confidential, and translation assistance is available.

Please respond to the census. Even If you do not have children, you can encourage your neighbors or colleagues to respond as well. Our kids are counting on you.

Promotional materials for use by schools, civic or community organizations, and businesses can also be found by going to http://www.fcps.edu/DIT/censuspublicity/download.html.

New Version of Online Travel Available March 24

On March 24, the Department of Financial Services will release a new version of Online Travel. The new version will incorporate the most up-to-date information from MapQuest.com, new e-mail notifications, and other minor enhancements. To implement the new version, the Department of Financial Services will make all required changes to the system during spring break. During this time, March 17-23, Online Travel will not be available.

If you have started a local travel request but not submitted the request for approval (the request is still “In Progress”), please submit the request for approval prior to March 14 or after March 24. Remember that March 31 is the deadline for submitting local travel reimbursement requests for travel incurred between January 1, 2006, and December 31, 2007.

Beginning January 1, 2008, all local travel must be submitted within three months of travel date, or reimbursement will not be allowed. Exceptions to these deadlines will not be granted. For more information, see Travel News Flash at http://fcpsnet.fcps.edu/fs/comptroller/travel/index.htm.

Support Services Employees’ Advisory Council Election Set for March 26-28

Nominating petitions have been verified for the 2008 Support Services Employees' Advisory Council (SSEAC) election. Candidates in the following job groups ran unopposed and will be the newly elected representatives:

• Group 2 – Central office clerical and technical.
  
  
• Group 6 – Finance support and supply operations.
  
  
• Group 7 – Management and administrative.
  
  
• Group 9 – School-based clerical.

There were no nominating petitions for Group 9–School-based clerical.

The voting for the SSEAC election will be March 26 through 28. The following candidates will appear on the ballot:

• Group 5 – Trades, maintenance, and security: Michael Ross and Lawrence Burke, Jr.
  
  
• Group 8 – Educational support: Richie Scarbrough, Margaret Panik, Marie Fleischauer, and Kathleen Powers.

Employees eligible to vote will receive an e-mail to vote electronically on March 26. Employee identification numbers will be needed to cast votes.

If you have questions, please contact the OEPD office at 571-423-3252.

Register Now for Summer ACE Classes

Registration is in full swing for summer (May through August) classes offered by the Office of Adult and Community Education (ACE). Course offerings may be viewed at www.fcps.edu/aceclasses, and most classes may be registered for online.

The course catalog, ACE Classes, has been mailed to residents and is also available at Fairfax County public libraries and ACE registration centers. Look for the new lecture series, Everyday Green, that addresses the practical considerations consumers face on a daily basis in pursuing an environmentally sensitive lifestyle.

Johnie Forte Jr. Customer Service Award Nominations Due March 28

The Office of Food and Nutrition Services established the Johnie Forte Jr. Customer Service Award to recognize food and nutrition school teams that exemplify the late Mr. Forte’s high standards of customer service.

Principals, teachers, parents, and students are invited to make nominations. Now in its ninth year, this award is an extraordinary way to show support and encouragement for your food service team. Many school food service teams have been honored in past years. The nomination form is available online at: http://fcpsnet.fcps.edu/fs/food/ezteam/JohnieForteJr2008Nomination.pdf.

The deadline for nominations is March 28. If you need further information, contact Fatima Calcuttawalla at 703-813-4838.

Each month, Best Practices Awards are given to FCPS web curators by the Office of Community Relations in recognition of specific elements of excellence on their web sites. Awards are announced monthly during the school year. The winner for February 2008 is curator Iris Cardenas at Fairfax Villa Elementary for providing an outstanding resource for the parent community. It is user-friendly and highlights both student and school achievements.

For more information, visit the awards web page at http://fcpsnet.fcps.edu/ocr/curator/contests.htm.

Candidates Sought for ERFC Trustee Position, Petitions Due April 18

An electronic election to fill one trustee position of the Educational Employees’ Retirement System of Fairfax County (ERFC) Board of Trustees will be held May 13 through May 15. Notice 4771, available on the ERFC web site at www.fcps.edu/ERFC, outlines the election process and includes a petition for candidates to use in qualifying for the election.

Each interested candidate must also submit a statement of no more than 100 words for inclusion in election materials as to why he or she would best serve in his or her position. Petitions and statements must be returned to the Office of Employee Performance and Development (OEPD), suite 2512, Gatehouse Administration Center I, by April 18.

If you have questions, call OEPD at 571-423-3252.

Registration Open Until March 21 for Support Employee Career Fair

All FCPS support staff members, regardless of unified scale grade, are invited to the Support Employee Career Fair, sponsored by the Department of Professional Learning and Training, on March 27, from 4 to 7 p.m., at Hayfield Secondary School.

The event will provide information about FCPS career growth and development. After a welcome from Terri Breeden, assistant superintendent, Department of Professional Learning and Training, and Leadership Team members, attendees will have opportunities to:

• Meet with representatives from FCPS departments and area universities.
  
• Attend breakout sessions regarding career development topics.
  
• Network with other support staff professionals.

Registration through MyPLT is required and will be available until March 21. For more information, contact Delores Herndon at 703-204-4054 or delores.herndon@fcps.edu.

FCPS to Honor Retirees on April 16, RSVP Deadline Is March 28

If you plan to retire this year and want to participate in the  spring 2008 retirement ceremony, We Honor You—Celebrating Your Service to FCPS, you should submit your Notification of Resignation/Retirement form (HR-2) as soon as possible.

Invitations have been mailed. The retirement ceremony will be held on Wednesday, April 16, at Robinson Secondary School at 7 p.m. The ceremony will be shown live on Channel 21 and will be rebroadcast on Monday, April  22, at 7:30 p.m. Invitees are asked to respond to the invitation by Friday, March 28 (new deadline).

More information about the retirement ceremony, including retiree testimonials and photos from previous ceremonies, is available at www.fcps.edu/DHR/wehonoryou.