Posted on April 23, 2008

Did You Know?

Message From the Superintendent: A Special Thanks to Our Support Staff Members

Dr. DaleAs we celebrate many student achievements in Fairfax County, we take time to recognize the hard work, determination, and academic and athletic accomplishments of our students. Many people—teachers, parents, and administrators—help guide them on these journeys.  As I offer my congratulations to our outstanding students and teachers, I also want to acknowledge and thank FCPS support staff whose tireless efforts help make these achievements possible.

This week, we celebrate our first Support Employee Recognition Week. Dedicated FCPS support staff, with varying roles and responsibilities, provide essential services to our schools and students. I would like to take this opportunity to recognize all of our support staff who help make our schools safe and nurturing environments.

I encourage you to take a few minutes this week to thank support staff members for their valuable contributions to our mission; ideas are available online at www.fcps.edu/DHR/news/support.htm.

Each support employee, in his or her own way, contributes to our students’ success. As we celebrate our many accomplishments, please join me in thanking our talented support staff for so many jobs well done.

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Department of Information Technology Launches RequestIT

The Department of Information Technology (IT) has launched its latest service improvement, RequestIT. Requests for technical support can now be made from an easy-to-use online self-service console. Access is available from either the IT home page on FCPSnet or the computer icon that premiered on your desktop on April 2. After using his or her network ID to log on to RequestIT, an employee may either make a support request for themselves or on behalf of one of their colleagues, such as an administrative assistant might do for a supervisor. 

RequestITThe console requires a limited amount of information and provides a drop down menu to make it easy. Requests are immediately sent to your technology support team, who will use this tool to manage all IT support needs for your building. RequestIT is integrated with the IT Service Catalog and the IT Service Desk for a comprehensive way to get technology information, service, and support.

For more information, contact the IT Service Desk at 703-503-1600 or ITServiceDesk@fcps.edu.

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2007-08 Best of the Web Award Winners Announced

Best of the WebThe Office of Community Relations would like to congratulate the following curators for being selected as winners in the annual FCPS Best of the Web Awards program. 

Best of the FCPS Web Awards recognize outstanding web-based communication efforts between schools and the communities they serve. The awards are given once annually to three elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school that best demonstrate the following criteria:

  • Usefulness of content.
  • Clarity of design.
  • Frequency of updates.
  • Ease of navigation.
  • Adherence of FCPS web policies.

A panel of judges from across the school system evaluated all entries. These sites were chosen for their excellent information content for parents and the community, outstanding design, timely updates, ease of navigation, and adherence to FCPS web policies.

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Alan November Will Be Keynote Speaker for 2008 Leadership Conference

The 2008 Leadership Conference is scheduled for Wednesday, August 6, at Hayfield Secondary School from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Dr. Dale will present his vision for the new school Alan Novemberyear. 

The keynote speaker, Alan November (right), an international leader in education technology, is known for his wit and humor as he pushes the boundaries of how to improve teaching and learning. In 2001, he was listed as one of eight educators to provide leadership into the future by the Eisenhower National Clearinghouse. In 2007 he was selected to speak at the Cisco Public Services Summit during the Nobel Prize Festivities in Stockholm, Sweden. November was co-founder of the Stanford Institute for Educational Leadership through Technology and is most proud of being selected as one of the original five national Christa McAuliffe Educators.

Instructional updates for principals and other school-based administrators are scheduled for August 7, at Hayfield Secondary School from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Mark your calendars with these important dates.

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Service Awards to Be Delivered Starting May 12

Service awards are scheduled for delivery to work locations starting the week of May 12. Employees who have reached distinguished benchmarks in their employment history will receive recognition and awards no later than June 30.

Certificates and awards will be given as follows:

  • 10 years – certificate, crystal keepsake box.
  • 15 years – certificate, leather pencil cup with clock.
  • 20 years – certificate, acrylic photo cube, and $100.
  • 25 years – certificate and $200.
  • 30 years – certificate and $500.
  • 35 years – certificate and $1,000.
  • 40 years and over – certificate, rosewood mantle clock, and $1,000.

Employees will receive the cash awards in their June paychecks and are reminded that taxes will be deducted beforehand.

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Work Contact Information―Is Yours Up-To-Date?

Employees are asked to update their work contact information by logging onto UConnect and selecting My Work Contact Information. It is important that your office phone number be current; all other information, including other phone numbers, is optional. Employee contact information is maintained in the Outlook directory (from UConnect) and is visible in your profile. Each central office employee is asked to also update his or her suite or room number.

To log onto UConnect, go to www.fcps.edu/DHR/employees/uconnect.htm.

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Historical UConnect Training Data Converted to My PLT

My PLTHistorical training data from UConnect has been converted to My PLT. This includes historical data from all training completed through the UConnect system from the summer of 1998 to the spring of 2007. My PLT is the FCPS central repository for communicating and tracking professional development and training.

To view your training history that was listed in UConnect, log in to http://www.fcps.edu/plt/MyPLT/index.html and click “View My Transcript” on your home tab.

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