June 3, 2009

Next Issue: June 17

Deadline for Articles: Wednesday, June 10

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

Fred Chambers Named FCPS 2009 Distinguished School Resource Officer

Fairfax County Police Officer First Class (PFC) Fred Chambers, who serves as the school resource officer at Carson Middle School, has been named Fairfax County Public Schools’ 2009 Distinguished School Resource Officer (SRO). (get details)

Sher NasirSpotlight: Sher Nasir, 2009 Nonschool-Based Support Employee of the Year

Learn more about Sher Nasir, the 2009 FCPS nonschool-based Support Employee of the Year. Nasir is a network computer administrator at Wilton Woods Center and makes a difference every day. (watch video)

FCPS Is Now on Facebook and Twitter

Fairfax County Public Schools now has a profile page on Facebook and is sending out messages, called "tweets," through Twitter. (get details)

Registration for Summer Leadership Seminars Begins June 8; ACCESS Course Registration Now Open

Online registration through MyPLT for the summer Leadership Seminars begins at 8 a.m. on Monday, June 8. Registration for ACCESS courses is now open. (get details: Leadership Seminars | ACCESS)

Books 24x7 Featured Title: Winning Either Way—Successfully Negotiate Just About Any Situation in Life

Winning Either WayShowing you how to look at the world through a different lens and to move away from the win-lose perspective, this book teaches negotiating strategies and techniques that can prepare you to always come out with what you need in any negotiating situation. (get details)

People on the Move

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

Fulbright Teacher Exchanges Available for 2010-11 School Year

Overseas teacher exchange opportunities are available for the 2010-11 school year. In addition to meeting the Fulbright eligibility requirements, applicants must have taught three years in FCPS prior to the exchange year. The deadline to apply is September 25. (get details)

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)

About Our People

Read about your colleagues' accomplishments. (go)

Other News and News of Continuing Interest

  • The Department of Professional Learning and Training is now accepting proposals for fall-winter leadership seminars. The deadline is August 11.
    (get details)

  • The School Board has voted to approve a new grading scale for all Fairfax County Public Schools students that will go into effect beginning with the 2009-10 school year. (get details)

  • At its May 7 meeting, the School Board voted to approve changes to the 403(b) program as recommended by the Selection Advisory Committee. (get details)

  • The Academic Diversity Institute will be held at West Potomac High School on August 19, 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Registration is now open on MyPLT. (get details)

  • UConnect, the source for all your payroll, leave balance, and benefits information, has undergone an upgrade to better serve you. (get details)

School Board Adopts FY 2010 Budget

The Fairfax County School Board has adopted the $2.2 billion FY 2010 approved budget. The FY 2010 approved budget eliminates nearly 800 positions prior to accounting for student membership growth, increases class size, and freezes salaries for all employees. Significant reductions to the support staff, including clerical and custodial staff members, have been taken, along with reductions to central offices. (get details)

Edison Academy Cosmetology Program Recognized by Governor Kaine

The cosmetology program at Edison Academy is one of three recipients of the first Virginia Governor’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) Exemplary Standards Award, which recognizes outstanding career and technical education programs. (get details)

Communications Corner: FCPS Style Guide for Punctuation, Capitalization, Spelling, and Word Use

FCPS Style GuideNot sure when you should use it's or its? Confused about what words should be capitalized in a title? Need tips on improving your proofreading skills? Check out the style guide available on FCPSnet from the Department of Communications and Community Outreach. (get details)

FCPS Wins Hermes Creative Awards

Fairfax County Public Schools has received seven Hermes Creative Awards for 2009, including two platinum awards, presented to entries considered the most outstanding in the competition. Hermes Creative Awards are administered and judged by the Association for Marketing and Communications Professionals. 
(get details)

Call for Coaches

The latest position openings are posted. (go)

VPN Available to All Employees

FCPS uses a virtual private network (VPN) to allow its employees to access school system computer network resources when they are not at an FCPS site. Every FCPS employee now has permission to use VPN, but a small piece of software is needed. (get details)

InsightThis Week's "Insight"

To view a promotional clip from this week's show, click here. Some of this week's stories include:

  • FCPS Is Open for Business. (watch video)
  • Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, 2009 FCPS Partner of the Year. (watch video)
  • Special Education Parent Conference 2009.
    (watch video)
  • FY 2010 Budget Wrap-Up. (watch video)
  • Business and Community Partnerships. (watch video)

Department Newsletters

The spring 2009 issue of At Your Service, produced by the Department of Information Technology, is now available on FCPSnet.

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 Career Quest (formerly Job Opportunities) publication and web pages are provided by the Department of Human Resources.

FCPS by the Numbers

Daily Food Customers
The approximate number of customers served daily by FCPS Food and Nutrition Services. (get details)

Quote to Note

"Knowing a great deal is not the same as being smart; intelligence is not information alone but also judgment, the manner in which information is collected and used."

Carl Sagan