Did You Know Articles

Outstanding Performance Award Nominations Due September 28

The Outstanding Performance Award (OPA) Committee will meet on October 18. All unified-scale (except school-based administrators) employees and instructional assistants are eligible for nomination. All nominations should be sent to T. G. Bowen, director, Office of Salary Services, Gatehouse Administration Center I, Suite 2400, and must be submitted by September 28.

In addition to the original OPA nomination, 15 copies should be submitted for distribution to committee members. Additional information pertaining to the OPA can be found in the current version of Regulation 4670.

Principal of the Year and First-Year Principal Award Nominations Due September 28

Nomination forms for the Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Principal of the Year and the Washington Post Distinguished Educational Leadership Award are now available online at www.fcps.edu/DHR/employees/awards/index.htm. A nominee must have had at least five full years’ experience as a principal, including at least three years with FCPS. The deadline for submitting nominations is September 28.

Nomination forms for the Nancy F. Sprague Outstanding First-Year Principal Award are also now available online. This award honors Nancy Sprague’s leadership in fostering the development of FCPS principals. A nominee must have begun his or her first year as principal on or after January 1, 2006. The deadline for submitting nominations for this award is also September 28.

Nomination forms for Principal of the Year, First-Year Principal, Teacher of the Year (due December 3, 2007), and Support Employee of the Year (due March 7, 2008) are available online at www.fcps.edu/DHR/employees/awards/index.htm.

Communications Corner: Effective Bulletins

The beginning of a new school year marks a new season for letters, bulletins, newsletters, and other communications between school and home. Keeping news and ideas fresh is an important part of making sure that school and classroom publications and bulletins get noticed and read. Here's a quick checklist of items to consider when preparing some typical school publications:

Welcome Letters

Welcome letters are generally sent home by teachers at the beginning of the school year or when a new student enrolls. Some items for these letters might include:

A roster of basic subjects and overall goals and plans for the year.
A phone number and time when the teacher can be reached. Include an e-mail address if appropriate.
A personal request to parents to share concerns and ask questions.

Calendars

Monthly or annual calendars highlight upcoming school events and meetings. Here are some tips for calendar preparation:

Use a design that accommodates easy posting on the refrigerator door.
Include ideas for each day, week, or month on ways families can help children learn. For example, "Ask your child to identify the items in your home that are square, circular, and triangular." Also, "Make a list of ways we could save energy throughout the year."
Conside including upcoming community events, holidays, anniversaries or other celebrations that might make good learning experiences for families.

Source: Principal Communicator, published by the National School Public Relations Association, www.nspra.org, 301-519-0496.

FCPS Directives Now Only Available Electronically

Effective July 1, the Code of Virginia no longer requires school libraries to maintain hard copies of notices, policies, and regulations (also known as directives). Therefore, hard copies of directives will no longer be distributed, and schools and administrative work sites are no longer required to maintain copies of the policy manual.

The most current version of each directive will be available at www.fcps.edu/Directives. Recent changes and additions to directives that have been made effective within the last 45 days can be found at www.fcps.edu/Directives/changes_1.html. Any citizen who requests a hard copy of a directive has a right to receive it and should be provided the most current version printed from the web page. The School Board office, at Gatehouse Administration Center I, will continue to maintain the historical records of all directives.

	Posted on August 8, 2007 In This Section:
	Outstanding Performance Award Nominations Due September 28 Principal of the Year and First-Year Principal Award Nominations Due September 28	Communications Corner: Effective Bulletins FCPS Directives Now Only Available Electronically
	Outstanding Performance Award Nominations Due September 28 The Outstanding Performance Award (OPA) Committee will meet on October 18. All unified-scale (except school-based administrators) employees and instructional assistants are eligible for nomination. All nominations should be sent to T. G. Bowen, director, Office of Salary Services, Gatehouse Administration Center I, Suite 2400, and must be submitted by September 28. In addition to the original OPA nomination, 15 copies should be submitted for distribution to committee members. Additional information pertaining to the OPA can be found in the current version of Regulation 4670. Principal of the Year and First-Year Principal Award Nominations Due September 28 Nomination forms for the Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Principal of the Year and the Washington Post Distinguished Educational Leadership Award are now available online at www.fcps.edu/DHR/employees/awards/index.htm. A nominee must have had at least five full years’ experience as a principal, including at least three years with FCPS. The deadline for submitting nominations is September 28. Nomination forms for the Nancy F. Sprague Outstanding First-Year Principal Award are also now available online. This award honors Nancy Sprague’s leadership in fostering the development of FCPS principals. A nominee must have begun his or her first year as principal on or after January 1, 2006. The deadline for submitting nominations for this award is also September 28. Nomination forms for Principal of the Year, First-Year Principal, Teacher of the Year (due December 3, 2007), and Support Employee of the Year (due March 7, 2008) are available online at www.fcps.edu/DHR/employees/awards/index.htm. Communications Corner: Effective Bulletins The beginning of a new school year marks a new season for letters, bulletins, newsletters, and other communications between school and home. Keeping news and ideas fresh is an important part of making sure that school and classroom publications and bulletins get noticed and read. Here's a quick checklist of items to consider when preparing some typical school publications: Welcome Letters Welcome letters are generally sent home by teachers at the beginning of the school year or when a new student enrolls. Some items for these letters might include: A roster of basic subjects and overall goals and plans for the year. A phone number and time when the teacher can be reached. Include an e-mail address if appropriate. A personal request to parents to share concerns and ask questions. Calendars Monthly or annual calendars highlight upcoming school events and meetings. Here are some tips for calendar preparation: Use a design that accommodates easy posting on the refrigerator door. Include ideas for each day, week, or month on ways families can help children learn. For example, "Ask your child to identify the items in your home that are square, circular, and triangular." Also, "Make a list of ways we could save energy throughout the year." Conside including upcoming community events, holidays, anniversaries or other celebrations that might make good learning experiences for families. Source: Principal Communicator, published by the National School Public Relations Association, www.nspra.org, 301-519-0496. FCPS Directives Now Only Available Electronically Effective July 1, the Code of Virginia no longer requires school libraries to maintain hard copies of notices, policies, and regulations (also known as directives). Therefore, hard copies of directives will no longer be distributed, and schools and administrative work sites are no longer required to maintain copies of the policy manual. The most current version of each directive will be available at www.fcps.edu/Directives. Recent changes and additions to directives that have been made effective within the last 45 days can be found at www.fcps.edu/Directives/changes_1.html. Any citizen who requests a hard copy of a directive has a right to receive it and should be provided the most current version printed from the web page. The School Board office, at Gatehouse Administration Center I, will continue to maintain the historical records of all directives.