August 2020, Volume 12, Number 1
Start the New School Year Informed Welcome to 2020-21
New Faces in Key Places* Teachers New to FCPS Retirees 2019-2020
After the Calendar Handbook went to press and the BOE determined we would open in virtual learning mode, the Board also adjusted the calendar. Friday, September 25 (formerly Fair Day) and Tuesday, November 3 (when school buildings were formerly closed for Election Day) are now school days. Please see additional changes in the news release. For the most current calendar information and updated directories, please see the Calendar Handbook online.
YOU have an Employee News account, uploaded from PeopleSoft. Log in today to set up your account for FCPS emergency-closing text messaging and email tailored to your needs. At www.fcps.org/employeenews, start with the Forgot Password link, and pay close attention to entering the right username format: jane.smith.fcps (no @ symbol or .org). After entering and saving your mobile number, carrier and verification code, go to the "menu" icon (3 horizontal lines in the upper left) to select the kinds of Employee News and then the FCPS public (FindOutFirst) news you want. Staff options include employee discounts, FCPS in the News summaries, retirement events and professional learning opportunities. FCPS options include links to our new YouTube videos and Superintendent's messages, calendar updates, news releases and more. Stay up to date with Employee News!
Directories+ FCPS Faces (access from FCPS-networked computers only) Schools - Principals, Assistant Principals and Secretaries Central Office As directory updates are made, staff may view them here: K:\Directories - FCPS (access from FCPS-networked computers) V:\Public Affairs\Directories-FCPS (access from FCPS-networked computers) To request an update, email Wanda.Ford@fcps.org
Organizational Charts
More Back-to-School News
*Bios for principals in new locations are in the personnel appointments news releases, linked in the News to Use section below.
FCPS All-Stars Achieving the Promise of Public Education
At its June 10 meeting, the BOE and Superintendent Dr. Terry Alban named Special Education Instructional Assistant of the Year Debbie Langowski the overall 2020 School-Based Support Employee of the Year and Central Office Maintenance Support Employee of the Year Randall Connatser the overall 2020 Central Office Support Employee of the Year. Each received a cash award, a personal day off, special trophy and Board of Education pin!
Earning support employee of the year awards in other categories, announced in our May issue, were: Anita Happel, Bus Driver of the Year; Jennifer Morita, Central Office Secretary of the Year, from the Transportation Department; Laryssa Callan, School-Based Secretary of the Year, from Crestwood Middle School; and Alice McReynolds, School-Based Custodian of the Year, from Monocacy Elementary School. Each received a plaque and certificate.
Read more about the winners. See a list of all the nominees.
Nominate a colleague for FCPS All-Star recognition!
Accolades
BEST PLACE TO WORK FCPS earned Frederick County's 2020 Best Place to Work Award in the major employer category. Watch the video. Find out more. AND FCPS made the Forbes America’s Best Employers by State list for Maryland in 2020! See more.
GENEROSITY ABOUNDS Thank you to all who donated to the 12th annual and first-ever virtual Stuff the Bus school-supply drive, continued this year in partnership with the United Way of Frederick County. Even students learning from their homes need supplies. Your kindness is making a difference for children. See results and more.
YEAR'S BEST The BOE honored Substitute Teacher of the Year Craig Zearfoss at its June 10 meeting.
LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE FCPS convened the following work groups to build the plan submitted to the Maryland State Department of Education for Reopening and Advancing Forward: Employee Relations and Communications (Donna Clabaugh and Tiana Haile, co-chairs), Instructional (Dan Lippy, chair), Logistics (Bob Wilkinson, chair), Parent Advisory Group (Mike Franklin and Donna Quatman Wilder, co-chairs) and Special Services and Student Supports (Linda Chambers and Dana Falls, co-chairs). Staff who worked on the plan achieved tremendously complex work on a very tight deadline. See their names beginning on page 5 of the report.
GOOD AS GOLD FCPS has earned a Healthiest Maryland Business 2020 Wellness at Work gold award for the school system’s outstanding employee wellness initiatives. Kudos to HR Benefits and Wellness Coordinator Phoebe Barreto and to last year's Wellness Champions at each school and office building.
DISTINGUISHED Purchasing Manager Kerrie Koopman has earned the Certified Procurement Professional designation from the National Institute of Public Procurement. This complements her Certified Public Procurement Officer and Certified Professional Public Buyer designations and confirms her full scope of public procurement knowledge. Kerrie is one of the first national procurement leaders to earn this new distinction.
News to Use
RESPONDING TO COVID-19 FCPS continues to post updates about our response to the COVID-19 pandemic and school status at www.fcps.org/update. See resources for staff on topics such as returning to work and more on the insidefcps intranet from any system-networked computer.
RACIAL EQUITY The BOE and Superintendent have both released important statements about racial equity in public education. See their messages and other resources that support the FCPS commitment to equity under Timely Topics from the fcps.org home page. Related professional development has been underway and is continuing with administrators and other staff. Take advantage of the excellent opportunities coming your way to bolster the essential role you play in anti-racism and our schools. Just as everyone has a responsibility to stop bullying, every employee is accountable for responding to racial slurs when you hear them and to ensuring that every student has a safe environment in which to learn.
CAUTION ONLINE It's fairly common for websites to become compromised, attacked or have data exposed by hackers and other bad actors. Edmodo.com, Animoto.com, Evite.com, Canva.com, Linkedin.com and many others have been compromised. Security experts recommend never using the same password (especially an FCPS password) across multiple websites or services, changing your password at each website at least twice per year, and never using a personal email address to register for an FCPS-related internet service or vice versa. If you get an email from the FCPS Cybersecurity Team, please immediately change your password as instructed.
OFF THE CUFF Superintendent Dr. Terry Alban and guest writers blogged about the following topics since our last newsletter:
See them here. VIDEOS Released since our May Issue: FCPS In a Minute - June 12 Tweet of the Week - Fired up Fridays with Mike Franklin Springboard to Summer Learning with Eric Bokinsky Student Member of the BOE Mia Martinez
High School Graduations - See the play list (which includes Rock Creek, SUCCESS and Virtual School)
Superintendent's Welcome to the New School Year - For Staff For the Community
BOE Meetings - Watch any meeting or select a portion by topic here
Virtual BOE Committee Meetings
NEWS RELEASES SINCE MAY FCPS Announces Class of 2020 Meme Contest Winners BOE Extends Deadline to Fill Ethics Panel Vacancies Superintendent's Message to the Community: Racism Statement from the Board of Education: Racism FCPS Launches Online Enrollment: It's Time to Register New Students, Apply for PreK Class of 2020 Virtual Graduation Schedules Startup Frederick Winners Tie for 1st Place BOE Honors 2020 Substitute of the Year BOE Honors Support Employees of the Year FCPS Announces Summer Meals-to-Go Locations FCPS to Resume Work-Based Learning Program FCPS Seeks Feedback on Draft Calendars FCPS Reports Per-Pupil Spending By School FCPS to Host Town Hall on Reopening Schools FCPS Announces Additional Leadership Changes National School Breakfast and Lunch Program Stuff the Bus School Supply Drive Goes Virtual BOE Approves Full Virtual Learning Model for 1st Semester of 20-21 School Year FCPS Named Best Place to Work: Major Employer Category for 2020 BOE Amends 2020-2021 Academic Calendar, Approves 2021-2022 Calendar FCPS Announces Additional Personnel Appointments Battelle and FCPS Award $50,000 in STEM Challenge Grants FCPS Meals-to-Go Program Starting on August 31 A Statement from the Board of Education on Starting School August 31 BOE Message Following Governor Hogan's August 27 Briefing
FCPS Fast Fact
84,600
That's how many people FCPS FindOutFirst (FOF) reaches.
Urge parents to pay close attention to clearly updating the email address on this year's online Student Information Form. Their entry generates their school and grade-level associations in FOF. These roll over automatically each July, so parents don't need to update their school/grade-level selections. They only need to provide the school any email address change.
P.S. It's easy to view district-level and school-based FOF notices and newsletters. Without logging in or even having an account, go to www.fcps.org/fof: 1) Use the drop-down menu at the very bottom to select your school of interest 2) Use the Menu icon at the top left to choose Notices or Newsletters (or Archives for district-level messages)
The FCPS Insider is published monthly August-May by the FCPS Public Affairs Department, 191 S. East St., Frederick, MD 21701. It features employee news and accolades.
Brief information, subject to edits, and captioned photos for possible inclusion are due to Dian.Nelson@fcps.org by the 15th of the month. For more information: 301-696-6911.