This week's Employee Bulletin Board is available!
FCPS is proud to announce that 41 teachers achieved National Board Certification for the first time this year. Eight additional teachers were recertified.
These educators are a shining example of how to best support the needs of every student, every day!
The full list of teachers, their work location and their certification is attached below.
FCPS is excited to share a continued partnership with the Maryland State Department of Education to offset costs associated with the National Board Certification process that is connected to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards organization. If you are a certified teacher who is interested in learning more about pursuing an initial certification, securing fee support, hearing about FCPS Launch, or just want to learn more about advancement opportunities, consider attending one of our upcoming spring events:
Dates, Times, & Locations for Coffee and Chat Sessions
Save the Date: All Things National Board Certification Spring Event
More information is always available on our FCPS Professional Learning Website. We hope you will be able to join us for one of these meaningful opportunities.
If you have questions, please contact Joe Hinson, Coordinator of Teacher Advancement at joseph.hinson@fcps.org.
Lincoln Elementary’s Heather Quill took part in the National School Counselor of the Year gala in Washington, D.C.
Quill is the Maryland School Counselor of the Year.
She has served more than 30 years with FCPS, including 24 as a school counselor. While at Lincoln Elementary, she has trained staff on trauma-informed care and restorative practices, in addition to teaching lessons to students about emotional regulation and its connection to academic success. She has worked with various community organizations, including the Boys and Girls Club, Children of Incarcerated Parents and I Believe In Me.
Congratulations to Urbana Elementary, which became the first FCPS school to earn the Excellence in Gifted and Talented Education (EGATE) award.
EGATE is an awards program to recognize Maryland public schools with gifted and talented education offerings that are aligned with the state's Criteria for Excellence.
In the latest Hire Education podcast, our Professional Learning and Human Resources teams discuss the importance of courageous conversations and offer tips about how to navigate them in the workplace.
FCPS Chief of Staff Dr. Sarah Sirgo is joined by Tim Thornburg, Senior Manager of Labor Relations, and Andrea Morgan, Support Employee Professional Growth Manager, for this important discussion.
The podcast is posted above, and we included a slide deck resource to accompany the podcast.
Miss a previous Hire Education podcast? An archive of past topics is posted at FCPS.org.
Melissa Burton has been appointed Principal of Lewistown Elementary effective February 16. She was previously Assistant Principal at Lewistown Elementary.
Lori Callen has been appointed Acting Assistant Principal at Spring Ridge Elementary effective February 16. She was previously a teacher specialist in organizational development.
Randy Connatser has been appointed as the Director of Maintenance effective March 1. He was previously the manager of building maintenance for FCPS.
Kurt Cunningham has been appointed Acting Assistant Principal at Oakdale Middle effective March 1. He was previously a social studies teacher at Oakdale Middle.
Denise Frock has been appointed as the Director of Budget effective March 4. She was previously a Fiscal Officer for the Chief Academic Officer at Baltimore County Public Schools.
Danny Enck has been appointed Director of School Management, Planning and Logistics effective March 1. He was previously Principal of Oakdale Middle.
Veronica Hill has been appointed as Executive Director of Facilities effective January 16. She was previously the Director of Maintenance and Operations for Montgomery County Public Schools.
Trisha Kessler has been appointed Assistant Principal at Monocacy Elementary effective February 16. She was previously an acting Assistant Principal at Monocacy Elementary.
Larry Phillips has been appointed as the Director of Operations effective March 1. He was previously the Coordinator of Systemwide Projects for FCPS.
Brianna Zeoli has been appointed Acting Principal of Oakdale Middle effective March 1. She was previously an Assistant Principal at Oakdale Middle.
We are so excited about this opportunity that we wanted to give you as much warning as possible!
Save the date! The inaugural FCPS Ignite conference is taking place on Friday, October 18, 2024, at Frederick High School. This professional development opportunity will take place on a Teacher Professional Learning Day, which will give educators from throughout the county a chance to learn from each other, and hear from some *outstanding* guest speakers from outside FCPS.
We will have more details soon, including a call for presenters!
To pay tribute to Black African American History Month, we are sharing the stories of individuals in our community who have made significant contributions to the art community.
Lester Bowie, born in 1941 in Frederick County, grew up in St. Louis and began studying trumpet with his father as a boy. He was a cofounder of St. Louis’s Black Artists Group, and would go on to co-found the Art Ensemble of Chicago. An adventurous player, he explored the connection between jazz and other forms of popular music, and was famous for performing in a white lab coat, indicating he was a researcher of jazz and the stage was his laboratory. -From African American Resources Cultural and Heritage Society.
While recognized as one of the greatest trumpeters of his generation, Bowie frequently drew critical flak for the humor he injected into his work. Besides the squeaks he was able to coax from his horn, he sported a flat-top haircut and Fu-Manchu goatee that tailed off into two points. He completely rejected the idea that jazz had to be solemn and unsmiling. In December of 2020 a mural of the esteemed artist was unveiled at 69 S. Market St. in Frederick.
FCPS students are encouraged to craft a social media post related to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s "I Have a Dream" speech.
Students are encouraged to share their own dreams for a better future, encouraging others to join the conversation. They are encouraged to consider the power of social media in spreading messages of equality and justice, and how their dreams align with the principles Dr. King championed.
If you have an image to share, please upload it here:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/12H5esfh1wrP6AbsPxSI4UAzBHibJ2Acw?usp=sharing
Students are encouraged to label their images like this:
School Name_Student First Initial-Last Name_Grade
Example: North Frederick_T-Rex_Grade 5
Have you ever wished you had something for your classroom or for your students to support STEM but didn't think it was big enough for a grant? Now is your chance! Complete the short form HERE with your name, item/s and a simple reason this would be beneficial for your students.
This opportunity is open to all FCPS educators, including IAs and SEIAs. Requests will be approved based on criteria identified by the BNBI/FCPS STEM Committee until all funds have been awarded. The grant request form will be open from 9 am on Wednesday, February 28 - Monday, March 4 at 4 pm.
As part of the application process, applicants are asked to develop a brief budget showing what would like to be purchased to support STEM opportunities for students at your school. You may begin developing your budget spreadsheet in advance by clicking HERE. When complete, please paste the link to your spreadsheet in the submission form. Please direct any questions to Erin.Landsman@fcps.org (STEM Teacher Specialist).
Available Funding: Individual Educator Mini-Grant Amount: $50-$1,000 Team of 2-3 Educators Mini-Grant Amount: $1,000-$3,000 (to allow for requests supporting experiences and equipment over $1,000) Team of 2 educators max amount: $2,000 Team of 3 educators max amount: $3,000
Material Request Guidelines:
Materials should support STEM education.
Material requests may be for instruction or enrichment, including extracurricular experiences.
Use of the materials should begin this school year.
Requests may include materials of instruction or STEM related contracted services (ex. Agriculture bus).
Requests may not be for transportation, workshop pay, substitutes, registration, software, computers, laptops, Chromebooks, or other devices.
All requests subject to principal and curriculum specialist approval. If applicable, requested materials are subject to options from the approved bid list. The approved bid list is located on Inside FCPS under Purchasing linked HERE.
Criteria for Review Consideration: Student impact, instruction or enrichment experience, connections to STEM education, quality of responses to application questions
*The funding has been provided by Battelle National Biodefense Institute, LLC (BNBI) to support STEM Education in FCPS.
The Office of Special Education is excited to offer you a wonderful opportunity to support our students with disabilities this summer! Various schools will host Extended School Year (ESY) to provide individualized instruction of specific special education and related services to students with a disability beyond the normal school year. Students must have Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals related to critical life skills that are significantly jeopardized if services over the summer are not provided. Critical life skills may be in the areas of physical development and health, communication, and personal and social development.
Dates: June 24, 2024 - July 25, 2024 (19 Program Sessions)
Mondays - Thursdays
Exception: Week of July 4th (Monday - Wednesday) Times Elementary: 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM (Arrival 8:30 am; Dismissal 1:00 pm)
Middle and High School: 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Arrival 7:30 AM; Dismissal 12:00 PM)
Rock Creek School: 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM (Arrival 8:30 am; Dismissal 1:00 pm)
Exact schedules and hours worked will be tailored based on independent student needs and service models.
A full list of available Extended School Year Learning Centers is available here.
Various summer ESY positions are available. To learn more about each position and the required qualifications, visit the Position Overview Document. If you are interested in applying for an ESY position and meet the required qualifications please complete the ESY 2024 Application!
The deadline to request a lane change for coursework completed between
September 1, 2023 and January 31, 2024:
LAST WORKDAY in February: Thursday 02/29/2024
Requests for lane changes should be submitted by completing the form linked here:
ONLINE FORM
The certification team continues to process a high volume of coursework and is updating the Professional Education screen in PeopleSoft daily.
If you have already submitted documentation of coursework but do not yet see it reflected in your Professional Education, please continue to review your Professional Education profile regularly
As long as you’ve met the requirements and submitted all necessary documentation by the deadline, your pay change will be processed and applied retroactively to February 1.
Important information for direct pay students:
If your fall coursework was through a direct pay partnership, we will update your credits once we receive the invoice and transcripts from our university partner. Our direct pay partners forward your official transcript to us.
Any delay in processing related to documents received from direct pay partners after the deadline will be processed and applied to your pay retroactively to February 1.
Additional Lane Change Information
https://www.fcps.org/careers/teacher-lane-change
Lane Change Questions?
Email: CertSalary@fcps.org
Professional Education Questions?
Email: certification@fcps.org
If you plan to retire within the next 6 months, please attend one of our upcoming retirement paperwork sessions. The purpose of these sessions is to complete and submit your retirement paperwork. A follow-up email will be sent to you once you register for the event and will include information about what to bring to the session.
Sessions are limited, so please be mindful and only register if you will attend.
Upcoming Sessions:
Wednesday March 20, 2024, 2 - 4 PM, Learning & Leadership Center (This session is FULL and is no longer accepting registrations. Please register for an alternative session)
Monday, April 15, 2024 (AM Session), 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM, Learning & Leadership Center
Monday, April 15, 2024 (PM Session), 2:30 - 4:30 PM, Learning & Leadership Center
Tuesday, May 14, 2024 (AM Session), 10 AM - 12 PM, Learning & Leadership Center
Tuesday, May 14, 2024 (PM Session), 2 - 4 PM, Learning & Leadership Center
Tuesday, June 11, 2024, 10 AM - 12 PM, Learning & Leadership Center
If you'd like to learn about your State retirement benefits, other retirement savings, estate and financial planning, Social Security benefits and other retirement considerations, you can go to the Maryland State Retirement and Pension System website to view upcoming sessions to attend. They also have a recorded presentation that you can watch at your convenience.
Log into your mySRPS account to view your pension estimate, Personal Statement of Benefits, etc.
Local organizations, "Go Team Therapy Dogs" and "Wags For Hope" are once again wagging their tails in anticipation of meeting students!
Teachers, if you would like to have well-trained, certified therapy dog teams visit your schools, this is the time to act.
Volunteers with both Go Team Therapy Dogs and Wags For Hope will provide support for students and families who may benefit from specialized learning opportunities.
Schools can request therapy dog Visits using the links below:
Go Team Therapy Dogs Visit Request Form
Wags for Hope Request Form
The 2023 Tressler recipient is Suzanne Dashiell Elder from Urbana High School
We're sure you know an FCPS teacher who is making a significant impact on young people. It is time to nominate that individual for the Charles E. Tressler Distinguished Teacher Award.
A panel of FCPS judges will screen the nominations and select finalists before forwarding materials to Hood College. We welcome nominations from current and former students, teachers and support staff, parents, community members, administrators, and supervisors. Hood College will recognize the winner this spring. Complete eligibility, nomination criteria, process, and selection guidelines are located online at www.fcps.org/awards. The deadline for nominations is Friday, March 15, 2024. Please contact Wanda.Ford@fcps.org or 301-696-6900 with any questions.
Here's a look at events and opportunities coming up from FCPS Health and Wellness!
We are so excited about the 2024 FCPS Wellness Expo!
When: March 22 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Where: Tuscarora High Offerings: Exercise classes, including yoga and LaBlast, a dance class FCPS Vendors, including CareFirst, Delta, The Standard, and retirement plan providers
Healthy Snacks Raffle Prizes
Health Screenings
Massages
Seminars
Giveaways
How can I participate: Save your space by preregistering here
As part of Heart Health Month in February, the county has a number of useful resources available online.
You can find more information at www.FrederickCountyMD.gov/HeartHealthyFC. A direct link to free CPR classes is available at Activity search | Frederick County Parks & Recreation (activecommunities.com).
Join a complimentary webinar on Trusts: A Beneficial and Integral Part of Estate Planning!
When: March 6 at noon
Click the link below to learn more and register:
Trusts
The Burnalong Boost Your Nutrition Wellness Journey starts March 4 and runs through March 29 click on the link below to learn more!
NUTRITION
Did you set a financial New Year’s resolution such as saving for the future or paying down debt? Are you finding it difficult to reach your goals with your current spending plan? Join Green Path Financial Wellness to learn how your money personality, and the money personalities of those you share financial decisions and responsibilities with, may impact your ability to reach your goals.
Webinar: February 28 at 1 p.m.
More information is available online.
Money Talk Mondays (February) - Estate Planning Strategies (webinar)
Join Matt Misiaszek, CFP®, CRPC® on Monday February, 26th at either 12:00 p.m. or 4:30 p.m., to learn the importance of estate planning. Topics that will be covered during the webinar include:
Registration Opportunities
February 26th, 12:00 p.m. - Register Here
February 26th, 4:30 p.m. - Register Here
Recognition tied to organizational goals and values reinforces the behaviors and achievements that contribute to the success of the school system. In addition, recognized employees are also more likely to recommend their workplace to others and incorporating a well-rounded employee recognition program can lead to a happier, more engaged workforce, improved retention rates, and a positive impact on work culture. We are pleased to introduce two new employee recognition opportunities. Awards can be submitted by either employees or community members for staff. To learn more, go to Award Programs-Public Affairs.
Guiding Star Award [EMPLOYEE TO EMPLOYEE]
Individuals may be nominated for one of the following five (5) categories.
To nominate a staff member, please fill out the Guiding Star Award nomination form.
FCPS is moving to a pay schedule called "pay in arrears." Employees will continue to be paid twice a month. The difference will be that the paycheck will reflect the prior pay period. The graphic above shares more details.
Email FCPSpayshift@fcps.org or visit our website for more information.
Frederick, MD 21703
Phone: 301-644-5000