Author Archives: Division Compass

CATEC’s Annual Thanksgiving Catering Event Is Accepting Orders Through Nov. 16!

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2023 CATEC Thanksgiving Catering Event Flyer
Place Your Order

CATEC’s fresh Thanksgiving menu features traditional recipes crafted by our Culinary Arts students and chefs to make your holiday meal special! Preorder your menu items by Thursday, November 16, and be prepared to pick up your order between 12 and 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 21.

Thanksgiving Menu

  • Whole Turkey Breast
  • Sides: Baked Four Cheese Mac & Cheese, Traditional Green Beans, Sweet Potato Casserole, Housemade Turkey Gravy, and Traditional Stuffing
  • Desserts: Fall Spice Cake, Lemon Sheet Cake, and Chocolate Sheet Cake
  • Meal: Turkey Breast with Choice of 2 Sides

Introducing Insider Express!

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Superintendent Matthew Haas

Dear Colleagues,

The feedback you have shared through the Gallup Employee Engagement Survey and the Bellwether Instructional Audit process tells me that you want to know more about and be more involved in the decisions that the Albemarle County School Board and I make. My thinking is that if we can expand access to information about upcoming changes, including when and why we are considering them, you will be better able to engage with the process and offer informed input.

With that in mind, we’ve created a weekly newsletter within the Compass: Please allow me to introduce Insider Express! You’ll find the first issue below! Continue reading →

School Board Grants Additional Thanksgiving Holiday Leave to All 12-Month Employees

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Happy Thanksgiving banner with holiday elements

Following a declaration by the Commonwealth of Virginia, and with appreciation and gratitude for everything you do each day for our students, their families, your colleagues, and our school community, the Albemarle County School Board has approved the superintendent’s request to grant a half-day holiday for all employees scheduled to work on Wednesday, November 22. All ACPS offices and facilities will now close four hours early on November 22. (This day was already scheduled as a non-student day.) Continue reading →

benefitsFOCUS: Open Enrollment Closes Wednesday AND 2024 FSA Contribution Limits Announced!

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Open Enrollment origami banner

Only THREE DAYS (including today!) remain until the Open Enrollment window closes on Wednesday, November 15! These are the last few days where you’ll be able to:

  • Add, drop or change medical or dental coverage;
  • Enroll in our NEW! optional vision plan;
  • Add, drop or change the dependents covered on those plans; and
  • Enroll in a healthcare or dependent care Flexible Spending Account (FSA) for 2024. Continue reading →

benefitsFOCUS: Planning on Doing Your Open Enrollment Session Over the Weekend?

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Open Enrollment origami banner

Only SIX DAYS (including today!) remain until the Open Enrollment window closes on Wednesday, November 15! If you’re planning to complete your Open Enrollment session over the weekend, please take a moment TODAY to make sure you can successfully log in to ADP and access the Open Enrollment module. Hint: Your ADP login likely is not the same as your ACPS or Kronos login. If you cannot successfully log in to ADP, please email the benefits team to confirm your User ID. If you remember your User ID but have forgotten your password, you can reset it by using the Forgot Your Password? link on the ADP login screen.

Looking for Open Enrollment information that you may have missed? Continue reading →

Professional Learning Update for Instructional Staff

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Professional Learning Needs Assessment

As part of the Bellwether recommendation to develop a systematic approach to professional learning in the division, we are conducting a needs assessment to gather data on professional learning needs and experiences within the division. We would like all instructional staff (administrators, teachers, teaching assistants, EDEP, counselors, etc.) to complete this short, anonymous survey by Friday, November 17:

Professional Learning Needs Assessment

Making Connections Follow-up

In the next couple of weeks, we will process the Making Connections attendance sheets to provide professional development (PD) points for licensed staff. If you were a presenter, we will upload your information to the PLMS and enroll you in a presenter course to award your PD points for the day.

Teachers: Throughout Making Connections, we asked teachers to take a quick, anonymous survey on the instructional coaching model, to complement the qualitative data collected during the feedback sessions. If you did not get an opportunity to participate, please complete the survey by Friday, November 17:

Instructional Coaching Survey

Questions? Please email Megan Wood.

benefitsFOCUS: Open Enrollment in ADP – One Week to Go!

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Open Enrollment origami banner

Your benefits Open Enrollment window is only available in ADP for one more week, through Wednesday, November 15! Don’t miss your chance to:

  • Add, drop or change medical or dental coverage;
  • Add, drop or change the dependents covered on those plans;
  • Enroll in our new voluntary vision plan; and
  • Enroll in a healthcare or dependent care Flexible Spending Account (FSA) for 2024. Continue reading →

Stay Interviews: Share Your Experiences & Ideas

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Do what you love header


ACPS wants to thank everyone who participated in a stay interview last year. We truly want our employees to remain in their jobs, feeling happy, satisfied, appropriately challenged, and heard!

“Stay interviews” provide an opportunity for employees to communicate the best parts of their jobs and share ideas about how the division can do better. We’re excited to enter the second year of this initiative, and we’re eager to offer more opportunities for our employees to share their voice and experiences. Your valuable feedback helps us identify trends that can inform division leadership and guide the division’s future decision-making. If you would like to participate in a confidential stay interview, please continue reading to learn more about the process and to sign up for a time to meet! Continue reading →

Instructional Practices Audit Recommendations: Project Status Board

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3D Vector Conceptual Illustration of Hybrid Learning

At the October 26 school board meeting, staff presented several Bellwether project updates, including next steps for our framework for adult learning, the instructional coaching model, quarterly assessments, and short-term approaches for Algebra 1 improvements. You can follow the progress of each project on our new Bellwether Recommendation Status Board (also accessible through our Instructional Practices Audit website). Please contact Jamie Gellner with any questions, comments, or suggestions regarding next steps.

Nationwide: Check Out Our Virtual Adventure Center; Virtual Consultations Available Nov. 6-10

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Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company logo

It’s never too late (or too early!) to start saving for your retirement adventures! Whatever retirement adventures await you, Nationwide has resources and tools to help you make informed decisions and achieve retirement readiness and financial wellness. Take a step to prepare for retirement: Visit Nationwide’s Virtual Adventure Center today!

Also, our Nationwide Retirement Specialist, Lynn Robinette, is available for individual virtual consultations on an ongoing basis, but each month, she reserves a week of appointment openings for Albemarle County employees. Appointments are available this November 6-10! Continue reading →