Today, April 1, new Fulton County Schools Superintendent Cindy Loe, Ph.D., began her first day on the job with a visit to Stonewall Tell Elementary School.

Students excitedly greeted Loe with handmade cards and signs, giving Loe a warm, Fulton County School System welcome. Following a visit to the school's professional resources center, where she read to kindergartners, Loe joined teachers, administrators and other community leaders for a brief reception.

Loe then returned to the school system's Administrative Center to be officially sworn in by Fulton County Probate Judge Pinkie Toomer. A reception was held to allow school system staff to briefly meet the new superintendent, and after that, it was back to business with Loe participating in her first school board meeting as superintendent.

"Thank you so much for your confidence in me," Loe said after taking her oaths of office. "I pledge to work with you as a partner and as a team to address the needs, the concerns, and to continue the great tradition that's already existing in Fulton County."

The budget season kicks into high gear this month. Several workshops are being held, including one today and others on April 17 and April 29. Public hearings also are planned for April 29 and April 30.

Employees are encouraged to stay involved during the budget process by attending meetings, viewing them online or by checking the system web site for updates (to be located under the 'FYI' section).

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The Fulton County School System is home to the brightest and most talented educators in Georgia -- and the nation.

Each month teachers and staff members receive awards or other honors that bring pride and recognition to their schools as well as the school system.

Georgia's Teacher Quality Higher Education Program aims to enhance the teaching of science, mathematics, language arts, reading and social studies through professional learning opportunities.

Teachers of those subjects can visit the following web site to learn more about the programs offered. Although the program is managed by the University of Georgia, several others colleges and universities are also locations for the courses.

Did you know that free, online training exists for some of the common software programs you use every day?

Through a partnership with Dell Computers, the Information Technology Department offers video-based online training for Microsoft Office programs such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access. Or maybe you've always wanted to study web site development but didn't know where to learn about Dreamweaver or FrontPage.

Retirement reception. The annual Fulton County Schools retirement reception is May 14, 6 p.m., at the Cobb Galleria Centre. Only employees that have completed and returned pension applications to the Pension Office by April 18 can be honored at this year's event.

Employee transfer deadline. April 30 is the deadline for employment transfer applications. Information was emailed in March to all employees by the Human Resources Department. Those requesting a transfer should submit paperwork directly to the principal or director at the school or site they desire.

We know that our middle school students are bright and high-achieving, and recent results of the Georgia Grade Eight Writing Assessment confirm it.

Eighty-eight percent of eighth-graders scored in the "meeting" or "exceeding" range on the test, which is 11 percent higher than the state average and seven percent higher than the metro average. In addition, 60 percent of all Fulton middle schools reported increases of at least 8 percent in the "meeting" or "exceeding" range. Way to go, middle school teachers.

You've probably heard students talking about the latest podcast or vodcast they downloaded from iTunes or elsewhere on the Internet.

You can join them by checking out Fulton County's newest communication program -- "Fulton Schools In Focus," a free, monthly vodcast produced by the Broadcast & Video Technology and Communications departments.

Fulton County School System's smoking policy has just gotten stricter, making all school facilities and events tobacco-free. To comply with the policy, all employees and students must abstain from using any type of tobacco product on campus, buses, after- school events, parking lots or any other school venue.

The school system cares about your health. Perhaps now is the time to evaluate your smoking habits, if any, and decide to quit.

As spring gets under way, the weather will get increasingly warmer and allergens will be prevalent. These conditions can often lead to a medical emergency, especially as we plan field days and other outdoor activities.

For the health and safety of your students (and colleagues too) keep in mind the following signs that indicate a medical problem and get help quickly:

Public perception of a school district significantly affects its success or failure. One important Communications Department initiative currently under way is to build the Fulton County School System's brand and make it one of our most significant assets.

But first we must define our brand -- or, said differently, define Fulton's distinct brand promise. The brand needs to be defined from within an organization. Consequently, we're looking to you, our valued employees, for feedback.

Employees are invited to the 6th Annual Educational Summit, a consortium co-hosted by seven metro Atlanta school systems, on Saturday, April 26, at the Rockdale Career Academy.

The theme is "A Collaboration for Excellence: The Impact of Legislation on Education."

Similar to the booklets sent around the winter holidays, Sparkfly is sending each school spring booklets containing coupons, special deals and other savings for employees. Look for your booklet to arrive soon in your mailbox or in other staff areas.

In the meantime, continue to check out the deals found on the Sparkfly web site.