Terry’s Update

3 February 2021

1. FEA Europe Elections
2. Black History Month
3. NEA Leadership Training
4. President’s Day Info
5. Social Security Deferral Info
6. National School Counseling Week
7. Mark Your Calendar

1. FEA Europe Elections–Ballots, envelopes, etc. are being sent to all FRSs/election chairs in Europe for the elections of NEA Representative Assembly Candidates. The dates for the Representative Assembly have changed to 30 June to 3 July and will be virtual, with the FEA annual meeting 28-29 June. Because of many schools in ROM the date for returning the ballots has also changed to 19 March, which means they need to be sent by at least the end of the second week of March. If for some reason your school representative does not receive these or you have not gotten one, please contact your FRS, or Bill Morgan, CMR 409 BOX153, APO AE 09053 or FEAElectionEmail@gmail.com

2. Black History Month — Begun in 1926 by black scholar and historian Carter G. Woodson, Black History Month was originally celebrated as a weeklong event. In 1976, Congress expanded the observance to the entire month of February. You can find more useful information at: this site

3. NEA LEADERSHIP TRAINING — The NEA National Leadership Summit provides training to help Association members lead in their profession. The 2021 National Leadership Summit will be a virtual event, taking place March 12-14. Any Association member may register to attend, though the number of slots is limited. The registration fee is $30. FEA members who attend the Leadership Summit may be eligible to have their registration fee reimbursed by the Association. Send a message to ghritz@nea.org if you would like more information about this possibility. Registration will open in early February and remain open until all slots are filled. To learn more about the summit or to register to attend, go to NEA’s Leadership Summit site

4. President’s Day – Washington’s Birthday, also known as Presidents’ Day, is a federal holiday held on the third Monday of February. The day honors presidents of the United States, including George Washington, the USA’s first president. Washington’s Birthday was first celebrated as a holiday in the District of Columbia in 1880. It was made a federal holiday in 1885. The holiday was originally held on the anniversary of George Washington’s birth, on February 22. In 1971, this holiday was moved to the third Monday in February.

5. Social Security Deferral— The Social Security Deferral program that was initiated in 2020 has now stopped. However, in this week’s LES they are now taking back what was not taken in 2020. Another reason to check your LES, and more information is provided at this link. DFAS Social Security Deferral Info Your election during Open Season should also be shown in this LES.

6. National School Counseling Week — This special week celebrating school counselors will be held this year from February 3-7, with the purpose of focusing public attention on the unique contributions of professional school counselors within the U.S. school systems. In DoDEA, we are blessed with wonderful counselors who give much time and effort to helping students achieve school success and plan for their careers. For further information visit this site.

7. Mark Your Calendar-
February 1-5 — National School Counseling week
February 15 — President’s Day

Terry McClain
FEA Europe
Area Director