FCPS CARES - April 2023

To recognize an employee with an FCPS Cares, please visit our submission page.

To view past submissions, please visit our previous submissions page. 

FCPS CARES of the Month Recipients

Central Office

Do Mafuta, Stonecroft Transportation Center

"We had a student with religious dietary restrictions leave his lunch on the bus. I emailed transportation asking for the student's lunch to be delivered. Shortly after, the student's smiling bus driver came to school to bring his lunch, and I thought, how efficient! But it turns out, the message hadn't been received yet. The bus driver just saw the lunch and brought it to us as a kind gesture. It was a reminder of how incredible our bus drivers are! They do this every day, all day. They are always smiling. We are so grateful for the incredible staff that transport our students every day, and on this day I was so grateful for Mr. Mafuta."

- Lisa Hodge, Cooper MS 

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Region 1 

Candice Johnson,South Lakes HS - View the celebration

Candice has made the scheduling of over 400 IEP addendums appear seamless. She has worked tirelessly to take the time to explain to parents the process and what OCR addendums are. She has coordinated with interpreters to ensure families are comfortable in their home language while ensuring that school staff have adequate notice to prepare. She is integral part of our special education department and appreciated by parents and staff alike.

- Kimberly A Shott, South Lakes HS 

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Region 2

Beth Schinstock, Longfellow MS (Pictured) - View the celebration

"Ms. Schinstock is an outstanding teacher who truly seeks to know and support each of her students. Concerns for a few of her students led her to start a "breakfast club" for those students prior to the start of the school day. She uses the time with them to help them get organized and ready for their school day, check in with how they're doing both at school and outside of school, and play games to increase their sense of connection with each other and at Longfellow.  Her students are so fortunate to have Ms. Schinstock in their corner!"

- Amy Smith, Longfellow MS 

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Region 3

Alexandra Soria -Galvarro, Mount Vernon HS 

"Today I was visiting Mount Vernon HS with the Independent Auditors hired by FCPS to conduct assessments of various FCPS schools and facilities. The entire staff was fantastic; however, I witnessed the interaction between an Office Assistant (Alexandra) and the relative of a student, who arrived at the school to pick up her sibling. Alexandra was berated by this individual; yet she remained cool, calm, and collected; Alexandra was professional at all times even when rude and demeaning comments were being directed at her. Alexandra remained steadfast in her kindness to this individual and others in the Office. Alexandra exemplifies the outstanding persona of FCPS Office Staff  personnel that are employed throughout FCPS in supporting administrative / operational roles. In my role in OSS, I visit numerous schools and I am always impressed by our Front Office personnel. Alexandra Soria - Galvarro represented Mount Vernon HS superbly today. Kind, considerate, showed empathy, and remained cool, calm, and collected when the "guest" was rude, unprofessional, and self-centered. She did an outstanding job today, as I am sure, she does every day as well as so many other Front Office Staff personnel throughout the School District."

- Purvis Dawson, Gatehouse Admin Center

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Region 4

Morgan Martin, Katie Yost, Diane Crockett, Sheila Bartley, Laurel Ridge ES 

"Since the start of this school year I have watched these amazing staff members provide an extraordinary level of care and love for a child with severe traumatic stress to ensure he feels safe. However, this week, the culmination of that care and love, ever so quietly, resulted in such acts of compassion it is hard to put it into words. This child has gained such trust with this staff, as has the parent, they were able to cut his hair, clean his feet, and provided him with new tennis shoes and clean clothes. In an instant, this child blossomed, smiled and responded in a way not seen this year. He was available, present and in the moment, connected to others. All respect and honor to these incredible staff members!" 

- Kim Pryor, Laurel Ridge ES 

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Region 5

Amanda Lockhart, Frost MS 

"Amanda walked into my science classroom and several students erupted with positive excitement upon seeing her face. The students began to discuss how they loved the after school clubs Amanda support. They loved the crafts they create and support other students to create. Students using multiple adjectives to describe their after-school experiences was a pleasure. Amanda has mentored teachers to become special education teacher by staying late to lighten the load of supporting special education students, so teachers are a member of a team. She has encouraged teachers to obtain their masters. Amanda has used her vast special education expertise to support and encourage instructional assistants to become teachers in FCPS. She can observe situations through multiple perspectives and help create workable solutions. Amanda is head coach of the unified special Olympics team and support the inclusion of students with and without intellectual disabilities in our school and community. She also helped to sponsor community/team events and fundraisers to raise awareness and help break down barriers amongst our Frost student population. Amanda communicates with families to strengthen relationships between parents and students, between students and students’ families. Her drive has generated opportunities to promote and foster inclusion in our school and community. Additionally, Amanda co-sponsor the Art’Zen’Crafts club and Frost Minds Matter club, both which welcome all students and provide a safe and inclusive environment for students to be their authentic selves. Amanda models inclusion, patience, compassion, and understanding for students in all these environments. Amanda cultivates good communication between teachers, students, and parents."

- Lamepa Bromell, Frost MS 

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Other FCPS Cares of the Month Recipients

Bryan Espichan, Amalia Bugge, Karen Thieme, Juanita Gladys, Heidy Davila, Kelly Vargas, Pam Gordon, Jennifer Sharp, Crystal Broady, Leigh Kelly, Cassandra Jackson, Laura Dahljem, Oscar Calagua, Maria Espichan, Willow Oaks Admin Center

"What is the definition of a champion? “A person who fights for a cause on behalf of someone else.” Our administrative assistants, business operations technicians/assistants, finance technicians, and student information assistants in the Office of Curriculum and Instruction for Instructional Services are champions. They fight and advocate on the behalf of others day in and day out. They handle parent phone calls, staff and School Board members with care.  They are detail oriented and show organizational brilliance in the orchestration of the Science Fair, Student Government Association, AAP Screening, Scholastic Art, POG POL, to name just a few programs. It is nothing short of herculean. I am truly privileged to work with such dedicated and inspirational individuals and would be remiss in not lifting them up individually and departmentally as examples of excellence in FCPS. Thank you to Bryan Espichan, Amalia Bugge, Karen Thieme, Juanita Gladys, Heidy Davila, Kelly Vargas, Pam Gordon, Jennifer Sharp, Crystal Broady, Leigh Kelly, Cassandra Jackson, Laura Dahljem, Oscar Calagua, Maria Espichan."

- Brigid Williams, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Celine Sinclair Peebles, Transition Support Resource Center, Alexandria

"Mrs. Peebles has always went above and beyond to help others throughout FCPS. I met Mrs. Peebles while on a long term sub assignment in 2018. Mrs. Peebles has provided support with openings or job availability, assistance with printing out buttons for my daughter graduation etc. Mrs. Peebles has helped the students more than you can imagine, she talks to them with respect, she does not judge them, she supports them in whatever area they may need assistance in. Mrs. Peebles is a very firm person and gets the respect because of who she is. I am very grateful to have met her. Mrs Peebles is a very caring person and I’m sure FCPS students and staff appreciate her presence daily." 

- a FCPS sub

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Stacey Bernasconi, Camelot ES 

"I wanted to send a note of appreciation and recognize Speech Language Pathologist, Mrs. Stacey Bernasconi (Mrs. B) at Camelot Elementary School for her phenomenal work with my DHOH child. I am grateful to have Mrs. B work with my child during COVID until her last preschool year in-person. My child has worked with six other SLPs (including private providers) and Mrs. B is exceptional. She was effective virtually and when masks was worn in speech sessions. She is respectful and wore clear mouth panel masks during the pandemic. Mrs. B’s expertise with DHOH children is invaluable. She is creative, caring, detail-oriented, patient and responds quickly to emails (even after-hours). Mrs. B provides helpful notes so parents can use to practice at home and takes photos during her fun speech sessions. I appreciate her sharing the informal articulation inventory assessments and progress monitoring intakes with me (without being asked), the McLoud-Crowe Articulation Norms for comparison to her same aged, hearing peers and a comparison to articulation considerations for my native language speakers, common errors/omissions. These documents are all extremely helpful as a baseline and for consideration of new sounds to work on for any child who receives SL services and is exposed to more than English at home. She compared my child’s articulation errors to previous data points and plotted the sounds my child can and cannot hear on the speech banana based on latest audiograms. She has a great sense of humor. Her variety of interesting games and small prizes to reward for hard work is effective and helped motivate and improve my child’s articulation. My child has made huge progress in her articulation errors due to Mrs. B’s work. Mrs. B has set my child up for success as she transitioned to Kindergarten and wrote excellent speech goals in my child’s IEP including later developing sounds, too. I wish my child could have stayed with Mrs. B throughout her elementary years until she no longer needs/graduates from SL services. If your child receives SL services at Camelot, he/she is lucky to be working with a top SLP at FCPS! It is not easy to meet/exceed my expectations and earn my trust. She has set the bar high and I hope her best practices for hearing and DHOH students in all grades are modeled for all SLPs across FCPS. Thank you for going above and beyond, Mrs. B! Much gratitude for your dedication and ongoing support to our family."

- a Camelot ES parent 

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Meg Rogers, Terry Rihl, Kim Sigle, Steven Rogers, Taj Azad, Dianna Lynn Cruz, Audrey Breeden, Instructional Programs Support Center

"A team from Library Support Services and Library Information Services came to the Haycock Elementary School library to assist in doing an inventory of our material, organizing our shelves and weeding books to make room for more contemporary, culturally-relevant, curriculum-related and personal interest books for our community. Due to funding, we are the only school they’ve been able to visit so far this year, but it has made such a difference in bringing order to the library and helping our collection be up-to-date. The team was hard-working, knowledgeable and collegial. They made a significant contribution to allow our library program to support the learning, growth and development of students and staff at Haycock Elementary School."

- Jeannie Sklar, Haycock ES 

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Andrew Drake, Gatehouse Admin Center

"Mr. Drake's swift response to my query enabled me to move forward quickly with an HR request.  His email responses were efficient and friendly and demonstrated that he positively supports FCPS staff."

- Kathy Tucker, Hollin Meadows ES 

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Lindsey Fedok, Fairview ES 

"Ms. Fedok goes above and beyond every day in her role as a kindergarten teacher aide at Fairview Elementary. You can tell she really cares about the students and loves her job. Our teacher was recently out on extended leave and the class didn’t skip a beat in her absence thanks to Ms. Fedok’s support and help. She is always present at every school event and the children light up when they see her. Ms. Fedok is a wonderful part of the Fairview community and I wanted to express my appreciation for her and all of her hard work."

- a Fairview ES parent 

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Timothy Spicer, Johnson MS 

"I would like to recognize Timothy Spicer for all of the assistance he has given me over the past two weeks. I am a long term sub teaching CAT B students in History and Civics. The actual teacher who took over the assignment for an English teacher who went on maternity leave did not leave me much resources or lesson plans to teach the class. Since this was my first real assignment teaching, I was obviously overwhelmed and struggled to make lesson plans that would meet the criteria for these students. Mr. Spicer, who is the Gym teacher but previously taught history for 10 years, took time to provide me with resources and guidance on how to teach these students. He has been invaluable to me getting up to speed so I can ensure the students do not fall behind in their curriculum.  He is a credit to KJMS and to FCPS as a whole. The school, and myself, are lucky to have such a teacher that cares to volunteer and help staff in need."

- Garline Perry, Johnson MS 

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Rachel Blitch, Haycock ES 

"I wanted to take a moment to give a big shout-out to Mrs. Blitch, our amazing string teacher at Haycock ES! She's been an incredible mentor to my daughter and all kids throughout the year, inspiring them to work hard and go above and beyond what they thought was possible. She's spent so much time and effort teaching and rehearsing with the kids. The school orchestra’s performance last week was such a great success and truly beyond imagination! Thank you so much to Mrs. Blitch for all of her hard work and dedication."

- a Haycock ES parent 

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Heather Moser-Rafii, Fairview ES 

"Mrs Rafii is one of the first faces you see when you come into Fairview Elementary School. She always greets you with the warmest smile and cheerful demeanor! She  loves and knows the kids and families as they come in and out of the office. She is a valuable member to the Fairview family!"

- a Fairview ES parent

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Charles Billingsley, Stonecroft Transportation Center

"Mr. Charlie was just the best addition to our first graders' first experience on an FCPS field trip! His friendly introduction and safe and calm driving helped alleviate fears with which some of the students were arriving, enough that they were no longer nervous getting on the bus to go back to school afterwards. He hopped off the bus and was engaging with the kids while they ate lunch, making them laugh and feel seen, while chatting with parents and teachers as well.  Positive experiences like the one he provided help form core memories for our littlest learners, and I appreciated his engagement and help in making this experience a wonderful one for my kids! FCPS is lucky to have a driver like Mr. Charlie!" 

- Jacqueline Radin, Flint Hill ES 

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Mahna Khalil Khosravi, Johnson MS 

"I want to recognize my son’s Spanish teacher, Mrs Khosravi. She goes the extra mile to help him as he struggles to remain focused. She is encouraging, patient and uses positive reinforcement. As a result my son continues to learn. Thank you!!"

- a Johnson MS parent 

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Adriana Barreto, Greenbriar East ES

"Adriana has been so kind and helpful to my family this year. My son is struggling to come to school, and we are often late. Instead of shaming us for being late, Adriana is always kind and checks us in with a smile. She has been encouraging and gentle with me as a mom, and it means a lot to me to know that I am walking into a supportive environment. She understands that her interaction with people matters and consistently acts with kindness."

- a Greenbriar East ES parent 

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Anita Boyd, Lorton Station ES 

"On Friday April 28th, Mrs. Boyd hosted the Kindergarten Poetry Slam in her classroom. Each student read two poems to all of the parents and class. The children were well rehearsed and confident reading their poems. Mrs. Boyd did a wonderful job organizing the event and encouraging the students to practice their poetry. The students were excited and proud of their work. She sent many emails to parents keeping us updated and informed about the event. The children had an excellent performance and all remained quiet and respectful as each student read two of their poems. My child was so excited about this event. It was evident how hard Mrs. Boyd worked to prepare her students. We are so lucky to have Mrs. Boyd and Mrs. Damni (IA) as our child's teachers."

- a Lorton Station ES parent 

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Joe Gayl, Clermont ES 

"Joe joined our counseling team this year first as a GMU intern and as of December, as a part-time counselor. He has been such a quick learner. His counseling skills are strong and he has provided support to our students, staff and parents. He runs effective individual and group counseling sessions and his classroom guidance lessons are engaging. He is a valuable member of our Mental Wellness team. Not only has he taken the time to build strong connections with students and staff members, he has also enthusiastically taken on additional roles, such as providing after school Karate lessons as part of our ESSER plan and co-sponsoring our student government. He calmly and confidently approaches each day as an exciting new challenge. He is a valuable member of our counseling team and we are lucky to have him at Clermont!"

- Paula Treger, Clermont ES 

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Brooke Greilsheimer, West Springfield ES 

"Mrs. Greilsheimer has always gone above and beyond to ensure that the children in her classroom feel comfortable, safe and respected. She cares so deeply about her students, and understands each students varying degree of needs and is able to seamlessly teach them where they are . A prime example of Mrs. G going above and beyond was seen when Girl Scout troop 52117( WSES first and second graders) had a cupcake wars competition on Sunday, April 16th. As you know, kids view teachers as heroes and super stars. We reached out to several of the first and second grade teachers, and Mrs Greilsheimer agreed to be a celebrity guest judge for the competition. She agreed to come support our kids on a Sunday afternoon. She showed up for our children, outside of working hours, taking time away from her own family, when she didn’t have to. She was extremely kind and loving towards our kids and had amazing compliments for each of them. She is a teacher who is not only amazing in the classroom, but outside of the classroom, and we are so lucky to have her as a part of our community and lives."

- a West Springfield ES parent 

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Joe Gayl, Clermont ES 

"Joe has been a wonderful addition to our staff. The students adore him and have taken to using Joe's suggestions and lessons. They come back to the library and tell me tips that they heard from Mr. Gayl. Yesterday, a first grader on the news show talked about things students can do if they have so much anger they cannot hold onto, stating "asking to go to Mr. Gayl's office" as one of the options. Joe also started teaching an after school Karate group, currently in it's second session. The students in his classes have absolutely loved that time with Mr. Gayl and have been talking non-stop about it that now additional students are asking to join his class. We are so lucky to have him at Clermont."

- Kannan Cangro, Clermont ES 

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Jon Paul Sousa, Chantilly HS 

"Mr. Sousa is our 9th grade daughter's counselor at CHS. As a freshman, this year's transition to high school was incredibly challenging, marked several mental health issues that made this year even more difficult to navigate. Mr. Sousa has been a solid support for her, connecting her with additional support staff in the school, helping her navigate problems that seemed unsurmountable, advocating for her with the teaching staff and keeping close contact with her to ensure she has the support she needs. As new CHS parents, it’s a relief to have Mr. Sousa helping us to shoulder the load of our daughter’s education, health and well-being. Thank you, Mr. Sousa, for being a counselor/rockstar!"

- a Chantilly HS parent 

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Jaime Acosta, Woodson IT Center

"Our school is finishing up our renovation project and my office was missing a wire for a video phone. Unfortunately since it was not in the plans it could not be done. I spoke to Mr. Jaime Acosta while he was doing his rounds and let him know about the issue. Mr. Acosta was able to pull the wiring into my office and have them connected my video phone. He is such an asset to the DIT/ Field Information Systems Security team. He went above and beyond his duties to ensure I had that connection. I cant thank him enough." 

- Veronica Marin, Washington Mill ES 

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Ashley Campbell, Gunston ES 

"To work with young children, you truly have to have the patience and passion and Mrs. Campbell has that and much more. She takes the time to make sure that each child is supported the best that they can be based on their strengths and that if there is a barrier, that it is addressed so that they can reach their full potential. I could not have asked for a better teacher for my son."

- a Gunston ES parent 

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Kemba Ephraim, Gunston ES 

"Mrs. Ephraim has been a beam of light in our lives from the first time we had the pleasure of meeting her when my son entered Kindergarten. Through her work you can tell that she truly loves what she does and that she cares so much for each and every child that she works with. My son loves talking to her and is so much more confident knowing that he has her for support and guidance when he needs. Thank you so much Mrs. Ephraim!" 

- a Gunston ES parent 

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Salman Ahmed, Wilton Woods Center

"Sal is quick to respond and a wealth of knowledge that our team has relied on countless times this year. We appreciate the patience and fastidiousness that Sal brings to his work. Even when we send Sal on a wild goose chase, he is able to bring us concrete answers. We appreciate you!" 

- Luke Tonia, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Teri Hampton, Lake Braddock SS 

"We appreciate Ms. Hampton helping with the band today at the pep rally. She was able to assist us when we were down in numbers to help get the students to where they needed to be and ready to play for the pep rally. Thank you Ms. Hampton!" 

- Mike Luley, Lake Braddock SS 

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Beth Smith, Orange Hunt ES 

"There is simply no way that my words can adequately express my gratitude for Mrs. Smith! She is so positive, kind, encouraging, enthusiastic, funny, and thoughtful! It is very clear that Mrs. Smith was meant to be a teacher and we are so lucky to have her! We love you, Mrs. Smith! Thank you for taking care of our children each day and helping them learn in such an engaging way!"

- a Orange Hunt ES parent  

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Annie Nielsen, Hunt Valley ES 

"In her first year of teaching, Annie has put in a tremendous amount of effort to create a welcoming and inclusive classroom environment. Her patience and understanding have helped to build trust and foster positive relationships with her students. She is constantly seeking ways to improve and refine her teaching, and she has a deep understanding of the needs of her students. Thank you for making such a positive impact on the lives of your students and for being such an asset to our school community. Your hard work and dedication are truly appreciated!"

- Kate Hover, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Krystal Styles, Fort Hunt ES 

"As both a new Instructional Coach and new member to our Fort Hunt family, Krystal has really stepped up to help our instructional team. She helped Mrs. Sims while she was subbing for Mrs. Woods by pulling together lesson plans every week and is now doing the same for another long term sub, Mrs. Reglin. She never hesitates to help when we call for class or cafeteria coverage. And she does it all with a smile! Thanks for being an integral part of our Fox Family Krystal!"

- Tracy Hutchison, Fort Hunt ES 

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Stacia Todd, Sandurg MS 

"Mrs. Todd goes "above and beyond" to ensure everyone in our class has the opportunity to be successful. Her positive, encouraging and patient attitude creates an ideal learning environment. Our students are experiencing success this year because they have a the benefit of Mrs. Todd's support."

- Dorothy Kellie Healy, Sandburg MS 

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Amanda Hudson, Lewis HS 

"Amanda took substantial time out of her busy schedule to provide mentorship to an aspiring DSS from another school. She effortlessly creates and shares resources that are helpful to her colleagues as we seek to juggle so many competing priorities! Thank you Amanda!"

- Marci Garrison, South County HS 

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Ronald Budreau, Chantilly HS 

"My husband and I hear about Mr. Budreau all the time from my child. From his storytelling, I know Mr. Budreau builds a strong rapport with his students and always encourage them to work hard so they can get a positive impact in the workforce. I got an opportunity to meet him at school about my child's behavior and work ethics. We really appreciate his candid feedback and has been working with our child on making the right choices. Indeed, he is a teacher who takes extra effort to care and support his students." 

- a Chantilly HS parent

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Aneesa Johnson, Bryant HS 

"I would like to recognize School Counselor, Aneesa Johnson, who led the efforts in organizing the highly successful Job/Career Fair at Bryant High School.  Aneesa's dedication, hard work and attention to detail were evident in every aspect of the event, from securing a keynote speaker to coordinating with over 60 employers.  Thanks to her leadership, our students had the opportunity to explore various career paths and connect with various industry professionals, which will benefit them in the future.  I am grateful for Aneesa's commitment to our students' education and success." 

-  Pipi Harrison, Bryant HS 

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Rosaleen Gray, Bryant HS 

"I would like to recognize Rosaleen Gray who is a true superstar on our Student Services team. Even though she only works part-time, she manages to accomplish more in two days than many of us do in five. Not only that, but she's always willing to pitch in and help out wherever needed, and she has a talent for thinking of details and ideas that the rest of us might overlook. All of this she does with a smile on her face and a positive attitude."

- Pipi Harrison, Bryant HS 

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Jill Curry, Willow Oaks Admin Center

"Recently I asked Jill to collaborate with me on one of our science units and provide feedback on organization, content, etc. Recently, we've aligned our lessons to the general education lessons and it was important that this reflected the work of both offices. Jill quickly jumped in lending her deep expertise to the task.  She provided excellent feedback which will help with understanding and navigating the connection of the lessons so that teachers can plan together in CLTs."

- Lori Bedsole, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Sean Burke, Jefferson Tech HS 

"Mr. Burke is a school counselor at TJ. He is not my child's assigned counselor. However, I found that he is not only knowledgeable about what he does, he is also friendly and approachable. In the past year, I had two opportunities to have hallway conversations with him, I asked lots of college application related questions, he is patient and straightforward in assisting me to better understand the process even though my student is not under his domain. I appreciate his positive attitude and willingness to assist students and parents! He is one of the best!"

- a Jefferson Tech HS parent 

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Carrie Garvey, Mike Corigliano, Maria Clare Herce, Viktoria Krause Jankowski, Kristin Mohan, and Joe Dixon, Robinson SS

"These members of the Art department did a phenomenal job organizing and running the Robinson Pyramid Art Show on April 19.  This endeavor requires a great deal of time and energy including the coordination of all of the logistics for the Robinson student artwork as well as the 5 feeder schools' artwork. The teachers worked hard to support their students in preparing their pieces for display, including the specific student showcases for our upperclassmen!  What a wonderful opportunity to showcase the talent of our students and for them to share a part of themselves with the community. Thank you so much to our teachers for going above and beyond for this event!"

- Ann Wong, Robinson SS 

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Abigail Quinn, Johnson MS 

"Abigail joined the KJMS family this year as the Reading Specialist. Since the day she walked into this building, she has been part of CTs and department meetings to provide support for teachers and students. Abigail has also been the supporting ESOL team extensively, she is working with students one on one to get the reading level and provide her recommendations to better support the student in our classes. She is also a great mentor to new to the profession teacher. She has been stepping in the class to team teach to support the new teachers. As a part of the MTSS team, she brings in the lens of the reading specialist to identify students needing additional support. Abigail is building relationships not only with faculty and students but also with families. She has been inviting families to review books that we have and would be used in classrooms just to get a parental lens and perspective. In addition, she has taken the task of organizing the book room so that it is more accessible to all. Abigail has been wearing multiple hats and does a great job wearing them well. Thank you Abigail for all you do. We are very lucky to have you here at KJMS."

- Abhilasha Tripathi, Johnson MS 

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Ashley Lowry, McLean HS 

"Ashley is an incredible colleague and instructional leader! She worked so hard on a knowledge management system that will benefit not only the SBTS community, but all teachers in the county. Thanks for all you do for me personally and all educators!

- Janet Babic, West Potomac HS 

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Andrew Redmon, Woodson IT 

"Andrew was part of the team making sure our FCPS Global Classroom Project team had everything we needed; including setting up an international Zoom meeting, microphones, sound and lighting for our GCP Showcase at Luther Jackson MS. Andrew and the team were outstanding support to us in ensuring a successful evening event."

- Joann Hardy, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Laura Turner, Coates ES 

"Ms. Turner is a great teacher, she cares, understands,  and accommodates her students based on their needs. She is very dedicated and loves her students. My daughter always says every day is a great day because of her."

- a Coates ES parent 

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Flor Aguirre Mejia, South County HS 

"Mrs. Flor Aguirre Mejia works hard every day to ensure our school is the cleanest it can be. In addition to her exceptional work ethic, Flor always has a warm greeting for every Stallion in SoCo. She goes above and beyond her job description every day, making sure nothing seems out of place. She even helps teachers arrange desks with a smile on her face. Flor’s dedication to keeping our facility open, healthy and looking great is a very essential part of our business. Without her hard work we could not operate as we do."

- Kambar Khoshaba, South County HS 

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Melissa Muse-Brown, Willow Oaks Admin Center

"Thank you, Melissa for your help and your flexibility! Melissa provided immediate support, answering questions and providing solutions for our team. We appreciate your help!"

- Erin Snell, Bull Run Early Childhood Center

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Belinda Roman, Transition Support Resource Center, Herndo

"When I had to leave work abruptly at the beginning of the school day, Belinda was left to manage our program. Our other two teachers had substitutes, but I left her with no plans. She had to take attendance for all four classes, manage all of our e-hall passes, manage a lock down drill, deal with technology issues, and more."

- Laura Garofolo, Transition Support Resource Center, Herndon

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Laura Slonina, Jefferson Tech HS 

"Each year the Superintendent's Student Advisory Council elects the Student Representative to School Board. This event is held at different schools in out county. It brings 100 students and guests to the school for nearly the entire day. In turn, the event requires significant amounts of planning, coordination, and communication to make the day a success. To that end, Laura was an ideal partner. Her support was consistent and proactive. Moreover, her personality and disposition made the day a success.  For this I am deeply grateful!"

- Craig Perrier, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Amy Katz, Mariah Maldonado, Yanal Jabour, Cathy Velis, and Larisa James, Brookfield ES 

"One of my favorite parts of every day is when the Kindergarten Instructional Assistants come into the library to work with their small reading groups. Amy Katz, Mariah Maldonado, Yanal Jabour and Larisa James bring their groups in to do their daily UFLI Interventional Reading Groups, and Cathy Velis works with her kids in her classroom. I’m the school librarian, so I get to have a front row seat for these sessions. Amy, Mariah, Yanal, Larisa and Cathy all make these sessions a lot of fun for their students, and the kids are learning so much! I’m having a blast watching these little guys turn into readers under the guidance of these five exceptional women."

- Cathy Wilson, Brookfield ES 

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Sarah Bornfeld, Willow Oaks Admin Center

"When I was having what I thought could have been a medical emergency at the beginning of the school day, Sarah immediately jumped in to help. She gave me a couple of options and then drove me to urgent care. She continued to check on me throughout the day for updates and offered to pick me up when I was released to take me back to my car."

- Laura Garofolo, Transition Support Resource Center, Herndon

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Hui Chen, Daniels Run ES 

"I’d like to nominate Hui Chen, Carol Lee, Fawzi Azizi, Eleni Peters, and Gyeong Chung, The Daniels Run Cafeteria Staff, for recognition within the FCPS Cares community for their tireless work to care for the dietary needs of our school. The Daniels Run community benefits daily from the hard work of our cafeteria staff.  Each day they prepare breakfast and lunch for all of us and they do so with a smile. The responsibility they hold is a huge one in that they are the front line as to what we consume, ensuring that whatever is offered is of the highest quality and most beneficial to our nutrition. The Daniels Run Cafeteria staff is hard at work long before the doors to the food line are opened preparing and plating our meals for breakfast, lunch and special occasions. We owe them the highest gratitude for the excellent job they do each day."

- Lawrence Veasley, Daniels Run ES 

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Sunita Singh, Parvin Janami, and Jamuna Kumari, McNair ES 

"This is to recognize and appreciate our outstanding Cafeteria staff and their services. Ms. Sunita Singh (Cafeteria manager) Ms. Kumari and Ms.Janami are amazing. They are very welcoming, helpful and supportive. They take care of our food in very hygienic ways and they make sure no kid stays hungry. Also, in the morning, Ms.Singh comes to each and every classroom and checks if anyone wants breakfast, which is extraordinary. Their services go above and beyond. We are very grateful to have such wonderful people in our school cafeteria."

- Bhavna Reddy, Mcnair ES

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Ben Vest, Bull Run ES 

"You would never guess Ben is a first year teacher by his level of collaboration and support with and for his co-workers and students. He makes each person feel seen and valued he interacts with throughout his day through his words and actions. Thank you Ben!"

- Laura Reed, Bull Run ES 

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Edward Kissi, Laurel Ridge ES 

"My car broke down in the middle of a storm over the weekend. I had AAA working on my battery at the time that Mr. Kissi came out to make sure I was okay and safe. It was very comforting to know that a fellow FCPS employee was making sure I was taken care of. Thank you Edward Kissi for checking on me!"

- Cynthia Youssef, Hunt Valley ES  

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Johna Wozney and Beth Hendricks, Groveton ES 

"Thank you both so much for providing the best internship experience! I learned so much from both of you and couldn't be more grateful that I was placed in your classroom for my student teaching. I hope to be half of the teachers you are one day!"

- Sarah Stough, Groveton ES 

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Nicholas Guendel, Wilton Woods Center

"Nick helped me recently after I submitted a DDCT data request to help verify the accuracy of service learning data from x2VOL. Nick was responsive, helpful, and extremely quick with fulfilling the data request. Nick also asks good follow-up questions and seeks ways to make our collaborative work between Instructional Services and Information Technology more efficient. I appreciate Nick's diligence and the fact that he is looking for ways to improve upon the way we have completed past projects in previous years. Thank you, Nick!"

- Steven Myers, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Shaila Muralidhar, Haycock ES 

"Mrs. Muralidhar goes above and beyond daily in being able to treat her 5th graders with consistent and consummate respect. I was able to witness all of the various colorful and strongly spirited personalities that make up her class while chaperoning a field trip. That day, from a distance, I was able to see how she managed to redirect and set the ones who needed additional oversight back on the right path. It was amazing; she should be deployed as a US ambassador. I cannot even put into words the way she was able to work through an issue yet allow the class to maintain order and dignity. My respect for her shot through the roof. I wish I could have recorded it to show our class's parents how she cares for our kids in such an agile and graceful manner. Despite some challenges, she guides, motivates, and helps these kids thrive and grow in a warm environment. She can laugh with her kids regularly and have them share the joy. She allows them to have a class pet, Bob, the snail. Through her, they secured a descendant of Isaac Newton's tree to be planted at the school and are learning to nurture and care for it. These are the things that help to make learning exciting and memorable. Mrs. Muralidar actually believes in the children that she teaches. She cares about their well-being and futures in a very real and sincere way. Whenever I have spoken to or emailed her, she always raves about her wonderful kids and their bright futures and I can see this through Mrs. M's actions as my daughter recounts her day in almost excruciating detail each evening. After the field trip and spending some time debriefing with my daughter, what stuck in my mind was that my child is amazed that despite the makeup of her class, Mrs. Muralidhar does not show favorites at all and treats each and every one of the kids fairly and with warmth and respect like they really matter. This teacher needs to receive some recognition as we are most certain that she is superhuman. She is new to our school this year and honestly could be doing a million other things with her education and skill set, but she has chosen to teach our children, and for that, we will be forever grateful."

- a Haycock ES parent 

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Taylor Bartram, Madison HS 

"Taylor Bartram exemplifies the meaning of "by name and by need" and to say he works tirelessly for his students is an understatment. As a SPED teacher and case manager, Taylor provides exemplary support of his students to not only help them meet their academic goals, but also to support their social and emotional well-being. Whether he is working with students who have significant school refusal, read below grade level or struggle to form peer relationships, Taylor enlists the help of community and school resources to ensure each student feels empowered to overcome any barrier which affects their relationship with school."

- Francesca Branson, Madison HS 

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Ann Marie Mochen, Forestville ES 

"Ann Marie was instrumental in helping operationalize the sound system needed for the school musical. She went above and beyond the duties of her job because she loves the kids and the opportunity that the musical gives kids to learn and grow. She came in early and stayed late many days to ensure we had all of the equipment we needed, that it was set up properly and that nothing would go wrong. Thank you to Ann Marie Mochen for her devotion to the job and going above and beyond any expectations that we could have had!" 

- Julie Ryan, Forestville ES 

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Craig Primus, Chantilly HS 

"My child's weakest subject is Math. He consistently stresses out over his grade and goes to SIS to check his grade almost everyday. There were two 2-3 missed assignments and a test on the days he had excused absence. So I emailed Mr. Primus concerning my health issue and my child might be in distress due to that, and inquired if it was possible to arrange the test to be taken outside of instructional time so my child will not miss the topic. Mr. Primus was very understanding and made sure my child received points he missed and arranged a suitable time for the missed test. My child also shared with me that Mr. Primus is the most well-organized teacher he has this year. He teaches the unit for the first half, and the other half he works with students who have questions. This deliberated effort help students know what to expect and better grasp the topic. Thank you Mr Primus."

- a Chantilly HS parent  

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Adam Bowen, Sprague Technology Center

"Adam has helped us with learning WeVideo and editing together a news show for the last few years. However, this year I needed a refresher and Adam was right there to schedule a time to help me and then again when I had questions. In addition, this year we were able to plan a field trip to Sprague with our sixth grade students. They have not stopped talking about our field trip all year and so many of them were so excited about WeVideo and have begun to even use it for other school projects besides our news show. It is all thanks to Adam's willingness to help and his enthusiasm. Thank you Adam."

- Kannan Cangro, Clermont ES 

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Tim Roberson, Woodson IT 

"Tim has been helping us at Clermont Elementary with our news show and news room equipment. His knowledge and patience with the news show sponsors, our SBTS, and TPEC is unparalleled. He ensures he makes time when we ask for help and even with a million questions always ensures us we can run this news show! Our news show would not be what it is without him and his help."

- Kannan Cangro, Clermont ES 

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Jay Sheehan, Transition Support Resource Center, Marshall

"Mr. Sheehan has made a profound impact on my son. Mr.Sheehan has made my son feel welcomed in his class everyday no matter what. He has made him a better student by being a great role model & teacher to him. My son comes home to tell me how he enjoys Mr.Sheehan. Mr. Sheehan and my son have life conversations and he comes home feeling heard and listens to the advice Mr.Sheehan has given him. I am super thankful to have Mr.Sheehan in my student's education & on his side!" 

- a Transition Support Resource Center, Marshall parent 

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Laura McLean, Sue Kalbaugh, and Yeon Nam, Gatehouse Admin Center

"Unbelievable service from these three wonderful finance gurus! They have supported me since I started my job as a finance technician at MVHS. They assist, encourage, and support 100% The practice of the word “team” is apparent with these three women!"

- Karen Bryan, Mount Vernon HS 

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Erin Connelly-Kosek, Jefferson Tech HS 

"Each year the Superintendent's Student Advisory Council elects the Student Representative to School Board. This event is held at different schools in out county. It brings 100 students and guests to the school for nearly the entire day. In turn, the event requires significant amounts of planning, coordination, and communication to make the day a success. To that end, Erin was an ideal partner. Her support was consistent and proactive. Moreover, her personality and disposition made the day a success. For this I am deeply grateful!" 

- Craig Perrier, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Haley Kirk, Timber Lane ES 

"Mrs. Kirk is a kind and dedicated educator who goes above and beyond every day. She works tirelessly to personalize learning and meet every student where they are academically, socially, and emotionally, while maintaining strong communication with families. My daughter regularly comes home and says, "Mrs. Kirk gets me." We feel so fortunate to have Mrs. Kirk as not just a teacher, but a true partner in our child's education."

- a Timber Lane ES parent 

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Aimee Callahan, Lorton Transportation Center

"Aimee is a bus driver for Woodson HS. One our kids came to the main office frantic that he had lost $60 cash. He thought the money may have slipped out of his pocket on the bus and asked if we would call transportation. Before I could get to calling, Amy came back to Woodson and returned the $60. Amy knew that the student would be frantic and even knew the student by his physical description. When the student came to ask if the money was found, he was ECSTATIC and VERY RELIEVED. While honesty is expected of an employee, I still think it's a wonderful example of the quality and kindness of our fellow FCPS employees; especially our Woodson drivers. Thank you Aimee. You made a difference in this student's day!" 

- J. O'Brien, Woodson HS 
 

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Damion Dawson, Tim Roberson, and Ryan Northcutt, Woodson IT

"Damion Dawson, Tim Roberson, and Ryan Northcutt have been instrumental in upgrading the news studio at Eagle View. Damion inspired our school staff to make the updates, and he helped the school team secure all of the materials needed in a timely manner. Additionally, Damion coordinated the studio transition and scheduled our school based training. Tim and Ryan visited Eagle View to set up our news studio on short notice so our students could enjoy the upgrades prior to the end of the school year. Tim also worked closely with our school based team to thoroughly train the news show sponsors. Once our students have used the new equipment, Tim plans to return to Eagle View to work with our student crew. Thank you to Damion, Tim, and Ryan for building capacity in our team! Eagle View appreciates you."

- Abby Holzinger,  Eagle View ES 

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Jennifer Balzano, Willow Oaks Admin Center

"My daughter is physically disabled and last week her stander broke (a piece of equipment she uses) at school. Her physical therapist, Jenny tried to fix it but when she couldn't she called in reinforcements and put a rush on a new stander. We didn't know how long it would take to get a new stander in place. It is really important to my daughters health to be in the stander daily. Realizing this, Jenny went above and beyond and two of her colleagues yesterday drove to wherever the stander was and delivered it themselves to my daughters elementary school. We appreciate these individuals going above and beyond to get around bureaucracy and help our daughter. " 

- a Rolling Valley ES parent 

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Arman Nikmorad, Sprague Technology Center

"Arman was part of the team making sure our FCPS Global Classroom Project team had everything we needed; including setting up an international Zoom meeting, microphones, sound and lighting for our GCP Showcase at Luther Jackson MS. Arman and the team were outstanding support to us in ensuring a successful evening event.

- Joann Hardy, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Philippe Cloutier, Sprague Technology Center

"Philippe was part of the team making sure our FCPS Global Classroom Project team had everything we needed; including setting up an international Zoom meeting, microphones, sound and lighting for our GCP Showcase at Luther Jackson MS. Philippe and the team were outstanding support to us in ensuring a successful evening event."

- Joann Hardy, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Rich Hronik, Sprague Technology Center

"Rich was part of the team making sure our FCPS Global Classroom Project team had everything we needed; including setting up an international Zoom meeting, microphones, sound and lighting for our GCP Showcase at Luther Jackson MS. Rich and the team were outstanding support to us in ensuring a successful evening event." 

- Joann Hardy, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Jamie Lomax, Sprague Technology Center

"Jamie was part of the team making sure our FCPS Global Classroom Project team had everything we needed; including setting up an international Zoom meeting, microphones, sound and lighting for our GCP Showcase at Luther Jackson MS. Jamie and the team were outstanding support to us in ensuring a successful evening event."

- Joann Hardy, Willow Oaks Admin Center 

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Adam Bowen, Sprague Technology Center

"Adam was instrumental in making sure our FCPS Global Classroom Project team had everything we needed; including setting up an international Zoom meeting, microphones, sound and lighting for our GCP Showcase at Luther Jackson MS. Adam and the team were outstanding support to us in ensuring a successful evening event."

- Joann Hardy, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Kim Konklewski, Langley HS 

"My daughter is a freshman at Langley High School in McLean. She went through CPR training taught by Kim Konklewski in her health/PE class which concluded just a few months ago. The CPR training was critical a skill she used when faced with a life or death situation on April 1. My daughter and her dad went to play tennis at Langley's court's and just a few minutes into playing she saw him collapse. She remembered her recent CPR training. She stayed calm and instructed a player from another court to call 911. She then performed CPR on her dad for about 30 seconds until he regained consciousness. He was taken by ambulance to the hospital and underwent open-heart surgery, an opportunity most with his heart condition aren't afforded. The doctors said that most people with his condition don't make it out of the type of episode he suffered on the court. Long story short, had it not been for critical life-saving skills taught by Kim Konklewski, our family would be making funeral arrangements for my daughter's dad. Instead, we get to celebrate his 42nd birthday next month. We will forever be grateful for what Kim Konklewski taught our daughter. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you." 

- a Langley HS parent 

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Emily Schauss, Davis Career Center

"Emily is a very enthusiastic member of our Transition Ceremony committee (the Davis Center version of graduation for our students who are completing their public education) and she is consistently coming up with creative and enthusiastic ideas for how to help celebrate our students. She gladly took on designing the t-shirt for our graduating class, which involved creating three versions for people to vote on, all of which were pretty snazzy! Today she took it a step further and volunteered to coordinate a tie-dye event for our seniors, which will allow them the opportunity to create a truly unique shirt for their transition celebration on May 18th. Thank you, Emily, for being a teacher leader and sharing your creative energies and ideas to help make our community even better."

- Chad Clayton, Davis Career Center

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Kevin Hauser, Hayfield SS 

"Mr. Hauser has gone above and beyond as a homebound teacher in supporting his students. He has demonstrated significant compassion and empathy in working with students and families, and he has been an advocate for students throughout the entire process. We are so appreciative of all the extra work Mr. Hauser is putting in behind the scenes to ensure that his students are set up for success and make it to graduation!"

- Samantha Tolan, South County HS 

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Theresa Hayman, Gatehouse Admin Center

"Theresa is always there for all the AA's in Student Activities.  "It's not just a single thing that Theresa has helped us with, but a multitude of things. She is always quick to reply, has an answer for any question we have, and goes above and beyond to provide help. I know I can always count on Theresa!"

- Mary deKanter, South County HS

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Anne Weagraff, Waples Mill ES 

"Mrs. Weagraff is one of those teachers who leaves a mark on every child. In a room full of 5 year olds, her endless patience and kindness shines bright. She gives 110% every single day to each and everyone of the kids, and I have no doubt that she remembers every single one of them. It's clear she loves what she does and is amazing at it."

- a Waples Mill ES parent

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Melody Weathington, Waples Mill ES 

"Shout out to Mrs. Weathington! She is what every Kindergarten teacher should be! Passionate and dedicated to making sure every child is ready to conquer first grade. It is abundantly clear that she loves her job and cares about each of the kids that goes through her classroom."

- a Waples Mill ES parent

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Christie Panameno, Gatehouse Admin Center

"Christie is new to her position and doing INCREDIBLE. She is efficient, kind and thoughtful. She has learned so much so quickly and is exactly the type of person we need in her position. She is knowledgeable, patient and kind. She understands the complexity of school while also delivering clear feedback and advice. We are lucky to have her in the position!!!  We are team Christie!!!"

- Edward Cooper, Fairhill ES 

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Ruth Mendelson, Instr Programs Support Center

"Ruth went above and beyond today and throughout the last few months to help me plan and develop accessibility training for mentor coaches. Her time and expertise are so appreciated and they will help the coaches, the new teachers they support, and ultimately students. Thank you, Ruth!"

- Mollie Kropp, Instr Programs Support Center

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Karen Hawley, Instr Programs Support Center

"Karen went above and beyond today and throughout the last few weeks to help me plan and develop accessibility training for mentor coaches. Her time and expertise are so appreciated and they will help the coaches, the new teachers they support, and ultimately students. Thank you, Karen!"

- Mollie Kropp, Instr Programs Support Center

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Helen Canepa, Gatehouse Admin Center

"Ms. Canepa supported our Wellness Day by bringing resources and information about the EAP program and more to school. Additionally, she shared ideas with us for future Wellness Days and gave insight into ways that the EAP could support our staff. Thank you so much, Helen!"

- Wellness committee, West Potomac HS

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Lindsey Kearns, Administration Team, and the Security Team, Lake Braddock SS 

"Thank you to Ms. Kearns and her team for working through a situation at the school today. She was quick with communication. She showed compassion and care. She followed up with more communication to reassure students and staff that the situation was handled and they had been working diligently to care for everyone. I appreciate her and her team for being so attentive to the matter. Thank you!"

- Mike Luley, Lake Braddock SS 

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Sarah Olson, Lake Braddock SS 

"Sarah is an amazing technology specialist! She met with me to help me create a plan for student enrichment and opportunity in our school. She was full of wonderful ideas, plans on how to execute the project, and willing to walk me through each step in it's launch and development. TOO KIND! In addition, while working on this project, she was able to provide resources and support to another technology issue I was going to have in my program. She showed me multiple ways to replace the resources going away as well as offering to call the company herself to try to get us an extension. This is amazing! I appreciate Sarah going way beyond the call of duty to help an individual teacher out! THANK YOU SARAH!"

- Mike Luley, Lake Braddock SS 

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Kara Strumsky, Flint Hill ES 

"With three young boys and our eldest son's first year in FCPS Kindergarten we were equally nervous and excited to see how he would adapt to the "freedom" and larger environment that comes with public school. Our son was placed with Mrs. Strumsky's Kindergarten class at Flint Hill Elementary School and with Teacher Appreciation Week approaching in early May, we wanted to submit a thank you and whole-hearted complement to Mrs. Strumsky through the FCPS CARES Program for her above and beyond commitment to the classroom and individual attention to the students in her class. Notably, throughout the 2022-2023 school year, Mrs. Strumsky has creatively interwoven the Kindergarten curriculum with with fun and engaging content. Our son told us the first day of Spring Break that he was "sad" he wasn't going to see Mrs. Strumsky at school on Monday as an anecdote. In addition, with a spouse in our household also in the FCPS system as teacher, we can appreciate that time is finite and many times there are not enough hours in the day to commit to both teaching, planning and addressing "extracurricular" parent requests or the need for student-specific support. Mrs. Strumsky goes out of her way to pull this all off, to include putting in "extra" hours in the morning and offering her personal planning time for parent-teacher conferences if needed. She responds to e-mails and communications extremely quickly and always has a kind word to share with students and parents. We are extremely grateful to have teachers like Mrs. Strumsky in the FCPS system and hope our two other boys may have the chance to attend her class in the future. Thank you Mrs. Strumsky!"

- a Flint Hill ES parent

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Tracy Hutchison, Fort Hunt ES 

"Tracy Hutchison wears so many hats, it’s hard to name or recognize them all (and she has worn many), from being sure coverage is always available for classrooms (no easy task these days!), to keeping a drawer full of snacks for ravenous students! Always willing and able to step in and do what’s needed. She adds to our community by not only being professional, exhibiting all the characteristics of a Fort Hunt Fox and leading by example, but also her ability to make our fun stuff even more fun. “Come on guys” let’s hear it for Tracy and all the spirit she shares with all of us, who else can pull off a Santa suit or support her team better. She is a keystone in our Fort."

- Nina McKelvey, Fort Hunt ES 

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Melody Weathington, Waples Mill ES 

"Mrs. Weathington is patient, kind and cares deeply for her students. She is a creative teacher who finds ways to keep her students engaged. She understands students’ progress and helps students reach their goals. I am so grateful my children worked with Mrs. Weathington. She inspired them daily."

- a Waples Mill ES parent 

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Karin Heller, Coats ES 

"Karin has been an amazing asset to my son's diabetes care at Coates. Under her leadership, the school was trained and she has been meticulous about following the DMMP and working in partnership with parents and our student's team. Since the student has joined Coates, his A1C has been improving and we have met our personal best since diagnosis 7 years ago! We are very happy and fortunate to have Karin at Coates. We were concerned that she would not be able to be physically present there very often but she is dedicated and available to the little ones who need her help."

- a Coates ES parent 

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Tamela Denekas, Coates ES 

"Tammy has been a wonderful asset to my son's diabetes care. She thought him how to check his own blood sugar levels (something that even a diabetes' camp was unable to). She cares about him, is detailed oriented, strict when she needs to be, kind and advocates for him on daily basis at school. Since our son has been attending Coates, his A1C has improved and we have achieved our personal best since diagnosis 7 years ago! We are very happy to have Tammy and Karin as partners on his diabetes' care. We trust the clinic. We know he is safe while getting his education. Thank you!"

- a Coates ES parent 

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Coleen Loomis, Fairfax HS 

"She's a mentor of mentors. She will hate me for this BUT I must acknowledge her "wit", "humanity" and "professionalism". Her wit in always checking in on me, covering me, and transitioning me to a smooth acclimation here.  She will drop what she's doing to answer any questions I might have and I have had many!  Her humanity in openly stating her flaws, processes, and difficulties in teaching topics and dealing with timelines, grading challenges and student issues. Finally, her professionalism in not simply accepting me but embracing me and challenging me to continue to give, grow and glow. Yes, it's hard at times but because of her self-effacing and servant-focused leadership style, I look forward to our CT meetings, our camaraderie and teamwork. Of course, I can go on but this is supposed to be "brief", so I will end with saying, "Yes, Coleen, you can teach an old dog new tricks" and thanks for being such a wonderful teacher."

- Kevin Deans, Fairfax HS 

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Vilma Ferrando, Bryant HS 

"Vilma is our front desk office assistant at Bryant High School. She is an invaluable member of our team. She monitors the front door, submits lunch orders for students, fields calls from parents and school personnel and greets all visitors. Most recently Vilma showed again how she goes above and beyond. She noticed a trend when entering student attendance. She brought it to the attention of administration and they were able to follow up to support a student and their family. Thank you Vilma!!"

- Karen Hertel, Bryant HS 

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Leah Dubray, Kelli Brobst, Mike Feeney, Cynthia Gavin, Adam Kidder, Minji Lee, Teresa Boli, and Katie Rowe, Lake Braddock SS

"This year's Pyramid Art Show, "Under the Sea", was an incredible display of student art work and creativity. I am in awe of how the Visual Arts department was able to create such a large-scale event that values the individuality of so many different student artists. What patrons of the art show don't see is how the Visual Arts teachers worked tirelessly behind the scenes to pull off a show of that magnitude. Their hard work is valued by not only the artists but all of those who were able to partake in the experience. Thank you!"

- Kim Hammond, Lake Braddock SS 

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Lauren Bostrom, Fairfax HS 

"Lauren leads our Government team and goes above and beyond by handling our school-wide supports for seniors so they stay on track to graduate. This work entails coordination and creativity and she balancing it all with ease!"

- Anna Weaver, Fairfax HS 

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Beth Brickhouse, Greenbriar East ES

"Ms. Brickhouse is an amazing teacher! She is an inspiration and positive influence in her students' lives. Our daughter loves coming to school because of the way in which Ms. Brickhouse teaches. She has learned a tremendous amount this year because of Ms. Brickhouse's diligence, enthusiasm, and nurturing attitude."

-  a Greenbriar East ES parent 

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Lauren Forshay, Davis Career Center

"Thank you, Lauren, for being the true definition of a wonderful coworker. Words cannot express how much your contribution positively impacts DCC every day.  Your willingness to ensure that culinary needs are being meet while being an active participant in CLTs and providing hands on experience in both the classroom and culinary just demonstrates how much dedication you have. I thoroughly enjoy working with you! And thank you for the wedding welcome cookies, which everyone is still talking about to this day."

- Brianna Graves, Davis Career Center 

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Matthew Goldman, Benjamin Cross, Andrew Smith, Jose Gomez, Gatehouse Admin Center

"The first ever Woodson Career Day took place on Thursday and we couldn’t have done it without the help from our guest speakers. With over 50 speakers in attendance from different career paths, Matt, Ben, Andrew and Jose represented FCPS and Trade opportunities. They already do so much behind the scenes that go unnoticed by most on a daily basis, and the fact that they took time out of their busy day and were open and willing to speak to our student body makes us here at Woodson appreciate them even more. There is not just one path in life to take in order to succeed, and these gentlemen are true characters of that. Thank you for supporting Woodson in every aspect, we appreciate you so much!" 

- Alexa Pugnetti, Woodson HS 

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Imane Abdelmoumen, Stonecroft Transportation Center 

"Imane is one of the most dedicated co-workers and supervisors that I have had the pleasure of interacting with. She brings heart to Team 35 and cares deeply about each of her employees. We had our team meeting today and even though she should have had the day off she was there for us! Each day she brings forth professionalism, a caring heart, and makes each day brighter."

- Sarah Watnee, Stonecroft Transportation Center 

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Katharine Padilla, Willow Oaks Admin Center

"Katy is a unique, driven, and highly knowledgeable in the various instructional strategies, coaching strategies, and developer of professional learning for various stakeholders. Over her time in the ESOL office, Katy has led several projects and initiatives that not only impact teachers and administrators but central office teams as well. Specifically, she has recognized a need for and brought strategies from Project GLAD which supports differentiation and scaffolding for our English Language Learners at the elementary level. The success of this initiative at a few schools has now led to a partnership with Titile I and interest from several schools to provide training and utilization of these strategies. Her leadership and guidance of the EL Instructional Coaching team had provided connections between schools across levels, elementary, middle, and high. Coaches are now supporting individual teachers, grade level team, and content teams to provide strategies and planning support to help our English language learners make progress and to expand the capacity of our classroom and content teachers. She has also been part of team that is developing and creating stacks for microcredential opportunities for teachers to participate in so they can get credit for the successful instructional practices they are embedding in their classrooms. Her ability to focus on large scale and small scale projects, multitask with efficiency, and build lasting relationships with schools, school teams, and teachers is truly what makes her a strong asset to our ESOL office. We are so fortunate to have her lead the charge on supporting the success of our students."

- Kanchana Iyer, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Nina McKelvey, Fort Hunt ES 

"Nina McKelvey never asks for anything, except maybe my keys once and a while. She comes every day eager to help, and willing to be ever flexible. Her care for the children here at Fort Hunt is palpable and genuine. Nina is a quiet hero, she excels at her job and often takes on extra responsibility. Thank you Nina for all you do each and every day!"

- Sarah Lee, Fort Hunt ES 

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Chris Bird, South County HS 

"I would like to recognize the SCHS Assessment Coach, Chris Bird, for his collaboration, willingness to trust, and team work. Mr. Bird has the daunting task of supporting SCHS as our Assessment Coach. Being a singleton in a school can be isolating and HARD to find collaborators. However, when I approach Mr. Bird to collaborate with him on our end-of-year testing calendar, communication, and systems, Mr. Bird was open, willing, and understanding that the spirit of my request was solely to support SCHS systems and processes. I am not Mr. Bird's supervisor, I am not in charge of testing in our building, and therefore I was extremely appreciative for his willingness in allowing for our bridge to be built. In collaborating with Mr. Bird, he has been open to exploring different presentation styles and systems, asks great questions, and is open when he does not quite understand the idea of vision that I might have in my mind. Mr. Bird also patiently has consistently assumed positive intentions in knowing with any process, I usually need to ask (several) clarifying questions to ensure I adequately understand our objectives when evaluating or creating a process. The successful collaboration and team work that I have been able to build and have with Mr. Bird embodies Mr. Bird's professionalism as an educator, commitment to excellence, and overall flexibility as a teammate. During a collaborative session today, Mr. Bird had the "ah ha moment" that as an educator we all love. What is most powerful to me as a colleague, is when Mr. Bird explained it to me when it clicked, what was previously unclear, and confidently knew the next steps to take. We closed our meeting with plans to circle back. Mr. Bird understands I am an artist and the picture is never quite finished, but being the teammate that he is, Mr. Bird knows how to focus our objectives to continue our collaborative work together.  This school year, I am extremely grateful to Mr. Bird's willingness to build bridges outside of his department, positive assumptions, and collaboration to support the school we both care for."

- Claudia Jones, South County HS 

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Kathryn Reimer, Davis Career Center

"Coach K is one of our wonderful paraprofessionals here at DCC and today I had the opportunity to visit her and at the DoubleTree Hotel where she supports our DCC students during their daily community work experience. She was working with three students who were putting laundered hotel robes out for housekeeping on each floor, which was a new job for the students. The process of hanging the robes and presenting them for guests in the manner expected by the hotel has several steps and Coach K had provided a few tips and tricks for the students to utilize in order to remember what to do so that they could independently do the work. She had even come up with some other ways to scaffold the work to make it more accessible for the students who were having fine motor issues! I was so impressed with the creative supports and the levels of independence Coach K was providing to students! Thank you, Coach K, for being a part of our DCC community and making us a better place for our students to learn and grow."

- Chad Clayton, Davis Career Center

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Jennifer Crump-Strawderman, Moutain View HS 

"Jenn coordinated an immunization day at school with the Fairfax County Health Department. This enabled so many of our students to get the help they needed while at school. It is difficult for many of our students to schedule and find transportation to an appointment and having the Health Department come to MVHS was a big hit! Jenn managed to meet with individual students and explain the immunization clinic was coming to our library, she escorted students to  library for their appointments and also helped with their health records. This was a huge accomplishment, she really did go above and beyond!"

- Tina Perz, Mountain View HS 

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Jamie Mucciolo, Kings Park ES 

"Ms. Mucciolo has been an amazing light in my daughter's life this year. Teaching is clearly her passion and her hard work in the classroom shows every day. She's had a really positive impact on my daughter and we are grateful for her presence in the classroom every day."

- a Kings Park ES parent 

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Celine Sinclair-Peebles, Transition Support Resource Center Alexandria

"Mrs. Peebles helps me find jobs. She also sent me locations to where I can receive food and help for my kids and I. I appreciate the help she has given me!"

- a Transition Support Resource Center Alexandria student

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Monica Kambatty, Transition Support Resource Center South Lakes HS 

"YOU ARE A SENIOR, AND YOU WILL GRADUATE ON TIME!” says Monica Kambatty. Ms. Kambatty develops meaningful connections with families that are above reproach. During parent conferences, I continually observe one consistent theme; families express gratitude with heart-felt emotions because of her unwavering support and constant communication. Ms. Kambatty is committed to seniors that face challenges getting back to school. Due to her steadfast dedication, I have witnessed seniors improving attendance, grades, and work habits. Congratulations to all of Ms. Kambatty’s present and future graduating seniors! You are an inspiration to us all, Ms. Kambatty!"

- Stacy Mitchell, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Mehreen Naghmi, South County HS 

"Ms. Naghmi, a SCHS graduate, and counselor at SCHS school is a teammate who's commitment to her team ensures all parties will be supported and will be better professionals. Ms. Naghmi naturally supports, collaborates, and embraces our community, staff, students, and family alike. Ms. Naghmi's authencity is noticed, embraced, and is the formula that has resulted in the strong relationships she has within the SCHS family. This past Monday, Ms. Naghmi naturally supported another administrator with her calming presence when one of her student's had had a thinking error. Ms. Naghmi made sure to fill me in on the events and supported the transition to when I was available to speak to our friend. True to Ms. Naghmi's "we are a team approach," she was naturally present to support our messaging with the family too.  With my end of the day reflection on the work day, it was not missed by me the gratitude I have to have Ms. Naghmi as a colleague, teammate, and supporter for students."

- Claudia Pirouzan-Jones, South County HS 

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Tim Roberson, Woodson IT

"Tim helped us get our news room up and running. He was integral to the entire process, from ordering the supplies, setting up the equipment, and even training our students. We could not have gotten a news show going without Tim!"

- Logan Russo, Herndon MS

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Kristine Baden and Rajitha Jadala, Wilton Woods Center

"Special shout out to Kristine Baden and Rajitha Jadala: Database Engineers, Data Services at Wilton Woods Center, who collaborated with the Department of Special Services (DSS) in publishing the FCPS Discipline Incident Workbook in EDSL. Kristine and Rajitha’s work will help principals and MTSS teams better understand trends in school-level discipline and address discipline issues and observed patterns to reduce disproportionality in discipline incidents across the division. During the development process, Kristine and Rajitha provided access to the EDSL testing environment for the DSS support team to assess the overall functionality and security of the Discipline Incident Workbook, which included uploading revised versions of the workbook to the EDSL testing environment in a timely manner. Kristine and Rajitha even found time while they were attending a professional development session to publish the final workbook to EDSL, meeting a March 31st deadline. On behalf of the Department of Special Services, thank you, Kristine and Rajitha, for supporting our students and school staff."

- Andrew Guillen, Gatehouse Admin Center

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Gina Byron, Daniels Run ES 

"Gina is absolutely incredible in so many capacities, but I'd primarily like to recognize her for the work she does in providing substitute coverage across the building. Every morning, Gina pieces together a complex network of classrooms with sick teachers, professional development, IEP meeting coverage, and students with individual needs that require adult support. By 9:15, we have a list of all the absences in the building and how they're being covered. In doing so, she makes sure that all special education hours are covered, which is an incredible undertaking and helps special education teachers rest easy knowing that their students will be supported if they wake up with a fever. Additionally, when a teacher is out without emergency plans, she makes sure that the person covering has plans. How does she do this? She makes them herself (!) and keeps a copy in the front office to be ready at a moment's notice. This is truly above and beyond the responsibilities of her position, but she does it because she wants to make sure the students receive what they need. Gina is truly a gift to Daniels Run and the amount of work she does to keep the building running smoothly every day is incredible, but because she runs the classroom coverage so well, it often gets overlooked and she deserves recognition for her work."

- Meredith Hulley, Daniels Run ES 

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Kelly Cosgrove, Chris Powell, and Sybil Terry, Carson MS

"We are so fortunate to have a team of amazing assistant principals here at Carson! They are always working tirelessly behind the scenes to support students, staff, and families. We are grateful for all they do! Happy National Assistant Principals Week!"

- Christy Ryder and Student Services, Carson MS 

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Rattanasiri Wanamitar, Lorton Transportation Center

"Ms. Wanamitar supports students with very complex behavioral needs and always finds time to make sure her drivers and attendants are aware of the ever changing needs of the students on their buses. She is diligent in researching issues and keeping all involved apprised of her findings. Great job Kym!"

- Carole Phelps, Lorton Transportation Center

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Candace Davis, Lorton Transportation Center

"Ms. Davis supports one of our largest teams in transportation. Her programs are county-wide and she hast vast knowledge of the county as well as the special needs of the students she transports, in spite of having 2 vacant supervisor positions in her team. Whenever asked to do something extra in support of transportation, she says yes, happily, Thanks Candy!"

- Carole Phelps, Lorton Transportation Center

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Denise Downing, Lorton Transportation Center

"Ms. Downing is truly an asset to OTS, in lending her multi-tasking and training talents to our department.  She took on the responsibilities for a vacant supervisor position, as well as her own; in spite of having two vacant supervisor positions in her own team. She works diligently with her school administrators to provide multi-cultural training for her drivers and attendants. Great Job Denise!"

- Carole Phelps, Lorton Transportation Center

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Kerrissa Watson, Lorton Transportation Center

"Ms. Watson has taken on several committee tasks and duties unrelated to her responsibilities in her own assigned team. She always says yes when we ask for help and comes through in Spades. Great Job Kerrissa!"

- Carole Phelps, Lorton Transportation Center

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Kim Green, Lorton Transportation Center

"Kim is very supportive to the needs of our office and has taken on the duties of a vacant supervisor for a team as well as her own. We couldn't get our jobs done if not for supervisors like Kim. Thanks Kim!"

- Carole Phelps, Lorton Transportation Center

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Van Vu, Lorton Transportation Center

"I want to let you know about last night. I got a call from school security around 6:45 looking for their girls soccer bus at Woodson. I could not get 783 on the radio; she was scheduled to do a shuttle. I called Van and although he was out for his walk, he ran home to get his paperwork. He was able to get the driver on the phone. She had not realized the 2nd leg of the trip and was at Robinson. Van stayed in contact with her and me as the circumstances were rapidly changing. Great job and thanks Van!!"

- Carole Phelps, Lorton Transportation Center

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Justyne Fischer, South County HS 

"Art teacher Justyne Fischer is an asset to the South County community. In her Studio Art classes, Justyne fosters a warm & welcoming environment for her students where their creativity can thrive. This year, Justyne has also been working with some of her students to design and paint beautiful murals throughout the school to represent our core values and scholarly studies. These murals bring vibrancy to our halls and help show our entire community who we are as a school. We are so grateful to Justyne for leading this effort and being such a special teacher & mentor to our students."

- Lisa Beskenis, South County HS 

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Julia Krafchick, Kent Gardens ES 

"Julia Krafchick is the most dedicated teacher I have met in the FCPS organization since my children started school in 2008. Julia not only provides love and care and instruction but she sees the issues and addresses them immediately with gentleness, a smile, and a lot of tact and guidance. She has elevated our experience and that of our student 1000% compared to the school my child was attending before. Julia has used her personal experience and insight to help us identify and manage my child's disorder which was until then just brushed aside by other teachers. She has literally saved my child from going undiagnosed and we are so grateful and blessed to have her as our child's teacher. I wish she can be our room teacher for the rest of school until high school. I hope teacher Krafchick can be recognized for her superior commitment to her students and their future. Thank you."

- a Kent Gardents ES parent 

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Mary Ann Gatton, Cherry Run ES 

"Mary Ann Gatton is the reading specialist at Cherry Run Elementary School and is undeniably an advocate for students as readers, as well as an outstanding faculty team member with teachers and other staff in the MTSS process. Ms. Gatton is an invaluable resource in grade-level and whole-school processes of using MTSS data and responsive instruction to identify student strengths and weaknesses, plan and monitor interventions, and to support instruction. But beyond this clearly needed skill set, Ms. Gatton is a wonderful advocate for student need. She routinely teams with other educators to review student progress and need, not only just for reading skills but for the whole-child approach. She is checking almost every box to build our students up following Portrait of a Graduate characteristics. She wants students to not only be able to read, but feel comfortable and strong and proud in doing so. She wants to understand why someone may have trouble and navigate those hurdles to overcome them. She is often found in classrooms, helping teachers and student groups, beyond her direct instruction with students. Ms. Gatton, your fellow educators here at Cherry Run so greatly value you, see your efforts, and appreciate all you do!"

- Kathryn Stevens, Cherry Run ES 

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Cheryl Baker, Powell ES 

"Cheryl did an excellent job organizing the student instrumentalists for the All County Chorus Festival. She communicated clearly with the teachers involved and ensured the students were well rehearsed for the performance."

- Pamela Wilson, Cherry Run ES 

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Beth Atkins, Hunters Woods ES 

"Beth did an excellent job planning and managing the seating and performer flow for the All County Chorus Festival. She worked with her team to manage the Row Captains (teachers who supervised the students) and make sure the performance went smoothly."

- Pamela Wilson, Cherry Run ES 

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Linda Chaffee-Gould, Thoreau MS 

"Linda Chaffee-Gould is a giving person who supported both her colleagues and her students. When I was her department colleague and new at the school, she reached out to me and provided sample lesson plans. She made sure I had everything I needed, each week, to be a successful instructor. I also saw her provide the same level of care for her students, she knew each student’s individual needs and tried to create a classroom environment that offered something helpful for each pupil. Linda is the best of the best!"

- Aaron Kohrs, Thoreau MS 

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Benjamin Whelan-Morin, Riverside ES 

"Ben was an excellent co-chair for the 6th Grade All County Chorus Festival. He kept a positive attitude even when problems arose which helped both him and those around him to really enjoy the festival experience. His detailed planning and clear communication helped those participating to relax and be present for their students."

- Pamela Wilson, Cherry Run ES 

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Laura Dinkov, Coates ES 

"Laura was an excellent co-chair for the 6th Grade All County Chorus Festival. She kept a positive attitude even when problems arose which helped both her and those around her to really enjoy the festival experience. Her detailed planning and clear communication helped those participating to relax and be present for their students."

- Pamela Wilson, Cherry Run ES 

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Maria Vadala, Fairfax Villa ES 

"In 2019 when my daughter was having a hard time in studies due to problems in our family, when Ms. Vadala found out she stepped forward to give support to her, help her in studies and provided her emotional support. She is still in contact with my daughter and helping her. Ms. Vadala is kind, affable, knowledgeable and of course helpful. Thank you to Ms. Vadala for going above and beyond for my daughter and being such a caring and important part of our community."

- a Fairfax Villa ES parent 

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Charles Grausz, Oakton HS 

"I wish to recognize Mr. Charles Grausz, guidance counselor at Oakton HS, for his continuing help with my daughter who suffers from panic disorder. On this day and in the past as well, he availed himself to comfort her while she was experiencing a panic attack while in school. Knowing that there is an individual at the school whom my daughter may go to when this happens to her is invaluable to her and to me as her mother. Thank you Mr. Grausz for going above and beyond for my girl!"

- anonymous

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Anna McEntee, Fairview ES 

"I honestly can't imagine a day in Anna's shoes. I know she has a large caseload of kiddos with diverse needs, but she still somehow manages to give each of them the important attention and time that they need. My daughter is always talking about how wonderful Mrs. McEntee is. Whenever she tells me about a stressful moment at school, Mrs. McEntee is always mentioned as someone that listened to her or helped her. Anna has truly created a safe and supportive community for my daughter to thrive in. As a parent, I feel so comfortable sharing concerns and questions with Anna. She is incredibly knowledgeable, professional, kind, patient... the list goes on."

- a Fairview ES parent 

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Maison Chaffin, Eagle View ES 

"My student came to Ms. Chaffin early in this school year after a difficult situation and with many challenges. She's worked very hard with him and has kept in constant communication with us to find ways to best serve his needs. Our student has shown vast improvement both emotionally and intellectually under her guidance. She is an absolute credit to her profession and your school district."

- an Eagle View ES parent 

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