FCPS CARES - July/August 2022

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

Sara Shaw, Graham Road Community Center 

"Dr. Shaw (Sara) is an absolute miracle-worker! She has been working with my twice exceptional little girl for just over a year now. Throughout our time together, she has been incredibly responsive and supportive. Our family truly values her expertise. Today, though, was a truly exceptional day. Our daughter recently had a pretty traumatic ear surgery and has been anxious about beginning to wear her surgery-side hearing aid again (even bath time earplugs have been scary!). I casually mentioned to Sara that she might encourage our daughter to try since she was here today, and it's an appropriate point in the healing process. I was expecting to hear that maybe she'd tried for a bit, or maybe been too worried and we'd try another day...but I walked back to my computer to find an update that not only had our new battery doors been installed, but my daughter had also put both hearing aids in without question! Sara's calm, reassuring demeanor and the relationship she's built with my daughter are unquestionably the reason for this huge success. We are SO grateful for Dr. Shaw and truly appreciate her partnership, wisdom, and exceptional care for our little girl!"

- a FCPS parent 

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Region 1

Maggie Endler, Hughes MS - View the celebration!

"My daughter had some foot injuries that made getting around the first week of school challenging. After notifying her PE teacher Ms. Endler, she discreetly took her aside and helped her come up with a way to modify the class and also offered her extra time to get to the next class. She also made sure to not embarrass her in front of the other students. My daughter felt cared for and that individuals matter to teachers in her school!"

- a Hughes MS parent 

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Region 2

Mary Bermingham, Falls Church HS - View the Celebration!

"Mary Bermingham is truly what FCPS Cares embodies. As the Special Ed Department Chair at Falls Church HS, she noticed a new freshman student on the roster that was receiving homebound services. She reached out to the mom and was told that the student had been placed in at-home hospice. Mary created a caring culture by suggesting a home visit for the student and collaborated her idea with her administrators and reached back out to the mom for permission. On Wednesday, August 30, Mary, and some of the Falls Church administration team went to the incoming freshman’s house and welcomed her to the Jaguar family. Mary brought Falls Church swag (lanyard, t-shirt, etc.) and they officially welcomed the student and her mom to the Falls Church HS Jaguar community. The mother was moved to tears by this generous outpouring of empathy and concern for her child. Mary truly went above and beyond as an educator and leader at Falls Church for this student and her family during this difficult time in their lives."

- Tricia Wayland, Key MS

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Region 3

Dana Hannum-Rivera, Whitman MS - View the Celebration!

"Ms. Hannum-Rivera went above and beyond by creating, printing out, and laminating materials (token boards, work folders, then visual, and daily picture schedule for both even and odd days) that a student with disabilities can use in all of his classes in order to help him focus and complete his work. She also supplied a couple of the teachers work and break visual timers. I observed the teachers implementing these tools today and the student appears to be more comfortable and focused in his classes. Thank you, Dana, you are truly a gem and we all appreciate you so much!"

- Leah Lemon, Whitman MS  

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Region 4

Lindsay Fedok, Fairview ES - View the Celebration!

"Ms. Fedok is the IA in my son's kindergarten class. She has shown care and compassion for my son and my family since we met her. Not only has Ms. Fedok ensured that my son's transition to kindergarten was awesome, but also she has helped me feel comfortable with this transition as well. One example of this is on Monday; my son dropped his lunch, spilling the contents everywhere. He was very upset, but Ms. Fedok swooped in to save the day, going to the food service line, letting my son pick something, and purchasing it herself. The loss of his lunch could have totally derailed my son's day (and possibly longer); however, Ms. Fedok turned a negative experience into one where my son came home excited to tell me what happened at lunch and how Ms. Fedok had made him feel extra special. Not only does Ms. Fedok save the day with lunches, she reads my son his lunch time notes and is incredibly responsive when I contact her. I am incredibly grateful that my son has such an awesome support system at Fairview Elementary!"

- a Fairview ES parent 

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Region 5

Hailey Colman, Lees Corner ES (Pictured) - View the Celebration!

"Ms. Colman is such a gift. She has gone above and beyond helping my daughter who struggles with Tourette's Syndrome, ADHD and anxiety. From finding a book about Tourette’s to help my daughter see herself through the book, providing her fidget tools to help her not pull her eyelashes out, to overall going above and beyond in communication. She has provided my daughter with as much support as possible. On the first day of school, she sent each parent a personalized email about their child’s first day. She is a teacher that others are able to look to as a model. She clearly loves what she does, and she should be recognized. I cannot sing her praises enough."

- a Lees Corner ES parent 

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Other FCPS Cares of the Month Recipients

John Greenwood, Emily Knupp, and the Physical and Special Education staff, Frost MS 

"I went to Frost MS to help with the 7th. grade distribution of laptops. The 7th. grade PE teachers, Special ED IA’S, John (TSSPC) and Emily (SBTS), are great with all the students and this process went very smoothly because of the great staff that helped the students."

- a Frost MS parent 

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Susan Nako, Joseph Sheehan, Alyssa Serrano, and Kristen Rumph, Twain MS 

"The Special Education Department has been gracious and accommodating for our family’s needs. They have made every effort to ensure things were done properly and as timely as possible. My son’s transition to middle has been a great success! We are so excited about his new support team."

- a Twain MS parent 

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Celine Sinclair-Peebles, Transition Support Resource Center Alexandria

"Mrs. Peebles has been a huge help to me over the past two years. She helped me get a very well-paying job, helping me with my resume, through the job search process, and helped me sign up for Nova and it all ended with me having a very well-paying job, I couldn’t have done it without her. She helped me understand the importance of creating business relationships as well as building relationships while I was at school. She deserves all the credit I could possibly muster up and i am so grateful for her and her help."

- a former FCPS student 

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Candace Davis, Lorton Transportation Center

"My 4yo just started attending preschool at Fairfax Villa ES. When his bus was running 45 minutes late in the afternoon, a super nervous parent (ME!) emailed her in a panic looking for additional information. Candace was so kind to answer my multitude of questions. I can imagine with the recent bus driver shortage, she is extremely busy and I really appreciate her taking the time to help me."

- a Fairfax Villa ES parent 

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Jennifer Piechoski, West Potomac HS 

"Ms. Piechoski is a true student ally who really cares about her students. She helps them create schedules and meet graduation requirements while taking into account their passions, their abilities, their mental health and many other factors. She helps them find the tools they need to succeed and mentors them. I really appreciate her warmth, her sense of humor, her welcoming attitude. I am so thankful she is at West Potomac."

- a West Potomac HS parent 

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Jessica Galuten, Johnson MS 

"We want to thank Jessica for inviting us to her US History collaborative team meeting to speak about C3 Inquiries. Her leadership and support for instructional practices that support Portrait of Graduate skills, cultural responsiveness and inquiry learning is helping FCPS Social Studies actualize our instructional goals.  We look forward to partnering with Jessica and her team in this important work!"

- Anthony Hanrahan, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Morrise Queirolo, Liberty MS 

"We want to thank Morrise for inviting us to his Civics & Economics collaborative team meeting to speak about C3 Inquiries. His leadership and support for instructional practices that support Portrait of Graduate skills, cultural responsiveness and inquiry learning is helping FCPS Social Studies actualize our instructional goals.  We look forward to partnering with Morrise and his team in this important work!"

- Anthony Hanrahan, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Stevaughn Jones, Kimberly Yeo, Lisa McGarry, Luwanne Mebane, Richard Berkowitz, Irvin Hay, Twain MS

"Thank you HPE department for giving up multiple days of your classes to support laptop distribution. We would not have been able to do it without your quick password resets, words of wisdom and general support getting our students on their laptops successfully. Thank you for your continued support, you always come through for us!"

- Christine Arocho, Twain MS 

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Tammie Anderson and Kimberly Yeo, Twain MS 

"Thank you to Tammie and Kimberly for their supporting the digital consent process. Our students will be able to access technology safely and sooner because you stepped up and assisted us. We really appreciate you using your prep time to assist us!"

- Christine Arocho, Twain MS 

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Beverly Whited, Eagle View ES 

"Ms. Whited was in the cafeteria and was alerted to a student choking in the cafeteria. She had a class of her own to attend to but jumped into action to assist the student. He was afraid, holding his neck. She immediately calmed him down and assisted him to the clinic when he was able to move. She supported him both physically and emotionally through the process. She clearly cared about the child's physical safety and emotional well-being and helped him to transition to independence."

- Ellyn Bowman, Eagle View ES 

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Stephanie Seadeek, Fort Hunt ES 

"Stephanie is constantly echoing our sentiments and new school mantra of Fort Hunt Foxes being kind, caring, positive, and honest. She came in during her summer break to revamp bulletin boards to display the welcoming messages. She wants all students to be successful and continuously strives to share our school message, praises students for displaying the Fort Hunt Fox traits and genuinely wants this school to be a welcoming and positive community."

- Katie Pluntke, Fort Hunt ES 

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John Ford, Steve Passino, David Carpenter, Luis Chicas, Kevin Gough and Craig Carney, Edison Support Center

"We were hanging banners/flags in our cafeteria when issues happened at our school. The Satellite Team stepped in with no hesitation to finish the job for us the next day and helped make us ready for our Open House.  We are very grateful to: John Ford, Steve Passino, David Carpenter, Luis Chicas, Kevin Gough and Craig Carney. It's nice to know that we can reach out to this team in a time of need!"

- Debbie Trenchard, Fort Hunt ES 

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Ana Arias, Fort Hunt ES 

"Ana is an excellent FOX and shows all of our qualities. She’s always KIND to everyone, both staff and kids. Ana is the most CARING. She’s quick to respond to any needs we have and takes superior care of the lunchroom. It usually sparkles daily! She’s super POSITIVE. Her terrific attitude is contagious. She makes me smile with her joyful, funny greetings. HONESTLY, I don’t know what we would do without her here at Fort Hunt. She’s amazing!!" 

- Stephanie Seadeek, Fort Hunt ES 

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Ronica Crevecoeur, Island Creek ES 

“Passion is what makes life interesting, what ignites our soul, fuels our love and carries our friendships, stimulates our intellect, and pushes our limits... A passion for life is contagious and uplifting.” -Pat Tillman

"Ms. Ronica Crevecoeur’s passion for teaching is inspiring. Over the last year, Ms. Ronica embraced my son in the preschool setting and set him up for success as he transitioned to Kindergarten this fall. In his early preschool days, my son struggled to acclimate to an overwhelming environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Seeing him for the unique, gifted, wonderful young boy he was, Ms. Ronica focused on his strengths rather than his challenges. She brought out the best in him. He came home happy, regulated, and perhaps most importantly, feeling understood. I was reluctant during the transition to Kindergarten, but Ms. Ronica was not. She ensured that my son’s new team had all the tools necessary to secure a successful transition. And it worked. Last week, my son completed his first week of Kindergarten, and guess what? He came home happy, regulated, and, thanks to Ms. Ronica, feeling understood. I will never forget the sheer joy and love Ms. Ronica displays for all her students. This passion…it is contagious and uplifting."

- an Island Creek ES parent 

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Kathleen Herron, Riverside ES 

"I really appreciate the interest that Kathleen has taken in one of my students success. She has helped with implementing a reward system that has motivated the student in the classroom. Thank you Kathleen for all that you do!"

- Lorri Hallenbeck, Riverside ES 

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Kimberly Cox, Lake Braddock SS 

"The week before students returned, I became sick and was required to stay home. Kim is my back-up as the Principal's AA, plus helps to support the Main Office. When two other Main Office employees also were out, Kim stepped up. And she stepped up big in a herculean way. She managed her own work supporting two administrators and was able to stay on top of faculty meetings and lunches, faculty photos, planning for the press to join us for the first day of school, and so much more. And she did it all with a smile. She is an amazing AA and I am so lucky to work with her. Thank you, Kim!"

- Julie Moore, Lake Braddock SS 

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Susan Ellis, Sprague Technology Center

"Susie Ellis has been very helpful to me the last few times that I have called the service desk! She is very knowledgeable and is even willing to take the time to show her colleague how to make an account in Active Directory when my issue didn't even pertain to why I called. She is always so nice and pleasant. She's the best!"

- Sherri Miller, Sprague Technology Center 

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Kylie Eldredge, Westfield HS 

"Mrs. Kylie Eldredge has worked so hard to help correct my son's schedule. She has been communicating with my son and shown nothing but patience with each worried email. My son has come home with nothing but positive words for her. She takes the time to listen to him talk about his interests and goals. I never feel rushed and my son feels heard. Thank you for all of your time and energy Mrs. Eldredge."

- a Westfield HS parent 

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Brooke Allan, Terra Centre ES 

"Ms. Allan has gone above and beyond during the first week of school to support my son in her kindergarten class. Not only has she sent encouraging emails to the whole class most evenings the first week but she has been quick to answer my emails. She even reached out during her lunch time with updates and reassurance when we were problem solving a noise accommodation for my son, who is autistic. Ms. Allan has been so supportive and flexible in collaborating to accommodate his needs and help ensure he is comfortable and not worried while at school. Most importantly, she appreciates him as an individual and values him as a part of her class. As a parent, her kindness and support has brought me so much relief and peace as I know he is in good hands while at school. I feel so lucky Ms. Allan is my son's kindergarten teacher so he starts his school career in a class that lifts up all students and is built on a foundation of kindness. I can only hope that all his teachers throughout his school career are as wonderful as Ms. Allan!"

- a Terra Centre ES parent 

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MacLean Wilson, Sprague Technology Center 

"MacLean was professional, friendly, prompt, AND helpful. He saved my day by patiently troubleshooting what turned out to be a simple user error."

- Kate Calma, Sandburg MS 

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Arman Nikmorad and Philippe Cloutier, Sprague Technology Center

"Arman and Philippe handled the technical aspect of the Superintendent's Community Conversation that was held at our school. In addition to the in-person tech needs for cameras, microphones etc., we had a virtual component to our meeting. The setup and running of the evening was very detailed. They handled the in-room and on-line aspects of the event easily and smoothly. Sitting near their control center, you could see how much coordination it took to keep it all running smoothly, but they made it look easy. Because of their efforts, our school admin and staff were able to fully engage in the event, we are so grateful for their assistance!"

- Beth Curtis, Key Center

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Desmond Dawkins, Sandburg MS 

"The assistant principal was monitoring while taking a few steps, with a silent speakerphone hanging on his back in a crossbody way. The AP noticed a student quietly struggling to open his locker while hundreds of students, all much bigger in size, were passing to catch up with their friends or classes. He stood by the student, took his speakerphone down, lowered to his level and coached him to easily open his locker."

- Bassima El-Masri, Sandburg MS

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Carolina Middleton, Sandburg MS 

"Ms. Middleton has shown a wonderful attitude putting together so many pieces for a peaceful and happy World Language Department."

- Eugenia Williams, Sandburg MS 

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Carrington Beasley, Sandburg MS 

"After coming into your classroom, sorting wires, buttons and electronic gadgets, testing power outlets and audio systems, there is need to write a jargon filled IT ticket, Ms. Beasley sends out the ticket before you even realize she wrote it. All with a smile and generous support."

- Bassima El-Masri, Sandburg MS 

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Sarika Mehta, Sandburg MS 

"Ms. Mehta helps you with her eyes, smile, mind and heart. Stepping out of her office, crossing the hallways or taking two flights of stairs if this is what it takes to make your school day go smoother."

- Bassima El-Masri, Sandburg MS 

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Peter Kelly and staff, Pulley Center

"I want to thank Mr. Kelly and all the staff at Pulley Career Center, for giving my son a great first week. Everyone at Pulley Career Center is great with all the kids and know their names. It’s great to see my son happy about school and his life."

- a Pulley Center parent 

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Sarina Moses and the Administrative Team, Sandburg MS 

"I wanted to give a shout out to the Admin Team here at Carl Sandburg. I see you in the hallways greeting students and managing behaviors. After witnessing Ms. Moses deal with a student earlier this week, I feel confident that you are doing everything in your power to ensure we have a great school year!"

- D. Kellie Healy, Sandburg MS 

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Jeff Keller, Sandburg MS 

"Mr. Keller has definitely gone "above and beyond" helping me get up-to-speed as a new 8th grade English co-teacher. I have really appreciated him staying late and using a lot of his planning time to ensure we have a successful school year!  You rock Mr. Keller!"

- D. Kellie Healy, Sandburg MS 

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Jennifer Nabywaniec, Fairview ES 

"Our third, and youngest child, started kindergarten this week. Her kindergarten teacher, Page Nabywaniec, created an incredibly caring and safe learning space for her young students. Each day our daughter comes home excited about what she experienced in class. Each day our daughter comes home ready to go back to school the next day. Thank you Page Nabywaniec for making the first week of kindergarten for our young children, specifically our little one, so inviting, safe and educational! Our daughter, and us, are thrilled to be members of the  Nabywaniec Neighborhood!"

- a Fairview ES parent 

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Anne Walker, Rolling Valley ES 

"Anne goes above and beyond to love and help her community, staff, students, and families every day. However, to start this school year she has been the ONLY staff member in the office for various reasons and somehow she has juggled her job and everyone else's without missing a beat. Her smile and positive energy hasn't faded, in fact she continues to go out of her way to encourage and support everyone. She's put in long hours to ensure everyone's needs are met and the start of the school year has begun seamlessly all thanks to the amazing Anne Walker."

- Merrie Hrabak, Rolling Valley ES 

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Scott Devine, Robinson SS 

"Scott Devine is a new member of our security team. He goes above and beyond to make sure our school is safe and secure. We appreciate his diligence in being visible around the school. He has quickly become an essential member of our school team!"

- Francesca Knight, Robinson SS 

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Jill Halter, Mountain View HS 

"Starting a new school can be tough. Missing your old colleagues and familiar relationships can make it anxious settling into a new environment. However, the team at Mountain View has been so supportive in helping me transition. I wanted to send a shout out to Mrs. Halter for being so helpful since I started. She has met every question I had with a smile. If she didn’t know the answer, she pointed me in the right direction and provided follow-up. She really shows FCPS cares!"

- LaToya Prescod, Mountain View HS 

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Anna Markel, Rolling Valley ES 

"Ms. Markel was the kindergarten teacher to my daughter. What can I say, she set such a high standard for us of what a teacher should do or provide. We will forever remember her and cherish the memories shared between, the class and my daugter. My daughter called me Ms.Markel at home, what more can I say. The whole summer she talked about her school days and what her teacher told her to do during summer. God bless you and we need more people like Ms.Markel."

- a Rolling Valley ES parent 

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Anne Walker, Rolling Valley ES 

"I would like to recognize Ann Walker, the administrative assistant at Rolling Valley ES. Due to circumstances, she has been working by herself in the office during the first week of school which has to be one of the busiest administrative weeks of the school year. Even while working by herself performing tasks of many administrative staff, she greets everyone with a smile and friendly attitude. Ann constantly goes over and beyond her job description on a daily basis and never complains. Ann is truly selfless and we are lucky to have her as part of the Rolling Valley family."

- Gary Simmons, Rolling Valley ES 

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Kristen Pappano, McNair ES 

"She is a perfect teacher who encourages children and support them in all means. She is a librarian at McNair elementary school. She is the one who taught my child to read well and communicate well in English as he is not a native English speaker."

- a McNair ES parent

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Christine Waters, Union Mill ES 

"Thank you, Mrs. Waters, for welcoming my son into your class for a bit today as a helper! He needed a break and loved working with your Kinders. It gave him a time to shine and feel successful!"

- an Union Mill ES parent 

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Pamela Simpkins, Silverbrook ES 

"The principal of Silverbrook Elementary, Dr. Simpkins, cares tremendously for her students. She addresses her student's needs. No matter how big or small. When children advocate for themselves then grownups should take their needs seriously. That is exactly what Dr. Simpkins did for my child. She not only listened, but took action to resolve the concerns of my child. That speaks volume and attests to the good character Dr. Simpkins displays. We are so lucky to have her at Silverbrook Elementary!"

- a Silverbrook ES parent 

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Debbie Lorenz, Willow Oaks Admin Center

"Immediately upon hearing that some of the Office of Special Education team members were going to be temporarily reassigned for the start of the year, Ms. Lorenzo offered to help make them goody/support bags. This act of kindness demonstrates Ms. Lorenzo's commitment to collaboration and relationships. While these team members are not directly on her team, they are a part of the DSS family and Ms. Lorenzo's first response was to think about how she could support them and the larger team during this transitional time. By the end of the next work day, the bags were in my office, ready to be shared. Thank you, Ms. Lorenzo, for the great idea, your support, and ongoing collaboration!!"

- Ellie Stack, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Patti Harling-Gray, Haycock ES 

"We are only three days into school, and Patti has made such an amazing impact on her students. She is kind, caring, and has high expectations for all of her students. The students, in turn, have risen to the occasion as they feel her kindness and love as she sets firm boundaries. Patti is a great asset to our school community."

- Veronique Lilienthal, Haycock ES 

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Jeff Goultrey and Will Jordan, Sideburn Support Center

"Mr. Goultrey and Mr. Jordan spearheaded the effort to renovate the main gym floor at Lewis HS this summer.  The two of them went above and beyond to ensure the process was as thorough and efficient as possible. We are very appreciative of the professional approach that we experienced, and the superior final product that we now have."

- James John, Lewis HS 

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Christopher Pinkerton, Thoreau MS 

"Mr. Christopher Pinkerton, an administrative assistant at Thoreau Middle School, is always ready to serve staff members by finding information for them or solving a technical issue. However, it is his shining personality that brings others real joy. Staff comment on his smile and kind nature. Many find moments of needed levity around him. Mr. Pinkerton may be based in the school office, but he truly brings up the mood of the whole school!"

- Aaron Kohrs, Thoreau MS 

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Liz Beaty, Haycock ES 

"Liz has done an extraordinary job of hiring a diverse, kind, caring staff. She made equity a priority and has proven her commitment to an inclusive community. Even visitors are noticing the positive school climate that Liz has created. The school community is better for her efforts and leadership."

- Marah Rockhol, Haycock ES 

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Julie Hackenberg, Thoreau MS 

"Mrs. Julie Hackenberg is one of the school district’s best science teachers because she cares enough about students to teach daily hands-on, engaging lessons from bell-to-bell. Each day, as her team teacher, I watched her prepare for classroom friendly science experiments that allowed students to access the curriculum in a tangible way, whether a chemical reaction in a plastic bag or visual vibrations of scientific tool. Mrs. Hackenberg’s strong classroom direction and management as well as knowledge of the subject matter made the lessons seamless and provided an audio instructor narrative throughout the lesson. Perhaps her most endearing feature as a teacher is her relentless love of teaching, she never took a day off in the classroom, she was always teaching her beloved subject and students!"

- Aaron Kohrs, Thoreau MS 

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Carolina Dotel, Dunn Loring Center

"Carolina was an absolute treasure over the summer! She went above and beyond to help staff and students.  She was lighting fast in her responses and always took care of anything and everything that needed to be done. She took care of so many things for us. On this particular day, there was a time-sensitive situation that she took care of right away, when we couldn't reach anyone in the office. She saved the day and we were so appreciative!"

- Athena Sotirchos, Herndon HS 

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Carrington Beasley, Sandburg MS 

"Carrington always goes above and beyond to help anyone and everyone who asks for her assistance. I had the joy and pleasure of working with her last year and her commitment to sharing her knowledge and supporting staff made a strong impression on me. I am at different school this year and when I found myself in a jam and needing an assist with setting up some SIS and Schoology accounts for my teachers, I reached out to Carrington with some questions and told her that I fully understood if she did not have the time to help. Carrington not only responded to my request, but she did so almost immediately. It was a tremendous help to me and also above and beyond her responsibilities. That is Carrington - and I am so grateful to have had the chance to work with her and to know that we have people like her in FCPS who truly care about ALL of our students and staff and are willing to lend their skills and talents to support them. Thank you Carrington!"

- Jenn Pallotto, Glasgow MS 

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Mergie Kakouris, Manuta ES 

"We are a State Department family coming from overseas, with little time to enroll kids in the school system like an ordinary family. Ms Kakouris understood our needs and help us with a lot of patience, kindness and flexibility. I am so grateful that her efficiency facilitated my son to start his first day of classes like anybody else."

- a Mantua ES parent

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Arlyncia Pina, Franconia ES 

"Mrs. Arlyncia Pina was my son's teacher last year. He was excited to go to school every day and did not want to miss a minute. Mrs. Pina makes everyone she speaks to feel special and important. My son was very sad when the school year ended. He did not want to leave the wonderful classroom community that Mrs. Pina created. Even after the school year ended, Mrs. Pina took time to follow up with me and asked how my son is doing in the new school year. We love Mrs. Pina. She is wonderful."

- a Franconia ES parent

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Shannon Jones and Carmen Galindo, Stonecroft Transportation Center 

"Shannon Jones and Carmen Galindo are incredibly professional, responsive, and knowledgeable. I truly appreciate their "in the moment" responses to my many questions as we begin this school year. Shannon and Carmen have worked extremely hard to collaborate and ensure that our school and students have what they need for a successful year. Shannon and Carmen, Thank you for all of your time and work! It is very much appreciated!"

- Eva-Beth Levy, Stone MS 

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Kristal Edwards, Morgan Miciak, and Elizzabeth Beil, Irving  MS 

"Mrs. Edwards, Mrs. Miciak, and Ms. Beil dedicated part of their summer working with the school leadership team to develop an advisory model that focuses on building relationships, community, and connecting student interests to Portrait of a Graduate goals. They led Staff Advisories on our Staff Kick Off Day and modeled advisory for their colleagues. Staff feedback was resoundingly positive and they have committed to continuing to work with teacher teams throughout the year to support the growth and development of this program. We are so grateful for their commitment to building a caring culture at Irving MS!"

- Emily Cincinnati, Irving MS 

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Beth Longo and the Custodial Team, Langley HS 

"We had the privilege of hosting our Literacy Leaders Kick Off at Langley High School this year. Beth took time to meet with us, select classrooms and ensure everything went smoothly for the day. She responded to our emails efficiently and answered our questions thoroughly. We felt so welcomed and supported working with Beth. The custodial staff was also incredible. They were supportive on the day and responsive. When we began to run out of room for our check in materials, they asked if we would like another table and brought us one without hesitation. They were warm, kind, and generous and helped the day run smoothly. Thank you Langley staff! You helped make our day of learning exceptional for our participants and for us."

- Jean Wyche, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Douglas Goulla, Lorton Station ES 

"I wanted to let FCPS and Lorton Station Bus Driver LS01 Douglas Goulla know that his dedication for the safety, wellbeing, happiness, and many many more things he has done as a bus driver are above and beyond what I have seen in the last couple of years. He is always making sure the children follow the rules and stay on the curb and in line to board the bus and informing other parents of the rules since some parents do not follow them as well and kids are just running around. Mr. Goulla is a dedicated, hardworking and very very appreciated by the community at Woods of Fairfax for setting the good example on school bus etiquette. Thank you Mr. Goulla!!!!"

- a Lorton Station ES parent 

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Michael Hale, Carson MS 

"Mike has gone above and beyond in making me feel welcome here at my new school, RCMS. He has already helped me tremendously with different technology needs. His kindness and sense of calm are invaluable."

- Christy Ryder, Carson MS 

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Dani Sayre, Lake Braddock SS 

"Mrs. Sayre is amazing and we are lucky to have her. She spent all summer working to reorganize our programs, accounts, and close the books for all of our school's local accounts. During teacher workdays, she lead concise and informational presentations with her new procedures for all staff to understand and utilize. These procedures will help to unify the way we do finances across the building and help expediate staff work in keeping up with their local accounts and spending. I'm sure these procedures and resources will be shared across the county as she is respected and appreciated by all of her colleagues outside of the building as well. Thank you Mrs. Sayre's for all the hard work and dedication you give to LBSS!"

- Michael Luley, Lake Braddock SS

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Brandon Gilbert, Lake Braddock SS 

"Mr. Gilbert did another amazing job this summer helping to prepare our marching band for our upcoming season. He provided leadership training to our student leadership team, coordinated rehearsals with our band staff, led marching, drill, and music rehearsals. He brought fresh and unique ideas to continue to develop our show concept. He continued to build meaningful relationships with all of our students and helped welcome our new students and make them feel comfortable. Thank you Mr. Gilbert, we couldn't do it without you!"

- Michael Luley, Lake Braddock SS

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Lindsey Kearns, Teri Hampton, Carlos Gonzalez, and Janice Pritchett, Lake Braddock SS 

"Our administration was terrific in supporting the coordination of student groups at the News 4 morning First Day Kick Off presentation. They took care of the students that arrived early to be sure they had a successful first day of school as well providing breakfast and other necessary supports to get them through their day! Thank you LBSS Admin team!"

- Michael Luley, Lake Braddock SS

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Tamara Gibson, Gatehouse Admin Center

"Tamara is a constant support to the Communication Disorders Program. She is a guide, a resource, and a coach for our 200+ team members. On 8/11/2022 she exceeded all of our expectations by adapting from a virtual training to an in person training. This was an unexpected shift and Tamara executed the pivot with expert grace. Additionally, she extended her time with our team to ensure that all questions were answered during this training. Thank you Tamara for all you do!!"

- Kathleen Egan, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Rae Perry, Fairfax HS 

"We would like to recommend Mrs. Perry for the Cares award because of her hard work and dedication as an Algebra instructor at Fairfax High School. Mrs. Perry goes above and beyond to help her students succeed by staying after school with them for extra help and working with them to meet their goals. Mrs. Perry helped our student prepare and pass the SOL exam for the first time in his educational career and we would like to thank her for her hard work and long hours that she put in after school to help her students. Thank you Mrs. Perry and we are grateful for your service at Fairfax High School. Continue to do the great job that you are doing."

- a Fairfax HS parent 

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Toshieba Ragland, Lake Braddock SS 

"As a high school counselor, Ms. Ragland cc'ed me on the positive and very welcoming emails that she sent to each of my students that she has in class. This is something that she has regularly done at the opening of school.  As a CTE teacher, I cannot think of nicer thing to do than send such a positive email to 9th grade parents. She informs the parents of the class, student expectations, and positive information regarding their child, in addition to introducing herself. How FANTASTIC!!!"

- Lynda Samek-Smith, Lake Braddock SS 

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Delia Montecinos, Whitman MS 

"Mr. Pollio, the director of ESOL services, had teachers complete a reflection during our ESOL in-service professional development training.  During this reflection, one thing we considered was our school’s English Language Learners (ELLs) student and family engagement model. We were asked to think about what we do well as a school, and where we can improve in engaging and connecting with our ELL families. I wanted to share that I noticed that I was smiling while writing my response because I was thinking of Ms. Montecinos. I actually wrote “we have a Ms. Montecinos at Whitman . . .”  I feel lucky that Ms. Montecinos has been our Community School Coordinator for the past 4 years. Ms. Montecinos is an integral part in helping us in empowering ELL families with the knowledge that they are valued and welcomed within the Whitman school community. She does a wonderful job informing our ELL families about school partnerships and the resources that are available to support them and their children. She also functions as a mentor and coordinates after school programs and activities to support our students and their families. Ms. Montecinos embodies our commitment to meeting our community where they are and empowering our families using her best discretion with her kind and generous spirit. We can trust that when a student comes to us with a question, whether they need food over a break, need to find affordable glasses, or need emotional support, we can also turn to Ms. Montecinos. She is not just a support for our ELL students and their families, she is also an incredible support for us teachers. Ms. Montecinos is such a kind, patient and helpful person, and I am so glad that she is part of our Whitman family."

- Ariane Thompson, Whitman MS 

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Carol Dalmet, Madison HS 

"Carol Dalmet is the kind of teacher who makes caring connections with students. She helped my daughter feel successful and confident in her learning. To quote my daughter, “Ms. Dalmet does whatever it takes to help you understand the content. I wish all teachers were like her.” Thank you, Ms. Dalmet! Have a wonderful new school year!"

- a Madison HS parent 

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Bryan Buser, Gatehouse Admin Center

"Bryan has been an incredible support for our school as we have worked to update our school website over the past few years. He provides ongoing support, responds quickly, and even creates little how-to videos when I ask a specific question. As we were updating our logo he didn't hesitate to jump in and collaborate with me to truly help it come to life. We are so grateful for his continued support of our school website and for always thinking of us when he is making updates. He knows we're always in for something new and he has done a great job ensuring that updates fit the needs of our school community. Thank you Bryan!"

- Kelley Dauberman, Woodburn ES 

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Tarik Kilgore, Riverside ES 

"Tarik always goes out of his way to help with computer issues and today was no exception. Thank you Tarik for taking the time to fix my computer even though you were doing so many other things. I appreciate you!"

- Lorri Hallenbeck, Riverside ES 

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Beth Clifton, Plum Center for Lifelong Learning

"Beth is a  member of the Adult ESOL office and has worked diligently to support English Instruction for adults. Most recently, Beth has answered the call to teach at Edison HS. With many schools facing the challenging of staffing shortages, Beth stepped in to support their needs and be there for students. The ESOL team and Edison HS are fortunate to have her on board!"

- Kanchana Iyer, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Karen Bolt, Gatehouse Admin Center

"Karen Bolt is a rock star and we are lucky to have her. She came to our school today and encountered a LOT of last minute changes of plans and ideas. She handled everything with patience and grace. AH-MAZING!!!  We are so grateful!"

- Emily Phelan, Chantilly HS 

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Mary Jane Pimentel, Edison HS 

"Mary Jane is a new member of the ESOL office and has worked diligently to support schools with their needs specifically supporting classroom and content teachers through her work as a division level coach. She has worked to develop connections with schools to include grade level and content teachers. Most recently, Mary Jane has answered the call to teach at Edison High School. With many schools facing the challenging of staffing shortages, Mary Jane stepped in to support their needs and be there for students. The ESOL team and Edison HS are fortunate to have her on board!"

- Kanchana Iyer, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Jessica McCarl, Willow Oaks Admin Center

"Jessica is a  member of the ESOL office and has worked diligently to support schools with their needs specifically supporting classroom and content teachers through her work as a division level coach. She has worked to develop connections with schools to include grade level and content teachers. Most recently, Jessica has answered the call to teach at Hybla Valley ES. With many schools facing the challenging of staffing shortages, Jessica stepped in to support their needs and be there for students. The ESOL team and Hybla Valley ES are fortunate to have her on board!"

- Kanchana Iyer, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Kathleen Patton, Willow Oaks Admin Center

"Katie is a  member of the ESOL office and has worked diligently to support schools with their needs specifically supporting classroom and content teachers through her work as a division level coach. She has worked to develop connections with schools to include grade level and content teachers. Most recently, Katie has answered the call to teach at Justice High School. With many schools facing the challenging of staffing shortages, Katie stepped in to support their needs and be there for students. The ESOL team and Justice HS are fortunate to have her on board!"

- Kanchana Iyer, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Derek Frazier, Lake Anne ES 

"Derek is a new member of the ESOL office and has worked diligently to support schools with their needs specifically for EL learners. He has worked to develop ELD lessons to support this work for our ESOL teachers. Most recently, Derek has answered the call to teach in a 5th grade classroom at Lake Anne ES. With many schools facing the challenging of staffing shortages, Derek stepped in to support their needs and be there for students. The ESOL team and Lake Anne ES are fortunate to have him on board!"

- Kanchana Iyer, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Adam Bowen, Sprague Technology Center

"Adam Bowen swept in to offer immediate support with a Zoom webinar for the WL in-service on 8/17/22. He emailed and met with our team on his first day back from time off.  He not only provided the standard support, he offered updated Zoom webinar options based on his active listening to hear about our WL goals. Because of Adam, 510 K-12 WL teachers gathered on Zoom to connect globally with guest speakers and the WL team was confident to use the Zoom webinar features. He can never leave FCPS or the IT team! He is a part of us always learning to do better and make learning come alive... on Zoom!"

- Christina Andros, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Joanne Jackson, Gatehouse Admin Center

"I ran into Joanne at the leadership kick off. I spoke to her about some concerns with vacancies and the possibility of needing long-term substitutes. She told me to send her an email when I got back to work to tell her what my needs were and she would send a list of substitutes who might be able to help out. Not only did Joanne reply immediately to my email, she sorted the lists by content and identified individuals who were available to work in my region.  And that’s not all. My work colleague had identified a woman who qualified to be a long-term substitute but was not in our system. I directed them to Joanne who walked them through the process, kept in communication with them throughout the process, and was really just amazing in helping us process the substitute. It is these types of experiences with colleagues that makes me love my job even after 25+ years."

- Karen Hertel, Bryant HS 

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Whitney Cochran, Westlawn ES 

"Due to a summer payroll mix up, I was left with insufficient funds to cover my mortgage payment. Several people in different offices tried to remedy the situation with no success. Hearing about my distress, Whitney offered to loan me money to be able to cover my mortgage cost. It's not often that you have a co-worker, that doesn't directly work with you, be willing to go above and beyond when they see someone in need. Whitney's generosity transcends this action; she also takes care of our courtyard ecosystem, and keeps all of our young animals safe. Her heart is so large, and Westlawn is lucky to have her."

- Robyn Roundtree, Westlawn ES 

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Christine Ritter, Kings Glen ES 

"Chris saw me working on my trainings in their school garden and stopped her car to say hello. Once she found out I was unable to connect to VPN from my home she, without hesitation, invited me to work on my trainings inside Kings Glen on 8/12/22 to avoid my 30 minute commute to Sandburg. When I got to Kings Glen the next day the office staffed greeted me as if they were expecting me and led me to a conference room where I was able to work in AC for the day. Thanks so much, Chris, for making my life that much easier and more comfortable!"

- Karen Moran, Sandburg MS 

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Megan Huftalen, Longfellow MS

"Megan partnered with the Social Studies team to co-facilitate a meaningful learning experience for MS educators during our K-12 Social Studies InService. The session encouraged educators to implement a balanced assessment approach to best meet our students' needs. Her time and expertise does not go unrecognized! FCPS is blessed to have such a committed and passionate educator who believe in meaningful assessment for all students and teachers across the county."

- Jessica Park, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Theresa Nolan, Stone MS 

"Theresa partnered with the Social Studies team to co-facilitate a meaningful learning experience for MS educators during our K-12 Social Studies InService. The session encouraged educators to implement a balanced assessment approach to best meet our students' needs. Her time and expertise does not go unrecognized! FCPS is blessed to have such a committed and passionate educator who believe in meaningful assessment for all students and teachers across the county."

- Jessica Park, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Jillian Rouse, Thoreau MS 

"Jillian partnered with the Social Studies team to co-facilitate a meaningful learning experience for MS educators during our K-12 Social Studies InService. The session encouraged educators to implement a balanced assessment approach to best meet our students' needs. Her time and expertise does not go unrecognized! FCPS is blessed to have such a committed and passionate educator who believe in meaningful assessment for all students and teachers across the county."

- Jessica Park, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Morrise Queirolo and Meg Dombro, Liberty MS 

"Morrise and Meg partnered with the Social Studies team to co-facilitate a meaningful learning experience for MS educators during our K-12 Social Studies InService. The session encouraged educators to implement inquiry based lessons. Their time and expertise does not go unrecognized! FCPS is blessed to have such committed and passionate educators who believe in deeper learning experiences for all students across the county."

- Jessica Park, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Lauryn Hahne and Lily Millhouse, Cooper MS 

"Lauryn and Lily partnered with the Social Studies team to co-facilitate a meaningful learning experience for MS educators during our K-12 Social Studies InService. The session encouraged educators to implement inquiry based lessons. Their time and expertise does not go unrecognized! FCPS is blessed to have such committed and passionate educators who believe in deeper learning experiences for all students across the county."

- Jessica Park, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Carrington Beasley, Sandburg MS 

"Thanks for all your help getting my students setup with WeVideo and Adobe Lightroom!"

- Robert Schmeelcke, Sandburg MS 

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Carrington Beasley, Sandburg MS 

"I'm brand new to Carl Sandburg MS and Ms. Beasley went "above & beyond" to help me locate a desk, monitor, and telephone and she helped me set up my smartboard and made setting up my Schoology courses so much easier!"

- D. Kellie Healy, Sandburg MS 

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Toshieba Ragland, Lake Braddock SS 

"Ms. Ragland is a Family & Consumer Science Teacher and the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) SEC Adviser at Lake Braddock Secondary School. My daughter graduated this June from Lake Braddock Secondary School and had Ms. Ragland as a teacher. She was also very active in FCCLA during her entire time at Lake Braddock Secondary School. Ms. Ragland has had an incredible influence on my daughter during her time at Lake Braddock Secondary School. As far as Ms. Ragland is concerned her students are her number one priority and she takes great pride in their accomplishments and successes. She instills that pride in her students and helps them to see that they can do anything they want in life. Ms. Ragland also instills good work habits in her students and encourages them to work hard and strive to meet their goals.  At the same time Ms. Ragland is warm and nurturing and provides a safe environment for her students wherever they are.  My daughter's interest and passion for Food Science has been fostered through her classes with Ms. Ragland and her involvement in FCCLA. This fall my daughter will be studying Food Science at the University of Minnesota and a large part of her reason to pursue a career in Food Science is because of Ms. Ragland and the Family & Consumer Science Department at Lake Braddock. Thank you Ms. Ragland for believing in your students and for helping them continue to follow their dreams and passions. Thank you Ms. Ragland for treating your students with respect and dignity and for being a shining example of what teachers in FCPS should be like."

- Ari Sachs, Lorton Station ES 

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Torey Diggs, Willow Oaks Admin Center

"Torey is always so helpful in analyzing support topics and issues. He is always willing to follow up as needed and shows a tremendous amount of empathy and understanding. Schoology support teams have been able to review and resolve numerous items in implementation and Torey has played a key part in making sure each one is carefully reviewed and the approach is well thought out!"

- Paul Downey, Sprague Technology Center

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Joan Swanson, Fairhill ES 

"Mrs. Swanson is a true gem and it will be a great disservice to the world when she retires as a teacher. I have truly never met anyone as dedicated to his or her job, in any field; her work ethic even motivates me to work harder in my vocation. She genuinely wants and works for the best for each of her students and takes her responsibility and commitment to her students to the next level. This is evidenced by the amount of time, care, and investment she places in each student from the first day they walk into the school building until the last day they make it down the aisle on 6th grade promotion day. Mrs. Swanson is incredibly talented, remarkably dedicated, and wise beyond her years. She is also an extraordinarily personal and empathetic individual who goes deep with her students and their families. She understands 6th graders in a way many parents probably don't, which is an incredible gift during a period of physical and emotional transitions, growth, instability, and confusion (parents included!). She effortlessly meets the role of "school mom", role model, and authority figure all in one and we've been so privileged to have a true partnership with her to guide our adolescent son in regards to friendships, work, character building, etc. We had never met Mrs. Swanson prior to the 2021-2022 school year. We started the school year with very few qualms, gratitude for returning to in-person school year, and a desire to quietly support the school and our children's teachers in the background. We generally aren't in town to attend the annual Back-to-School days, and like every other year, we assumed that our kids would meet their teachers and learn the routines on the first day of school. We were surprised when Mrs. Swanson called the day after the Back-to-School Bash to personally touch base with us and introduce herself since we weren't there. We thought that was really kind, but didn’t think we would hear from her until Parent Teacher conference time. Later in September, we heard from Mrs. Swanson again when our son refused to join the 6th grade choir. She detected our son's fear of embarrassment with performing and called because she knew how good it would be for him and how much he would ultimately benefit from joining. We've never asked Mrs. Swanson to correspond with us regularly, but we've always been impressed and touched by how she's taken the time to reach out, whether it was a short message on awesome things she's noticed about our son, how proud of him she was for completing an assignment, or how much she appreciates having him in her class. Most notably, she emailed us a nice note during her break time while her students were taking the SOL. She could have been doing anything else, but, rather, her first instinct and desire was to write us recent happenings and anecdotes about our son! In addition to her tenacity, Mrs. Swanson is just a lovely person and her energy is infectious. Most teachers understandably get tired or burned out by mid year or the end of the year. I have never seen her energy level drop once! It is well-known that Mrs. Swanson joined her previous class outdoors every Monday during the 2020-2021 virtual year. Though Mondays were technically asynchronous days, she attended every week the entire school year to spend time with her students. While this may sound outrageous for some, this doesn't surprise us in the slightest as Mrs. Swanson attends every school and outside event (i.e. birthday parties, class socials, concerts) to support and cheer her students on even when she's off the clock and managing a family of three children of her own! As a mother of three myself, it is unimaginable how Mrs. Swanson balances all of her responsibilities so gracefully and with such enthusiasm. We've also noticed that she invests both her personal time and money into her students. My son has quipped, "Everything Mrs. Swanson earns probably goes right back to her students!" I have found numerous books in our home library that Mrs. Swanson has gifted. When I asked my son where these books came from he replied, "Mrs. Swanson got them for all of us." Thanks to Mrs. Swanson we have witnessed personal change in our son including a huge boost in confidence, excitement for school, and increased motivation to do well. His transformation throughout the year has been incredible. While our son has always done well academically, he's had his fair share of conflicts and behavioral issues in the past. He had never been a fan of school and became jaded over the years. This year was different: he was sad to end 6th grade and made it clear that it was hands-down his favorite school year. I believe a large part of this change is because Mrs. Swanson recognized our son's strengths and weaknesses early on and nurtured them with great care and discernment throughout the year. Mrs. Swanson made him feel known, respected, and cared for, not just for his academic abilities which was his primary identity, but for his character. My son was expecting a math award at the end of the year. Mrs. Swanson awarded him with the NAESP American Citizenship Award instead. Our son was thrown off because he was never recognized for his character before. His last and most lasting impression of 6th grade is that Mrs. Swanson publicly demonstrated how much she believes in him. Mrs. Swanson's class mantra is "never settle for less than your best". She is faithful to that, doesn’t let anyone settle, and has consistently lived out “never settling for less than her best” the whole school year. Her students are so privileged to have had that modeled daily and I know that my son will take that with him forever."

- a Fairhill ES parent

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Patricia Ramirez Aguirre, Riverside ES 

"Ms. Patricia has been nothing but wonderful since joining the custodial staff here at Riverside. She displays nothing but hard work and dedication while performing her daily tasks during her shift. She simply goes above and beyond to get the job done each and every time with a smile. She is greatly appreciated."

- Tanesia Moore, Riverside ES 

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Diana Ree Reeder, Willow Oaks Admin Center

"Diana exemplifies how FCPS cares! She spent countless hours organizing and arranging the Great Beginnings cohorts for new special education teachers so that they would have a positive first experience in FCPS. This included booking rooms across the county, developing and editing content, contacting administrators to ensure correct cohort placement, training coaches, and collaborating and communicating with various offices across FCPS. Without the support of Diana our new special education teachers would not have had such a successful start to their careers in FCPS. Diana puts her heart into her work and is able to see the direct connection between her work and the desire to create a premier workforce in FCPS."

- Melissa Johnson, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Marcella Hutt & Zoe Wilkerson, Gatehouse Admin Center

"Thank you Marcie & Zoe for checking on me to see if I needed help with servicing employees with pay issues. The employees came in about the same time. I was the only technician that day and still new to the position. Both Marcie & Zoe knew that, and did not hesitate. They came right over to assist before I even had to ask. Very much appreciated."

- Sue Chatarsa, Gatehouse Admin Center

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Celine Sinclair-Peebles, Transition Support Resource Center Alexandria

"Ms.Peebles has helped me and tons of other students with resumes, jobs, college and careers, skill support training, job fairs, online classes etc. She was always there for anything I needed and student needs, she’d always respond immediately with calls/text/email, she did everything she could to help me out and I’m extremely grateful for everything she’s done for me."

- a Transition Support Resource Center student

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Jenna Zurita & Dominic Amato, Twain MS

"On very short notice the tech team asked for help with a large building wide project. Jenna and Dominic, knowing we were busy with beginning of the year preparations completed the project for us. This is not part of their job, they truly exemplified the "Team Twain" attitude. They were a wonderful help and our school will be better prepared for the start of the school year because of them."

- Christine Arocho, Twain MS 

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Constanza Gibson, South County HS 

"Connie recently joined the SCHS family/staff as the principal's administrative assistant. In the few short, FAST weeks that Connie has been supporting SCHS, we have received a plethora of compliments from our school community about Connie. Connie has a natural positive energy that is professional but inviting. She is a problem solver, team player, task master, and already has established herself as a trusted member of our school. It is always bittersweet when there is a transition with staffing. However, Connie has tackled her transition flawlessly. We are thrilled she selected our school and value her support."

- Claudia Jones, South County HS 

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Jennifer Brown, Willow Oaks Admin Center

"Jen is admirably serving as our Interim Coordinator for K-12 Social Studies ON TOP of her existing job as Elementary Social Studies Specialist. She is working LONG hours to complete the work necessary for both positions. I admire work ethic and willingness to take on this additional role for the good of students, her colleagues and Social Studies education. Thank you Jen!"

- Anthony Hanrahan, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Susan Jelinek, Gatehouse Admin Center

"Susan was very welcoming and helpful in getting some recently hired teachers processed through the fingerprints/background check process. This occurred during a time when everyone was doing last minute hiring. I was met with patience and manners and walked away feeling very good about the entire HR Dept. Well Done!"

- Richard Deivert, Langley HS 

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Jason Daniels, Sideburn Support Center

"Jason Daniels and his team truly saved the day and provided excellent customer service to Terra Centre Elementary. A section of our air conditioning had been out since June and required a specialized part. Jason and his team worked diligently to get the part and get it installed as quickly as possible for our Back-to-School events. He checked in with us along the way to keep us posted and informed on the progress. He and his team worked hard in the summer heat to make this happen for our school. We are so grateful!"

- Rebecca Gidoni, Terra Centre ES

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Arman Nikmorad, Sprague Technology Center

"I want to give a huge shout out to Arman Nikmorad with the FCPS IT Team. He went above and beyond to troubleshoot some technical issues I was having in preparation for Great Beginnings 2022 at Woodson High School. When he saw I was having difficulty, he took the initiative to come up with a possible solution, hunted down the proper cables and connectors, and suggested multiple alternate solutions when the first one didn’t work. In addition, he solicited help from his bosses Kevin McDonnell and Mark Hyer. At one point, their whole team was involved in finding solutions. I can’t thank them enough for their willingness to go out of their way to help."

- Marisol Perez Savelli, Forbes Place 

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Kevin McDonnell and Mark Hyer, Sprague Technology Center

"Kevin McDonnell and Mark Hyer are two amazing employees who are exactly what FCPS Cares is all about. Words that are NOT in Kevin and Mark’s vocabulary are can’t, won’t, no, might, and maybe. Instead, the words they use are yes, definitely, absolutely, not a problem, for sure, and certainly just to name a few. I had the distinct pleasure of working with both men on Tuesday and Wednesday for the Great Beginnings Summer Institute. Their upbeat, positive attitude is contagious, and their customer service exceeds expectations. They are solution-orientated and resourceful team players. They never ask their staff to do something they wouldn’t do themselves. They are caring, considerate, and reliable collaborators that are friendly, polite, and kind to everyone they interact with. Not everyone sees what goes on behind the planning of huge events because they go off seamlessly. The events take time, talent, adaptability, flexibility and so much more, and these two men, rise to the occasion time and again. Thank you, Kevin, and Mark for providing excellent customer service and for going above and beyond to make the new teacher's in-person orientation experience exceptional."

- Shelli Wayland, Gatehouse Admin Center

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Cindy Fitzgerald, Gatehouse Admin Center

"Cindy has been an answer to my prayers I navigated my maternity leave options. Cindy has shown extraordinary problem-solving skills, professionalism, patience, kindness, generosity, gentleness, and humor as she has taken the time and energy to teach myself and my husband our options in both my pregnancy and my maternity leave time off. In a process that has presented challenges, Cindy helped us really learn and understand different scenarios and ways to approach our situation that can best help us. She has assured us that she is always available to help us as well as help explain information to others involved in my case. She exemplifies an outstanding Human Resources professional in that she truly helps the employees with their resources in every way. Thank you, Cindy!"

- Julia McMullin, Kilmer Center

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Mark Hyer, Sprague Technology Center

"Mark Hyer went above and beyond to assist me with the setup and breakdown for the vendors at the 2022 Great Beginnings Summer Institute that took place at Woodson HS this week. We met very early Tuesday morning (August 9) and began the process of transforming Woodson HS into an in-person "one-stop-shop" for new teachers. Mark helped move tables, place chairs, lay tablecloths, hang signs, haul boxes, and so much more. On Wednesday, Mark checked in with vendors and me throughout the day to see if anyone needed anything and was sometimes even a step ahead of me. On Wednesday late afternoon, after the event concluded, Mark worked strategically with me so that clean-up would be efficient and go quick. He then assisted me with the entire breakdown process (removing tablecloths, chairs, tables, signs, boxes, trash, and more). We placed the items in a location that was easy to access for both the warehouse and rental company for pickup. Mark stayed to be sure the cafeterias were clean, signs were removed, cars were loaded, and doors were locked. Mark coordinated with the team to drive items back to Gatehouse for unloading and storing. Mark Hyer represents everything FCPS wants in an employee. He collaborates and builds relationships with everyone he meets (students, staff, & vendors). He is respectful, upbeat, caring, and always goes above and beyond to make any situation or event like Great Beginnings - Summer Institute a total success. This program has multiple layers of logistics and Mark was attentive, responsive, visible, and always available with a smile on his face asking, “how can I help?”. This too showcases his openness to a situation, the quality collaboration between multiple offices and schools, and the superior work happening in FCPS. The Great Beginnings Summer Institute was an enriching, engaging in-person experience for new teachers and reinforced that ordinary things create extraordinary results! Thank you, Mark, for making my role in the process easier. When he retires in October, I don’t know who will fill his shoes."

- Shelli Wayland, Gatehouse Admin Center

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Shelli Wayland, Gatehouse Admin Center

"Another successful GBSI thanks to Shelli and her team! It is always a pleasure to work with Shelli and it's a comfort to know she's at the helm for this huge event. From the start of the planning process to the last box packed, Shelli is readily available to help make this an event I look forward to every year. Being back onsite to welcome the new teachers is a special occasion and Shelli is the "musical thread" that helps the total experience go smoothly. In addition to her thoughtful and caring reminders, she kindly and consistently offers to provide assistance proves that she is supporting the FCPS mission. She is the diamond and gold that helps FCPS shine brilliantly. I can always rest easy knowing Shelli is going to be managing the event! I am eternally grateful for her contributions and amazing work ethic. Thank you for all you do to go above and beyond!"

- Helen Canepa, Gatehouse Admin Center

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Liz Brocato, Woodson HS 

"Liz went above and beyond to support the Great Beginnings Summer Institute this year with a smile on her face and a collaborative, responsive attitude. She assisted with warehouse and vendor deliveries the day before the event, she communicated with the custodial staff and other Woodson HS team members to be sure they are aware of schedules and time frames so that there is minimal interruption to sports and custodial staff who are busy getting ready for the beginning of the school year. She is an amazing, positive employee. It was a pleasure to work with her. Thank you, Liz, for all you do and the support you give. This event wouldn't have been as organized and successful without you."

- Shelli Wayland, Gatehouse Admin Center

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Michele Cross, Gatehouse Admin Center

"Michele Cross was instrumental in assisting with the Human Resource virtual portion of the Great Beginnings Summer Institute again this year. Michele developed the google doc that new teachers used for HR questions. Michele also sent the email blast for me to all new teachers with the links they needed to watch videos, check resources, and educate themselves prior to asking questions. She worked to create a spreadsheet that HR staff used to communicate with the new teachers to answer their questions. She monitored and updated the spreadsheet continually and kept everyone in the loop. She is a colleague who knows how to create a caring culture while building positive relationships. Thank you, Michele, for helping to make this virtual and in-person event a huge success."

- Shelli Wayland, Gatehouse Admin Center

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Mark Hyer, Sprague Technology Center

"Great Beginnings Summer Institute is no small annual feat and was once again a tremendous success. There are many hands that make our loads light for this event. Some are the quiet unsung heroes that are behind the scenes and just simply do the work. This is always true of Mark Hyer. His quiet and helpful disposition does not go unnoticed. Whether he is wheeling a dolly with numerous boxes, hanging signs to the ceiling, directing a truck backing up, telling people where to go or more often, where Shelli is, he is always available to provide assistance. I truly appreciate his team's help delivering our materials to the site and directly to our tables, especially in the 90-100 degree weather. This is FCPS at its finest of a stellar example of someone that demonstrates we have a premier workforce and a caring culture. Thank you Mark, my "Superman!"

- Helen Canepa, Gatehouse Admin Center

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Shelli Wayland, Gatehouse Admin Center

"Once again it has been my privilege to serve beside Shelli Wayland as she, once again, did her utmost to provide a grand welcome to teachers new to the FCPS family. The vendor hall at the Great Beginnings event is one of the event’s centerpieces and is the culmination of a summer long juggling act involving FCPS offices, vendors from as far away as Chicago, school liaisons and support employees from various departments. Held for the first time this year at Woodson HS the vendor hall was still being fully conceived as the time to welcome the teachers grew nearer. Since Woodson had never hosted Great Beginnings previously much of the setup was being decided as the cafeteria tables were being moved out and the vendor tables moved in. The final configuration drew rave reviews from vendors and participants alike. Praise for the ‘open feel’ of the vendor hall was a recurring theme as was the appreciation for Shelli’s efforts from the vendors throughout the event. However, the final presentation should not overshadow the hundreds of e-mails and dozens of telephone conversations that brought the two cafeteria spaces to life. Shelli’s tireless devotion to this event, Great Beginnings #23 for her, and her unwavering support of FCPS in general and her Human Resources colleagues in particular is inspirational. Witnessing this level of commitment firsthand is a reward in itself and a perfect kick start to renew my energy for the upcoming school year."

- Mark Hyer, Sprague Technology Center

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Kris Rakes, Stratford Landing ES 

"Ms. Rakes has been right on all summer long as our Student Information Assistant (SIA). I am very thankful for her organization and commitment to get work done. She is lightning fast at times. I have received positive feedback from our community about their experiences working with her, and how helpful she has been in the school transition process for many families. Making the transition in and out of schools easy for families is so important, and Kris Rakes does that everyday. Thank you."

- Kevin Morris, Stratford Landing ES

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Christine Arocho, Gary Shoop, Chuck Miller, and Stephen Fitzgeral, Twain MS 

"Christine, Gary, Chuck, and Stephen were extremely helpful supporting us to solve a few logistical hurdles we faced for our August in-service. They were more than willing to work with us to get a student laptop ready ahead of schedule. A huge THANK YOU to the instructional technology and administrative teams at Twain MS. FCPS is lucky to have such a dedicated team!"

- Jessica Park, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Brenda Mejia, Twain MS 

"Brenda was a HUGE help to the Social Studies team when we asked for a last minute favor working with a parent for our in-service planning. She was so sweet about the asks, taking a few added steps that we had not planned for. Twain is extremely lucky to have Brenda and one of the first to welcome FCPS students and families at their school!"

- Jessica Park, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Zoe Wilkerson, Gatehouse Admin Center

"This is my second encounter with Zoe in Payroll. She went above and beyond to explain my summer school pay. As there was a mistake in the number of hours worked, she directed me in the right direction to get it corrected. Zoe, I appreciate your patience and kindness during this event. Thank you!"

- Yolanda Maldonado, Gatehouse Admin Center

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Sarada Sistla, Willow Oaks Admin Center

"Sarada was of phenomenal assistance for me with placing a FOCUS order. She is so willing to assist, empathetic, and knowledgeable. I wouldn't have been able to complete this task without her, and her "why." Thank you immensely!"

- Rita Berlin, Dunn Loring Center

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Michele Anwyll, Forbes Places

"Ms. Anwyll is incredibly knowledgeable, patient, and helpful. She goes the extra mile in helping retirees navigate the decisions and forms needed in ensuring their retirement papers are complete and accurate for submission on time the first time. Ms. Awyll is a joy to work with. She would be an asset wherever she works."

- a FCPS retiree

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Matthew Bower, Frost MS

"Matt’s work with Great Beginnings, helping mentor new FCPS Social Studies teachers, is greatly appreciated. Sharing his expertise and his investment in our new teachers is critically important in helping us realize our mission and vision in FCPS Social Studies. We value Matt and sincerely thank him!"

- Anthony Hanrahan, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Mary Catherine Keating, Chantilly HS 

"Mary Catherine’s work with Great Beginnings, helping mentor new FCPS Social Studies teachers, is greatly appreciated. Sharing her expertise and her investment in our new teachers is critically important in helping us realize our mission and vision in FCPS Social Studies. We value Mary Catherine and sincerely thank her!"

- Anthony Hanrahan, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Christina Banker, Langley HS 

"Christina’s work with Great Beginnings, helping mentor new FCPS Social Studies teachers, is greatly appreciated. Sharing her expertise and her investment in our new teachers is critically important in helping us realize our mission and vision in FCPS Social Studies. We value Christina and sincerely thank her!"

- Anthony Hanrahan, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Jacqueline Shuhler, Irving MS

"Jac’s work with Great Beginnings, helping mentor new FCPS Social Studies teachers, is greatly appreciated. Sharing her expertise and her investment in our new teachers is critically important in helping us realize our mission and vision in FCPS Social Studies. We value Jac and sincerely thank her!"

- Anthony Hanrahan, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Pamela Wilson, Cherry Run ES 

"Thank you for sharing your time and expertise to lead a Schoology Summer Learning Practitioner Stories session in support of Schoology use within the division. Your perspective as a Schoology practitioner is invaluable, and we are grateful you chose to share your experiences. Teachers and staff across FCPS will benefit from your presentations. Thank you again for your willingness to lead sessions."

- Sharon Dickens, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Michelle Alspaugh, Edison HS 

"Thank you for sharing your time and expertise to lead a Schoology Summer Learning Practitioner Stories session in support of Schoology use within the division. Your perspective as a Schoology practitioner is invaluable, and we are grateful you chose to share your experiences. Teachers and staff across FCPS will benefit from your presentations. Thank you again for your willingness to lead sessions."

- Sharon Dickens, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Janelle Roman Nieves, Twain MS

"Thank you for sharing your time and expertise to lead a Schoology Summer Learning Practitioner Stories session in support of Schoology use within the division. Your perspective as a Schoology practitioner is invaluable, and we are grateful you chose to share your experiences. Teachers and staff across FCPS will benefit from your presentations. Thank you again for your willingness to lead sessions."

- Sharon Dickens, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Anna Hines, Lees Corner ES 

"Thank you for sharing your time and expertise to lead a Schoology Summer Learning Practitioner Stories session in support of Schoology use within the division. Your perspective as a Schoology practitioner is invaluable, and we are grateful you chose to share your experiences. Teachers and staff across FCPS will benefit from your presentations. Thank you again for your willingness to lead sessions."

- Sharon Dickens, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Jaqueline Lane, Key MS

"Thank you for sharing your time and expertise to lead a Schoology Summer Learning Practitioner Stories session in support of Schoology use within the division. Your perspective as a Schoology practitioner is invaluable, and we are grateful you chose to share your experiences. Teachers and staff across FCPS will benefit from your presentations. Thank you again for your willingness to lead sessions."

- Sharon Dickens, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Robert Muskett, Centreville HS 

"Thank you for sharing your time and expertise to lead a Schoology Summer Learning Practitioner Stories session in support of Schoology use within the division. Your perspective as a Schoology practitioner is invaluable, and we are grateful you chose to share your experiences. Teachers and staff across FCPS will benefit from your presentations. Thank you again for your willingness to lead sessions."

- Sharon Dickens, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Emily Normand, Robinson SS

"Thank you for sharing your time and expertise to lead a Schoology Summer Learning Practitioner Stories session in support of Schoology use within the division. Your perspective as a Schoology practitioner is invaluable, and we are grateful you chose to share your experiences. Teachers and staff across FCPS will benefit from your presentations. Thank you again for your willingness to lead sessions."

- Sharon Dickens, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Shelley Yu, Falls Church HS 

"Thank you for sharing your time and expertise to lead a Schoology Summer Learning Practitioner Stories session in support of Schoology use within the division. Your perspective as a Schoology practitioner is invaluable, and we are grateful you chose to share your experiences. Teachers and staff across FCPS will benefit from your presentations. Thank you again for your willingness to lead sessions."

- Sharon Dickens, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Cheryl Baker, Colin Powell ES 

"Thank you for sharing your time and expertise to lead a Schoology Summer Learning Practitioner Stories session in support of Schoology use within the division. Your perspective as a Schoology practitioner is invaluable, and we are grateful you chose to share your experiences. Teachers and staff across FCPS will benefit from your presentations. Thank you again for your willingness to lead sessions."

- Sharon Dickens, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Matthew Clark, Bryan HS  

"Thank you for sharing your time and expertise to lead a Schoology Summer Learning Practitioner Stories session in support of Schoology use within the division. Your perspective as a Schoology practitioner is invaluable, and we are grateful you chose to share your experiences. Teachers and staff across FCPS will benefit from your presentations. Thank you again for your willingness to lead sessions."

- Sharon Dickens, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Meaghan Leslie, Twain MS 

"Thank you for sharing your time and expertise to lead a Schoology Summer Learning Practitioner Stories session in support of Schoology use within the division. Your perspective as a Schoology practitioner is invaluable, and we are grateful you chose to share your experiences. Teachers and staff across FCPS will benefit from your presentations. Thank you again for your willingness to lead sessions." 

- Sharon Dickens, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Whitney Louchen, Jefferson Tech HS 

"Thank you for sharing your time and expertise to lead a Schoology Summer Learning Practitioner Stories session in support of Schoology use within the division. Your perspective as a Schoology practitioner is invaluable, and we are grateful you chose to share your experiences. Teachers and staff across FCPS will benefit from your presentations. Thank you again for your willingness to lead sessions."

- Andrea Martin Jones, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Emily Jemison, Waples Mill ES 

"Thank you for sharing your time and expertise to lead a Schoology Summer Learning Practitioner Stories session in support of Schoology use within the division. Your perspective as a Schoology practitioner is invaluable, and we are grateful you chose to share your experiences. Teachers and staff across FCPS will benefit from your presentations. Thank you again for your willingness to lead sessions."

- Andrea Martin Jones, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Christy Talley, Halley ES 

"Thank you for sharing your time and expertise to lead a Schoology Summer Learning Practitioner Stories session in support of Schoology use within the division. Your perspective as a Schoology practitioner is invaluable, and we are grateful you chose to share your experiences. Teachers and staff across FCPS will benefit from your presentations. Thank you again for your willingness to lead sessions."

- Sharon Dickens, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Tammy Morin, Herndon HS

"Thank you for sharing your time and expertise to lead a Schoology Summer Learning Practitioner Stories session in support of Schoology use within the division. Your perspective as a Schoology practitioner is invaluable, and we are grateful you chose to share your experiences. Teachers and staff across FCPS will benefit from your presentations. Thank you again for your willingness to lead sessions."

- Andrea Martin Jones, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Trea Claypool, Bull Run ES 

"Thank you for sharing your time and expertise to lead a Schoology Summer Learning Practitioner Stories session in support of Schoology use within the division. Your perspective as a Schoology practitioner is invaluable, and we are grateful you chose to share your experiences. Teachers and staff across FCPS will benefit from your presentations. Thank you again for your willingness to lead sessions."

- Sharon Dickens, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Cecilia Campbell, Madison HS 

"Thank you for sharing your time and expertise to lead a Schoology Summer Learning Practitioner Stories session in support of Schoology use within the division. Your perspective as a Schoology practitioner is invaluable, and we are grateful you chose to share your experiences. Teachers and staff across FCPS will benefit from your presentations. Thank you again for your willingness to lead sessions."

- Andrea Martin Jones, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Laura Reed, Bull Run ES 

"Thank you for sharing your time and expertise to lead a Schoology Summer Learning Practitioner Stories session in support of Schoology use within the division. Your perspective as a Schoology practitioner is invaluable, and we are grateful you chose to share your experiences. Teachers and staff across FCPS will benefit from your presentations. Thank you again for your willingness to lead sessions."

- Sharon Dickens, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Carol Dembicki, Madison HS 

"Thank you for sharing your time and expertise to lead a Schoology Summer Learning Practitioner Stories session in support of Schoology use within the division. Your perspective as a Schoology practitioner is invaluable, and we are grateful you chose to share your experiences. Teachers and staff across FCPS will benefit from your presentations. Thank you again for your willingness to lead sessions."

- Andrea Martin Jones, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Libby Settlemyer, McLean HS 

"Thank you for sharing your time and expertise to lead a Schoology Summer Learning Practitioner Stories session in support of Schoology use within the division. Your perspective as a Schoology practitioner is invaluable, and we are grateful you chose to share your experiences. Teachers and staff across FCPS will benefit from your presentations. Thank you again for your willingness to lead sessions."

- Sharon Dickens, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Naseer Hana, Poplar ES 

"The day before a large event, we faced new obstacles in making the building accessible the following day. Naseer problem-solved with us and found additional locations in the building that were accessible and available to us. He kindly gave his time to find a solution. Naseer was so helpful and so kind along the way. We cannot say thank you enough for his phenomenal support and kindness."

- Raven Compton, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Megan Stanley, Cooper MS 

"Thank you for sharing your time and expertise to lead a Schoology Summer Learning Practitioner Stories session in support of Schoology use within the division. Your perspective as a Schoology practitioner is invaluable, and we are grateful you chose to share your experiences. Teachers and staff across FCPS will benefit from your presentations. Thank you again for your willingness to lead sessions."

- Andrea Martin Jones, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Emma Sunseri, Springfield Estates ES 

"Thank you for sharing your time and expertise to lead a Schoology Summer Learning Practitioner Stories session in support of Schoology use within the division. Your perspective as a Schoology practitioner is invaluable, and we are grateful you chose to share your experiences. Teachers and staff across FCPS will benefit from your presentations. Thank you again for your willingness to lead sessions."

- Andrea Martin Jones, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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McKenna Crews, Lake Braddock SS 

"Thank you for sharing your time and expertise to lead a Schoology Summer Learning Practitioner Stories session in support of Schoology use within the division. Your perspective as a Schoology practitioner is invaluable, and we are grateful you chose to share your experiences. Teachers and staff across FCPS will benefit from your presentations. Thank you again for your willingness to lead sessions."

- Andrea Martin Jones, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Nicole Anderson, Annandale HS 

"Thank you for sharing your time and expertise to lead a Schoology Summer Learning Practitioner Stories session in support of Schoology use within the division. Your perspective as a Schoology practitioner is invaluable, and we are grateful you chose to share your experiences. Teachers and staff across FCPS will benefit from your presentations. Thank you again for your willingness to lead sessions."

- Andrea Martin Jones, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Matthew MacDonald, Lewis HS 

"Matt was the perfect host at Lewis High School, making it possible for us to welcome 700+ FCPS staff for the Summer Equity Symposium. From the first email contact, he was kind and responsive. He answered our countless questions and anticipated our needs often before we realized them ourselves. Every step along the way, he made the process smoother and easier for us. The success of the symposium would not have been possible, without Matt! Thank you!"

- Raven Compton, Willow Oaks Admin Center 

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Kasey Cain, Kristen Biernesser, and Vanessa Hunter, Willow Oaks Admin Center

"Thank you for leading the New Secondary Counselor Summer Institute! I am grateful, inspired, excited, and eager to start the 2022-2023 school year and so appreciate the support of FCPS School Counseling Services!"

- Christy Ryder, Carson MS 

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Mark Nocera, Edison HS 

"Mark Nocera demonstrated professionalism and added positively to the school climate of Credit Recovery (CRA) this summer. I’d like to highlight that Mark was not on contract to work CRA this year but on more than one occasion, he saw that someone was out of the building, or recognized that I could use a little extra assistance. He stepped in without being asked. Mark helped students find their way to class, he assisted during lunch duty, and even helped with busses at dismissal. Thank you, Mark, for being a friendly face to our students and helping them on our journey this summer. Thank you also for being an extra pair of hands and eyes and for helping me when I needed it. You exemplify being a team player."

- Caitlyn Saxton, Edison HS

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Stephen Fox, Edison HS 

"Thank you, Stephen, for helping support Credit Recovery! You jumped I and assisted in making sure our many test takers were able to test! I appreciate all you do!"

- Caitlyn Saxton, Edison HS

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Tony Le, Sprague Technology Center

"Tony went above and beyond to support Credit Recovery! Tony modeled professionalism throughout the CRA program. He supported students in obtaining laptops and ensured that every test taker was able to test. Tony supported teachers with their technology as well; He checked in on us regularly, always with a smile, and helped us reach our goals. Thank you, Tony!"

- Caitlyn Saxton, Edison HS 

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Phillip Reid, McLean HS 

"Our son got involved in a community theater show this summer, and found himself in over his head with his assigned role. He reached out to friends in tech who connected him with Mr. Reid, his Tech Theater teacher at McLean HS. Mr. Reid was planning to be at school doing some work that week, and he made time in his afternoon to give our son a crash course in the light board. Mr. Reid saved the lighting of a community show and helped our son be successful doing something he really loves. We couldn't be more grateful!"

- a McLean HS parent

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Junko Nakano, Freedon Hill ES 

"What an amazing and hard worker June is! I want to express my most sincere gratitude for her time and dedication to the Bridge to Kindergarten program at Freedom Hill this summer. June will be joining the Kindergarten team at Freedom Hill next year and she is such a natural! That team is so lucky to have her as a support and inspiration. June, thank you for everything you did for the students and me this summer! You made the program great!"

- Anna Gionfriddo, Freedom Hill ES

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Meihua Qian, Haycock ES 

"Meihua Qian did the most amazing job directing the summer program at Freedom Hill this year and it was a joy working with her as I navigated the Bridge to Kindergarten program for the first time. Meihua will be joining the Haycock ES team next year and they are in for a real treat as she is an amazing asset to any team she joins. We will miss her at the Hill! Best of luck Meihua!"

- Anna Gionfriddo, Freedom Hill ES

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Lorie Martinez, Gatehouse Admin Center

"This has been an unusually busy hiring season, and one that has lasted much longer than what is typical. Each candidate is unique and the hiring process brings along questions regarding specific qualifications. This requires deep investigation and Lorie tackles every single request for hire with incredible speed, care, and professionalism. As a principal eager to finalize all staffing at our school, my questions never stop and she is always ready with information and next steps. I am so thankful for Lorie's leadership. She forges relationships with candidates and when we speak, she is excited about each candidate's future work in our school. Not only does she reassure me, but provides an incredible first impression to the candidates for our school system. I am so thankful for her and appreciate the endless time she spends ensuring we have great people hired in FCPS.Thank you, Lorie!"

- Lisa Barrow, 

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Jyothi Appanaboyana, Colvin Run ES 

"Jyothi has been supporting me with processing information that has been communicated (where, when, why), suggested recommendations on where to begin, as well as introducing me to SBTS in my region and throughout the district. I'm glad to have Jyothi as a friend and mentor."

- Tawanya Scarboro, Graham Road ES

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Tammy Burgess, Stepping Stones

"Tammy Burgess is a very warm and caring individual. She shows she cares for students who really needed a friend and someone in their corner. She always moves at the students pace and made sure to emphasize the students strengths and took the time to make sure they recognized their accomplishments. The thing that strikes me the most about Mrs. Burgess is that she continues to follow-up with students over the years all the way until graduation to make sure they're still on the right track and to let them know she's still pulling for them. I think knowing that she'll always be there rooting for them helps students keep pushing to accomplish their goals. She offers exactly what the most troubled students need, someone who truly cares."

- Jennifer Stuebner, Gatehouse Admin Center

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Nigel Medhurst and Anjali Sharma, Lorton Transportation Center

"The Camelot ESY Admin Team cannot thank Nigel, Anjali, and the bus drivers supporting our routes enough for their hard work and dedication this summer! We were blown away by the care and attention you gave each and every student and SO incredibly grateful for your collaboration with staff to ensure a smooth start and end to each day! Thank you."

- Erin Kestler, Kilmer MS

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Pam Gordon, Willow Oaks Admin Center

"Pam went above and beyond in helping to find available school space to host in-person SIIP/ESSER overview workshops and deep dive sessions. With so many competing priorities happening in buildings in the busy summer months, this is a challenging task with many layers of complexities. Pam utilized her historical knowledge and leveraged connections to secure space, and as a result, over 100 people were able to access professional learning, together, with their school colleagues, which is crucial to crafting goals, strategies, and actions related to the 4 division priorities for this coming school year. Thank you, Pam, for helping to pull this together!"

- Christie Day, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Jessica Franco, Camelot ES 

"Jessica was our Clinic Aide for ESY and went above and beyond to support our ESY Site. We did not have an Office Assistant and Jessica's support and availability kept things running smoothly. She greeted students at the door every morning, learned the names of everyone in the building, and pitched in whenever needed. Thank you Jessica for contributing to our ESY experience here at Camelot!"

- Ashleigh Long, Union Mill ES 

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Cristina Seaton, Herndon ES

"Mrs. Cristina, is amazing she goes above and beyond. always loving and caring. Really thankful for her outstanding work."

- a Herndon ES parent

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Maria Basnight, Camelot ES 

"Mia has willingly provided g-tube medication administration for one of the students in her classroom. She has done a phenomenal job to support the student in this procedure due to the absence of a school health aide. I have been impressed with her kind demeanor, willingness to learn, and utmost professionalism to complete the task. She is such a team player and I so appreciate all the support she has provided to meet this student's health needs."

- Jacqueline McManemin, Laurel Ridge ES

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Elizabeth Gibbons, Falls Church HS

"I was in your AP Lang class this past year. I wanted to thank you for what you have done for me during the last school year. AP Lang was a very difficult class and I’m grateful that you made sure that every student was ready to take the AP exam. I needed lots of help with all the essays we had to get ready for. You encouraged me to keep going and you had faith in me to get a good score on the AP Lang exam. I ended up getting a three on the exam which made me so happy and grateful that you were my teacher. Thank you!"

- a Falls Church HS student 

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Megan Garnett, Justice HS

"Thank you Ms. Garnett. Thank you for all the help and all the patience you had this school year. I am truly grateful with all that you have done. Thank you."

- a Justice HS student 

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Ariel Miller, Justice HS 

"Thank you, Ms. Miller, for everything you have done for everyone in our Chemistry class, especially for me. You have really helped me get to where I am and without your help, I would not have been able to pass my IB Exam and get a good grade on my IA. I know I can always count on you, and I loved our after-school chisme sessions. You always helped me and encouraged me to put in the effort to keep going. Thank you!!"

- a Justice HS student 

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Alisa Zamudio, West Potomac HS

"Thank you for being kind and so honest! You have made learning fun and you are one of my favorite teachers. I hope you and your family are having a good summer break."

- a West Potomac HS student 

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Yamalie Rodriguez Figueroa, West Potomac HS 

"I am so grateful for you. I know that this past year has been tough, but you always made your students feel welcome and loved. You set an example of what I hope to be as a teacher one day. I love you so much, Sra. Rodriguez and am so thankful for everything you did and continue to do."

- a West Potomac HS student 

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Shannon Gray, Annandale HS 

"She helped me by making my life easier. I would miss some classes and test and she would support and help me make up all my missing work. She also always asked about me and how I was, and made sure to give me a chance to make up any missing assignments. Thank you."

- an Annandale HS student

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Melanie Knowlton, Robinson SS

"Melanie has been providing exceptional support for my family for the last 2 months. She has helped us navigate the process of changing addresses and requesting school exemptions and made a difficult process easy to understand. She has been extremely responsive to our requests and has communicated with us regularly. We are thrilled with the support we received and wanted to thank her for being so focused on our family and children!"

- a Robinson SS parent

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Justin Meade and Oscar Rivas Castro, Sideburn Support Center

"While working on the grounds of Woodson High School, painters Justin Meade and Oscar Rivas Castro found a wallet in the parking lot. The wallet had cash, credit cards and other important items including the owners vaccination card. Justin and Oscar took the time to bring the wallet to the main office so that the owner could be contacted. Their honesty and integrity should be commended. It's reassuring to know that there are honorable people like Oscar and Justin working at FCPS."

- Carlyn Floyd, Woodson HS 

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Pam Gordon, Willow Oaks Admin Center

"Thank you for helping the new Social Studies resource teachers navigate their transition to Willow Oaks. You invested hours of your time helping us feel comfortable and welcome. Thank you so much for a wonderful introduction!"

- Anthony Hanrahan, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Adnan Ali, Instructional Programs Support Center

"Assistive Technology Services had been using space at a school location and the school required the area to be used for students and summer programs. Adnan went above and beyond his regular duties to assist Assistive Technology Services staff in moving furniture and equipment, making the location usable for students.  Adnan's volunteerism was a great help to all!"

- Jeff Sisk, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Brad Hollis, Instructional Programs Support Center

"Assistive Technology Services had been using space at a school location and the school required the area to be used for students and summer programs. Brad went above and beyond his regular duties to assist Assistive Technology Services staff in moving furniture and equipment, making the location usable for students. Brad's volunteerism was a great help to all!"

- Jeff Sisk, Willow Oaks Admin Center

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Erlan Obando, Pimmit Hills Center

"The FCPS School Bus Driver Training Center was notified at the last minute the HVAC system was going to be repaired and we needed classroom space for training. Erlan went above and beyond and provided us with space. He readied and prepared the classroom within 24 hours. He was just exceptional to work with. We also had to extend our request last minute and he worked to accommodate the training center. Erlan made it possible for us to continue to train school bus drivers during this time of need. Thank you Erlan!"

- Tammy Fox, Forte Transportation Training Center

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Taleed El-Zoobi, Marshall Road ES 

"Taleed is hands down the BEST IA in the county! I have been in FCPS for 15 years and a teacher for 29 and have never worked with an instructional assistant with more heart, knowledge and ability than her. She loves these students with disabilities with her whole heart and she is is incredibly knowledgeable and skilled at getting the kids to do great work. She is firm and loving. She is skilled and responsible and she is just all around a great person to have in class! I want to work with her every year!"

- V. Bee, Mashall Road ES 

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Adam Bowen, Sprague Technology Center

"I had some questions about a Zoom meeting I held and issues I came across. Adam, as always, was knowledgeable, kind, and patient, explaining answers to my questions. He does an amazing job explaining tech topics in a way that I, as a non-tech person, can readily understand. He kindly repeats information I am sure he has shared before. He taught all of the LTEAAs and SB staffers many tech topics this last SY. He is clear, and appropriately in-depth and evenly paced for our needs while providing written quick tips after every topic. His help and knowledge have made my job so much easier and have allowed me a way to learn how to approach tech in an non-terrifying way. Thank you Adam!"

- Wendy Biliter, Gatehouse Admin Center

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Jill Cross, Robinson SS 

"Despite teaching my daughter in the virtual setting, Ms. Cross has been able to establish a warm rapport with her students. She emails back and forth with my daughter frequently, addressing all concerns and questions quickly and professionally. Today, Ms. Cross posted a thoughtful Happy Birthday message on the welcome screen to my girl, who was so touched. It is difficult for teachers to connect with students online, especially during the summer months and I SO appreciate the efforts Ms. Cross has gone through to make this learning meaningful and personal."

- a Robinson SS parent 

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Sue Kalbaugh, Gatehouse Admin Center

"Sue Kalbaugh is an extraordinary employee that goes above and beyond to support others that need help. I have taken a one Year Only position as a F/A at FCAHS for the school year 2021-2022. Using GP for the first time and only having one day training (because of business at school) was not sufficient to master all the ins and outs of GP. Most of the month of June I was out of the office sick but Sue was very kind in answering all the unknown Finance related questions to close up the school year 21-22. What really impressed me with Sue is that she is very patient, very kind and has no complaints. She is always ready and happy to help. Sue is amazing!!"

- Pauline Maobelem, Mountain View ALC

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