New Chapter: Incoming FCPS Superintendent Connects with Students and Staff
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A day after being announced as the next superintendent of Fairfax County Public Schools, Dr. Michelle Reid visited two FCPS schools Friday to meet students, see teachers in action, and greet principals.
Her first stop was Garfield Elementary in Springfield. A fifth grader in Naomi Salamon’s class put Dr. Reid at ease right away.
“Do you want to hear a roof joke?” he asked her.
“Sure,” Dr. Reid responded.
“It’s on the house!,” the student said. Dr. Reid laughed and thanked the class for the warm welcome to FCPS.
In Darby Jameson’s third-grade classroom, Dr. Reid gave students a chance to ask her questions. When one asked about her favorite animal, she shared that she has always loved cats.
Dr. Reid also swung through Alyssa Credle’s Kindergarten classroom, where students were taking a movement break before a reading lesson. Ms. Credle and her class showed Dr. Reid the moves to a GoNoodle brain break called “Clap It Out!” Dr. Reid jumped right in, learning the steps – and claps – to join the students in rocking to the rhythm.
Garfield Principal April Cage said she was proud to host the first visit of FCPS’s new leader and appreciated Dr. Reid’s curiosity about her school community.
“She asked the name of every student she spoke with,” Cage said. “I could see she enjoyed connecting with our Eagles and she danced with us in a Kindergarten class. That is a pretty great start!”
The next stop was Sangster Elementary, a Purple Star School, also in Springfield. Dr. Reid first visited Linda Biberaj’s class where sixth-grade students engaged in a STEAM lesson about robotics. The students explained to Dr. Reid how they use a coding program on iPads to make their Dash Robots move.
Next, Dr. Reid visited Sara Phillips' second-grade classroom where the students worked in small groups. They shared what they've learned with Word Work (a hands-on exercise to explore the spellings and meanings of words) and their excitement for ST Math (a visual instructional program). Upon meeting Dr. Reid, one student asked a very important question.
“What’s a superintendent?!” she asked.
“Well, what do you think a superintendent is? What should they do?” Dr. Reid asked, sparking conversation with the group of students.
After the classroom visits, Principal Allison Jankovich showed Dr. Reid a display highlighting the school's Month of the Military Child celebrations. Dr. Reid also grew up in a military family and her son served in Iraq.
Incoming Superintendent Reid Tells FCPS Journalists She’ll Prioritize Student Voice, Agency (April 19, 2022)
Meet the New Superintendent of Fairfax County Public Schools (April 15, 2022)
Fairfax County School Board Announces National Superintendent of the Year As Next Leader (April 14, 2022)
Superintendent Search - Learn about FCPS' process for finding a new superintendent.
