FCPS Advisory Committee for Students with Disabilities Announces 2021-22 First Class Award Winners

The Fairfax County Public Schools Advisory Committee for Students with Disabilities (ACSD) presented their First Class Awards at the 17th Annual Special Education Conference on Saturday, March 26. Each year, the ACSD celebrates and recognizes the inclusion efforts of educators, administrators, and students in Fairfax County Public Schools. Winners of a First Class Award demonstrate the following skills:

• Positive impacts on student(s) due to inclusion activities.
• Commitment to creating an inclusive environment. 
• Promotion of diversity and a culture of inclusion.
• Raising awareness of the benefits of inclusion for students with and without disabilities.

This year’s winners were: 

• Jackson Allen, fifth grade student, Bush Hill Elementary School. Jackson demonstrates a positive attitude towards students with intellectual disabilities. His empathy and compassion are unlike “anything his teacher has seen before.” Jackson is a natural leader and encourages others while getting to know and support everyone. As a patrol, he positively impacts students and inspires other students to be more inclusive. 
• Lila Jones, third grade student, Fort Belvoir Upper Elementary School. Lila consistently reaches out to students with disabilities in her classroom. She invites them to play at recess, offers to help them open packages at lunch, and read books together. Lila treats her peers with respect and care and makes sure they are a part of whatever is happening. She is a leader and has inspired other students to invite classmates with disabilities to join their games or to work with them in the classroom.
• Assistive Technology (AT) Club, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. (Catherine Nguyen, Vivian Denny, Meghana Gopannagari, Isha Satapathy, Avi Nawlakhe, Kenneth Do, Tharun Dilliraj, Safwan Hossain, Diana Lin, Michael Owoyemi, Sravya Patibandla, Amith Polineni, Eugene Seok, and Keshav Subramonian). The AT Club promotes inclusion and engagement by working with elementary students with disabilities. By creating avenues to support students with disabilities, the AT Club has become an ambassador to expanding inclusive practices in FCPS. 
• Katie Lacroix, special education instructional assistant, Freedom Hill Elementary School. Lacroix plans, creates, and facilitates a variety of equity and inclusion-based programs at her school, is a lead for the Equity and Inclusion Team, and facilitates school-based equity modules. She has partnered with the school librarian to design and create a world language section in the school library that features books from the 20+ languages spoken by students.
• Alma Ortiz-Tellez, special education instructional assistant, McLean High School. Ortiz-Tellez seeks out opportunities for students with disabilities to be included in activities around the school and can be seen every day at lunch creating opportunities for students to interact and develop relationships with peers and staff, promoting inclusion. Also, by accompanying special education students to local job sites, Ortiz-Tellez has supported local business’ hiring of persons with disabilities. 
• Amy LaCrosse, enhanced autism teacher, Rolling Valley Elementary School. LaCrosse facilitates independence and self-advocacy to ensure true inclusion for students with disabilities, not just integration. She fosters success in the inclusive setting through her intentional instruction, her mentoring of paraprofessionals, and her flexibility. She supports all students and teachers throughout the building by modeling inclusion and ensures that meaningful and engaging learning happens every day.
• Kenzie Bergh, multiple disabilities teacher, Bush Hill Elementary School. Bergh goes above and beyond for her students every day both in and out of the classroom. She promotes Inclusion Week, where students and teachers are encouraged to participate in a variety of inclusive activities and seeks out ways for all students to be included.
• Victoria Robinson, multiple disabilities teacher, Oakton High School. Robinson raises awareness of inclusion and promotes diversity in the school and community. She works closely with peer helpers in special education and organizes community-based instruction for students with disabilities. Robinson creates opportunities for social interactions and building friendships between students with and without disabilities.
• Scott Reeder, assistant principal, Canterbury Woods Elementary School. Reeder is consistently encouraging and reminding the staff to be supportive and inclusive. He models this by taking his personal time to learn American Sign Language and Cued Speech so he can communicate with all students at his school. He also goes above and beyond to make sure that Canterbury Woods staff have the tools and resources needed to ensure inclusion is successful.
• Ellen Reilly, principal, McLean High School. Reilly has created a culture where students with disabilities are no longer thought of as participating with their general education peers, but a culture where students of all abilities participate together. She allows all students to showcase their unique abilities by supporting inclusive programs.
• Mike Bloom, director, Office of Special Education Instruction. Bloom has dedicated his career to improving the lives of students with disabilities and works collaboratively with ASCD to help find solutions that have meaningful and direct impact on student education. 

For more information, contact Mike Bloom at [email protected].