FCPS Cares - November 2018

By Department of Human Resources
FCPS Cares
November 05, 2018

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: Gary Ricci, Ulli Vaerst, Robbie Hellman, Chris Draper, Riya Mehta, Willow Oaks

"Gary, Ulli, Robbie, Chris and Riya, FCPS Restorative Justice facilitators have received an honorable mention for their work with the Fairfax County multi-agency juvenile justice collaborative program the Alternative Accountability Program (AAP). This honorable mention is based on the dedication of these FCPS staff members working collaboratively with the School Resource Officers (SRO's) in their assigned regions to reduce the number of FCPS students entering the juvenile justice system. The Fairfax County AAP has been recognized by Georgetown University's Juvenile Justice Diversion Capstone Programs for evidence-based practices that offer services and support to victims of wrongdoing while helping young offenders learn from their mistakes and avoid criminal records at a young age. These FCPS staff members helped to develop this nationally recognized program and working in collaboration with the SRO's facilitated the first program referrals. Great job!"

- Vickie Shoap, Willow Oaks

-------

Region 1: Madina Niaz, Navy ES

"Madina is new to Navy this year and we are incredibly lucky to have her. In addition to her friendly demeanor, she is a hard worker who goes above and beyond to help the Navy staff. Madina will stop what she is working on to help a teacher fill out a form or look for supplies. During our school-wide Veterans Day program, Madina helped assemble a table being set up in the library for the special breakfast. When I realized that I hadn't ordered enough tickets for an upcoming field trip (2 days before the trip), Madina called the show company and she was able to purchase more tickets in time. She is always enthusiastic and positive. It is a pleasure to visit the Navy office and Madina is a wonderful addition to our staff!"

- Maryn Simon, Navy ES

-------

Region 2: Maurice Hirsh, Justice HS (Pictured)

"In the short time that Mr. Hirsh has worked here at Justice High School, he has had an enormous impact on our school and community. His positive influence shows when he greets students and staff with smiles and high fives each and every day. In only two years at Justice High School, he has built positive relationships with our students and staff and has managed to quickly earn the trust of our non-English speaking students; assuring them language is never a barrier to success. His open-door policy makes students feel free to come see him any time and when they arrive he always makes himself available to help, even for students who are not on his caseload. In any situation, his calm demeanor and sense of humor defuses difficult or upset students, and with his guidance, allows them the opportunity to think through their behavior. He is willing to do anything handed to him, including last-minute student requests or registrations. He welcomes newcomers and ensures new students have the supplies they need. He also ensures families are filling out lunch application forms, metro bus applications and matches them up with student ambassadors to make sure their first days at Justice go smoothly. Mr. Hirsh realized early on that the great majority of his newcomer students were not just new to the United States, but often new to their own families. Because of this, he created a group, consisting of male students, to talk about how it feels to be reunited with their family and how to deal with the issues that arise due to these circumstances. This “Reunification Group” has been a great resource and comfort to those students. He is truly a breath of fresh air and an immense asset to both Justice High School and the Justice Community."

- Brenda Mejia, Justice HS

-------

Region 3: Abby Boduch, Helen Luk, Megan McColley, Stacie Saucedo, Mary Wall, and Amy Wickham, Lynbrook ES

"Last night our remarkable ESOL team provided the students and families of Lynbrook with a special evening that celebrated the diversity and beauty of our community. This Multicultural Night is an annual event which these teachers work tirelessly to organize. There were stations with games from around the world, cultural display boards, international flags to color, food tasting, dancing, a fashion show where families could show off their native dress, family portraits taken where students will extend their learning with Photoshop, artwork around the school created by students, etc. You could see the pride on the faces of the families as they came together to share in this evening where diversity was celebrated. Our families from Vietnam, Afghanistan, El Salvador, Peru, Honduras, Mexico, Senegal, Ethiopia, Pakistan, and other nations found acceptance at this event. Our ESOL team truly understands how to support our children and community!"

- Karen Baxter, Lynbrook ES

-------

Region 4: Janice Dalton, Laurel Hill ES

"Janice is our principal and fearless leader. She prides herself on positive relationships, doing what's best for kids, and self-reflection. Janice practices what she preaches. Last week, she came into the staff lounge to eat lunch with teachers just to say hello. She is present in the building, popping into rooms, supporting her staff, celebrating the positives and always encouraging growth. She has her teacher's back by being a listening ear when they are problem-solving, attending CLTs, and supporting school committees such as the social committee. She makes time to do the big and little things, which seems impossible giving her job duties. She is always sharing her positive vibes through kudos notes for staff members. The notes are personalized and about a specific interaction, she observed or had with you making them meaningful and authentic. I know she cares about her staff and she lets them know it!"

- Marissa Williamson, Laurel Hill ES

-------

Region 4: Anne Buellesbach, Lake Braddock SS

"Confession: I never write letters of commendation. However, I really felt Ms. Anne Buellesbach deserved some recognition. Ms. Buellesbach was my daughter's 8th-grade Algebra teacher last year at LBSS. My daughter will be the first to tell you she "hates math". She has generally been in the low-level math grouping throughout school and even had something called "touch math" in 1st grade. When she came to me at the end of 7th-grade and told me she wanted to skip Math 8 and take Algebra in 8th-grade I was very hesitant. However, she was very motivated to do it and I agreed. The first quarter of Algebra I was rough. After just two weeks of school, she was feeling very lost; she had a D average and was very frustrated. I sent Ms. Buellesbach an email on a Sunday afternoon expressing my concern and asking for her advice on how to proceed. I expected an email response sometime the following week. To my surprise, she called me at home, on a Sunday, 30 minutes later. She spoke with me on the phone for at least 40 minutes, looked over my daughter's work and by the time we hung up we had a plan in place on how to go forward. She was available for my daughter, and other students, every morning before school and at least two days after school. My daughter took advantage of her generosity and went many mornings throughout the school year for extra help. She told me about all the other students Ms. Buellesbach would help before school, including previous students that were no longer in her Math class but came to her for help. My daughter ended up with a grade of C during the first quarter but ended the year with an A- in Algebra. Additionally, she scored a passed advanced on the Algebra SOL. Most importantly, she gained incredible confidence in her ability to learn math and has started Geometry with a very positive attitude (and very good grades). We are so blessed to have had Ms. Buellesbach last year and are so thankful for her generosity with her time and her concern for her students and believe it really made a difference for our daughter."

- a Lake Braddock SS parent

-------

Region 5: J Taylor, London Towne ES

"Mr. Taylor has gone above and beyond to help our son become the little boy he once was. After going through some tough times prior to this year, Mr. Taylor has opened our son's emotions back up, allowing him to trust again, hope again and most of all, love again. His confidence is soaring and he is believing in himself once again! Mr. Taylor, since day one, has had a tremendously positive attitude towards teaching and has done so much to help our son push through. He addresses him in kindness and patience. He has an extraordinary attitude toward teaching, helping and nurturing, not only our son but all of his students. We truly appreciate his dedication and love for all of the children that he teaches! We applaud, salute and honor Mr. Taylor for being a dynamic teacher with such compassion, dedication and drive to be the best teacher he can be for the future teachers, lawyers, doctors, etc! Job well done, Mr. Taylor!"

- a London Towne ES parent

Other FCPS Cares of the Month Submissions for October 2018

Jody Lawrence, Hughes MS

"As the Reading CLT Leader, Ms. Lawrence works hard every day to ensure all students in our building are being challenged and developing as readers. In addition to creating authentic projects for her students, Ms. Lawrence also organizes a weekly opportunity for students to read to a therapy dog in order to build fluency and stamina with reading. Additionally, she is an endless resource for reading strategies in the content areas. Ms. Lawrence's hard work, grit, and patience are great assets to our school community - both our faculty and our families."

- Danna Hailfinger, Hughes MS

-------

Katie Talbot, Lees Corner ES

"As of 11/1/2018, I am a new, single-parent of a 4th grader in Mrs.Talbot's class. Not only has Katie helped ME in a crash course from navigating the Kiss & Ride to dealing with my child's educational, emotional and behavioral needs/challenges, but she has also gone above and beyond in her support to my child. Most recent example: At 9:00 p.m. last night she did the unthinkable... she offered to call and talk my child through math problems that I was unable to help her with!!! I know she is respected by my child and I am forever grateful for the support she has shown to us in the 30 days she has been in my life!!!! Mrs. Talbot has clearly demonstrated her willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to help her students succeed. I can never thank her enough. I hope that FCPS will recognize the contribution she makes to the success of her students and their families. Thank you for the opportunity to nominate her."

- a Lees Corner ES parent

-------

Christina Perry, Susan Smith, Joyce Baker, Mervat Masoud, and Jill Boddie, Eagle View ES

"The ladies above work in our front office and are the first contact for our families and community. Each of them exceeds in their area of support whether it is parent communication, registrations, special ed support, substitute support, and attendance. They make it a point to greet everyone with a smile and make every effort to help teachers, students, and families. They are ready to jump in and mentor our students or support our PTA. Eagle View office team are the best! We are so very lucky to have them."

- Kanchana Iyer, Eagle View ES

-------

Jason Hutto, Holmes MS

"Jason is the website curator for the Holmes Middle School website. He takes such incredible ownership of the site in so many ways. The Holmes homepage has a beautiful welcome picture that instantly draws interest to the site and makes the students, faculty, parents, and community feel welcome. The homepage is chock-full of essential announcements that allow stakeholders to stay abreast of school happenings as well as a robust school events calendar, which helps these same individuals to subscribe to it using their own calendar tools so that they automatically receive the dates, times, and locations of noteworthy events of the school. An example of that is the upcoming Winter Musical that is showcased as a school event https://holmesms.fcps.edu/event/winter-musical-elf-jr. Also, he capitalizes on the school's Features section to include the “Principal’s Weekly Note” in a way that so effectively utilizes the teaser component of the website platform to allow the website visitor to preview that week’s note before having to even open up the message. Jason is an art teacher, and his eye and his ability to capture quality photos is evident throughout the site and is quickly visible on the school’s Features section https://holmesms.fcps.edu/features. The subpages continue the themes established from the homepage and continues to offer a snapshot of the school. The “About”, “Academics”, “Get Involved”, “Resources”, “Student Services” and more are full of relevant and current information that also provide links to additional information on the FCPS central site. The After-School Program section is set up in a way that makes all of the students at the school feel like there is something for them. Jason also employs some of the website’s automated features like the auto-fed News You Choose message as a school announcement and the online attendance form for parents to submit a student absence easily. The Holmes website is a beautiful, informative, and timely site and is one that I am proud that FCPS can show off as an example."

- Bryan Buser, Gatehouse

-------

Cristen Scharkowski, Bull Run ES

"I have to shout out Cristen Scharkowski at Bull Run Elementary school. I co-taught with her at Bull Run Elementary and have worked with her on the grade 4 team for two years as a special educator. Cristen always fosters a learning environment of improved literacy and supports special educators in their efforts to foster learning skills among learners with disabilities. Her inclusive approach is very supportive to all learners. I appreciate her warm and kind approach as a team leader and how she is open and transparent with her ideas and support. Cristen has a welcoming attitude towards learners and colleagues. I was so fortunate to work alongside her and co-teach Virginia History as well as be a part of mini-lessons and Language Arts instruction.
Cristen's read-alouds engage the students and when we meet in small groups; it is easy to connect ideas and help students become better readers. Thanks, Cristen for all you do and I loved working together!"

- a Bull Run colleague

-------

Lauryn Golden, Rocky Run MS

"Lauryn has and continues to be an amazingly creative person to collaborate with. We went through a cohort program at Mason 3 years ago, and while we have never worked in the same building she has always been approachable and full of exciting ideas. Recently, Lauryn created a Google sites activity that she graciously shared with me. My students enjoyed and benefited from tackling her "Avalanche" and it has inspired me to hone and develop stronger skills myself with Google sites."

- Brandon Kelley, Lake Braddock SS

-------

Klaudia Ortiz, Poplar Tree ES

"We had been meaning to recognize Klaudia earlier this school year as she truly goes above and beyond. Our daughter has multiple food allergies as well as type one diabetes, which is a tricky combination. Klaudia shows she truly cares and understands the severity of what may happen if things don't go as planned for lunch as it relates to our daughter. She proactively emails us if there is a change to the menu. She is always prompt and responses to our messages right away and she ensures that when our daughter is buying a meal that day, that the items she needs are there for her. Klaudia provides us peace of mind that our daughter is safe when buying lunch from the cafeteria. Thank you, Klaudia. What you do for our family means more than you know and you deserve to be recognized for going above and beyond."

- a Poplar Tree ES parent

-------

Rachel Warbelow, Groveton ES

"Rachel Warbelow is a dedicated special education teacher who exemplifies advocacy for her students. She demonstrates highly effective professionalism as our Local Screening Chair, and she works tirelessly to support not only her own special education students, but all students at Groveton. She contributes to our school culture positively serving on our Instructional Leadership Team. She is always willing to lend a helping hand whether it is one of her responsibilities or not. Our special education students (and all our students) are impacted positively thanks to the work of Rachel. Thank you, Ms. Warbelow."

- Kevin Morris, Groveton ES

-------

Carolyn Hilyard, Lake Braddock SS

"Carolyn Hilyard welcomed my five English 8 classes into the library for three days of extensive research. The time she spent creating a student-friendly Library Guide complete with shortcuts to databases, helpful links on how to cite sources, and an example of a final product is most appreciated. Carolyn is a willing collaborator, and I look forward to working with her in the future."

- Dana Gorman, Lake Braddock SS

-------

Katie Han, Gatehouse Administration Center

"This is a much overdue recognition to Katie Han from Language Services. A huge thank you to Katie for going above and beyond to support Rachel Carson Middle School. We appreciate Katie's willingness to help Carson MS find interpreters at the last minute to support our students and parents. We truly appreciate you and your leadership to support our community! Katie is such a great asset to FCPS and the definition of FCPS Cares! Thank you, Katie!"

- Christina Oh, Carson MS

-------

Nathaniel Davis, Willow Springs ES

"There are not enough words to describe the awesomeness that is Nate Davis. Daily, he works to meet the technology needs of staff and students at Willow Springs ES, often having to navigate moments of crisis when things stop working. He is quick to problem solve and finds solutions, always with a smile on his face. Nate recently helped me when my computer gave me the all too scary blue screen of death! Nate communicated the process needed to repair my computer to working order and ensured I had the necessary programs and applications installed when it was returned. Nate, thank you for being our go-to Mr. Fix-it! Your kindness, friendship, and support are appreciated more than you know."

- Manda Krimmer, Willow Springs ES

-------

Kathy Lehner, Amy Dodson, and Kristi Stout, Riverside ES

"I am so lucky to have such wonderful co-workers. During ECart testing all 3 of them helped me in some way. From helping me get the room ready, to getting supplies, and also assisting with breaks they were all willing to go the extra mile! I am thankful for them."

- Lorri Hallenbeck, Riverside ES

-------

Clare Ingram and Sue Houde, Mountain View HS

"A number of the students at Mountain View HS are on their own, are parents themselves, and have to work to support their families while also juggling their academic responsibilities. When a student at Mountain View HS, who is a mother of two, had her car break down, Mountain View HS staff members jumped to help support her and problem solved to get her the financial support she needed. Clare Ingram, a teacher at Mountain View HS, who is not the student's assigned teacher, reached out to a former Mountain View HS student who is a mechanic, for support. The former Mountain View HS student came to Mountain View HS, picked up the student's car, and even permitted the student to use his car so she would not be without a car. The mechanic, our former student, did not have a previous relationship with our student. The estimate for our student's car repair, just for the parts, was an amount that created a financial hardship for her. Sue Houde, the student's counselor, reached out to the Centreville Presbyterian Church (CPC) for financial support. CPC was willing and able to cover the cost of her repair. Clare Ingram and Sue Houde are two amazing staff members who consistently go above and beyond for our students and our school community. They embody the Mountain View HS values and motto of "Family | Love | Respect" and their commitment to our students. I am fortunate to work with them, learn from them, and be able to support our students with them."

- Claudia Pirouzan-Jones, Mountain View HS

-------

Emily Seman, Eli Tinkelman, Kathy Tucker, Leslie Morgan, Deb Storck, LeighAnn Jackson, Michelle Henry-D'Andrade and Brian Newburn, Hollin Meadows ES

"Wow! What an incredible group of professionals and we are so fortunate to have them at Hollin Meadows ES. They volunteered to participate in a panel discussion about Hollin Meadows ES as an inclusive school in recognition of Inclusive Schools Week at our PTA meeting. Parents were able to learn from our local screening chair, SLP, librarian, school counselor, special education & general education team teaching pair, ESOL teacher, and parent liaison. We sincerely appreciate each one of them and their gift of time in the evening to our school community. This was a true example of why Hollin Meadows ES & FCPS Cares!"

- Hollin Meadows ES PTA Board

-------

Michelle Henry-D'Andrade, Hollin Meadows ES

"Ms. Henry-D'Andrade, Local Screening Chair and Lead Special Education Teacher, collaborated with our PTA Board to organize a panel of specialists and teachers for our PTA meeting on November 28. In recognition of Inclusive Schools Weeks, she helped us identify a panel of 8 Hollin Meadows ES staff that volunteered their time and expertise to share with parents about Hollin Meadows ES being an inclusive school. She led the panel as well as answered several parent questions. We sincerely appreciated her time and willingness to share with our parent community and the many ways she supports all students and teachers at our school. Thank you Ms. Henry-D'Andrade - we appreciate you!"

- Hollin Meadows ES PTA Board

-------

Michael Ashton, Lorton Center Transportation

"Michael continually goes above and beyond working with students at TSRC Fairfax to get them to school. He worked especially hard today to advocate for some kids that have been overlooked too often. Thank you, Michael, for going above and beyond for our students."

- David Penland, Transition Support Resource Center

-------

Sunny Oak Lee, Fairview ES

"Sunny noticed that we had two broken globes in our classroom. Without asking, Sunny took it upon herself to repair the two globes. I walked into my 6th-grade classroom to the two "new" globes. My students were thrilled and thankful. Sunny constantly is looking out for others and is aware of what is needed without anything being said to her. Sunny also noticed a broken small laminator in my trash can. She repaired it and returned to me without ever saying a thing. Sunny is a true gem."

- April Cascio, Fairview ES

-------

Nicole Jacobs, Fairfax Villa ES

"Nicole always goes above and beyond, but today, about 30 minutes before we were getting ready to go to the bus, one of the instructional assistants noticed that a student’s transport stroller was loose. We called Nicole to ask her what she thought it might be. She suggested we FaceTime to see if she could help us troubleshoot the problem. When she saw the issue she said she needed to come over to the school. She stopped what she was doing at another school and came straight over to help us fix the stroller so the student could safely ride the bus home. I want her to be recognized for this because she truly is exceptional."

- Mikaela Moore, Fairfax Villa ES

-------

Angela Rabette, Willow Oaks

"Angela does a lot for FCPS ESOL teachers and our schools, so this is a little thing. However, I couldn't get logged in for an ESOL PD event and she jumped in and did it for me! With all that is always on our plate, sometimes it's the little stuff that pushes us (me) over the edge. I appreciate that she'll just fix it! Thanks for all you do, Angela!"

- Beth Cahill, Greenbriar East ES

-------

Millie Perez-Tobar and Belvedere ES Pre-K Bus Drivers

"We are so grateful to Millie and the Belvedere Pre-K Bus drivers! Millie worked with the morning and midday drivers to arrange for our PM Preschool Students to get to and from Belvedere for our morning field trip. Millie and the drivers set up extra bus stops for this day and communicated the times to all families beforehand to ensure that all went smoothly. We know that FCPS transportation staff is very busy, day in and day out; we are so appreciative to Millie and our drivers for taking the time to help our preschoolers access their field trip to the pumpkin patch. Thank you for being so helpful to our students and their families!"

- Kate Kozeliski and the Belvedere ES Pre-K Team

-------

Eileen Walsh, Laurie Stiles and Laura Wells, Annandale HS

"As an educator, It is truly an amazing feeling to watch students SOAR into Success! For the past four years, I have been working as the XSTREAM Programs Coordinator at Braddock Elementary School. One of the goals with our XSTREAM Program was to "Build Community" with students at Annandale HS. I wanted to provide opportunities for students at the High School to connect with students at Braddock Elementary to work together on programs and projects that involve Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics. At the beginning of the school year, a Senior at Annandale HS and President of the Green Atoms Environmental Action Club, sent me an email message in hopes of developing a partnership to bring about awareness of elementary students about Environmental issues. Braddock ES and Annandale HS had worked together briefly on a WaterShed project last school year. This student was part of the Green Atoms and worked on the project. I believe she was so excited about the project that it sparked the need to seek out other projects that both schools could work on together. I was so excited to hear from her! The student-initiated dialogue about both schools working together this school year on Environment Awareness. We discussed working on the Braddock ES Outdoor Learning Spaces and Recycling Awareness Project. Thanks to sponsors like Ms. Wells, Ms. Stiles, and Ms. Walsh, this Annandale HS student is truly making her "Dreams Come True!" This young lady is so determined and driven to make this program a success! We have students from Annandale HS volunteering to assist Braddock Elementary School with completing projects we want to accomplish. Both of our schools are collaborating with the FCPS Get to Green Office to "Make A Difference" in our community as well as meet the goals and objectives of Portrait of A Graduate. I had to share the success of the Wonderful "Student-Led" project and the work of the sponsors of the Green Atoms and the Avid Program. The student has so much passion about this project and every time I hear from her, I am excited and driven to support her! None of this would be possible if the sponsors were not supportive in making this project succeed! So grateful for the caring sponsors, Director of Student Services and a passionate student who has motivated fellow classmates to "Give Back" to their community!"

- Joyce Matthews, Braddock ES

-------

Ellen Goldberger, Olde Creek ES

"I don't even know where to start with Ellen. Her number one priority is the well being of all students and staff. Working within the Comprehensive Services Site, Ellen is always working with students and staff on the implementation of interventions but also thinking outside the box on how to address each individual student's needs. She has been so helpful with staff when creating new behavior plans and also keeping all parents in the loop on these interventions. She is a team player and always has a can-do attitude. I have no idea what I would do without her! Thank you, Dr. G!"

- Bianca Ramos, Olde Creek ES

-------

Shavonne Noble, Kelly Parnell, Freddi Markson, Miriam Clay, Mark Zepkin, Pulley Career Center

"This year we started a Special Olympics basketball team for our students. Shavonne, Kelly, Freddi, Miriam, and Mark, stepped up for our students and have agreed to coach this season. The coaches held an athlete meeting to pump the kids up for the season as well as vote on a team mascot. Today was our first practice, and thanks to Shavonne's detailed practice schedule and our athletes' enthusiasm the practice was a huge success! Pulley is so lucky to have staff dedicated to assisting students both in and outside of the classroom. Here's to a wonderful first basketball season! Thank you, coaches, for your dedication for the next 2.5 months!"

- Heather Padgett, Pulley Career Center

-------

Arielle Banal, Riverside ES

"I would like to recognize Arielle Banal for being AWESOME. This is her 2nd year as an ESOL teacher. She has stepped up as the team lead and is leading her team to success. She is positive, committed, intentional, and extremely supportive of her team members, classroom teachers, and all of our students. On our school planning day, she co-planned and co-facilitated an amazing PD on for our staff that helped to shift the mindset of our teachers to one in which a collective responsibility for our ELs is valued and a desire to learn effective strategies to teach ELs is a priority. It has been such a pleasure working with this year. I am excited to watch her continue to grow in her leadership."

- Gina O'Neal, Riverside ES

-------

Lucy Hamilton, McNair ES

"Lucy is a first-year strings teacher split between two schools. As a new teacher, she does her very best to stay involved with both school communities by communicating regularly with school administration and her colleagues. She enjoys sharing new ideas and appreciates the feedback she receives from the administration as a way to improve her instructional practices to best serve students. She also does an exceptional job honoring both school-wide and division-wide practices and regulations. She keeps this at the forefront of her work. She is a rising star in FCPS; we are grateful that she supports the strings program at McNair!"

- Melissa Goddin, McNair ES

-------

David Hoover, Janet Montgomery, James Yang, Woodson-IT

"We are so very thankful for the prompt response that these (3) FCPS colleagues truly went above and beyond assisting a problem with our projector in our training workshop room. Without a hitch, they all worked in tandem and quickly resolved our issue so that the PRC can continue holding 4 workshops this week, and the necessity of having our projector working! We are so grateful for the prompt response and are true FCPS "rockstars!"

- Rita Berlin and Mary Harrison-Cunningham

-------

Sarah Grogan, Clearview ES

"Sarah goes above and beyond for all staff. As the math specialist in the building, she makes sure to support both teachers and students and goes above and beyond helping all to ensure the needs of ALL learners are being met. Last year as my first year in FCPS, she made me feel welcome and supported. Sarah makes sure that all the teachers have the latest resources to teach all learners and that students are always working on their conceptual understanding."

- Daphne Holliday, Clearview ES

-------

Austin Isaac, Lake Braddock SS and Michelle Keenan, Kings Glen ES

"Mr. Isaac and Dr. Keenan together provided a free after-school program for middle and high school bass and cello players from the area to participate in a low strings ensemble. They held rehearsals each week in the evening on their own time, provided music, and ended with a fantastic concert for the community. Their passion for music and the students are always evident and this was just another example of the many ways both of these teachers consistently go above and beyond. Our community is truly blessed to have such passionate, innovative, invested, talented and caring teachers like Mr. Isaac and Dr. Keenan."

- a Lake Braddock Community member

-------

Maria Hernandez, Woodburn ES

"Ms. Maria Hernandez, aka Maria/Senora Hernandez is a custodian at Woodburn. From 6:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m., Maria works hard to keep the school clean and safe. She puts salt down on the slippery pavement in the winter. She is cleaning and helping in the cafeteria as well as the rest of the building each day. Maria is very precise about her cleaning and specific about cleanly habits. She is very capable and able to do a great job of whatever is asked of her. What a wonderful employee Mrs. Hernandez is for our school!"

- a Woodburn ES Community member

-------

Cara Engel, Marshall HS

"This brief glimpse is but one of many, too many to count, of ways Ms. Engel has helped my kids. She is a guidance counselor with hundreds of students on her caseload but knows both of my vastly different children so well and advocates for them both in different ways. On this most recent occasion, right in the middle of her college crazy season, she helped our sophomore son to approach his English teacher to find out what he could do to dig out of a bad situation, with just one week left in the quarter. He was uncomfortable about talking to his teacher about what exactly he could do, and Ms. Engel took time from her busy week to communicate with several parties (teacher, student, parents) to make a plan for my son to succeed. She is a marvel. She has also helped both of my children with so many things at school: various emotional concerns; she was the sole advocate and voice of calm, steady reason when my son needed to change his schedule and his IEP case manager was not responsive and we had no one else to turn to; she has entertained my daughter's yearly scheduling angst and helped her make decisions (even calling a college to find out what the different possible ramifications might be); she has advocated for both of my children in various settings; and mostly, let my children know that she values them for who they are. She is an extremely capable, diligent, and caring force for good. I don't know how we'd survive high school without her!"

- A Marshall HS parent

-------

Margaret Gunggoll, Stratford Landing ES

"Margaret Gunggoll is an amazing teacher who has worked for many years in FCPS. Last year after a wonderful career Margaret retired. This school year, Margaret has worked as a sub and volunteered extensively in our community, including supporting our third-grade class. I am so thankful because my daughter is among the students who were lucky enough to learn from her. Margaret, as always, poured her heart and soul into ensuring these students had a strong start to the school year, she built a community in their classroom and made all her students feel safe and confident. We cannot thank Margaret enough for her love and dedication to our students and her passion for being a teacher."

- a Stratford Landing ES parent

-------

Brandon Cameron, South County HS

"Lunch duty isn't the most glamorous of responsibilities but the times I have had lunch duty alongside Mr. Cameron, I have noticed how much he is constantly moving around and interacting with kids. I know our kids appreciate this and it goes a long way in building positive relationships with students. Keep up the good work, Brandon!"

- Brett Garner, South County HS

-------

Joanna Newton, Woodlawn ES

"I am a first-year teacher and Joanna, the literacy coach, has been tremendous help to me. We meet once a week to plan and she helps me plan whatever I need help with. She consistently comes in my room and models lessons, guided reading groups, and reading conferences for me. She has been so much help to me so far this school year and I look forward to continuing to work with her."

- Laura Karmen, Woodlawn ES

-------

Janelle Pace, Newington Forest ES

"Mrs. Pace was my mentor teacher this fall during my field experience at Newington Forest Elementary School. She took her time explaining her lessons and strategies to me while offering me so much encouragement and support. She was patient, kind, and welcoming; I was a part of her classroom from day one. It was also a joy observing her interactions with her students. It was clear she had a great relationship with them and they all absolutely loved and trusted her. Mrs. Pace is a gifted mentor and teacher and I value everything I learned while in her classroom."

- a student teacher

-------

Kelsey Zook, Mensah Afrane, Tysonia Babineaux, Lee HS

"The 9th grade PE team who is leading their students through a whole new Health curriculum this year. While attending to the needs of all their classes, Kelsey, Mensah, and Tysonia epitomize the IB learner profile traits balanced, caring, reflective, principled and risk takers. Balanced: As teacher-leaders, they set the bar high for their students and demonstrate every day the balance between intellectual, physical and emotional balance. The new health curriculum will culminate with a student-run health fair. Kelsey, Mensah, and Tysonia have created a timeline with clear guidance for their students, collaborated with the librarians in order to ensure their students will have access to quality resources and receive instruction and support on how best to conduct research. They provide daily encouragement to help each and every student achieve their goals. Risk takers: Our 9th grade PE teachers have definitely approached this new curriculum with a lot of courage and forethought. Their positivity and willingness to dive in and try something new combined with skillful preparation create an atmosphere where students feel supported will ultimately lead to student achievement. Caring: It is a pleasure to collaborate with Kelsey, Mensah, and Tysonia because they have created an environment of respect and compassion in their classrooms. They are committed to their students and strive to meet their students where they are and encourage each student to reach their full potential. Reflective: Likewise, after each class, they take the time to reflect on what worked and what didn’t work and make adjustments in order to make each lesson the best it can be. Principled: Kelsey, Mensah and Tysonia model what it means to act with integrity and honesty. One small example of this is that they are requiring their students to cite their sources in proper MLA format."

- Mimi Marquet & Lisa Koch, Lee HS

-------

Rachel Perella, Willow Oaks

"Rachel Perella is a Behavior Support Teacher for the Office of Special Education Instruction. Rachel provides coaching for staff on implementation of intervention recommendations supporting staff and students across the district. We greatly appreciate her positive approach and caring attitude."

- Sara Cooner, Willow Oaks

-------

Michele Tureaud, Willow Oaks

"Michele Tureaud is a Behavior Intervention Teacher in the Office of Special Education Instruction. Michele has provided outstanding services and supports for the schools assigned in her Region. Michele has also provided more expanded supports for training initiatives beyond our office to include Great Beginnings. She has taken the lead in staff development opportunities in our office to support this need across the district."

- Sara Cooner, Willow Oaks

-------

Jenn Scott, Willow Oaks

"Jenn Scott is a Behavior Intervention Teacher in the Office of Special Education Instruction. Jenn provides extensive supports for the schools in the Region she is assigned. Additionally, Jenn supports our team with technology expertise as we expand our training initiatives throughout the Region. She is innovative and dedicated to our office of Behavior Intervention Services. Jenn is an outstanding BIT!"

- Sara Cooner, Willow Oaks

-------

Lori Kraden, Willow Oaks

"Lori Kraden is a Behavior Intervention Teacher for the Office of Special Education Instruction. Lori's approach to the most challenging situations is always with positivity and opportunity to promote research and capacity building for the schools in the Region she supports. Lori goes above and beyond to support her team at large. Her support in Behavior Intervention Services is greatly valued and appreciated. She never gives up!"

- Sara Cooner, Willow Oaks

-------

Katie Boxer, Willow Oaks

"Katie Boxer is a Behavior Intervention Teacher, Office of Special Education instruction. Katie's dedication to our office and to the schools in the assigned Region has been commendable. Katie spends extensive time and support to increase capacity building within her Region schools. She continually researches to provide resources to meet the extensive needs of staff and students. Katie approaches situations with positivity that provides hope!"

- Sara Cooner, Willow Oaks

-------

Ashley Enright, Willow Oaks

"Ashley Enright is a Behavior Intervention Teacher in the Office of Special Education Instruction. She is very dedicated to her profession and has gone above and beyond to support the schools in her Region assigned. Additionally, Ashley provides extensive dedication to our team at large with training while researching Best Practices. Her positive approach is highlighted as a team support for our office."

- Sara Cooner, Willow Oaks

-------

Robin Yuckenberg, Willow Oaks

"I want to commend Robin Yuckenberg for her many years of support in the Office of Special Education Instruction, Behavior Intervention Services. Robin is always willing to provide support for her colleagues within in assigned Region. She has provided extensive resources for her the staff and students she supports within her Region. I want to express my thanks and gratitude for her support and contributions to our office."

- Sara Cooner, Willow Oaks

-------

Laurie Hilton, Willow Oaks

"Laurie Hilton provides extensive supports and services for the assigned schools in her assigned Region. She is a valued member of our team in the office of Special Education, Behavior Intervention Services. Laurie always approaches the most difficult situations with a positive approach and optimism. I want to commend Laurie for being such a great member of our team."

- Sara Cooner, Willow Oaks

-------

Patti Page, Patti Page

"Patti Page is a Behavior Intervention Teacher who supports the Office of Special Education Instruction. Patti provides extensive supports for the schools in her assigned Region. She provides countless hours researching resources with care and concern for staff and students she supports. Patti always gives from the heart."

- Sara Cooner, Willow Oaks

-------

Trish Palmer, Willow Oaks

"Trish Palmer is a Behavior Intervention Services who provides care and support for staff and students in the schools within her assigned Region. I want to acknowledge Trish as a staff who provides resources and for staff within her assigned Region. Trish always puts the needs of student first."

- Sara Cooner, Willow Oaks

-------

Mandy Kuykendall, Willow Oaks

"Mandy Kuykendall spends numerous hours researching and collaborating with our team and Office of Special Education Instruction to provide extensive resources and supports for all the schools she services in her assigned Region. I want to recognize Mandy for her numerous contributions as one of our newest members of our team in Behavior Intervention Services."

- Sara Cooner, Willow Oaks

-------

Megan Neforos, Holmes MS

"Ms. Neforos consistently goes above and beyond for her students. As a parent, it brings me so much peace to know she is there watching out for my student. It was hard for me to pick a 'date of experience' because my student has been at Holmes for 3 years and every year has been the same....she cares, she makes herself available to them, she listens to them, but mostly she makes a difference in their lives. My student cannot imagine a time when Ms. Neforos isn't in his life. That is a testament to the difference she makes every day in the lives of students at Holmes Middle School. We consider ourselves blessed for having had her be our student's counselor, and friend, for the last three years."

- a Holmes MS parent

-------

Kellen Scott, South County HS

"Ms. Scott is one of our marketing teachers and a gymnastics coach. Each time I interact with her I am moved by her energy and enthusiasm for her work and support for our kids. Thanks for all that you do, Coach Scott!"

- Brett Garner, South County HS

-------

Jennifer Eury, Greenbriar East ES

"I don't know what I would have done without your support last Tuesday-both during and after giving the NNAT assessment!"

- Kelley Hargreaves, Greenbriar East ES

-------

Jen Szczesniak, Providence ES

"I had the pleasure of working with Jen during the first quarter of school. Jen is an amazing teacher and I got to witness first hand how she reaches out to each student, captivating and drawing them into whatever she is teaching. From the moment someone enters her room (whether it be an adult or child) there is a warm, welcoming environment. Jen connects with students and her caring and enthusiasm are apparent to every child lucky enough to have her as a teacher. Jen greets each of her students at the door to her classroom with an individualized greeting (handshake, hand motion, dance, etc.) for every one of them. She dismisses them at the end of the day in the same manner. Jen, you are a true example of FCPS Cares. I am so thankful that I was able to spend time in your class and work with you! Thank you for all you do for the kids at PES and for motivating kids to learn while having fun along the way."

- Stacy Greene, Providence ES

-------

Annemarie Cartwright, Greenbriar East ES

"Thank you for volunteering to be part of Literacy Night when you didn't have to be here. You also created a wonderful title for your activity - "Books That Sing." I also really appreciate that you didn't run for the hills when I sent all the early parents and children to your room."

- Konnie Cassidy, Greenbriar East ES

-------

Leslie Kendall, Bull Run ES

"Leslie was a rock star presenter to our preschool staff today. She is so very knowledgeable about speech and language. She shared so many great handouts and reconfirmed so many best practices. Thank you so much!!"

- a fellow educator

-------

Maria Mendez, Riverside ES

"Just wanted to say great job to Maria for being aware of the crosswalk and walkers around Riverside. Today while I was waiting to cross Old Mount Vernon Highway to pick up my kids, Maria came to a very good complete stop to allow me to cross safely. Thank you, Maria, for looking out for the public!"

- a Riverside ES parent

-------

Ingrid Wheatley, Riverside ES

"Ingrid Wheatley is an office assistant at Riverside who embodies our school motto of "Effort and Attitude" every day. She arrives early and begins her day by brightening up the office and even with a formal "Good Morning Riverside!" greeting that she sings as she walks into the office.
These past few years we have made a strong improvement in the area of Community Outreach and Ingrid has been an integral part of our success. Not only does she welcome every visitor with a smile, but she is extremely thorough as she goes about her business making sure that customer care meets the highest of standards. She is timely with her assigned tasks, she gets things done without error, and always looks for ways to support her colleagues. Ingrid is a tremendous support to our admin team especially when we have one of our many community events. She inventories supplies, makes runs to the grocery store when needed, and will even bring our table linens home to wash after the event is over. She does it all with a smile and we appreciate her efforts here at Riverside more than she knows."

- Paul Basdekis, Riverside ES

-------

Doug Anderson, Gatehouse Administration Center

"We had a medical emergency and Doug was quick to hold elevator #4 for EMS so they could get up and down quickly."

- Dianne Crandall, Gatehouse Administration Center

-------

Melissa Dicker, Greenbriar East ES

"Thank you for assisting in getting progress reports ready for distribution with a lot of patience."

- Molly Donnelly, Greenbriar East ES

-------

Liz Caligiuri, Greenbriar East ES

"Thank you for helping with technology which allowed us to do some great projects!"

- Molly Donnelly, Greenbriar East ES

-------

Beth Cahill, Greenbriar East ES

"Thank you for going above and beyond to schedule translated conferences."

- Molly Donnelly, Greenbriar East ES

-------

Bao Luu, Timber Lane ES

"Thank you Bao for all the support that you give to Timber Lane Elementary every day. You go above and beyond to make sure that our student and staff needs are met. We appreciate all the hard work that you do for us. YOU ROCK! "

- Kimberly Cook, Timber Lane ES

-------

Susan Kim, Lake Braddock SS

"Ms. Kim had an incident that involved a student and a potential honor code violation. While Ms. Kim could've taken a strictly punitive approach in submitting this violation to the honor council and washed her hands of the student, but instead took the opportunity to have the student grow and learn from the experience while still holding high standards for her student. We are extremely lucky to have teachers like Susan Kim on our staff at Lake Braddock!"

- Tony DiBari, Lake Braddock SS

-------

Erin Lear, Bren Mar Park ES

"Erin is the awesome AP at Bren Mar Park ES! I stepped in short-term as the interim principal at the beginning of October and want to recognize Erin because she has demonstrated an incredible amount of leadership during the transition. She is fully invested in the students, staff, and community. She is focused on ensuring that Bren Mar Park continues to be a place of excellence for all until a new principal joins the BMP Mustangs!"

- Pamela Morgan, Bren Mar Park ES

-------

Laurie McKinney, Greenbriar East ES

"Thank you for always being helpful when I need help!"

- Margie Krotman, Greenbriar East ES

-------

Lori Purvis, Greenbriar East ES

" I would like to thank Lori for her help! She is always willing to give me a hand. I DONUT know what I would do without you!"

- Lilly Shin, Greenbriar East ES

-------

Jane Thatcher, Annandale Terrace ES

"Ms. Thatcher is a social worker from Annandale Terrace Elementary School and she is the kind of person who has gone above and beyond to provide once in a lifetime opportunities for students and families. My daughter and nieces were fortunate enough to benefit from a variety of programs in school such as getting community service hours, volunteering at school with the food program. Ms. Thatcher has demonstrated exceptional professionalism, she has collaborated, communicated and worked in partnership with students and families. Ms. Thatcher also provided us with counseling and a variety of programs to the school community. Ms. Thatcher graciously donated her own time and wisdom in supporting my daughter, nieces, school and co-workers."

- an Annandale Terrace ES parent

-------

Jillian Laferriere, Greenbriar East ES

"The GBE PAC team would love to thank Jillian for her helping hands during dismissal. We "Donut" know what we would have done without you."

- Green Briar East ES PAC Team, Greenbriar East ES

-------

Yolma Torres, Holmes MS

"Ms. Torres is a guidance counselor from Holmes Middle School who has gone above and beyond to provide once in a lifetime opportunities for her students. My daughter and nieces were fortunate enough to benefit from a variety of programs in and outside of school. Ms. Torres has demonstrated exceptional professionalism, she has collaborated, communicated and worked in partnership with students and families. Ms. Torres also provided us with a wonderful straightening the family program, she helped us get information about counseling, she also provided information about the George Mason EIP program. Ms. Yolma Torres graciously donated her own time and wisdom in supporting my daughter and nieces. That's why I am nominating her because she is a wonderful and caring person, and she is always there for all the students that need her help."

- a Holmes MS parent

-------

Kate Fraser, Bull Run ES

"This is the second year that Kate has been my son's special education teacher. I was extremely nervous about my son starting kindergarten last year, due to his special needs and the level of support that he requires. Kate went out of her way to ensure that his transition would be smooth and that he would make progress throughout the school year. With that being said, he mastered almost all of his IEP goals and made even more progress than expected. At the end of the year, it was determined by the IEP team that he would be best served in a Non-CAT class for first grade. We were so blessed to find out that Kate would be teaching this primary Non-CAT class that our son would be in. Again so far this school year, Kate has gone above and beyond to make sure he is getting his needs met, and challenging him at the same time! She continues to keep a consistent open line of communication with us, provides feedback and suggestions, and also communicates with his outside service provider. Although he can't verbally express it, he comes home so happy every day from school, and gets excited each morning to go to school. We know he adores his teacher!!!! Kate has been such a blessing to our son and to us. I rest easy each night knowing that his teacher truly has his best interest in mind at all times. Bull Run is so lucky to have her, Kate is definitely an asset."

- a Bull Run ES parent

-------

Nishi Langhorne, McLean HS

"Nishi did an amazing job facilitating a session on using technology to support authentic assessment at the Secondary Literacy Symposium! This is a high-interest topic to many people as we move closer to having equity in access to computers via FCPSOn, and feedback suggests that session participants walked away feeling empowered to try something new or reimagine something they've been doing for a long time. Thank you, Nishi, for sharing your expertise!"