Superintendent's Weekly Reflections
Hello Team FCPS!
What another great week!! This weather continues to be so beautiful and reminds us of the many gifts we have to celebrate. As I think about these summer days, I am reminded of the last two lines of the Mary Oliver poem, “The Summer Day,” on this topic; “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” I love the provocation as we experience so many wonderful moments this season. Thank you one and all, your work matters.
Last Monday was a whirlwind as we officially kicked off the 2024-25 school year! Thank you one and all for such a smooth start, I continue to hear so many positive comments in the community. On the first day of classes, I started my day well before the sun was up with a quick trip to Madison High School (for a 4:45 am media start), then over to Marshall High School. At both schools, students and staff were filled with excitement as the marching band, cheer team, and football team amped up the anticipation of the new school year! Go Warhawks!! Go Statesmen!!
From Marshall, I jetted to my next location, Justice High School. Counselor Wilson Harvey (pictured above) went all out with face paint sporting the school’s colors. In an effort to boost school attendance (and moods!) Harvey implemented “High-Five Fridays” where he greets students with a high-five at the main entrance each Friday. Because of the special occasion, he had a high-fiving Monday to start off the school year strong. Love it!
It was wonderful to greet Justice’s new principal, Sean Rolon, and see all of the school spirit from staff and students welcoming students on their first day. After the cheerleaders easily convinced me to learn one of their cheers, I met Dayana (pictured below), a junior who is excited to try out for girls wrestling this winter, one of our two new sports this year (the other is boys volleyball which starts this fall). Good luck Dayana and go Wolves!!
After Justice, I was on to West Potomac High School (go Wolverines!!) and Forestdale Elementary School (go Falcons!!). I also stopped and spent a bit of time at Mount Vernon HS (go Majors!!) Everywhere I turned, I was so energized by the spirit of staff and students alike… There’s something so optimistic and exciting about the first day of school. And here at FCPS, we have so much to be optimistic and excited about!!
Next I visited West Springfield Elementary School (go Mustangs!!) and Irving Middle School (go Horsemen!!), before visiting Keene Mill (go Kangas!!) and Newington Forest (go Knights!!) elementary schools. When it comes to our kindergarteners, the first-ever day of school can be a challenge — it’s a big change for students (and for families). Thank you to our families and to Team FCPS for going the extra mile to increase students’ confidence and readiness.
My final school visits were to Sangster Elementary School (go Falcons!!), followed by Cherry Run Elementary School (go Cardinals!!). Whew, what a whirlwind of a day! I’m so proud of each of you as we celebrate a smooth, strong FCPS start to the year! Be sure to watch our First Day of School 2024 video for a recap (including my valiant attempt at cheering with the talented Justice cheerleaders!) and to see all of our learners — from our kindergartners with their adorably big backpacks to our proud 12th graders at senior sunrise — getting ready for a wonderful year of learning, connecting, and growing.
I started the second day of school with a bright and early visit to Herndon Middle School, where students and staff were continuing their strong start to the school year. Go Hawks!! Next I stopped by Herndon High School — the energy was buzzing when I arrived to meet these excited Hornets! The administration greeted me in their Tropical Tuesday dress. Thank you Liz and Phil ;>)
I stopped in Liz Grozis’ Algebra class where students were reviewing math vocabulary. She’s been doing incredible work helping our multilingual learners get caught up in math skills. Great things are happening at Herndon!
Then I stopped into Kate Hutton’s English class, where we discussed what makes good writing “good.” The students talked about trust, risk taking, collaboration, and paying attention to details. These are skills that contribute to being a good writer, but they also seem so important to being good educators and leaders. Maybe all of us should sit in on Kate’s lesson! Thank you, Kate — and every teacher — for the amazing lessons you’re offering our students through your teaching and actions each day. Go Hornets!!
Next I flew over ;>) to Forestville Elementary School to check in on the Cardinals who are beginning their school year learning how to “SOAR.” The acronym can be found throughout the school. It reminds students to stay Safe, Open-minded, Accountable, and Respectful. I visited second grade students who were exploring how they might incorporate the SOAR values into their classroom rules. These second graders were being led by Carleigh Johnson, a teacher in her second year who started out as a substitute at the school. Thank you for becoming a valued member of Team FCPS, Carleigh!
Jennifer Donlan’s sixth grade math class was busy reviewing math concepts with buddies. Jennifer is beginning her 25th year as a valued educator — congratulations! I enjoyed seeing her students remind each other of how to follow patterns and reach answers. It’s always a treat to see our students grow their math and STEAM skills in the classroom. With 84% of career choices determined by math, Algebra by eighth grade is one measure of our 2023-30 Strategic Plan’s Goal 3: Academic Growth and Excellence. Go Cardinals!!
Afterward I popped in to see Armstrong Elementary School — go Eagles!! Next was Centre Ridge Elementary School, which has a number of beautiful murals, including the one in the library below. How many literary characters can you spot?
At Centre Ridge I was joined by Principal Jen Hertzberg. Jen is in her third year at Centre Ridge, with more than 20 years in FCPS. Thank you for your dedication, Jen! She was excited to tell me about all of the ways in which Centre Ridge supports its diverse community, including new resources for families to reinforce students’ literacy learning at home and ongoing professional development to support multilingual learners through Project GLAD (Guided Language Acquisition Design). Jen also shared the school’s successful efforts in improving chronic absenteeism. Between school years 2022-23 and 2023-24, the rate of chronically absent students went from about one in four students to less than one in 10 — wow!
Our first stop was Molly Meranda’s sixth grade classroom, and on the way we passed students carrying their AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) binders to their next class. AVID helps students develop college and career readiness through critical skills such as organization, communication, and collaboration. A key component is that students store all of their notes and work for school in one sturdy binder — good thing these young Eagles have strong wings!
The sixth graders we visited were starting an exercise about their hopes and dreams for this school year. Physically writing down goals has been shown to help us remember and achieve them, and I know these young Eagles will soar to new heights!
Next was Grace Kim’s music classroom, pictured above. Grace recently graduated from Vanderbilt University and is a new teacher this year. She strummed a ukulele as her first grade class joined in a song, with the verses sung in different tempos and voices. The students did a great job of following along, and it was a joy to watch how engaged the class was. Centre Ridge and FCPS are glad to have you, Grace!
Before I left, Jen also told me about a new special at Centre Ridge called Creatology. Jen said that “Creatology is the study of creativity! This unique special, afforded to students in grades pre-K-6, combines STEAM, Advanced Academics, and AVID strategies to support our county’s Portrait of a Graduate aims. Students engage in a wide variety of inquiry-based learning experiences, including the engineering design process and project-based learning. We are excited to see how our students develop an innovator’s mindset and apply their Portrait of a Graduate skills across all aspects of their day!” It sounds like a great way for students to apply their learning across multiple disciplines. Go Eagles!!
Next I visited Centreville Elementary School, which is just down the road from Centre Ridge. I was joined by Principal Josh Douds and staff, and we ran into Centreville student Jude, pictured below. Jude’s father recently retired from the Army, and Jude spoke about his experiences as a military-connected FCPS student in a video we’ll be releasing during Blue Star Welcome Week September 21-29. Stay tuned!
Jude was on his way to get a book from Centreville’s new book vending machine — I just had to see it in action! Jude picked a book from the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series, which I haven’t read but seems to be quite popular. Josh shared, “We raised money as a school to purchase the machine and books through Boosterthon. A token for the book machine is given to a student who exemplifies our motto: ‘We are growing, we are kind, and we belong.’ This student goes above and beyond, has had an impact on our school or community, and/or consistently demonstrates positive character traits in alignment with our school motto/vision. The students are extremely excited about the opportunity to earn books from the machine.” Very cool idea!
We first visited a kindergarten class, where students were building with blocks and working with dominoes during free choice time. These are classic games, but they also help introduce basic math and physics concepts. It’s never too early to get little learners excited for STEAM! Next we visited an early autism classroom, where students were hard at work filling in dates and days on a smartboard calendar. Then we stopped by Danielle Delo’s first grade classroom, which was in the middle of a literacy lesson. Danielle did a wonderful job of keeping the students engaged through a mix of verbal and physical exercises as they practiced their letters and sounds.
Our next stop was Tammi Milburn’s classroom. Tammi first joined the Centreville Elementary community as a parent. Then she joined the PTA, became a substitute, worked as an instructional assistant, and is now teaching second grade! Her students were busy reading, including one student with another “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” book (maybe a sign that I should borrow a copy and see what all the fuss is about!). Another student was reading about fairies, and we discussed whether or not they’re real. Opinions were mixed, but one girl informed me that at the very least the Tooth Fairy must be real, since she’d recently received $10 for her two front teeth. This Tooth Fairy must be running quite a lucrative business :>)! Afterward, we were off to Christine Fowler’s classroom, where students were carefully making name posters with bubble letters. There was a lot of precision work with rulers! Before we left, we saw the school’s “Youseum,” where staff had placed flags and mementos from their various cultures. There were beautiful dolls, artwork, books, and other representations. It was lovely! I’m told that there will soon be a student version, and I can’t wait to see it. Go Eagles!!
I want to provide a shout out to the Transportation Department as they too hit the ground running for the first week of school. They conducted back to school prep meetings in each of their 5 areas the week prior to school starting to ensure they were ready – love the prior planning. They manage 33,000 bus stops with 3,000 routes in the morning and afternoon. Many of our drivers arrive at their bus at 5:00am to begin their pre-drive checklists and finish their day parking the bus at 6:00pm. On any given day, there are 22,000 plus radio calls between dispatch and drivers to ensure we have as smooth a transportation day as possible. We started the week at 4.3% late buses and ended the week at 2.1%, improving every day. Well done Transportation!
On Tuesday I joined my regular quarterly meeting with the president of George Mason University, Gregory Washington, and the president of Northern Virginia Community College, Anne Kress. These meetings help align FCPS with higher education expectations, ensuring that students are well-prepared for college and career opportunities. Supported and successful transitions leading to high school graduation and postsecondary opportunities are a key measure of the 2023-30 Strategic Plan’s Goal 5: Leading for Tomorrow's Innovation. Learning happens best in community and we have an amazing community!!
Last Wednesday evening I attended Back to School Night at Churchill Road Elementary School. Kathleen Sweeney, who teaches multilingual learners, shared details about the special art installation at the school, pictured below. She said that “Over the summer Churchill Road’s students and staff were challenged to collect a cup of dirt or sand from their summer journeys in Virginia, around the United States, and abroad.
Since the Open House, students have been carrying in baggies, bottles, and jars filled with their colorful discoveries that are displayed near the world map. You can see rich black from Iceland, greens and reds from the Southwest, gold from Saudi Arabia, and dozens of other colors from around our beautiful world.” Thanks for sharing, Kathleen! Go Bobcats!!
Thursday evening was the Family Vision Group Kickoff at Fairfax High School. Our Family Vision Groups are one way we foster strong partnerships between home and school. The meetings provide opportunities for FCPS to provide updates, solicit feedback, and address concerns from our families. Since we launched last year, I’m thrilled to say this program has grown by leaps and bounds, from 288 participants to 378 — wow! We have participants from almost every one of our schools, and I’m thrilled to continue this important work with our families this school year. It matters!! A big thank you to all who make this work possible!!
Even though the Paris Olympic games may be over, the Paralympic games are just getting started. I recently learned that a parent of two students that attend Bonnie Brae Elementary School is a participant! A recent post on the Bonnie Brae Instagram page shared the following, with the photo below from Team USA.
“Our Bonnie Brae community is excited to cheer on one of its own at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. Trevon Jenifer, a father of two Scotties, is a member of the USA Men's Wheelchair Basketball Team. This is his fourth Paralympic Games. Mr. Jenifer, #16, has already taken home a bronze medal (2012) and two gold medals (2016 and 2020) in previous Paralympic Games. Let's show the world how loudly Scotties can cheer while we watch one of our own compete in Paris!” Wheelchair basketball starts on August 29. Good luck Trevon! Go Scotties!!
On Friday morning, I visited McNair Upper Elementary School and joined Principal Melissa Goddin in visiting classrooms. I so appreciate the opportunity to spend time in our schools as this is where the work of our amazing division happens. It was great to be in a number of classrooms and see what our intermediate students are working on during these early days of school. I look forward to great things in our teaching and learning realm. Go Mustangs!!
I was excited to be back at Centreville Elementary School on Saturday to celebrate their 30th anniversary! As the Eagles celebrated their anniversary, it is important to note the importance of leadership stability. We had an opportunity to share a number of stories abut the history of the school.
Over the last thirty years, only four principals have served the school and three of them joined us for the celebration. I also appreciated the students and their decisions on items to be placed in the “time capsule.” Go Eagles!!
I’d like to share a wonderful tradition at Sandburg Middle School that I recently learned about. Brianna Lucas, an administrative intern at Sandburg, shared that “Each summer, Jae Lemeshewsky, an instructional assistant known as Ms. L, undertakes a special mission: welcoming new Sandburg staff members to our community with a meaningful gesture. New arrivals receive a plant along with a heartfelt card from Ms. L. To her, this isn’t just a welcoming gift; it’s a metaphor for the journey our students and staff undertake together.
Ms. L believes that, much like plants, our students require love, attention, and patience to thrive. ‘Plants are like our students,’ she explains. ‘They need care and nurturing to grow. By treating each other with kindness and respect, we set an example that helps our students flourish.’ Ms. L also includes a $2 bill in the gift package. This token is not merely a piece of currency but a symbol of good luck and prosperity.” You can read more about this awesome tradition here. Way to go, Jae! Go Panthers!!
Last Tuesday, the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) released state Standards of Learning (SOL) results for the 2023-24 academic year. I remain proud of the dedication and work shown by our Fairfax County Public Schools educators as reflected in the latest annual pass rates for SOLs and Virginia Alternate Assessment Program.
FCPS continues to lead the way with an innovative academic program that prepares our students for a lifetime of success. This year’s encouraging results provide a solid foundation to springboard into further gains in the coming years. Newly-released data show growth in several challenging areas, particularly amongst groups of students who have historically underperformed and demonstrated that our FCPS students outperform their commonwealth student counterparts. This work matters!!
The VDOE allows students to use a variety of ways to show mastery of SOL standards in writing and history/social sciences. In FCPS, we utilize this flexibility to ensure that our students engage in rigorous assessments. These alternative assessments include Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams, which have higher performance standards than SOLs.
FCPS has also elected to embrace VDOE flexibility in history/social sciences to offer more authentic assessment experiences for our students, aligned with their classroom learning. As a result, Fairfax participation numbers for SOL writing and history/social sciences tests are quite small. You can read more about this approach and our expectations for a more thoughtful approach to addressing the achievement data and the data release process in this communication. How we talk about our staff work and student achievement matters. I continue to be proud of our students and their achievements across all manner of topic areas, and the hard work and dedication of Team FCPS. Now more than ever this work matters.
Last week I shared the story and accomplishments of one of our students, Heman Bekele, who was named Time Magazine’s 2024 Kid of the Year award winner. Imagine my excitement when I realized that Heman’s mother is an FCPS teacher!! Ms. Mulu Ejigu, Heman’s mother and FCPS teacher shared; “It is an honor to read my son, Heman Bekele, was featured on your message to FCPS staff. Thank you for sharing his story!” Further, she shared “Heman moved from Ethiopia and joined FCPS in kindergarten as an English Language Learner (multilingual learner). He has had the opportunity to learn from teachers who believed in his potential and nurtured his curiosity. This positive and supportive learning environment has been instrumental to his achievement. Our family is extremely thankful for the guidance, encouragement, and recognition he has been receiving from FCPS.” I thank Muluemebet Ejigu for her strength and passion for education as well as her work as an educator in FCPS, this work matters. I also want to share, mother to mother, well done!!
Last Wednesday was National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day. At FCPS and across Fairfax County, we will continue to come together as a community to prevent the tragic impact that fentanyl and opioids have on young people. Through our education and prevention efforts, our young people and our community can continue to thrive. This work matters!
As we have a long holiday weekend ahead of us, let's be mindful of the meaning behind Labor Day (celebrated since 1894) which honors the labor movement in our country and the contributions that workers have made to the strength, prosperity, laws and well-being of this great nation. In the words of Martin Luther King, Jr.- “No work is insignificant. All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.” Thank you for all that each of you do each and every day (in all of your unique roles) to support our students, families, and one another, as we here in Our House continue to focus on excellence, equity, and opportunity for each and every one of our students. In looking forward to the coming days, I hope you will find a joyful way to safely make space for family and friends this weekend; these are our best days…
All the best and take good care,
Michelle Reid, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Fairfax County Public Schools