Well, it is the first full week of December and all through the district, many students and staff have been busy with projects and full of the winter spirit. The winter concerts and activities are in full swing. The schools and streets are alive with a festive energy as we await winter. I love this time of the year.  (especially when the snow stays in the mountains ;>)

At Whitman Middle School, students completed the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Christopher W. Grady’s STEM challenge. Led by engineering teachers, James Shabazz III and LaTasha Watson, students had one week to construct structures out of one roll of tape and 30 sheets of paper which could then support a can of tomatoes for 60 seconds. Students gained additional points for using fewer sheets of paper. All of the teams’ structures successfully held the can of tomatoes for 60 seconds. The Admiral and School Board Member Karen Corbett Sanders were very impressed by the students’ communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills! Congratulations to the first-place team, Darpan and Zen. Great job, Wildcats! 

To celebrate Computer Science Education Week/Hour of Code Week, I went to Crossfield Elementary School’s STEAM lab. The STEAM lab is run by the school’s school-based technology specialist, Holly Sims. Students were working on the Portrait of Graduate Collaborator skill: “when a problem arises, I work to find a solution.”  They were debugging the code of using Dash and Dot robots! Well done, Rockets!

I had a wonderful time visiting the Franklin Middle School Falcons at the invitation of School Board Member Laura Jane Cohen. Principal Dustin Wright introduced me to four student-chefs who are having an impact at their school and across our division. Ellie, Hannah, Anvita, and Janya, along with their teachers Siri Jeffry and Jessica Spencer, participated in last spring’s Real Food for Kids culinary competition. As a team, they created an entrée called the Vegejita Wrapadilla. It won the Community Choice Award. Our FCPS Food and Nutrition Services team then added this vegetarian dish to the menu in some of our high schools. Ellie, Hannah, Anvita, and Janya shared the process they used to develop this dish and the creativity, critical thinking, and collaborative skills that they utilized on this journey. Great job, chefs!  (Wishing I had these culinary skills ;>) Read more about the Vegejita Wrapadilla--including the recipe.

In the math wing, we stepped into Sarah Francis’s classroom where students were learning algebra via “the workshop model.” It was great to see the students collaborating in small groups for the math lesson. To my delight, we entered Sierra Hoffman’s advanced theater class in time to see their in-class debate about the benefits of joining a union under the employment of Andrew Carnegie. In favor of joining the union, one student’s inspiring words were “things will never get better if we don’t work together.” Her positive message has stuck with me. Our young people will lead us!

My last stop at Franklin MS was in the inspiring classroom of Arian Walker. Arian is a teacher of students with multiple disabilities and an FCPS graduate! She started as an instructional assistant, and is now in her first year of full-time teaching, all while finishing her master’s degree. Arian gave me some great feedback on ways that FCPS can support others in a similar journey. As I talk about the ways that we support our students in living their dreams, we must support and develop our amazing staff to live their dreams as well! Thank you, Arian for choosing FCPS!

School Board Member Stella Pekarsky joined the next visit to Waples Mill Elementary School with principal Meishe Thirus and the administrative team.  We were so inspired by the many exciting teaching and learning moments we were a part of this past week. 

Third graders in Erin Reynold’s class were learning about fractions through a discussion about sharing cookies – at least for those of us who are willing to share :) In Patricia Childers’ fifth grade classroom, the students were enjoying a virtual snowball game to help with review of previously learned materials. Because students will be taking an SOL later in the school year, Patricia has found success in reviewing older units in conjunction with new units to gain a true understanding of the information instead of quick knowledge to ace their next test. 

On one of our last stops, Ashley Leightley’s fifth grade students showed off their inventions like a tennis racket made of chocolate (need to keep these frozen ;>), and a jacket that they promised will always keep me warm! These engaging young minds inspired me to remember the beauty of imagination and a mind that sees possibilities, not obstacles. Keep dreaming big, Eagles, and great things will happen! 

These visits continue to center me in the challenging but invigorating work of engaging our students, staff, and community in the development of our strategic plan. We’ve engaged over 100,000 students in the grades 3-12 Strategic Plan Student Survey and principals have facilitated meaningful conversations at 178 school sites to date. Collectively, perception data and input from students will contribute to the Student Voice Report being compiled for our collective consideration. Our team successfully created five planning teams, which represent diverse perspectives and stakeholders, and are led by leaders from across our division. These teams have held seven team meetings to date where they analyzed data, identified root causes, and began conversations about collective vision and our 2030 goals. Staff and family surveys upcoming…

We’re so appreciative of all of the FCPS staff members who volunteered to serve on one of the strategic planning teams or as a table facilitator to support one or more of the meetings. Community forum dates have been finalized and they will provide community members an opportunity to participate in and influence our plan. Community forums are “reality check” sessions, which will be held at multiple times and in multiple locations throughout the community. We look forward to sharing more information in the coming weeks. Please continue to refer to the division website here for information about the strategic planning process. 

The pandemic put a hold on so many things that bring our students joy, including exchange programs and overseas trips. Thankfully, we have been able to return to some of these much loved activities, including the Warriner Exchange Program at Rocky Run Middle School, where I visited earlier this week. This program started 20 years ago and is still going strong! 

Students in the program stay in the homes of their exchange partner, attending school and going on field trips. While here, Warriner students attend classes with our students and go on school trips visiting local places of interest. Then next spring, Rocky Run students will travel to Oxfordshire, England. On past trips, students have greatly appreciated the time spent enjoying the warm hospitality of the host families, and friendships have been cemented between both students and parents. These can be long lasting friendships which, in some cases, are still continuing today, leading to families planning their own return visits so that the bond started may continue. We find that once a student has been on the exchange, their younger siblings see the fun that has been had and they too want to take part in future visits. We think that this shows the success of the exchange program.

Early Friday evening, I stopped by the Oak Marr Rec Center and watched the swim meet featuring South Lakes, Langley and Oakton swim and dive teams.  Suffice it to say, FCPS teams were making waves Friday night.  Later on Friday night, I also had the chance to see another of our amazing girls’ basketball teams at Oakton High School. I’m thrilled for the team, which has plans to travel to Knightstown, Indiana to play in the famous Hickory Husker’s gym, the gym that was famously featured in the movie ”Hoosiers.”  The halftime performance by the nationally ranked Oakton Dance Team was also incredibly inspiring.  On Saturday, I had the opportunity to spend some time at the NOVA Wrestling Classic hosted at Fairfax HS.  I appreciate all those who coach and support our student athletes as they learn great life lessons outside the classroom; it matters. 

I will close this note with the hope that each of you will enjoy a coming week filled with abundant joy and excitement. This is a season for friends and family, reminding us of the importance of being in relationship with one another. “A friend is one that knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still, gently allows you to grow.” — Elbert Hubbard. True then, still true now…

Warmest Regards,

Michelle Reid, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Fairfax County Public Schools