What a great first week of April; I hope each of you found a joyful adventure this past week!! I cherish the many opportunities we have to shape our future and nurture the positive energy that transforms our community and world. It is so often the simplest of acts, that when accumulated, support outrageous success. As we remember, we started this year focused on progress and patience --- not perfection, so I want to share a thought; “Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are. Let me learn from you, love you, bless you before you depart. Let me not pass you by in the quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow.”  — Mary Jean Irion. Thank you for all you each do...  And enjoy these spring days so precious in their glorious colors and new budding life.What a great first week of April; I hope each of you found a joyful adventure this past week!! I cherish the many opportunities we have to shape our future and nurture the positive energy that transforms our community and world. It is so often the simplest of acts, that when accumulated, support outrageous success. As we remember, we started this year focused on progress and patience --- not perfection, so I want to share a thought; “Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are. Let me learn from you, love you, bless you before you depart. Let me not pass you by in the quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow.”  — Mary Jean Irion. Thank you for all you each do...  And enjoy these spring days so precious in their glorious colors and new budding life.

My heart beats strongest in our schools and I was so inspired to start my week prior to the break being interviewed by Peyton, a fifth grader at Franconia Elementary School. Peyton asked some hard-hitting questions about being a leader, why I came to Fairfax County, and what objectives our team is working on to help students. We also shared hobbies and found that we had quite a bit in common, including a love of math and spending time with our families. It is truly magical to be in schools learning more about our students and their experiences in our community. Peyton said to improve Franconia, she would expand the library and get more books for students to read. That means I would add a third thing we have in common, Peyton! I love to read, too! It was such a pleasure to meet you! 

Thursday morning, School Board member Elaine Tholen and I visited Hutchison Elementary School. Principal Sarah Aiello, a South Lakes High School graduate (go Seahawks!), shared that each school year at Hutchison is based around a theme. This year’s theme is We’re Made For This. I also met some of “Heggerty Heroes” (pictured above left) during my tour, led by students Colton and Josue.

Being a Title I school with 85% English Learners, Principal Aiello shared that their literacy rates have grown tremendously over this school year! She credits their improvements to the adoption of phonics and more training for staff made possible with resources funded by ESSER/COVID relief funds. Thank you to all the staff at Hutchison who share in these moments of perseverance and success. This work matters!

After Hutchison, we made our way down the road to Coates Elementary School. At Coates, we met with Solangie McPherson, a family liaison and extremely valuable asset to this community. She explained how the Coates Family Academy strengthens families and provides workforce development solutions. The Coates Elementary Family Academy supports families adjusting to the American public education system. Solangie came up with the idea two years ago, when, in the throes of the pandemic, she saw a need to bolster parent-teacher relationships at the school, where almost half of the students are English language learners, and many families are new to the U.S. Setting up the whole family for success leads to better student outcomes. Learning happens best in community! After speaking with Solangie, Principal Paul Basdekis took us to their “Creativity Lab” to listen to student presentations on the prompt “designing an engaging classroom.” I loved the ideas I heard such as Pastry Class, where students can bake while learning about other cultures; the Chill Room, where students can learn how to collaborate through video games; and Sculpting Club, where students can sculpt while learning about Roman history. So exciting to imagine all of these possibilities…  

During Thursday night’s Academic Matters section of the School Board meeting, I shared how excited I am about the opportunity for more information around our curriculum, and the hard work of our Instructional Services team to make it happen. Parents can go to our website to see what their students are learning in their core classes by grade level. Each grade level page will include information arranged by content area. It includes what students are learning and when they are learning it. It is accessible in 80+ languages and for individuals with disabilities. We hope this information will allow us to better partner with parents and caregivers to support academic success. Our Social Emotional Learning (SEL) lessons will also be posted on the Division website in the coming days. I hope that this information helps with understanding about what SEL is and how it helps our students with strategies that will help them achieve academically and personally.

I am so grateful for all of the staff members who provided input on the draft goals and pillars of the new strategic plan. The School Board participated in an all-day retreat to review feedback and work-to-date. Principals and central office directors convened to provide feedback on the Professional Practices drafted by the Instructional Focus Team and worked in groups to make strategy recommendations. We have also invited our community to three virtual community forums to see how their survey feedback has helped shape the latest draft of the plan. Community forums are open to parents/caregivers, staff, students, and community members. We appreciate your continued involvement throughout every step of this important process. Together, we will help ensure a thriving future for each and every FCPS student. Visit our Strategic Planning webpage.

April is Month of the Military Child. Here in FCPS, we have more than 14,000 military-connected students in our schools. I grew up in a military family, and I have a deep understanding of the sacrifices that families make to support their loved ones who selflessly protect our nation. Wednesday, April 19, is Purple Up! Day here in Virginia and FCPS. Please join me in wearing purple to show support for our military-connected students. Why purple? It is a combination of Army green, Marine red, and Coast Guard, Air Force, Space Force, and Navy blue. We will be showcasing student stories and events all month long. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram and to check out our website as we highlight stories of our military-connected staff and families. 

Recently, I had the abundantly joyful experience of making opening remarks at the US Chess High School National Championship in Washington, DC where many of our own FCPS students and ‘chessthletes’ were competing.  It was amazing to see so many students from around the country competing in this inclusive sport.  A big thank you to the many staff who support this important activity for our students of all ages.  Anand Dommalapati, the President of  the Virginia Chess Federation and Georgina Chin from McNair ES have been especially instrumental in their support. 

Over the spring break, I had the opportunity to meet with a number of staff and community members on a wide variety of topics. Mark Deaton, the Westfield High School Debate Team coach stopped by to share his passion for speech and debate. He shared (and I agree) that student participation in speech and debate through coursework and as an extracurricular activity can transform lives.  The benefits are substantial and research proven.  Students learn to express their opinions confidently, respond to challenges, and analyze complex issues from multiple perspectives.  This increased confidence improves self-esteem and social skills.  Participating students often perform better academically in other subjects such as history, English, and social studies.  Critically, speech and debate encourage students to become active citizens, engage in public discourse, and advocate for issues they care about. These skills can translate into meaningful civic engagement and community involvement throughout their lives (so important now more than ever).  Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson specifically credited her high school speech and debate experience as “the one activity that best prepared me for future success in law and in life.”  That is quite an endorsement !!  I am looking forward to connecting with students and staff on this topic.

Finally, in thinking about all that we are working on, playing within, and simply experiencing, I am reminded of one of my favorite characters and his sage advice; “At times you have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you'll discover will be wonderful. What you'll discover is yourself.”  -- Alan Alda.  Let’s savor the wilderness of the joyful week fast upon us….

All the best,

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