Superintendent's Weekly Reflections

Hello Team FCPS!

Welcome to spring!!  It has been such a beautiful weekend, I trust that each of you have gotten outside for a bit. I am told that the cherry blossoms are reaching stage 5 of 6 and nearing their peak bloom (though I am not sure what that exactly means ;>) With so many new colors and growth, it is definitely a season for hope in those things yet to be revealed and confidence in the assurance of the seasons and their predictability. 

If you haven’t seen it yet,  this video from Beech Tree Elementary School is getting some well-deserved recognition. They collected an unbeaver-lievable ;>) 471 cereal boxes for Cereal4All, which provides cereal for Food for Others. They then lined up all the boxes and used them to create a domino effect winding down the school’s hallways and stairs — very cool! Way to go, Beavers!! What a great reminder of what’s possible when we come together as a community. 

This past weekend marked the end of the winter sports season, and it was a successful one for our student-athletes! This year, five teams and 36 individuals won the Virginia High School League (VHSL) Class 6 championship in their respective sports, and five teams and 35 individuals were the state runners-up. FCPS’ winning teams are:

• Lake Braddock Secondary School, Gymnastics (with their fourth consecutive championship!).
• South Lakes High School Boys Basketball (with their second consecutive championship!).
• Chantilly High School, Boys Swim and Dive.
• South County High School, Girls Indoor Track and Field.
• West Springfield High School, Boys Indoor Track and Field.

Check out our website for a  list of all the winners . Congratulations to our champions and runners-up! 

On Monday morning I met with Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, as well as a number of staff, parents, and community members to discuss the current landscape nationally and its impact on our work here in FCPS. Learning happens best in community and our community will continue to support the world class education we expect here in FCPS.

My first stop on Tuesday was to Frost Middle School, which is led by Principal Anthony Harris. We first went to the family and consumer sciences classrooms of Amy Hansen and Jennifer Murphy. In Amy Hansen’s class, the students were baking large chocolate chip cookie cakes which tasted just as good as they smelled! It goes to show you that a little teamwork and a lot of dough can go a long way! ;>) 

In Jennifer Murphy’s classroom, the students were cutting fabric and using sewing machines to make aprons that they will later use in class. Next, we went to Megan Fowle’s Algebra 1 class where the students were working on dividing polynomials. We finished by going to the seventh grade math class of Lorenda Wieder and Mark Perlin. Go Falcons!!      

Next, I went to Fairfax High School, where I was greeted by Principal Georgina Aye, her administrative team, and student ambassador Myles. Georgina took me to the AP Seminar Class of Heather Davids, where the students were working on their research-based essays and presentations. While there, I had the pleasure of being able to witness a Paws Up! presentation that recognized a student for positive behavior. The power of this program is that it boosts students’ confidence, motivation, and sense of value while reinforcing good choices. It also creates a supportive classroom culture, strengthens relationships, and inspires others. We then went to Caroline Mikhail and Alaina Willis’ biology classroom, where the students were learning about biochemistry, including proteins and the pH scale. In Candi Freeman’s English classroom for multilingual learners, the students were working on vocabulary words as well as speaking practice. 

My final stop was the weight room where physical education teachers and football coaches Richard Taylor and Matthew Frank were leading a testing day for their personal fitness class to check students’ progress on their physical fitness goals. I decided to lift some weights myself and successfully lifted the squat rack bar — 45 pounds! Thank you to the students who acted as spotters to make sure I was safe. Together, we’re raising the bar! ;>) Go Lions!!     

On Tuesday afternoon it was my pleasure to attend the second-ever  FCPS CARES of the Quarter award presentation at Twain Middle School. This recognition, which highlights the contributions of an especially impactful FCPS CARES recipient, is in partnership with Educate Fairfax and our employee recognition team.

This quarter’s award recipient is Twain’s Samantha Vivian-Beck, who is the crisis resource teacher for the school and Comprehensive Services Site Program. According to her nomination, it is Samantha’s “love and caring for all students and the extra love and care for those who have not yet experienced success, that makes her a top candidate for FCPS Cares this month and really every month.” Samantha goes above and beyond to support students and staff. This includes leading and directing Twain’s student mentoring program as well as creating and instructing a life skills class tailored to students with emotional disabilities. She also created the Hype Cafe, a student-run business that sells hot beverages and baked goods to staff and faculty twice weekly to help teach students management and service skills. Congratulations, Samantha! Go Team FCPS!!

This week I hosted a meeting of the  Family Vision Group for Quad 2 at Shrevewood Elementary School. I also held the first of this season’s  Employee and Community Conversations at Haycock and Cunningham Park elementary schools respectively. Thank you to members of Team FCPS who attended! We had a smaller showing than usual — I think the beautiful spring weather we’ve had these past few evenings was hard to resist! ;>) — but I did enjoy the extra time and personal connections that it afforded us. We had great conversations around key topics, including college enrollment and literacy. Our next  Employee Conversation will be on Tuesday, April 29, 5:30-6:30 p.m., at Providence Elementary School. I hope to see you there! 

On Tuesday evening I attended a special performance by the Greater Springfield-Franconia Area Honor Band at Lewis High School. This band is composed of more than 100 fifth and sixth graders from elementary schools in the Lewis and Edison pyramids. I was told that these young virtuosos had been practicing for this concert each week after school for the last 10 weeks. Their hard work paid off! Bravo to these talented musicians and thank you to the members of Team FCPS who have been inspiring their creative passions!! Thank you also to all the hard working staff who support these young student musicians. 

On Tuesday I also attended a soccer game at Lewis High School, where the Lewis Lancers were playing Wakefield High School. Go Lancers!! A great deal of excitement in a well played game.  Principal Alfonso Smith joined me for the early look at Boys’ Soccer this season. Definitely got a kick out of the game ;>)

On Wednesday, I attended a meeting of the Superintendent’s Teacher Advisory Committee (STAC) at Kilmer Middle School. Each school has a STAC representative. The purpose of the committee is to provide us with input and feedback from instructional staff members on matters of importance to the school system and to provide a venue for them to bring matters of concern to the attention of the Leadership Team. Then, each representative is expected to share the results of the meeting with colleagues at their school. Working together with employee groups to better address the needs of students and staff members is part of the FCPS  2023-30 Strategic Plan’s Pillar C: Diverse, Adaptive, and Supported Workforce .

On Wednesday afternoon I had the opportunity to meet with the newest members of the Fairfax County Youth Leadership Program. This program is designed to educate and motivate high school students to become civically engaged and develop as leaders by attending learning sessions, completing an internship in a Fairfax County department, and acting as "ambassadors" for the program by speaking to middle school civics classes. They also learn about local government's role in their everyday lives and have opportunities to interact with county leaders and policy makers. This competitive program is a cornerstone of student leadership development here in Fairfax County and is now in its 25th year! I spoke to the students I met about my own path to education leadership, as well as the importance of collaboration and inclusion in decision-making. Afterward we held a question and answer session, and I was impressed by how engaged and thoughtful these students were. I’m excited to see what the future holds for these bright young leaders!

On Thursday morning I attended the 12th Grade Annual Model Congress at Oakton High School. This annual tradition simulates the legislative process and gives senior students the opportunity to experience what it’s like to be a member of Congress. Each student researches a topic of interest, then writes and presents their legislative bill. Over the course of the day, students also run for leadership offices, are assigned to committees, debate bills, and vote. It’s an exciting event, and it helps build collaboration, communication, and critical thinking skills. It also helps our students develop not just as leaders, but also as global and ethical community members. During the event I was glad to see so many spirited (but respectful!) debates among these aspiring members of Congress. Go Cougars!!

After Oakton’s Model Congress, I headed to Glen Forest Elementary School, where I was scheduled to be a guest reader. It was a great opportunity to reconnect with my early literacy roots ;>). I had some help choosing the book, Leonardo, The Terrible Monster . I appreciated Ms. Vega and her first graders’ excitement about the book!!

This turned out to be a great read and a good reminder of the importance of friendship. There were some scary parts to the story – but we made it through ;>) Go Eagles!!

On Thursday afternoon I attended Leadership Greater Washington’s Education Day event. It included a panel, where I joined several other superintendents and spoke to local community leaders, businesses, nonprofits, and elected officials on the challenges and opportunities facing public education in our region. We discussed a range of topics, including funding, AI and emerging technologies, and the need for robust partnerships between education and private and public sectors. It was a very engaging discussion, and I’m looking forward to working together to best meet the needs of our students and our community. Together, all things are possible! 

On Thursday I also had a thoughtful virtual discussion with the FCPS Aspiring Leaders of Color Affinity Group. I shared my personal pathway to school leadership with them, and we also discussed how they can prepare for the next steps in their own leadership journeys. Cultivating leaders from across Team FCPS, each with their own unique experiences and skill sets, is important to our  Strategic Plan’s Pillar C: Diverse, Adaptive, and Supported Workforce . Go Team FCPS!!

On Friday morning I headed to Annandale High School for FanQuest, which is an event that celebrates inclusion and respect for students with disabilities. Annandale’s Special Olympics basketball team took on the Marshall High School Statesmen in a showcase game. There was so much excitement in the air, and both teams played a great game. Jae Lee, assistant principal at Annandale High School shared the following, “This year’s FanQuest was particularly special as we raised our Unified Champion banner, a reflection of our commitment to fostering a school culture where every student feels valued and included. Having you there to witness and be part of this moment was an honor. We were also thrilled to have  FOX 5 News capture the energy and spirit of the event. More importantly, seeing our students light up as they played, cheered, and connected with their peers reinforced why events like this matter so much.” What a great morning! Go Atoms and go Statesmen!

Friday evening was Edu-Futuro’s “Empowering Voices, Transforming Lives” Gala. Edu-Futuro helps support our community through college and career readiness opportunities, financial and scholarship support, family workshops and classes, and teaching leadership and self-advocacy skills. We appreciate their continued partnership as we work together to help each and every student reach their highest potential! I am proud of our students and staff honored this year, more to come on this.

Saturday was the FIRST Robotics Competition held at Hayfield Secondary School. There were 37 teams competing, including six from FCPS. These high school students had been tasked with imagining, designing, creating, testing, and fixing their robots in just three months — wow! They were supported by more than 90 expert mentors and volunteers whose real-world experience helped guide students through the competition process. Community building continues to be so important in this competition. 

I very much appreciated Alex, a HSS student touring me through the team competition and explaining the tasks. I was also excited to be able to share with the assembled crowd that we are embarking on a four-year plan to bring robotics teams to all FCPS schools starting with 46 new schools in the coming year. This is in keeping with our mission driven strategic plan!! I was also impressed with the application and explanation of math that the Oakton High School Cougars explained – they definitely answered the eternal question of “when will we ever use this ???” We will explore this in the coming weeks. Thank you to Joseph Kerns, HSS robotics instructor, for his inspiring leadership!!

I saw a lot of impressive engineering and robotics on display, but I was even more wowed by how collaborative the competition was, with a lot of learning and helping going on across the different teams. The students were competitive, but they were also supporting each other as part of a community. Our students will continue to lead us!! 

Following robotics, I stopped by Mount Vernon High School as they hosted their annual Atlantic Indoor Association Indoor Guard and Percussion competition, which featured sixty-five school ensemble units in performance. I want to thank Richard Bacz, the director of bands at MVHS, for the narrative. These 7-10 minute musical productions, adjudicated by nationally known judges of marching bands and drum corps, resemble an inside version of what many see at halftime of a varsity football game – but so much more. The students work very hard preparing and perfecting these routines in a competitive season that takes place every weekend in February and concludes next week at the A.I.A. Indoor Championships held at the Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, Virginia. It really is an inspiring event with beautiful performances.

This competition at Mount Vernon had performances from many of our schools: Mount Vernon High School, Fairfax High School, Thomas Jefferson High School, Westfield High School, Herndon High School, McLean High School, Oakton High School, West Springfield High School, Hayfield Secondary School, South County High School, and Kilmer Middle School. Additionally, there were three college performances, including George Mason University Indoor Percussion. These programs are a wonderful way our students can show their individual love of music, their pride in our schools, and the greater community of the performing arts in our state and country. We are blessed to have such amazing fine and performing arts staff inspiring this generation of students. 

Later Saturday afternoon, I attended the Woodson High School boys baseball game hosted by Westfield High School. It was a great afternoon for baseball and the student athletes played a tight game with great pitching, field play, base running and batting. I enjoyed being outside and supporting our Cavaliers and Bulldogs!! I appreciate all those who support these many events for our students to shine!!

On Saturday, FCPS held a virtual Instructional Job Fair with hundreds of teacher candidates seeking positions within FCPS. A big thank you to our dedicated Human Resources team and all the principals, assistant principals and school-based staff who took time to be a part of this important work! Go Team FCPS!!

On Sunday I attended the 70th Annual Fairfax County Regional Science and Engineering Fair at Robinson Secondary School. There were hundreds of young innovators from schools across the county, and I was so impressed with their work! This annual science fair is a wonderful opportunity for students to build their collaboration, critical thinking, and STEAM skills. I was thrilled to hear from our young scientists and engineers about a wide range of topics studied. I also appreciated the school based leadership who joined us in celebrating the incredible work put forth by our students and staff, it matters!!

Another important aspect is the  process behind these projects — as I told the students, even when our findings don’t support our hypothesis, an opportunity to learn and grow should always be considered progress! Great job to all the participants! Thank you to everyone who supported this event: our sponsors, FCPS’ science and administrative staff, and Maple Chou from our Office of Communications for creating the beautiful poster pictured above! 

Later Sunday afternoon, I attended the Fairfax County Spelling Bee organized and administered by the Fairfax County Council PTA (FCCPTA). This annual event drew many students, staff and parents. I was inspired by the several rounds I watched and also a bit in awe of our students as they were able to spell words I had not even heard of ;>) There are so many ways for our students to connect and demonstrate skills that they have spent significant time developing, this work matters.

For this week’s  Advancing Literacy segment, I’d like to share a sneak peek of what I’ll be presenting during Thursday’s School Board meeting. During the Academic Matters segment, I’ll have an exciting update on our literacy progress. As you know, we’ve made some big changes to literacy instruction here in FCPS, including this year’s new division-wide K-6 Language Arts curriculum, Benchmark Advance. The state also has a new reading screener, called the Virginia Language and Literacy Screening System (VALLSS). All our K-2 students were assessed with this screener last fall and this winter, and then assigned a risk level (low, moderate, or high) based on the strength of their foundational literacy skills. 

For our K-2 students, 42.6% were considered to be at “low risk” of needing reading intervention last fall based on the state reading screener. This winter, that percentage has risen to 52.6%. This means that within just a few months, 13.6% more of our students have gained the foundational skills they need to achieve grade level success — wow! This is really encouraging data, and I’m excited to share more of it during this week’s School Board meeting. I hope you’ll tune in on Thursday to learn more! I so appreciate each of you and all your efforts to support our mission driven strategic plan, it matters. 

I recently sat down with art teacher Madeline Deveney to record an episode of  Our Voices, Our Future . Madeline is in her third year at Clermont Elementary School, and she has been doing wonderful work! Be sure to  watch this video to learn more about Madeline’s journey to becoming an art educator, the ways in which she incorporates classroom curriculums into students’ art projects, and why she says it’s sometimes necessary to have a “silent art moment.” ;>) I’m so inspired by Madeline’s enthusiasm and the way she nurtures the creative journeys of her 500 students! Go Team FCPS!!

In recognition of St. Patrick's Day this past week, I feel compelled to share a Celtic Quote. "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." -- GB Shaw. As I watch the March Madness basketball games, I haven't ruled out taking to the court again ;>) 

Take good care,

Michelle Reid, Ed.D. Superintendent