Whitman Wildcats Win Big: Attendance Team Earns 2025 Impact Award!

We have some exciting news to share with the Wildcat community! Our dedicated Attendance Team has won a prestigious  Impact Award from Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS).

The Impact Awards celebrate FCPS employees who make outstanding contributions to advancing the goals of the  FCPS Strategic Plan . Our Attendance Team, which was recognized with the Innovation and Improvement Award, is a wonderful example of what happens when a school community focuses on working together for student success.

Why the Whitman Attendance Team is Making a Difference

The Attendance Team earned this award for their incredible commitment to Innovation and Improvement. Their work has made a remarkable impact on our school by cutting chronic absenteeism—students missing 18 or more days in a school year—from 26% to 12%. 

How do they do it? They focus on making sure every student feels valued and supported.

• The team reaches out to families daily, creates individualized attendance plans, and builds strong partnerships with parents and guardians.
• They help address the reasons that may keep a student from coming to school, even coordinating things like transportation and academic support.
• They've worked to transform the school culture by focusing on positive reinforcement and celebrating student success.

Making Attendance Fun for All!

The Whitman Attendance Team knows that showing up matters, and they make it fun to be present. They've created great ways to motivate our Wildcats. "Our attendance challenges build community at Whitman," says Director of Student Services  Colleen Hooper. "We are in this together, and supporting each other by walking through the door every day makes a difference”.

Some of the exciting incentives and challenges the team uses include:

• Attendance Dances and Inflatable Races
• Donut and Ice Cream Socials
• Class Competitions and even Teacher vs. Student Competitions
• Gift card raffles to reward consistent attendance, with support from the Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA). 

Mrs. Hooper also explains that when students come to school consistently, there are more opportunities to nurture friendships, build relationships with teachers, and strengthen school spirit.

The Attendance Team's success is tied directly to the  FCPS Strategic Plan Goal 2 to make students Safe, Supported, Included, and Empowered.

Meet the Award-Winning Team

Congratulations to the entire Attendance Team on their Impact Award for Innovation and Improvement! The team members are:

• Liliana F. Aberger - Student Services Assistant
• Colleen M. Hooper - Director of Student Services
• Soria M. Khatib - Office Assistant
• Ana Elsy Lopez - Attendance Office Assistant
• Lee Maguire - After-School Specialist
• Michael J. McPhatter - School Social Worker
• Lindsey Miller - Administrative Assistant
• Raquel Monterrosa Romero - Family Liaison
• Tiashia Roberts - School Counselor
• Cara Shirley - School Counselor
• Harmony Tahy - School-Based Technology Specialist

We are so proud of this dedicated team for transforming our school culture and helping our Wildcats show up and shine, one day at a time!

Want to learn more? Check out our feature on  the importance of regular school attendance !