Advanced Training Testimonies
Gratitude from staff recipients:
"Thank you so much for funding the Youcubed at Stanford University workshop "Teaching Mathematics through Big Ideas in the Elementary Years." It was a thrill to take a class from Jo Boaler, who is a preeminent thinker about limitless potential through mindset and how it relates to mathematics teaching and learning. I feel revitalized about the kinds of math opportunities I can (and should!) be providing to my class. Thank you for your generous support of teacher learning advancement!" - Gina Thacker, Mt Daniel
"I have noticed that many of my reading intervention students need an explicit, systematic review of letters and sounds, as well as practice encoding and decoding words in reading and writing. This training was very hands on and practical and translated into immediate support for my students. ... More and more research is telling us that many students need this type of instruction, so I am so grateful to FCEF for supporting me as I support my students." - Phyllis Kravinsky, Mt. Daniel
" I wanted to thank you so much for the funding to go to the NCTE conference in Baltimore in November. It was one of the most inspirational gatherings I have ever attended, and having the luxury of staying over in a hotel room and avoid driving there and back each day allowed me to really focus on the conference as opposed to logistics. Thank you for the work that you do! - Gina Thacker. 2nd Grade, Mount Daniel Elementary School
"Thank you very much for the FCEF Advanced Teacher Training Grant which allowed me to attend the Math Perspectives Summer Math Institute in Charlotte, North Carolina, July 15-19, 2019. The Institute was a wonderful professional experience that far exceeded my expectations. In fact, it was among the best professional trainings I have ever attended! The week was geared to those teaching math to K-2nd grade students, a perfect match to what I do at Mt. Daniel. I was able to dialogue not only with Kathy Richardson, one of the most highly respected elementary math educators and authors, but with two other highly qualified early childhood math instructors, Jean Church and Kay Middleton, as well as the other Institute attendees. Discussion of Kathy’s Critical Learning Stages for young math learners helped me to better understand how young children learn mathematics and how to select activities and lessons so that children are working on the edge of their understanding. Additionally, we explored Kathy’s formative assessments used to analyze children’s work. We also learned how to use the assessment data to determine what instruction will best meet students’ needs. As a result of the training, FCCPS will be purchasing the on-line version of Kathy’s assessments that I will be using with the students I work with. I also plan on sharing what I’ve learned with other Mt. Daniel teachers. Thank you again for giving me a wonderful professional experience. I am so grateful to you and the Falls Church Education Foundation." Janet McEvoy Price, Math Resource Teacher, Mt. Daniel School
"Global Think Tank gave me some tools to incorporate global issues into my biology and chemistry classes. We learned about the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which can be matched to content within our existing science curriculum. I'm eager to have students explore connections between the introductory knowledge and skills they are gaining with these supremely relevant global challenges. We were able to share perspectives with teachers from all over the world, and hear from established experts in this blossoming field of globally-oriented education.
For me, it was a pointed reminder that while we commit ourselves in FCCPS and at GMHS in particular to create internationally-minded students who inquire as to their roles in a global community, this seems to happen mostly incidentally. Students may learn a lot about global issues, but we don't have a cohesive strategy with interdependent, interdisciplinary segments from all around the school. I want to help build this, and the Global Think Tank will help us." - Will Stewart, GMHS Chemistry and Biology Teacher
"The FCEF 2017 grant enabled Gwen Villarrel (MEH) and Ann Beckman (MD) to attend the WIDA 2017 conference in Tampa Florida, October 16-18, 2017. The FCCPS Central Office also funded the participation of Kristine Miller (TJ). This was the first time that Kristine has attended such a conference. Being able to travel together to interact with professionals from around the country who work with English learners was an extremely valuable professional experience. It gave us an opportunity to share ideas with one another and to hear about other school districts. Given the small size of FCCPS, these types of opportunities really help to broaden our perspectives.
We were able to attend workshops on a variety of topics relevant to the students with whom we work, such as: building student conversations, collaboration for a culturally responsive school, creating content-based language objectives, explicit vocabulary instruction, supporting refugee students, WIDA performance definitions. Many of the sessions offered ideas for explicit strategies that could be used right away in our classrooms or that could be shared with other professionals. Other sessions provided ideas for future goals for our programs and for the school system.
"I just need to say how incredible the opportunity has been to be at the American School Counseling Conference. The learning opportunity has been unreal. This is exactly what we needed. Thank you thank you thank you! " - Ilana Reyes and Valerie Chesly, GMHS Director of Counseling / Counselor
Our participation in the conference has and will continue to beneficially impact the English learners at our schools either directly in our lessons, or through sharing of information and strategies with the teachers who work with these students. This year the number of English learners receiving services in FCCPS is: Mt. Daniel - 44; Thomas Jefferson - 61; Mary Ellen Henderson - 16; and at George Mason - 26.
While it is fair to say that the knowledge gained will be beneficial for all English learners, we have new ideas to help students coming from particularly challenging situations such as our Syrian refugees, recently arrived ELs and ELs with interrupted education. These were themes addressed at a number of workshops at the conference.
Since returning from the conference, the LIEP teachers have offered in house professional development to staff on such subjects as correlating WIDA standards to lesson development, incorporating language objectives and other instructional strategies for English learners into core and intervention lessons. More offerings are planned for later in the year.
The Education Foundation has been so supportive of our English learners and our ability to meet the needs of this special population of students. This support reflects not only the priorities of our school system, but also a recognition of the value of diversity in our community. It also demonstrates compassion for students who may not have as much as others in this affluent region. Again, thank you for your generosity." - Ann Beckman on behalf of EL staff
"Thank you very much for the opportunity to attend the Apple Teacher EdTech Conference. It was another great opportunity to sharpen my skills to better serve our students." - Jason Perkins, GMHS Special Ed / Earth Sciences
"I can not thank you all enough for the opportunity to attended the Virginia Conference Featuring Apple Teacher this past Saturday. The information was fascinating, the conference was a tremendous amount of fun, and best of all, I learned things on Saturday, that I was able to use to enhance learning on Monday. The conference was that good and that relevant.I continue to be grateful that I work in a school system where forward thinking and innovation is encouraged (read: Steve Knight is pretty great), and that forward thinking is supported by the community. Thank you all for your continued support" - Matthew Citron, GMHS Special Ed
"I can't tell you how much I appreciate being able to go to the Apple Teacher Conference this last weekend. I was able to connect with one our new staff members on a personal level and share ideas. I was also able to connect with many of my Colleagues from Mason as well. I also learned some new programs: seesaw and flipgrid. I also really enjoyed learning more about the uses of imovie and the beginnings of garage band. It was great because the presenters allowed for sandbox time and time for people to share ideas about how to use them. I went away with ideas to start using right away. It was definitely worth the Saturday." - Kathryn Smolarek, MEH Science
"My name is Brittany Kawa. I am a second grade teacher at TJ. I just wanted to personally thank you for making it possible to send me to the Apple Teacher Conference! I had an amazing experience and learned so many new things I hope to implement in my classroom! The sessions I attended were Augmented reality, Seesaw, Pages and the Lights, Camera, Action session (with Steve Knight). We had so much fun! I was even the grand prize raffle winner and won a robot called Spark! I can't wait to show my students! Thanks again and Happy Thanksgiving!" - Brittany Kawa, TJES 2nd Grade
"Thank you so much for funding the Youcubed at Stanford University workshop "Teaching Mathematics through Big Ideas in the Elementary Years." It was a thrill to take a class from Jo Boaler, who is a preeminent thinker about limitless potential through mindset and how it relates to mathematics teaching and learning. I feel revitalized about the kinds of math opportunities I can (and should!) be providing to my class. Thank you for your generous support of teacher learning advancement!" - Gina Thacker, Mt Daniel
"I have noticed that many of my reading intervention students need an explicit, systematic review of letters and sounds, as well as practice encoding and decoding words in reading and writing. This training was very hands on and practical and translated into immediate support for my students. ... More and more research is telling us that many students need this type of instruction, so I am so grateful to FCEF for supporting me as I support my students." - Phyllis Kravinsky, Mt. Daniel
" I wanted to thank you so much for the funding to go to the NCTE conference in Baltimore in November. It was one of the most inspirational gatherings I have ever attended, and having the luxury of staying over in a hotel room and avoid driving there and back each day allowed me to really focus on the conference as opposed to logistics. Thank you for the work that you do! - Gina Thacker. 2nd Grade, Mount Daniel Elementary School
"Thank you very much for the FCEF Advanced Teacher Training Grant which allowed me to attend the Math Perspectives Summer Math Institute in Charlotte, North Carolina, July 15-19, 2019. The Institute was a wonderful professional experience that far exceeded my expectations. In fact, it was among the best professional trainings I have ever attended! The week was geared to those teaching math to K-2nd grade students, a perfect match to what I do at Mt. Daniel. I was able to dialogue not only with Kathy Richardson, one of the most highly respected elementary math educators and authors, but with two other highly qualified early childhood math instructors, Jean Church and Kay Middleton, as well as the other Institute attendees. Discussion of Kathy’s Critical Learning Stages for young math learners helped me to better understand how young children learn mathematics and how to select activities and lessons so that children are working on the edge of their understanding. Additionally, we explored Kathy’s formative assessments used to analyze children’s work. We also learned how to use the assessment data to determine what instruction will best meet students’ needs. As a result of the training, FCCPS will be purchasing the on-line version of Kathy’s assessments that I will be using with the students I work with. I also plan on sharing what I’ve learned with other Mt. Daniel teachers. Thank you again for giving me a wonderful professional experience. I am so grateful to you and the Falls Church Education Foundation." Janet McEvoy Price, Math Resource Teacher, Mt. Daniel School
"Global Think Tank gave me some tools to incorporate global issues into my biology and chemistry classes. We learned about the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which can be matched to content within our existing science curriculum. I'm eager to have students explore connections between the introductory knowledge and skills they are gaining with these supremely relevant global challenges. We were able to share perspectives with teachers from all over the world, and hear from established experts in this blossoming field of globally-oriented education.
For me, it was a pointed reminder that while we commit ourselves in FCCPS and at GMHS in particular to create internationally-minded students who inquire as to their roles in a global community, this seems to happen mostly incidentally. Students may learn a lot about global issues, but we don't have a cohesive strategy with interdependent, interdisciplinary segments from all around the school. I want to help build this, and the Global Think Tank will help us." - Will Stewart, GMHS Chemistry and Biology Teacher
"The FCEF 2017 grant enabled Gwen Villarrel (MEH) and Ann Beckman (MD) to attend the WIDA 2017 conference in Tampa Florida, October 16-18, 2017. The FCCPS Central Office also funded the participation of Kristine Miller (TJ). This was the first time that Kristine has attended such a conference. Being able to travel together to interact with professionals from around the country who work with English learners was an extremely valuable professional experience. It gave us an opportunity to share ideas with one another and to hear about other school districts. Given the small size of FCCPS, these types of opportunities really help to broaden our perspectives.
We were able to attend workshops on a variety of topics relevant to the students with whom we work, such as: building student conversations, collaboration for a culturally responsive school, creating content-based language objectives, explicit vocabulary instruction, supporting refugee students, WIDA performance definitions. Many of the sessions offered ideas for explicit strategies that could be used right away in our classrooms or that could be shared with other professionals. Other sessions provided ideas for future goals for our programs and for the school system.
"I just need to say how incredible the opportunity has been to be at the American School Counseling Conference. The learning opportunity has been unreal. This is exactly what we needed. Thank you thank you thank you! " - Ilana Reyes and Valerie Chesly, GMHS Director of Counseling / Counselor
Our participation in the conference has and will continue to beneficially impact the English learners at our schools either directly in our lessons, or through sharing of information and strategies with the teachers who work with these students. This year the number of English learners receiving services in FCCPS is: Mt. Daniel - 44; Thomas Jefferson - 61; Mary Ellen Henderson - 16; and at George Mason - 26.
While it is fair to say that the knowledge gained will be beneficial for all English learners, we have new ideas to help students coming from particularly challenging situations such as our Syrian refugees, recently arrived ELs and ELs with interrupted education. These were themes addressed at a number of workshops at the conference.
Since returning from the conference, the LIEP teachers have offered in house professional development to staff on such subjects as correlating WIDA standards to lesson development, incorporating language objectives and other instructional strategies for English learners into core and intervention lessons. More offerings are planned for later in the year.
The Education Foundation has been so supportive of our English learners and our ability to meet the needs of this special population of students. This support reflects not only the priorities of our school system, but also a recognition of the value of diversity in our community. It also demonstrates compassion for students who may not have as much as others in this affluent region. Again, thank you for your generosity." - Ann Beckman on behalf of EL staff
"Thank you very much for the opportunity to attend the Apple Teacher EdTech Conference. It was another great opportunity to sharpen my skills to better serve our students." - Jason Perkins, GMHS Special Ed / Earth Sciences
"I can not thank you all enough for the opportunity to attended the Virginia Conference Featuring Apple Teacher this past Saturday. The information was fascinating, the conference was a tremendous amount of fun, and best of all, I learned things on Saturday, that I was able to use to enhance learning on Monday. The conference was that good and that relevant.I continue to be grateful that I work in a school system where forward thinking and innovation is encouraged (read: Steve Knight is pretty great), and that forward thinking is supported by the community. Thank you all for your continued support" - Matthew Citron, GMHS Special Ed
"I can't tell you how much I appreciate being able to go to the Apple Teacher Conference this last weekend. I was able to connect with one our new staff members on a personal level and share ideas. I was also able to connect with many of my Colleagues from Mason as well. I also learned some new programs: seesaw and flipgrid. I also really enjoyed learning more about the uses of imovie and the beginnings of garage band. It was great because the presenters allowed for sandbox time and time for people to share ideas about how to use them. I went away with ideas to start using right away. It was definitely worth the Saturday." - Kathryn Smolarek, MEH Science
"My name is Brittany Kawa. I am a second grade teacher at TJ. I just wanted to personally thank you for making it possible to send me to the Apple Teacher Conference! I had an amazing experience and learned so many new things I hope to implement in my classroom! The sessions I attended were Augmented reality, Seesaw, Pages and the Lights, Camera, Action session (with Steve Knight). We had so much fun! I was even the grand prize raffle winner and won a robot called Spark! I can't wait to show my students! Thanks again and Happy Thanksgiving!" - Brittany Kawa, TJES 2nd Grade
