Every single staff member in a school system plays a critical role in achieving the mission to support the achievement of our students. This is true even during a pandemic; however, there is a group of unsung heroes whose efforts during the pandemic are critically important and not always recognized. Today’s blog is a special recognition of them—our custodial teams!

This verb is one of the most frequently used words during the COVID-19 crisis—and that is a good thing!

As we watch the world and our communities grapple with COVID-19, it may dampen our spirit of appreciation or it may cause us to reflect on the many things we take for granted and for which we can be grateful. I prefer the latter.

From virtual meetings to virtual classrooms, it has been fascinating to observe “evolution” in action!

As our country honors the veterans who have gallantly served for us, it is important to reflect on the true measure of what it means to serve our country. These men and women deserve our gratitude and our admiration.

“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” ~~Stephen Covey

A speck of sand inside an oyster’s shell is an irritant, so the oyster coats the speck over and over until it is round and smooth. The round smooth object is now a gem—a pearl. All of us can point to things that have irritated us during the pandemic. Recently, I recognized that one of the things that had originally irritated me as the pandemic began was now something I value. I dubbed it a "pearl of the pandemic."

Teachers, parents, administrators, and any adult supporting our students recognizes the impact of the pandemic on the social-emotional wellbeing of our students. However, it is vital that the adults focus on their own social-emotional wellbeing, too.

Teachers have a significant impact on student performance, which is why FCPS has always worked to recruit and retain “champions of excellence.” The importance of the teacher has never been more significant than it is now during the COVID pandemic.

Historically, innovation often occurs out of necessity during a crisis. In FCPS, we have been encouraging staff to innovate as a way to break from the status quo of a century-old school model. During a recent visit to Waverley Elementary, I was inspired to see “learning families” and hear about a team who did not allow the pandemic to deter them from the innovative approach they had planned. Thanks to Waverley Elementary Principal Dr. Allie Watkins for sharing their story as my guest blogger!