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Fairfax County Public Schools recognized employees across the division in February 2026 for responding to emergencies, supporting students and families, strengthening instruction and keeping schools operating through winter disruptions.
The month’s featured honorees represented the central office and each of FCPS’ six regions. Dozens of additional teachers, transportation workers, custodians, administrators and support employees also received recognition.
Featured February honorees
Dave Martinez of the Merrifield Support Center worked through the night after a frozen pipe burst at the Gatehouse Administration Building on Feb. 4. His efforts cleared the obstruction and restored the plumbing system before morning, allowing the building to open without a major disruption.
At South Lakes High School, culinary arts educators Carlos D’Alvano and Cynthia Stowers were honored for creating a professional kitchen environment where students develop cooking techniques alongside leadership, communication, teamwork, customer service and problem-solving skills.
Veronica Perez of Belvedere Elementary was recognized for expanding access to grade-level material for English learners. She developed GLAD resources for classrooms across her grade level and created a supplemental unit booklet to help two students participate more independently during whole-group instruction.
Chanel Favors led Bucknell Elementary’s second annual Career Day for students from prekindergarten through sixth grade. Presenters included professionals working in law, medicine, real estate, cosmetology, psychology, dentistry, content creation, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence security and entrepreneurship.
Centreville Elementary instructional assistant Karen Bernat was praised for supporting students at school and helping neighborhood children reach their buses safely. She regularly brings flashlights on dark mornings, monitors a busy four-way stop and helps children navigate snow and ice.
Von-Michael Corpuz, a special education teacher and Special Olympics coach at Chantilly High School, was recognized for encouraging students and parents to participate together in Category B athletics.
At Lewis High School, Mallorie Joyner received recognition for supporting students’ academic, behavioral and social-emotional needs, communicating proactively with families, developing individualized plans and helping colleagues locate effective strategies and district resources.
Teachers make learning more accessible
Special education teacher Claire Latham of Oakton Elementary was thanked for the close partnership she established with a student’s family. Oakton’s Brendan Lins received three separate recognitions for keeping the special education department organized, offering practical solutions and supporting staff and students.
Cindy Shepard, a disabilities resource teacher at the Alan Leis Center, helped prepare a student for hospitalization with a personalized social story and supported the child’s return to class. She later led a hands-on lesson in which students learned how casts help bones heal.
Cameron Lyons joined Hayfield Secondary’s Category B team and expanded vocational instruction through community job sites, work inside the school, field trips and classroom skill-building. Madeline McCloskey of Fort Hunt Elementary was similarly recognized for individualized instruction, family communication and advocacy.
Other special education honorees included Brittany Linovitz of Cub Run Elementary, Nicholas Amatucci of Churchill Road Elementary, Adriana Krogh of Fort Hunt Elementary, Tanisha Lee of West Potomac High School, Benjamin Hilt of Hughes Middle School, Violeta Durand of Hunters Woods Elementary and Taylor Dorgan of Oak Hill Elementary.
At West Springfield Elementary, first-year teacher Katie Denisar earned praise for combining warmth with classroom structure, comforting a child who was stung by a bee and sending books home so students could read outside school.
Darlene Dorsey of Mason Crest Elementary was celebrated for greeting children with enthusiasm and a bubble wand, remembering birthdays and building relationships even with students she does not teach.
Allison Goodman helped a Lake Anne Elementary student regain his enthusiasm for language arts and became the child’s most trusted adult at school. Kelsey Lanza of Fairfax Villa Elementary supported her own students while also helping another classroom and its long-term substitute.
Teachers Lillian Olsen of Terra Centre Elementary, Katherine Verdaguer of Forest Edge Elementary, Grace Ma of Eagle View Elementary, Rachel Cameron of Olde Creek Elementary and Janey Qualey of Hayfield Elementary were recognized for building classrooms where children felt confident, supported and eager to learn.
At Herndon Elementary, first-year sixth-grade teacher Matilda White was praised for engaging students with creative lessons and high expectations. Maya Good of Beech Tree Elementary was recognized for teaching kindergarten students empathy, responsibility, cooperation and confidence alongside academics.
Renae Polovchik created an energetic kindergarten classroom at Mount Eagle Elementary using movement, songs, visuals and discussion to meet varied academic and language needs. At Haycock Elementary, Wendy Rath and Emmanuelle Paulston were honored for making mistakes part of the learning process while ensuring children’s first year of school remained joyful.
Linda Taylor received two recognitions from Fort Hunt Elementary families. Parents credited her with helping children build confidence, respond to bullying, strengthen early reading and math skills and begin speaking Spanish. Fort Hunt educators Ann McMichael, Carla Tricoli-Rodriguez, Marie Sauer and Sarah Lee were also praised for creative teaching, family communication and broad support for students.
Kimberley McPherson was credited with improving a student’s reading comprehension and English Standards of Learning performance, while Kelly McMillan of Lake Braddock Secondary was honored for accessible instruction and fostering an interest in reading.
Other classroom educators recognized during the month included Jason Henry of Colvin Run Elementary, Sarina Harlow of Falls Church High School, Joseph Green of Coates Elementary, Matthew Libby of Dranesville Elementary, Joan Swanson of Hayfield Secondary, Andrea Cabrera of West Springfield Elementary, Kelly McMillan of Lake Braddock Secondary and Kanae Winslow of Wakefield Elementary.
Educators expand opportunities beyond class
Physical education teacher Danielle Heffron of Daniels Run Elementary was honored for adapting activities and equipment so children with different abilities could participate successfully. Falls Church High School teacher Sarina Harlow was praised for building close relationships and preparing bilingual English-Spanish lessons for English learners.
John Kownacki of Hayfield Secondary created theater productions while giving middle school students a safe place to express themselves. Tiffany Hitz of Robinson Secondary encouraged young musicians to attempt solo and ensemble festivals and district band, while Juliana Woodill led Fairfax High School’s inclusive choral program and helped colleagues advance standards-based grading.
Nicole Gray of Fort Hunt Elementary was credited with inspiring a student to practice piano, violin and guitar and to carry that discipline into reading. Marie Sauer worked after school with fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders on dances for Hispanic Heritage Month.
Matthew Libby gave Dranesville Elementary students the opportunity to sing the national anthem at George Mason University. At Rocky Run Middle School, Molly Little moved from math to eighth-grade science and also became a Science Olympiad co-coach.
Alison Neun expanded Stone Middle School’s leadership class into a force behind elementary and high school visits, pep rallies, appreciation events, promotion activities and an end-of-year “summer send-off.”
Skyler Arrington of Mount Eagle Elementary led work involving MTSS, reading and math support, ECRI professional learning and high-impact tutoring. Colleague Jacqui Greene supported advanced academics, younger students, after-school clubs, the Green Team and family events including Math and Science Night.
Heather Thomas, South Lakes High School’s director of student services, was recognized for strengthening communication and supporting the school counseling team. Natalie Hill helped the school’s special education department reschedule meetings repeatedly after snow closures and delays.
School test coordinator Billy Watts organized WIDA ACCESS testing in four language domains for nearly 300 South Lakes students despite snow days, absences and scheduling considerations for students who were fasting.
At Lake Braddock Secondary, Milka Willis launched WIDA testing season with a pep rally, games and messages of encouragement. Kari Nieto of Falls Church High School helped older students pursue graduation, including those transferring to Fairfax County Adult High School.
Teams strengthen instruction and school culture
Woodburn Elementary’s second-grade team—Chelsea Ettere, Brenda Yanes, Chelsea Andrade, Brooke Allport, Laura Kirchgraber and Haley North—was recognized for presenting a unified Amplify lesson and rearranging a unit for an instructional observation.
The school’s fifth-grade team of Abi Jauregui, Betsy Blosser, Jessica Aninon and Elif Turkay worked with math, literacy and ESOL specialists to incorporate Project GLAD strategies, visuals, anchor charts and sentence frames.
Woodburn’s ESOL team—Rebecca Wilkinson, Nati Urbon, Jordan Jones, Jerilee Williams, Adri Postiglioni and Amanda Castellucci—used assessment data to form targeted groups and help students understand their own language-development goals.
At Virginia Run Elementary, first-grade teachers Michelle Whetstone, Jenna Roberts, Nicole Ross and Caitlin Marshall were praised for creating an energetic and collaborative environment. Regina Severn and Jessica Green developed a case-manager notebook to improve organization and consistency for the special education team.
Scarlett Bavin, Crystal Wind, Velma Ellis and Camille Baguley of Centre Ridge Elementary were thanked for helping a student grow academically and socially. Cunningham Park Elementary supervisors Allison Hoak and Kelsey Patterson were recognized for supportive leadership, while Mandy Valladares was credited with helping students in grades three through six make significant progress in math.
Christian Hassel and Theresa Souther of Annandale High School analyzed Workplace Readiness Skills results and gave students individualized guidance before their next assessment.
At Lake Braddock, Janice Pritchett, Paul Agner, Meagan Tubbs, Pamela Sutey and Kristyn Wharton organized a Hall of Fame celebration that made athletes and coaches feel valued.
Snow and transportation emergencies bring rapid action
Winter weather prompted some of February’s most urgent responses.
Michele Sullivan, a Mantua Elementary teacher who lives near Marshall Road Elementary, warned school leaders on Feb. 23 about a downed power line that could affect arrival the following morning. She later confirmed that repairs had been completed.
At about 9 p.m. on Feb. 11, Stonecroft bus driver Seung Yang returned to work after a field-trip bus was towed in Arlington. He retrieved another bus and transported the stranded high school students, their coach and the other driver.
Transportation supervisor Carmen Galindo Calderon coordinated that replacement after regular operating hours. Rachelle Wigenton, an Area 4 operations manager, responded at approximately 1 a.m. to a water-main break at Marshall Road Elementary and relocated buses to prevent damage and preserve service.
James McGeehan and attendant Mirta Lizarazu accepted an extra assignment to take three Kings Park Elementary students home. Monique Martin was praised for carefully following kindergarten-release procedures and clearly explaining expectations to students and adults.
Shan Ahmad personally shoveled an icy path between a daycare and a bus stop after a dispute left the route hazardous. Mount Vernon High School employee Irv Kalugdan alerted transportation officials to another icy stop and joined neighbors in plowing and salting the sidewalk.
John Leishear spent several days clearing snow and ice from his assigned bus at the Gatehouse lot, then helped elderly neighbors get to a medical appointment. Donan Mejia cleared walkways at Union Mill Elementary, while Mina Tawdoroys and his team extended their work beyond Dogwood Elementary’s property to create a safe route through a neighboring apartment complex.
Bola Shehata began work as Wakefield Forest Elementary’s building supervisor on Jan. 26, immediately after a major storm. On his first day, he picked up a custodial colleague whose vehicle was stuck so they could work together on snow removal.
At Great Falls Elementary, Edwin Romero, Pablo Constanza and Neris Velasquez cleared the parking lot, bus loop and sidewalks. Nel Leaming, Chenar Allen and Milton Rivera Mejia joined Crestwood Elementary’s principal in clearing neighborhood sidewalks used by a student population in which 98% walk to school.
Laura Kirchgraber delivered 35 meal kits to vulnerable Woodburn Elementary families during the storm. She coordinated with food services and community partners despite hazardous conditions.
Staff solve problems behind the scenes
Technology employees Griffin Payne and Michael Dobbs helped manage approximately 500 iPads used by FCPS tradespeople and specialists after policy changes affected the devices.
Adam Bowen fixed a Zoom configuration problem that had caused overlapping operational meetings to disconnect. Hammad Farrukh rapidly completed a group of time-sensitive support tickets, while Noah Hwang automated office workflows to improve efficiency and student-data accuracy.
Jeevan Shrestha, Dell McDonald, Lauren Jones, Anthony Felt, Lisa Basta and Sharron Wooden supported a large staff training involving new hardware and software despite receiving the request late and contending with ice and snow.
Paul DesVergnes prevented a possible delay at a Centreville High School wrestling tournament by supplying equipment and technical support. Travis Tucker of Westfield High School was recognized for creating accessible data tools and sharing them with other school support administrators.
At Willow Oaks, Emmanuel Bonhomme and Michael Mazzarella built a Literacy Plan Workbook in less than 30 days, drawing from multiple data sources to support Tier 3 literacy planning.
Krista O’Connell guided development of a survey intended to help the School Board understand transportation needs during a boundary-change process. Rebecca Pollard helped colleagues interpret Strategic Plan data on short notice.
Ellen Kennedy received recognition for legal oversight of employee-relations matters, including equal-opportunity cases, performance issues, misconduct investigations, grievances, hearings and matters involving the School Board or Virginia Department of Education.
CeCe Lowry was honored for years of responsive problem-solving, while Dan Meredith was praised for principled leadership. Kelly Galbraith supported Longfellow Middle School through a complex situation with timely feedback and care.
Everyday care leaves a lasting mark
Bus and school employees were also recognized for smaller acts that had an immediate effect. Mariam Abdelsheheed, a new Dogwood Elementary custodian, washed a student’s muddy shoes and found clean clothing so the child could return home comfortably.
Rafael Gomez of Haycock Elementary earned two recognitions for keeping the building safe and clean, helping staff with heavy items and bringing an upbeat presence to dismissal. Office assistant Paulette Farmakides was praised for her energy and willingness to help.
Wendy Bowen of Herndon Elementary kept her promise to deliver a prize to a student even after missing the child at dismissal. Jeannine Magwire of Rocky Run Middle School checked on injured and ill colleagues, helped arrange coverage and dug several coworkers’ cars out of the snow.
At Centreville High School, Mariko Nojima gave up part of her lunch to comfort a distressed student. Daniella Reed and the Oak Hill Elementary staff rallied around a colleague following the illness and death of her mother.
Other honorees included Veronica Lowe of Stonecroft Transportation, Laura Zirzow of Deer Park Elementary, Mirnaly Vega of Sleepy Hollow Elementary, Dayna Broskey and Anna Slevin of Rocky Run Middle School, Wendy Rath and Meihua Qian of Haycock Elementary, Emily Gray of Lemon Road Elementary and Farah Chohan and Christie Armstrong of Olde Creek Elementary.
FCPS also recognized Young Eum of Hughes Middle School, Charlotte Petty and Lisa Lujan of Cunningham Park Elementary, Anita Jewett and Margaret Tuben of Virginia Run Elementary, Laura Thieman of Willow Oaks, Marianne Vareldiz of West Potomac High School, Alina Jimenez Rosa of Chantilly High School, Rory McGlinnen of Westfield High School and Ritchie Math of Gatehouse.
The February submissions collectively highlighted work that often happens outside public view: rebuilding schedules after closures, clearing ice before sunrise, returning to the bus yard late at night, adapting lessons for one child and making sure students and families know someone is ready to help.