As one of the newest employees in Falls Church City, I was initially hesitant to submit a contribution to this project. I struggled with the question of “how can someone brand new articulate what makes Falls Church City Public Schools so special?” I don’t have  years of shared experiences, relationships, and journeys to inform my answer to such an important question.

Although I still grappled with the right answer(s) to that question, I slowly began to feel that I could share some insights and reflections that may be a part of the recipe for the secret sauce in Falls Church City. My initial impressions and experiences may be limited in their depth and time frame. Still, I believe that what someone can learn about this amazing school division in a short period of time is indicative of how special a place it is for our students. 

But to accomplish this task, I knew I would need some support. For that, I turned to an unlikely source — the storytellers at Pixar Animation Studios. 

As the father of three awesome kids, I have seen most of the Pixar movies countless times. My favorite is “Finding Nemo,” my son Emmett always loved “The Incredibles,” my other son Hank is a “Toy Story 3″ kind of guy, and my daughter Charlotte was always mesmerized by “Up.”

If you watch these movies enough, you will start to become aware that, although they are each unique films, there are some familiar rhythms and themes throughout each story. Pixar Animation doesn’t rely on a set formula for their plot development process, but there is a significant amount of published literature online that shows they use a relatively defined story structure in each of their movies.

The Pixar Story Structure goes something like this:

1. Once upon a time …
2. Every day …
3. One day …
4. Because of that …
5. Because of that …
6. Until finally …

Now, you may be thinking to yourself, there is no way it can be that simple (and in reality, you are surely correct), but take a minute to think of your favorite Pixar story. Distill it down to the most important characteristics, the most critical themes, and the key events in the movie, and I imagine you may end up with some pretty close to the six items found above.

In case you are still on the fence, let’s try this out with my favorite Pixar film, “Finding Nemo.”

1. Once upon a time … there was a fish named Marlin who was extremely protective of his only son, Nemo.
2. Every day … Marlin reminded Nemo of the ocean’s dangers and implored him not to swim far away.
3. One day … in an act of defiance, Nemo ignores his father’s warnings and swims into the open water.
4. Because of that … he is captured by a diver and ends up in the fish tank of a dentist in Sydney.
5. Because of that … Marlin sets off on a journey to rescue Nemo, enlisting the help of other sea creatures along the way.
6. Until finally … Marlin and Nemo find each other, reunite, and learn that love depends on trust. 

Pretty cool, right? At this point, you might also be thinking to yourself … ”what does any of this have to do with Falls Church City and why it is such a special place?” That is a fair question. And because of my short time as a member of this school division, the answer is connected to my need for a little extra support in completing this task.

During the few months I have been in FCCPS, I have focused on learning the stories of the amazing people who make up this wonderful community. Similar to the animated films from Pixar, each story is unique and special, but when taken as a whole, some powerful themes start to emerge. As I have reflected on those themes, I chose the Pixar structure to share, to the best of my ability, the story I have learned about Falls Church City Public Schools. 

1. Once upon a time … there was an amazing organization in a little city named Falls Church City Public Schools. 
2. Every day … the school bells rang throughout the city. Students, teachers, parents, and community members joined together to shape each other’s minds and hearts.  Concepts were taught, and important ideas were learned. Assignments were given, and projects were completed.  Occasionally, a photocopier was broken, or a construction project was delayed, but mostly, things went as they should, and amazing things happened for our students each and every day.
3. But, one day … budgets were tighter, time and resources were scarce, accreditation and accountability expectations were higher, and the challenges to public education were fiercer than ever before.
4. Because of that … the staff, parents, and community members had to lean upon each other more than ever to ensure every student in Falls Church City thrived.
5. Because of that … priorities were set, goals came into focus, communication was clarified, relationships were strengthened, and student success became the single source of solidarity.
6. Until finally … all of the students in Falls Church City Public Schools were provided a strong academic foundation, in an environment that fostered values that reflect respect toward others and responsible decision making, and had the opportunity to develop transferable and relevant skills to ensure real-world success. The students of Fall Church City lead lives of true impact and purpose. They are inspired to pursue challenging goals and to be their best selves. 

In reading this, it is my hope that this doesn’t seem like a story to you. Rather, it is a depiction of what happens every day in this amazing little city. 

We don’t need to write a story about Falls Church City Public Schools because, while we are far from perfect, the reality is even better than the story. The most exciting part is … we can continue to learn and grow together. We can continue to challenge ourselves, be vulnerable, and take risks as we seek to provide our students with an amazing educational experience. 

So, why do I think Falls Church City Public Schools is so special? Because even though we currently have a conclusion to our story that would make the Pixar screenwriters proud, together, we can continue to write an even better ending for our students each and every day.