My name is Karen Bevan, and I have been a part of the Falls Church City Public Schools for over 21 years. I am proud to say that all those years were spent as a Mount Daniel staff member, teaching our youngest learners in preschool or Kindergarten.
When trying to determine what makes FCCPS what it is, the people are the heart of FCCPS. When I say people, I don’t mean only the staff but also the students, parents, and the community. We all work together to make FCCPS what it is. In my (totally biased) opinion, no place is that truer than Mount Daniel.
Mount Daniel has a special something hard to describe. It is like no place I have ever worked before. Being a transplant from Northeastern Pennsylvania, I did not know anyone in the area, but it did not take long for Danny the Hippo’s home to feel like home to me. Even though the staff and building have changed throughout the years, the essence has remained.
I am part of the Kindergarten team—a team that is like a tree. It changes through the seasons but remains strong and steadfast. For the past eleven years, the spirit has never wavered. Even as life causes our colleagues to come and go, we are consistently people who respect and support each other, personally and professionally. Do we agree on everything?
We are human, so of course not, but we don’t let it stop us. No matter what, we always end up having fun together! Ask anyone who has walked by K3 when a team meeting is in session! Whether someone is new, a seasoned vet, or somewhere in between, our team stands strong through whatever comes our way, and it never ceases to amaze me.
As thankful as I am to be a current part of our amazing team, I knew Mount Daniel was a special place long before I moved to Kindergarten. It all began when I interviewed in 2003 with the principal, Mrs. Kathleen Halayko, for an interesting opportunity to participate in the Even Start program. Mrs. Halayko worked tirelessly to begin a preschool program at Mount Daniel over 25 years ago, first for special education and later for at-risk students. She obtained a grant to institute the Even Start program, a federal grant program that served at-risk families of students from infancy to early elementary school.
What made Even Start unique was that we served the family, not just the children. I was fortunate to join as the preschool teacher the year after the program’s inception. Mrs. Halayko and I worked with an adult teacher and two paraprofessionals to serve the children and their adults. We could not do it alone so I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the extraordinary support system we had.
They say it takes a village, and our village was made up of teachers, specialists, transportation, food services, the central office, the school board, and community members from the city. At the time the grant was obtained, there was not enough physical space at Mount Daniel, so Mrs. Halayko worked with community members to obtain office space on North Virginia Avenue to use as classrooms.
It was wonderful being within walking distance of the Mary Riley Styles Library. We enjoyed numerous books with the librarians, whether they visited us or we visited them. During one visit, a moon pie was mentioned in a story, and a child asked what a moon pie was. The next week, our librarian, Valerie, came in with homemade moon pies for everyone to try! Did I mention that our community is also part of the magic of FCCPS?
Throughout the program’s lifetime, we have had to move classrooms several times for various reasons. The Even Start staff often joked that we could add being a professional mover to our resumes! As an expansion was planned for Mount Daniel, we had to move to Thomas Jefferson (now Oak Street) and, later, to Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School. One might think that having the youngest students with the older students might present a challenge. We had the opposite experiences.
Both schools were extremely supportive. We were relocatable at Thomas Jefferson/Oak Street, so we were primarily separate, but at MEH, we were in the building. We often saw the older students. Both the staff and middle schoolers were so welcoming to all of us. A memory that always comes to mind is having a theater class with students of mixed ages.
Both age groups performed songs for each other, and then the preschoolers got a stage tour. It was a picture-perfect day! At the end of the year, when we were having our preschool graduation, one of the theater classes watched us do a dress rehearsal before the parents came — and even brought the graduates flowers! Those few months were a sweet example of how our schools help each other!
Adult and child education were the first two parts of the Even Start program. While the children were learning in their classrooms, whether it was preschool or at Mount Daniel or Thomas Jefferson/Oak Street, the adults were in a classroom with their teacher, learning whatever they needed—from English to parenting skills, computer lessons, applying for jobs, and life skills, to name a few.
We tried to help with whatever they needed. One part that I feel was very valuable to them was learning how to navigate the school system and feel comfortable in their child’s school. This can be daunting for any family, but many were new to the city, state, or even the country.
We supported them in understanding the housekeeping aspects: completing forms, registrations, reporting absences, and so on, and also in volunteering in their child’s classroom regularly. (Keep in mind, some of the students who were members of the program were a little older than preschool, so the parents needed to go into elementary classrooms and our preschool room.) Interacting in their children’s classrooms was the third component of the program called PACT Time (Parents and Children Together Time). A few of the parents eventually obtained jobs in the school system and have been cherished staff members for many years.
The last component of the program was conducting monthly home visits with each family. Initially, I remember being nervous about the idea, but now I look back on those visits as my fondest memories. The visits allowed us to build even stronger bonds with each of these families individually. We enjoyed every minute of talking about their children’s progress and doing fun activities — cooking, games, crafts, and more. A few families made food for us, and I don’t mind saying that those were some of the best meals I’ve eaten. I still remember eating homemade Indian food for the first time!
The families in the program spoke various languages and had diverse backgrounds; however, those differences did not deter the development of the most caring, supportive group of people. It was a privilege to watch the relationships grow within the school and among themselves.
We watched them transform from quiet strangers to a community that helped each other in good times and hard times. As times and circumstances change, we have moved on – many away from the “little city.” I cannot see the ones who remain as often as I would like, but I know the feelings and memories will always be there. When we see each other, it is as if time has not passed. I recently received an invitation to attend the college graduation of one of my former preschoolers… and she will be an educator! It is a rare opportunity for teachers to see their students grow from preschoolers to college graduates. It is an opportunity that I would very much appreciate. I cannot wait for her to walk across that stage. I will be watching with tremendous pride and love!
I can say that my eleven years in Even Start, later known as the Mount Daniel Family Literacy Program, are some of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Some of my dearest friends are the ladies I worked alongside throughout those years. So much of who I am as a person and a teacher is because of all I gained while being a part of that program. I learned so many lessons from the students, parents, co-workers, and especially Mrs. Halayko. As I said in the beginning, what makes us special is the people: everyone who used to be, currently is, or will one day be a part of Falls Church City Public Schools and for that, this Pennsylvania girl will always be grateful.