Welcome to Falls Church City!  If you blink once, you have entered the heart of the Little City, if you blink twice you are leaving the Little City. Although small in size (2.2 square miles to be exact), it is full of life, has much to offer, and is worth investigating to fully understand why Falls Church City Public Schools shine so brightly in this Little City. Having worked in the Falls Church school system for nearly 20 years, I have come to appreciate the sense of community and the caring culture that the schools bring to all who live and work here.

My first position within the school system started at Mount Daniel Elementary School as the Principal’s Secretary. Many often referred to it as the “Happy Place.” It quickly became apparent to me that because of the staff’s kindness and genuine caring culture, they embraced each day with lots of enthusiasm and shared their joy of teaching with their students. Every staff member was an integral part of these students’ lives, whether they served students in the cafeteria, transported students to school, kept the classrooms and hallways clean, taught specials outside the classroom, or taught in the classroom. Every person who came in contact with these children positively impacted their learning experience and education.

One of the bus drivers would greet every student by name as they boarded the bus in the morning and remind them to say good morning to their teacher as they entered school. Showing respect and gratitude for one another was fostered gently, and Principal Kathy Halayko was a shining example of this kind of caring culture. She, too, would greet the children each morning as they arrived at school with a warm smile and send them home in the same manner. Occasionally, we would have a visit from one of our special needs students who was nonverbal. His teacher would wheel him into the main office and we would have a sing-a-long, Row, Row, Row Your Boat, led by our school health aide. It was obvious the health aide’s soothing voice was music to this young person’s ears because a wide grin would spread across his face, and you could feel the joy he felt. After almost two years, an opportunity arose to work at the Central Office, and I knew leaving Mount Daniel would be bittersweet. I was eager to move on and explore other opportunities within the school division. Still, I would miss the daily interactions of the teachers, staff, parents, and, most certainly, our youngest learners. Now and then, I have the opportunity to visit Mount Daniel for a school activity, and it still has the same caring culture among staff and students.

Most of my career with Falls Church City Public Schools has been spent working at the Central Office in the Superintendent’s Office and clerking for the School Board. There was a lot to learn about school governance, but I was grateful for the opportunity to learn this new position. Many kind souls gave of their time and shared their knowledge to ensure that I would be successful in my new role including former Superintendent Dr. Lois Berlin, who took me under her wing. Throughout the years, I have witnessed this kind of graciousness, giving of oneself for the betterment of others. Although the Central Office has many departments, we do not work independently of each other.  Every department is interdependent on the other to accomplish its goals most efficiently and effectively.

Many of our roles and responsibilities cross over into multiple departments, and we work together to ensure we reach those goals. Collaboration is the key to our achievements and successes. A prime example is the work done by our Chief Legal Services Officer, Trish Minson. One of her many responsibilities is to update School Board policies. Although the School Board uses model policies from the VSBA, Ms. Minson takes it upon herself to go a step further. She engages with those most familiar with a particular policy to ensure that it reflects the values and mission of FCCPS. This may require collaboration between several departments of the Central Office and school personnel.  Frequently, we refer to the slogan, “Better Together,” which sums up how our departments within the Central Office and Schools work together.

Not only do the Central Office and the Schools work better together in our daily routines, but we excel at those extracurricular activities. For several years, we participated in the Relay for Life as the TEAM Coconuts and organized multiple fundraisers for the event. We worked closely with our social workers to help with the Family Assistance Fund, raising money and providing clothing and toys to our families in need, especially during the holiday season. As the years progressed, so did the fundraising efforts for these families through the Falls Church Education Foundation and the Business in Education Partnership Council. The Education Foundation hosts multiple community events annually, providing funds and resources to those families. Through the Business in Education Partnership Council, local businesses have also provided the means to help families. Through the leadership of parents, our school-aged children have organized and participated in GIVE DAY, a day of service to the community. Students across the division participate in various projects, giving their time and talents for the betterment of their local community and communities across the globe. Additionally, the Falls Church City Public Schools have partnered with Welcoming Falls Church, an organization that assists refugee and immigrant families joining our community. The Falls Church City Public Schools Community has done a remarkable job of assisting all families in need.

During the pandemic, when fear of the unknown struck in the hearts of many, Falls Church City Public Schools outshined every school division in the country. Through the extraordinary leadership of the Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Peter Noonan, and his team, including Chief of Operations Kristen Michael, Chief Academic Officer William Bates, and the Director of Special Services Rebecca Sharp, affectionately referred to as the “Empress of Covid” because she tracked and reported Covid cases to the health department, was quick to address the needs of all students and staff. Fortunately for FCCPS, former members of the School Board had the vision to begin an initiative to provide laptops for every student in the school division. This initiative took several years to implement and was one of their highest priorities for the school division. They wanted every student, regardless of economic status, to have the resources and opportunities needed to be successful in their education.

When it became clear that COVID-19, an unprecedented pandemic, was upon us, FCCPS, under the leadership of Dr. Noonan, took on the challenge and never looked back. Leading a school division through these uncharted waters would require forward-thinking and someone who could empower others to overcome the challenges presented to the schools and community. The School Board’s initiative to provide laptops for every student put FCCPS in a much better position to deal with these challenges. Equally important was the leadership of Dr. Noonan and the collaboration of the central office team, principals and building leaders, teachers, and staff.

Dr. Noonan would lead his entire staff and student body through this time of uncertainty and provide reassurance. His willingness to be open to ideas and suggestions from staff and keeping the lines of communication open to parents, students, and staff was imperative for Falls Church City Public Schools’s success and recovery from the pandemic. The Operations Team, led by Kristen Michael, provided food banks for families dependent on their children’s meals while schools were not in session. The Academic Team, led by William Bates, developed methods for teachers to continue teaching students through online learning and assembling work packets for the youngest learners. The Communication Team, led by Mr. John Brett and assisted by Marybeth Connelly, ensured that daily communications were being distributed to all community members. Rebecca Sharp and Special Education Administrators ensured that the students with special needs were being assisted daily.

Dr. Noonan and his leadership team were in constant contact with the local health department, relaying important messages and information about safety protocols to staff and families. Working with the health department, Falls Church City Public Schools would be one of the first divisions to set up clinics for staff and students to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, a game changer. Through all of the uncertainty and fear brought about by COVID-19, one thing remained constant: the reassurance that Dr. Noonan was taking care of his school division. And for the record, when others were losing their jobs because of shuttered businesses, FCCPS staff never missed a paycheck thanks to the dedication and hard work of so many individuals within the school system to keep the schools operating.

Over the years, I have had the privilege to work in Falls Church City Public Schools with some of the most extraordinary people. Superintendents Dr. Lois Berlin, Dr. Toni Jones, Interim Superintendent Dr. Robert Schiller, and currently Dr. Peter Noonan have led the division with one overarching goal: to do what is best for the students of Falls Church City Public Schools. I have witnessed their dedication and strong work ethic in achieving this goal. These Superintendents, working alongside the School Board, have continually put students at the center of every decision made for the school division.

In May 2022, the School Board implemented a Board Policy on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, giving opportunities for every student to learn and succeed in a caring climate. Many staff members under Dr. Jenn Santiago, Director of Equity and Excellence, have worked to ensure a safe and caring environment for their students. Equity teams have been implemented within each school building to address the needs of students and staff. Training for teachers on Restorative Practices has been implemented as well. Students and staff have had opportunities to share their experiences about injustices with the expectation of being heard and healed. Most recently, FCCPS implemented a new program across the division, Culture of Hope, a belief that All Students are Capable of Success, No Exceptions! This Culture of Hope fosters students’ and staff’s sense of belonging and inclusiveness. It will continue to create a caring culture throughout the Falls Church City Public Schools community. As FCCPS has grown, so have its successes because of the hard work and dedication of staff, members of the School Board, and members of the community at large who have strived to create a caring culture for all who live and work here.

About Marty Gadell: As a devoted wife, mother of five, and grandmother of ten, family has always been most important to me. Motherhood was my first and most rewarding career. During the early years of raising my family, my volunteer efforts included being an OLGC PTO representative, Member-at-large for the OLGC School Advisory Council, team lead on the fundraising committee for the OLGC Church building renovation, room parent, and sports team parent. My second career has been in education as I re-entered the workforce as an Administrative Assistant for Emmanuel Lutheran Preschool. Moving on to O’Connell High School, I worked in the Student Activities Office and Studies Office. Finally, reaching for the stars led me to a 20-year career in Falls Church City Public Schools as an Executive Administrative Assistant and School Board Clerk. One fun fact: I am a huge football fan!