Frederick County Public Schools VISION An innovative community where caring relationships and authentic learning inspire all students. MISSION The Frederick County Public Schools community nurtures all learners to realize their dreams and aspirations through: Meaningful and engaging learning experiences A collective responsibility for continuous growth Embracing a culture of diversity and inclusiveness Fostering and supporting innovative ideas that challenge conventional thinking A commitment to forward-thinking learning environments www.inspire2025.net Letter from the School Board Chairman 2 ..., C Letter from the Superintendent 3 ...,cu C Frederick County School Board 4 0 Organization u 5 'I- Strategic Plan and Budget Priorities 6 0 cu FCPS Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic 7 Highlights and Accomplishments 14 I- 2019-20 Success Stories 19 2020 Teacher of the Year 33 Support Staff Awards 33 Letter from the School Board Chairman Dear Fellow Citizens, As the Chairman of the Frederick County School Board, I'm pleased to present the 2019-20 Frederick County Public Schools Annual Report. Each year, the Annual Report is published in an effortto make the community aware of the work accomplished by the School Board and, more importantly, to celebrate some of the many accomplishments achieved by students and staff. Documenting all of the success stories from the past year in a single document would be nearly impossible, but the items highlighted in the Annual Report are representative of the many good things happening within Frederick County Public Schools. Despite the unforeseen and unprecedented challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the school division continued to make great progress in 2019-20. All schools were accredited at the highest level, the construction of Jordan Springs Elementary School continued so the school can welcome students for start of the 2020-21 school year and ground was broken for the replacement Robert E. Aylor Middle School. In addition, the division's new strategic plan, Inspire 2025: A Promise for Progress, continued to be implemented and will result in all of our students being equipped with the skills and competencies necessary to pursue and achieve their dreams upon graduation. No single person or group can take full credit for the many accomplishments celebrated over the past year. Frederick County Public Schools' success comes as a result of our community working together to see the school division's vision- "An innovative community where caring relationships and authentic learning inspire all students"- become a reality. I, along with my fellow Board members, consider it a privilege to partner with the Superintendent, students, families and the Frederick County Board of Supervisors to help position our students and staffto pursue their passions and be successful. I encourage you to take time to read through the Annual Report and reflect on the positive impact Frederick County Public Schools has on our community as well as the local economy. Most importantly, I believe you will better understand the critical role public education plays in the development of our community's children who are destined to be the leaders of tomorrow. Sincerely, � Jay W. Foreman Chairman, Frederick County School Board 2 Letter from the Superintendent Dear Frederick County Residents, The 2019-20 school year may be best described as a tale of two seasons. During the first season from July through February, we were focused on implementing our new strategic plan, Inspire 2025: A Promise for Progress, and nurturing all learners to realize their dreams and aspirations as stated in the school division's Mission Statement. Our focus shifted in March when the COVID-19 pandemic led to schools being closed for the remainder of the year. During this second season, and the unforeseen challenges it presented, the entire school division was driven by a desire to continue providing learning opportunities to all students while also helping to meet a variety of needs throughout the community. Although 2019-20 was far from a "normal" school year, our students, teachers, administrators, and other staffpersevered and continued to write success stories and positively impact the community. As we dealt with unprecedented challenges, it was gratifyingto see students and staffconsistently displaying many of the competencies that comprise the Frederick County Public Schools Portrait of a Graduate. These competencies include communication; collaboration; empathy; flexibility, adaptability and resilience; creativity and innovation; and critical thinking and problem solving. Although the past year was extremely challenging, I believe we learned many things which will only make us better in the future. The 2019-20 Frederick County Public Schools Annual Report details the important actions taken by the School Board over the past year as well as many of the accomplishments achieved by students and staff. A special section in this year's Annual Report highlights our response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the extraordinary effortsu ndertaken to help address the crisis. Certainly, the progress and successes we've achieved come as a result of the support we receive from our community and I am appreciative of that continued support. Sincerely, 1)�7/� Dr. David T. Sovine Superintendent of Schools 3 ■ Frederick County School Board Jay W. Foreman Michael A. Lake Brandon H. Monk Brian J. Hester Chairman Vice Chairman Back Creek District Member at Large Shawnee District Gainesboro District P. 0. Box 1421 165 Babbs Run Lane 112 Mulberry Circle 860 Valley View Drive Winchester, VA22604 Winchester, VA22603 Stephens City, VA22655 Winchester, VA22603 [email protected] 540-336-9629 540-327-6501 540-665-0108 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Bradley A. Comstock Shontya C. Washington Frank E. Wright Opequon District Redbud District Stonewall District 236 Bridgewater Drive 115 Renee Lane 261 Glendobbin Road Stephens City, VA22655 Winchester, VA22602 Winchester, VA22603 540-631-4913 540-667-2636 540-667-6388 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] The terms of three School Board members ended on December 31, 2019. Member at Large John Lamanna served as a member of the Board for 18 years. Back Creek District Representative Kali Klubertanz and Opequon District Representative Seth Thatcher each served on the Board for four years. 4 Frederick County Public Schools is governed by a seven-member school board. Six of the board members represent the county's individual magisterial districts and one member is C elected at-large. Board members are elected for four-year terms which are staggered at 0 two-year intervals. The Board Chairman and Vice Chairman are elected by the Board at its ·- first meeting each January. ...ft1 The Board's official title is the "County School Board of Frederick County, Virginia." The N Board derives its authority from the Constitution of Virginia, the Code of Virginia and the ·- regulations of the State Board of Education. Board members are officers of the c Commonwealth. ft1 The School Board has many duties and is charged with appointing the superintendent of schools; setting the policies, guidelines and procedures to ensure the proper en administration of the school division; being responsible for the school division's financial matters; ensuring that school laws are properly explained, enforced and observed; 0 managing the property of the school division and providing necessary school buildings; appraising the effectiveness with which the schools are achieving the educational purposes of the Board; and adopting goals and objectives for each aspect of the school system's operation. The Board's regularly scheduled meetings are held the first and third Tuesdays of each month at the Frederick County Public Schools Administration Building, 1415 Amherst Street, Winchester, Virginia. The meetings are open to the public. The Board has five standing committees which meet regularly and make recommendations for the Board's consideration. The committees include the following: • Buildings and Grounds Committee- Mr. Wright, Chair; Mr. Comstock; and Mr. Foreman • Finance Committee- Mr. Lake, Chair; Mr. Hester; and Mrs. Washington • Instruction Committee- Mrs. Washington, Chair; Mr. Comstock; and Mr. Monk • Personnel Committee- Mrs. Washington, Chair; Mr. Comstock; and Mr. Monk • Student Conduct and Support Committee- Mr. Lake, Chair; Mr. Foreman; and Mr. Hester The School Board also is represented on several other committees/boards including the following: • Frederick County Educational Foundation- Mr. Hester • Mountain Vista Governor's School Governing Board- Mrs. Washington • Frederick County Comprehensive Plans and Programs Subcommittee Community Facilities Group- Mr. Wright and Mr. Foreman (Alternate) • Frederick County Development Impact Model Committee- Mr. Wright and Mr. Foreman (Alternate) 5 The Frederick County School Board provides leadership and oversight for Frederick County Public Schools by setting goals, establishing policies and committing resources toward meeting its goals. Each fall, the Board holds a full-day training session during which it receives an update from staff on the progress being made toward the goals outlined in the Strategic Plan. The training session concludes with the Board developing its Strategic Plan and Budget Priorities. The School Board's fall training session was held on October 25, 2019, and the Board approved its Strategic Plan and Budget Priorities on -· November