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Dear Fort Belvoir Upper Parents and Community,
It is with sincere enthusiasm that I introduce myself to you
as your Principal at Fort Belvoir Upper. I feel extremely fortunate to have
been invited to join this wonderful school community. I was drawn to Fort Belvoir Upper because it
connects my personal experience with my passion for education. I grew up in a military family, as my father
was a career Army officer. After high
school, I enlisted in the Army myself, and later attended college with support
from the GI Bill. Much later, my son
also served in the Army, so I have experienced being an Army parent. I believe my background has provided a strong
understanding of the challenges military families face. However, I also understand how an upbringing
in a military family benefits children by building resilience, flexibility,
adaptability and a deep sense of pride in our country.
I have been a school administrator for
14 years (six as Assistant Principal and eight as Principal) of William Halley
Elementary School in FCPS. My experience
has provided me a comprehensive understanding of elementary curriculum and
instruction, as well as how to provide equitable learning experiences for all
students, including Students with Disabilities, English Learners, and Students
with Advanced Academic needs. I am also
deeply committed to ensuring that all students grow socially and emotionally,
and I feel this is as vital to students as academic progress. Some points of pride in my previous school
include our collective progress as a Professional Learning Community; our
migration to schoolwide positive behavior supports, including Responsive
Classroom and schoolwide social skills instruction; and increased opportunities
to promote rigorous and interdisciplinary learning through the use of advanced
academics resources for all students, the creation of a STEAM (Science,
Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) Lab, as well as the extensive
implementation of Project Based Learning (PBL). It is my belief that
inquiry-based learning promotes rigor and helps all students acquire Portrait
of a Graduate skills such as critical and creative thinking, communication,
collaboration, and resiliency. By working closely with teachers, students, and
families, I look forward to supporting innovation at Fort Belvoir Upper, as
well as continuing to grow a warm, safe, nurturing, and inclusive learning
environment.
I want to thank Carol Padgett for her outstanding leadership
and dedication to the Fort Belvoir Upper community this past school year. I am honored to follow in her footsteps. I am also incredibly grateful to be working
with Jane O’Hara, our Assistant Principal. Together, and with our partners at
Fort Belvoir Primary, we will maximize Fort Belvoir Campus’ instructional
program, ensuring the success of every student in our care. Over the past few
weeks, I have gotten to meet many of our staff, and have visited our students
in their classrooms. I am looking
forward to meeting parents and new families as we work together to build the
foundation for lasting relationships within our school community.
My time this summer is dedicated to working diligently to
ensure a smooth transition and opening to the 2018-2019 school year. Several
opportunities for us to become better acquainted are planned, to include:
Open Library
Fridays, July 13, 20, 27, and August 3 and 10, from 9 am-12
pm. All students are welcome to come to
the library at both Primary and Upper for open checkout and guest readers. I will be in attendance on July 20th, August
3rd, and August 10th.
Popsicles on the
Playground
Saturday, July 28th from 10-11 am, and Sunday, July 29th
from 7-8 pm. Come to the Fort Belvoir
Campus for a playdate with friends on our playgrounds, and to meet both me and
Margo Dias-Pareja, Principal of Fort Belvoir Primary. We look forward to meeting you and sharing a
cool treat!
Parent Survey
Your thoughts and feedback about Fort Belvoir Upper
Elementary School are important to me.
Please click the link below to share your comments on a short
survey. I will be using this input to
identify themes as we continue to develop our plans for 2018-2019 and beyond.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/STLTVY5
Open House Event
We are in the planning stages for our Open House Event to
kick off the 2018-2019 school year. More
information will be forthcoming soon!
I look forward to meeting each of you, and have appreciated
the welcome I have received to date!
Warmly,
Jamey Chianetta
Principal
jechianetta@fcps.edu
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