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October 22, 2020
CONGRATULATIONS TO MR. COOKSON!!!!!
Pete Cookson, a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) teacher at Laurel Hill Elementary School, has been named Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) 2020 Outstanding Elementary Teacher!!!!!
“Pete ‘gets’ kids,” says nominator and co-teacher Marissa Williamson. “He has taught over a thousand. He has four of his own. He clearly remembers being a kid.”
Cookson began his career in 1998 as a classroom teacher at Braddock Elementary and Kings Glen Elementary; he has taught general education, special education, and advanced academics. He currently is the science lab teacher at Laurel Hill.
“It’s Tuesday and my students can’t wait for science,” states Williamson. “Tuesday is our ‘Lab Day’ and our opportunity to spend time with Mr. Cookson. His lab is full of wonders: microscopes, barometers, models, robots, Legos, planets, a bearded lizard, and a true appreciation of student curiosity. Mr. Cookson has a perfect balance of teaching, hands-on and discovery. He is a veteran teacher who has in-depth knowledge of content and best practices. The students, however, do not seem to realize this. They just reap the excitement and thirst for science that he inspires. They do not always realize that they are learning by playing the many games and experiences he has developed to reinforce content. They just know it is FUN!” Williamson adds that the students code robots to demonstrate rotation and revolution, create watersheds to demonstrate impact of pollution, make puppet shows to teach primary students about science, build ocean floors, create giant creatures using features of weather, and talk with scientists across the country via video conferencing.
The relationships with kids that he builds through his position as “the science guy” has changed the culture of the school because of his caring and innovative culture, she adds. One parent said, "Mr. Cookson is a once-in-a-lifetime teacher."
Lisa Rode, the 2019 Outstanding Elementary Teacher, said in her nominating letter, “I had the absolute privilege of teaching with Pete for my first 10 years in Fairfax County Public Schools as a sixth-grade teacher at Kings Glen Elementary…He was not only welcoming but made a tremendous impact on the way I teach.” She praised Cookson for sharing lesson ideas and resources and inviting teachers into his classroom.
“Pete not only created engaging lessons during school, he also led numerous clubs and activities before and after school,” stated Rode. “These included a before-school STEM class, several years of an after-school All-Star Sports club, and before school reading-math support. Pete also led a tailgate each year at a Lake Braddock football game. Students and families from his current class would attend as well as students from previous years. One student shared that this tailgate helped with his transition from elementary school to middle school.”
Principal Janice Dalton says, “In his classroom he has created a rich, warm, welcoming and visually exciting learning space. Every student has an opportunity to participate in the science lab. Every lesson has a hands-on approach to learning an application to solving real-world problems or making real-world connections. He is also able to thread in procedures, protocols and learning tools in a fashion that is extremely impressive and motivates students to be their most creative and academic selves.”
Colleague Joshua Johnson says that Cookson’s support extends beyond the fun science lessons, “For Mr. Cookson, it is about communicating to each student that he/she has value, that he/she can achieve academic success, and that each student's observations and understanding of scientific concepts is something to be celebrated and built on in the future.”
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