Dear Parklawn Family,

We are very excited for the 2022-2023 school year as our Parklawn family continues to grow! As a result, we have the great opportunity to have a third assistant principal join our school community. We welcome Mr. Amos O. Simms-Smith to Parklawn, as he brings a variety of instructional and leadership practices that will complement the work we already have in place in our school.  We cannot wait to introduce Mr. Simms-Smith to our school community as he continues his personal and professional journey in FCPS.

Amos O. Simms-Smith comes to Parklawn ES with 21 years of educational experience, nineteen in Fairfax County Public Schools.  A native of Pittsburgh, PA, Amos’ tenure in FCPS includes a teacher leader at Langston Hughes Middle School, a Specialist in the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology Admissions Office, and most recently an Assistant Principal at Westbriar Elementary School.  Amos has utilized these school-based and central office experiences to foster student achievement and teacher collaboration, develop ongoing relationships with schools and the greater community, and address the needs of diverse groups of students and families.   Amos believes in excellence through equity, leading with compassion, and being a visible member of a school community.

Amos holds a dual bachelor’s degree from Temple University, a master’s degree from Harvard University, and his administration certification through the LEAD Fairfax Accelerated Certification Cohort from the University of Virginia.  In his spare time, Amos enjoys cooking, running (14 marathons and 7 ultramarathons so far), reading, and spending time with his wife and two children (now 3 and 5 years old).  He is excited to become one of the newest members of the Parklawn ES community.

Sincerely,

Rebecca Forgy

Proud Principal

Parklawn Elementary