January 2023 APS All Stars Announced

APS is once again excited to announce the January 2023 APS All Stars, selected out of several hundred outstanding staff nominees! These individuals demonstrate excellence in collaboration, equity, inclusivity, integrity, innovation and stewardship. They are members of the APS team who are the first to pitch in, bring a positive attitude to their work and go above and beyond to serve students. Congratulations to these individuals!

David Sydney | Williamsburg Middle School
Committed, calm, caring, encouraging
Mr. Sydney is dedicated to the inclusion of all students and has encouraged all kids he meets to do their very best. As an instructional aide, he has fostered independence and integration for my son in what some believe are the very challenging years in middle school. My son has thrived under the support of Mr. Sydney and has participated in activities he would never have tried on his own. Mr. Sydney is fostering an environment where kids will grow and become independent thinkers and adults. For example, my child with disabilities is now on stage performing in theatre class, working out on a treadmill, and integrating into gen ed classroom time. He asks to go to school every day even on the weekend! Working with students is Mr. Sydney’s second career and he should be rewarded and held up as an example for our Arlington community!

Melissa Idell | Arlington Science Focus School
Creative, Hard-Working, Resilient, Caring, AMAZING! I am nominating Ms. Idell because she is one of the best special education educators I have ever had the pleasure of meeting and working with. She spends countless hours planning and preparing for her students, their families, and her colleagues to ensure she is providing the best learning opportunities and access to the content she is teaching. She supports her students both academically and emotionally as an extremely strong mentor and role model. Ms. Idell is a strong voice for her students, advocating to ensure their needs are met. She is always creating new activities and content to engage her students, collaborating with her fellow educators, sharing items she creates with the grade level to best support the needs of all of Arlington Science Focus’ students. She works on multiple committees, including our YES Club in which she helps students after school both educationally and with important life skills. Ms. Idell is the definition of a team player-always the first one willing to lend a hand to those in need, flexible when changes arise, and consistently comes with solutions to problems that we may be facing. She takes challenges in stride, is a lifelong learner, and faces every day with a positive attitude and a smile on her face. We are beyond lucky to have this amazing teacher and colleague at Science Focus and we continue to be in awe of all that Ms. Idell continues to accomplish and do for our students. She is already an APS ALL STAR in our hearts!

Lauren Worley | Innovation Elementary School
Team Player, Hard Working, Phenomenal, Knowledgeable, Kind
As a teacher, Ms. Worley made her a classroom a place that every student and staff member wanted to be. She met the needs of each individual student in her classroom by willingly taking on the challenge of modifying her room and instruction to meet a variety of needs. As a reading coach this year, Lauren does much of the same at a whole school level. She leads CLTs, pulls small intervention groups, supports students’ SEL needs, and she knows just about every student at Innovation by name. On top of her amazing professionalism, she brings the sunshine to Innovation staff. From organizing our social outings to sharing staff shoutouts, Ms. Worley is truly an APS All Star!

Shauna Dyer | Kenmore Middle School
The Face of Kenmore
Ms. Dyer is the lead writer and producer of the movie script that won best picture and movie of the year. She is that person at Kenmore!! She does her job with love, care and professionalism. She is a class act and responsible for years of success at our school. You can find Ms. Dyer doing almost anything to help our students and staff. She is also a PR Liaison with a long history of helping to share Kenmore’s story with the entire school division. All prior and current administrators would agree to this statement. John Word, David McBride, Angie Close, Jason Love, Christine Joy, Octavia Knigge, Betty Spencer and a host of others. Ms. Dyer, you are a true APS All Star!

Nibal Hammoudeh | Ashlawn Elementary School
Hard-working, compassionate, helpful & dedicated
Ms. Hammoudeh is a positive instructional support staff who is always willing to help the teachers and children she works with. She goes above and beyond her time at school by spending time researching topics and learning how to best support the children with learning the content and improving their behaviors. She is inclusive and supportive to all students. Her positivity and encouragement empower students to try their best and work hard. Ms. Hammoudeh is a collaborator with teachers, shares and discusses her ideas, and asks questions to help students. This eagerness to learn shows how much she cares about student success and well-being. Not only does she help classroom teachers, but she also helps support extended day some evenings after school. She does all these things on top of being a mother to three children. Ashlawn is so lucky to have Ms. Hammoudeh!!