Dear APS Families,
I hope your school year is off to a great start. I am starting the year with visits to all schools, and it is a joy to see our educators and students back in the classroom, engaging in lessons and activities developed to create a strong foundation for the current academic year. I am sharing highlights of my visits on Twitter throughout each week and will give a high-level report at next week’s School Board meeting. Upcoming September Events and Updates:
- Hispanic Heritage Month – A reminder that tomorrow kicks off National Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated annually from Sept. 15-Oct. 15. This year’s theme is “Unidos: Inclusivity for a Stronger Nation” as we celebrate Latino Americans who have enriched our community. This year’s celebration includes an Oct. 13 School Board recognition of school-based Latino leaders and high school students selected for their extraordinary achievements.
- Upcoming Equity Community Conversations – Join us on Wed, Sept. 28 as the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) kicks off the first in a series of community conversations to share our new Equity Profile Dashboard and lead conversations about how we are expanding this tool and using data on student demographics, academic performance and more to strengthen equity, access and opportunity for all students in APS. Read more about the event. These sessions are virtual, and you can register online. We look forward to seeing you there and hearing your input.
- Congrats to Tuckahoe’s Ms. Ani Arzoomanian, Northern VA Teacher of the Year, and Finalists – I want to congratulate Tuckahoe’s 3rd Grade Teacher, known to students as Arzoo, for earning Northern Virginia Magazine’s Teacher of the Year award! She was honored at a special surprise student assembly on Friday. I also want to congratulate Arlington Traditional School (ATS) teacher, Anna Barba; Wakefield teacher, Julianna Araujo; and Swanson teacher, Melanie Stowell, who were named as finalists for this award. The special edition of Northern VA Magazine featuring their stories will be posted online tomorrow. We are proud to have excellent teachers in APS.
- APS Fall Athletics Season is Underway: Safety Reminders – As the fall season begins, we are excited to support our student athletes. We are issuing this reminder to all families to help maintain a safe, fun and positive environment for all at our high school athletic events. Please come out to support our athletes and help by reinforcing these important expectations with your students when they are attending an APS event.
Enjoy your week!
Sincerely,
Dr. Francisco Durán
Superintendent
Arlington Public Schools
