LCPS: School Spirit

Esta semana, el Podcast de LCPS presenta un episodio especial de Engage and Empower, un podcast creado por la Oficina de Participación Familiar y Comunitaria de Aprendices del Inglés (EL FACE). En este episodio, las instructoras de EL FACE Karla Blasquez y Mitza Hanger orientan a las familias sobre temas importantes relacionados con el apoyo a los estudiantes aprendices del inglés.

Los oyentes aprenderán cómo se identifica a los estudiantes y cómo se determina su elegibilidad para recibir servicios a través del Programa de Aprendices del Inglés, así como una descripción general de la evaluación de dominio del idioma WIDA ACCESS. El episodio también destaca The Family Room, uno de los programas de EL FACE diseñado para fortalecer la participación familiar y el éxito estudiantil. Para concluir, las instructoras comparten estrategias prácticas que las familias pueden utilizar en casa para apoyar a los estudiantes con el inicio de tareas y las rutinas diarias.

¡Las familias están invitadas a escuchar este episodio informativo, disponible en inglés y en español!

This week’s LCPS Podcast features a special episode from Engage and Empower, a podcast created by the English Learners Family and Community Engagement Office (EL FACE). In this episode, EL FACE instructors Karla Blasquez and Min Young Cheng guide families through important topics related to supporting English Learners.

Listeners will learn how students are identified and determined eligible for services through the English Learners Program, along with an overview of the WIDA ACCESS Language Assessment. The episode also highlights The Family Room, one of EL FACE’s programs designed to strengthen family engagement and student success. To conclude, the instructors share practical strategies families can use at home to support students with task initiation and daily routines.

Families are invited to tune in and enjoy this informative episode—available in both English and Spanish!

In this episode of DEIA: Better Together, we’re exploring the importance of ensuring that students are a part of the planning process as we build programs and initiatives designed to benefit and support them, and the impact of centering student voice and facilitating opportunities for students to lead the work.

Co-Host Camille Jones, DEIA Specialist is joined by Lyn Fiscus, Extracurricular Specialist with the Student Activities & Engagement Coordinator program (SAEC), and Alix Tate, School Counseling Coordinator for the College Achievement & Multicultural Program for Unique Students (CAMPUS), to discuss how LCPS is centering student voices within classroom learning communities, school culture, and dynamic instruction.

For the January School Spirit podcast, Renée Dawson, director of Family and Community Engagement, talks with five Blue Ridge Middle School students who are active in PEER, the Ambassador program, and Student Council. The students share what community means to them and how their involvement in these activities helps strengthen connections across the school. The students also reflect on the school motto, "what you do matters," and discuss how it shapes their choices. Business education teacher Tiffany Whalen also joins the conversation, offering her perspective on what makes Blue Ridge Middle such a special place to learn and grow.

LCPS Superintendent Dr. Aaron Spence speaks with high school students Skyla from Woodgrove HS and GU from Potomac Falls HS about their experiences and opinions on opportunities for LCPS students to learn outside the classroom and discover their passions.  

December’s School Spirit Podcast takes listeners inside Broad Run High School, where Renée Dawson, Director of LCPS’ Division of Family and Community Engagement, chats with students about how they’re building a culture of belonging. From PEER to the Muslim Student Association to Student Council, these young leaders share how their organizations create connections, celebrate diversity, and strengthen community spirit at Broad Run. Student Activity and Engagement Coordinator Katrice White also shares her thoughts on what makes Broad Run special. 

 In this episode of DEIA: Better Together, we’re exploring the powerful link between professional learning and student success. Talent development isn’t just about training — it’s about transformation. When educators grow, students thrive.

Co-Host Everette Callaway is joined by Tanisha Holland, Director of Talent Development, and Lauren Sprowls, Supervisor of Leadership Development within Human Resources and Talent Development (HRTD), to discuss how LCPS is building pathways for continuous learning, supporting classroom teachers, and cultivating strong, reflective leaders.

Together, they unpack what it means to take a learner’s stance as educators — expanding access to professional growth, empowering teachers to lead with confidence, and shaping schools where every student can see, feel, and experience excellence.

Because when we invest in our people, we invest in our students.

This week on School Talk with Dr. Spence, we’re talking workforce development and why it starts long before graduation. Special guests Ed Hidalgo and Dr. Steve Regur, CEO of the Educator’s Cooperative, share how partnerships, early exposure and purposeful learning can transform student opportunities. A must-listen for educators and families alike!

LCPS Public Information Officer Dan Adams speaks to Jack Garvin, a freshman who recently won a national championship for building the fastest dragster in the US.  Jack talks about his experience competing, the value it brings to his learning, and the amazing support he received from his LCPS teachers and advisors.

LCPS Superintendent Dr. Aaron Spence speaks to authors Dr. Floyd Cobb and John Krownapple about their book, Belonging Through a Culture of Dignity. The book dives into the importance of dignity and belonging, while it might appear to be self-evident at first glance, it’s not until these concepts are truly unpacked, that educators realize the dire need for belonging through dignity. Once these fundamental human needs are understood, educators can gain clarity of the barriers to meaningful student relationships, especially across dimensions of difference. Even the most relational and responsive educators need this clarity due to the normalization of what the authors refer to as dignity distortions.