Outstanding Annandale educators honored

Two educators from the Mason District were among the 12 employees honored with Outstanding Employee Awards by Fairfax County Public Schools.

Essel Linton, the music teacher at Annandale Terrace Elementary School, is the winner in the Outstanding Elementary Teacher category.

“Essel’s music class is always filled with students singing, dancing, playing instruments, and, most importantly, having fun while creating beautiful music together,” the awards program states. “She crafts intentional, meaningful, and highly engaging lessons while embracing the social, emotional, and cultural differences of all learners.”

The winner in the Outstanding School-Based Leader category is Bianca Aiello, director of student services at Poe Middle School.

FCPS calls Aiello “a compassionate leader, fostering strong relationships within the Annandale pyramid, and focusing on student success in academics, behavior, and wellness.” Her guiding principle is “if you lead with your heart, you will never be wrong.”

The awards are sponsored by Educate Fairfax and were presented at George Mason University’s Center for the Arts earlier this month.

In his opening remarks, Superintendent Scott Brabrand said there seemed to be a common thread among the winners: adaptability in the face of the Covid pandemic and the return to classrooms and offices.

“You navigated the unexpected with grace and inspired those around you to do the same,” Brabrand told the honorees. “Life is unpredictable, and adaptability is a great asset to have. Instead of focusing on the difficulties, you viewed them as opportunities.”

There were 71 finalists in 12 categories, including these finalists from Annandale-area schools:

Woodson High School Principal Carlyn Floyd was a finalist in the Outstanding Principal category, and Frost Middle School Assistant Principal Melanie Porter was a finalist in the Outstanding School-Based Leader category.

Charlotte Brochu, a deaf/hard of hearing teacher at Canterbury Woods Elementary School, and Megan C. Lafond, a first-grade teacher at Braddock Elementary School, were finalists in the Outstanding Elementary School New Teacher category.

Among the finalists in the Outstanding Secondary School New Teacher category were Mike Kuykendall, an English teacher at Woodson, and Kaia Lazo, a history and social studies teacher at Luther Jackson Middle School.

Lotta Moschopoulos, an administrative assistant at Camelot Elementary School in Annandale, was a finalist in the Outstanding School-Based Operational Employee category.