At the October PTO meeting, there was discussion about Weller being slated to expand in 2020. I reached out to Ashburn District Representative to the Loudoun County School Board, Eric Hornberger who was kind enough to send an extremely thorough response to my inquiry. We have invited Eric to a future PTO meeting to discuss this in more detail..... The below is directly from Eric.
 
The planned three-classroom expansion of SWES is part of a broader elementary school classroom expansion initiative within the school division that began a few years ago.  It is essentially increasing the size of all similarly designed elementary schools in areas of the county where additional capacity are anticipated to be needed, either because of continued residential development and/or the recent expansion of full-day kindergarten throughout the school division.  The elementary schools built using the same 44 classroom prototype would gain a similar three-classroom addition to bring them up to a total of 47 classrooms.  This is the number of classrooms in elementary schools under the last single-story ES prototype in use within the school division beginning with Cardinal Ridge ES which opened several years ago (LCPS has since gone to a slightly larger – 48 classroom – two-story prototype that is still in use for all new construction). Six such three-classroom additional project on the prior 44 classroom ES prototype have already been successfully implemented at Arcola, Creighton’s Corner, Legacy, Liberty, Pinebrook, and Rosa Lee Carter elementary schools.  These projects were funded in FY 2017, began in Spring 2017, and were completed in the Summer of 2018.  These additions have enabled the school division to respond continued growth in the county’s student population while also simultaneously implementing expanding access to  full-day kindergarten.

Most importantly, I love being around family and friends. I’m lucky to have a great group of people around me, especially Natalia, my girlfriend Melanie, and her son Clay. And I am thrilled that I am making new connections all the time through Steuart Weller and the PTO. 
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1. What are your impressions of Weller since you joined the family in the last year?

Steuart Weller Elementary cares about their students, families, and staff. I see so much work going on that is directed towards welcoming everyone and creating a strong community. The school is also dedicated to providing the best education to its students. Such care is given to providing a learning environment that provides many opportunities for the students. 

Each individual I have interacted with at the school has been kind and supportive. They are always willing to work with me on anything that is needed. The extended Weller network is just as great. I’ve connected with so many families which makes me feel part of a bigger community. 

2. How did you get involved with the PTO?

I joined the PTO when my daughter started as a kindergartener last year. I wanted to bring skills I have as a project manager to the table and assist with anything I could. The first event I volunteered for was Spooky Bingo. Seeing how much the students and their families loved this event made me want to take part in all the PTO activities. Being a single dad that works full-time meant I had limited time to offer, but there were always opportunities to get involved that worked around my schedule. 

3. What inspired you to serve as Vice President?

I remember when I was in elementary school and my mom was on the PTO board. It always felt great seeing her around the school and knowing that she took my education and the support of it so seriously. When the opportunity came for me do the same for my daughter I jumped on it. I felt by volunteering to be the Vice President I could work to better the school as an active participant in the process. I wanted to show my daughter how I could support her, the school, and the community by giving some of my time. 

I also knew that if I became the VP I could work to increase parent involvement in the school and in decision making and directing of the PTO as well as build a tighter community. All of these things are what led me to take on this role. 

4. What is your favorite PTO event?
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My favorite PTO event is Spooky Bingo. There is so much excitement in the gym that night. Students and their families come together for a night of food and fun. I see kids in costumes excited to walk around the gym before the game starts and it gets me excited. You can feel the tension in the room increase as people get that much closer to a “Bingo!” Then a few lucky winners can be seen smiling all the way up the stage as they win a round and select a prize. To be a part of that excitement and have an opportunity to spend a night with my family, friends, and the community means a lot to me. ​

About Christine
This is my fifth year working in Loudoun County Public Schools. I grew up in Roanoke, VA and then attended UVA where I earned my Bachelors in Environmental Sciences and a Masters in Elementary Education. Very early on in my career, I realized a love of working with technology in the classroom because I saw the way it really unlocked some amazing opportunities for my students. And thus, I decided to pursue a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Designing Digital Learning in Schools. I completed that degree through George Mason University last year and I am thrilled to get to take on this role at such an amazing school like Weller! My role as Instructional Facilitator for Technology (IFT) is one in which I get to co-plan and co-teach with teachers to help facilitate lessons that have technology integrated into the curriculum that is already being taught so that it is more meaningful for students.    

What motivated you to want to lead the Innovation Lab Project?
I had seen and heard of a few other schools transforming their traditional computer labs into a more innovative and collaborative space so I was intrigued. I've also seen research that indicates the importance of having a "dedicated" space outside of the regular classroom that serves as sort of a "hub" of innovation, creation, and collaboration. When I found out that we would be getting a technology refresh this year and losing all of our big desktop computers, I knew it was the perfect time for us to explore transforming our space. ​

How do you envision the Innovation Lab long-term?
My hope is that the Innovation Lab would be an ever-evolving and growing space that will be a catalyst for student-centered learning. I want to take feedback from teachers and students as we work to create this space together. What I DO know, is that I hope the Innovation Lab will always be a place where students are excited to visit and feel safe taking risks with something new as they engage in meaningful learning experiences. 

When can students expect the Innovation Lab to be student ready this year?
The furniture we ordered through the generous grant from the Graduate Management Admission Council is expected to arrive sometime in mid-October. Once we have that and a few technology pieces, we will be ready to launch with students! I expect students to be able to visit the lab before the end of the first quarter.
 
Why should students and Parents be excited about the Innovation Lab?
Students should be excited because we will explore new technologies and have fun! Parents should be excited because the Innovation Lab will open up new opportunities for learning, specifically in the fields of computer science and coding! These are not only growing fields in our economy and society, but also provide valuable thinking skills that are beneficial for any learner. 

Who do you think will get the most out of the innovation lab this year?
Of course, our focus is always student learning! So, the easy answer is that our students will get the most out of the Innovation Lab. But, I think the teachers will also enjoy visiting with their students. 

What are the three items you want most for the lab?

1. I would love to add a set of Google Expeditions Virtual Reality (VR) devices to our lab! 
2. Interactive Panel for video editing and instruction
3. Bloxels for educational video game design

Use of technology is a hot button issue right now, especially among younger children. Do you have any advice for parents trying to determine the right amount of technology for their children?

Great question! As much as I love technology, I absolutely understand the need for moderation. Although technology has opened up new opportunities for us, it has certainly created a more complicated world for us to live in. With this comes an incredible need for us to help our students and children learn the importance of balance. As we have these Digital Citizenship conversations in school, it is imperative that these conversations continue at home. Keeping our students safe is our top priority and we cannot do this without knowing what they are doing online. Every family has its own needs and lifestyle and, therefore, I do not think there is one correct answer for amount of technology use, but I think it ultimately comes down to balance. There are some really great resources for parents on Common Sense Media that you can find here: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/parent-concerns

At Weller, we have so many great volunteers helping make us successful. To highlight their efforts and help you get to know them better, we are going to interview them so you can learn more about who they are and how they help. This post will focus on Karyn Baskette who is bringing creativity and flair to the PTOs flyers, logo and website this year.

About Karyn
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I've been doing graphic design for almost 20 years and have owned my own company, Yondee Designs, for the last 11 years. I work with corporations and associations and my focus area is primarily anything print. I graduated from JMU (Go Dukes!) with a BA in Media Arts and Design. When I'm not designing for the corporate world, I also have an Etsy shop, Yondee Celebrations, and love creating whimsical pieces for personal needs like custom invitations, holiday cards, wall art, baby and bridal pieces. My husband Steve and I are busy raising our three boys Brody, 6 (first), Bryan, 8.5 (third) and AJ,11 (sixth). On any given Saturday, you'll find us running from game to game on the soccer field. In our down time, we love game night, dance parties or doing an art project. It's awesome to see my boys have a passion for art like me! You can check out my website at yondeedesigns.com or my etsy page at www.etsy.com/shop/yondeecelebrations. ​

You're fairly new to Weller, what are your impressions in the last year?

We came to Weller from another Ashburn school so the transition was easy for my boys. The school itself was very similar, in fact the layout is even the exact same! One thing I felt was missing was the sense of community. I think our challenge at Weller is that families are spread across many neighborhoods and it would be great to somehow have more of a community feel. Teachers and kids have all been great, but would I would love to see more events like Muffins with Mom, Donuts with Dad or activities like Parents Night Out where you can get to know more people. The more people you know, the more connected and engaged you feel. All of that to me, leads to more involvement and morale for the school.

How did you get involved with the PTO?

I have never been on any PTA or PTO before. I've always given my time to my child's classroom and helped individual teachers. But, last year I was new and really didn't know a thing about Weller so getting into the PTO made sense to me. Also, my friend Heidi had signed up and asked if I would work on her committee. I work full-time so felt uneasy about how much time I could give, but ultimately realized it was a wonderful decision to jump in and join a committee with a friend. I committed to helping her with any graphic visuals she would need since that is my area of expertise. We have all strengths and gifts and I encourage everyone to jump in and find a way to get get involved. I've only been involved for a short time, but really have enjoyed giving back.

What was your inspiration for the re-branding of the Weller logo?

I loved working with the logo! This summer as I was creating the corporate sponsorship materials, I realized Weller didn't have a true logo. We have a beautiful custom artwork of the wild cats created by our art teacher, Mrs. Galvin. I wanted to keep her vision and wild cats, but add typography to it to create a strong brand for our school. The shield was a perfect shape for the artwork and symbolized strength and safety within our school. The wild cats come out of the shield just a bit to add depth and movement symbolizing our school not stuck in a box, but always growing and pushing the limits for our children. The block lettering is also strong and bold which is easy to read on many mediums.