September 2 was the start of exciting new chapters in more than 86,000 individual stories

Welcome back.

The first day of school is among my favorite days of the year. 

September 2 was the start of exciting new chapters in more than 86,000 individual stories, as students walked through the doors of 94 Prince William County Public Schools. Their smiles, and more than a few cases of nerves, offered only a glimpse of what lies ahead.

In the coming year, every PWCS student will learn and grow; adding knowledge, skills, and character that will serve them for a lifetime.

A 6th grade girl will discover that math, though still challenging, can be fun and useful. Her experience with the “Game of 24” could be the plot twist that begins the tale of a budding engineer. 

In elementary classrooms, what once appeared to thousands of kids as little more than hieroglyphics will become words, then sentences, and finally, new worlds to explore and conquer. Amazing teachers will help them see that reading is not just classwork or a hurdle on a test; it is the key to discovering countless subjects and writing their own stories of success.

A high school athlete will find new interests and abilities that reach far beyond the playing field, perhaps to performing arts, foreign languages, government, or maybe all of these.

A middle school student who was never fond of science will get wrapped up in the nuts and bolts of robotics; suddenly, wonders of science, technology, engineering, and math will unfold for him. Those amazing facts and the miracles they make possible will be written into the stories of thousands of other PWCS students too.

Parents will smile, as what used to be screeching, tentative notes on a violin slowly evolve into beautiful melodies.  And the student actor earnestly performing the lines of a dramatic masterpiece will barely sense how connections to literature and public speaking have provided preparation for a lifetime of curtain calls.
         
This year, many students who have struggled in the past will find that “not passing” is simply showing a new path toward victory. With help, they will find their way to new achievements and write their own special stories.
 
Just think of the tales unfolding. Future chefs will get a taste for the culinary arts. Students will write code that leads to careers, while would-be welders forge job opportunities and winning futures. College dreams will turn into targets and ultimately into acceptance letters. It all starts anew on opening day.

I know this to be true because I have met these students and heard their stories. The journeys of entrepreneurs, soldiers, artists, public servants, and amazing educators are stories that began in our classrooms and were nurtured right here in our community.

That is what all our buildings and technology are here to do. More than 5,500 teachers, including nearly 600 new ones, will co-write these stories by giving students the knowledge and problem-solving skills essential to success. Support staff will work to keep them safe, comfortably housed, healthy, and well-fed all along the way. Others will make certain that supplies and funds are available; that federal, state, and local rules are followed, and that the curriculum leads to real understanding.

Yes, there will be tests and assessments producing important data throughout the year; they serve as tools to keep our efforts on target and to assure that students are really learning. Do not mistake them for the stories themselves.

Listen to students. Marvel as their new chapters come together. And play your role in each and every line.
 
It does start anew on opening day. Welcome back to Prince William County Public Schools.