Hello DSS Digest Readers,
As we reflect on the months of December through February, I am filled with immense pride and gratitude for the incredible work we have accomplished together. These past few months have been a testament to our dedication and commitment to supporting our students in every possible way.
In December, we successfully closed out the first semester with a continued focus on student well-being, providing our families with SEL connection resources for the Winter Break. The feedback from students, staff and families has been overwhelmingly positive, and it is clear that our efforts are making a significant impact. January brought us a series of insightful experiences that served our community with the latest tools and strategies to better serve our students, through our 7th Annual Mental Health and Wellness Conference hosted by Watson Mountain Middle School. The knowledge and skills gained during the sessions have already been put into practice, and the results are evident in the improved support we are providing.
February was marked by a renewed sense of collaboration and innovation. We saw numerous examples of teamwork and creative problem-solving that have set a strong foundation for the months ahead, through our planning on the new LCPS Transition Center for Students with Disabilities and the School Board's approval of the LCPS Recovery School. The dedication and passion each of you brings to your work are truly inspiring, and I am confident that we will continue to achieve great things together.
Thank you for your hard work and unwavering commitment. Let's carry this momentum forward and make the upcoming months as successful and fulfilling as possible.
Warm regards,
Tedra Richardson
Assistant Superintendent, Student Services
SEAC Awards Nominations
The Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) is currently accepting nominations for its annual Recognition for Excellence in Supporting Special Education Awards. This awards program honors educators, students, programs, parents and community members who have gone above and beyond to foster meaningful inclusion that promotes adaptability, creativity, disability awareness, acceptance, and peer-to-peer interactions for students with disabilities. To submit a nomination, fill out the 2025 Nomination Form. Nominations must be received by midnight on Friday, March 21 to be considered. Winners will be notified by SEAC in May 2025. The SEAC Awards Ceremony will be on June 4 at Loudoun County High School.
United for Wellness Participants Learn Strategies to Support Youth Mental Health and Wellness
United for Wellness, LCPS’ seventh annual Mental Health and Wellness Conference and Resource Fair, held on Saturday, Jan. 25 at Watson Mountain Middle School, provided approximately 400 LCPS community members with the opportunity to learn about and better understand mental health and wellness strategies. Nearly 40 sessions provided parents and community members with guidance to help them be more aware of youth trends and tips to support their families. Topics included coping with anxiety, navigating teen eating disorders and body image issues, understanding ADHD, fostering healthy relationships and many more.
Superintendent Aaron Spence opened the conference, expressing his appreciation for resources the conference made available in support of student emotional, social and mental wellbeing.
Dr. Michelle Peace, of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Department of Forensic Science, provided the keynote presentation in which she presented highlights of her research into the dangers posed by electronic cigarettes and vapes.
Throughout the event, participants visited the resource fair which featured over 100 local businesses, nonprofits, local government agencies as well as LCPS offices. These organizations showcased services and opportunities for community members to support their families.
To help round out the event, food trucks were on-site for the purchase of lunch and snacks and the Briar Woods PEER group sold hot chocolate.
The event was organized by the Office of Student Mental Health Services with much appreciated support from the Department of Student Services and other LCPS departments. The Cook Center for Human Connection, which partners with LCPS to offer ParentGuidance.org, sponsored a portion of the event.
Additional images of the event are linked here.
The Office of Special Education is pleased to announce that Shamika McDonald has been selected to serve as a new supervisor for the Office of Special Education. Shamika brings over 20 years of experience as a dedicated Special Education administrator, specializing in leading teams and developing programs that meet the diverse needs of students with disabilities. She has held leadership roles, including Director of Special Instructional Services for Frederick County Public Schools and Director of Special Services for Warren County Public Schools, where she supervised district-wide programs, managed budgets, and implemented data-driven improvements.
Shamika also has experience as a Principal and Assistant Principal at Leslie Fox in Warren County, where she developed school improvement plans and strengthened community partnerships to enhance student achievement. Currently pursuing a PhD in Special Education Law from Liberty University, with an expected graduation in 2026, she also holds certifications in Educational Leadership, Special Education, and a Superintendent License. Shamika is passionate about advocating for students with disabilities and promoting equity and inclusion. She looks forward to bringing her expertise and leadership to Loudoun County Public Schools to support the district's mission of ensuring success for all students. Shamika started with LCPS on Monday, February 3, 2025.
The Office of Special Education is excited to announce Camryn Shendow as the new Speech Language Specialist for LCPS. Camryn is in her third year as a speech language pathologist with LCPS and is currently serving students at Riverside HS, Belmont Ridge MS, and Cedar Lane ES in a wide variety of programs to include Autism, Intellectual Disability, Autism - Intensive, Emotional Disability, CAST, Project Search, and Multiple Disabilities. Each setting has unique challenges, but also the same incredible reward - helping students learning to find their voice and staff learning how to support language and communication.
Camryn's passion is addressing complex communication needs to ensure that every student has a voice to self-advocate. She has effectively designed customized Augmentative and Alternative Communication devices to fit students’ complex communication needs. Her drive for this stems back to 10 years ago when she had the opportunity to shadow the SLP working at Pinebrook Elementary and has hit the ground running ever since seizing every opportunity she can to learn and also help educate staff and parents. Camryn looks forward to collaborating with everyone in Student Services in order to best support our staff and students!
The Office of Student Mental Health Services welcomes Fiona Brown as Student Assistance Servies Coordinator. Fiona has served the LCPS community as a Student Assistance Specialist in the Rock Ridge Cluster since 2017. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor, continuing to work part-time in private practice as a therapist, author and trainer. Prior to joining LCPS, Fiona served as an Outpatient and Day Treatment therapist for teens and their families in Fairfax County’s Youth Mental Health division specializing in substance use and trauma.
The Office of Student Mental Health Services welcomes Blaise Carland as Student Assistance Services Specialist. Blaise has over 30 years working in the field of mental health and substance abuse. Blaise has worked in a variety of settings ranging from residential treatment, outpatient, and private practice. In the last 9 years Blaise has worked in the LCPS school system providing substance education, prevention, and intervention at schools throughout Loudoun County.
The Office of Student Mental Health Services - School Counseling team welcomes Kristin as their new program assistant. Kristin is a marketing communications professional with experience in project coordination, event planning, and financial oversight. With a degree in marketing from James Madison University, Kristin has worked in roles at Carfax, Discovery Communications, and PostNewsweek Tech Media, managing campaigns, budgets, and logistics. She has also coordinated school events, fundraising efforts, and board finances for community organizations. For the past year she has worked in the front office of Eagle Ridge and has enjoyed learning all the details involved in keeping a vibrant Middle School operating smoothly. Skilled in organization and communication, Kristin focuses on executing projects efficiently and effectively.
Passionate about mental health, Kristin is an advocate for providing every student with an opportunity to succeed. Kristin resides in the Dulles South area of Loudoun County with her husband, daughter (who will be a SCAD student this fall), and variety of pets (including a python named Professor P). During her free time, she enjoys crafting and going on adventures with her family/ friends. She is also an avid animal lover and can often be found looking for cute little noses to pet.
The Office of Student Support Services is pleased to announce that Kristine Kasmai has been selected to serve as our new Program Assistant! Kristine previously served as Program Assistant for Outreach Services and then Administrative Assistant III for the Division of Family and Community Engagement when Outreach Services moved under this office. She is very excited to join the Student Support Services team and to be returning to the Department of Student Services! Kristine will start with the Office of Student Support services on Monday, March 10, 2025
The Office of Student Services is pleased to welcome Maureen Sidor as Homebound Coordinator. Maureen Sidor was most recently the Assistant Principal at Elaine Thompson Elementary School, where she served on the leadership team that prepared the school for its 2022-23 inaugural year. Helping establish academic and social cultures and supporting students, teachers, and parents have been Maureen’s primary focus and accomplishments.
She has impacted students at Lake Ridge Middle School in Prince William County, Flint Hill School in Fairfax, Highland School in Warrenton, and Lowes Island Elementary in Loudoun County. Her diverse experience includes positions as a classroom teacher, science and math specialist, differentiated learning specialist, instructional coach, instructional facilitator for technology, and administrative dean.
Maureen grew up in Cleveland, OH. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from St. Bonaventure University and dual Master’s degrees in Curriculum and Instruction and in Educational Leadership from George Mason University.
She and her husband have five children (and one dog) and live in Ashburn. She is a voracious reader and enjoys watching movies and traveling and is also active in her church community.
Chrystal Thompson
It is with both sadness and great pride that I share the news that Chrystal Thompson, our dedicated Special Education Supervisor, will be leaving us for an exciting new opportunity as the Supervisor of Dispute Resolution with Prince William County Public Schools.
Chrystal joined our team in July 2017, bringing her expertise and experience from her prior role as Compliance Coordinator in PWCS. Over the past seven years, she has made invaluable contributions to LCPS. Her leadership and passion have shone through in every aspect of her work, not only as a Special Education Supervisor but also as the Supervisor of Procedural Support and in her support of the CSA process. Her dedication, knowledge, and commitment to our students and our team have made a lasting impact, and her presence will be greatly missed.
Please join me in congratulating Chrystal on this well-deserved new role. We invite everyone to stop by to wish her well and share your goodbyes before her last day on November 15, 2024. Let’s celebrate her achievements together and send her off with our heartfelt gratitude and best wishes for her journey ahead.
Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)
The mission of a Multi-Tiered System of Supports, or MTSS, is to create an integrated system of academic, behavioral, and social emotional supports for all students. Through empowering and collaborative connections between families, schools, and community resources, students will experience engaging, affirming, equitable, and supportive learning that encourages academic and social growth through the consistent delivery of explicit and systematic instruction. Please scroll midway down page for all newsletters.
Student Assistance Services
The Office of Student Assistance Services oversees Attendance Support and Intervention, Substance Use Prevention and Intervention, and Restorative Practices. Our mission is to promote student wellness and safety by fostering the personal strengths and resiliency within each student as we encourage them to make meaningful contributions to the school community and the world.
Behavioral Threat Assessment & Management (BTAM)
Behavioral Threat Assessment & Management (BTAM), sometimes shortened to just "Threat Assessment", is a behavioral approach to violence prevention that focuses on targeted threats before they escalate into violent behavior. Threat assessment teams use a problem-solving approach to evaluate the risk of violence posed by someone and intervene and resolve the issues that underlie threatening behavior.
Career & Transition Services
Career and Transition helps students plan for independence in post-high school life. There is a transition teacher and job coach at each high school, who work with the Special Education teachers in each of their high schools and middle schools on transition planning for all students with an IEP, ages 14 to 22. Transition teachers can provide instruction in Career and Transition classes, such as Career Pathways and Personal Finance. There are also two post-Applied Studies Diploma programs for students with an IEP, ages 18-22, who have a need for additional training and education before exiting LCPS and who are interested in and meet the criteria for participation in the programs.
Diagnostic & Prevention Services
Educational Diagnostic Services
Sarah Fowler, Supervisor
Jennifer Laible, Lead Educational Diagnostician
Who are Educational Diagnosticians?
Educational diagnosticians are specialists who are knowledgeable about academic assessment and prescriptive teaching approaches. They collaborate with teachers, parents, and other professionals to help diagnose student learning problems, identify their educational needs, and develop instructional interventions to remediate skill weaknesses and evaluate student progress.
What services do Educational Diagnosticians provide?
- Educational Evaluations: Educational Diagnosticians administer educational diagnostic evaluations to comprehensively assess the academic functioning and educational needs of students suspected of having educational disabilities, write comprehensive educational reports, and hold parent conferences to explain and interpret results and findings.
Academic Consultation: Educational Diagnosticians collaborate with school administration, instructional staff, and parents to enhance the academic achievement of students, providing academic consultation support to school staff and intervention teams.
- Referral Review Team: Educational Diagnosticians serve as a member of school teams to review records and other performance evidence to assist in determining whether a student is suspected of having an educational disability and in need of an evaluation.
- Eligibility Team: Educational Diagnosticians present educational evaluation findings and assist the eligibility team in determining whether a child qualifies for special education or Section 504 services.
What are some facts about Educational Diagnosticians in LCPS?
Every school in the division has an assigned educational diagnostician. Each diagnostician typically serves three to four schools within a geographical cluster.
Educational diagnosticians are experienced special education teachers typically with master's degrees in special education or a related field emphasizing instruction, assessment, and learning theory.
Educational diagnosticians are licensed as teachers by the Virginia Department of Education. Some LCPS educational diagnosticians are also credentialed as Nationally Certified Educational Diagnosticians (NCED).
LCPS School Counseling Services
School counselors are licensed educators with a minimum of a Master's degree in School Counseling and are uniquely qualified to address the academic, career, and personal/social needs of all students. By designing, implementing, and evaluating a comprehensive school counseling program, school counselors serve to promote and enhance student success.
Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)
MTSS is an integrated system of academic, behavioral, and social-emotional instructional practices to support needs of all students and increase equitable learning experiences. This “whole child” prevention approach addresses the academic, behavioral, and social-emotional needs through the related approaches of Response to Intervention (RTI), Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), and school mental health.
Outreach Services
Sarah Boies, M.S., Supervisor
The Office of Outreach Services supports the family liaisons at each school, interpreters, and the Community School Initiative. Our office works closely with school staff, community partners, business partners and other stakeholders. Our goal is to connect students and families to the school community, and identify tools and resources that will help all students achieve educational success.
Parent Resource Services
Leanne Kidwell, Educator
Parent Resource Services (PRS) is committed to positive relationships among parents, schools and communities. PRS assists families with questions and planning as well as provides resources and training.
Special Education Parent Series (English/ Spanish)
Mental Health & Wellness Parent Series(English)
Preschool Child Find
The Preschool Child Find office determines whether preschool-age children (2 through 5 years old) have an educational disability and require special education services.
If you have concerns about your preschool-age child and think they may need special education services...
Please complete the LCPS Preschool Child Find Multi-Purpose Referral Form
OR call 571-252-2180
OR email preschoolchildfind@lcps.org to request an appointment with the Preschool Child Find office.
Section 504 Services
The purpose of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, is designed to eliminate discrimination on the basis of disability in any program or activity offered by Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS). Policy 8030 requires that no student shall, on the basis of a disability, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any program or activity.
The LCPS procedures related to Section 504 identification, evaluation, placement, discipline, procedural safeguards, grievance procedures, and impartial hearings are outlined in the LCPS Section 504 Procedure Manual.
As a resource, parents and families may access the Parent and Educator Resource Guide to Section 504 in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools developed by the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights. This guide helps parents of students with disabilities and members of the community understand the obligations and requirements of Section 504.
Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC)
The Loudoun County Public Schools Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) works with
the School Board, Administrators, Parents and Teachers who are responsible for students
receiving special education services. SEAC advises the School Board on the needs of special
education students and examines issues of relevance to the special education community.
Student Health Services
Jeannie Kloman, BSN, RN - Supervisor
Our Vision: We support a safe, healthy and inclusive learning environment so that every student can make meaningful contributions to the world.
Our Mission: Our mission is to foster the growth, development, and educational achievement of all students by advocating and promoting health and wellness in a safe and supportive environment. We are committed to meeting the health needs of all students through the effective utilization of resources, planning and collaboration with families, school staff, community partners and health care providers.
All Rising 7th and 12th grade students are required to have immunizations before the start of the school year. The Loudoun County Health Department is providing the required immunizations at no cost to families.
Student Assistance Services
Darren Madison, LCSW - Supervisor
The Office of Student Assistance Services oversees Attendance Support and Intervention, Substance Use Prevention and Intervention, and Restorative Practices. Our mission is to promote student wellness and safety by fostering the personal strengths and resiliency within each student as we encourage them to make meaningful contributions to the school community and the world.
