Date:  October 15, 2002
Contact: Community Relations
(703) 791-8720

 Two Prince William County Public Schools principals have been nominated by their school communities for the Distinguished Educational Leadership Award.  This award, which is sponsored by the Washington Post Educational Foundation, recognizes an outstanding principal from each of the metropolitan area school districts.  The Prince William County nominees will be honored by the School Board at a reception on October 23.  The Washington Post will announce the winner in mid-November.

 The principals nominated are Rae Darlington, Graham Park Middle School and Lyn McElwee, Mountain View Elementary School.

Rae Darlington
Principal
Graham Park Middle School

Rae Darlington cheerfully begins each day perched on her ten-foot ladder with a megaphone in hand, greeting her students and playing a part in making it the “Best Day Ever.”  She strives to accomplish this with her enthusiasm, sense of humor, and positive attitude.  Televised morning news shows with tips on how to improve student performance and stories about student successes help build self-esteem and increase student achievement.  Sixth graders involved in the Reading Immersion Program are now reading at grade-level and at Graham Park, 70 percent of the students who participated in after-school tutorials successfully passed SOLs in two or more reporting categories.  This spring, the school celebrated its newly acquired status of full accreditation by the Virginia Department of Education and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.  The Mathematics and Science Specialty Program, established in 1999, is at full capacity and is receiving high marks from both students and parents.  Computer Lab nights are held twice a week.

 In addition to improving students’ grade performance, Ms. Darlington also focuses on improving character.  She implemented the school-wide Bully Free/ Harassment Policy and Pledge.  Guest speakers were invited to discuss bullying and harassment.  Author Dave Pelzer spoke to students on his personal story of abuse, bullying and survival.  Also invited to speak was author Sharon Flake who discussed the main character of her book, a black middle school girl who experienced harassment.  Character in Action cards are used to reward students who demonstrate or improve life skills.  The students’ good choices are recognized during the daily announcements and they are also entered into a weekly gift certificate/food prize drawing.  Diversity is colorfully displayed in the International Café where flags representing the birth countries of the student and staff population hang from the walls. 

Graham Park has eliminated in-school suspension and instituted evening school and extended days as an alternative to Out-of-School-Suspension.  The development of the Path- finders Alternative Program has reduced the need to place students at an alternative school by keeping at-risk children at Graham Park, and a Stop and Drop It Call to parents, a dispute resolution phone call, has been instituted.  This contributed to a fifty percent reduction in disciplinary referrals.  Ms. Darlington established “100 Kids Making a Difference”, an after school program in which students work towards improving their school and community.  She works with local area communities to create a positive school environment.  Families are invited to monthly family-friendly parent education seminars where free babysitting and dinner are provided.

Ms. Darlington listens to and supports her staff, always looking for ways for them to grow and develop.  Together they established a planning conference form unique to the school that has become part of the school’s Consistent Standards.  She established a master schedule that gave team teachers a common planning time.  New teachers are assisted in their lesson planning by Ms. Darlington who even offers to meet with them on weekends.  Her nominators say that she believes that no hurdle is too great.  She always seeks ways to help others make life more bearable.  

Since Ms. Darlington became Principal and tamed the Graham Park Lions, a positive self-image and perception has developed at Graham Park.  Students are now proud of their school.  This change could not have occurred without the leadership skills of Rae Darlington.  Graham Park is 54 percent minority, 33 percent free or reduced lunch and has a 28 percent mobility rate.  A two and a half year school-wide renovation and completion of a four-room addition was accomplished without interrupting or compromising instruction time.  Ms. Darlington maintains an active and visual classroom presence, confers with parents, monitors and assesses school programs and operations, all done with compassion and encouragement. 

A parent of a former student said, “[Rae Darlington] is the epitome of what a principal should be. She projects a positive attitude 110 percent of the time.  She leads by example.  She asks nothing of her staff and students that she would not do herself.  She leads with her heart and head and is not afraid of a challenge.  Her name says it all: ‘Ray of Light’ shining out for everyone.” 

Ms. Darlington received an Administrative Endorsement from George Mason University and a M.A.T. in Speech Communications and Theatre from the University of South Carolina.  She earned a B.S. in Speech Communication and Theatre from Hampton University.  She began working in Prince William County in 1990 teaching language arts at Beville Middle School and has served in various positions as a program development/national education forums TV facilitator, instructional support team member, summer school principal and acting assistant principal at Beville Middle School and as an assistant principal at Stonewall Jackson High School.

Lyn McElwee
Principal
Mountain View Elementary School

 Lyn McElwee leads Mountain View Elementary School efficiently and effectively despite its rapidly growing population.  Her nominators say she delegates responsibility and keeps informed of all actions and events.  According to Area Associate Superintendent Alison Nourse-Miller, “There are many reasons for the success of the students at Mountain View, starting with Lyn’s vision of excellence…She leads a school where her students are cared for, supported and challenged.  Her number one priority is her students, devoting her time and energy fostering an excitement for learning.”  

Mrs. McElwee and her staff have created several innovations including a digital yearbook, information-packed school web site, and communication with parents via e-mail and monthly newsletters.  Parents are viewed as educational partners.  The staff developed an easy-to-understand curriculum guide for each grade level to help forge the partnership.  Visible at nearly every school event, she actively participates in PTO functions, special programs, after-school family activities, coffees, book fairs, workshops, and Haymarket Day. 

She goes the extra mile to be involved personally with her students, always cheering them on and encouraging them.  Rarely hidden behind her desk, she visits classrooms, where she sits on the floor engaged in lively discussions with small groups and writes notes of accolades to students.  Whether by climbing on the school roof, dressing up as a Disney character, or offering rewards and incentives, Mrs. McElwee shows her students how much fun reading can be.  She cheerfully greets every child by name and, during recess duty, she encourages and talks to them.  New students are often personally welcomed, taken on a school tour, and given a baseline reading test administered by Mrs. McElwee who is a certified reading specialist. 

   Supportive of her staff, Mrs. McElwee has adopted an open door policy that establishes an honest and open dialogue.  She oftens asks her staff “What can I do to make your job easier; how can I help?”  Her expectations are simple and straightforward; always work towards improving your teaching methods and actively communicate with your parents.  The staff receives a weekly newsletter, Staff Notes, which features personal positive affirmation notes.  To generate ideas, she has made a suggestion box available to faculty and staff.  She empowers them to “think outside of the box” and create innovative programs to meet the needs of students, whether in a regular classroom or inclusion model, and through remedial groups and extracurricular activities.  Programs established to help students excel include “Words Their Way”, “Guided Reading”, and “Literacy Circle.”  Teachers are asked to look beyond test scores and use them to assess how to increase growth in student performance.  Mrs. McElwee is interested in the whole child and compares “what we are doing” to “what works.”  Her leadership and passion for her job have led to Mountain View Elementary School being named a School of Excellence and receiving a full accreditation status from the state of Virginia for the third year in a row.

 According to her nominators, the saying “Your school is as good as your principal,” rings true at Mountain View Elementary School.  No task is too small for her; her nominators say it is not uncommon to see her behind the scenes after school hours working in the flowerbeds, shoveling snow, weed-whacking, doing whatever is necessary to keep the school beautiful and safe.  Lyn McElwee is a passionate leader who sets the tone for her school.  Her enthusiasm, organization, initiatives, innovations, and concern for her students, parents, and staff all contribute to making Mountain View Elementary School a School of Excellence.

 Mrs. McElwee earned an Administrative Certification and a M.S. in Elementary Education from George Mason University.  She received a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Temple University.  Appointed Principal of Mountain View Elementary School in 1996, she earlier served as Assistant Principal of Dumfries and McAuliffe elementary schools.  Previous teaching positions in the school division include teaching first grade at Springwoods Elementary School and kindergarten at Minnieville, Dale City and Potomac View elementary schools.