ACPS Announces Five Licensed Specialists as Recipients of VIP Awards
The recipients of the second annual Vision, Integrity and Passion (VIP) employee recognition awards for licensed specialists have been selected. Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) is proud to announce the 2022-23 award winners in this category: psychologists, diagnosticians, nurses, therapists, counselors, social workers, athletic trainers and technology integration specialists.
- Dr. Jennifer Browne, physical therapist, William Ramsay Elementary School
- Julie Frederickson, school nurse, Alexandria City High School
- Anna Harvin, Project Guided Language Acquisition Design/Instruction (GLAD) specialist, Ferdinand T. Day Elementary School
- Donna Marsh, Child Find specialist, Jefferson-Houston PreK-8 IB School
- Kathryn Pattarini, technology integration specialist, George Washington Middle School
Dr. Jennifer Browne’s assistance to ACPS students and families as a physical therapist over the past five years has made a positive impact on their lives. Dr. Browne has helped students receive specialized wheelchairs through community organizations or Medicaid. Jodi Bobbit, the school nurse at William Ramsay, nominated Dr. Browne for a VIP Award, saying she has gone above and beyond to help students access specialized wheelchairs by getting measurements and then driving to Richmond, Virginia, to select an appropriate electric wheelchair gifted by a community group. Bobbit said that Dr. Browne’s actions have helped students do a lot more independently, adding that she is always willing to share her expertise, “Dr. Browne has shown several nurse assistants and personal care assistants how to use specialized equipment such as walkers, wheelchairs and adaptive bikes. She reviews and updates plans of care often to ensure student safety and access to learning.”
Julie Frederickson has been part of the ACPS nursing team at Alexandria City High School (ACHS) since 2022. She was nominated by Director of School Health Services Dr. Robin Wallin for “life-saving interventions to save the life of a member of her school community.” Dr. Robin Wallin added that, “due to her skilled assessment and quick intervention with life-saving medication and emergency transport, the individual survived a very serious medical emergency.” Dr. Wallin says nurses within ACPS continuously work behind the scenes to ensure that students have the health supports they need for learning. There are times, however, when a nurse is instrumental in delivering life-saving care. “We are so fortunate to have Nurse Frederickson on our nursing team at the high school and she will forever be known as that school nurse who saved a life!”
Anna Harvin has been with the division since 2006, and currently supports students and families as a Project GLAD specialist. Harvin’s colleagues referred to her as a “consummate collaborator.” Early Childhood Center (ECC) Principal Heidi Haggerty Wagner said, “Harvin has been instrumental in facilitating the ECC Preschool GLAD initiative: Not only is she a wealth of knowledge about GLAD, but she has taken the time to do significant professional learning of her own around early childhood pedagogy.” She said Harvin additionally became a certified preschool CLASS observer and joined in Harvard Data Bootcamps for early childhood. “This was a tremendous investment of her time and it has resulted in extensive collaboration between ECC and across offices in the Central Office.” Harvin is known to quickly respond to requests and her guidance and support are appreciated.
Child Find Specialist Donna Marsh has been at Jefferson-Houston for 21 years and is responsible for processing requests for all children between the ages of two and five referred to the Child Find program. In leading the Child Find team, Marsh assesses more than 350 young children a year who are identified as possibly having a disability or developmental delay, explains Citywide Early Childhood Programs Coordinator Jane Richardson. Richardson was among a group of workers who nominated Marsh, saying she does her job with “warmth, care and an equity lens.” School psychologist Tali Spencer praised Marsh for her student- and family-first approach. “She possesses and shares a wealth of knowledge from working with families who have newly been diagnosed with disabilities, to explaining the intricacies of the special education process and navigating complicated situations.”
Kathryn Pattarini has been at George Washington Middle School (GWMS) for three years and is said to be more than a typical technology integration specialist. “Whether she is sending out a weekly Tech Tuesday email full of useful ed tech information, presenting at professional learning sessions or facilitating a tech lesson in a classroom, her calm and professional demeanor always makes things better,” David Drembus, George Washington math teacher, noted when nominating Pattarini. “If the word ‘passion’ can be translated into the meaning of ‘action,’ here she is,” added Marines Lares, GWMS family liaison. Drembus further praised Pattarini for her participation in the school educational justice group. “Regardless of the fact that she is not a classroom teacher, she is a passionate advocate for all of our students, especially those in historically underserved populations.”
- 2022-23
- Staff Engagement
- Student and Staff Recognitions
- VIP Awards