On the first day of school this year, Isabella Cassano started her teaching career at Farmington Elementary, seventeen years after she started kindergarten at the same school. Her inspiration to become a teacher began with her kindergarten teacher, Christin Smith. Smith, who started teaching in CCPS that year, is still at Farmington Elementary, so Cassano started both journeys, as student, and teacher, with Smith by her side.
On Wednesday, August 23, 2023, Division Superintendent Tony Brads went to Farmington Elementary to present Christin Smith with the first CCPS Spotlight Award for the 2023-2024 school year, recognizing her for “Inspiration.” At the Farmington faculty meeting, Dr. Brads explained that teachers make a difference in the lives of children every day, but to inspire a former student not only to become a teacher, but to come back and teach in the school where she started her education, that is truly special. Dr. Brads also told his own kindergarten teacher story, sharing that he had the opportunity to work alongside his kindergarten teacher in his education career when he became an elementary principal at her school.
When presenting the Spotlight award, Dr. Brads asked Smith and Cassano to share what they remembered from that kindergarten year. Cassano said that she had just moved to Culpeper from Pennsylvania and she remembers when she saw Smith wearing a Steelers jersey one day that they had a special connection. Smith remembers Cassano’s pigtails and walking her to the bus at the end of each day because she was the first one in the bus line.
It is really exciting to have former students come back and teach in CCPS. To have the opportunity to teach at the same school that you attended with the teacher that inspired you to follow her path is extraordinary! At the end of the day on August 9, the first day of school, and also her birthday, Cassano posted on social media,
“14 years of wishing on candles to be a teacher at Farmington paid off today. And I got to send off the day with the woman who planted the teaching seed!”
Congratulations to Christin Smith for being the first CCPS Spotlight recipient of the 2023-2024 school year!
Submit a Nomination for the CCPS Spotlight
Do you know a CCPS employee who goes beyond the daily responsibilities of their job in service to our school community? If so, we want to know about it!
CCPS Division Administration recognizes that great things are happening in our schools every day. Through the CCPS Spotlight, we now have a way to collect and share great stories like this with our school community.
CCPS employees may nominate a colleague for this recognition through the CCPS Spotlight nomination form. Find the form on the CCPS Staff Start page.