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Board honors school psychologists, welcomes new finance director and spotlights North Elementary recycling program
Summary
The board recognized School Psychologist Awareness Week and presented a student recycling performance from North Elementary; the board also introduced Dawn Garrett as director of finance and heard a progress update on gifted education with staff proposing minor technical edits to the local plan.
Prince George County board members used the Nov. 12 meeting to recognize school psychologists, welcome a new director of finance and hear classroom highlights from North Elementary.
Jennifer McGuire, invited to the dais for School Psychologist Awareness Week, told the board this year’s theme is "spark discovery," and described school psychologists’ roles in promoting student progress, behavior supports and school climate. One veteran psychologist reminded the board that the recommended student‑to‑psychologist ratio is 1:500 and that the division currently has roughly a 1:1,500 ratio, urging attention to recruitment and retention.
The board also introduced Dawn Garrett as the new director of finance; staff described her 14 years in local government accounting and additional experience in supervisory accounting roles. Board members welcomed Garrett and posed brief questions about fiscal reporting: the interim CFO later showed an October financial snapshot comparing revenues and expenditures to the prior year and noted the health fund balance would be reconciled with the county.
North Elementary’s Miss Rawlings led a classroom presentation about reuse and recycling: students demonstrated crafts made from recycled materials and teachers asked community members to save toilet‑paper rolls and other classroom supplies for projects. The board recognized a fourth‑grade student, Aria, for model behavior and engagement.
Gifted education staff provided a mid‑plan update on identification, delivery of services and professional development, including the district’s use of a GIA music assessment for fourth graders and partnerships with the William & Mary Center for Gifted Education. Staff asked the board to consider technical edits to the local gifted plan; they described the edits as non‑urgent and said board action could wait.
Board members praised staff, thanked visiting students and noted upcoming events including legislator visits and the VSBA convention.
