Although Brian Valentine has been here an Assistant Principal for three months, teachers feel as if they can stop by and talk to him about anything.
Before Valentine came to Annandale, Valentine was a Dean of Students at West Potomac High School. “I was looking for opportunities in terms of professional growth,” Valentine said.
Out of all the Fairfax County Public Schools, AHS drew a lot of attention from Valentine. Much of this attention can be credited to the school’s amount of diversity.
The vacancy that was inside of former Assistant Principal Jamie Carayiannis’s office has now been filled.
“I was pretty selective about the schools I was interviewing at because I wanted a school that was very much like Annandale, one where there was a lot of room for students to grow and succeed and a very diverse place,” Valentine said.
Valentine wasn’t new to the county and wanted to see students thrive and grow as a school.
In his three months at AHS, he has seen a lot of improvement from all of the different schools that he has been in.
“That’s what I’ve been used to during my time in Fairfax County Public Schools. This is my third year in Fairfax County Public Schools,” Valentine said. “It’s been a whirlwind. First I was at Hayfield then at West Potomac and now here, at Annandale High School. So I’m hoping to be here for a little while.”
Principal Tim Thomas was given the task of hiring the new assistant principal.
“I really hit it off. I was invited to an interview by Thomas and I met a lot of the administrators. I just got a real good vibe from them,” Valentine said. “There were so many reasons more than I could capture here in this interview but just know that I am excited to be here with the students and teachers.
Valentine loved the students and teachers, who all had welcoming smiles when he first came here.
“Annandale is unique, I think every school I’ve been to in Fairfax County Public Schools has had its own very distinct character. Annandale is very different it’s very community oriented here,” Valentine said. “I never felt anything but welcomed since the first day I came in the door. That’s probably one of the biggest things about Annandale, the student body here is very approachable and very nice folks I really enjoy that.’’
Valentine hasn’t always worked in the NOVA area. Before coming to Fairfax County Public Schools Valentine lived in Florida and taught there. While in Florida, he taught for 8 years and grew up in a small town of Oveideo just outside of Orlando. There, Valentine taught many subjects. He taught English, social studies, and even science.
“I was looking for a change of scenery I was in the middle of finishing my masters in educational leadership,” Valentine said. “The opportunities here at Fairfax has been really great to learn.’’ Valentine had a lot of experience teaching over the years. Despite his love for teaching, he wanted to experience something new. Valentine wants the student body of Annandale to know
Because of AHS, Valentines has felt a welcoming present since arriving at AHS. He even wants to return the favor to the students that he encounters.
“If you see me in the halls say hey. I’m looking forward to great things. I’m excited to be an atom,” Valentine said. “I’m getting used to red. The red here at Annandale is going to take me sometime to get used to.”
Many may think that the change in jobs was an arduous task. However, AHS’s welcoming nature and Valentine’s experience in the school system made the transition much easier.
“It’s not difficult moving vice principals,” Valentine said. “This wasn’t as much changing as it was an opportunity for us to hire behind Mr. Carriyanis who retired. It’s always exciting to bring new leadership in the building.”
Valentine’s transition to AHS has proved to be a rewarding new experience. His goals and plans for AHS’s future look bright and will hopefully continue to do so.