Congratulations to Ms. Missy Chappell on her recognition as the May 2023 FCPS CARES Region 4 Recipient of the Month, presented by the FCPS Department of Human Resources.

The FCPS CARES Program is an opportunity for parents, staff, and community members to recognize FCPS employees for going above and beyond to help others and show they care. We invite you to submit your story below, so we can all acknowledge the good work of FCPS employees.

Below is the write-up submitted by a Hunt Valley Elementary School parent.

I wanted to take a moment to share with you our family's sincere gratitude for Mrs. Chappell. Last year at the beginning of 4th grade, our son was "all in" on the strings program. Knowing some of his attention challenges and not knowing the program well after relocating here, I wrote Mrs. Chappell to ask if this was possible for a student like him (with ADHD and high functioning autism). I wanted to make sure we were setting everyone up for success, students and teachers alike. Mrs. Chappell was so kind to me, reassuring me, and encouraging my son to join. She told me the strings program was absolutely for students like him and learning to play the cello was possible for him. I should add, I have no musical abilities, so I really did need to hear this was possible from her perspective. Fast forward to almost the end of 5th grade, almost two years in the strings program at Hunt Valley, and I listened to my son practice playing the cello for the upcoming strings concert with tears streaming down my face. He practiced his music with great focus and commitment. He read music. He played notes. He played songs. He asked me if it sounded good, if I liked the songs, and which one I liked best. I am just so proud of him. I am just so proud of how far he has come. His ability to read music, play notes, and play songs on the cello is a direct result of Mrs. Chappell's effort and teaching. There has been no outside help or anyone else instructing him. We want to recognize her and her efforts. Thank you for making this possible for our son and thank you for making this fun for him. Thank you for opening the world of music to him. I am certain there were a lot of days along the way that were not the most fun or the most rewarding. I know there were many days of cellos forgotten in hallways in the afternoon. Thank you for sticking with it and for believing in our son. Thank you for creating such an inclusive music community, and thank you for your abundance of patience, which I'm certain has been required. We hope that our son will continue in the strings program and continue with the cello, but more than the cello, you have helped us all see his potential and ability to try and learn new things. Our family is incredibly grateful for Mrs. Chappell.

• View Ms. Chappell's recognition on the FCPS website!
• Recognize an employee with an FCPS CARES!