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2021 SESSION

21100686D
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 600
Offered January 20, 2021
Commending Lisa Rode.
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Patrons-- Watts; Senator: Saslaw
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WHEREAS, Lisa Rode, an accomplished educator at Kings Glen Elementary School in Springfield, was named the Region 4 Teacher of the Year by the Virginia Department of Education in 2020; and

WHEREAS, a sixth-grade teacher at Kings Glen Elementary School since 2007, Lisa Rode was recently distinguished as the Fairfax County Public Schools’ 2019 Outstanding Elementary School Teacher; and

WHEREAS, Lisa Rode has set herself apart through her ability to innovatively integrate technology and real-world problem-solving into her curriculum, providing her students with an immersive educational experience that heightens their creativity and enhances their engagement with the material; and

WHEREAS, students in Lisa Rode’s classes learn the principles of programming, robotics, and engineering through various activities, including programming robots to demonstrate integer operations, designing rovers to simulate planetary exploration, and participating in Skype meetings with scientists from around the country; and

WHEREAS, through the use of programs such as Scratch Studio, Blockly, and Microsoft MakeCode, Lisa Rode’s students develop an advanced understanding of coding languages such as Python while learning to work collaboratively with one another; and

WHEREAS, Lisa Rode has consistently fostered a welcoming and inclusive learning environment, adapting the technologies she employs in her classes as necessary for those with intellectual disabilities; and

WHEREAS, Lisa Rode goes above and beyond the call of duty to ensure that her students succeed; she previously served as a homebound teacher for a student who was unable to attend school for part of the year and regularly hosts “lunch bunches” for students interested in exploring their lessons beyond the classroom; and

WHEREAS, outside of her work at Kings Glen Elementary School, Lisa Rode teaches a free robotics class at the James Lee Community Center, educating upper elementary and middle school students who might otherwise have limited access to cutting-edge science, technology, engineering, and mathematics learning opportunities; and

WHEREAS, Lisa Rode encourages the success of her colleagues by providing professional development courses, both throughout Fairfax County Public Schools and nationwide, that explore the effective integration of technology in the classroom; and

WHEREAS, serving as a co-manager of the Fairfax Falcons Paralympic sports team, Lisa Rode helps numerous children throughout the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area realize their potential and achieve their dreams; and

WHEREAS, by cultivating an educational experience in which young people feel confident to explore their strengths, take risks, and think and collaborate creatively, Lisa Rode has contributed to the success and well-being of her students, both in and out of the classroom; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Lisa Rode, an esteemed educator at Kings Glen Elementary School, for being named the Region 4 Teacher of the Year by the Virginia Department of Education; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Lisa Rode as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for her tremendous achievement and best wishes for the future.