Mr. Smith was formerly the assistant principal at Brookfield Elementary School where he has been a leader since 2016. Prior to his leadership role at Brookfield ES, he served as an assistant principal at Lanier Middle School from 2011-2016.  Mr. Smith was a Social Studies Teacher/Department Chair and a member of the School Improvement Plan committee at Centreville High School from 2008-2011.  During this time, he also taught US/VA government and VA/US history for the FCPS on-line campus during the summer school session.  From 2001-2008 Mr. Smith was a Social Studies teacher and Assistant Varsity Baseball coach at Herndon High School. Prior to joining Fairfax County Public Schools, Mr. Smith spent three years at Thomas G. Pullen Creative and Performing Arts Academy in Prince George’s County Public Schools as a Social Studies teacher/Department Chair.  From 1998-1999 he taught Science at Buck Lodge Middle School in Prince George’s County Public Schools.

Mr. Smith brings an array of experience to the position.  He is a student-centered instructional leader who believes in the importance of building positive relationships and collaborating with all stakeholders, to ensure student success. As a school leader, Mr. Smith has actively sought opportunities to improve professional development for his teachers.  He helped ensure that staff at Brookfield ES were prepared for the FCPSOn initiative and that the focus was on developing FCPS Portrait of a Graduate skills for all students.  He helped implement several programs in his buildings over the years (such as Restorative Justice practices) which led to a decrease in out-of-school suspension rates.  He supported the first-ever depression and suicide screen (Signs of Suicide) for all 7^th graders at Lanier MS.  Mr. Smith has proven to be an effective communicator, and he is eager to deepen his relationships with all stakeholders as he serves the Daniels Run community in his new role.

Mr. Smith holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Secondary Education from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a Masters of Education in Educational Leadership from George Mason University.

Mrs. Van Aalst is excited to join the Daniels Run Elementary School community for this school year. Mrs. Van Aalst has been working with Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) for over 20 years in various school communities, serving as principal, assistant principal and teacher (grade 2 and grades 5-6). Mrs. Van Aalst holds a B.A. in History from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College and Masters in Initiatives in Educational Transformation from George Mason University. Her administrative endorsement was earned through the LEAD Fairfax Accelerated Certification Cohort, a partnership between FCPS and UVA.

Mrs. Van Aalst grew up in Fairfax County, and she now lives in Manassas with her husband, Neil, daughter, Cecilia, and dog, Whopper. She enjoys spending time with her family camping, visiting the local battlefields, and traveling to Charleston, South Carolina.