Employment

Siena congratulates the Class of 2026 and wishes them the best in their post-graduation journeys! 

Graduation for the Class of 2026 was held on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, at Siena’s Forest Glen campus. Daryl Davis, author, musician, and internationally recognized expert in race relations, gave a vibrant commencement speech for our newest graduates. Davis talked about his time in high school, playing music with Chuck Berry and others, and his decades of work in race relations, among other topics. He also shared what he sees as the Core Values guiding human interaction: To Be Loved, To Be Respected, To Be Heard, To Be Treated Fairly and Truthfully, and The Same Things for Their Family That You Want for Yours.

“Graduates,” he told the Class of 2026, “I want you to go forward and fix the problems that you see.” He also reminded them to come back to Siena to visit faculty and students, adding, “Let the future graduates know what they can expect out here.”

Siena extends its thanks to Davis for such a memorable and lively commencement speech for our newest graduates. 

“Go forward, make those changes, and make your parents proud of you” —Daryl Davis Commencement Address

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Siena is very pleased to announce that history teacher and history department chair Sonja Hayes has published a research article in conjunction with National History Day’s Silent Heroes Program.

Hayes’s article, Kylis Therod Payne - NHD Silent Heroes, is the culmination of months of writing and archival research. She summarizes Payne’s early life and time in the service, as well as contextualizes Baltimore during the Vietnam War, drawing on nearly 50 primary and secondary sources.

Hayes’s work for this important historical initiative helps chronicle Payne’s life, military service, and family, as well as quotes from two of Payne’s fellow seamen from the Chipola. “By far, this is the best research project I’ve completed in years,” Hayes shared. “I’m very excited to tell the story of one of our Silent Heroes from the Vietnam War who was from Baltimore.”

Brava, Ms. Hayes!

Read Our Press Release To Learn More 

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Siena congratulates 11th grader Justin for his successes in recent robotics competitions. 

Robotics is a great passion area for Justin, and he’s benefited from Siena’s intentional support of students’ strength areas in his pursuit of STEM-based interests. Justin has been participating in Robotics since 9th grade, and he’s been a member of Team 449, the Blair Robot Project since September 2025. He connected with this local high school team by taking initiative and reaching out to them to inquire about his eligibility.

Championship Season

Blair’s Team 449, which has approximately 100 high school students, designs, builds, and competes their industrial-sized robots through a number of events.

The team’s robot, named Tumbleweed, is controlled by an XBox controller and is programmed to do various tasks, such as picking up balls (which act as its fuel) and shooting them into a hub.

Montgomery Blair’s Team 449 competes as part of the FIRST Chesapeake District, which consists of 118 school- and community-based teams from Maryland, DC, and Virginia. They competed at tournaments in March and then won the District championships, hosted at Virginia State University in early April.

A Trip to Worlds 

After their victory in the District Championships, Team 449 proceeded to the FIRST Championship in Houston at the end of April. This competition included teams from across the United States and more than 60 other countries. Justin was one of approximately 40 members selected to participate as part of Team 449 at Worlds. They did quite well at this major competition, finishing 3rd in their division.

Click here to watch a video from Team 449 capturing some highlights of their successful season: “This is a great pursuit for my creativity and strengths in STEM,” Justin shared, adding that, “I was thrilled to be part of such a big competition.”  

Congratulations, Justin and the rest of Team 449! 

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“The conversations that challenge us the most also offer the greatest opportunities for growth and change.” — Daryl Davis

Siena is very pleased to announce that author, musician, and internationally recognized expert in race relations Daryl Davis will be the commencement speaker for our Class of 2026!

Davis’s many career highlights include:

• Being an established and recognized blues musician, having played piano for Chuck Berry for over 30 years;
• Publishing the critically acclaimed books Klan-Destine Relationships and The Klan Whisperer;
• Being featured in the award-winning documentary Accidental Courtesy, as well as on CNN, NPR, The Washington Post, Bethesda Magazine, and many other media outlets, and
• Receiving several awards throughout his career, including the Washington Ethical Society’s Bridge Builder Award.

Throughout his decades of activist work, Davis has addressed such issues as the power of conversation, racial barriers and rock ‘n’ roll, and much more. As Davis’s website describes, “He empowers people to use conversation to defuse conflict and build bridges – at work, in the community, and with family/friends.”

Siena’s graduation ceremonies will take place in person on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, on our Forest Glen Campus.

Photo credit: Jimell Greene.

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Siena applauds 9th grader Lev for his leadership and initiative in advocating for pedestrian safety improvements for Siena’s Forest Glen campus. 

Lev initially reached out to the Montgomery County Department of Transportation in the fall through their Safe Routes to Schools program. As a result of Lev’s work, MCDOT recently installed clear, direct crosswalk signage at the intersection of Tenbrook Drive and Forest Glen Road alerting drivers to stop for pedestrians. The county also plans to repaint the crosswalk lines for better visibility. 

Thank you, Lev, for continuing Siena’s ongoing efforts to improve pedestrian safety for our school and local neighborhood community. 

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Siena congratulates 8th grader Arjun M. for receiving a First Place award at The Nora School Photography Festival in late April 2026!

Arjun's photograph, “The Hole,” is a striking, experimental piece that depicts a hand bursting through the image from another dimension. The main set piece was created from scratch, and the lighting was done over many different iterations. It’s loosely inspired by the show Stranger Things, and Arjun wanted to add his own twist to a favorite TV show.

Given its creativity and symbolism, “The Hole” won First Place in one of the festival’s four categories. As he shared about his art, “I can spend a lot of time with photography and it always engages my brain and my creativity.”

Siena had 13 students submit work to this juried art festival for students in grades 6-12 — it featured over 270 entries from 14 different schools, and professional photographers judged the entries.

Congratulations, Arjun!

Learn More about Arts at Siena

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Friday, March 27, was a special day on Siena’s Forest Glen campus. As part of her Senior Specializations Project, senior Sylvia F. arranged Truck Day for Siena students!

As part of Siena’s High School Specializations program, students are required to complete a capstone project that benefits the community. This was a passion project for Sylvia, who experienced Truck Day when she was in elementary school and wanted Siena students to have the same interactive, memorable experience with a variety of trucks. 

“I wanted to give students a fun and hands-on experience with different trucks and vehicles,” Sylvia shared. “I wanted to appeal to all Siena grade levels and help teach them about possible careers when they get older.”

Truck Day featured 10 different vehicles that students of all ages could explore the ins and outs (literally!) of trucks from local organizations. Students enjoyed the following vehicles:

• A fire truck and ambulance
• A dump truck, mini excavator, and utility truck from WSSC
• Montgomery County Environmental Protection Food Scraps Recycling Truck
• MCPD SWAT van
• MCPL bookmobile
• Ice cream truck
• Corvette

Students shared that the bookmobile and ice cream truck were their favorites. A 3rd grader was doubly excited: “I mean, kids love ice cream. Also, the library bookmobile was my favorite. I GOT A BOOK!”

A few other elementary students shared her excitement about the MCPL bookmobile: 

• “It’s just so cool that there’s a little library here.”
• "The library bookmobile was my favorite — I’d never been in one before“

As a staff member shared while Truck Day was winding down, “There were a lot of happy kids here today. Students have been asking when the next one is!”

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Middle school students at Siena Northern Virginia recently had an in-house Fiber Arts Experience arranged and led by Siena humanities teacher Dr. Stefanie Bator, undertaking an experiential education adventure by spending the day learning how sheep fleeces become yarn by going through this hands-on process themselves.  

As an introduction to the day, students heard some fiber arts stories from Northern Virginia Head of School Jennifer Betts, including viewing some photographs from Ms. Betts’s trip to England's Lake District and seeing artifacts from her collection of sheep and textile-related art to reinforce the extensive history of fiber arts around the world.

Students then learned about skirting and scouring wool before doing it themselves. They ended the day with a museum walk (with guided audio) of hand-made scarves, sweaters, mittens, and more from the extended Siena community. Overall, they learned that fiber arts work is a process that involves several stages of hands-on, multisensory work; it also has a rich cultural and indigenous history.

Dr. Bator noted that fiber arts work “can be very meditative and calming” and beneficial for people with “sensory seeking needs.” While skirting wool outdoors in the morning, students commented on its texture and scent — “it smells like a farm,” one observed. “It’s so fluffy,” another shared after seeing their wool dried in the sun.

Earlier this year, Siena Northern Virginia students participated in other experiential, hands-on learning opportunities, such as an in-house Career Fair to explore job and internship options and visits with Tail Wags & Book Bags, a local nonprofit organization that connects assistance dogs with educators and enables students to read aloud to dogs. 

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Siena is very pleased to announce that senior Sylvia Fine has been selected as one of Bethesda Magazine’s Extraordinary Teens for 2026! 

Sylvia joins 9 other local teens featured in the March-April 2026 issue of Bethesda Magazine. “I was excited to hear the news. It’s a good recognition for the work I’ve done for my community.”

Sylvia has been a Siena student since 6th grade, keeping herself strongly involved in the community, such as by founding the Women in STEM and Political Advocacy clubs and introducing several school-wide initiatives to benefit the community.

Overall, Sylvia has consistently shown an unwavering dedication to helping her school and local communities, modeling what strong community involvement and advocacy can look like for her fellow students. As she shared, “I’m glad I’ve found places where I was able to thrive and help people in my community in need. The support and strategies I’ve gotten at Siena have really helped me.”

The Bethesda Magazine Extraordinary Teens Award is in its 17th year. Awardees are those who excel in academics, extracurriculars, or service, as well as those who have overcome significant life obstacles. The issue featuring Sylvia is available now online and wherever Bethesda Magazine is sold.

Read the Press Release

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Siena congratulates Forest Glen 8th grader Jill M. for having a piece of art included in a statewide initiative, Art in Full Spectrum, a juried art exhibition currently displayed at the Lowe House Office Building in Annapolis, Maryland. 

Organized and championed by State Senator Sara Love and Delegate Michele Guyton, Art in Full Spectrum features 55 pieces on display and aims to highlight diverse talents and promote inclusion during the legislative session.

Jill is one of the youngest artists featured in the exhibition. Her work is a pencil portrait she calls “Greek Lady.” She did the piece on her own in the fall and then submitted it to the exhibition in December.

As Delegate Michele Guyton shared, “The art is varied like the people are,” adding that the exhibition “shift[s] focus to people with disabilities” and “gives them a place to show their artwork.” Senator Love added that the artwork has already “lifted up the space” by its colors, forms, and lighting choices.

Art in Full Spectrum will coincide with the Maryland General Assembly’s 2026 legislative session and be on display through April.

Read the Press Release

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In late January 2026, five Siena high school students and Theatre and Performing Arts teacher Amal Saade attended the annual Maryland Thespian Festival, hosted at Towson University.

The Maryland Thespian Festival is an annual event that attracts hundreds of theatre students and educators from across the state. This year’s group of students enjoyed many of the festival’s one-acts and workshops, including Slap Happy: The Basic Stage Combat Toolkit, The Broadway Dance Experience, and Lighting Folks of Color.

Attending her first Maryland Thespian Festival, Siena 9th grader Lucy called it “a fun new experience” and plans to pass along the knowledge she gained to her fellow cast members of Siena’s upcoming spring production of MidNite. Lucy and her classmates, Aleia and Katelyn, all shared that they especially enjoyed the stage combat workshop because it was “fun” to learn.

Siena 12th grader Lailah “wanted to experience everything at [her] final Thespian Festival” and found the Lighting Folks of Color workshop particularly valuable for understanding how different colors can either dull or enhance a person's skin tone.

She added, "Students should definitely join the festival even if they are not into the acting side of theatre. There are so many workshops that include all levels from beginner to advanced, with fun and interactive activities."

Siena has attended the Thespian Festival regularly since 2020. In 2025, Siena became an official chapter of the Maryland Branch of the International Thespian Society (an honors society), a result of the students’ dedication to theatre and their commitment to the performing arts.

Learn About Theatre at Siena

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Siena congratulates Forest Glen Math teacher Will Cook for his recent successes at two local spoken word poetry events in Maryland.

In addition to teaching high school math at Siena, Cook co-runs Creative Writing Club for middle and high school students. Cook has been a part of the local spoken word poetry scene since September 2022 and has been featured at numerous locations in and around DC. His poetry often explores masculinity, vulnerability, and working class topics.

Sound Off! Open Mic Poetry 

In late October 2025, Cook was a featured poet at the SOUND OFF! open mic poetry event at the Creative Suitland Arts Center. In Cook’s 15-minute set, he read four selections from his in-progress collection, Will Cook Can Cook.

Cook first presented his work at the Creative Suitland Arts Center in 2023, so being a featured poet for the 2025 event enabled him to showcase more of his work as an established poet in the DC area — including a piece he eventually performed at an event in January.

Creative Suitland Arts Center is a diverse community arts space with a gallery of local artists. Among other regular events, they feature spoken word poetry and live performances monthly.

Charm City Poetry Slam, Baltimore 

In mid-January 2026, Cook and his stage partner Liv finished in 2nd place overall in Charm City Slam’s tag team poetry contest. This was their debut as a team, Will to Liv. They were 1 of 12 teams; several participants came from the mid-Atlantic, South, and Midwest for the event.

“These were easily some of the best poets in the country. It was a privilege to be in that space and an honor to place second in this room full of talent,” Cook shared.

Teams were judged on their poetry’s content, ingenuity, technical elements, and overall vocal and physical performance. Having trained for the event since September 2025, Will to Liv performed a few team poems, including one titled “Clipped Wings” about enduring through struggles. As part of this poem’s performance, Cook and Liv read the poem and gradually used their body language and stage positioning to make a bird shape.

Charm City Slam is the largest such event on the East Coast; over 120 people attended the event, which was held at Motor House in Baltimore — a central locale in Baltimore’s arts district. Due to such strong numbers, Charm City will host this event again in 2027, and Cook plans to participate.

These two events capped off an eventful year for Cook on the spoken word circuit. He also performed in Philadelphia at a Voices in Power open mic event and in Knoxville at the annual Southern Fried Poetry Slam, where he won Rookie of the Year for his team.

For both events, Cook was chosen based on his experience in the spoken word poetry scene. “The main thing about slam is connecting with the audience,” he shared. “I’m glad my poetry enables me to do that.”

Photo Credit: NaJee Lewis.

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Siena gives hearty congratulations to 5th Grader Holden H. for being named an All-American at the 2025 USATF National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships! 

After his undefeated Fall 2025 season of Siena Cross Country, Holden qualified for this annual USA Track and Field event, which was held at Blue River Cross Country Course in Indianapolis on December 13.

Holden finished 11th out of 315 runners in a snowy 3K race for Boys ages 9-10 with a personal best time of 11:43. Because of this strong finish — in the top 3.5% of runners — Holden was named an All-American, an honor reserved for the top 25 finishers in his age bracket.

Earlier in 2025, Holden won a silver and two gold medals at the Mid-Atlantic Recreation & Parks Sports Alliance (MARPSA) State Track Meet to cap off his first season of Spring Track at Siena. This was Holden’s first year running for Siena, and he’s already excited for more running in the Spring 2026 seasons.

Bravo, Holden! Go Wildcats!

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On Friday, December 12, Siena Northern Virginia students participated in the Academic Showcase, an event designed to highlight the depth and variety of learning happening across divisions. Over 30 parents, grandparents, and other family members attended the event, in which every student presented a sample of their academic and creative works, giving families a window into the work they’re developing at each grade level. 

Firsthand Look at Siena’s Curriculum, Instructional Design, and Program Outcomes 

The event enabled families to move through student project stations in each classroom, as well as to speak directly with students about their approaches and see firsthand how Siena’s mission comes to life in classrooms. As Head of School, Jennifer Betts reminded the students before the event began, “Remember that this is a great way for you to show everyone the fantastic work you do here.”

There was an impressive variety of students' projects at the showcase across academic disciplines, including:

• Adaptations of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Raven,” including dioramas of key scenes and a retelling of the former from the murder victim’s perspective — thus demonstrating different ways to interpret and analyze literary texts
• Literary analysis essays from high school students based on class readings of Moying Li-Marcus’s Snow Falling in Spring
• A historical map of 17th-century New England from a project about King Philip’s War
• Student-made clothing, scarves, pillows, and other fiber arts creations
• Video remixes of scenes from popular films from a video editing class, demonstrating understanding of different genres, perspectives, and videography and editing skills important to the film industry
• STEM-focused projects, such as a small catapult, models of hurricane-proof structures, and visual presentations about oceans
• Creative writing about such topics as lacrosse, a student’s first season of flag football, and Star Wars (which was a collaboration between three 6th graders)

Pride and Peer Support on Display 

The students' pride in showcasing and explaining their various projects was evident. As 6th grader Elena shared, “It’s fun to talk about my own work with everyone. It makes me even prouder when they leave my table happy.” Her classmate Grayden added, “I liked highlighting the work we did on our own and sharing it with everyone’s parents.”

In the surrounding classrooms, students explained assignments or pieces of work from their various classes. Presenters were arranged in cross-age groups, giving visitors the opportunity to engage with students across grade levels as they shared their learning and creative process. Students also encouraged each other throughout the event — an encouraging display of peer-to-peer support.

New this year was a walking gallery of additional projects that students selected for a museum-type display. Parents walked through a gallery of additional student work, with placards explaining each piece or project. The gallery showcased outstanding projects and classwork, including student creations from Fiber Arts as well as film clips and posters from film classes.

Families walked away from Siena Northern Virginia’s Academic Showcase with a clear and engaged understanding of students’ work, as well as the academic rigor, creativity, hands-on learning, and supportive environment that encompasses a Siena education across all grade levels.

As Betts added after the event, “This kind of showcase reinforces Siena’s commitment to individualized learning and students working in strengths-based ways.”

Explore Siena Northern Virginia

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Siena is pleased to announce that the application process is now open for our summer 2026 programs at our Silver Spring and Northern Virginia campuses for students in rising grades 3-9. 

In general, summer academic programs are especially important in assessing students' learning needs, supporting social and emotional wellness, and building school community connections to prepare students for the year ahead.

Siena’s academic programs start on Monday, June 22, 2026. Take the links below or click on the image to learn more.

Summer at Silver Spring     Summer at Northern Virginia 

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Siena applauds 9th grader Lev for his recent leadership and advocacy work for pedestrian safety improvements for Siena’s Forest Glen campus. Lev reached out to the Montgomery County of Transportation for additional work for the crosswalk at the intersection of Tenbrook Drive and Forest Glen Road. 

After he contacted the county through their Safe Routes to Schools initiative in early November, Lev and two Siena staff members met with a traffic engineer to elaborate on the request for additional safety-oriented improvements to the crosswalk, such as a speed monitor and sign alerting drivers to stop for pedestrians. Then, in early December, MCDOT installed a digital speed monitor for both the east- and westbound directions. The speed monitor collected a week’s worth of data to track traffic and speed patterns to help county traffic engineers plan further work in the future. 

This important safety work happened because of a Siena student’s initiative and advocacy to help both the Siena community and our neighbors. Siena students and some staff members use the crosswalk daily, and some have seen positive results from the speed monitors.  

Siena has previously worked with MCDOT to improve signage and lighting at the crosswalk, as well as got the county to repaint the lines. Along with the orange crossing flags Siena installed in 2024, these efforts continue to make walking safer for school students and staff and the local South Four Corners community.

To further improve pedestrian safety in the Siena Forest Glen community, MCDOT recently finished similar traffic calming work on Tenbrook Drive, just north of campus. 

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On December 4, 2025, photojournalist Luke Johnson visited two middle school photography classes at Siena’s Forest Glen Campus.

Johnson, a freelance photojournalist based in Washington, DC, and California, has covered a variety of topics and current events in his work, which has appeared in major outlets including The Washington Post, USA Today, Sports Illustrated, and the Associated Press.

As Siena photography teacher Evan Jenkins shared, “Visits like this are a great opportunity [for our students] to hear firsthand about being a young professional in photojournalism and how visual storytelling can illuminate important social issues.”

Johnson showed students a few examples of his work on current events, human interest stories, sports photojournalism, and more: “As a photographer, I’m capturing moments that allow other people to see what I’m seeing through my camera.” With each example, Johnson highlighted the multifaceted work that goes into photojournalism:

• Understanding people’s emotions and reactions in a specific moment (such as after a half-marathon or during a public protest);
• Learning when to take or not take a picture (such as after a natural disaster), as well as keeping a respectful distance in tense moments;
• Considering how he felt when taking the photos in tense or emotional moments, which affects how the viewer will respond to an emotionally-charged photo.

Johnson’s talk showed students how they can learn to capture such events and emotions themselves in their work. Jenkins’s 7th and 8th graders are currently putting together their own photo stories as part of a class project, and Johnson’s visit showed them how a photojournalist can have a wide range of interests, from artistic storytelling to being, as he shared, “on the front lines of history.”

Among other questions, students asked about his process, which lenses he used for specific shots, and how and why he chose specific moments. A few students shared their thoughts after:

• “I loved seeing how photography took him to important diverse places that can be hard to get to, like last summer in Los Angeles. The picture he shared of an NBA game jumped out at me because it captured the moment of a contested shot from way closer than basketball fans like me can get.” —Siena 7th Grader
• “He took powerful and detailed photos, which really spoke to me as a photographer. I kept wondering about how he was feeling during the intense current events moments he captured.” —Siena 7th Grader
• “I liked the dark lighting and shadows he had in one of his recent current events photos. The dark lighting added to the mystery of the moment.” —Siena 8th Grader
• “He explained his craft very well and related to us as photographs. I was impressed by his photos from Los Angeles last summer because his work contributed an important story for the community during a real-life situation.” —Siena 9th Grader

Johnson reminded the students that “Photography is an outlet to the truth […] to show people what’s really happening,” adding that photojournalists like him are “serving as the eyes for millions of people around the world.”

As Jenkins added after the talk, “This helps students see how what we learn in class applies to what a professional working photographer does — and how they can aspire to do the same.”

Learn More about Visual Arts at Siena

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“I feel like I gained even more insight into how a community should look by respecting everyone’s opinions and learning to work together.” — Lailah

Siena congratulates a trio of seniors — Arynn, Lailah, and Sofia — for their fourth and final year of participation in the annual Baltimore Student Diversity Leadership Conference, hosted by Sandy Spring Friends School on Saturday, November 15, 2025.

The 2025 BSDLC theme was We Shall Rise. Event organizers reported that about 160 students and 40 faculty/staff members participated — representing some 30 schools at this important annual community-building and learning event. A hallmark of BSDLC is its student-run and -led sessions, which give all student attendees leadership and classroom management experience as they discuss current events and important issues affecting marginalized communities in what Lailah called “judgment-free safe spaces.”

Siena’s students each attended three workshops, including “Rise and Recharge: The Role of Wellness in Leadership,” “Civic Literacy 101, ““More Than Labels: Understanding Identities and Authentic Allyship,” and “Real Vs. Performative: Serving as a Champion for Community.”

BSDLC’s small, student-led sessions allow attendees to feel comfortable with each other and show an openness to learning and growing from each other, similar to Siena’s collaborative, student-focused classrooms. As Arynn shared, “I’ve always liked how BSDLC is all about meeting new people in a setting where I’m growing my mindset and learning to speak up more.”

For Lailah, the Civic Literacy session was especially valuable. Her group discussed current events and news articles and studied how headlines, word choices, and more could grab readers’ attention and sway the audience to a certain point of view. They also talked about identifying clickbait headlines and understanding how to find and use credible sources.

The seniors also received special recognition during lunch from a session facilitator whom they helped with remarks she had to write, using the collaborative writing and peer workshopping skills they’ve learned in their time at Siena.

Overall, Arynn, Lailah, and Sofia reported having energizing experiences at BSDLC this year, engaging deeply in collaborative conversations with facilitators and peers throughout the workshops. They built meaningful connections and are eager to bring their new insights back to the Siena community — continuing to expand Siena’s mission of fostering inclusive leadership, empowering student voice, and strengthening a school culture where every learner is seen, heard, and valued.

Afterward, Sofia both looked back and ahead to future years of Siena participation in BSDLC: “This is truly a great opportunity and we have learned so much over the past four years of attending this event. We hope to see students continue to represent Siena in the future!”

Learn About DEIB at Siena     Learn about BSDLC 2025

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Earlier this fall, 6th graders from Siena’s Forest Glen campus enjoyed a multi-part learning experience in their Social Studies class with Siena middle school teacher Pinki Shah. As part of their Social Studies unit on Ancient Egypt, students “mummified” organs, crafted their own canopic jars, and then visited a local artist’s basement studio to experience a detailed recreation of Queen Nefertari’s tomb.

As one student shared about the immersive art experience at the artist's studio, “Her paintings were beautiful and I can't believe that she did them by herself!”

Learn More on Our Blog

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Siena Northern Virginia elementary students recently took a special trip to the Oakton Library for a visit with Karma, a certified therapy dog, and her owner, Karin Hemphill — an educator and Executive Director of the DC-area nonprofit Tail Wags and Book Bags, which partners with schools to inspire young readers. 

During their time together, students took turns reading aloud to Karma, who listened patiently and attentively. Her calm, friendly presence helped Siena’s young readers feel comfortable and confident sharing their stories. There are also research-based benefits for adolescents’ fine and gross motor skills, spatial awareness, anxiety, depression, and more when they read aloud to dogs (see Tail Wags & Book Bags for more information). 

Learning by doing and nurturing social-emotional growth are essential parts of every child’s journey at Siena and reflect our mission and commitment to giving back. Experiences like reading with therapy dogs build self-esteem, strengthen communication, and show students that reading can be joyful, calming, and empowering — especially when it comes with wagging tails and floppy ears!

Read More on Our Blog

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On Thursday, October 30, Siena’s Northern Virginia campus hosted its inaugural Career Fair, which featured 21 representatives from a variety of fields visiting campus to discuss their work.

Learning and Practicing Key Professional Skills 

All Siena Northern Virginia students (elementary through high school) and staff attended the event, along with several Siena Forest Glen high school students and staff members. The Career Fair grew out of a high school Entrepreneurship class taught by Siena Northern Virginia teacher Justin Kanka. The class helps set the students up for their future internship work. In fact, several professionals left with resumes from Siena students interested in any internship opportunity with them. (Learn more about Siena’s internships.) 

“It helped open up possibilities for high school with something I never thought I’d do, like music therapy.” –Siena Northern Virginia Student  

In tandem with Kanka’s Entrepreneurship course, the Career Fair showcased how transferable connections and networking skills are for students as they learn about career paths, internship options, and potential summer jobs. Students prepared by organizing their questions, practicing public speaking and networking skills, and preparing to collect specific information from each visitor. 

“When's the Next Career Fair?” 

The event was a strong and valuable experience for all attendees — both for practicing general networking skills and exploring specific career paths:

• “The short conversation wasn't enough. I liked meeting lots of different people and finding out about a lot of different jobs, but  I want more time to find out details about the ones that interested me the most. When’s the next Career Fair?” —Siena Middle School Student
• “I expected to meet new people and start finding out what people want in an intern. I learned that meeting with people and getting to ask them questions is an important skill to develop. I also found a few possible internships.” —Siena 9th Grader
• “The career representative that I found the most valuable for my interests is the graphic designer because he explained step-by-step what the job was looking for and what work they would assign when beginning their job.” —Siena 10th Grader
• “I went in hoping to learn more about different careers. The social worker stood out for me because they help people in different ways every day.” —Siena 11th Grader
• "I was so impressed by the questions the students asked. They were so prepared to talk with us!" —Career Rep
• "I wish I had the opportunity to do something like this when I was in school. It would have really helped me see the possibilities for me to pursue my interests. And I love how they are getting to practice real world skills, like networking." —Career Rep

As Siena Northern Virginia Head of School Jennifer Betts reflected, “This event was a smashing success. We received a lot of positive feedback from our presenters and students — from 3rd grade on up! They saw the importance of making connections and learning about career options. They already want another one later this year!” 

Want to know more about this important event and its place in Siena Northern Virginia's curriculum? Read the blog post about it.

Visit Siena Northern Virginia      Learn About Siena’s Internship Program 

I liked that they had takeaways and that they brought samples of their work or what they worked with. The IT representative was very hands-on – I got to try out a skill right there! –Siena Northern Virginia Student  

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Siena congratulates Middle and High School Dean of Students Maya Kratzke for her recent invited presentation at the annual conference of the Association for Middle Level Education in Indianapolis, Indiana, in early November 2025.

Kratzke’s speed learning session, “Reclaim Your Time: AI-Powered Efficiency,” highlighted some ways that generative AI — such as Gemini and ChatGPT — can help teachers streamline their work and keep the focus on their students. Her presentation strongly reflects Siena’s mission to create active, engaged classrooms where teachers have the time and flexibility to focus on what matters most: students’ strengths, growth, and authentic learning experiences.

Some key takeaways from Kratzke’s presentation include: 

• AI-driven differentiation and tailored communication directly address diverse student needs and can individualize assignments to adjust the levels of support or challenge needed.
• By automating tasks (e.g., grading and emails), teachers can reclaim time to focus more on one-on-one student interaction, designing deeper, student-centered learning experiences, and more.
• Generative AI can be the ultimate tool for efficient task management, enhancing overall teaching effectiveness.

As both a Siena educational leader and member of the AMLE Board of Trustees, Kratzke encouraged educators to stay active and hands-on when integrating AI into their practice. “Don’t just listen, do,” she reminded her audience — highlighting that meaningful experimentation is essential to unlocking AI’s potential in modern classrooms.

The session also had an interactive element: Kratzke provided prompts to generate example emails or assignment prompts. Attendees paired up and studied how AI could further improve writing they’d done in the past.

“This is not a fad; it's a foundation for teacher innovation,” she shared — echoing The Siena School's mission to support creative, research-informed approaches that help students thrive.

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Siena congratulates history teacher and history department chair Sonja Hayes for being chosen for a national program of educators tasked with providing teaching and research guidance about American history for K-12 educators. 

“A Great Honor”

The Researching Silent Heroes program is sponsored by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), which maintains American military cemeteries and monuments overseas. Learn more here about NHD Silent Heroes. Hayes is 1 of only 60 teachers nationwide selected for this important historical initiative.

“It was a great honor to be chosen for this from among 162 applicants,” she shared. As part of this program, Hayes will be teaching students how to use credible historical sources and develop transferable academic skills. Hayes also plans to incorporate this work into her 8th grade curriculum at Siena later this year. 

A Silent Hero® from the Vietnam War

Hayes’s Silent Hero® is servicemember U.S. Navy Seaman Kylis Therod Payne, a Baltimore native who died at sea in June 1972 while serving on the USS Chipola during the Vietnam War. She chose Payne because she wanted to research a person of color who served in Vietnam, particularly one who died so young and left, as she shared, “an important story waiting to be told.”

Hayes also has a personal connection to the Vietnam War since her father and two uncles served in the Air Force and Army, respectively.

Payne left behind a wife and two daughters, and one of Hayes’s hopes is finding a friend or family member to learn more about him. He was a Gold Star recipient from the Maryland state government and is memorialized at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, DC, and Baltimore National Cemetery.

Over the next few months, Hayes will work with credible resources (such as military records and Ancestry.com) to contextualize Kylis Therod Payne and his role in the US Navy during the Vietnam War. Hayes would ultimately love to have a wreath placed in the area in the South China Sea near Vietnam where Payne was last seen.

Other educators in the Silent Heroes Program will do similar work with their chosen subjects from World Wars I and II and the Korean War. This cohort of expert historians will stress the importance of archival research, especially in cases when records are incomplete or otherwise elusive (such as through missing documents). Each cohort member will eventually write a profile of their Silent Hero® for the Silent Heroes website as a research and teaching tool. Their work will also be incorporated into future educational content offered by the American Battle Monuments Commission.

“I want to help tell Payne’s story, in part, to enable his remaining family members and friends to remember him since he died so young,” Hayes reflected. “This is a way of telling the important individual stories behind our history.” 

Read the NHD Press Release

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Siena congratulates our elementary and middle school reading teacher, Jillian Curd, for her successful run as Pilar in Legally Blonde: The Musical at Bowie Playhouse. 

This version of Legally Blonde: The Musical was put on by 2nd Star Productions, an all-volunteer community theatre in Bowie, MD. Consistent with 2nd Star Productions’s dedication to inclusion and equity, Director Summer Moore specifically wanted to cast a black woman as Elle, as well as have a diverse cast to reflect their retelling of the story. The show ran on weekends from September 5th to October 4th.

Ms. Curd gave 13 performances as Pilar, one of lead character Elle’s close friends. “I loved getting to bring Pilar to life,” she reflected. “It’s really special getting to design your own version of a character — and I’ve made so many friends to share the experience with. I can’t wait to audition for my next show.”

Legally Blonde: The Musical was Ms. Curd’s 10th show in her stage acting career, as well as her debut with 2nd Star Productions. She auditioned for the role in early June, got the part, and then began rehearsing with the cast in July. An alum of Ball State University’s Theatre and Dance program, Ms. Curd shared that she thrives most when expressing her creativity and sharing an artistic journey with others on stage.

Looking ahead, she expects to audition for Shrek: The Musical with 2nd Star Productions for Spring 2026. Ms. Curd also hopes eventually to share her stage experience with Siena’s performing arts program and future performances.

Brava, Ms. Curd!

Learn More about Theatre at Siena

Photo Credit: Nate Jackson Photography.

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As part of Dyslexia Awareness Month every October, Siena annually honors local and national leaders with the Siena Cypress Leadership Award for their significant contributions to the education of students who learn differently. 

The 2025-26 school year is a dual milestone for Siena: it marks both the 20th anniversary of The Siena School and 5th anniversary of Siena’s Northern Virginia campus. Community was a major theme of the evening, with each speaker highlighting the growth of The Siena School’s own community over the past 20 years, as well as the school’s important ties to the learning differences community both locally and nationally.

“A great school is a great community and a great community is a great school.” —Siena Founder & Board Chair Erik Heyer

In their respective remarks, Executive Head of School Dr. Jilly Darefsky and Founder & Board Chair Erik Heyer each looked back on Siena’s first 20 years and looked ahead to sustained growth and opportunities for the Siena community. As Darefsky shared in her opening remarks, “Together, we will continue to grow, to innovate, and to create an environment where every student is empowered to shine in their own unique way.”

This year, Siena honored Dr. Anthony Henley for his instrumental work in psychoeducational assessment, consultation, and more for children with dyslexia, learning differences, and ADHD. Dr. Henley has supported The Siena School and its mission since it opened in 2006 and has long been a part of Siena’s extended community. “One of the most important aspects of my career has been the dyslexia community,” Henley shared in accepting the award. “I’ve seen how important the connections are in the community we work with.”

Siena's 20th fall celebration and awards took place in person at Siena's Forest Glen and Northern Virginia campuses on October 16, 2025. As is tradition, students, parents, alumni, and faculty and staff attended.

Read the Press Release          See Past Cypress Award Winners

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Thanks to the efforts of Northern Virginia parent Alicia Figueiredo, Siena has been featured in a news piece from The Reston Letter.

A Reston resident, Figueiredo wanted to highlight Siena’s 20th anniversary and, closer to home, Siena’s strong impact on her daughter. As she shared in the piece, “It’s not just a school — it’s a place where my daughter is learning to see her dyslexia as a superpower and how to wield it. For us, Siena isn’t a backup plan; it’s the best plan for her to thrive.”

Figueiredo added later, “Siena provides an excellent education and unique opportunities for kids to explore and fulfill their potential in an environment that supports how they learn.”

Read the full article on The Reston Letter website.

Learn More About Siena Northern Virginia

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Siena congratulates Northern Virginia middle school student Falynn D. for her recent 2nd place finish for the Juvenile Solo Combined event at the 2025 Ice Dance Nationals in Salt Lake City! 

A Successful 2025 Season 

A member of Northern Virginia’s inaugural class when the campus opened in 2021, Falynn has been skating since she was four years old. She started solo ice dance in spring 2021 and has been involved with the Capital Theatre on Ice (formerly Ashburn Theatre on Ice) since 2017.

Earlier in 2025 Falynn medaled in international solo ice dance competitions in Poland and Finland, earning a silver and a gold medal, respectively.

Leading up to Nationals in September 2025, Falynn worked hard to prepare for the competition. She changed the music and outfit for the pattern dance part of the combined event, as well as put in extra work with her coaches in Ashburn, VA, and Newark, DE. Her perseverance paid off as she earned her highest score for the Hickory pattern dance all season, finishing 2nd in the Nation for the Juvenile Solo Combined event (which includes a pattern dance and a Free Dance). Her total score at Nationals was also her season-high score! 

As her self-confidence and sense of resilience have grown in her years as a Siena student, Falynn has also seen her perseverance grow as a competitive ice skater. Asked about her favorite part of the 2025 season, she shared, “I loved that I kept working hard and it paid off. And, I loved my Free Dance.”

Looking Ahead to 2026

Falynn is now back at the rink working on her new pattern dances and Free Dance for the 2026 season, including finding new music and learning new choreography. She will also be moving up to the Intermediate Solo Combined level as she starts the new season with International competitions this coming winter.

Falynn shared her excitement about expressing herself in solo ice dance: “My favorite part of ice dance is the artistry that I can put into my dances, especially my Free Dance.”

Siena wishes her and all Capital Theatre on Ice teams the best of luck in the upcoming season with International competitions in the winter.

Brava, Falynn!

Learn More About Siena Northern Virginia

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