The sun is setting on the Christine Brogan era at Sunrise Valley Elementary as the school's principal prepares to say goodbye.
After six years leading the south Reston school, nearly 20 years in the Fairfax County Public Schools and almost 35 years in education, Brogan has decided to call it quits.
She informed the PTA last month of her decision, she let parents and teachers know last week, but for her, it has been a decision that she has wrestled with for nearly two years, since her husband retired from the United States Air Force. And in that time, she and her school have endured the events of Sept. 11, 2001, the terror of the sniper, uncertainty surrounding a possible war with Iraq and seemingly endless amounts of snow days. It's little wonder why this first-time principal has had enough. "We are going out with a bang," she said.
Retirement suits Brogan just fine. "After 35 years, I'm ready," she said. "I've had a great run, but it is time and I am very comfortable with my decision."
While she looks forward to retirement, Brogan says she will miss strolling the halls and catching up with her students. "Oh, I will miss the kids. I was always amazed at how articulate they would be," she said. "The kids are the only reason we come back everyday and every year. Luckily I have two adorable little godchildren in the area to help fill the void."
Sunrise Valley teachers will miss Brogan's easy-going style and wicked sense of humor and her love of the Beatles. Cheryl Freeman, the school's reading teacher, is also retiring at the end of the year and she counts herself as one of Brogan's biggest boosters. In her 17 years at the school, Freeman has seen several principal come and go. "Chris is right up there at the top," Freeman said. "She is excellent and she creates an excitement for learning, for both the students and the teachers. She will be missed."
<b>BORN IN NEWCASTLE</b>, England, Brogan had lived in Reston with her husband for 20 years before recently moving out to Leesburg. Come June, Brogan will be freed from the daily responsibilities incumbent on elementary-school principals, but she is not planning on a quiet retirement. "Since I am from England, I am looking forward to being able to travel back home as much as possible," she said.
In addition to traveling across the pond, Brogan is looking forward to exploring new parts of the globe. "I've made a list," she said smiling. "I want to go to Alaska, Australia and back to Berlin, it was West Berlin when I lived there."
As an undergraduate student at the University of London, Brogan was an art major and she is looking forward to exploring her interests in fabrics and textiles. With nieces and nephews in the states and overseas, Brogan also intends to learn how to edit electronic photographs.
While she will miss the kids and "Reston's great sense of community," one thing Brogan will not miss is the paperwork associated with her job. "Sometimes, it seems like I am just pushing paper all day."
Despite the occasional exercises in paper pushing, Brogan is proud of her tenure as Sunrise Valley principal. "One of the things I am most proud about is that we were able to keep the main thing, the main thing," said Brogan. "That main thing is educating our kids everyday. We really always focused on that premise."
Elizabeth Cline, the PTA president at Sunrise Valley, is going to miss Brogan, too. The principal always made parents, like Cline, feel welcome to actively participate in their child's education. "She really educated parents on the process how our children learned math, writing and reading," Cline said. "She raised the academic bar and test scores. I really like her."
So does the outgoing principal have any words of wisdom for her successor? "Take the first year slow. Get to know everyone here," she said. "This is an excellent school with great teachers and a great PTA. I am sure everyone will be extremely supportive."