Superintendent Dr. Peter Noonan will officially retire from his position as Superintendent of FCCPS after eight outstanding years of service. On Friday, May 30th, students and staff gathered in the cafeteria to celebrate Dr. Noonan and say goodbye.
Principal Peter Laub spoke at the ceremony about his incredible accomplishments and the legacy he will leave behind.
“It’s bittersweet. He is a fabulous leader, and we are sorry to see him go, but I’m very happy for him.” Principal Laub commented.
The cheerful celebration provided opportunities for administrators to comment on Dr. Noonan’s leadership and retirement.
“Honestly, I’ve loved working for Dr. Noonan,” Assistant Principal Rob Carey said. “He’s been a great leader here in Falls Church and what a perfect way to end his time here, celebrating him with cake and all the student body.”
Noonan has made many significant contributions to FCCPS during his time as superintendent. One of his most notable efforts is the funding of 120 million dollars for the construction of the brand new high-school.
“He’s made a really huge impact on FCCPS with the construction of this building and the spearheading of that, to get the community behind wanting to spend the money on building a really nice school. It’s a legacy that he’s leaving for us, which is really nice.” Administrative Assistant Cecily Shea said.
During his eight years at FCCPS, Noonan has left a lasting impact on numerous areas, improving even overlooked sectors such as food service.
“He’s super supportive of food service and whenever we had a vision, he always went out of his way to make sure it happened.” Food service worker Kelly Crawford recalled.
Further, he has created meaningful connections with all the individuals he has spent time with.
“He is the best boss I’ve ever had in my 19 years here in FCCPS. He’s down to earth, he never loses his cool, and really just cares so much about the kids.” said Director of Communications John Wesley Brett.
Noonan’s wife Bethany Latiecq attended the ceremony to support her husband’s retirement, and acknowledged the wonderful work he has done.
“It’s just been a great day. It’s a lot of fun to see all the love and for Peter to be honored in this way,” she said proudly. “It’s really meaningful. He always talks about leading with love, and I feel like you see that. It’s really special. It’s a special day.”
Noonan reflected on his years at FCCPS and on the celebration of his retirement.
“I’m completely overwhelmed by the celebrations here at Meridian and all the schools,” Noonan said. “I’ve had 33 really great years in public education, and the last eight have been super challenging but super fun. It’s time for me now to step down and turn it over to someone else. We’ve got a school system that’s in a really good place, and now it’s time for me to say goodbye.”
