School History: Our Principals

Ida B. Auerbach (1957-72)

Black and white portrait of Principal Auerbach taken in 1959. She is seated at her desk signing papers. A rotary dial phone is on the far side of the desk.

A native of Boston, Massachusetts, Mrs. Auerbach came to the Washington, D.C. area in 1946. She began her career with Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) in September 1951, as a seventh grade teacher at Annandale Elementary School. In September 1956, she became a teacher of seventh grade Lynbrook students while their classes were housed at Garfield Elementary School. On the eve of her retirement, in May 1972, Principal Auerbach reflected on her career in an interview for The Springfield Independent newspaper: “I enjoyed teaching. I liked it and I felt it was important. I like people and feeling that the future depends upon the boys and girls growing up in our schools. I will miss Lynbrook school. One of the joys of this job is working in this type of community. Former students from every level keep coming back to say hello. You would be amazed at the places from which I get mail – all over the world.”

Alice E. Pharr (1972-77)

Black and white portrait of Principal Pharr taken in 1976. She is seated at her desk with her hands folded. A filing cabinet is visible behind her. On the desk are a rotary dial phone, a name place, and stacks of paperwork.

Principal Pharr began her career with FCPS in 1958 as a teacher at Westmore Elementary School in the City of Fairfax. In 1965, she was appointed principal of Weyanoke Elementary School, a position she held until her appointment to Lynbrook.

Robert H. Bender (1977-October 1980)

Black and white portrait of Principal Bender taken in 1981. He is seated at his desk which is covered with paperwork. A bookshelf is visible behind him.

Prior to becoming principal of Lynbrook, Mr. Bender was the principal of Quander Road Elementary School in the Alexandria section of Fairfax County. Quander Road closed in 1977 and was converted into a special education center.

Shirley E. Bealor (October 1980-84)

Black and white portrait of Principal Bealor taken in 1982. She is seated at a table.

Prior to her appointment as principal of Lynbrook. Ms. Bealor was a classroom teacher, a reading teacher, and was an assistant principal at Kings Glen Elementary School. After leaving Lynbrook, she served as the principal of Canterbury Woods and Braddock elementary schools.

Darrell E. Huffman (1984-87)

Color head-and-shoulders portrait of Principal Huffman taken in 1985. The edges of the picture are rounded.

Prior to becoming principal of Lynbrook, Mr. Huffman served as the principal of Walnut Hill Elementary School from 1965 to 1968, and Canterbury Woods Elementary School from 1971 to 1984.

Shirley Elizabeth Eaton (1987-89)

Black and white portrait of Principal Eaton taken in 1989. She is seated, surrounded by a group of six smiling students.

Helene Brower (1989-95)

Color portrait of Principal Brower taken in 1995. She is seated on a green sofa with two smiling children and has her arms wrapped around them. The children are holding assorted stuffed animals.

In 1995, Principal Brower left Lynbrook to open Anthony Lane Elementary School in Kingstowne. She retired from Fairfax County Public Schools in 2004.

Suzanne Burke Walters (1995-99)

Color portrait of Principal Walters taken in 1997. She is pictured with a male student in her office.

Prior to becoming principal of Lynbrook, Ms. Walters served as the principal of Pine Spring Elementary School, and was the first principal of Virginia Run Elementary School which opened in 1989.

Mahri Aste (1999-04)

Color portrait of Principal Aste taken in 2003. She is standing in a hallway behind a large group of smiling students. 13 children are pictured, all but two of whom are male.

Ms. Aste began her career with FCPS in 1990 as a teacher at Mosby Woods Elementary School. She left Mosby Woods to become an assistant principal at Lynbrook, and was appointed principal of our school in 1999. After departing Lynbrook in 2004, Ms. Aste returned to Mosby Woods to serve as that school’s principal, a position she still holds today (2018-19).

Mary McNamee (2004-15)

Color portrait of Principal McNamee taken in 2015. She is on stage at an event accepting a giant green check for $1,000 from a tall gentleman representing Sodexo, Inc.

Prior to becoming principal of Lynbrook, Ms. McNamee was an assistant principal at Hunt Valley Elementary Schoool. In the above photograph, courtesy of Dominique Escalera and the Connection Newspaper, she is accepting a check for $1,000 from Eugene McKnight, area general manager of Sodexo, Inc. In October 2014, 311 Lynbrook students participated in the Marine Corps Marathon Kids Run, earning our school’s thirteenth Healthy School Award from Fun Run sponsor Sodexo. The money was used to fund physical education equipment and resources.

James D. Nocco (2015-2020)

Color portrait of Principal Nocco and two Lynbrook assistant principals taken in 2018. They are posed outside on playground equipment. — Principal Nocco with assistant principals Erika Aspuria (left) and Kathleen Sain (right).

Prior to becoming principal of Lynbrook, Mr. Nocco was a first grade teacher, a reading specialist at Lynbrook, an assistant principal at Mosby Woods Elementary, the principal of Anthony Lane Elementary School, and was the Coordinator of Elementary School Instruction for FCPS.

Kathleen Sain (2020-Present)

Portrait of Principal Sain standing in front of the school. — Principal Kathleen Sain, 2020

Kathleen Sain joined the Lynbrook administrative team in 2017 as an Assistant Principal. Previously, she was an Assistant Principal at Hollin Meadows ES from July 2014 until July 2017. Mrs. Sain has worked for FCPS for 14 years. She started in August 2007 as an Enhanced Autism Teacher at Lane Elementary School. Read Mrs. Sain’s biography.