Principal
Phone: (571) 367-4230
Email: Mr. Tim Sparbanie

Welcome to Elaine E. Thompson Elementary School

My name is Tim Sparbanie, and I am honored to be the Principal here at Elaine Thompson Elementary School. While I am originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, I have called Virginia my home for many years.  I am married to a wonderful woman, Joyce, who is a nurse by training and now a stay-at-home mom and swim coach.  Together, we have five wonderful children. This year our children are attending schools ranging from college all the way down to sixth grade!  We currently live in Lovettsville.
In 1994 I earned my Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Duquesne University, in Pittsburgh.  That year I began my teaching career right here in Loudoun County at Emerick Elementary.  I have spent many years teaching at both the elementary and middle school levels here in Loudoun, culminating with being nominated for the Agnes Meyer Teacher of the Year.  I have done graduate work at Shenandoah University, the University of Virginia, and George Mason University.  In December of 2013, I earned a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership from George Mason.  In July of 2014, I began my administrative career, where student success was, and remains my highest priority.
I look forward to working with the teachers, parents, and the entire Elaine Thompson community to make your son/daughter's educational experience here both personal and authentic.  While our students have enjoyed a great deal of success, we will continue to push ourselves to even greater heights by placing a strong emphasis on deeper learning.  It will be our goal to have our students become excellent communicators, collaborators, creators, critical thinkers, and contributors.  In order to continue to promote this type of deep thinking and learning, we will continue expanding our rigorous and relevant Project-Based Learning opportunities and will introduce student-led conferences, and Personalized Learning.  These initiatives, coupled with building strong student-teacher relationships, will allow our students to “own” their learning, and will provide them a voice in establishing individualized learning goals to maximize their achievement.
If you ever have any questions, concerns, or compliments, please do not hesitate to contact me immediately. 

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter:  @TimSparbanie
You can also follow our school's journey using #TeamThompson

Assistant Principal

Let's Go Tiger Sharks!

I am so excited to join the amazing administration team at Elaine Thompson. I am a proud graduate of Loudoun County Public Schools, graduating from Park View. There were only FOUR high schools in Loudoun until I was a senior. Crazy to think about. My family will be the first to tell you that my passion for teaching began at a very young age! I absolutely love this profession and couldn't think of any other way I would want to spend my days. 

My undergraduate is in Elementary Education from Radford University. While finsihing my bachelor degree, I was offered the opportunity to be the first student start a Master's in Reading program at Virginia Tech. I began my career in Loudoun at Seldens Landing Elementary teaching first, second, and third grade. While at Seldens, I earned my National Boards certification. I then had the amazing opportunity to open Moorefield Station in 2013. This is where my leadership journey began. After taking on many leadership roles I decided to go back to school to get my second Master's in Educational Leadership from Old Dominion University. I was able to use my leadership degree and my passion for literacy to begin my journey as a Specialized Instructional Facilitatr of Reading with the Office of Special Education. Although I loved my role as SIF-R, I missed having my homebase. I decided to head back into a school building. I was given the opportunity to open Elaine Thompson, as Reading Specialist. My passion for providing evidence based literacy instruction took root at Thompson. I was also able to bring the House System to Thompson when we opened our doors. BLUE HOUSE! I will continue to support all our students in the role of Administrative Dean!

My family is originally from upstate NY. GO GIANTS AND YANKEES!!! I am married with three amazing children. My oldest son attends Rock Ridge High School, my middle son attends Stone Hill Middle, and our little girl is here at Thompson! Both my boys play travel hockey for Ashburn Xtreme and my husband coaches. So anytime I am not at school, I am mostly likely at an ice rink on the east coast. 

I am so excited for the year ahead. Don't forget to follow me on X (formerly Twitter) @tfurtek22 to see all the amazing things our students accomplish!

Dean

Let's Go Tiger Sharks!

It is a privilege to join the administration team at Elaine Thompson. I am originally from Chicago, where I spent my time through college. Go Cubs, Bears, and Blackhawks!!! My wife, Meredith, and I are Loudoun County transplants since 2012. Meredith is a middle school special education teacher in the county, with a focus on math. We have four kiddos, ranging from 3rd grade at Dominion Trail to 1.5 years old. We live in Ashburn.

In 2019, I switched careers from the non-profit world to public education. I received a Masters Degree in Teaching from Liberty University in 2020, and my Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Liberty in 2022. My background in education includes after-school programs in partnership with Catoctin Elementary School. I served as a Special Education History and Personal Finance teacher at Dominion High School for the past six years and am blessed to have served as the Special Education Department Chair for the past three years. While at Dominion, I also facilitated one of our leadership development programs through the Student Council Association. I believe learning starts with engagement and belonging, and I look forward to supporting each student along their educational journey at Elaine Thompson. 

You’ll find me coaching my kids on a baseball field or basketball court when I'm not at Elaine Thompson. My oldest plays travel baseball (Go Riverdogs!!), and we are running around the Mid-Atlantic region watching them play. My other kids have become music fanatics and you will always hear a wide variety of background music including Daniel Tiger, Blaze, Lion King, Wicked, and Frozen throughout the house.