Principal's Message

Dear Mary Walter Elementary Families and Community,

It is an incredible honor to serve as the principal of Mary Walter Elementary School. With more than 30 years of experience in education, I remain deeply committed to creating a welcoming school where every child feels valued, supported, and inspired to learn.

I began my career as an elementary classroom teacher and had the privilege of teaching every grade level. Throughout my career, I have also served as a reading specialist, literacy coach, and instructional coach. I taught and worked as a reading specialist in North Carolina before moving to Virginia with my husband in 2013. I then spent 10 years with Fairfax County Public Schools, first as a literacy coach and later as an instructional coach. After leaving Fairfax County, I served for three years as the assistant principal of Culpeper County High School before becoming the principal of Mary Walter Elementary for the 2026–2027 school year.

I earned my bachelor’s degree in English, with certification in elementary education, from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. I later earned a Master of Education in K–12 Literacy Education and a certificate in Administration and Supervision, K–12, from Shenandoah University. One of the most memorable parts of my time at Shenandoah was attending the university while my daughter was completing her bachelor’s degree there as well.

My husband and I are proud to call this community home. We have two adult children and are also proud grandparents. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family, my dog, and our two cats. Our family loves playing board games, which can become quite competitive when everyone is together! I also enjoy visiting the mountains—especially the Gatlinburg, Tennessee, area—whenever I have the opportunity.

I feel truly blessed to serve the community in which I live. I look forward to building meaningful relationships with every family and working closely with parents, teachers, staff, and community members to ensure that our students receive the very best education Fauquier County has to offer. Together, we will create a nurturing and engaging environment where every student can grow, lead, and succeed.

It is an honor to be a Bobcat!

Warmly,

Lynn Holmes
Principal
Mary Walter Elementary School

I am a Virginia native who was born in Virginia Beach in 1968. My parents were recent graduates from pharmacy school in Richmond, and by the time I was two, they moved to Floyd County in the southwestern part of the state. At the age of five, they moved one more time to Christiansburg, Virginia, and this is the town I called home for nearly two decades. It was there, in the Blue Ridge Mountains, I discovered that I loved to learn. 

After graduating from Christiansburg High School, I earned my Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from Virginia Tech. In 1991, I married my best friend, Randy Beard, and I got my first teaching job at Marshall Middle School in Fauquier County. I was hired to teach 7th grade English and 8th grade Pre-Algebra. Over the next 12 years, I continued to work with 7th and 8th graders, and I pursued many learning opportunities at the University of Virginia and George Mason University. I was teaching Algebra I and Geometry when I was presented with an opportunity to work with Gifted and Talented students at C. Hunter Ritchie Elementary School. It was during this time I earned a Master’s of Science in Reading and Literacy with two other teachers from Ritchie. After five years at the elementary level, I went back to Marshall Middle School and remained there until 2020. By 2010, I had completed a certification program in Educational Leadership at Mary Washington University. For nearly two years, I drove past Mary Walter twice a week. Little did I know I was to be interviewed for the Assistant Principal position at Mary Walter In February of 2020, just before the COVID shut-down. I was hired and began the 2020-2021 School Year, never imagining how COVID would alter the way teaching and learning would take place for the next 4 years.

My husband and I moved to Fauquier County almost 18 years ago, and it is here we have raised three beautiful children: Douglas who is almost 30 years old, Caroline who is 26, and Lyle who is 19. They were all educated in Fauquier County Public Schools, and I think of them daily as I consider the children I work with at Mary Walter. I ask myself everyday, “Are you helping to create a school you would be happy to send your own children?” I enjoy working and serving the southern end of our county. Mary Walter is a special place, full of extraordinary people. I feel truly fortunate to be amongst you.