School news: Celebrating achievement
Students and teachers in Mason District have been accomplishing great things. The following news briefs are from Fairfax County School Board member Ricardy Anderson’s (Mason) newsletter to the community.
Environmentally conscious schools – Belvedere Elementary School and Beech Tree Elementary School have received Eco-Schools Awards. The Eco-Schools program improves student academic achievement, contributes to financial savings through energy and water conservation, reduces waste and consumption, increases environmental awareness and stewardship, and boosts community involvement.
Eco-Schools USA is run by the National Wildlife Federation. Fairfax County Public Schools has a partnership with the federation to engage students in hands-on environmental action through the Eco-Schools program.
Professional learning community – Glasgow Middle School has been recognized by Solution Tree as a 2020 Model Professional Learning Community at Work.
These are schools in which educators recognize the key to improved learning for students is ongoing, job-embedded learning for those those who teach them. Schools that adopt the professional learning community concept call upon educators to build a collaborative culture and create a results orientation.
According to Solution Tree PLC Review Committee, “Glasgow has demonstrated a sustained commitment to helping all students achieve at high levels, and the structure and culture of the school reflects this commitment.”
Glasgow is the only middle school in Virginia and one of only 200 schools and districts in the United State and Canada to earn this distinction for 2020. Mason Crest Elementary School and Glen Forest Elementary School have previously received this award.
Choral stars – Thirteen middle school students from Mason District were selected for the 2020 All-Virginia Middle School Chorus. The students went through a rigorous audition process and had been scheduled to perform at the Greater Richmond Convention Center, but that event was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Congratulations to these students:
Glasgow Middle School – Colt Armstrong, Madeline Jensen, Juliette Jensen, Gabriela Simmons-Robles, and Madison Okada.
Holmes Middle School – Lina Abu-El-Hawa, Jordon Dixon, Jamison McAndrew, Drew McKenna, Tyler Miller, and Madeline Vukich.
Poe Middle School – Amelia Mongold and Bilal Hammod.
Distance learning hero – Cox Local VA named 11 teachers statewide Heroes of Distance Learning, including Ashley Ireland, a fifth-grade teacher at Annandale Terrace Elementary School. The award includes $1,000 for a virtual classroom makeover.
During this time of uncertainty due to the global pandemic, Cox states, “Ms. Ireland has been an anchor of hope and resilience for her students and their families, as well as her colleagues. She immediately put into practice her tech-savvy skills to help her colleagues, students, and families.”
AI invention – Andrew Tran, a junior at Justice High School, was recently highlighted in the Fairfax County Times about his newest invention, an artificial intelligence-based learning assistant to help answer questions about schoolwork while students are learning at home.
In 2018, Tran and Rayan Yu founded the nonprofit, inGenius X, to ensure all students have the same opportunity for an enriching STEM educational experience.