School news roundup
Glasgow on TV – CBS News came to Glasgow Middle School to film teacher Julie Kouril’s sixth-grade history class. The story will be be aired on March 29 for a segment on Women’s History Month.
The news story features Kouril teaching the class about women’s rights and empowerment developed by Women for Education, Advocacy & Rights (WEAR). She piloted WEAR curriculum materials created by a student group from Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology.
Mindfulness Mondays – Students at Jackson Middle School have an opportunity to sign up for Mindfulness Mondays, an afterschool program that helps students learn how to manage stress and be more present in the moment. Topics include weekly reflection, breathing techniques to refocus the mind, fitness, and yoga.
Saturday school – More than 260 students and parents are expected to come to Glasgow Middle School on Saturday, April 30. They will participate in sessions aimed at boosting reading, math, writing, and social-emotional skills, while being inspired to think about college and goal-setting for the future.
The program is funded with part of Glasgow’s share of the federal Elementary Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER III) funds, FCPS received a total of $188.8 million in ESSER III aid, which is aimed at offsetting learning issues caused by the Covid pandemic.
Sessions for parents will focus on how they can help their children bounce back from any pandemic-related learning disruptions. “We want to encourage parents to be aware they are an integral part of their child’s education,” said Glasgow Principal Victor Powell.
The event was originally scheduled for March 12 but was delayed due to a snowstorm.
Skip the Orbeez challenge – Woodson High School Principal Carlyn Floyd warned students and community members about the Orbeez challenge popularized on Tik Tok. Orbeez are colorful gel or water-based pellets that kids are shooting out of toy guns.
People have been blinded and injured when shot with Orbeez. Having or using the guns on school grounds is a violation under the FCPS Students Rights and Responsibilities document.
Peace Awards – Students from 23 Fairfax County public schools have been named recipients of the 2022 Student Peace Awards.
Three of the award winners are from schools in the Annandale/Mason District area:
Jewel Coulter of Annandale High School, has volunteered at the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (renamed the Hamkae Center), which organizes Korean and other Asian Americans to achieve social, economic, and racial justice.
Coulter also partnered with 2021 Peace Award recipient Jimmy Lee to create the Annandale High School Equity Team. She has served as a Student Equity Ambassador Leader for FCPS, working with students across the county to increase equity in schools.
Justice High School student Justin Tetelman helped create the only student-led restorative justice pilot program in FCPS.
As the lead student restorative justice ambassador, Tetelman facilitates student-led restorative circles within classrooms. He has also advocated for gender equity, economic accessibility, and increased diversity within the athletics department. He mentors other students and is an active member of the Fairfax County Human Rights Commission.
As a former Miss Northern Virginia Teen USA, Woodson High School student Vy Nguyen volunteered for the One Love Foundation, an organization that empowers young people from all backgrounds with the knowledge to identify and avoid abusive relationships.
Nguyen has served as a teen ambassador, workshop facilitator, and regional social media team leader with One Love. She has spoken on many panels and served on One Love’s Film Fellowship Youth Council, which selects recipients of grants to create feature films on relationship abuse for classroom use.
What a bunch of woke garbage.
I’m sure you won’t reply because no one here who says things like “woke” ever care to add context to their shouting at the clouds, but what specifically do you have a problem with? Care to explain why? Is anything in the article above hurting you or you just don’t agree with it so therefore it is “woke garbage”?
1. Glasgow on TV: https://www.w-e-a-r.org/ is a leftist organization with BLM fists all over the webpage
2. Peace Awards: a. “organizes Korean and other Asian Americans to achieve social, economic, and racial justice”; b. create the Annandale High School Equity Team; c. Student Equity Ambassador Leader for FCPS, working with students across the county to increase equity in schools.
3. Justice High School: a. “Justice High School – lol”; b. create the only student-led restorative justice pilot program; c. Tetelman facilitates student-led restorative circles within classrooms; d. he has also advocated for gender equity; e. economic accessibility; f. increased diversity; Fairfax County Human Rights Commission.
I find all this to be laden with identity politics and leftist newspeak, and therefore, woke, which is defined as “alert to injustice in society, especially racism.”
You’re getting bent out of shape because students are learning how they might get along better and be decent human beings.
What a painful existence your life must be.
Kim…. I don’t understand the vitriol toward Ms. Sroat. I agree that teaching children to view classmates differently due to race is inherently divisive. You’re entitled to your opinion that equity is better than equality. I have a different view, but I respect your opinion. No need to get nasty.
So why the anger? Why can’t folks involve themselves with something they believe in? It’s not illegal, it’s not hurting anyone, it probably has zero affect on your life. Agree to disagree and move on, just because they don’t live their life exactly like you do doesn’t make it “garbage”. Would you rather these kids do nothing at all?
I would rather the students are taught principles that don’t tear the country apart.
Some of the things mentioned in this article are voluntary classes offered outside of regular school hours, not things in the core curriculum. Second, your statement is pure hyperbole that is a classic example of what conservative media has done for years with this culture war stuff. Everything and everyone is out to get you! You should be so angry!
Maybe conservatives should actually focus on the quality of education in the states they dominate politically. Per US News, of the bottom 20 states for quality of Pre-K through 12 education, 15 (by my count) are red states. Maybe get off the stupid culture war soap box and actually care about funding these schools, paying teachers well, etc??? This is all just an attempt to get folks to the polls and ignore the clear, documented issues that exist. Facts don’t pay, manufactured crisis and hysteria do.
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/rankings/education