Tag: schools
Mason Crest principal’s night on the roof inspires students to read
Principal Butler prepares for his rooftop camping adventure. Mason Crest Elementary School Principal Brian Butler spent the night of Jan. 31 on the roof of the school—just as had promised if students met their goal of logging 1,000 hours in reading during December and January. Students not only met the goal but surpassed it by … Continued
FCPS School Board approves scaled-back plan on AAP centers
Rather than totally restructure the Advanced Academic Program (AAP), the Fairfax County School Board voted Jan. 24 to adopt a scaled-back plan for just four new centers—none of them in Annandale or the Mason District. A FCPS staff report had recommended putting an AAP center in every middle school and adding centers to more elementary … Continued
FCPS seeks more funds to accommodate enrollment growth
Fairfax County Schools Superintendent Jack Dale’s proposed budget for FY 2014 calls for a 2.6 percent funding increase over the current year budget, mostly to accommodate enrollment growth of 2,857 students. FCPS Budget Director Kristen Michael gave a presentation on the $2.5 billion budget at a meeting of the Fairfax Federation of Citizens Associations Jan. … Continued
Mason residents present concerns to officials at packed Town Hall
It was standing room only at the Mason District Town Hall. More than 250 people came out on a rainy night for the Mason District Town Hall to engage in a dialogue with Fairfax County officials about the problems they see as leading to a deteriorating quality of life in the Annandale/Mason area. Among the … Continued
Parents urge school board to build new school at Willston, not Glasgow
Parents at school board hearing oppose building a new elementary school on the Glasgow Middle School athletic fields. There seems to be widespread agreement that a new elementary school is needed in the Bailey’s Crossroads area to relieve severe overcrowding at Bailey’s Elementary School. The problem is there isn’t any available land. At a school … Continued
FCPS considering options for Graham Road building
The Graham Road Community Building Fairfax County Public Schools is planning to hold a community information meeting in early 2013 on the Graham Road Community Building. A date hasn’t been set. At least a couple of things are already planned for the site: a new athletic field and a cell tower, which would be relocated … Continued
New elementary school proposed for Glasgow Middle School site
Glasgow Middle School The Fairfax County Public Schools’ Capital Improvement Program (CIP) for 2013-17 suggests the possibility of building a new elementary school on the Glasgow Middle School campus. A new school is needed to relieve overcrowding in the Bailey’s Crossroads area. Bailey’s Elementary School is at 130 percent of capacity this year and is … Continued
International Night showcases global diversity at Stuart High School
Stuart students Shafaq Naz and Sara Younas from Pakistan. Diverse cultures, talents, and cuisines were showcased at JEB Stuart High School’s International Night Dec. 20. The event began with food from various countries served by students, many of them wearing traditional outfits. There was injera with a sauce made of chickpeas and tomatoes from Eritrea; … Continued
Mason/Annandale parents weigh FCPS proposal on AAP Centers
School board member Sandy Evans (Mason) is concerned that Fairfax County Public Schools’ plan to restructure the Advanced Academic Program (AAP) Centers might not meet the needs of Mason District students and parents. She called it a “cookie-cutter” solution to a problem that schools in our area might not necessarily have. The plan calls for … Continued
Community offers input on FCPS superintendent search
The search consultants hired by Fairfax County Public Schools to recruit a new superintendent to replace Jack Dale have been gathering input from parents, educators, advocacy groups, and community organizations. The consultants will summarize comments from the meetings and present a report to the school board on Dec. 20, said Hank Gmtro, president of the … Continued
Toy donations needed for children at Bailey’s Elementary School
Bailey’s Elementary School needs your help. The PTA is asking people of the community to chip in and provide holiday assistance to the school’s needy children. Bailey’s is the largest elementary school in Fairfax County—and possibly the state of Virginia—with approximately 1,300 students, including about 300 homeless children and 800 who qualify for free or … Continued
Beech Tree seeks new principal
Terry Phillips and the Beech Tree beaver Beech Tree Elementary School Principal Terry Phillips informed parents and the community Dec. 3 that she will be leaving the school Dec. 13 to become an educational specialist in the Fairfax County Public Schools’ Title I office. Phillips had been led Beech Tree for seven and a-half years. … Continued
Major changes proposed by FCPS for Advanced Academic Program centers
Parents from Braddock Elementary School support the proposal. A proposal by Fairfax County Public Schools to restructure its Advanced Academic Program (AAP) centers is upsetting lots of parents, and a series of FCPS last week drew huge crowds. Many parents were concerned that adding lots of new centers would dilute the program and urged the … Continued
Belvedere students get some help from the Air Force drill team
Drill team performs for students. The U.S. Air Force Honor Guard Drill Team “spun, flipped, and tossed” their 11-pound M-1 rifles in a precision drill for third through fifth-grade students at Belvedere Elementary School Nov. 26. After the performance, members of the drill team helped 45 fifth-graders plant trees and shrubs in Belvedere Park, an … Continued
Renovations of Thomas Jefferson HS to start this spring
A rendering of TJ after the renovations. It’s great that Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJ), one of the top high schools in the nation and a breeding ground for the next generation of scientists and innovators, is going to be renovated. It’s too bad, however, that the school, just two miles … Continued