Tag: schools
Students create self-watering buckets for growing plants
You don’t need a yard to grow vegetables. A simple self-watering bucket can turn an apartment balcony or other small space into a garden. Hands On Harvests is collaborating with Braddock Elementary School in Annandale to provide dozens of containers for families who don’t have access to land. Joyce Matthews, a teacher at Braddock and … Continued
School news roundup
A new principal – Holly Dowling, an administrator at Braddock Elementary School, has been named principal of Bailey’s Upper Elementary School, effective May 13. Dowling has been an assistant principal at Braddock for five years. Before joining FCPS, she was a teacher, instructional coach, and assistant principal at Mount Vernon Community School in Alexandria Public … Continued
FCPS: middle schools start too early
Fairfax County Public Schools is considering changing middle school start times to a more reasonable hour than the current 7:30 a.m. Research shows that having schools start a bit later in the morning has a positive impact on students’ health and wellbeing. FCPS kicked off a series of community engagement meetings on middle school start … Continued
Schools get new trees for Arbor Day
Two Annandale elementary schools celebrated Arbor Day by planting trees. On April 26, the Fairfax County Urban Forest Management Division helped students plant 12 trees at Annandale Terrace Elementary School. Supervisors Andres Jimenez (Mason) and James Walkinshaw (Braddock), Fairfax County Schools Superintendent Michelle Reid, and school board member Ryan McElveen (at-large) participated in the Arbor … Continued
FCPS gets 42 electric school buses
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded Fairfax County Public Schools $16.5 million for 42 new electric school buses. The funds come from the Clean School Bus Program which was included in the bipartisan infrastructure law enacted during the Biden administration. “Every day, thousands of students, staff, and parents are in and around school buses, … Continued
School news roundup
Middle school start times – FCPS is exploring options for changing middle school start times to ensure young teens get enough sleep. In September, FCPS awarded a contract to Prismatic Services to develop a plan for starting the middle school day at 8 a.m. or later, beginning in fall 2025. Middle schools currently start at … Continued
Food For Neighbors tackles food insecurity among local teens
“Kids don’t learn when they are hungry,” says Raven Jones, principal of Luther Jackson Middle School, where students, community members, and partnering organizations came together with Food For Neighbors to tackle teen food insecurity. More than 100 volunteers sorted approximately 5,000 pounds of food and toiletries donated by more than 370 households at a Red … Continued
The search is on for a new principal at Justice High School
Fairfax County Public Schools has begun the process of finding a new principal for Justice High School, following the announcement that Tiffany Narcisse is leaving. FCPS Region 2 Assistant Superintendent Megan Vroman will host a virtual meeting for staff and community members on Tuesday, March 12, at 6 p.m., to discuss the hiring process and … Continued
Anderson: Mason District will need a new school
Schools in Mason District are reaching the limits of their capacity. School expansions and renovations are needed, but one long-term solution proposed by School Board member Ricardy Anderson is building a new school on the site of the Willston Multicultural Center in Seven Corners. That is just one of the issues Anderson addressed in a … Continued
Jackson Middle School postpones dance due to shooting threat
Luther Jackson Middle School postponed its Valentine’s Day dance, which was scheduled for Feb. 14, due to threats of violence, FFXnow reports. Graffiti was found in a school restroom on Feb. 12 that made a vague threat that there would be a shooting at the school on Feb. 14, Principal Raven Jones said in a … Continued
School news roundup
The following news briefs are from FCPS and individual schools. GRAMMY finalist – Annie Ray, the orchestra teacher at Annandale High School, is a finalist for the 2024 Grammy Music Educator Award. The winner will be announced Feb. 1 at 8 a.m. Ray is one of 10 finalists from nine states. The winner will receive … Continued
School news roundup
Dental health – Students at the Falls Church Academy’s dental careers program conducted dental screenings at Annandale Terrace Elementary School. The high school students created posters, games. and hands-on activities to show kindergarteners and first-graders how to properly brush and floss their teeth, how a dentist checks for cavities and infections, and what foods and … Continued
School news roundup
The following news items feature schools in the Annandale/Mason District area. Science star – Heman Bekele, a ninth grader at W.T. Woodson High School, was named the 2023 winner of the 3M Young Scientist Challenge. Heman, age 14, created compound-based Skin Cancer Treating Soap, an affordable soap solution that could improve skin cancer outcomes. Over the next five … Continued
School board to consider renaming Woodson HS for Carter Woodson
The Fairfax County School Board approved a “forum request” on Sept. 14 to begin the process of renaming W.T. Woodson High School. When the school opened in 1962, it was named for Wilbert Tucker (W.T.) Woodson, who served as Fairfax County Superintendent from 1929 to 1961. Community members have advocated for changing the school’s name … Continued
School news roundup
A Mayan partnership – Braddock Elementary School’s Mayan partners adorned the newly renovated school with two new murals. Braddock has had a partnership for the past eight years with Task-Tarea, an organization of people from Guatemala who moved to the United States and wanted to continue to support Mayan village schools back home. They raise … Continued