Prince William County Public Schools

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    • May 15, 2019

    Board Briefs
    • May 17, 2019

    Board Briefs Meeting Summary
    School Board Meeting of May 15, 2019

    View the agenda on the Electronic School Board webpage.
    Watch the School Board meeting on PWCS-TV.

    Positively PWCS:

    Each School Board meeting begins with presentations about the good things that our schools are accomplishing. These presentations are intended to focus on how we are preparing our students academically and socially for success in college and careers.

    • Bull Run Middle School Principal Matthew Phythian and Tracey D'Amico, the school's social worker, introduced Max who spoke about the Max's Mission Challenge. Max is a student at Bull Run Middle School who started the challenge as an awareness effort after he was diagnosed with Alopecia. Max's Challenge has already raised more than $3,500 which was donated to the National Alopecia Areata Foundation.

    The School Board Approved:

    Citizen Comments:

    Citizens addressed the School Board on the following topics:

    • May is "Better Speech and Hearing Month"
    • The challenges of Speech and Language Pathologists in the county;
    • The supervisor of World Languages shared the winners of the middle and high school poster contest;
    • Concerns about the increase of housing development that is putting a strain on schools;
    • Boundaries for the 13th High School; and
    • Equality and equity for students and schools.

    Student Matters:

    • Sasan Faraj, student representative, attended a meeting at Stonewall Jackson High School (SJHS) where students shared their concerns about the proposed boundaries.
    • Sasan also shared that PWCS recently had its first ever One for All Ball, an inclusive prom. He reported that students had a wonderful time and thanked the SJHS cosmetology program for doing free make up for students. He also thanked those who donated food, and SCA presidents, SCA officers, and parents and teachers who helped out with the event.

    Staff Presentation Topics:

    Superintendent's Time:

    • Congratulations to school counselors Rebecca Marshall at Bel Air, Beth Anderson and Janet Pennington at Glenkirk, and Sarah Fullerton and Kimberly Kiser at Gravely Elementary Schools. These counselors have demonstrated their commitment to best counseling practices, earning recognition from the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) for ensuring their students have the most supportive environment in which to learn.
    • These three programs have earned the Recognized ASCA Model Program (RAMP) designation for going above and beyond in support of students, aligning with the criteria in the ASCA National Model to deliver a comprehensive, data-informed school counseling program and an exemplary educational environment.
    • Tyler Econa, Leah Ican, and Candace Todd, all seniors at Woodbridge High School, are three of the six winners of the 2019 Very Special Arts (VSA) Playwright Discovery Competition. This nationwide competition encourages students to write plays that explore life with disabilities, using experiences and observations from their own lives. Tyler, Ican and Candace had the honor of having their one-act plays performed at the Kennedy Center over spring break.
    • Last week, the school division broke ground on our middle school in the Potomac Shores neighborhood. State Senator Scott Surovell and County Supervisor Maureen Caddigan joined us to celebrate this beautiful site. The new three-story middle school, to open in 2021, will house up to 1,475 students.
    • Over the past few weeks, I have had the honor to observe the unique talents of our students and staff in a variety of entertaining events.
    • I had the opportunity to taste many new healthy and tasty options offered to our students during the 29th Annual PWCS Food Show. Kudos to Adam Russo and his fantastic staff for the great event allowing students and staff to try food and share their opinions to shape future menus.
    • The Colgan High School Center for Performing Arts presented "Innovation," which showcased the talented dancers in our school division. The sweeping movements, colors, and sounds were breathtaking!
    • Patriot High School presented "Fiddler on the Roof," which was a dynamic blend of emotion and fun. The pit orchestra was made up almost entirely of student musicians who never missed a beat! From the fiddler on the roof, to the players on the stage, bravo!
    • I returned to Hylton High School last week for the Muslim Student Association's 13th Annual International Night. I was amazed by the performances and the fashion show featuring the beautiful and diverse attire from a variety of places around the world including Ghana, Ethiopia, Afghanistan, Thailand, Vietnam, El Salvador, China and more.
    • I joined Chairman Lateef in attending and participating in "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" at Battlefield High School. Great cast, crew, lighting, scenic and props, costuming, sound, make-up, production and more.
    • The Student Athletic Leadership Team invited me to the Woodbridge High School Home Run Derby last Saturday. The rain held off long enough to feature several outstanding hitters while raising money to feed needy children. Dr. Lateef and I also got to meet the new Viking mascot, who is a lot of fun.
    • Also on Saturday, I had the pleasure of attending Gar-Field High School's presentation of "A Midsummer Night's Dream." I was so impressed with the students taking on such an ambitious production! Shakespeare is not easy, and they really did it justice!
    • Thanks to the coordination of Student Representative Sasan Faraj, the student government associations from all high schools came together to host the All for One Ball and Prom last Saturday night at the Kelly Leadership Center. I enjoyed the event, and I salute the student leaders who planned and implemented this outstanding prom with fun decorations, great music and tasty refreshments.
    • Saturday was wrapped up with a visit to see the PWCS Jazz Festival
      Featuring jazz ensembles from Osbourn Park, Stonewall Jackson and Forest Park High Schools. This concert of talented musicians was a great way finale to a busy Saturday.
    • Last night I had the pleasure of attending the Forest Park Bands 2019 Spring Concert. I was very impressed by this fantastic night of musicianship that was well-executed by students and staff.

    Policies:

    First Readings-No action is required on first readings.