Prince William County Public Schools

PWCS Menu and Options

    • March 3, 2021

    Board Briefs
    • April 7, 2021
    Board Briefs Banner

    School Board Meeting of March 3, 2021

    View the agenda on the Electronic School Board webpage.

    Watch the School Board meeting on PWCS-TV.

    The School Board Approved:

    Citizens addressed the School Board on the following topics:

    • Return to In-Person Learning plan
    • Standardized testing

    Student Matters:

    • Student Senate update
    • Advanced Placement (AP) tests and final exams

    Superintendent's Time:

    • If you read last week's edition of The Scoop, you would have noticed, even during a pandemic, that schools across the Division recognized Black History Month with a variety of learning activities. The video from Kerrydale Elementary School on "Whatcha Reading Wednesdays" is one of my favorites.
    • During a pandemic, it is critical to be kind to one another. Patriot High School recently celebrated Kindness Matters Week with their Smiles for Miles campaign. Learn more in this video.
    • As we move into the first few days of this month, I would like to acknowledge that March is the Virginia School Boards Association Equity in Education Month. The promise of public education is for every child to be successful in school and in life, especially during a pandemic. As we continue our important work to look at everything we do through an equity lens, and as we work through the Fiscal Year 2022 budget process, I encourage everyone to be aware of the importance of equity in resources, including educational settings, supplies, technology, staffing, and buildings. I also look forward to seeing how our schools will be acknowledging Equity in Education Month in the next few weeks.
    • Since our last meeting, I had the opportunity to visit Dumfries Elementary School, Woodbridge Middle School, Gainesville Middle School, and Hylton High School. Dumfries Elementary was welcoming back in-person fourth and fifth grade students, and I observed a physical education class learning how to juggle, and talked to teachers and staff. I also read aloud the book "Exclamation Mark," by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, which we videotaped to share with our schools in case they want to share it with their students. When visiting Woodbridge Middle School, I checked in on the School Food and Nutrition Services staff, who are mourning the loss of their friend and colleague, Flor de Luz Cervantes.
    • I recently received an email from Marcie Abel, who teaches students with special needs at Vaughan Elementary School. I wanted to show her signature line, which reminds us to wear a mask. I appreciate Ms. Abel's assistance in reminding everyone about our important mitigation procedures during the pandemic. I also want to congratulate her and wish her well as she is retiring this year.
    • I also want to provide a thank you to all our staff for working so hard to ensure a smooth return to in-person learning for all grade levels for those students who have chosen to do so. It has been an incredible collaborative effort of teachers, administrators, and support staff.
    • Due to the many staff that received their second COVID-19 vaccine last week, and many will do so this week as well, our schools had the extra challenge of increased teacher and administrator absences caused by staff impacted by side-effects. I would like thank all those who substituted for our teachers and administrators, including the more than 100 central office staff who volunteered to pitch-in and serve in schools during this time.
    • Before closing, I also want to mention that March is much more than the one-year anniversary of world-wide pandemic, it is also Middle Level Education Month, Music in our Schools Month, National Nutrition Month, Social Work Month, and Youth Art Month. This month our schools will also be recognizing Women's History Month. I want to express my appreciation to our middle school staff members, all of our food services employees, many of which have been working since last March providing free food for our community, and the important role of our social workers in the well-being of our students. I would also like to honor our music and art teachers, who have been working very hard to teach in different and unique ways during this pandemic. I appreciate you.

    Board Matters: