High school students, who are aspiring teachers, seated at the Educators Rising® Student Leadership Conference hosted at Potomac Shores Middle School

Dear PWCS Families, Employees, and Community,

Last Saturday, 140 of our students, who are a part of the PWCS Growing Our Own Teachers program, and their teacher leaders participated in the annual Educators Rising® Student Leadership Conference and Competitive events. Educators Rising® Virginia is a career and technical student organization focused on training and teaching future educators in middle school, high school, and college.

PWCS had 25 first-place winners, from C.D. Hylton, Charles J. Colgan Sr., Gainesville, Osbourn Park, Unity Reed, and Woodbridge High Schools, and 15 second-place winners, from Colgan, Forest Park, Gainesville, Gar-Field, Hylton, Osbourn Park, and Unity Reed High Schools. First-and-second-place winners are eligible to represent PWCS and Virginia at the Educators Rising® National competition in June. We are immensely proud of our future teachers, our program graduates who return to our classrooms, and our teacher leaders for their amazing contributions to our schools.

I am encouraged by the 835 attendees who participated in our Career Fair held at Woodbridge High School on March 7. Students had the opportunity to apply for jobs, attendees could explore career pathways they might not have considered, and everyone left with the knowledge, tools, and meaningful connections to help with their career planning beyond graduation. The Employment and Summer Job Fair on April 8 at Colgan High School is designed for students looking for work during the summer or after graduation.

I also wish to provide an update on our two PWCS students who were recognized as 2024 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists seniors: Skye Auger of Osbourn Park High School and Joseph Dietrich of Patriot High School. Both seniors are now 2024 National Merit Scholarship Finalists. We wish Skye and Joseph the best of luck as they compete for one of 2,500 National Merit scholarships.

As a reminder, please join the PWCS Special Education Department and our local businesses and community partners in supporting our commitment to postsecondary success, at the annual Transition Fair, Saturday, March 16 at Colgan High School from 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.

Sincerely,
Dr. McDade signature
LaTanya D. McDade, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Prince William County Public Schools