Just launched on Saturday! No RSS, but I created a feed here.
Any other homeowners’ associations not listed?
Just launched on Saturday! No RSS, but I created a feed here.
Any other homeowners’ associations not listed?
For those of you who don’t read Brian Wheeler’s School Matters blog, you should. He has done a tremendous service with his most recent post regarding the potential for school overcrowding in Crozet. Take the time to read it all as well as the attachments. You’ll be better informed citizens and parents for it.
Make no mistake, even if you do not have children in the County school system, what happens to our schools affects all facets of our lives, from our houses’ values to the basic quality of life in Crozet and beyond. If only more public servants were as capable and as open as Mr. Wheeler.
Our representative for the White Hall District is:
Barbara Massie Mouly
265 Newtown Road
Greenwood, VA 22943
540/456-6191
Update 11/29/2006: Brian Wheeler has a story about the now-upcoming addition to Brownsville Elementary, among other developments.
Do you have a trusted tradesperson that you use? I would like to compile a list of plumbers, carpenters, handymen/women, electricians, cleaners, etc. who service the Crozet area. We all need them from time to time, and don’t typically know off the tops of our heads just whom to call. A personal recommendation goes a long way.
So … submit your favorites in the comments or email me and I will put them together for a future post, and maybe a wiki-type listing of Crozet-centric tradesmen/women so that we all know whom we can call when we have a need.
I wish I had noticed this earlier … Check it out at the Crozet Gazette’s site!
Technorati Tags: crozet, crozet gazette
Proposed Changes to the High School Program of Studies At a meeting 11/13 at WAHS, Don Vale presented proposals for changes to the High School “Program of Studies†(POS) to a large group of parents and high school students. The program of studies sets forth the core offerings for students and states the grading and testing procedures. The POS is reviewed and approved by the Board every year.
Under the steering committee’s proposal, changes would be made in the following areas: grade point average (GPA); placement levels in core courses; grading scale and exams. See handout (PDF).
While all of the proposals generated some controversy, the most troubling to the attendees at WAHS was the change from the current system of weighting GPA [a greater value is given to more difficult levels of courses] to the proposed non-weighting GPA [an A in a standard course and an A in an AP course are given the same point value] with no class ranking.
If approved, these changes would affect those students entering WAHS (and all division High Schools) in Fall 2007—that is, this year’s 8th grade students. I was impressed by the dozens of high school students in attendance, many of whom spoke with passion and eloquence against the proposal. They sited the requirements of college applications (which often seek class rank) as well as their experience that having the additional value on difficult course material was an incentive to challenge themselves toward more vigorous course work. Parents were concerned that the reason behind making the changes has not been clearly articulated. In response to a question, Mr. Vale conceded that teachers at WAHS are against the proposal. Again and again, the success of students at WAHS and its reputation among colleges and universities in the Commonwealth was reiterated. The consensus at WAHS was: “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.â€
I’m concerned that parents of middle school kids, who will be the first to experience these changes, have not been made aware of the issues. The Steering Committee’s website includes (as of today) 15 pdf downloads and a monitored discussion board. Also see the Daily Progress article (11/11/06).
An additional information session will be held 7:30 p.m. Thursday 11/16 at Monticello High. A date for a session Albemarle High has not yet been scheduled (per DP article). The recommendations will be submitted to Superintendent Pam Moran for review. If the Superintendent endorses the proposal, the School Board will vote on this matter in December. Once again, it is incumbent on parents to know the issues and speak out for their child(ren).
—-
Ed. note: More information may be found at Brian Wheeler’s blog. If you don’t know, Brian is helping to set the standard for what government should be – one that listens, is open and responsive.
Note #2 – if you want to write for realcrozetva, even if it’s just one story, please email me.
Update 11/18/2006: This is a relevant Washington Post article with one of our own educators from Western Albemarle High School, pointed out by an astute reader.
At the suggestion of a reader, I am going to open up the Crozet community map to everybody to edit. Add your favorite business, restaurant, etc.
As much as I would like to put the login and password online, I don’t think that would be the best idea in the world. So, please email me if you are interested. This could become a great local resource if people participate.
Update 11/18/2006: I have made the map a permanent page at the top of this site.
In Crozet this afternoon, I passed an NBC29 news crew doing a story on sexual offenders. They happened to be filming at a vacant lot on Hilltop Street, where this gentleman is registered to live. Huh. A vacant lot. There is no tent. So where is he? And how accurate is the Commonwealth’s database? Knowing where these folks are is important. Kudos to 29 for doing this upcoming three part series.
I was discussing this several weeks ago with fellow Crozetians and parents; it’s good to see “main stream media” taking this on.
Technorati Tags: crozet
From Sunday’s Crozet Community Association email:
At the CCA meeting Thursday, the following officers were elected for next year:; President, David Wayland;; Vice President, Heidi Sonen;; Secretary, Judy Burbes; Treasurer, Emery Taylor.;
At the meeting we heard a report from Jack Marshall from Advocates for a Sustainable Albemarle Population (ASAP).; He invited the CCA to endorse their amendment to the Albemarle County Comprehensive Plan, an amendment calling for the Board of Supervisors to define our area’s Sustainable Optimal Population size.; Detailed information on this amendment can be found on ASAP’s website www.stopgrowthasap.org; Members of CCA will be asked at our January 11th meeting to vote on endorsing ASAP’s position
What do you think about this proposal? Is it a viable option? Would Crozetians support such a proposal? What is our “optimal size”? Practically, how might we limit that population? If we reach X population threshold – what happens then?
Rather than link to their Word document, I have provided their Comprehensive Plan Amendment here as a PDF.
Learn more about our new neighbors today and tomorrow at Wickham Pond. See attached flyer for more information.
l
Technorati Tags: crozet, growth, growth area
Crozet Resident Carrie Miller is actively arranging publicity and logistics for the Epilepsy Awareness Stroll. The Stroll will take place on November 12 at noon in the UVA Park behind the JAG school near Arlington Blvd. Carrie has a daughter with epilepsy who is four years old and two other special needs children. Carrie‘s remarkable daughter Emmalyn has epilepsy and kidney problems. Such problems mean extended stays at hospitals, missed preschool, difficulty making friends and the loss of financial resources. Especially the epilepsy has been hard on the whole family.
The stress on Carrie’s family corresponds with most studies on parents of children with seizures. Most studies confirm that parents experience major stress and that the disruption in family life is considered much higher than with other common child hood disorders such as asthma or diabetes. Parents are aware of the possibilities of injuries (in a major study of 5000 persons with epilepsy, 83% of those with one or more seizure during the last year reported some kind of injury), academic problems and a much lower employment rate than the general population. However children whose parents accept epilepsy and do not overprotect do much better in school and in the workplace. The Epilepsy Foundation of Virginia has a summer camp and family fun days to help foster the independence of children with epilepsy. Carrie Miller and her family are a wonderful example. Carrie’s motto is “better a broken arm than a broken heart.â€
*Story courtesy of Suzanne Bischoff, Ph.D., Executive Director – Epilepsy Foundation of Virginia