Crozet's community blog
via press release –
All first, second and third graders at Crozet Elementary School recently received tennis racquets and balls from QuickStart Tennis of Central Virginia, Inc. (QCV) thanks to a generous grant from the Smyth Foundation Fund in the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation.
Continue reading “Quick Start Tennis gives Balls and Raquets to Crozet Elementary Kids”
via email –
Crozet Elementary celebrates another Walk (Bike) to School Day on Wednesday, October 9th, 2013. This walk is in concert with a greater national effort, http://www.walkbiketoschool.org.
Students can walk or bike from home. Additionally, buses will drop students off at Crozet Baptist Church and parent volunteers will help students walk safely to school.
This should be a lovely fall event, celebrating school, community, and the benefits of exercise.
Rain date Thursday, October 10th.
To volunteer, please sign up here.
Curious – does *not* rewarding kids for achievement disincentivize them from trying harder?
Life is hard and unfair sometimes. Sometimes you’re in the top 10 and sometimes you’re not.
Charlottesville Tomorrow reports:
In response to calls from parents to stop reporting class rankings to college admissions offices, Albemarle County Public Schools is in the process of reviewing its policy.
Currently, Albemarle reports class ranks to colleges and universities in deciles, but many parents feel that doing so paints students below the top 10 percent negatively in the eyes of selective universities.
I wish I’d made time to attend this meeting at WAHS on Wednesday.
There’s a good discussion so far on Facebook. For everyone (and especially those who aren’t on Facebook) I’m embedding the comments from FB here.
Update: Tim Dodson at WAHS’ newspaper The Western Hemisphere reports on last week’s meeting.
Update 2 – Charlottesville Tomorrow has a poll – Should Albemarle County report student rankings to colleges? Continue reading “No Rankings for Albemarle County Schools?”
Huge thanks to Ned Gallaway, Adam Mulcahy, Albemarle County and the Crozet Mudhouse for hosting a great conversation last night about Western Albemarle schools, the new Environmental Academy, growth, redistricting, and lots of other subjects. It was truly great to have such a forum.
Please – if you’re the parent of a child under 10 years old, please get involved in these conversations – write our school board representative (and Ned) our Supervisors and the CCA and CCAC – how big the schools are, the districts, the facilities, the staff … they all affect your (and our) kids’ educations and community. Getting and staying involved is hard, and frustrating and worth it.
The tweets are after the jump.
Continue reading “A Great Conversation about Crozet Schools”
This is great. Just received via email. If you’re a parent (or just interested Crozetian) this is a great opportunity.
Good evening, I’m Ned Gallaway, your county-wide representative on the Albemarle County School Board.
I would like to invite you to join me for coffee on Monday evening, Sept. 16, anytime between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the Mudhouse in Crozet.
With me will be Adam Mulcahy, the director of our new Environmental Studies Academy at Western Albemarle High School.
There is no formal agenda for our conversation and no need for you to stay for the entire hour. Although we will spend a few minutes talking about the new academy, I welcome your thoughts or questions on any subject regarding education or on any of our schools, programs or policies.
The most important responsibility I have is to ably represent you on the school board. In doing this, it is extraordinarily helpful for me to hear from you. I hope you will be able set aside a few minutes on the 16th to join Adam and me and a few of your neighbors. No need to RSVP.
Update 18 July – please see the clarifying comments from Ned Gallaway, at-large school board member.
Update #2 , 18 July – please see Barbara Massie Mouly’s response below.
And … I apologize for mis-reading the original story’s wording and and interpreting that as a vote.
“The Albemarle County School Board last week rejected recommendations to focus resources on expanding existing schools to satisfy an expanding student population, leaving the possibility of a fourth high school in the county on the table.”
It would be interesting to hear White Hall School Board representative Barbara Massie Mouly provide her rationale for voting against adding onto Western Albemarle High School.
Charlottesville Tomorrow’s outstanding new Education division reports: (bolding mine)
During their discussion of the division’s capital improvement program, school board members unanimously agreed to continue the planning process for a new high school, despite the recommendation from the Long Range Planning Advisory Committee to build additions on Western Albemarle and Monticello high schools. The committee had said that the expansions would be a more cost-effective way to accommodate the growth in enrollment.
I’ve written about Crozet schools quite a bit; this is the Schools category. These are two of the more recent stories on the redistricting and growth conversation.
Note: I’ve emailed Barbara Massie Mouly and will post her response.
Update 18 July (bolding mine) – At-large school board member Ned Gallaway offers more information and insight (bolding mine):
An addition was not removed from the table. The LRPAC recommended removing the concept of a new high school from the table – whether a comprehensive or smaller scale concept which is a school board interest – and only recommended additions (WAHS or MHS). The school board opted to keep the new high school option in the picture. In the 5 – 10 year view the school board sees a value in having both options available if needed. The view that an addition was voted down is not accurate. There was no vote. Consensus was to keep all options on the table. Additions are different from renovations. A WAHS modernization and kitchen upgrade are in the 5 year plan and are prioritized ahead of high school additions/new high school in the current list of CIP projects. Happy to follow up if needed.
Editor’s note – in response to my question, “What are the options for WAHS and Henley, specifically? No additions, but renovations?” Ned responded again.
…
Please refer to (this PDF) Henley has the highest priority item after already in motion projects – a gymnasium addition and media center renovation. WAHS – Phase 1 is to upgrade the kitchen facilities. Phase 2 – is the modernization – the concept/details of the modernization will be worked out when the project goes in to design phase.
Refer to the current list of projects –
1-9 are ongoing/approved/in process projects. 10 is the new project – in motion and will complete. Number 11 (Henley) and up will be new projects – not yet approved.
The CIP process for the next set of projects is just beginning. Henley is slated for year one out 14/15. WAHS (Project 15) kitchen upgrade project – design slated in year 1 – work in year 2. Modernization design of WAHS slated for year 3 – work in year 4.
…
The prioritization of projects can change year to year. My guess is at the end of the current process the Henley project will likely make it through. However, it will not be certain until the CIP process runs it course.
* Editor’s note – I edited Ned’s comments for formatting.
Thanks, Ned, sincerely, for taking the time to comment and clarify.
—-
Thank you to Barbara Massie Mouly for taking the time to respond:
The long range planning advisory committee recommended a “placeholder” in the school board’s proposed capital improvements plan for a high school addition or additions which could be at WAHS or Monticello. The committee also mentioned that if the school board wants the “placeholder” to be a magnet school the school board should give the committee appropriate direction. (I am reprinting an excerpt from their report below, and the entire report is available on Electronic School Board under the 6/13/13 school board meeting, at which the committee presented its report.) At our school board meeting on 7/11/13, we arrived at consensus to make the “placeholder” more broad to include the possibility of some sort of magnet school which could serve students from the whole county. I agreed with this consensus as it just enlarges the possible ways of addressing the anticipated increased need for high school “seats” over the next 10 years; possible additions would still be considered; there has not been any vote against an addition at WAHS. I note that any addition at WAHS or Monticello would require redistricting students to the school that gets the addition. As you probably know, our capital improvements plan is always a proposal which has to be approved by the Board of Supervisors. The BOS can decline to fund any of our proposed projects based on its capital budget and other needs in the county.
Also, I note that the our plan now includes renovations to WAHS including kitchen upgrades and interior modernization. I would be happy to describe these in more detail; these are in a separate item from the high school placeholder that I describe above.
Thanks for writing.
Barbara
Excerpt from the LRPAC report of 6/13/13: “Please note that the recommended plan includes a placeholder for an addition (or additions) onto Western Albemarle and/or Monticello High Schools. It does NOT include land for a new school.
The enrollment projections indicate that the division will be short 300 seats at the high school level in the next ten years. While there is a deficit, the committee does not feel that it is large enough to warrant a new school. The shortage is at Albemarle & Western Albemarle while Monticello is projected to have extra seats. Per School Board direction, Albemarle High School should not be made larger. As a result, the addition will have to be accompanied by redistricting. The committee feels this is the most efficient use of funds. If the Board prefers a different path (i.e. a new high school or a magnet school) for other reasons, they need to provide clear direction and this committee will re?evaluate their recommendation.”
Editor’s note: I added the link to Albemarle’s Electronic School Board, which is a pretty useful tool.
Crozet Elementary School received $2,590 to build an outdoor science classroom in the form of a rain garden habitat.
Very cool.
Update 14 July 2013: I asked Ms. Crummie, Crozet Elementary’s principal, and she responded quickly:
“Our students will build it beginning in the fall with the help of Rob Winstead – an architect and Carol Heiser – Va Dept of Forestry. It will have a weather system connected with it. Going to be where the biofill is near the parent drop off area. All grades will use it connected to their science curriculum with the use of technology – will begin using it once construction is done.
We are excited about it!”
WAHS has a new principal for the first time in several years. Dr. John Werner will take the reins at Western Albemarle High School this fall, starting this summer. I asked for some questions from the crowd and received quite a few great questions that ranged from what’s his vision for WAHS to how he’s planning to address the achievement gap.
Questions hère, Answers after the break. Thank you everyone for the questions! I really appreciate your input and hope that as a community we can work to make WAHS (and Henley, Brownsville & Crozet) the best schools around. **
You’ll note that when I categorized this post it’s categorized under Crozet, Schools and Politics. Sadly, (my opinion) school administration is at least equal parts education and politics. Continue reading “10 Questions for WAHS’ New Principal – Dr. John Werner”
Nice.
Charlottesville Tomorrow reports:
Beginning in the late summer of 2014, Western Albemarle High School will play host to a new Environmental Studies Academy.
“This truly is an exciting development for our school and our community,” WAHS principal Dave Francis said in an Albemarle County Public Schools press release. “Our objective for all students is to prepare them for post-graduate success in colleges and universities and in high-value professional fields….[T]his academy will position students for that success.”
All 9-12 graders in Albemarle County will be eligible to apply for the Academy. In the first year, there will be approximately 25 seats. The specifics of the admissions process remain to be completed.
Ed Sykes at NBC29 has more as well.
This sounds like a very good start to making WAHS more competitive.
via press release:
Dr. John W. Werner, who has served as a high school principal in Virginia since 2008, has been appointed to succeed Dave Francis as the principal of Western Albemarle High School effective July 1 of this year.
Dr. Werner’s appointment follows an exhaustive search process that included interviews and a community online survey that asked residents in western Albemarle communities about those qualities that were most important in the next Western Albemarle High School principal.
The school division’s search committee surveyed nearly 4,000 families in its western feeder pattern of schools. Among the qualities respondents identified as most valuable in a new high school principal were strong communications and educational skills, being a visionary and being able to facilitate and manage change.
“We are very pleased to have a leader with John’s proven strengths join the Western Albemarle community in such an important role,” said Dr. Matthew Haas, an assistant superintendent of Albemarle County Public Schools and the chair of the search committee. The committee included administrators, teachers, staff, parents and students.
“When you review John’s record, two characteristics boldly stand out. Students improve their academic achievement and John is the designer of some highly innovative development programs for both teachers and students,” Dr. Haas said.
Among innovative opportunities for the new principal will be a decision on a new center of excellence to be located at Western Albemarle High School. Four years ago, Albemarle High School unveiled its Math, Engineering & Science Academy and this year, Monticello High School began its Health and Medical Sciences Academy. A decision is expected later this year on a learning academy at Western Albemarle that would begin operations in the fall of 2014.
“It truly is an honor to be joining such a wonderful community in Western Albemarle,” Dr. Werner said, “I was impressed with the community’s vision for preparing students for 21 st century learning and career success. I am eager to work with Western Albemarle parents, a very hardworking faculty and with dedicated students who love education. There are so many opportunities for excellence in front of us,” Dr. Werner said.
Dr. Werner currently is in his second year as the principal at Osbourn High School, which has 2100 students, in the Manassas City Public School division. Prior to that, he was the principal of Clarke County High School for three years. Dr. Werner also served for seven years as an assistant high school principal for three Fairfax County Public Schools. He began his academic career as a social studies teacher at Herndon High School in Fairfax County and coached boys and girls track and football.
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree with a major in history and a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from George Mason University and a Master’s Degree and Licensure in Educational Administration and K-12 Leadership, also from George Mason. Dr. Werner received a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University.
Dr. Werner succeeds Dave Francis, who has served as the principal at Western Albemarle High School since 2008 and will complete 42 years as an educator in Virginia, including 23 years as a high school principal when he retires on June 30.
Continue reading “Western Albemarle High School Has a New Principal”