Schools | ARLnow.com

Yorktown Wins Without Star, W-L Falls in Non-District Game

Published October 28, 2013 at 12:30PM

Stewart, the senior North Carolina recruit leading the Patriots with 1,266 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns, was on the sideline Friday night with a sprained ankle, according to the Washington Post. That didn’t stop the Patriots (7-1, 5-0) from coming back from a double-digit second-half deficit and beating Chantilly (5-3, 2-1), 30-28. Stewart’s backup, Da’Jhuan Short, carried the ball for 90 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner in the third quarter. The Patriots play this Friday night on the road against Mount Vernon.

Yorktown’s companion atop the National District standings, Washington-Lee, lost its first game since Sept. 12 Friday night, 53-7 against Centreville. Centreville (8-0, 3-0) is the Post’s top-ranked team in Northern Virginia, and it has won all of its games by at least 21 points. The Generals (6-2, 5-0) got their only score in the first quarter on an 89-yard pass play from Sam Appel to Noah Harrington, who caught three balls for 111 yards on the day. The Generals next play on the road at Wakefield Friday night.

APS Considers Limiting Teacher Gifts

By Ethan Rothstein

Published October 28, 2013 at 10:00AM

APS is circulating a proposed change to its gift policy for employees that would limit the amount of gifts educators can receive to $50.

The School Board will consider adopting the policy at its meeting Dec. 5, according to APS spokesman Frank Bellavia. There is already an APS gift policy on the books, but it only has guidelines for gifts purchased for employees with APS funds.

Yorktown, W-L Continue Winning; Wakefield, O’Connell Fall

By Ethan Rothstein

Published October 15, 2013 at 12:45PM | Updated October 15, 2013 at 1:11PM

The Patriots rode their star running back again Friday night, giving senior M.J. Stewart 29 carries, which he took for 198 yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winner in the fourth quarter. The Patriots needed every one of Stewart’s yards in a 19-14 home victory over Hayfield (1-5, 1-2). Through six games, Stewart already has 1,170 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns. The UNC recruit and the Patriots next host Wakefield at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Washington-Lee had to wait to play because of Friday’s intense downpours, but the Generals collected their fourth straight win Monday against Mount Vernon, 23-21. Mount Vernon had been 2-0 in league play, and the Generals’ victory means they would need to lose twice in the next three weeks to finish worse than second place in the National District. They play Friday night at home against Edison.

Photos: Walk and Bike to School Day

By Ethan Rothstein

Published October 9, 2013 at 1:00PM | Updated October 9, 2013 at 2:32PM

(Updated at 2:30 p.m.) Arlington Public Schools held its annual Walk and Bike to School Day today (Wednesday), encouraging the tens of thousands of students in the system to avoid driving or busing to school.

Every APS school participated in the event, according to APS spokesman Frank Bellavia, and three local farms donated apples that were distributed to six different schools.

W-L, Yorktown Keep Winning Streaks Alive

By Ethan Rothstein

Published October 7, 2013 at 3:30PM | Updated October 8, 2013 at 8:02AM

Washington-Lee (4-1, 2-0 district) won a statement game Friday night against Falls Church (3-2, 0-2), which had been 3-1 with its only loss coming to Yorktown last week. The Generals won 21-14, holding on after leaping out to a 13-0 lead. Duquay Harris, the running back that’s been leading the Generals this season, scored a touchdown, and quarterback Sam Appel threw for two scores. The Generals have won three straight games and seek their fourth consecutive win this Friday at Mount Vernon.

At the same time, Yorktown was riding its star running back, senior North Carolina commit M.J. Stewart, to its third-straight win. Stewart carried the ball 16 times for 230 yards — a ridiculous 14.4 yards per carry — and four touchdowns to lead the Patriots (4-1, 2-0) to a 42-7 victory over J.E.B. Stuart (0-5, 0-2). The Patriots scored all of their points in the first half, and didn’t allow Stewart to score a point until the fourth quarter, when the game had essentially been decided. Yorktown’s next game will be Friday at home against Hayfield.

No Grinding Allowed At Upcoming Homecoming Dances

By ARLnow.com

Published October 2, 2013 at 2:00PM

The grinding ban is nothing new, according to Arlington Public Schools spokesman Frank Bellavia. The policy, which appears on a list of “dance policy and rules” for Saturday’s homecoming dance at Wakefield High School, has actually been in place for 8-9 years, he said.

Bellavia said that Washington-Lee and Yorktown, which have homecoming dances this Saturday and Oct. 19 respectively, have similar policies in place.

Yorktown, W-L Win Nail-Biters While Wakefield, O’Connell Fall

By Ethan Rothstein

Published September 30, 2013 at 10:30AM | Updated September 30, 2013 at 2:41PM

Yorktown (3-1) delivered National District foe Falls Church (3-1) its first loss of the year, a huge victory for potential playoff seeding in November. The Patriots jumped out to a 17-7 halftime lead with two touchdowns from senior running back M.J. Stewart, an held on to win, 17-14, despite allowing Falls Church a fourth quarter touchdown. Yorktown will trying to push its record to 4-1 next Friday night on the road against J.E.B. Stuart.

Washington-Lee (3-1) was in serious peril of dropping its second game of the season to Hayfield (0-4), but scored 23 second-half points to storm back for a 23-21 victory. The Generals got a game-winning, late fourth-quarter touchdown from running back Daquay Harris, who is having a breakout year as a junior. Next week they host Falls Church to try to keep pace with the Patriots.

APS Pulling Back From France Exchange Program

By Ethan Rothstein

Published September 25, 2013 at 2:30PM

Photo by wox-globe-trotter

A high school and middle school exchange program to France could be on its last legs after Arlington Public Schools administration took a closer look at its travel policies.

Up until this school year, teachers had been granted “professional leave” for a two-week student exchange trip to Reims, France, one of Arlington’s sister cities. But that is coming to an end, jeopardizing the Reims exchange program — a possibility that’s upsetting some parents.

County Board Approves Williamsburg School, Delays Vote on Lighting

By Ethan Rothstein

Published September 25, 2013 at 1:05PM

In a separate vote, the board voted unanimously to delay a decision to install lighting until 2015, when it will form a working group of community members for a full discussion on the potential for lighting the synthetic turf fields.

The lighting on the turf fields was the sticking point for many of the two dozen speakers during Saturday’s board meeting. Several members of the Rock Spring Civic Association spoke against lighting the fields, and condemned the County Board for not following its own procedures in considering the lighting.

Yorktown, W-L, Wakefield at 2-1 After Friday’s Games

By Ethan Rothstein

Published September 23, 2013 at 5:00PM

Yorktown beat up on Edison, 44-18, to get back in the win column a week after losing its first regular-season game in years. Senior star running back M.J. Stewart rushed 22 times for 191 yards and three touchdowns, raising his season total to 621 yards in three games. Quarterback Will Roebuck threw just three incomplete passes and ran in a score of his own. The Patriots got past an unexpected speed bump and put their foot on the gas starting National District play. The Patriots will host 3-0 Falls Church Friday night.

Washington-Lee also bounced back from its first loss of the season with a district win, sneaking by Stuart, 15-10. Running back Daquay Harris ran for 202 yards and a touchdown while the Generals defense smothered the Generals’ running backs. The Generals, like the Patriots, are now 2-1 and 1-0 in the National District, and should go 3-1 next week when they visit 0-3 Hayfield.

Board to Examine Permit for New School

By Katie Pyzyk

Published September 17, 2013 at 11:30AM | Updated September 17, 2013 at 2:19PM

Plans for the new school have been in the works for some time, and the Arlington School Board unanimously approved a conceptual design in February. Although a number of concerns from the community have arisen during the planning process, county staff recommends Board approval for the use permit.

One issue that previously prompted a meeting is the traffic impact a new school would have on the surrounding area. A study indicates traffic impacts only occur during a 15 to 20 minute “peak” period during school arrival and departure times. It is therefore suggested that the two schools stagger their start/end times to reduce this traffic impact, with Williamsburg having an earlier start time than the new school. Staff believes the new school’s parking lot has been adequately designed to prevent long lines of waiting cars from spilling into the neighboring streets during drop off and pick up times.

Groundbreaking for Ashlawn Elementary Addition

By ARLnow.com

Published September 9, 2013 at 2:00PM

Students, teachers, parents and administrators attended a groundbreaking ceremony for a new addition to Ashlawn Elementary on Friday.

The 27,000 square foot, $14.3 million addition will add nine classrooms, a new media center and administrative offices to the school, which is located off of Wilson Blvd near Bluemont Park. The addition is part of Arlington Public Schools’ effort to boost school capacity amid a burgeoning student population.