Schools | ARLnow.com

Del. Hope to Hold Town Hall on School Safety

Published January 28, 2013 at 5:00PM

Hope was recently appointed to Gov. Bob McDonnell’s Task Force on School and Campus Safety, which was created in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. The task force has been charged with making recommendations regarding improvements to school safety practices at K-12 schools and at colleges and universities. Such improvements may include expanded use of school resource officers or security guards, new state or local programs or policies, and improvements to Virginia’s mental health system.

From 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, interested parents, students and residents are invited to discuss school safety with Del. Hope at the Wakefield High School auditorium (4901 S. Chesterfield Road). Hope will give an update about the work of the task force and listen to concerns and recommendations from the audience.

APS Closed; Traffic Volume Light

By ARLnow.com

Published January 28, 2013 at 8:10AM

Arlington was one of the only local school systems to not close early on Friday due to the threat of snow. It’s now the only school system inside the Beltway to close today; D.C., Montgomery County, Prince George’s County and Alexandria are all on a two-hour delay.

Meanwhile, with the federal government on a delayed opening, traffic volume on local roads and highways is very light.

Snow Could Snarl Commute, But APS to Dismiss on Time

By ARLnow.com

Published January 25, 2013 at 11:20AM

A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued for Arlington and the D.C. region, warning of the potential for about an inch of snow between 2:00 and 9:00 p.m. Though relatively light, the snow could wreak havoc with traffic during the evening rush hour.

(On January 26, 2011, a much heavier snowfall during the evening rush hour resulted in motorists abandoning their cars on the GW Parkway.)

Parking Changes Proposed for Schools, Recreational Facilities

By Katie Pyzyk

Published January 24, 2013 at 10:30AM | Updated January 24, 2013 at 10:54AM

At its meeting on Saturday (January 26), the County Board is being asked to provide authorization for staff to advertise public hearings regarding the proposed amendments. The changes include revising parking standards for elementary and middle schools, permitting off-site vehicle parking at community swimming pools and allowing the County Board to modify parking standards.

The issue first arose during the public review process for the addition to Ashlawn Elementary School and the new school to be built on the Williamsburg campus. Arlington Public Schools felt that using the existing Zoning Ordinance for parking requirements would result in an excessive amount of parking. For instance, the addition to Ashlawn would require 228 parking spaces under the ordinance, when APS says it only needs about 100.

Favola Introduces Anti-Bullying Legislation

By Katie Pyzyk

Published January 18, 2013 at 10:55AM | Updated January 16, 2018 at 2:44PM

The legislation defines the term “bullying” and requires school boards to prohibit students and school employees from engaging in any actions that fall under the definition. The bill also requires local school boards to implement policies and procedures for reporting, investigating and addressing acts of bullying.

The part of the bill defining bullying reads:

APS Now on Social Media Websites

By ARLnow.com

Published January 14, 2013 at 11:45AM

Arlington Public Schools has joined several popular social media websites in an effort to better communicate with the community at large.

The school system is now on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. From an APS press release:

Three Arrested After Armed Robbery on Custis Trail

By ARLnow.com

Published January 10, 2013 at 2:05PM | Updated January 10, 2013 at 3:00PM

A jogger was robbed by the men around 12:30 p.m. on the trail near the Glebe Road bridge over I-66, according to ACPD spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. The victim struggled and was struck in the head — possibly with a pistol.

The men took a GPS watch and sunglasses and fled down the trail, Sternbeck said. A short time later, another trail user told police that one of the men pointed a silver handgun in his direction when he passed by.

EXCLUSIVE: Top Administrator Leaving APS

By ARLnow.com

Published January 7, 2013 at 6:15PM

Stukes has announced his retirement and his last day at the school system will be at some point later this month, APS spokesman Frank Bellavia told ARLnow.com. Bellavia said he did not know whether Stukes was taking a job with another school system.

As the top administrator in the Department of Facilities and Operations, Stukes is responsible for overseeing facilities planning, capital improvement programs, aquatics, building and grounds maintenance, custodial services, energy management, and transportation. In August, Stukes was caught up in a wave of parent anger over changes to enforcement of the school system’s busing policy.

Capitals Still Locked Out, but Kettler Hosts Yorktown Hockey

By Katie Pyzyk

Published December 19, 2012 at 11:05AM | Updated December 19, 2012 at 11:43AM

The Yorktown Ice Hockey Club has been in existence since 2003. The team has not been granted sports team status at the school, but is instead considered an “interest club.” It’s part of the Northern Virginia Scholastic Hockey League, which is the premier high school level league in Northern Virginia, and was bumped up from junior varsity to varsity this year.

One of the coaches boasted to ARLnow.com about having the league’s leading goal scorer on his team. Cameron Smith has scored 17 goals in three games, including a record-setting 11 in one game. So far this year, the team is 2-2.

APS Relocating Two Education Centers

By Katie Pyzyk

Published December 18, 2012 at 10:50AM | Updated December 18, 2012 at 11:10AM

(Updated at 11:10 a.m.) Arlington Public Schools is relocating two of its education centers to a renovated facility on Washington Blvd.

Administrative offices, classrooms and staff currently at the Clarendon Education Center (2801 Clarendon Blvd) and the Syphax Education Center (1439 N. Quincy Street) will be moving to a space in the Sequoia Building 2 (2110 Washington Blvd). The new facility is in the same cluster of buildings housing the Arlington Employment Center and the Arlington County Department of Human Services.

APS: Schools Prepared For Emergencies

By ARLnow.com

Published December 14, 2012 at 3:55PM | Updated December 14, 2012 at 4:14PM

Individual schools have been sending emails to parents throughout the day, says Assistant Superintendent for School and Community Relations Linda Erdos. Schools drill regularly for a range of emergencies, Erdos said, adding that several Arlington schools conducted a pre-planned lockdown drill this morning.

“All of our plans and preparations are developed in coordination with Arlington public safety officials,” she said. “Our schools all throughout the county regularly schedule lockdown drills. We do those all the time, just like tornado drills and fire drills. We do a lot of drills with our students so they know what steps are to be taken in an emergency.”

Norovirus Outbreak Reported at Arlington Public Schools

By ARLnow.com

Published December 12, 2012 at 3:55PM | Updated December 12, 2012 at 5:05PM

It’s the second publicly reported norovirus outbreak at Arlington Public Schools so far this year. In February a norovirus outbreak was reported at two Arlington schools.

This time around, outbreaks have been reported at Patrick Henry and Randolph elementary schools, according to APS Assistant Superintendent for School and Community Relations Linda Erdos, who added that the letter below was sent to all parents “because it’s that time of year” for norovirus outbreaks.