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Congratulations to Our National Merit Semifinalists
Congratulations to the four Alexandria City High School (ACHS) students who are among the approximately 16,000 Semifinalists in the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Program: Virginia Arnold, Zachary Bosland, Delia Hughes and Tucker Stone.
About 7,500 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $30 million will be offered next spring and these talented high school seniors have an opportunity to compete for them. In order to be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, the Semifinalists will have to fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition.
The National Merit Scholarship Program honors individual students who show exceptional academic ability and potential for success in rigorous college studies. About 95% of the Semifinalists are expected to attain finalist standing, and about half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar title.
City Council Votes to Approve Funding for New Building for ACPS
The Alexandria City Council voted September 18, 2021, to approve the funding to purchase the 1703 N. Beauregard Street building for use by ACPS. This approval moves the project another step forward, strengthening ACPS’ ability to meet the needs of our growing student body.
Plans for the new facility include ACPS using the property as swing space for the George Mason Elementary School and Cora Kelly School for Math, Science, and Technology modernization projects. Once the swing space need is fulfilled, this facility will transition into a new 600-student school, either for elementary or secondary use, per the School Board’s decision.
Renovated Parker-Gray Memorial Stadium Opens with Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony
The Alexandria City High School Titans won their first home football game of the season against Justice High School in the newly renovated Parker-Gray Memorial Stadium last week. A ribbon-cutting ceremony officially opened the multi-use stadium for fall sports.
While still awaiting finishing touches, the stadium features new amenities, including an eight-lane running track, scoreboard, artificial turf, egress safety lighting, new concessions building and restrooms, ticket booth, and, most notably, lights for the first time in the school’s history.
“We came together as a community to achieve this and it’s definitely exciting,” School Board Chair Meagan Alderton said. “The name of the stadium recognizes the legacy of the Parker-Gray school and a generation of students and educators that changed the world in so many ways right here in our town of Alexandria.”
“This moment is a culmination of a lot of work,” Mayor Justin Wilson said. “This wasn’t easy. We’re here because of the students of Alexandria City Public Schools. We demanded the best for our students, and that’s why we’re here today.”
Athletes Representing ACPS Inducted into Hall of Fame
ACPS hosted the Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony where the newest inductees joined the Hall of Fame and were recognized for their outstanding achievements as individual athletes, coaches, teams, and friends of ACPS. Members of the Hall of Fame have contributed to the integrity, promotion, and growth of athletics at the high school level, and have represented ACPS with high standards of citizenship and character.
The 2020 Hall of Fame Inductees include:
- Roberta Elliott Speight: Track and Field, T.C. Williams High School Class of 1984
- Craig Harris: Basketball, T.C. Williams High School Class of 1977
- Mike Hynson: Basketball Coach at T.C. Williams and George Washington high schools, Francis C. Hammond High School Class of 1959
- Bob Kessler: Basketball, George Washington High School Class of 1952
- Cedric Matterson: Track and Field, T.C. Williams High School Class of 1984
- Katherine McAdoo: Swimming, T.C. Williams High School Class of 2000
- Lynwood Robinson: Football, George Washington High School Class of 1971
- The 1971 T.C. Williams H.S. Football Team
The 2021 Hall of Fame Inductees include:
- Troy Bailey: Baseball, T.C. Williams High School Class of 1988
- Earl Cook: Football, T.C. Williams High School Class of 1973
- Louis Harris: Football, Basketball and Baseball, Parker-Gray High School Class of 1963
- Jason Ingram: Basketball, T.C. Williams High School Class of 2001
- Veda Nicely McCoy: Track and Field, T.C. Williams High School Class of 1984
- Corrin Reid: Basketball, T.C. Williams High School Class of 1997
- Dianne Richardson Lewis: Basketball, T.C. Williams High School Class of 1977
- Mike Tomasello: Track Coach, T.C. Williams High School, 1969-71 and 1974-80
- The 1956 Boys Basketball Team, George Washington High School
- The 1990-91 Girls Virginia State Champion Indoor Track Team, T.C. Williams High School
Read more about the Hall of Fame ceremony and inductee bios on the ACPS Athletic Hall of Fame webpage.
School Board Candidate Events
The Alexandria Council of PTAs (PTAC) works to make every child’s potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children. Alexandria PTAC will be hosting two events in October to help the community get to know the School Board candidates:
- Meet and Greet: Oct. 2, 2021, at 4 p.m. at the William Ramsay tennis courts, 5650 Sanger Ave. in Alexandria. Come join and informally talk with the School Board candidates, get to know their platform, and ask questions. There will also be an arts and crafts center available for students. This event is outdoors and masks are encouraged.
- Virtual School Board Forum: Oct. 13, 2021, at 7 p.m.
Come hear from each of the school board candidates. This virtual event will also include breakouts by district. For interpretation services (Amharic, Arabic, Spanish), pre-register by Oct. 1.
Find candidate bios and more information for both events on the Alexandria PTAC website.
ACPS K-2 Family Literacy Night Webinar
Join ACPS Thursday, Sept. 30 to learn about K-2 literacy resources available across the school division and how families can help literacy flourish at home and throughout our community.
Also, save the date for the Intermediate-Grade Literacy Night coming Nov. 4!
Constitution Day Celebration
Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson signed the official proclamation commemorating Constitution Week at City Hall on Monday, Sept. 20. Students from the Alexandria City High School Jr. ROTC and Choir participated in the ceremony, marking the 234th anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution.
The tradition of celebrating the U.S. Constitution began in 1956 after the Daughters of the American Revolution petitioned Congress to dedicate the week of September 17-23 to commemorate the U.S. Constitution. Constitution Week aims to emphasize citizens’ responsibilities to protect the U.S. Constitution, educate people about the role of the U.S. Constitution and encourage the study of historical events leading to the drafting of the U.S. Constitution in September 1787.
“There are a lot of countries around the world that have constitutions, but ours is unique because we continue to have transitions of power through the voting booth,” Mayor Justin Wilson said. “And it’s certainly because of the durability of our constitution.”