Day 60 — Graduation Special
Congratulations to all 865 amazing graduates from the T.C. Williams High School Class of 2020. We salute you!
Resilient Class of 2020 Graduates in Largest T.C. Class Ever
Alexandria dazzled in Titan colors of red, white and blue on Saturday to celebrate the largest class in recent history to graduate from T.C. Williams High School and honor their resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Class of 2020 saw 865 students receive diplomas in a virtual graduation ceremony that included Senator Mark Warner and Class of 2016 Titan and future Olympian Noah Lyles. The program of events featured a moving video tribute to our seniors who were asked to document their loves, their hopes and their fears during these unprecedented times.
For the first time in history the George Washington Masonic National Memorial spectacularly illuminated in school colors, recognizing the class of T.C. graduates, while across the city, homes were lit up as students celebrated with their families.
“This class of students has shown that they are able to seize the moment and shape their own futures,” said Peter Balas, principal of T.C. Williams High School. “Their resilience during the pandemic, combined with their desire to take a stand against social injustice has proved that this is the generation to change the world, and we need them now more than ever. This class dug in to graduate more students than ever before, at a time when life was not easy. I could not be prouder of them.”
Although most students had already achieved sufficient credits to graduate by the time school buildings closed on March 13, those who needed extra support were able to connect with their counselors and teachers to create individual plans to achieve the final credits required.
To date, a total of 569 of all new graduates have already indicated they will be attending college or university in the fall. A further 22 students have indicated their intentions to join the military and 39 have accepted jobs in the workforce.
“This pandemic has created a moment in time — one where we have a chance to create a new normal. This may mean re-evaluating who we are as individuals, who you are as a student body, and who we are as a nation. There is no going back. We can only move forward,” said ACPS Superintendent of Schools Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings, Jr.
This year, many of the rites of passage of the senior year in high school, including the T.C. Williams graduation ceremony, were adjusted to meet Virginia Governor Ralph Northam’s stay-at-home order. Instead of the usual event at George Mason University’s EagleBank Arena, ACPS produced a virtual graduation ceremony to acknowledge and honor the graduating seniors. T.C. Williams Class of 2016 alum Noah Lyles holds records in the 200 meter sprint and was preparing to compete at the Olympic Games in Tokyo when the global pandemic hit and the games were postponed. He understands more than most about drawing on reserves of resilience when faced with challenging times in life.
Lyles paid tribute to the “courageous” Class of 2020 that he described as “different” from the others.
Delivering the keynote speech, he said, “Some might say that accomplishments are everything, that accomplishments are what make you. But I want to challenge that thought. I’m here to say it’s more the journey and how you got to those moments that are what really make you. Well, what are those things that really get you there? And I’d say it was adversity.”
He added, “I heard that the Class of 2020 was different from the others. I heard the Class of 2020 was courageous. I heard that they were kind and I heard that they were relentless to do what was righteous.”
In a moving address, 2020 Class President Amiya Chisolm touched on the current race crisis in America and the hope that her generation would be the ones to break the chain “against unacceptable injustices.”
She continued, “Being in a swimming pool of different ethnicities, different cultures and many different backgrounds has given us the opportunity that many high schools cannot say they have had. This is adaptation and acceptance. T.C. gave us a united atmosphere where we can individually find smaller communities that tended to our personal similarities while still giving us the chance to teach, learn and understand one another’s differences.”
For more images and full video of the virtual graduation see the T.C. Williams Class of 2020 website.
Missed the Ceremony, or Want to Watch Again?
The graduation ceremony is available to view on the Class of 2020 website, which will now become a commemorative space for the ceremony video, pictures, and the documentary film created from hundreds of videos sent in by graduates.
See Where Our Graduates Are Going Next
569 students from T.C. Williams High School will be heading off to college, and 22 will be joining military institutions. Several will be going to some of the top universities in the United States. We wish them all the best!
Jazmine Lee Baxter, Spelman College
Ethan James Steele Sample, Princeton University
Felicity Katherine Brock, U.S. Naval Academy
Sekou J Koram, Virginia Tech
Emile Sebastian Cohen Suárez, University of Virginia
T.C. Williams High School graduates are heading off to the following colleges and military institutions:
Academy of Art University (1); Bard College (1); Barry University (1); Bowie State University (1); Brigham Young University — Idaho (1); Brigham Young University — Provo (1); Catawba College (1); Christopher Newport University (3); Clemson University (1); College of Charleston (3); Columbia University in the City of New York (1); Concordia University — Montreal (2); Curry College (1); Davidson College (1); Daytona State College (1); Dillard University (1); Drexel University (1); Duke University (1); Eastern Florida State College (1); Eastern Mennonite University (2); Elon University (4); Ferrum College (1); FIDM Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising — Los Angeles (1); Florida International University (1); Fordham University (1); Fork Union Military Academy (1); Frederick Community College (1); George Mason University (44); George Washington University (2); Georgetown University (1); Georgia Institute of Technology (2); Georgia State University (1); Goucher College (1); Hampden-Sydney College (1); Hobart William Smith Colleges (1); Howard University (2); Ithaca College (1); James Madison University (14); Johnson & Wales University — Charlotte (2); Johnson & Wales University — Providence (1); Kentucky State University (1); Lafayette College (1); Liberty University (1); Longwood University (1); Marymount University (6); McGill University (1); Miami University — Oxford (2); Middlebury College (1); Missouri State University (1); Montgomery College (1); Morehouse College (1); Mount Aloysius College (1); New York Institute of Technology (1); Norfolk State University (7); North Carolina State University at Raleigh (1); Northern Kentucky University (1); Northern Virginia Community College (246); Oakland Community College (1); Oberlin College (1); Old Dominion University (8); Oregon State University (1); Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (1); Pennsylvania State University (1); Pratt Institute (1); Prince George’s Community College (2); Princeton University (1); Purdue University (1); Queen’s University (1); Radford University (2); Reed College (1); Richard Bland College of William and Mary (6); Rochester Institute of Technology (1); Savannah College of Art and Design (3); Seattle Central College (1); Shenandoah University (2); Shepherd University (2); Southeastern University (1); Southern University and A & M College (1); Spelman College (2); Stanford University (1); Tennessee State University (1); Texas Christian University (1); The Ohio State University (1); The University of Arizona (1); The University of Memphis (1); The University of Tampa (1); Trent University (1); U.S. Air Force (2); U.S. Army (7); U.S. Coast Guard (1); U.S. Marine Corps (3); U.S. National Guard (1); U.S. Navy (3); United States Coast Guard Academy (1); United States Naval Academy (1); Universidad San Francisco de Quito (1); University of California Los Angeles (1); University of Chicago (1); University of Delaware (1); University of Limerick (1); University of Mary Washington (7); University of Maryland — College Park (2); University of Massachusetts — Boston (1); University of Massachusetts — Amherst (1); University of Michigan — Ann Arbor (1); University of Mount Union (1); University of Rhode Island (1); University of Richmond (1); University of Rochester (1); University of San Diego (1); University of South Carolina — Columbia (1); University of South Florida (1); University of Southern California (1); University of St. Andrews (2); University of the District of Columbia (2); University of Utah (2); University of Vermont (1); University of Virginia (31); University of Wisconsin — Madison (2); Vanderbilt University (1); Virginia Commonwealth University (35); Virginia Military Institute (1); Virginia State University (22); Virginia Tech (36); Virginia Union University (1); Voorhees College (1); Washington & Jefferson College (1); Washington University in St. Louis (1); West Virginia University (2); William and Mary (9); Worcester Polytechnic Institute (1); Wright State University (1)
Food Access Updates
ACPS’ current food distribution model will remain the same through August 21, 2020.
For all information on food distribution, see the Food Access page on the ACPS-at-Home website.
NEW! Beginning Friday, June 19, ACPS will be adding an additional weekend meal to our program. Meals distributed on Fridays at all meal distribution locations and pop up sites will cover Friday, Saturday and now Sunday meals.
Meal distribution locations and pop up sites will not operate on Friday, July 3, ahead of the Independence Day holiday. However, additional meals will be provided on Wednesday, July 1 to cover the following holiday period. The normal meal distribution service will resume again on Monday, July 6.
New Hours for Bilingual Parent Information Lines
The FACE Center’s Bilingual Parent Information Lines will now all be available Monday-Friday, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- For Spanish/English, call 571-775-9719
- For Amharic/English, call 703-927-6866
- For Arabic/English, call 703-927-7095
Watch Friday’s Board Meeting
During the closure of school buildings, our School Board is meeting virtually each Friday at noon.
If you missed it live, you can still watch it.
Watch the School Board meeting and see the agenda.
Information on how to give feedback to the School Board can be found on the School Board Meetings webpage.
On Friday, Board Briefs were published on the following topics:
School Board Resolution on Racial Justice
Friday’s Board meeting included a proposal for a School Board Resolution on Racial Justice (PDF).
This draft document is currently in the process of being translated and will be shared in full in ACPS Express and on the ACPS website on Wednesday, June 17.
Celebrate Our Retirees With Us Today
The ACPS Annual Retirement Ceremony will be today from 1:30 to 2 p.m. via Zoom. We are holding this very special event to recognize and celebrate the many years of service to ACPS. Join us to say “thank you” to our retirees.
Join us on Zoom at 1:30 p.m.
Temperature Screening at ACPS Buildings
Anyone requiring access to an ACPS facility or school will be required to undergo a temperature check to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Testing stations will be established at seven locations, at or close to ACPS meal distribution sites and locations where major summer construction will take place. Screening will take no more than three minutes to complete and will involve the use of a clinical forehead thermometer.
All those with a temperature of 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit or lower (per Alexandria Health Department guidelines) will be given a dated wristband and be cleared to work as long as they are in possession of appropriate personal protection equipment consisting of masks and gloves.
Should an individual record an elevated temperature, that person will be informed that they are unable to report to work at an ACPS site and will be advised to call his or her supervisor.
Find out more about this measure in this Board Brief.
WANT TO HELP?
Please consider donating through ACT For Alexandria and the COVID-19 Response Fund if you are able.
Community members who would like to volunteer should reach out to www.volunteeralexandria.org or 703-836-2176 to register for any additional potential volunteer opportunities.
MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT
Continuity of School Support and Academic Advisement
School Student Support Team staff, including school counselors, school nurses, school psychologists, and school social workers will be available during school hours throughout the closure. Monday — Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. staff will be connecting with students and their families. The Department of Student Services, Alternative Programs and Equity staff members are also available during this time and can be contacted by voicemail and at student_services@acps.k12.va.us.
Emergency Supports
If there is a crisis or emergency during the time of the closure, students and families can access the supports below:
- Crisis Text and Crisis Link:
- Text: CONNECT to 85511
- Call: 703-527-4077
- Alexandria Safe Place
- Alexandria City 24-Hour Emergency Mental Health Services
- Alexandria City Health Department and AHD Contacts
- Inova Alexandria Hospital (ER)
We know that this is a challenging time. ACPS will continue to share information through the ACPS website, social media, and email. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your student’s school counselor or school social worker with any questions.
HEALTH REMINDERS
Don’t Feel Well?
Contact your primary health care physician.
Have questions, concerns or feedback? Contact us or contact your direct supervisor.
HR Questions? Contact hr@acps.k12.va.us.
Stay Healthy!
Wash your hands regularly. Regular soap is OK.