ACPS Provides Meals to Students During School Breaks

Volunteers joined ACPS staff in distributing meals to students while schools were closed during the Thanksgiving break. The Office of School Nutrition Services received requests for meals for 2,000 students for this week; all children who live in Alexandria between the ages of two and 18 were eligible for the meal service. ACPS provided 10,000 meals during the week of Nov. 22-26, with two distribution dates to ensure students who signed up had breakfast and lunch every day.

More than 82 volunteers helped with the meals distribution. To get the meals to 700 families, ACPS mobilized city partners, Senior Services of Alexandria, Volunteer Alexandria and the DASH bus. 

Director of School Nutrition Services Cynthia Hormel said, “This effort demonstrated the existing need in the community as well as the giving spirit of fellow residents willing to lend a helping hand. Many families are still dealing with food insecurity in their homes at this time,” said Hormel. “It was great to see so many people take the time to help one another.”

Winter Break Meals

ACPS family members between the ages of two and 18 are eligible for meals from our school division over the winter break. Families can receive four days of breakfast and lunch per child. Please help share this information so families can sign up by Dec. 15 using this form to receive winter break meals. The last day to register for student meals is Wed., Dec. 15.

Families requesting meals over winter break will need to pick them up on Tues., Dec. 21, from Alexandria City High School (ACHS), located at 3330 King Street. Meals will be distributed 8-11 a.m. on the east side of the building next to the Chinquapin Park Recreation Center.

A delivery service will be available for families on a limited basis for those who are unable to pick up meals in person. Families can use this form to access home meal deliveries. Anyone who has requested home deliveries will receive student meals between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. on Tues., Dec. 21. A courtesy phone call will be made to say that the driver is on the way so that families can meet the driver curbside to pick up the meals; masks are required.

If anyone has registered for meals and then no longer needs them, please cancel an order by contacting food@acps.k12.va.us.

School Board Meeting Summary

As part of the special called Nov. 29 meeting, the School Board discussed the Talented and Gifted (TAG) Advisory Committee and then hosted a public hearing and Work Session #2 on the Fiscal Year 2023-2032 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) budget. 

At its meeting on Dec. 2, the School Board addressed the following topics:

• Equity Audit Policy Revisions—Student Discipline and Conduct
• New School Board Advisory Committees—Spanish-, Amharic- and Arabic-Speaking Communities
• Program of Studies 2022-23

For School Board meeting agendas and documents, visit Electronic School Board. You can also visit the School Board meeting webpage for information on how to view meetings live and participate.

Alexandria City Public Schools Partnership with Virginia Tech to Strengthen STEM Opportunities for Students

Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) and Virginia Tech have expanded their partnership to enhance science, technology, engineering and math opportunities for students and create potential pathways to higher education. The partnership kicked off its pilot program at James K. Polk Elementary School with Virginia Tech’s Innovation Campus Vice President and Executive Director Dr. Lance Collins and ACPS Superintendent Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings, Jr. joining Principal Carla Carter and teachers in distributing micro:bit equipment to all fifth-grade students.

“This partnership increases equitable access to opportunities in the STEM field for children who may not have otherwise had those opportunities,” said ACPS Superintendent Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings, Jr. “Through it, our staff will be able to provide our students with even more engaging and creative learning experiences.”

Students at James K. Polk Elementary School will have the chance to learn about the Micro:bit—a pocket-sized computer that shows how software and hardware work together. It has an LED light display, buttons, sensors and input/output features that, when programmed, let it interact with the user.

The goal is to inspire young people to get excited about technology and the opportunities it presents for them by creating free, user-friendly educational resources that support teachers in delivering engaging and creative lessons. The pilot program will be extended to additional schools in the future.