There’s nothing quite like going to see a live theater production. Entering the grand venue, the cushioned seats slowly filling with eager viewers. The darkening of the lights, the pull of the curtain. The opening note reverberating through the auditorium as the live tableau begins on stage.
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ACPS Executive Chef Resigns, Shares Food for Thought
In the fall of 2019, Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) announced the hiring of Isaiah Ruffin, the first-ever executive chef in the school district. From the beginning of his employment with ACPS, Ruffin made it clear that he was not content with the standard quality level of cafeteria food.
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A Rundown of the First Principal’s Chat of the Year
“We are in the public engagement part of our process here,” said Principal Peter Balas who recently hosted his first Principal’s Chat of the school year over Zoom. Balas was referring to The Identity Project, whose members work to host engagement sessions about the renaming of T.C. Williams High School and Matthew Maury Elementary School.
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Teachers’ Opinions On Semester Scheduling
Teachers share the roadblocks they have confronted as they transition from in-person to virtual school. Abigail Ernst and Katie Vastola The shift to virtual school has demanded high school teachers completely rethink the style of their courses, as year-long courses have changed to semester-long courses and twice-to-thrice-a-week classes shifting to be five days a week. With no indication of return to in-person learning anytime soon, some teachers like Matthew Zahn are not preparing for a return to in-person classes. “I don’t want to prepare for something that might not even happen,” Mr. Zahn said. The 2020-2021 schedule consists of students taking four classes each semester. With the first semester, red…
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A Reminder That You Are Not Alone
Mental Health Awareness and Resources in a Stressful World Jacqueline Lutz Quarantine has affected everyone in a multitude of ways and has been isolating for many people. Unable to gather in large groups and engage in normal activities, people’s social lives have come to an abrupt halt. Lack of social interaction can be damaging to one’s mental health — human beings are naturally social and look to their peers and communities for support. Without the same interactions that there were before the pandemic, people’s mental health can decline significantly and quickly. While online school helps prevent the spread of coronavirus, it can also contribute to a decline in student’s physical…
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Coronavirus Vaccines: What You Need to Know
Despite the information in the news surrounding the search for a coronavirus vaccine, it is hard to pinpoint what is actually happening. There are so many different vaccines and companies that it's hard to figure out where we stand on the route to a vaccine.
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Exclusive: ACPS Superintendent Hutchings Sends Child To Private School Bishop Ireton
Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) Superintendent Dr. Gregory Hutchings has enrolled one of his two children in Bishop Ireton, a private Catholic high school in Alexandria that operates under a hybrid learning model, in contrast to ACPS’s entirely virtual model.
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Schools Reopening, Testing And Vaccines: A Conversation With Dr. Stephen Haering
The Alexandria Health Department Director said in an interview that his department holds the influence to stop distribution of a vaccine if it is skeptical of the vaccine’s safety. Nikki Harris Nikki Harris spoke with Dr. Stephen Haering, head of the Alexandria Health Department (AHD), on Saturday about the circumstances Alexandria could reopen schools under, vaccine politics and distribution, the AHD’s relationship with the CDC and more. Alexandria had 3,804 confirmed cases and 69 COVID-related deaths the day this interview took place. As of publication, Alexandria has 3,859 cases and, still, 69 COVID-related deaths. This conversation has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity. Harris: I wanted to start with…
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Education During A Pandemic Discussion
Agenda: Alexandria Debates Virtual Learning Regina Allen Moving into the third week of this school year, many members of the T.C. and Alexandria community are wondering what is happening. Why are some students online and others aren’t? Will we ever go back to school? Agenda: Alexandria is an organization that puts together panels that discuss a wide range of issues that affect the city. The meeting, held virtually on Monday, September 22, was supposed to answer these questions to ease the concerns of students, parents and staff as T.C. moves forward with virtual learning. Shad Thomas, a board member of Agenda: Alexandria, moderated the event. The rest of the panel…
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Being The “New Kid” In 2020
Being a new student is always difficult whether you’re only moving over a district, or to a whole new state or country. Showing up that first day somewhere you’ve never been, seeing people you’ve never seen. Feeling lost in a crowd without a single familiar face or landmark to guide you. It's something that society openly recognizes as difficult. But what do you do when you can’t even see your classmates' faces?
