Coming Up for May: Community Engagement and Calendar Reminders

Learn about calendar reminders and upcoming community events for May. Find out when the Alexandria City Public Schools Community Outreach team will be in your neighborhood!

ESL II — Conversation Club for Intermediate ESL Speakers

Mondays and Wednesdays in May (May 1, 3, 8, 10, 15, 17, 22, 24, 31), 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Charles E. Beatley Jr. Central Library (5005 Duke Street)

The Alexandria Library builds community by providing opportunities to learn, explore, create and connect. Its ESL II Conversation Club is a space for intermediate speakers to practice English and build confidence. No registration is required.

Science Unrestricted

Thu., May 4, 5-7:30 p.m.

Institute for Defense Analyses (730 E Glebe Road)

The Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) invites ACPS PreK-12th grade families to this annual family night filled with hands-on exhibits that center around robotics and rockets, space and sound, coding and chemistry... and more! IDA has partnered with ACPS for more than a decade to host this event. Dinner, bus transportation from select ACPS schools and community sites and exciting giveaways are provided. Please register online at www.acps.cc/unrestricted.

Farmers’ Market Expansion Extravaganza

Sat., May 6, 8 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Southern Towers (5201 Seminary Road)

The Market at Southern Towers is back and better than ever! Starting May 6, The Market will be open on Saturdays and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and will have a variety of expanded food options. Come celebrate with live music, a moonbounce, face painting and Giant Food gift card raffles.

Rec Fest 2023

Sat., May 6, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Armistead L. Boothe Park (520 Cameron Station Boulevard)

The City of Alexandria presents RecFest! Attendees of all ages can attend this free event full of family fun, with activities representing the City’s fitness, sports, enrichment, arts, nature, out-of-school time and summer camp programs. Enjoy demos, meet instructors and staff and register on-site for programs and camps.

Teacher Appreciation Week

Mon., May 8 - Fri., May 12

We appreciate our incredible teachers who give their all every day to help our students. We are looking forward to this annual week-long celebration.

ALIVE! Pop-Up Food Distributions

Thu., May 11, 4:30- 6 p.m.
William Ramsay Recreation Center (5650 Sanger Avenue)

Thu., May 18, 4-6 p.m.
Francis C. Hammond Middle School  (4646 Seminary Road)

Sat., May 27, 8:30-10:30 a.m.
Cora Kelly Elementary School (3600 Commonwealth Avenue)

ALIVE! is a local not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing emergency and basic needs support to children, families and individuals living in poverty and with hunger in the City of Alexandria. ALIVE! will distribute bags of food to Alexandria City residents. No ID is required.

PreK-8 Summer Learning Registration Deadline

Sun., May 14

ACPS Summer Learning 2023 programs are open for registration to all interested ACPS students in current grades Pre-K-8! We are looking forward to providing another hands-on summer learning experience for students that focuses on STEM in grades K-4 and career exploration in grades 5-7. Students must be registered by May 14, 2023, in order to receive transportation. Please visit the ACPS Summer Learning webpage for details. Note: We strongly encourage families to register early, as the number of students we can serve in summer learning will be determined by our summer school site and staffing capacity.

Preparing for Your Future: Transition Fair

Wed., May 17, 5:30-8 p.m.

Alexandria City High School - King Street Campus (3330 King Street)

Do you know what your options are after high school? The Office of Specialized Instruction invites ACPS students with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) and their families to its 2023 Transition Fair. Learn about community partners and resources over pizza and ice cream. Then at 6:30 p.m., participate in important mini-workshops on supporting the transitions from middle school to high school and from high school to life in college or in the community. Families of students with IEPs can register online at www.acps.cc/TraFair23.

Community Cookouts

Tue., May 2, 6-7:30
Fox Chase Apartments (4409 Duke Street)

Friday, May 5, 6-7:30 p.m.
Casa Chirilagua (4109 Mount Vernon Avenue)

Thu., May 11, 6-7:30 p.m.
Southern Towers (4901 Seminary Road)

Tue., May 16, 6-7:30 p.m.
Hillwood Condominiums (259 S. Pickett Street)

The Alexandria Police Department is hosting a series of community cookouts this spring. This is a great opportunity to meet Alexandria’s first responders, enjoy free food, giveaways and learn about resources and city services for youth and families. For the complete schedule, please view the 2023 Community Cookouts flyer

Memorial Day Holiday

Mon., May 29

All ACPS schools and offices are closed in observance of Memorial Day.

Upcoming School Board Meetings

Thursday, May 4 at 6:30 p.m.
The regularly scheduled School Board meeting will take place.

Thursday, May 18 at 6:30 p.m.
The regularly scheduled School Board meeting will take place.

School board meetings are held in person in the School Board Meeting Room at 1340 Braddock Place, unless noted otherwise. Members of the public may attend in person or via Zoom. Please visit the School Board webpage for any updates to the meeting schedule.