December 2023 Student and Staff Recognitions

Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) is proud of all the accomplishments achieved within the school division in 2023. Our December recognition article highlights several recent achievements of note.

Fall Sports End of Season Awards Ceremony

Athletes were honored at the 2023 Titans Fall Sports Awards Ceremony on Nov. 28, 2023, at Alexandria City High School (ACHS). The awards presentations recognized ACHS athletes, coaches and their individual and team accomplishments.

"The Fall Sports Awards Ceremony is a great opportunity for us to recognize the academic and athletic accomplishments of our student athletes in front of their peers and parents," said Executive Director of Athletics and Student Activities James Parker.

The Fall Coach of the Year Award was presented to Titan Volleyball Coach Danielle Thorne in her fourth-year coaching with the Titans. Thorne is an ACHS graduate and was a three-year varsity starter during her high school career.

Congratulations to all of our Titan athletes for their achievements on and off the field, many with a grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 or higher.

Golf Awards

• Coaches Award — Ethan Dillinger
• Ms. Titan Golf — Emma Stanley
• Mr. Titan Golf — Tucker Wolf

Cheer Awards

• Most valuable player (MVP) Freshman — Nasiah Herring
• MVP-JV — Elba Pineda Chavez
• MVP-Varsity — Nikatelyn Williams

Volleyball Awards

• District 2nd Team - Coaches Award — Harper Travis
• District 1st Team/Region 1st Team - MVP Varsity — Bridie Wendling

Field Hockey Awards

• District 1st Team/Region 1st Team-All State 2nd Team — Grace Metzler
• Coaches Award - Varsity — Emily Mikolop

Football Awards

• MVP-JV — Lucas Callahan
• Titan Award — Garrett Graff

Cross Country Awards

• MVP — Linnea Caldwell, Auburn Shephard
• Coaches Award — Thatcher Kotuby, Chloe Adams

Team Academic Excellence Award

• Highest Girls Team GPA 4.13 — Titan Cross Country
• Highest Boys Team GPA 4.15 — Titan Cross Country

Alexandria School Board Member Honored at Leadership Awards Luncheon

Alexandria City School Board member Meagan L. Alderton was among the three 2023 leadership honorees at George Mason University’s Annual Regional Leadership Awards Luncheon held Dec. 8, 2023.

“Congratulations to Meagan Alderton for being named a 2023 Leadership Honoree, a well-deserved recognition for her dedicated service to the Alexandria community. As chair of the Alexandria City School Board from 2021 to 2023, Ms. Alderton led our school division during a very challenging time,”  said School Board Chair Dr. Michelle Rief. “Under her leadership, we successfully reopened schools during the global pandemic and renamed our high school to better reflect our City's values. Ms. Alderton has always remained focused on academic achievement and ensuring that each student receives the support they need to be successful.”

Alderton was first elected to the School Board in 2018. She is the second African American female elected to the role of Board chair in the history of Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS), serving as Board chair until July 2023. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Alderton led the Alexandria City School Board, working with the superintendent, staff, teachers and community stakeholders through transitions in the instructional format and the process to safely reopen school facilities.

Alderton is a special education program quality specialist at the D.C. Special Education Cooperative, where she had previously served as director of professional development.

Virginia School Boards Association (VSBA) Names Alexandria School Board Member as Northeastern Region Chair

Alexandria City School Board member Jacinta Greene is among the newly-named Virginia School Boards Association (VSBA) regional officers. She will serve as the VSBA northeastern region chair. Greene has been a member of the Alexandria City School Board since 2018, advocating for a quality and equitable education for all children.

“We are so proud that School Board member Jacinta Greene was elected chair of the Northeastern Region of the Virginia School Boards Association. Ms. Greene has long been a champion for public education in Virginia,” Alexandria City School Board Chair Dr. Michelle Rief said. “In this new role, she will continue advocating for the needs of our public schools and celebrating the accomplishments of our students.”

The Virginia native comes from a family of educators where she realized firsthand the importance of a great education and the doors it can open for the future. Greene takes great pride in modeling her service to make a difference in a child’s life by helping to create a better world.

ACPS Featured in Virginia School Boards Association (VSBA) Signs of Success Video Presentation

Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) was featured in the 2023 Virginia School Boards Association’s (VSBA) Signs of Success video presented at the organization’s annual convention.

The ACPS segment offered a blueprint for stronger family-school partnerships. It focused on the Family and Community Engagement team’s work with Charles Barrett Elementary School and the local non-profit Kindred Communities to implement equity-focused Panda Community Conversations. The diverse families and staff members who engaged in these dialogues said they realized a stronger sense of belonging to the school community and increased collaboration to cultivate a more inclusive environment. The school reported a 20% increase in Latino family participation at school-sponsored events.

ACPS Director of School Health Services Makes the Case for Nurses in All Virginia Schools

Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) Director of School Health Services Dr. Robin Wallin spotlighted the division as she shared testimony on the need for school nurses before the Virginia General Assembly’s School Health Committee in November. At the invitation of the Virginia Association of School Nurses, Dr. Wallin made the case for the importance of having a registered nurse in every Virginia school.

“School nurses promote wellness through prevention and early intervention services, providing a healthy foundation for learning and improving educational outcomes,” Dr. Wallin stated.

She noted that having nurses on site in all Virginia schools would help in addressing the rising mental health needs of students, citing that it has been estimated that 33% of a school nurse’s day is spent helping students with mental and emotional concerns. Dr. Wallin stated the school nurse can also respond to life-threatening emergencies and make the difference between life and death for a student. She said mandating a nurse in all Virginia schools would also assist in efforts to address chronic absenteeism and in improving student attendance.

The School Health Committee is currently considering whether to recommend that the General Assembly adopt a school nursing mandate in Virginia.