December 2024 Student and Staff Recognitions

Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) recognizes the accomplishments and activities that put the focus on our students, staff and community organizations each month. Here are some of the latest achievements.

Fall Recognition Ceremony Honors 35 ACHS Students

 

Thirty-five Alexandria City High School (ACHS) students were honored at the Fall Recognition Ceremony on Dec. 2, 2024, for various scholarship achievements. The students qualified as candidates for opportunities to include the National Merit, Posse Foundation and Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) scholarship programs, which are highly competitive, and for which only a small number of students are selected each year nationwide. Students qualified based on their GPA, test performance and leadership potential. 

“The ACHS students were recognized for their exceptional promise as demonstrated by their outstanding academic performance. These recognitions provide greater opportunities for college acceptances and merit-based scholarships, which are important stepping stones to receiving a rewarding career in today's competitive job market,” said College & Career Counselor Jessica Gilbert. “We also recognize the parents/guardians, in addition to other family members, for their positive academic awareness, support and encouragement toward their students.” 

The ACHS counseling office is also to be commended for their time and support of their students, in addition to their letters of recommendation for each student. Congratulations to these exceptional students on their achievements:

National African American Recognition Recipients: Fatima Ali; Melkite Dawit; Sola Gormley-Kibona; Ikra Hussein; Olivia Imo; Zechariah Jemaneh*; Carter Lytle; Careen Masele; Maxie Maultsby*; Judah Onassis-Lee; Zachary Roberts and Zeinab Yassin*.

National Hispanic Recognition Recipients: Harlow Babic; Katherine Barcenas Merino; Pablo Cruz Rivera; Kreilys Garcia Flores*; Arianna Martinez-Solano*; Maxie Maultsby* and Gabriel Porras.

National First-Generation Recognition Program: Kreilys Garcia Flores*; Zechariah Jemaneh*; Arianna Martinez-Solano*; Madeline Mickey and Zeinab Yassin*.

National Merit Scholarship Program - Commended Students: Madeline Cantrell; Maya Hayes; Taylor Hoganson; Zechariah Jemaneh*; Samvel Mkrtchyan; Daniel Organek; Noah Sternberg; Corbin Winters and Skye Witmer.

National Merit Scholarship Program - Semi-Finalists: Zachary Baker-Heil; Rayyan Rami and Genevieve Watkins.

Posse Scholarship Finalists: Ana Garcia; Vicky Ramirez Figueroa and Seamus White.

ROTC Scholarship Finalists: Daniel Organek (U.S. Army ROTC) and Jack Sutherland (U.S. Army ROTC).

*Multiple award recipients

George Washington and Jefferson-Houston Face Off in the First ACPS Middle School Girls Basketball Championship

It was an exciting finish to the first-ever ACPS Middle School Girls Basketball Championship as George Washington Middle School (GW) defeated Jefferson-Houston PreK-8 IB School (Jefferson-Houston), 22-14. Both teams came into the Dec. 3, 2024, championship contest at Alexandria City High School with a 5-1 record. GW’s point guard, Dallas Broussard, was named MVP and Jefferson-Houston’s Kali Bates drew accolades for her team. 

“We’re extremely proud of the hard work and determination that our team demonstrated throughout the season. Their commitment truly paid off, and winning the championship game is a testament to their effort, teamwork and resilience,” Andrew Storr, GW girls team basketball coach, said. Storr also expressed gratitude to GW’s Sports Director Evan Sonoda, for giving him the opportunity to coach a remarkable group of athletes and his Co-coach, Patricia Miller, for her invaluable contributions. A special thank you was also extended to the GW PTA for its support as it played a critical role in ensuring the season ran smoothly.

Jefferson-Houston Coach Harrison Horne expressed his pride for his team and all who helped to ensure the success of the middle school girls basketball program. “This season was a very impactful year for ACPS as we showcased the ability to cultivate sportsmanship, competitiveness and collaboration amongst our middle school programs. It was an honor to coach and compete this year and all praise goes to our young ladies who took the first step in what we, as a middle school athletic department, hope to be a great addition to our district athletics program,” Horne said.

Girls basketball officially launched the middle school sports program during the 2024-25 academic year. The middle school athletics program will roll out boys basketball, swim and dive, scholastic bowl as well as track and field during the remainder of the 2024-25 school year. By the 2026-27 school year, the middle school athletics program will include boys and girls soccer, cheerleading, football, forensics, boys and girls tennis, volleyball and debate teams

Virginia General Assembly Selects George Washington Student to Take Part in the Page Program

 

The Virginia General Assembly selected Margaret Rae Daly, an eighth grade student at George Washington Middle School (GW), to participate in its Page Program. 

"I want to be a part of the system that makes laws that affect my community and people around me," Daly said. “I hope to learn how the legal process works and how I can make an impact in my community."

School Counselor LaShawn Ricks said that Maggie, as her teachers call her, is one of the most focused and motivated students at GW. “Maggie single-handedly navigated her way through the entire process of applying to the Virginia House of Delegates Page Program, and was even proactive with meeting with her teachers to plan out her workload while she is participating in the program. Maggie is a leader in the school and is an impeccable role model for her peers,” said Ricks.

The program runs from Jan. 5 - Feb. 22, 2025. Citing her desire to help people, Daly’s career aspirations are to become either an elementary school teacher, a pediatric nurse or a doctor.

Hammond Teacher Named 2024 BizWorld Educator of the Year

Francis C. Hammond Middle School (Hammond) Business Teacher Carolyn Tatem was named BizWorld Educator of the Year at the organization’s 20th Annual Riskmaster Luncheon in California earlier this month. Tatem was recognized for her continued efforts to promote entrepreneurship to her business students.

BizWorld has partnered with thousands of schools and educators worldwide for two decades to help develop an entrepreneurial mindset by equipping students with the practical knowledge and experience needed to become a generation of problem solvers.

FACE Family Academy Celebrates English Classes Success

The Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) Family and Community Engagement Center (FACE) celebrated the successful culmination of the English classes offered at three sites — Cora Kelly School for Math, Science and Technology, John Adams Elementary School and the FACE Center — as part of the FACE Family Academy.

“These classes have been a testament to the commitment and dedication of our parents/guardians, and we are thrilled to highlight their achievements,” Assistant Director of the FACE Center Krishna Leyva said.

Sharing their inspiring feedback about the impact of these classes, the participating families said they now feel more confident in helping their children with homework and are motivated to pursue higher education and better job opportunities.

FACE will offer Computer Literacy, Navigating the School System and English classes again in the spring. These programs continue to build on the mission of ACPS empowering families and strengthening home-school partnerships.

Move2Learn’s Walking Club Makes Strides at Chance for Change

Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) community partner Move2Learn is making a positive impact on students at Chance for Change through its Walking Club. 

“The ‘Move2 Learn’ program has been a positive outlet for our students to exercise their minds, bodies and discipline,” Teacher Anthony Armbrister said. “We often take routes that are filled with history like the Edmonson Sisters Memorial, dedicated to the former African American enslaved girls in Alexandria who were the inspiration for Harriet Beecher Stowe's writings. We even strolled by the graveyard behind Duke Street one outing and saw the tombstone of Julius Campbell of Remember the Titans fame and discussed the significance of that era.”

Armbrister recently led the students on a one-mile loop in which they calculated their mileage by dividing their steps by 2,000. By doing this each outing, they will be able to monitor their progress.

This Move2Learn walking break during the school day refreshes the students physically while reducing stress, increasing alertness and improving their ability to focus during classroom learning.