November Student and Staff Recognitions

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Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) proudly celebrates the accomplishments of its staff and students this November as we highlight several achievements.

School Communications Awards

The ACPS Department of School and Community Relations received five awards for 2021-22 communications projects at the recent Chesapeake Chapter of the National School Public Relations Association (CHESPRA) conference. The awards included:

• Award of Excellence Campaign: Crisis Communication for Vaccine Ambassadors
• Award of Excellence Campaign: Special Event for State of the Schools
• Award of Merit Print: Special Publication for Strategic Communication Plan
• Award of Merit Print: Elementary Schools Calendar Menu
• Award of Merit Electronic:  Video Production Program for "The Best"

“ACPS has an amazing communications team that works creatively to best serve the school division,” Chief of School and Community Relations Julia Burgos said. “I am proud to see our team’s good work honored by CHESPRA.”

Virginia Association of School Nurses’ Nurse of the Year Honors William Ramsay Nurse

Jodi Bobbitt, the school nurse at William Ramsay Elementary School (William Ramsay), has been named the Virginia Association of School Nurses’ (VASN) School Nurse of the Year at its annual conference.

With this recognition, Bobbitt drew praise in the nomination packet for going above and beyond to support students and staff at William Ramsay. “Nurse Bobbitt is an invaluable resource to our school and it is an honor to recommend her for the VASN Excellence in School Nursing Award,” Technology Integration Specialist Caroline Doughty said.

Bobbitt joined ACPS in April 2018 and works tirelessly to support students with chronic medically complex needs by removing barriers to learning, including working with community organizations to find targeted primary care resources.

“ACPS is a better place to learn because of Nurse Bobbitt's dedicated, skilled and compassionate service as a school nurse,” Director of School Health Services Dr. Robin Wallin remarked. “It is an honor for ACPS to be able to recognize the contributions of School Nurse Jodi Bobbitt with this well-deserved recognition.”

Dr. Wallin said Bobbitt demonstrated her passion and dedication to increasing vaccine confidence by educating her school community about COVID-19 vaccines and also participated in two grants administered by the National Association of School Nurses to increase vaccine confidence. In addition to her valuable service to her school community, Bobbitt has served in leadership roles in the school division and state. She is a Nationally Certified School Nurse and a Certified Family Nurse Practitioner. 

"Nurse Bobbitt is a tireless advocate for children's health and the families in our community.  She is always seeking resources and opportunities to educate and empower our families' wellness. Her capacity for empathy and ability to problem-solve make her an invaluable member of our school,” said William Ramsay Elementary School Principal Michael Routouska.

Other ACPS nominees included Louise Gedeo at Cora Kelly School for Math, Science and Technology, Althea Huggins at John Adams Elementary School and Petra Ramirez at Charles Barrett Elementary School.

Communities in Schools “All in For Kids” Award Goes to Hammond Coordinator

Communities In Schools (CIS) of Virginia recognized Madelyn Giblin, CIS Site Coordinator at Francis C. Hammond Middle School (Hammond), with the All In For Kids Award for her excellence as an outstanding secondary site coordinator. Giblin was selected from 18 nominees who go above and beyond the call of duty for their students, schools, families and communities.

Communities In Schools of NOVA cited Giblin’s hard work and dedication to earn this recognition in its Facebook post, stating “Madelyn has worked tirelessly to deepen and extend her programming to serve students and families at Hammond. She truly embodies an outstanding site coordinator!”

Giblin drew praise for her outstanding service in carrying out her duties and knowing every student at Hammond, and in working closely with the International Academy students who are English learners and new to the United States. During the pandemic, she provided technology assistance for her school’s students to ensure they could stay online and not miss school. Giblin also worked closely in the community, volunteering with a local food bank. She has even provided evening English as a Second Language (ESL) and literacy classes for Hammond's parents.

Alexandria City High School Volleyball Team are Regional Champions - Eyeing the State Title

The Alexandria City High School (ACHS) girls’ volleyball team won its third Regional Championship on Nov. 9, 2022, and the semifinal on Nov. 15, 2022, advancing the team to the state competition. The team will compete in the State Finals on Sat., Nov. 19, 2022. Executive Director of Athletics & Student Activities James Parker says the key to the team’s winning formula is that they have great student-led leadership on the team and communicate effectively with each other. Parker added the team practices hard and always pays attention to the small-scale details of the game.

Team recognitions this season included Milan Rex receiving Player of the Year for the Patriot District, FirstTeam All Region and the Player of the Year for the Occoquan Region. Chloe Wilmot was selected as FirstTeam All District and FirstTeam All Region. Zana Royster received SecondTeam All Defensive Specialist, Bridie Wendling earned SecondTeam All District and Harper Travis and Casey Donahue received honorable mentions. The team is coached by head coach Danille Thorne and assistant coaches Jordan Cox, Eva Irwin and Jessica Lacy.

Parker expressed how proud he is of the team as its members take the sport they love and their academics very seriously. “I couldn't ask for a better group of athletes that serve as what the standard should be for Titan Athletics,” Parker noted. “They are not only winners on the court, but as a team, they average over a 4.0 GPA.”