October 2024 Student and Staff Recognitions

Our students and staff across Alexandria City Public Schools earned many achievements this month. In our October recognitions column, we shine a spotlight on various group and individual accomplishments.

John Adams Teacher Awarded College Football Playoff Foundation Grant

The College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation awarded John Adams Elementary School’s (John Adams) Jeretha Thomas a $1,000 grant for use in the classroom. Thomas served in the United States Armed Forces and now makes a difference in the classroom as an English Learner (EL) teacher/mentor coordinator.

"Teaching is not just a job to Mrs. Thomas; it is a commitment she makes daily to shape the future. Her winning this grant is a testament to her passion and dedication to the students she teaches and the colleagues that she mentors,” John Adams Principal Dr. Alicia Kingcade said. “She is an educator who goes the extra mile for the betterment of the school community. John Adams is honored and lucky to have Mrs.Thomas in our school family!”

Thomas said she is honored to be recognized as a recipient of a CFP Foundation grant after being nominated by her coworker Sean Perin. “It highlights my seven years of service in the United States Army and 21 years as an educator. With the funds, I will be able to pay it forward to my students while also upgrading teaching aids to enhance my small group instruction such as a mobile chart stand, colored paper and additional reading and math resources,” she said.

The CFP Foundation’s Extra Yard for Teachers program teamed up with the Military Bowl Foundation and Wegmans Food Markets, Inc., awarding recipients a $1,000 gift card from DonorsChoose, nutritional snacks, game day box seats and participation in its parade. In addition, Thomas will be among those honored on the field during the Military Bowl game on Dec. 28, 2024, in Annapolis, Maryland.    

Extra Yard for Teachers is dedicated to elevating the teaching profession by inspiring and empowering teachers in four core areas: resources, recognition, professional development, recruitment and retention. The foundation envisions a country where teachers are given the resources, recognition and professional development required in order to prepare our nation’s students for success. 

Former Soccer Trainer Provides George Washington Students a Lesson in Sports and Life

After-school soccer participants at George Washington Middle School (GW) got a firsthand lesson in soccer and life as Pablo Rodas, the former trainer for the Salvadoran National Soccer team, visited their school. Rodas talked about the importance of healthy nutritional habits, proper preparation for sports and how athletics connects to academic performance to upwards of 70 students.

He emphasized the value of dedication and trying to achieve excellence, which are pillars of GW. The students naturally connected with Rodas, asking questions and commenting about their own athletic experiences. The presentation was in Spanish, and GW teacher Reynaldo Decerega served as an interpreter. Decerega believes the message that habits developed from sports can make a meaningful impact in their lives hit home with the students. “Sports develop habits like preparation, focus and grit that translate into the academic arena and life in general,” Decerega said.

UPDATE: AIM-AHEAD After School STEM Club Awarded its Third NIH Grant

Congratulations are in order as the Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning Consortium to Advance Health Equity and Researcher Diversity (AIM-AHEAD) after-school Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) club at Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) was awarded its third National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant.

“Data Detectives: Empowering Middle School Students and Teachers to Explore Health Disparities Through Big Data,” was selected as an awardee for the Hub-Specific Pilots-Year three. The after-school STEM Club will be partnering with the Alexandria Health Department to introduce big data sets to the club members. The NIH grant will support this after-school STEM program for middle school students at ACPS for yet another year. This program aims to help prepare underrepresented students for a digitally proficient healthcare workforce.