Welcome Back! We're Excited for the New School Year
Dear ACPS families, students and staff,
Welcome to a new academic year in Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS)! We are excited to catch up with old friends and make new ones. It is a time for our students to open a new chapter in their learning experience that will help them chart their course for the future.
It was a pleasure to see the enthusiasm as students at Samuel W. Tucker Elementary School (Tucker Elementary) began the 2022-23 academic year on July 26 — they were eager to catch up with their classmates, meet their new teachers and learn following summer break. They also gave a warm welcome to Mrs. Adaarema Kelly, Tucker Elementary’s new principal. Kelly is new to the role as principal but has been at Tucker Elementary since 2017, serving as its assistant principal and intersession coordinator.
On Aug. 22, 2022, students in all other ACPS schools will return to class, and I know that they too will be ready to rise to the challenge that every learning experience provides. But getting an education goes beyond learning. School is also about relationships and the approach a student takes to addressing new subject matter. School is all about preparing our students for where they want their life’s studies to take them. It is a time to see our world for what it is, and decide how each and every one of us can work to make it a better place for future generations. Education is truly empowering.
As we begin a new academic year, ACPS has made several updates to strengthen communications between our families and the school division. Our new website provides easy access to all the information families may need and is also stylistically aligned with our e-newsletters, including ACPS Express. Our new app for streamlined school communication, ParentSquare, will allow families to receive all announcements from the division and their children’s schools and teachers in one place — with an instant two-way translation feature. Security and Wi-Fi upgrades have also been made with an emphasis on well-being, school safety and security throughout the division.
COVID-19 vaccines are thankfully available for all school-aged children and many of our students have been vaccinated. We will continue to manage the impact of the pandemic on our school community and abide by up-to-date health and safety guidelines. ACPS will continue to offer voluntary, weekly on-site testing at no cost and we encourage families to register their students to participate in this.
On a personal note, I wish all ACPS students and staff a tremendous year filled with success as you achieve new milestones for yourselves and the school division. As I am about to begin my new journey, I am so pleased that the division is being entrusted to a highly-qualified and dedicated leader in Dr. Melanie Kay-Wyatt, currently ACPS’ chief of human resources, who will serve as interim superintendent as of Sept. 1, 2022.
Looking forward, I would like to encourage all ACPS students to imagine what their futures can look like and forge their path forward to achieve their life’s aspirations. To families, I encourage you to invest in your children’s education as it will yield returns lasting a lifetime. And finally, if we all work together, we can achieve the goal of an equitable education that empowers all students to thrive in this diverse and ever-changing world and attain their dreams.
Sincerely,
Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings, Jr.
Superintendent
- 2022-23
- superintendent