The 2022-23 school year marked the first time a student representative sat on the Stafford County School Board.
The county followed a growing trend around the region where school boards allow student body members to sit alongside elected officials and share their opinions and insight on matters facing the governing body.
As the school year winds down, PLN wanted to know more about Stafford’s first-ever student school board representative, Katherine Buckman, and her alternate, Maraki Solomon.
Here’s our email interview.
PLN: Why did you want to be a school board rep, as it hasn’t been offered to students until recently?
Buckman: Although the position of school board rep was new to Stafford this year, I was familiar with the concept simply from hearing about it in other nearby counties. When the application for the position was first released, I could not tell you how excited I was. Ever since participating in my middle school’s county debate team in the 7th grade, I have been hooked on the idea of pursuing a formal education and career in an area of law or politics. I love public speaking and advocacy, especially when I am able to use my voice to promote change.
Solomon: I thought that it seemed interesting, and I wanted to be more involved with my community. Read More
In partnership with businesses, and secondary and post-secondary schools, the funding will focus on planning and implementing Intern Expos, hosting workforce and intern workshops, and supporting workforce volunteers and Chamber staff in their efforts within the workforce development arena. The funding will be matched with in-kind and cash contributions from local partners and the FXBG Chamber.
The grant funding is a workforce development implementation grant spanning over a two-year grant cycle representing GO Virginia’s Region 6. The grant outcomes will result in up to 100 work-based learning connections and internships across our region annually, focusing on GO Virginia’s targeted industries.
“An empowered and enriched workforce is the foundation of our region’s success. This GO Virginia funding will allow the FXBG Chamber’s Workforce NOW program, our business community, and our students to come together to build upon our workforce. Our goal is to create higher awareness and accessibility of intern/extern/apprenticeship (work-based learning) opportunities for businesses to host and students to participate in, leading to higher paying, good quality jobs for all residents of GO Virginia Region 6,” said Carley Walker, vice president of programs and events at the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce.
In February, the chamber held its annual Intern Expo at the Fredericksburg Expo Center, where more than 500 students from area high schools and colleges attended.
Today’s Take Me-Home-Tuesday pets post comes from the Prince William County Animal Shelter.
Ice – #5050, Male dog, 7 – 10 years old, house trained, loves walks “move-in” condition. Ice is the typical couch potato. He’s also calm with other dogs.
Ivy – #37124, Female cat, 9 years-old, Domestic Black and White short hair, Spayed.
If you want to apply or learn about either, go to the Prince William County Animal Shelter page at the top of this post. You can also call 703-792-6465, or email [email protected]
We accept write-ups and photos of animals for adoption across the region. Please send the em to [email protected].
The Stafford County Sheriff’s Office gave me a tour of its facilities and a view of how each division creates one functioning department.
Captain Ray Davis gave this tour. He was very kind in explaining the job from the ground up to the higher levels of admin.
When you hear law enforcement, you might first think about the deputy in the police car working the street. However, dispatchers, which serve as law enforcement’s front line, can become so stressed that they are given access to a quiet room during their shifts. A lot of coordination between dispatchers and law enforcement officers goes into making sure people can get the help they need.
Some of the rooms were not accessible for this tour. However, each office within the building held teams of people separated by division. Each floor corresponded with different levels.
Deputies were stationed on the bottom floor, where they could quickly go out and respond, while the administration offices sat on the top floor. The Stafford County Sheriff’s Office has existed since at least 1634. However, one thing that is always changing around them is the community and the different types of personalities that they all have to interact with.
First responders have to stay flexible, but there are many easy ways to make their job easier, said Davis.
In order to be helpful to your 911 dispatcher or anyone who is coming to help you in case of an emergency, make sure to gather information such as location, type of emergency, and the total number of people involved, said Davis. Helping dispatchers and deputies in times of emergency or crisis speeds up the process.
Toward the end of the facility tour, Davis mentioned a website where important information for first responders could be stored. Visit smart911.com and see if adding information will help in a crisis.
The Stafford County Sheriff’s Office is hiring 911 dispatchers called communications officers. The office produced a video to show the job, which has a $46,755 annual starting pay.
The department maintains county government computers and the network in which they share information via email and other applications. It’s also responsible for maintaining the county’s GIS mapping services used by the planning department.
Harrison comes to the county government after working in a similar role at Geico, Inc.
More in a press release.
Stafford County is pleased to announce the appointment of a new Director of Information Technology (IT), Matt Harrison. Harrison came to Stafford to serve as Assistant Director of IT and was quickly tapped to become Interim Director. Harrison came to Stafford from GEICO, where he was Director of Engineering and responsible for customer and counselor-facing applications, including Sales and Claims. Harrison is a part of the Information Services functional area will continue reporting to the Chief Director of Information Services.
“Matt Harrison has extensive IT experience, with more than 26 years of IT experience in both the private and public sectors. He has distinguished himself during his time with Stafford,” said County Administrator Randal Vosburg. “We are happy with the expertise he brings to the job and the continuity he will provide for the department.”
Matt Harrison has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from St. Bonaventure University in New York state. He also holds a Master of Public Administration from The American University in Washington, D.C. Harrison has over 26 years of Information Technology experience, 18 years with GEICO, and eight years as a consultant for government, telecommunications, healthcare, and financial services customers. He started with Stafford County in 2022.
Our pet for this week is Frosted Flakes.
Frosted Flakes was transferred to us from Sweet Virginia Barn Cats in June of last year, along with her three other siblings. One by one all of her siblings have gone home, leaving her as the only cereal kitten left. We can’t understand why she hasn’t been able to find a furever home. She is a spunky, adventurous kitten full of energy. Frosted spends most of her days greeting our visitors at her door, laying in the sun or playing with her roommates.
Frosted Flakes is about a year old, spayed, microchipped and up to date on vaccinations.
If you are interested in applying or learning about Frosted Flakes, go to staffordspca.org. You can also call (540)-242-0607, or email [email protected].
Stafford SPCA is a registered 501(C)3 Non-Profit that receives zero funding from the government. Any and all donations are greatly appreciated.
Animal shelters and non-profits should email us a description and photo to be featured on our “Take Me Home Tuesday” post.
Kindergarten registration opens March 1 for Stafford County Public Schools for the 2023-2024 school year! Parents and guardians of children who are five years old by September 30, 2023 are encouraged to complete the online registration process.
The following documents are required for enrollment:
- Driver’s License or Photo ID for Parent/Guardian
- Official Birth Certificate for Child
- Current Physical and Immunization Records Prior to the Opening of School
- Proof of Residence/Domicile
- Must provide one of these: Deed, Lease, Tax Bill
- Must provide two of the following options that are current for the last two months with the parent/guardian name: Utility Bills (tied to the home), Employment Verification (payroll stubs, current employer verification on company letterhead), Tax Documents, Other Official
- Correspondence with Government Agencies, Medical Bills, Consecutive Bank Statements (for 2 months), Vehicle Registration, Driver’s License, Insurance Policy
The school division will host community Mobile Enrollment Festivals, in-person registration events, through July 14, 2023 to assist families with the registration process. Families with younger children may also apply for the Head Start, Early Head Start, and Virginia Preschool Initiative programs. These early childhood programs are open for 3- and 4-year olds, infants, toddlers, and pregnant women of low-income families that live in Stafford County and meet the federal or state income-eligibility guidelines.
Translators are available in Spanish, Arabic, Dari, Farsi, Pashto, and Urdu during these community Mobile Enrollment Festivals. During the festivals, students will have the opportunity to earn their “Training Wheels” by visiting the big yellow school bus. Drivers and attendants will teach students proper boarding and riding procedures, and students will be able to explore the school bus before the first day of school. During the events, donation bins will be available for community members to drop off school supplies in support of the school division’s Collect for Kids program.
SCPS welcomes all students regardless of race, color, creed, sex, religion, national origin, or disabling condition who live within the boundaries of the Stafford County Public School district and meet state age and health requirements. For more information about SCPS visit www.staffordschools.net.
The National Museum of the Marine Corps Fifth Annual Marine Corps Student Art Competition opens March 1, 2023, to all U.S. students in grades K-12. This year’s theme is “Leatherneck Legends.”
Student artists are asked to create a piece of 2D art inspired by the life, stories, and/or achievements of an individual Marine or “Leatherneck.” Suggestions include: a Marine from history (past or present), a Marine the student knows personally, Wounded Warrior Marines, Combat Veteran/Veteran Marines, or any United States Marine that the student artist believes is deserving of the “legend” title.
“The Marine Corps Combat Art Program recognizes the importance of art in telling all stories. This competition gives young artists an opportunity to use their talents to honor their heroes of our Corps,” Kris Battles, Marine Corps Artist in Residence, said.
The competition is open to private, public, Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), and homeschool students in grades K-12. Entries must be 2D and submitted digitally, beginning March 1, 2023, and no later than March 15, 2023.
Submissions will be judged in five grade-based categories: K-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12, and special needs grades K-6 and 7-12. Only the first 50 submissions in each category will be accepted for consideration.
More information and entry forms can be found on the museum website.
Winners will receive a certificate and a cash prize sponsored by the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation.
The National Museum of the Marine Corps is a public-private partnership between the U.S. Marine Corps and the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation.
Our pet for this week is Sir Loin.
Sir Loin came into our care when he was transferred to us from a local shelter that was overflowing with cats. While we are still learning about him, he seems to be a fairly laid-back kinda guy! Sir Loin does enjoy pets from staff/volunteers, but he can also entertain himself if he has a window to look out of or some catnip to munch on. We are hoping we can find an awesome home for this groovy guy!
Sir Loin is 2 years old, neutered and up to date on vaccinations.
If you are interested in applying or learning about Sir Loin, go to staffordspca.org. You can also call (540)-242-0607, or email [email protected].
Stafford SPCA is a registered 501(C)3 Non-Profit that receives zero funding from the government. Any and all donations are greatly appreciated.
Animal shelters and non-profits should email us a description and photo to be featured on our “Take Me Home Tuesday” post.
