Gianna Jirak, Author at Potomac Local News

Stafford to vote on banning cellphones from classrooms, buying 9,000 new Chromebooks

Published June 11, 2020 at 6:52PM

Students in Stafford County middle and high schools may no longer be allowed to use cell phones in class for instructional purposes.

At the county’s June 9 school board meeting, the board discussed exhibits one and two of Regulation 2401, which would “eliminate the use of cell phones in the classroom for instructional purposes,” according to school board documentation.

News

Prince William appoints new student representatives to the school board

By Gianna Jirak

Published June 11, 2020 at 5:54PM

School may be out of session, but the fourth round of student representatives to the Prince William County School Board have been announced.

Rising seniors Ben Kim of Stonewall Jackson High School and Caroline Silvera of C.D. Hylton Senior High School have been chosen to serve as co-student representatives to the school board. Rising senior Ashley Menjivar of Woodbridge High School was additionally chosen as an alternate student representative. These three students were chosen out of a list of twenty-one finalists.

News

Prince William County’s next high school to be named ‘Gainesville High School’

By Gianna Jirak

Published June 10, 2020 at 10:39PM | Updated June 11, 2020 at 12:46PM

A image rendering a prototype of the 13th High School.

After hundreds of suggestions and multiple school board meetings, a name has finally been chosen for Prince William County’s 13th high school.

The school, which will be located at 13150 University Boulevard in Gainesville, has been named Gainesville High School. The naming was approved at the Prince William County School Board’s June 10 meeting, where the board also named the school’s library media center in honor of Officer Ashley Marie Guindon and its Student Services Center in honor of Lillian Orlich.

News

NOVA Community College to have mostly virtual learning for fall

By Gianna Jirak

Published June 10, 2020 at 10:15AM | Updated June 29, 2022 at 8:00AM

Northern Virginia Community College Manassas Campus.

Northern Virginia Community College classes are going to start on time, but for the most part, they will not in-person.

In a statement on June 8 made by the college’s president, Anne M. Kress, it was announced that the college’s classes would begin as scheduled on August 24 and be “offered in [NOVA’s] approved distance-learning formats, with the majority being offered either through NOVA Online or through synchronous delivery via Zoom.”

Prince William

Prince William County Schools expected to head back to class in August

By Gianna Jirak

Published June 7, 2020 at 9:20PM | Updated June 8, 2020 at 1:44PM

Prince William County Schools (PWCS) students should expect to go back to the classroom bright and early in August, as in a recent press release it was signaled that schools will be reopening on time for in-person learning.

School buildings across the state have been shuttered since mid-March when Gov. Ralph Northam ordered schools closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The move forced school divisions to shift their educational efforts solely online.

Photos: Protestors on Prince William Parkway in Woodbridge

By Gianna Jirak

Published June 7, 2020 at 12:07AM | Updated June 7, 2020 at 4:09PM

Photo: Gianna Jirak

Protestors walked from Liberia Avenue in Manassas to Woodbridge on Saturday under the hot summer sun to protest the death of Minneapolis resident George Floyd, who died during an arrest attempt by a former police officer now charged in his death.

These photos were shot at about 5 p.m. Saturday, June 6, 2020.

Prince William

Prince William schools superintendent calls for renaming of Stonewall Jackson middle, high schools, banning Confederate flag

By Gianna Jirak

Published June 5, 2020 at 7:27PM | Updated June 6, 2020 at 4:05AM

The school year is nearly over, and Prince William County Schools (PWCS) Superintendent Dr. Steven L. Walts is calling for some major changes.

In a June 5 email to all PWCS staff, parents, students, Dr. Walts laid out his ‘action plan to combat racism,’ calling on the email recipients to actively pursue diversity and equity for the school division’s more than 91,500 students and to be vigilant in promoting antiracism.

Features

Prince William animal shelter sees uptick in adoptions, fewer surrendered animals

By Gianna Jirak

Published June 5, 2020 at 10:26AM

While the world may seem chaotic during coronavirus pandemic, there is a little bit of good news when it comes to animals that need our help.

The Prince William County Animal Shelter’s adoption rate is up 70%, a 28% increase from last year, according to Jeremy Beale, a spokesman for the Prince William County Animal Control Bureau. There is no way to tell why adoptions have increased, but the new coronavirus may have something to do with it.

Prince William

Prince William police contracts with outside firm to improve diversity

By Gianna Jirak

Published June 3, 2020 at 12:41PM

The Prince William County Police Department aims to diversify its ranks.

The department, in conjunction with the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), is requesting input from the community on how to improve diversity in recruiting and hiring. The current demographics of the department are as follows: 76% White, 8% African-American, 11% Hispanic, 3% Asian, and 2% other.

Prince William

Portions of Sudley Road Closed due to protests

By Gianna Jirak

Published June 2, 2020 at 9:52PM | Updated June 3, 2020 at 2:27PM

It’s not the best time to be traveling around Manassas.

Sudley Road in the area of Sudley Manor Drive was closed about 8:45 p.m. ‘out of an abundance of caution’ due to nearby protests, according to a Facebook post from the Prince William County Police Department. Additional road closures can be expected, as the protestors are moving toward I-66.