On Sunday, January 31, the Catholic Diocese of Arlington begins celebrating National Catholic Schools Week (January 31–February 6).
The annual celebration, sponsored by the National Catholic Educational Association, is meant to highlight the unique role of Catholic schools in providing exceptional instruction rooted in the Catholic Faith.
This year’s theme is “Catholic Schools: Faith. Excellence. Service.” See photo of third graders at St. Mark Catholic School in Vienna.
“Our Catholic schools in the Diocese of Arlington are characterized by their strong Catholic identity and commitment to excellence in education. Each school is unique and inspiring in its own way, and I am proud to say that each is a thriving community of faith,” said Bishop Michael F. Burbidge, Catholic Diocese of Arlington. “We know this year has been particularly challenging for our teachers, administrators, parents and students. Together with the pastors of our diocese, I thank everyone associated with our Catholic schools for their ongoing, steadfast commitment to the students during these difficult times. I also express appreciation to our pastors who continue to be strong spiritual guides and leaders of our schools. Our school communities are full of faithful servants, helping children to grow in faith and the love of God, while encouraging them to use their gifts to glorify the Lord and serve our brothers and sisters in most need. Through their efforts, we have seen the light of Christ shine through the darkness.”
During Catholic Schools Week, Catholic schools across the Diocese take the opportunity to undertake special initiatives for the community. A number of schools, including Holy Cross Academy (grades K-8) in Fredericksburg, and Holy Spirit Catholic School (grades K-8) in Annandale, are showing their appreciation for community first responders (police, fire, EMT, medical professionals, and, at Holy Spirit, military personnel) through videos, cards and care packages.
“This year, we celebrate Catholic Schools Week at a unique time. Catholic Schools in the Diocese have demonstrated incredible flexibility and creativity over the past year, ensuring our ability to continue offering in-person instruction in a variety of models across the Diocese. And, with the announcement of St. Isidore fully virtual school, we were also able to ensure the needs of families preferring fully virtual learning were met,” said Dr. Joseph Vorbach III, Superintendent of Catholic Schools. “I thank all in our school communities for their commitment to Catholic education, and I look forward to celebrating our schools and the rich opportunities to grow in faith and knowledge that exist in Catholic education.”
More than 70 percent of Catholic schools in the Diocese have been recognized as Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education. Standardized test scores demonstrate that students in Catholic schools within the Diocese score well above national averages. This year, all 41 brick-and-mortar Catholic schools in the Diocese, which serve 17,000 students, reopened in the fall for either safe-distance full-time in-person instruction or a hybrid of in-person instruction and e-Learning.
To identify which states’ workforces are experiencing the quickest recovery from COVID-19, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across three metrics based on changes in unemployment claims.
Despite the fact that the U.S. has been dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic for over a year, new unemployment claims decreased week-over-week on January 18 and were 88% below the peak during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Change in Virginia Weekly Unemployment Claims (1=Quickest Recovery, 25=Avg.):
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Novant Health UVA Health System, Prince William County Public Schools, Manassas City Public Schools, and Manassas Park City Schools today announced that the health system would vaccinate employees of the three area public school districts.
Starting in February, Novant Health UVA Health System anticipates receiving a weekly allotment of 2,925 doses of the Pfizer BioNTech-COVID-19 vaccine from the Prince William Health District, based on an agreement reached on Jan. 22. This weekly allotment will supply vaccination clinics for employees of Manassas City Public Schools, Manassas Park City Schools, and any Prince William County Public Schools employees who were not vaccinated at earlier clinics.
Novant Health UVA Health System has already vaccinated approximately 760 high-risk employees of Prince William County Public Schools with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine through clinics that took place at Novant Health UVA Health System Prince William Medical Center on Jan. 23 and Jan. 24.
An additional 2,400 Prince William County, Public Schools employees, will be vaccinated with the health system’s existing Moderna COVID-19 vaccine supply during clinics planned for Saturday, Jan. 30, and Sunday, Jan. 31, at Unity Reed High School.
Locally, Novant Health / UVA Health System operates Prince William and Haymarket medical centers in Manassas and Haymarket, respectively.
Employees of Manassas City Public Schools and Manassas Park City Schools have been invited to attend a vaccine clinic at Unity Reed High School on Sunday, Feb. 7, to receive their first dose of the Pfizer BioNTech-COVID-19 vaccine. Novant Health UVA Health System will have the supply and capacity to inoculate 1,837 employees of the two school districts, should every employee choose to receive the vaccine.
Due to the large population size, Prince William County Public Schools has led efforts to prioritize its employees based on highest risk. The organizations estimate it will take a minimum of four to five weeks to inoculate all 11,700 Prince William County Public Schools employees with their first dose.
Weekly numbers and timelines could change, as future vaccination clinics are entirely dependent on the allocation of vaccines from the Virginia Department of Health and Prince William Health District to Novant Health UVA Health System. The vaccination program is also reliant on the availability of school nurses and non-clinical staff to support the clinics alongside Novant Health UVA Health System staff.
Locally, Novant Health / UVA Health System operates Prince William and Haymarket medical centers in Manassas and Haymarket, respectively.
Recordation Tax Distribution Amendments
Last year, the General Assembly made changes in the collection and distribution of state transportation revenues, reducing the state recordation tax's total local government allocation by $20 million. By state code, localities may use their state recordation tax allocation for either transportation or education purposes. The change in state law resulted in reducing approximately $900,000 to the County's Transportation Fund. Stafford is lobbying for restoring the local recordation tax allocation.
Public Day School Funding
The General Assembly is requested to provide additional state-support funding for a community-based, therapeutic public day program. Stafford County Government and Stafford County Public Schools have long operated a public day school program within our school system. The program allows students to require services through the Virginia Children's Services Act to be educated within their local public school system. Presently, the Commonwealth of Virginia does not allow for the use of Children's Services Act Funds in the public school setting. Through this program, Stafford has documented a potential cost savings of 40% per participant versus private placements outside the County. To date, the General Assembly has not adopted policy changes to mitigate rising CSA costs and support students' education within their home community.
Study on the Impact of Disabled Veterans Tax Relief Expense on Localities
Stafford is requesting that the state, through the commission on local government, study the impact of the disabled veterans' tax relief expenses on localities. While Stafford is honored to participate, the state did not sufficiently examine the fiscal implications for local governments after they passed the program. As a result, local governments have funded this program entirely through their real estate tax bases. Increasing costs, enrollment, and demand for this program in Stafford County have significantly impacted the County's real estate tax base. Stafford fully supports the program but believes the Virginia General Assembly must evaluate local governments' budgetary impacts.
