News

Belmont Elementary Named National ESEA Distinguished School

By Jazbia Chaudhry

The Virginia Department of Education has selected Greendale Elementary School in Washington County and Belmont Elementary School in Prince William County as Virginia’s two 2024 ESEA Distinguished Schools.

Recognized for exceptional student performance for two consecutive years, Washington County’s Greendale Elementary School made noteworthy gains in reading and science SOL scores, improving by nine and fourteen points respectively in the last year. The school implemented key literacy initiatives, such as targeted reading interventions, an open library, and ongoing professional development for school staff. The school also focused on data driven instruction such as formative and summative assessments to guide differentiation; explicit teaching with clear demonstrations and guided practice; tailored instruction for personalized interventions; and small group instruction and remediation.

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Manassas Park Teen Charged with Armed Robbery, Assault in Stafford

By Jazbia Chaudhry

An 18-year-old Manassas Park man was arrested after an assault and robbery at gunpoint that took place late last week.

On November 14th at approximately 12:56 a.m. Deputy R.A. Kehoe responded to Shasta Place for a previously occurred robbery. It was advised a male and female were robbed at gunpoint and the male victim had to be taken to the hospital due to his injuries during the incident. Deputy Kehoe would make contact with the victims to discover what occurred.

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Nights at the Museum: A Unique Learning Experience for Local Teachers

By Kelly Sienkowski

The National Museum of the Marine Corps (NMMC) is offering a professional development opportunity for local teachers through its Nights at the Museum program. This innovative series, led by the Museum’s Teachers in Residence, Katie Malec of Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) and Christine Russ of Stafford County Public Schools (SCPS), aims to deepen educators’ understanding of the United States Marine Corps history and its role in shaping America.

Malec said these quarterly evening events “provide a rewarding experience that brings history to life.” Malec is in her second year as a Teacher in Residence after 17 years of teaching 7th-grade U.S. history. Russ has over 23 years of teaching preschool through sixth grade and this is her first year as Teacher in Residence. Malec said the two work as a team to “empower educators with tools and primary sources that make history relevant and engaging for their students.” The program’s goal is to “promote United States Marine Corps history and its contributions in creating, developing, and defending our country.”

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Affordable Housing, Judicial Center Expansion, and New Homes on Agenda for Prince William Supervisors

By Potomac Local News

The Prince William Board of County Supervisors will address three significant topics during their meeting on Tuesday, November 19, 2024, reflecting a focus on housing, infrastructure, and community development.

This initiative aligns with the county’s efforts to address housing affordability while considering infrastructure capacity.

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Stafford’s Courthouse Gets a Face-Lift

By Aya Karouane

Stafford County has installed temporary fencing at the Stafford Courthouse for routine maintenance, including painting and window repairs, as part of responsible stewardship of the historic structure. The courthouse, designated as a Historic Resource Overlay District, is subject to protective zoning regulations, and any major exterior changes require approval from the Stafford County Architectural Review Board. The courthouse refresh comes as Stafford Supervisors debate spending $209 million on a new courthouse

Press Release from Stafford County:

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River Crossing Parkway Study Open House November 20

By Potomac Local News
Photo: VDOT

Press release:

Fredericksburg Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (FAMPO) is working towards an eventual National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) certification for a river crossing bridge and parkway west of I-95, across the Rappahannock River. This new crossing would provide direct access between Stafford County and the City of Fredericksburg West of I-95 and help offer a more reliable transportation network, including more north/south routes for local traffic and additional routes for emergency responders, transit, and bicycle/pedestrian users, while reducing everyday reliance of trips accessing the I-95 corridor.

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Meet the Principal: Q+A with Weems Elementary’s Michele Hupman

By Caitlyn Meisner

Welcome (or welcome back) to a Potomac Local News series, “Meet the Principal.”

We started this series at the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year with the nearly two dozen new principals in Prince William County Schools, but now let’s turn our attention to the new and existing Manassas City Public Schools principals. Potomac Local has asked each principal the same questions in bold, and their respective answers will be found below.

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