PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Moncure Elementary
Moncure Elementary welcomed the following new staff members: Heather Byrd, Lynn Caulfield, Monic Escamilla, Dorian Leaman, Ashley Lockwood and Karina Rothenberger.
The PTO is sponsoring a Yankee Candle fundraiser. Information will be sent home on Thursday.
Back-to-School Night is Sept. 15 for kindergarten at 6 p.m., second grade at 6:45 p.m., and fourth grade at 7:30 p.m. Back-to-School Night will be Sept. 17 for first grade at 6 p.m., third grade at 6:45 p.m., and fifth grade at 7:30 p.m. Teachers will be sharing important information about the new school year.
--Diane Morris
Rockhill Elementary
Bob Faychak, ESL teacher is PTO Employee of the Month. The school welcomes new staff member Theresa Haniford.
Rockhill will commemorate Sept. 11 with Red, White, and Blue Day and special activities including a performance of the National Anthem by teachers Kim Nye and Kara List.
School dismisses at 1 p.m. Sept. 30 for teacher in-service.
--Marilyn Butters
Gayle Middle
Field hockey and football tryouts will start tomorrow, 3-5 p.m. Students must have a physical on file to try out for athletics. They will need to be dressed for activity, have water, and a ride at the circle at 5 p.m. Tryouts are closed to the public, so parents need to pick students up at 5 p.m.
The cost of the game ticket now is $2 for students and $2 for adults.
--Bet Fitzgerald
A. G. Wright Middle
Office manager Marie Jackson is new to the school but has worked for Stafford County Public Schools for 17 years. She was previously employed at Hartwood Elementary School.
There are three new P.E. teachers--Jeff Utegg, from Fredonia, N.Y., will also be coaching football and track. John, "J.B." Bryant, who last taught at King George High School, will serve as athletic director, assistant football coach, and head basketball coach. First-year teacher Elizabeth Cohen, who is from Richmond, will also coach field hockey and girls basketball.
The two new special educators are both first-year teachers. Stephanie Valletta is a native of Syracuse, N.Y., and Colleen Niepokoj is from Loudoun County. Sue Weston has joined the staff as the librarian. Originally from Long Island, N.Y., Weston most recently worked in Florida.
Friday will be First Friday for sixth-graders from 5 to 6:30 p.m. This social event will give the newest middle-schoolers and their families the opportunity to meet and picnic with other Tigers. The first PTO-sponsored dance is Sept. 25, from 3:15 to 5 p.m. for sixth-graders and from 6 to 8 p.m. for seventh- and eighth-graders.
--Bridgett Roos
PRIVATE SCHOOLS
Fredericksburg Academy
Upper-school students attended the student-led overnight retreat on Thursday and Friday. Held at various spots, including the school campus, downtown Fredericksburg and the Virginia Outdoor Center, the retreat featured team-building activities and presentations by student groups. Held each September, the event reaffirms the culture and community of the upper school.
The admission office is holding an open house today for prospective prekindergarten through 12th-grade students and their families. Stop by between 9 and 11 a.m. to tour campus and see the teachers and students in action.
Student picture day is Wednesday. All students in prekindergarten through 11th grade will have their photos taken for the yearbook.
Thursday, parents of middle- and upper-school students will have a chance to go back to school. Middle and Upper School Back-to-School Night will be held at 7 p.m. and will allow parents to visit each of their child's classes. This event is for parents and guardians, not students. Lower School Back-to-School Night will be held Sept. 17.
The College Application Workshop, for seniors and their parents, is Sunday at 7 p.m. in the Reed Theater.
A meeting for parents of eighth-grade students interested in participating in the Global Explorers cultural immersion and service program is at 7 p.m. Monday.
--Beth Hunley
St. Michael the Archangel High
St. Michael's welcomed 26 new students Aug. 24, including 22 ninth-graders, the largest freshman class in the school's four-year history. Principal J.B. Watters announced the promotion of Roy Delaney, previously athletic director and a recently retired officer of the U.S. Marine Corps, to vice principal. Delaney will be responsible for discipline, student development, recruiting and facilities management, in addition to his continued responsibility for athletics and physical-education management. Watters also announced the hiring of Ruth Dale, a veteran instructor of foreign language, as a French and Spanish teacher.
Construction is now complete on the 6,000 square feet of new academic space, which includes seven new classrooms and dedicated locker areas for all students. In addition, St. Michael's has added a dedicated virtual lab, a move that enables the school to offer nearly 40 new online courses, including more than 20 Advanced Placement sections, to enhance the curriculum.
The 2009-2010 "Culture of Life Speaker Series" will kick off Sept. 24 with Theresa Deisher, founder and CEO of AVM Biotechnology, who will speak on stem-cell research/iPS. Deisher is an internationally renowned anti-abortion biomedical researcher, stem-cell scientist, guest lecturer and educator with more than 22 patents. All are welcome to attend these lectures, however, an RSVP is required at 540/548-8748.
The PTO will host its first Calendar Dinner Dance Oct. 16 at the school. Themed meals from January through December, including Cinco de Mayo fiesta and football tailgate for May and September, will be served. Tickets are $45 per person, or $80 per couple, and reservations are being accepted through Oct. 1. Contact Carol Schelke at 540/419-2858, or
Email: clsjpspms@comcast.net.
--Theresa M. Vivona