Swan's Creek Elementary School on Wayside Drive in Southbridge, opened on SEP 4, 2001
Education/Training
- There is a new Catholic high school, Pope John Paul the Great High School, being built near Southbridge which due to open this fall. Come check it out!
- The web site for the new Swan's Creek School at located at: Swan's Creek School. The school is due to open on September 4, 2001. The Principal is Barry Rosenberg who can be reached at rsnbergb@pwcs.edu. The current number is (703) 445-0930. Go Swans!
- The three Prince William County Schools which current provide Southbridge's children with education can be reached at the following web sites:
- The Prince William County School System can be reached at: http://www.pwcs.edu
- (5/17/2006) The Washington Post reports on the debates regarding the education budget in Prince William County:
- (9/4/2006) The Potomac News announces the groundbreaking of the new Catholic high school at Harbor Station:
Potomac News Online | Groundbreaking set for Catholic school
- (3/30/2006) The Potomac News reports on developments with the new Catholic high school on Cherry Hill:
Potomac News Online | Catholic school moves forward
- (1/30/2006) The Potomac News reports on the naming of local schools including the new Potomac Middle School:
Potomac News Online | Committees pick names for schools
- (1/18/2005) The Potomac News reports on the county's proposal to expand all-day Kindergarten classes:
Potomac News Online | County considers expanding full-day kindergarten
- (12/4/2002) The Washington Post reports on the PWC Board of Education's decision to re-examine the possibility of opening charter schools with the county.
Washington Post - Board Support for Charters Four Years in the Making
- (6/30/2002) The Washington Post reports on the new school boundaries for the area:
- (6/30/2002) The PWC School Superintendent gets a raise and NewsChannel 8 reports on it:
- (2/7/2002) The Washington Post has details about next year's education budget for Prince William County:
- (9/6/2001) The Potomac News has the following article about the first ever day of school at Swans Creek Elementary School:
Swan's Creek Elementary School opens for first day of classes - Potomac News Online
- The following are recent Washington Post articles on the growth of the local school system:
- -(5/4/2001)
Pr. William Schools Named for Wetlands, Trees
By Christina A. Samuels, Washington Post Staff Writer, Thursday, April 26, 2001; Page B02
The Prince William County School Board decided last night to follow the recommendation of a parents committee and name two new elementary schools for nearby geographical features, despite lobbying in behalf of county personalities. The decision highlighted something of a fault line between longtime Prince William residents and the many newcomers to the fast-growing county. Many of the new arrivals, unfamiliar with county lore and tradition, have expressed preference for school names linked to their neighborhoods or subdivisions.
The new elementary school in the eastern end of the county near Dumfries will be called Swans Creek, a name borrowed from protected wetlands nearby. A western elementary school will be called Cedar Point after nearby cedar trees.
Family and friends of Raymond "Cousin Ray" Woolfenden, a country music radio station owner and on-air personality, lobbied for naming the eastern school for him. Others wanted the western school to be named for Ila J. Breeden, who taught in the county from the 1920s through the 1950s. Both groups collected hundreds of signatures. Hoping to ward off trouble, School Board members said they would like to see school features, such as auditoriums and libraries, named after notable community members.
Board member Steven Keen (Woodbridge) asked the staff to come up with a list of school facilities that could be named after county luminaries, saying he could envision a yearly ceremony honoring them, while leaving school names to the parents committee. Some Breeden and Woolfenden supporters were still disappointed.
"I knew it was an uphill battle," said Daniel Berrios, a nephew of Woolfenden's by marriage. "I would like to see some follow-through from [board members]. They should have a running list of people of merit." However, Helen Graves, a former student of Breeden's, said it would be appropriate to name a school library for her former teacher, who spent part of her long career as a remedial reading teacher. "For a second choice, it's better than nothing," Graves said.
- (4/9/2001) The following article came from the Washington Post:
Schools Put Va. Chapel Off-Limits
Board Cites Rejection Of Interfaith CeremonyBy Christina A. Samuels, Washington Post Staff Writer, Saturday, April 7, 2001; Page B01
A Christian events chapel is off-limits for Prince William County high school graduation ceremonies and other events, school officials ruled this week, after the chapel declined to host an interfaith service for graduating seniors. Potomac and Brentsville District high schools had planned to hold their graduations at the Hylton Memorial Chapel Events Center and will have to make other arrangements.
The private facility, which seats 4,000 and is named for Prince William developer Cecil B. Hylton, does not house a congregation but is used for a variety of religious and community events. For the third year in a row, volunteers had planned a joint religious service, or baccalaureate, at Hylton Chapel. But when chapel officials learned that a rabbi and a Muslim layperson would be part of the service, they balked, saying that a ceremony including non-Christian elements was not allowed under the chapel's charter.
Organizers found another site for the baccalaureate, but the controversy prompted school officials to take further steps. The decision to put Hylton Chapel off-limits for school functions does not pit the schools against the chapel, said School Superintendent Edward L. Kelly. "The Hylton Chapel has been a supporter of the community and a supporter of the school division in many circumstances. But we think that our children, whether they be a Christian or a Jewish child or a Muslim child, need to feel comfortable. "The issue of principle is more important than convenience," Kelly continued.
The decision will apply to future events as well, Kelly said. The school system has held or co-sponsored several events at the chapel. The Rev. Shelby Boldt, director of the chapel, did not return a telephone call seeking comment.
Rabbi Jonathan R. Katz, who will officiate during part of the baccalaureate, which was relocated to Christ Chapel in Woodbridge, said yesterday that he was gratified by the School Board's decision. "I think it was appropriate," he said. School Board member Lyle G. Beefelt (Brentsville) said he had been leaning toward allowing graduations to proceed at the chapel because invitations have been printed and the schools would have to change in a matter of weeks. However, at a Wednesday board meeting, a member of Katz's congregation addressed the board on the issue, and Beefelt said he began to change his mind. "When the lady said, 'You shouldn't have to go to your graduation and feel that you're unwelcome,' that was just putting it on those human terms," Beefelt said.
The School Board discussed the matter behind closed doors and directed Kelly to put the chapel off-limits for school functions because its charter does not conform to the schools' nondiscrimination policy. Jack Parker, principal of Potomac High, said he announced the change yesterday and did not receive any complaints.
Many students prefer to graduate at their school anyway, Parker said. He said the company that printed the invitations has agreed to print change of venue cards at no cost to the students. "I'm hoping that [chapel officials] will change their policy," Parker said. "It really is a great community center."
- Boundaries Altered to Move Students to 2 New Schools
By Christina A. Samuels, Washington Post, Sunday, March 4, 2001; Page PW13
The Prince William County School Board unanimously approved recommended boundaries last week for two new elementary schools intended to ease crowding in the county.
The Braemar school, at 12601 Braemar Pkwy., and the Southbridge school, 17700 Wayside Dr., will open in the fall. The schools have yet to be formally named.
The Southbridge school will take most of its students from Leesylvania and River Oaks elementaries. It will draw 41 students from Dumfries Elementary, according to next year's estimates. It also will serve the planned development in Cherry Hill.
The Braemar school will take 344 students from Bristow Run Elementary, according to estimates. The boundary proposal will also shift 137 students from Mountain View Elementary to Tyler Elementary, 161 students from Tyler to Sinclair Elementary and 75 students from Tyler to the new school.
Some residents in the Bristow Run attendance area were concerned that the boundaries would leave their school crowded again in only a few years. But school officials said another western-area elementary school in the Dominion Valley development would ease crowding when it opens in 2003.
- Church Favors Cherry Hill for High School
By Christina A. Samuels, Washington Post Staff Writer, Sunday, February 25, 2001; Page PW01
The Southbridge at Cherry Hill development along the Route 1 corridor may become home to the first new Catholic high school to open in the Diocese of Arlington since 1983. The diocese owns a 40-acre parcel in the new Cherry Hill development, which will include 2,500 homes, 3 million square feet of commercial space and an 18-hole golf course. The entire Southbridge at Cherry Hill project is scheduled to be built in stages over 20 years.
The diocese is also looking at land in southeastern Loudoun County, near the western borders of Fairfax and Prince William counties, for another school. Which high school is built first depends on the amount of community support and charitable donations received, said Tom Fadoul, general counsel for the diocese. The diocese will create a fundraising organization soon, he said. Construction could start soon after that. Fadoul described the Southbridge site as "nicely situated near the town center. We're really going to be a jewel in the crown there."
Prince William plans to open an elementary school in the Southbridge area in the fall. In addition, another public high school and elementary school are tentatively scheduled to open in fall 2004 in the eastern end of the county.
The diocese, like the public school system, has targeted areas of high population growth. That factor attracted the diocese to the Southbridge location as well as the Loudoun location. "Several years ago, we identified [Southbridge] as a superior site for a new Catholic high school," Fadoul said. Its location would draw students from Prince William and Stafford counties, and a proposed railway station nearby would useful for students commuting from farther south, Fadoul said.
The area has other Catholic high schools, notably Seton School in Manassas, which serves grades 7 through 12. But Seton is not run by the diocese, Fadoul said. The only diocesan high schools are Bishop Ireton in Alexandria, Bishop O'Connell in Arlington and Paul IV in Fairfax City, which opened in 1983.
The diocese of Arlington, which covers Northern Virginia, has 45 schools and about 15,000 students. However, all of those schools have waiting lists and are "bursting at the seams," Fadoul said. Students from as far away as Winchester travel to Fairfax City to attend Paul IV, Fadoul said.
The Southbridge school would house 1,000 to 1,500 students, comparable to the other diocesan high schools, Fadoul said. The building is expected to cost about $30 million. The diocese has had to keep up with rising enrollment just as the local public school districts have, Fadoul said. The diocese has dropped the number of non-Catholics enrolled from 11 percent to about 8 percent over the past five years to give preference to the large number of Catholic applicants. Bishop Paul S. Loverde has a strong commitment to building new schools, said Fadoul, who has worked under three bishops. "Without a doubt," Fadoul said, "Bishop Loverde's commitment to education is unsurpassed by any bishop I know."
- Veteran Principals to Head County's 2 New Schools
By Christina A. Samuels, Washington Post Staff Writer, Wednesday, December 20, 2000 ; Page T03
Principals have been appointed to two yet-unnamed Prince William County elementary schools scheduled to open next year. Occoquan Elementary Principal D. Michael Drummond will lead a 840-student school scheduled to open in the Braemar neighborhood in western Prince William. Enterprise Elementary Principal Barry Rosenberg will become principal of a 640-student school in the Southbridge neighborhood. Drummond and Rosenberg said they were excited about the opportunity to build a school community.
"It's the process of really bringing something into creation that hasn't been there before," said Drummond, 37, who has been at Occoquan since 1998. "To me, that is the biggest and greatest part of the experience, having the opportunity to connect with the community." Rosenberg, 46, who has been at Enterprise since 1991, said he has learned a lot from his current school's parents. "I take a lot from this community. This has been a wonderful learning experience for me," Rosenberg said.
Drummond is moving from the oldest school in the county to one of the newest. Occoquan was built in 1927, serving as a elementary, middle and high school over its history. During Drummond's tenure, the school has upgraded its computer laboratories and textbooks, said PTA President Jeanette Brenton. "At school events, you always see a presence, either him or Brenda Callahan, his assistant," she said. "He's made a point of listening to what we've had to say." Sandy Long, president of the PTA at Enterprise, said she hates to see Rosenberg leave. "One of his biggest strengths is the kids. He's very good with them," said Long, who has seen Rosenberg greet the 500-plus students at Enterprise by name. "They're not just his students, they're little people. We will miss him."
Drummond received an bachelor's degree in music education from James Madison University in 1986 and a master's in education from JMU a year later. He completed his doctoral work in education at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 1997. He has taught at Yorkshire and Mullen elementary schools and was assistant principal at Antietam and Potomac View elementaries.
Rosenberg received a bachelor's in elementary education from Keene State College in New Hampshire in 1977 and a master's from the University of Virginia in 1981. He has also been principal of Gainesville Elementary School.
Committees are still working on boundaries and names for the two new schools. The Braemar school is expected to draw students from Bristow Run, Tyler and Mountain View elementaries. One potential boundary plan also would affect students at Sinclair, Sudley and Westgate elementaries. The Southbridge school will draw students from Leesylvania, River Oaks and Dumfries elementaries.
The school system is seeking suggestions for school names. Ideas should be submitted to: Community Relations Office, Prince William County Public Schools, P.O. Box 389, Manassas, Va. 20108; by e-mail to williamb@pwcs.edu; or by fax to 703-791-8842. The deadline is Jan. 15.
- Schools Reflect County's Diversity
By Christina A. Samuels, Washington Post Staff Writer, Sunday , October 22, 2000 ; Page V01
In September 1999, the minority population of the 55,000-student school district was about 40.5 percent, and this year the minority population is about 42.5 percent--an increase equivalent to 1,995 new minority children. The proportion of white students in the school system dropped slightly, even though their overall numbers increased by 181 students. White students now make up 57.5 percent of Prince William's school population.
"We're not the same community that we were 10 to 12 years ago, and we're not the same school system that we were 10 to 12 years ago," Superintendent Edward L. Kelly said.
The county, which is required to count its students every year by Sept. 30, released information on minority enrollment at a recent School Board meeting.
The sharpest increases were in the enrollment of Hispanic students. There are 5,799 enrolled in Prince William Schools this year, compared with 4,878 in 1999. That 921-student increase is equivalent to a nearly 19 percent bump in the Hispanic population.
Black student enrollment increased from 12,908 to 13,648, a 5.7 percent increase from 1999, while Asian students increased from 2,350 to 2,528, a 7.6 percent increase. White student enrollment increased from 31,479 students to 31,660 students, an increase of only 0.6 percent.
The changes also can be seen at individual schools. Last year, 23 out of 61 schools had populations that were more than half minority; this year, 29 out of 63 schools do. (Two new schools, Forest Park High and Benton Middle, opened this year, as did Signal Hill Elementary, a replacement school for Parkside Elementary.)
Other school districts in the area also have seen changes. Just last week in Maryland, Montgomery County released figures that showed that no racial group has the majority in its schools. In Fairfax County, the minority population was just over 40 percent last year.
The diversity "is part of our opportunity, and our challenge," Kelly said. "I think it reflects the strength of our country. It means we're not isolated from one another."
But at the same time, having increasing numbers of minority students can mean some dollars-and-cents issues as more teachers are needed to teach students for whom English is not their first language, Kelly said.
Prince William has made some strides in hiring minority teachers and other employees, especially Hispanics. The white employee population is 79.5 percent. Last year, the white employee population was 81 percent.
"We need to be, as best we can, a mirror image of what our community is," said Lucy S. Beauchamp, School Board chairman. However, she added, "it's not as important to hire the Hispanic teacher as it is to hire the very best teachers we can find."
- More Students Than Expected Fill Classrooms
By Christina A. Samuels, Washington Post Staff Writer, Saturday , October 7, 2000 ; Page V01
Prince William County Schools have enrolled almost 900 more students this year than officials estimated, an unexpected jump that will mean difficult decisions in the next few weeks as the yearly budget process begins.
The growth is seen across all grade levels, but the schools that serve fast-growing areas such as the Linton Hall and Southbridge developments are the ones especially straining to handle the influx. River Oaks Elementary in Woodbridge, for example, was projected to enroll 750 students this year. It now has 910 students in a a building designed to accommodate 565, Principal Joyce Sigmundsson said.
"We have lots of wonderful children," Sigmundsson said. The school is adding a seventh trailer and reconfiguring rooms to accommodate new classes. It's hiring a teacher for its sixth classroom of first-graders, and parents have volunteered to help with clerical work.
"We were monitoring our enrollment closely, and we were fine up until the last week of August, first week of September," Sigmundsson said.
Then, the parents started showing up in droves. "They were lined up at the counter," she said.
The school system based its estimates, in part, on the number of homes projected to be built in the county. Last year, it was already a high number--3,300 new units. Robert Ferrebee, associate superintendent for management, said the school system believed higher interest rates would keep people from buying homes so quickly and slow the county's growth rate.
It didn't work out that way. About 4,400 new housing units opened, and the difference accounts for about 600 children, Ferrebee said. In addition, the number of children per household in the county increased enough to account for another 200 school-age children, Ferrebee said. The school system projections did not take that population increase into effect.
The remaining hundred or so students is within the usual margin of error for such projections, Ferrebee said. "It's not a science, it's an art."
The budget will have enough money for the $5 million to $6 million in extra costs resulting from the population growth, Ferrebee told the County School Board on Wednesday. In addition, two elementary schools will open in the Southbridge and Braemar neighborhoods next fall, relieving some pressure on crowded conditions there. The Braemar area school will likely draw students from Bristow Run, Mountain View and Tyler elementaries, and the Southbridge area school will probably pull students from River Oaks, Leesylvania and Dumfries.
But even the new schools may be close to capacity when they open, so the School Board may have to speed or shift the construction of new schools and the renovation of older facilities. After Braemar, the next western area elementary school won't open until 2005 under current plans.
"Financially, we'll be able to handle it this year," Ferrebee said. "There could be a revenue problem in future years."