(continued from page 5) Another very important and extremely popular special program in all three school districts is the robotics program.
Photo courtesy VMDO Architects/Sam Kittner
“is program is really booming,” said Cromer. “We began with one high school robotics team a few years back, and now have several schools with teams that compete at the international level. We then included robotics in the middle school curriculum, and have award-winning middle school robotics teams. Now we are introducing robotics at the elementary school level as a club activity.” e robotics program also includes an underwater program called SeaPerch, in which students from all three public school districts are allowed to take part. “It cuts across school divisions,” said McDade. “It’s part of the systemic solutions platform by which we are able to work together.” e underwater program was introduced to county schools three years ago and is offered thanks to funding assistance of business partners. McDade is extremely proud of the fact that “this year the (SeaPerch) competition between four high schools was held at the Manassas Park Community Center,” he said. “Business partners have helped expand robotics by providing funding for expansion of after-school club offerings to include FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL) in 38 elementary schools, VEX robotics in 22 middle and high schools, and FIRST robotics in three high schools,” Cromer said. “Support of time, money, and resources from business partners have allowed PWCS to double the program impact over the past two years.” e curriculum developed for the FLL program crosses academic boundaries by addressing 85 of Virginia’s Standards of Learning in four core areas. e (FLL) is a program created to get children interested in and excited about science, research and technology. It involves children working in teams and eventually building a robot that carries out some sort of a mission within a certain time limit. e FLL tournament takes place once a year. is year the tournament was held on Saturday, May 14, at Osbourn Park High School in Manassas, where 450 fourth- and fifth-graders participated at the first FIRST LEGO League Fun Day.
Private School Options ere are more and more private schools opening up in the county, providing more and more options for parents and their children. St. omas Aquinas has an approximate enrollment of 520 students in Pre-K through eighth grade. e school, located at 13750 Mary’s Way in Woodbridge, is a Catholic elementary school run by the Dominican Sisters of the St. Cecilia Congregation of Nashville, Tenn. “e intention of the Aquinas faculty and staff is to encourage students to stretch their minds through not only a challenging curriculum, but through providing an environment that instills the learning of essential moral values,” said Veronica Prudencio, development director at St. Aquinas. “is allows students to reach their fullest potential and instills the desire to contribute the most
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they can to society while considering others needs. “At Aquinas we understand that all students vary in their needs at different times,” Prudencio continued. Special programs are included in the curriculum to help each child reach their full potential individually. Such programs include the St. Albert the Great Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) program, a program the school partnered with the John Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY) to pilot and implement. It is available for fifth through eighth grade students who pass the entrance test. e Math Enrichment and Student Support (MESS) program is a program for students gifted in mathematics but who did not qualify for the STEM program. MESS is available to students in grades five through eight. “Many different educational tools are utilized including computers, calculators, games, and manipulatives,” said Prudencio. “e student support component of MESS helps students who are struggling with a particular math concept. Acceptance into this program is based on teacher recommendations, Math and Terra Nova test scores, a student contract and parental consent. Students work in small groups to successfully master difficult math concepts.” Middle school students who score in the 95th percentile or higher at St. omas Aquinas are invited into join the Language Arts Enrichment Program. Other programs include the resource program and a household program. In the household program, children visit local nursing homes, organize food pantry drives, develop interviewing skills, and participate in classes on etiquette and manners. St. omas Aquinas has been honored by the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY) Program as one of Virginia’s Top 100 Schools. Both the teachers and students have been commended for their many accomplishments and achievements. Located on Commission Court in Lake Ridge, Prince William Academy, with an enrollment of about 150, is a small private school that provides an education for preschoolers through eighth