Lyles-Crouch Traditional Academy is one of 70 Virginia schools to be recognized as a 2017 Virginia Naturally School by the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries with support from the Department of Education.
The school was recognized for increasing the environmental awareness of students and encouraging environmental stewardship during the 2016-17 school year. This is the second year Lyles-Crouch has received this award, along with a pennant featuring one of Virginia’s state symbols to hang in the school.
The award highlights the efforts made by staff and teachers to teach students about the environment, participate in conservation efforts as a community and raise student awareness through hands-on experiences.
The students, staff, parents and community at Lyles-Crouch Traditional Academy work in tandem to promote best practices in environmental conservation and education. Our continued commitment to the protection of Virginia’s natural resources is an integral part of our educational program,” said Lyles-Crouch Traditional Academy Principal Dr. Patricia Zissios.
Students at Lyles-Crouch have engaged in a range of environmental projects, including planting flowers and harvesting a fruit and vegetable garden. They also launched a program called Plant Crusaders, where students helped to educate their peers about the importance of reusing and recycling materials. The students collected plastic bags, composted, reduced the use of electricity and water in the school and helped to maintain learning gardens.
The school was also recently recognized by Governor Terry McAuliffe and the state Board of Education for having earned the 2017 Virginia Index of Performance (VIP) award for advanced learning and achievement and was named one of the top elementary schools in Alexandria by Northern Virginia Magazine.