Mental Health Awareness and Resources in a Stressful World Jacqueline Lutz Quarantine has affected everyone in a multitude of ways and has been isolating for many people. Unable to gather in large groups and engage in normal activities, people’s social lives have come to an abrupt halt. Lack of social interaction can be damaging to one’s mental health — human beings are naturally social and look to their peers and communities for support. Without the same interactions that there were before the pandemic, people’s mental health can decline significantly and quickly. While online school helps prevent the spread of coronavirus, it can also contribute to a decline in student’s physical…
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Coronavirus Vaccines: What You Need to Know
Despite the information in the news surrounding the search for a coronavirus vaccine, it is hard to pinpoint what is actually happening. There are so many different vaccines and companies that it's hard to figure out where we stand on the route to a vaccine.
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Exclusive: ACPS Superintendent Hutchings Sends Child To Private School Bishop Ireton
Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) Superintendent Dr. Gregory Hutchings has enrolled one of his two children in Bishop Ireton, a private Catholic high school in Alexandria that operates under a hybrid learning model, in contrast to ACPS’s entirely virtual model.
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Schools Reopening, Testing And Vaccines: A Conversation With Dr. Stephen Haering
The Alexandria Health Department Director said in an interview that his department holds the influence to stop distribution of a vaccine if it is skeptical of the vaccine’s safety. Nikki Harris Nikki Harris spoke with Dr. Stephen Haering, head of the Alexandria Health Department (AHD), on Saturday about the circumstances Alexandria could reopen schools under, vaccine politics and distribution, the AHD’s relationship with the CDC and more. Alexandria had 3,804 confirmed cases and 69 COVID-related deaths the day this interview took place. As of publication, Alexandria has 3,859 cases and, still, 69 COVID-related deaths. This conversation has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity. Harris: I wanted to start with…
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Education During A Pandemic Discussion
Agenda: Alexandria Debates Virtual Learning Regina Allen Moving into the third week of this school year, many members of the T.C. and Alexandria community are wondering what is happening. Why are some students online and others aren’t? Will we ever go back to school? Agenda: Alexandria is an organization that puts together panels that discuss a wide range of issues that affect the city. The meeting, held virtually on Monday, September 22, was supposed to answer these questions to ease the concerns of students, parents and staff as T.C. moves forward with virtual learning. Shad Thomas, a board member of Agenda: Alexandria, moderated the event. The rest of the panel…
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Being The “New Kid” In 2020
Being a new student is always difficult whether you’re only moving over a district, or to a whole new state or country. Showing up that first day somewhere you’ve never been, seeing people you’ve never seen. Feeling lost in a crowd without a single familiar face or landmark to guide you. It's something that society openly recognizes as difficult. But what do you do when you can’t even see your classmates' faces?
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Pandemic Begets Financial and Logistical Roadblocks To College
Nikki Harris The Scholarship Fund of Alexandria (SFA), a nonprofit that raises money for T.C. Williams graduates’ college educations, is facing financial challenges as demand for scholarships from the nonprofit shot up by approximately $100,000 this year, according to Beth Lovain, the SFA Executive Director. The SFA holds an annual in-person gala and silent auction to raise money from its sponsors, but this year it held both events virtually. Lovain said that the SFA raised close to what it raised last year—upward of $400,000—at the virtual gala and silent auction when the expenses of an in-person gala such as renting a hotel and buying refreshments were subtracted. The SFA will…
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After A Break, Yan Huang Is Back!
“Chinese is a critically-needed language in the U.S. About 1.2 billion people (around 16% of the world's population) speak Chinese.” By becoming a teacher Yan Huang hopes to “help people know an important language and understand a different way of thinking.”
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Welcome to Woodbine Tot Lot!
A young cancer survivor’s selfless wish to revamp a neighborhood playground has been granted Kate Casper In Fall 2019, the Make-a-Wish Mid-Atlantic team began fundraising to fulfill a 4-year-old cancer survivor’s wish to rebuild the Woodbine Tot Lot playground in Alexandria. This boy’s name is Whitaker Weinburger. After battling Stage Four neuroblastoma, undergoing hospitalizations, treatments, chemotherapy, and radiation, Whitaker went to the playground with his family to facilitate his recovery. “As he recovered and felt less crummy, he spent more and more time at the park, learning to climb and discovering that his little legs could run and jump,” said Erin Weinburger, Whitaker’s mother. With the help of local businesses,…
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Meet The New Math Teachers
For the upcoming 2020-2021 school year, T.C. hired three new math teachers. They’re all excited to meet their students, but first, meet them.
