• Input on TAG Curriculum

The Curriculum and Instruction Committee of the Alexandria School Board is seeking public input for specific changes to the school systems program for talented and gifted (TAG) students.  Suggested amendments to the TAG Local Plan must be submitted in writing no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 8, to Rosemary Webb, Clerk of the Board, at rwebb@acps.k12.va.us or 2000 N. Beauregard St., Alexandria, VA, 22311.  Contact information must also be submitted so that Board members can ask questions regarding any submissions.
In December 2007, the School Board deferred voting on the TAG Local Plan, a five-year program specifying identification procedures and services for TAG students, and instead sent the issue to the Curriculum Committee for further review and study.  

The Curriculum Committee will consider all submissions and determine which changes or amendments should be included in the Local Plan.  Its recommendation will then go back to the full Board for consideration and vote.
Members of the Boards Curriculum and Instruction Committee are Yvonne Folkerts, chairman; Claire Eberwein and Blanche Maness.

For more information on the ACPS TAG Local Plan, visit
http://www.acps.k12.va.us/tag/.  For more information on the Virginia Department of Educations state TAG regulations, go to http://www.doe.virginia.gov/VDOE
/Instruction/Gifted/gftregs.pdf.

• Nominations sought for Outstanding Teachers

The Alexandria Education Partnership is seeking nominations for its 22nd annual Excellence in Education Awards. The awards recognize outstanding educators who make important contributions to the development of Alexandrias students. Nominees must be full-time, certified K-12 classroom teachers, employed by a public or private school in Alexandria. 
Nomination forms are available online at http://www.alexandriae
dpartnership.org/events.html and must be submitted via e-mail to krogers@alexandriaedpartnership.org by March 3.  The awards ceremony will be held May 7.

For more information, please contact Kerri Rogers at 703-606-1193 or krogers@alexandriaedpartnership.org.

• Charles Barrett wins Healthy School Award

For the second straight year, Charles Barrett Elementary School earned the Healthy School Award from the Marine Corps Marathon and Washington FAMILY Magazine, sponsors of the Healthy Kids Fun Run held on Oct. 27.

Washington FAMILY Magazine will present the school with a $500 donation to its physical education department on Jan. 24, at the school, 1115 Martha Custis Drive. Marines, as well as Miles, the MCM mascot, will be on hand for the award ceremony.

The Healthy School Award is presented to schools with the greatest number of students participating in the MCM Healthy Kids Fun Run, a one-mile, un-timed run conducted on the day prior to the marathon.

Charles Barrett had 114 students the most of any school with an enrollment of fewer than 300 students participate in the event.