Provided by Prince William County Schools (PWCS)
Freedom and Patriot High School Students Present At NOAA
In conjunction with professor Dr. Cindy Smith from George Mason University, three PWCS students participated in the Mid-Atlantic Marine Debris Summit and gave a presentation titled, “A Community Approach to Reducing Single-Use Plastic Beverage Bottles in two PWCS High Schools,” to an audience of veteran researchers and advocacy specialists in a virtual conference sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Ashley Munoz-Trujillo and Stephanie Ruiz Molina, both senior students at Freedom High School, and Elizabeth Short, a senior student at Patriot High School, fielded questions about their experience creating social media campaigns and what they have found are the best ways to connect with today’s youth on being a responsible environmental citizen.
All three students are participants in a two-year project that plays an important role in conducting research and relaying their findings to their peers. As part of the first year of the project, Molina, Munoz-Trujillo, and Short worked on collecting data, creating social media campaigns, and discovering barriers to the call to reduce the use of single-use plastic bottles.
The presentation was on the students’ community approach toward reducing single-use plastic beverage bottles in both Freedom and Patriot High Schools. They served as both presenters and panelists, sharing what their experiences have been thus far with the project. One of their findings from their data collection was that between the two high schools, more than 10,000 single-use plastic water bottles were used per week.
The three seniors devised an approach on how to use social media to call their peers to action to reduce their plastic water bottle use. Dr. Jessica Doiron, CENS coordinator at Freedom High School, said, “The students observed which platforms of social media were used the most by their peers, and determined that TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram were the three most popular platforms. They created TikToks encouraging students to use reusable water bottles and shared Twitter and Instagram posts demonstrating the importance of reducing the use of single use plastic bottles and recycling.”
At Freedom High, students have the opportunity to apply to the Center for Environmental and Natural Sciences (CENS), a specialty program unique to the school. CENS is a rigorous four-year program designed to include strong laboratory and field investigation components. The mission of CENS is to promote environmental citizenship through challenging hands-on collaborative experiences, and these three students have embraced that through their collaborative efforts with NOAA.
Karis Hicks Named 2021 Outstanding New Educator
The Virginia Association for Teachers of Family and Consumer Sciences (VATFACS) has selected Karis Hicks, family and consumer sciences (FACS) teacher at Gar-Field High School, as its Outstanding New Teacher of the Year for 2021. In 2018, after earning a bachelor’s degree in family and consumer sciences and teacher licensure from Liberty University, with a minor in family and child development, Hicks joined the educational team at Gar-Field High. She also serves as the school’s lead culturally aware and responsive educator, in which she provides cultural awareness and anti-racism training to staff.
Hicks said that one of her favorite educational strategies to use is that of a “class family meal.” “During our family module in individual development, we arrange the classroom tables in one big table style, make something simple like pancakes and eggs, then as a class we share a meal together. I feel that this has been successful in student learning because it presented a tangible experience of connection as a class ‘family’ to show how families can connect over a meal at home.”
As the FACS nutrition, wellness, and individual development educator for grades 9-12 at Gar-Field, Hicks plans engaging and standards-focused lessons and activities that she offers in the five high school elective classes she instructs each year to approximately 150 students.
Changing the Horizon on Science
Dr. Jessica Doiron, Freedom High School’s coordinator for the Center for Environmental and Natural Sciences (CENS) specialty program and a biology instructor at the school, is among 66 U.S. educators selected by the Society for Science to serve as an advocate for students who are typically underrepresented in science research competitions. The advocate’s role is to encourage and support underserved students to enter their projects in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) competitions. The Advocate Program provides training, stipends, and year-round support to mentors supporting underrepresented and low-income students in entering science research competitions.
Dr. Doiron said that the goal for Freedom High will be to create a program that promotes independent science research projects that give students the opportunity to understand the process of science. This includes helping them develop critical-thinking skills and encouraging creativity and exploration of their individual interests. Dr. Doiron looks to increase Freedom High students’ exposure to different science disciplines and careers.
“Freedom is a Title I school with an extremely diverse population,” said Dr. Doiron. “Only 16% of our students report English as the first language spoken at home, with the majority reporting Spanish as the first language. This population of students is typically underserved and underrepresented, especially in STEM. I want to show these students that what they thought was impossible is possible, research opportunities do exist, they are competitive, and they can succeed.”
PWCS is Virginia’s Top Fundraiser in the Kids Heart Challenge
PWCS has been the top fundraiser in Virginia for the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Kids Heart Challenge for the past five consecutive years. The resources provided by the AHA for the program ties into the health and physical education curriculum. Students learn about how to keep their hearts healthy through physical activity, eating nutritious foods, and managing stress.
Several schools in the Division participate every year. “The American Heart Association has had heart partners programs within our schools for over 40 years. Just over 300,000 schools in the nation participate. And over 600 alone just in the state of Virginia,” said Marjorie ChurchBourne, AHA youth market director for eastern states.
Prince William County is also home to two AHA Ambassadors: AJ Kosar, a fifth grader at Kerrydale Elementary School, and Cameron Barb, a second grader at Kyle Wilson Elementary School. Both students were born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). The left side of their heart was underdeveloped, which has required several surgeries since birth. Money raised from the Kid’s Heart Challenge aids in researching congenital heart defects and provides doctors with resources to help children like AJ and Cameron. As AHA Ambassadors, AJ and Cameron will share their stories and experiences to promote the importance of keeping your heart healthy.
The top fundraising schools in PWCS for the 2020-21 school year include: Antietam, Cedar Point, Haymarket, Kyle Wilson, Marshall, Rosa Parks, Springwoods, and Victory Elementary Schools, and Gainesville Middle School and The Nokesville School. The schools with the most participants include Antietam, Ashland, Haymarket, Kyle Wilson, Marshall, Penn, Rosa Parks, Springwoods, and Victory Elementary Schools, and The Nokesville School.
