OPHS Among D.C.'s 50 Most 'Challenging' Schools
Osbourn Park High School was the only Prince William County area high school to rank in the Washington, D.C. top 50 list, as compiled by Post’s Jay Mathews.
School News
Monday, May 21, 2012
Last Chance: Military Academy Night
Learn about attending one of the U.S. Service Academies
From Congressman Gerry Connolly's Office: Congressman Gerry Connolly will join with Prince William County Schools to host a “Military Academy Night” information session for local students interested in attending one of the U.S. Service Academies. Students and their families can also learn about scholarship opportunities from the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC). The event will take place on Monday, May 21, in the Edward Kelly Leadership Building located at 14715 Bristow Road, Manassas, VA 20112. The program will begin at 7 p.m. and will include presentations from Academy Liaison Officers and ROTC representatives, as well as a detailed explanation of the congressional nomination process. In addition, the service academies and ROTC …
Little Improvement for Osbourn on Challenge Index
The annual index looks at how well a high school prepares students for college by evaluating the number of AP tests given in a year divided by the number of graduates that year.
Osbourn High School came in at number 172 out of 176 schools looked at by Washington Post education reporter Jay Mathews' for his annual High School Challenge Index. The index score is the number of college-level tests given at a school in 2011 divided by the number of graduates that year. Also noted are the percentage of students who come from families that qualify for free and reduced lunch (Subs. lunch), an indicator of poverty, and the percentage of graduates who passed at least one college-level test during their high school career, called equity and excellence, (E&E). Manassas' only high school's performance on the annual report has been a recent topic of discussion at education meetings in the city and prompted the school board to …
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Saturday, May 19, 2012
Around the Region: Crime, School and Foreclosure News
Review the top stories from the county-area this week, in case you missed it.
Manassas Park: City Center Sold as Foreclosure after Owner Defaults The mixed-use development near Osbourn Park High School was once promised to be a vibrant city center for Manassas Park residents. Alliance Bank is one of the only retail businesses in the storefront of the center. Read the whole article here. Lake Ridge-Occoquan Patch: Lattin Resigns from School Board to Spend More Time With Family Occoquan School Board representative Grant Lattin suddenly resigned from the school board Wednesday night because he wanted to be a family man. One commenter asked why Lattin didn't make a decision before he was re-elected but another said he was the voice of reason on the board. To check out the conversation, read the article. Manassas Patch…
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Friday, May 18, 2012
Baldwin Elementary Gets Pumped for SOLs
Baldwin Elementary School held a pep rally Friday to prepare students for the upcoming standardized tests.
Preparing for the SOLs has never been so exciting—at least for students at Baldwin Elementary it hasn't. Students, faculty and staff were welcomed into the school's auditorium Friday afternoon by Osbourn High School's drumline for a pep rally to get the students excited about next week's SOL tests. As students flooded through the doors and into their seats, they were handed blue and white pom poms to raise their spirits. When they were seated, outgoing Eagles Head Basketball Coach Mike Dufrene gave them some words of encouragement and talked about pep rallys. "As a high school, when we have a pep rally, we rock the house!" he said. Dufrene then lead the school in a cheer competition. He stood in front of each grade, one at a time, and …
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Old Faces Make Way for New Ones
Long-serving Osbourn Park math teachers set to retire this year.
Osbourn Park math teachers Martha Cannon and Edward Burt will be retiring in June after a long, illustrious career at the local school. Martha Cannon Everyday for the past four decades, she has made life difficult for her students. "When you walk into Mrs. Cannon's classroom you are expected to learn, whether you like it or not. She forces us to do things we thought were not possible," senior Katie Ricks said. To her students, she is known as the demanding Ms. Cannon. To her staff and peers, she is the gentle and kind-hearted woman known as Martha. Cannon has been teaching math at the school for the past 37 years. Second to only Miss. Lillian Orlich, Cannon is the longest serving teacher in the county. “She [Miss Orlich] is the top of the …
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JenHejt
1:12 am on Saturday, May 19, 2012
Somehow I never had Ms Cannon for math (back in the mid-80s!), but my friends who did simply loved her. Thanks for inspiring them, Ms C, and enjoy your well-deserved retirement! more ›
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Students Compete for Better SOL Scores
Weems Elementary School students geared up for the annual SOL tests with an Academic Olympics last week.
Weems Elementary School third and fourth graders kicked off their annual end- of-year Standards of Learning (SOL) testing with an Academic Olympics and school-wide pep rally. The students gathered for competition last week. The classes competed not only against each other, but their counterparts at Haydon Elementary School. The focus of the fourth grade Olympics was Virginia Studies. Third graders battled in all four SOL areas: Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies. Students took turns answering questions such as naming the five oceans that cover the Earth and map terminology. Although there were no prizes, Weems principal Angela Burnett valued the review that Olympics provided and added “We find that competition motivates them …
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Thursday, May 10, 2012
Photos: OHS Students Display Artwork at City Hall
The artwork will be on display to the public through May 21.
Osbourn High School (OHS) student artwork will be on display at City Hall in Old Town Manassas now through May 21. "Every year in April we hold a special showing of our top student art on the first floor of the City Hall building," said Sarah Weaver, who is the Fine Arts Department supervisor at the local high school. A special opening reception and light refreshments were held on April 23 at City Hall, where Manassas Mayor Harry J. (Hal) Parrish ll provided remarks to the students and their parents in attendance. "This is a great opportunity to showcase our art students, their artwork, and share it with our community for the public to see," Weaver said. "Thanks to the wonderful support from both Mayor Parrish and Larry Hughes, the …
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Teacher Appreciation Week: Simple Ways to Say 'Thank You'
Teacher gifts that aren't complex or expensive, but say a whole lot.
NOVA Dedicates New Tech Hall
Harry J. Parrish Hall dedicated in ceremony at Northern Virginia Community College's (NOVA) Manassas campus Tuesday.
It may have been a cloudy day on Tuesday but the mood at the dedication ceremony for the newly-built Harry Parrish Hall on the Manassas campus of Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) was anything but. That's because dignitaries and family members of the late Harry J. Parrish were given the opportunity to speak to the character of the former Virginia House of Delegates member and Manassas City Council Member and Mayor, bringing smiles and laughter to the crowd. Those in attendance included senators Charles J. (Chuck) Colgan, D-Manassas, and Richard H. (Dick) Black, R-Prince William County, as well Virginia Delegates Scott Lingamfelter, R-Prince William County and Jackson H. Miller, R-Manassas. "If Harry Parrish isn't in heaven, the …
Michele
5:14 pm on Monday, May 21, 2012
The index is only how many take the test not how well they did on it so the ranking really doesn't matter to me. Unfortunately, general population doesn't seem to grasp this and they assume our schools are not good. I would be more interested in how many pass that take it. More will take the test because as I hear it, they are forced to...even kids who didn't take the AP class but are only dual … more ›