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AUGUST 28, 2014
Number 12
Educa t io n
Volume 8
Educators Prep For 73,233 Students, Three New Schools
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O pinio n
pening new schools could appear routine for a county that has added 26 new schools to its roster in the last decade. But for the principals, school staff and students who will call the three new schools that open Tuesday home, it’s been anything but routine. Years of planning went into bringing the school buildings to fruition, and another several months have been dedicated to hiring teachers and seeking input from the students who will shape the cultures of Rock Ridge High School and Trailside Middle School, both in Ashburn, and Cardinal Ridge Elementary School in South Riding. “The goal throughout the year has been to get all stakeholders excited, and the most important stakeholders are the students,” Trailside Middle School Principal Bridget
Beichler said. “That’s why we’re here.” Principals for the schools were named months before construction wrapped up. Working from cubicles in the school administration office, their first job was to thumb through applications to select assistant principals, teachers and support staff. Rock Ridge Principal John Duellman said he looked for teachers who are “all about the kids.” When he sat down with prospective Rock Ridge teachers, he wanted to hear about their passion for students. “I want to know how are they going to connect and click with students.” Beichler hired a staff of 130 to serve the 1,150 students who will attend Trailside. She held a meet-and-greet last December to present her vision for the new middle school, and in return got hundreds of applications from educators eager to be a part of it. She wanted to hire teachers who would help create a school that students, parents
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Danielle Nadler
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Laura Tucker, reading specialist at the new Trailside Middle School, has worked to create a library feel in her classroom. Trailside, Rock Ridge High School and Cardinal Ridge Elementary School open to students for the first time Tuesday.
Ashburn Historic District Added To State Register
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aided by Middleburg historic preservation architect Jane Covington. Burson purchased four buildings in the heart of old Ashburn, which he intends to rehabilitate and convert to modern use, including a coffee shop/ bistro. Prominent among those buildings is the Masonic Lodge, formerly the Weller Tile location, at 20711 Ashburn Road. But, while Burson gained support for his plan from most in the proposed district, opposition emerged before the state board’s June meeting when that application was considered. Questions about whether those objections were enough to block the establishment of the district resulted in a two-month delay in announcing its formation. According to an explanatory letter sent by
VDHR Director Julie V. Langan Aug. 15 to Ashburn property owners, the matter was then referred to the Attorney General’s Office for “guidance as to whether or not the decision of the Board to list the district stands or is void.” The AG’s office finally advised the department that the board’s approval of the nomination for state listing was correct, Langan said, and the designation stands. Within the nomination boundaries there were 53 property owners, Langan stated, adding the department received 33 letters objecting to the nomination prior to the June 19 meeting. However, only 14 of those letters, “at most, were valid,” and could be counted in determining the number of objectors. Continued on Page 29
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fter a failed attempt in 2002, a new push to establish the Ashburn Historic District has succeeded, but only after action by the Virginia Attorney General’s Office. The Virginia Department of Historic Resources Aug. 20 announced the 28-acre district has been added to the Virginia Landmarks Register. The nomination, which has been approved by the State Review Board, now will be forwarded to the National Park Service for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The designation is honorary and carries no zoning regulations or land use restrictions.
The former farming village dates to the first half of the 1700s, and the 28 acres comprising the historic district encompasses the commercial and residential village, including 42 contributing buildings. The village grew and prospered, in part because of its location along major transportation routes, linking it to the Washington area markets, such as the port of Alexandria, and the arrival of the Alexandria, Loudoun and Hampshire Railroad in the 1860s. The district’s listing on the state register recognizes the period of significance from the coming of the railroad in 1860 until 1951, a year that marked the beginning of decline of passenger and mail service by the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad. The eventually successful nomination was propelled by businessman and history buff Tom Burson,
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