Scholarships Awarded in Memory of Loudoun Student

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounnow.com

Seven Loudoun County residents were awarded scholarships from the Bryn Wertz Ballet Foundation, named for a Heritage High School student and dancer at the Dance Academy of Loudoun who died in 2020 after a brief and sudden illness.

Six scholarships were awarded to attend professional summer training at ballet academies throughout the United States. The seventh awardee, Addie Beene, is a 2023 graduate of Heritage High School who was awarded the Bryn Wertz Legacy Award. She will use it to attend Northern Virginia Community College. Beene was chosen based on characteristics that embodied Wertz.

The Legacy Award is given annually to one Heritage High School senior who embodies Wertz’s spirit by being kind, compassionate, loyal, respectful, inclusive, motivational, a leader, dedicated to academics and involved in school programs, according to the foundation’s website.

The committee that decides who to give the scholarship to is made up of people who knew Wertz and her family personally and those who are familiar with the graduating class.

“The memorial scholarship for Bryn is meant to continue her ripple, to spread her light and love,” foundation board member Dina Smithson said.

Smithson said Beene is a great kid who shows both her school spirit and life spirit. Wertz was a talented ballerina, student, and a great girl, Smithson said.

Dance scholarships went to Ashley Egan, a recent graduate of the Keystone Academy in Philadelphia; Hailey Goodwin, a rising twelfth grader at Keystone Academy; Emma Millar, a rising ninth grader at Heritage High School; Enia Wilson, a rising twelfth grader at Heritage High School; Emma Sisti, a rising twelfth grader at Riverside High School; and Gianna Cucchi, a rising ninth grader at Woodgrove High School. Egan and Goodwin train and live at The Rock School for Dance Education, a classical ballet school in Philadelphia.

bullying incident.

“The letter is new, but the information in the letter has been around before. We are putting in a layer where we are asking our administrators and counselors and unified mental health teams to get it out to all the student parties involved,” he said.

He said the letter is meant to be the first contact and includes resources parents can use without predetermining fault and lets parents know an administrative review

Byard is Back with School Division

Longtime school Public Information Officer Wayde Byard is back at work at the school division as of July 6, after a Loudoun Circuit Court jury on June 22 found him not guilty of committing felony perjury while testifying before a special grand jury last year.

Byard had been on unpaid leave since the charge was filed by a special prosecutor in December.

He now serves as communications supervisor of special projects, according to division spokesperson Dan Adams.

Adams, who took over as division spokesperson in December, said he will stay in the role.

Asked if Byard was given backpay following his reinstatement, Adams pointed to Virginia law that outlines grounds for suspension for a public school employee. The code states that, once reinstated, the employee shall receive all unpaid salary with interest.

Attendance Zone Meeting Schedule Set

The School Board on June 27 adopted an attendance zone meeting calendar for Henrietta Lacks Elementary School, which is set to open fall 2024.

The attendance zone change could affect Aldie, Arcola, Buffalo Trail, Cardinal Ridge, Elaine E. Thompson, Goshen Post, Hovatter, Hutchison Farm, Liberty, Little River and Pinebrook Elementary Schools.

Dancers were judged based on their merit and ability to demonstrate artistry and passion for the dance. Winners receive between $500 and $1,000 dollars, according to Smithson.

They can choose from several renowned conservatories or university-backed intensive programs from all over the country like the Juilliard School in New York, The Nashville Ballet, Ballet West, The Rock School of Dance Education and the Washington Ballet, to name a few.

Founded in 2020, this is the third year the foundation has awarded the dance intensive scholarships and the second year it has given the Legacy Award.

“It’s a small opportunity to give out thousands of dollars each year and we feel very blessed to be able to do that and we are always looking into expanding it,” Smithson said. n

The school is adjacent to Hovatter Elementary School on the Lightridge High School Campus in Dulles South. Henrietta Lacks Elementary will serve students in kindergarten through second grade, while Hovatter Elementary School will serve students in third through fifth grade.

The attendance zone public hearings and work sessions will begin in October and run through December 2023 with the board adopting an attendance zone for Henrietta Lacks Elementary School on Dec. 12.

SCHOOL NOTEBOOK continues on page 14