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Alexandria City High School students stage walkout protesting gun violence in schools

Published September 5, 2025 at 12:52PM

Students staging a walkout at Alexandria City High School's King Street campus, Sept. 5, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Hundreds of Alexandria City High School students held a walkout on Friday, Sept. 5, demonstrating against gun violence in schools.

The walkout at ACHS’s King Street and Minnie Howard campuses started at 11:30 a.m., and lasted for less than a half hour. The demonstrations are part of a national walkout, were organized by Titans Demand Action and held on school grounds. Media was not permitted to observe, except from the public sidewalk. Students held signs, threw water bottles and chanted, “End the violence!”

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ACPS wins federal award for school nutrition program

By James Cullum

Published August 22, 2025 at 6:00PM

Alexandria City Public Schools wins award from U.S> Department of Agriculture, Aug. 2025 (via ACPS/Facebook)

Alexandria City Public Schools has won an award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for its federally funded school nutrition program.

ACPS announced today (Friday, Aug. 22) that it received a Healthy Meals Incentives (HMI) Recognition Award from Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK) and U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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ALX Closet serves nearly 1,000 children in first year

By James Cullum

Published August 20, 2025 at 11:45AM

via Center for Alexandria's Children/Facebook

Nearly 1,000 Alexandria children have received emergency resources since the opening of ALX Closet in 2024.

The resource center at the Del Pepper Community Resource Center (4850 Mark Center Drive) is a collaboration between nonprofits The Center for Alexandria’s Children and The Fund for Alexandria’s Child, providing kids with donations of clothes, diapers, formula, and more to families experiencing a crisis.

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Free music festival in Del Ray to benefit youth outdoor programs

By James Cullum

Published August 17, 2025 at 12:00PM

ScreeWilderness Kids Alexandria Music Festival is on Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025, at Pat Miller Neighborhood Square in Del Ray (via Eventbrite)

Get ready to dance, because the third annual Wilderness Kids Alexandria Music Festival is around the corner.

The free family-friendly event will be held Sunday, Sept. 28, from 12 to 5 p.m., at Pat Miller Neighborhood Square (2311 Mount Vernon Avenue). Local bands the MAYSUNS, the Derds (Del Ray Dads), Beachface, and Czars of Leisure will perform, and the fundraising event includes raffles, craft-making, and lawn games.

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Code Rising gives Alexandria students laptops after summer program

By James Cullum

Published August 15, 2025 at 6:00PM | Updated August 16, 2025 at 10:32PM

Participants of Code Rising's 2025 summer camp (courtesy image)

Code Rising gave dozens of Alexandria students a nice surprise with the end of their second annual summer camp this month — new laptops.

The Alexandria nonprofit was founded two years ago to help underprivileged kids learn about science, technology, engineering, arts, and math. The summer program provided elementary, middle and high school students with an introduction to STEAM education (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) through the summer months, with students learning coding, making short movies and video games. They also went on weekly field trips, including to Continues Arcade in Old Town and more.

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After recent 10,000th cake milestone, Alexandria-area Cake4Kids continues sweet mission

By James Cullum

Published July 18, 2025 at 1:30PM

Natasha Gannon, a volunteer with the Northern Virginia chapter of Cake4Kids, baked and delivered 24 cupcakes for two-year-old Matilda at the United Way United Community- Early Learning Center in the Alexandria area of Fairfax County, July 18, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

There’s nothing like a good birthday cake, and on Friday (July 18), 24 cupcakes were delivered to make two-year-old Matilda feel special on the big day.

Natasha Gannon baked the cupcakes and delivered them to the United Community – Early Learning Center in the Alexandria area of Fairfax County. Since 2020, Gannon has baked upward of 50 cakes for the Northern Virginia chapter of Cake4Kids, which recently delivered its 10,000th cake to underserved youth.

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Upcoming Alexandria Youth Leadership Conference puts kids in touch with community leaders

By James Cullum

Published July 9, 2025 at 6:30PM

Alexandria's 12th annual Youth leadership Conference will be held Aug. 12-14, 2025 (via City of Alexandria)

Rubbing elbows with community leaders and participating in interactive workshops are in store for participants of Alexandria’s upcoming 12^th annual Youth Leadership Conference.

Registration for rising 9th to 12th graders closes Aug. 8, and the event will be held Aug. 12-14 (Tuesday to Thursday) at the Del Pepper Community Resource Center (4850 Mark Center Drive). This year’s theme is “Young Voices, Powerful Choices!”

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ACPS aims to collect 3,500 backpacks in back-to-school drive

By James Cullum

Published July 7, 2025 at 9:15AM

Backpacks bound for K-2 kids (Photo via ACPS/Facebook)

Alexandria City Public Schools has launched its annual Backpack & School Supply Drive with the goal of collecting 3,500 backpacks by Monday, Aug. 4.

Groups can arrange a pickup of large donations to the school system, and individuals can drop off backpacks and supplies Monday through Thursday at Alexandria City High School (3330 King Street) and Mount Vernon Community School (2601 Commonwealth Avenue).

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Alexandria daycare employee fired after months of alleged child abuse

By James Cullum

Published July 3, 2025 at 12:15PM | Updated July 3, 2025 at 6:09PM

Two Birds daycare facility at 1737 King Street (via Google Maps)

Disturbing allegations of child abuse have been leveled against a daycare in Old Town by the Virginia Department of Social Services.

Over seven months (October 2024 to May 2025), a now-fired employee at Two Birds Daycare (1737 King Street) was observed allegedly physically striking and roughly handling children, yanking children’s hair, putting them in a dark closet as punishment, making demeaning comments about their clothes, and slapping kids who had toilet accidents, according to a May 21 DSS inspection of the facility.

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Alexandria School Board makes elementary and middle school redistricting changes

By James Cullum

Published June 13, 2025 at 2:00PM | Updated June 13, 2025 at 2:26PM

Alexandria School Board meeting in 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

It took months of community meetings and work sessions, and on Thursday (June 12), the Alexandria School Board approved redistricting maps for its elementary and middle schools.

The Board whittled down its choices to the Triangle 3 map for elementary schools and Option E for middle schools. Here’s what that means:

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In just 18 months, Del Ray’s Dance Academy of Virginia grows to 450 students

By James Cullum

Published June 9, 2025 at 1:45PM

Dance Academy of Virginia at 2402 Mount Vernon Avenue in Del Ray (staff photo by James Cullum)

Twice a week, Bethany Skvortsova gets a break while her young daughters put on rainbow tutus and learn how to dance in Del Ray.

Her seven-year-old appreciates being taken seriously as a dancer, Skvortsova says. At the moment, her daughter is rehearsing for The Nutcracker, which the school will be performing this year on the main stage of Capital One Hall in Tysons.