George Washington Middle School

Air Quality Study Identifies Mold Hotspots in GW Middle School

Published June 2, 2020 at 4:45PM | Updated June 3, 2020 at 12:24AM

George Washington Middle School (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

A study of the mold problems at George Washington Middle School has found that the school will require extensive mitigation work expected to cost at least $120,000.

At a School Board meeting on Friday, May 29, an information item detailed the full extent of the mold issues found in the school. The report described extensive staining and foul odors in older parts of the building, with each instance categorized by room. While most classrooms had less than 300 spores per cubic meter, classroom A 216 had 1,960 spores.

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Parents Donate Thousands to Restore GW Middle School Exterior

By Vernon Miles

Published May 21, 2020 at 4:30PM

George Washington Middle School (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

The George Washington Middle School Parent Teacher Association is donating $9,000 to Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) to help restore the exterior grounds of the school.

A memo regarding the donation said last December a community member approached ACPS about starting a fundraiser to help restore some of the outdoor learning space at the school. The GW PTA donated a total of $9,000 on May 13. Any donations above $2,500 must be approved the School Board, which is scheduled to review the donation at tomorrow’s meeting.

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How GW Middle School Administrators and Students Adjusted to the Pandemic

By James Cullum

Published April 28, 2020 at 5:35PM | Updated May 2, 2020 at 2:35AM

George Washington Middle School (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)

A couple weeks ago, Jesse Mazur stopped his car outside George Washington Middle School and thought about how quickly things changed.

It’s a disorienting feeling for the 44-year-old principal who has — one way or another — been in schools most of his life, and inside the hallways are completely empty. Since March 13, Mazur and his staff have had to adapt to a new normal of remotely teaching more than 1,500 students for the remainder of the year.

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Morning Notes

By ALXnow.com

Published February 21, 2020 at 8:00AM

City Faces Dozens of Lawsuits — “Between 2014 and 2019, 101 lawsuits were filed against the city, and 20 of those cases are still active, according to data the Alexandria Times acquired through the city… Over the last six years, the city has faced 37 claims cases, 20 land-use cases, 15 civil rights cases, 12 employment cases, 11 real estate assessment cases, two FOIA cases, two mandamus cases and two procurement cases.” [Alexandria Times]

Restaurants That Locals Still Miss — “When you talk with locals about restaurants they miss, there’s usually at least one place they can name… We’ve received nearly 40 responses covering Old Town and other areas of the city. Places mentioned by multiple people included Austin Grill, Overwood, Mango Mike’s, Flying Fish and Geranio.” [Patch]

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JUST IN: GW Middle School Evacuated Again

By ALXnow.com

Published February 20, 2020 at 9:25AM | Updated February 20, 2020 at 9:42AM

George Washington Middle School (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)

(Updated at 9:40 a.m.) George Washington Middle School has again been evacuated after a report of a gas odor in the school’s auditorium.

The incident happened around 9 a.m. today (Thursday). Firefighters responded to the school to investigate the odor, but initial reports suggest nothing hazardous was found. Students were expected to return to classrooms after about 20-30 minutes outside in the cold.

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Morning Notes

By ALXnow.com

Published February 19, 2020 at 8:00AM

Old Town Theater Sign May Be Removed — “The Board of Architectural Review is set to consider allowing the removal and relocation of the Old Town Theater sign and other exterior changes as the space is set to become a Patagonia retail store. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Council Chamber at Alexandria City Hall.” [Patch]

APD Investigates Gunshots in Landmark — “The Alexandria Police Department is investigating a ‘shots fired’ call for service in the 200 block of South Whiting Street. Expect police activity in the area.” [Twitter]

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Water Tests Shows Elevated Levels of Lead at Local Middle Schools

By Vernon Miles

Published February 11, 2020 at 9:30AM

A survey of Alexandria City Public Schools’ drinking water sources has come back with relatively high levels of copper and lead in George Washington Middle School (1005 Mount Vernon Avenue).

Many of the schools had no outlets or very few that tested above action levels — amounts that require equipment replacement — for copper or lead. The EPA’s action levels for copper are 1.3 mg/L and much lower for lead, 0.015 mg/L. At T.C. Williams High School, 259 samples were collected and only four tested above actionable levels.

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Principal: No Danger After Gas Odor Prompts Another GW Middle School Evacuation

By James Cullum

Published February 3, 2020 at 11:55AM

The principal at George Washington Middle School says there is no danger to students after the smell of gas again prompted a school-wide evacuation on Thursday.

Principal Jesse Mazur notified parents after the incident that the smell was caused by a rooftop heating unit that was installed last summer. It was the second evacuation at the school since a gas odor was detected on Nov. 21, 2019.

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Testing This Month to See if George Washington Middle School is Finally Mold-Free

By Vernon Miles

Published December 6, 2019 at 2:00PM | Updated December 6, 2019 at 2:47PM

George Washington Middle School (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)

It’s been a rough couple months for George Washington Middle School.

First, an old mold problem at the school resurfaced. Then there was the series of fire-related incidents at the school. School administration is hoping an environmental test can help provide a light at the end of the tunnel.

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Series of Incidents at George Washington Middle School Raise Alarm Among Parents

By Vernon Miles

Published December 2, 2019 at 9:30AM | Updated December 3, 2019 at 8:31AM

George Washington Middle School (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

(Updated 8:50 p.m.) A series of fire alarms at George Washington Middle School has reignited outcry from parents who say more needs to be done to modernize the school.

Not only did the fire alarms go off several times in November at the school, but during one incident where there was a fire — when a poster was set on fire on Nov. 14 but was quickly extinguished — concerns were raised that no alarm went off.

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JUST IN: Gas Leak Prompts Evacuation of GW Middle School

By ALXnow.com

Published November 21, 2019 at 9:50AM | Updated November 21, 2019 at 10:30AM

(Updated at 10 a.m.) A suspected gas leak has prompted the evacuation of George Washington Middle School.

The school at 1005 Mount Vernon Avenue, near the Braddock Road Metro station, was evacuated shortly after 9:30 a.m. amid cool (45 degree) but sunny weather, due to an odor of natural gas inside the building. The fire alarm was said to be sounding as students walked out of the building.