T.C. Williams High School | ALXnow

Morning Notes

Published April 26, 2021 at 5:00AM

T.C. Williams completes comeback to win school’s first volleyball state championship — “For a moment, T.C. Williams sophomore Milan Rex was scared. The Titans were trailing Kellam two sets to one in the Virginia Class 6 championship Friday in Alexandria, and the chance at a perfect season seemed to be fading. Coach A.J. DeSain reminded the Titans they belonged in this moment, enabling Rex to lock in. She then powered T.C. Williams to a 23-25, 25-19, 18-25, 25-19, 17-15 victory — the program’s first state title. [Washington Post]

Mayor Wilson defends donation from Planning Commission Chair — “Planning Commission Chair Nathan Macek gave Wilson a donation the day after Wilson voted with the majority of council to reappoint Macek to his post. Macek’s employer, the engineering firm WSP, has played a leading role in numerous large projects in Alexandria, including the under-construction Potomac Yard Metro.” [Alex Times]

News

ALXnow’s top stories this week in Alexandria

By James Cullum

Published April 16, 2021 at 3:35PM | Updated April 16, 2021 at 10:05PM

It was another busy week in Alexandria. Here are some of the highlights.

This week, ALXnow profiled Mayor Justin Wilson and his opponent, former Mayor Allison Silberberg. The pair are facing off in the June 8 Democratic primary, and have vastly different ideas on city governance.

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T.C. Senior Sara Abbas surprised with $40,000 Titans In Tech Scholarship

By James Cullum

Published April 15, 2021 at 11:00AM | Updated April 21, 2021 at 1:55PM

Sara Abbas was momentarily speechless.

Earlier this month, officials with the Scholarship Fund of Alexandria faked her out on a scheduled Zoom interview.

News

Morning Notes

By James Cullum

Published April 15, 2021 at 5:00AM

The George Washington National Masonic Memorial in the springtime. (Staff photo by James Cullum)

ACPS opens contest for students to design new logo for renamed T.C. Williams High School — “T.C. Williams was named after Thomas Chambliss Williams, ACPS superintendent of from the mid-1930s until 1963. Williams was a known segregationist who argued that Black and white students learned differently and should remain in separate schools.” [WJLA]

The Old Town Shop Celebrates Four Years — “Over the past four years, the store has introduced a variety of Virginia goods, including the world-famous Hubs peanuts. More locally, the shop features a variety of local, curated artisan items that are normally offered only at the Alexandria Farmers’ Market. Featured vendors include Truly Life (bath and body items), Capital Candles (soy candles), Watermelan Designs (jewelry), Together We Bake (granola and trail mix) and Napier Farms (jams & jellies).” [Alexandria Living]

News

School Board chooses ‘Pinwheel Concept’ for Minnie Howard Campus

By James Cullum

Published April 12, 2021 at 3:30PM

With little discussion, the Alexandria School Board last Thursday unanimously approved the “Pinwheel” concept at the T.C. Williams High School Minnie Howard campus.

The decision over the High School Project took two-and-a-half years in the making, and the $149.5 million Pinwheel was chosen over two other concepts.

News

ALXnow’s top stories this week in Alexandria

By James Cullum

Published April 9, 2021 at 3:35PM | Updated April 12, 2021 at 11:26AM

It was a historic week in Alexandria. Here are some of the highlights.

President Joe Biden visited the Neighborhood Health COVID-19 vaccine site at Virginia Theological Seminary on Tuesday, just before announcing that the date for adults to get access to the vaccine has been moved to April 19.

News

BREAKING: ‘Alexandria City High School’ chosen as replacement name for T.C. Williams High School

By James Cullum

Published April 8, 2021 at 7:05PM | Updated April 9, 2021 at 1:48PM

“Alexandria City High School” on Thursday night was unanimously chosen as the new name for T.C. Williams High School. The Alexandria School Board voted for the name change for the city’s only public high school, and the effort took more than a year in the making.

“It’s a big deal and it will mean a lot for our future use,” School Board Chair Meagan Alderton said. “Sometimes it’s good for us to think about the power in reclaiming a name, in changing the name to mean something — other than what we’ve always used it for.”

News

JUST IN: T.C. Williams JV football team walks off field after alleged racial slur, spitting incident

By James Cullum

Published April 7, 2021 at 12:45PM | Updated April 7, 2021 at 1:55PM

The T.C. Williams High School Junior Varsity football team played the Robinson Rams on April 5, 2021. (Photo via T.C. Williams Football Boosters/Facebook)

(Updated at 1:45 p.m.) Alexandria City Public Schools and Fairfax County Public Schools are investigating allegations that members of the Robinson Rams junior varsity football team spit at and made a racial slur against T.C. Williams High School football players in a game on Monday, April 5.

“Yes, I am aware of these reports,” Mayor Justin Wilson told ALXnow. “It is horrifying that our students were the victims of this abuse and assault. I have been in contact with the School Board Chair, Vice Chair and Superintendent about this incident. I have also connected with my counterpart in Fairfax County, Jeff McKay. I believe it is being investigated by both school systems and I hope it will be addressed promptly.”

News

School Board hopes for pool at Alexandria high school dampened by budget concerns

By Vernon Miles

Published March 23, 2021 at 2:30PM

Athlete on the T.C. Williams Swim and Dive Team (photo via T.C. Williams High School/Facebook)

A new report on plans to overhaul Alexandria High School’s Minnie Howard campus made a splash as staff said a planned aquatics facility likely won’t make the cut.

In a School Board meeting on March 18, staff reviewed three concepts for what the new school could look like. But while the proposed aquatics facility is included in school designs, staff said it’s ultimately unlikely that ACPS will have the funding necessary to go forward with a pool.

News

Public hearing on T.C. Williams High School and Matthew Maury Elementary School on Thursday

By James Cullum

Published March 17, 2021 at 3:40PM

The Alexandria School Board on Thursday, March 18, will conduct a public hearing on the proposed new names for T.C. Williams High School and Matthew Maury Elementary School.

The 5 p.m. public hearing will allow testimony from residents on what they think about proposals by Superintendent Dr. Gregory Hutchings to respectively rename them “Alexandria High School” and “Naomi Brooks Elementary School”. The two finalist names were chosen from a list that ACPS released last month.

News

Students return to in-person classes, but ‘normal’ is still far off

By Vernon Miles

Published March 16, 2021 at 3:30PM | Updated March 17, 2021 at 8:33AM

Students have returned to T.C. Williams High School, but the empty halls and spaced-out classrooms are a grim reminder that the “return to normal” is still a goal on the horizon.

T.C. Williams, a school which typically packs in 3,200 students, now sits just under 500 students. Principal Peter Balas said 475 students came to school this week.