Bill Text: VA SJR212 | 2022 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commending Woodlawn Elementary School.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2022-03-10 - Bill text as passed Senate and House (SJ212ER) [SJR212 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2022-SJR212-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, for 85 years, Woodlawn Elementary School, an outstanding public primary school in Alexandria, has served and supported young people in the community from its current facility on Highland Lane; and
WHEREAS, originally established by Quaker settlers in 1846, Woodlawn Elementary School took its name from the nearby Woodlawn Plantation, also known as Dogue Run Farm, on land that was gifted by President George Washington to his niece, Nelly Custis; and
WHEREAS, Woodlawn Elementary School was destroyed by fire in approximately 1917, but it was rebuilt in the 1920s with new enhancements, such as a school library, thanks to donations from the school board and parents; and
WHEREAS, the current Woodlawn Elementary School building was constructed by the New Deal-Era Works Progress Administration in 1937 on 485 acres of land in a wooded knoll then known as Engleside, along with eight other elementary schools in Fairfax County and Mount Vernon High School, as part of a state and federal government program to modernize Virginia school infrastructure from one-room school houses to modern buildings; and
WHEREAS, by the 1940s, the student body of Woodlawn Elementary School had grown significantly, and the school constructed additions with new classrooms, a cafeteria, a kitchen, and a teacher's lounge; and
WHEREAS, in the 1950s, Woodlawn Elementary School added a clinic, an auditorium, a multi-purpose room, a playground, and more classrooms to better serve its students; and
WHEREAS, in 2019, Woodlawn Elementary School underwent its most recent renovation to modernize learning infrastructure and give students access to 21st Century technology; and
WHEREAS, Woodlawn Elementary School strives to help young people engage with the world, be enthusiastic about lifelong learning, develop empathy toward others, and become empowered to achieve their fullest potential in and out of the classroom; and
WHEREAS, teachers at Woodlawn Elementary School adhere to high standards of professional development to ensure that students receive up-to-date instruction that is relevant in a global society; and
WHEREAS, through the years and as one of the oldest elementary schools in Northern Virginia, Woodlawn Elementary School has fulfilled its mission through the hard work and dedication of its faculty and staff and the generosity of parents, family members, and community partners; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Woodlawn Elementary School on the occasion of the 85th anniversary of the construction of its current building; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Woodlawn Elementary School as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for the school's contributions to the Alexandria community.
