Loudoun County Public Schools has hired a coordinator for the new science academy at Dominion High School, slated to open in the fall.
On Tuesday night, the School Board met with George Wolfe, who has been a lead science teacher at Wilson Magnet School in Rochester, N.Y. since 1984. He developed an integrated science program and biological research course during his tenure.
Wolfe also is host and producer of an Emmy-winning “Homework Hotline” television program for parents and children broadcast on the PBS local affiliate. He has written and performed segments for the Discovery Channel involving the physics of football.
The new science academy is supported through a partnership between Loudoun County Public Schools and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, which has pledged $1 million per year in support. HHMI is the nation’s largest non-profit funding organization of science education programs.
In other business, the board:
* Thanked the Loudoun Education Foundation for awarding $12,971.23 in mini-grants to 61 teachers. The foundation raises money to create exceptional learning opportunities for the school district’s students. Teachers will use the money for a wildlife habitat project, to strengthen student writing, a “write a book” program, an English as a Second Language theater group, engaging parents in education and numerous other programs.
* Recommended awarding a Content Management System contract to LearningStation, Inc. to develop content and maintenance standards for individual school Web sites to ensure that students and parents have access to the information needed for academic progress and success. The move is in keeping with a new board goal.
* Started off the new year by re-electing John Andrews chairman and Thomas Reed vice-chairman on Jan. 4. Andrews won a unanimous vote, with the exception of Sarah Smith (Leesburg), who was absent during that meeting. Reed received only one dissenting vote from School Board member Warren Geurin (Sterling). Geurin did not offer a reason for his vote. Regarding the chairmanship, Andrews said he put a lot of time and effort into the job. “I do thoroughly enjoy it 99.9 percent of the time,” he said.
* Sam Adamo, director of Planning and Legislative Services, reported that boundary decisions for a middle school in Ashburn’s Loudoun Valley Estates II subdivision will be delayed from Spring 2005 to Spring 2006. “Staff will have one additional year of students enrollment and residential development data to utilize in establishing the school’s attendance zone,” he wrote in a memo to Hatrick.