Greenbriar West Elementary will soon be 35 years old, and a two-day celebration is planned in honor of the occasion.
Friday, Sept. 29, will be School Spirit Day. GBW's colors are green and white, so all students will receive green wrist bands when they enter their classrooms.
THE SCHOOL'S first principal, Don Carroll, will visit classes during the day. Then at 2:30 p.m., he'll attend a schoolwide pep rally outside. If it rains, it'll move to the gym. There'll also be music. Said Assistant Principal Patty Granada: "All 120 third-graders will sing songs, including the school song."
On Saturday, Sept. 30, from 1-2 p.m., staff volunteers will conduct tours of the newly renovated building. Afterward, visitors will head to the gym where the strings and band students will be performing.
Then at 2 p.m., the anniversary program will begin with the Pledge of Allegiance and the presentation of the colors. Said Granada: "Third-grade students wearing green bandanas, white shirts and black pants will sing songs throughout the program."
About 30 former staff members will attend, including Carroll; GBW's second principal, Bob Marshall; third principal, Bob Holderbaum; as well as John Hilkert, the principal immediately preceding current principal, Lori Cleveland.
Welcoming everyone will be Cleveland, and Fairfax County School Board Chairman Ilryong Moon and Carroll will also speak. Then the audience will be treated to a slide show of GBW through the decades.
Cleveland will also present a plaque to instructional assistant Agnes Gordon, in whose honor the reading room across from the library will be named. Gordon has been at Greenbriar West from the start. And since she helps first- and second-graders with their reading, Granada said it's fitting to dedicate the room as the Agnes Gordon Reading Room.
The school, itself, will also be re-dedicated as it completes its renovation. Cake and punch will follow the program. The celebration is open to any community member, past or present, including former and current students, parents and staff members.
In addition, anyone with GBW memorabilia that could be displayed at the event is encouraged to e-mail Nancy.Kocen@fcps.edu. Especially needed are yearbooks from 1971-80.