Bill Text: VA HJR385 | 2024 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commending the Alexandria City High School Theatre program.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 11-3)
Status: (Passed) 2024-03-07 - Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ385ER) [HJR385 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2024-HJR385-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, for 20 years, the Alexandria City High School Theatre program has produced dozens of engaging theatrical performances and achieved incredible heights under the visionary leadership of Hope E. Bachman and Leslie A. Jones; and
WHEREAS, Hope Bachman graduated from Alexandria City High School in 1998, when it was still known as T.C. Williams High School, and was later hired by her alma mater in 2003 as an English and Theatre teacher and the director of extracurricular Theatre activities; and
WHEREAS, Hope Bachman sought the counsel and assistance of Leslie Jones, a fellow English and Theatre teacher and cheerleading coach at the school, and the duo built a strong partnership that ultimately touched the lives of countless students; and
WHEREAS, known in the school community as "Bach and Jones," Hope Bachman and Leslie Jones developed the longest-standing work partnership in Alexandria City Public Schools as they guided the production of student-written plays and classics like "Dreamgirls," "Medea," "Romeo and Juliet," and one of their personal favorites, "Chicago"; and
WHEREAS, Hope Bachman and Leslie Jones worked with students in every aspect of a production, from behind-the-scenes logistics to the on-stage performances, with Bachman, who holds a degree in English, typically serving as a technical director and Jones, who holds bachelor's and master's degrees in Theatre, always organizing and editing the playbills; and
WHEREAS, outside of their work on the stage, Hope Bachman and Leslie Jones developed a collaborative program with Black Student Union Advisor RaAlim Shabazz and the members of the Black Student Union to promote social justice through the Alexandria Community Remembrance Project; and
WHEREAS, the Bach and Jones partnership will come to an end when Leslie Jones retires after 33 years as an educator; Hope Bachman will maintain the Theatre program's commitment to excellence and guide the program into the future using the procedures they developed together; and
WHEREAS, Hope Bachman and Leslie Jones were honored for their countless achievements at a special gala event, and their last production together will be "Bring It On" in spring 2024; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the Alexandria City High School Theatre program for its decades of success under the exceptional leadership of Hope E. Bachman and Leslie A. Jones; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare copies of this resolution for presentation to Alexandria City High School, Hope E. Bachman, and Leslie A. Jones as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for the Alexandria City High School Theatre program's legacy of service to students and the entire school community.
