Bill Text: VA SJR443 | 2017 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commending Belmont Elementary School.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2017-02-23 - Bill text as passed Senate and House (SJ443ER) [SJR443 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2017-SJR443-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, Belmont Elementary School, a public school in Prince William County, has promoted academic excellence, a positive and safe school climate, and supportive relationships among its students, staff, and the community for 50 years; and
WHEREAS, Belmont Elementary School opened in 1967 on a 15-acre site at a cost of $626,750, and was the seventh elementary school to be constructed in the then-Occoquan District during the 1960s, at a time when Prince William County was hard-pressed to keep up with the rapidly growing demands for education in the Woodbridge area; and
WHEREAS, Belmont Elementary School, located on Norwood Lane, was named for the Belmont Bay on the Potomac River, which forms the northern boundary of the school property, and became part of the newly created Woodbridge District in 1976; and
WHEREAS, the school opened with 471 students its first year, and in 2016–2017, more than 80 faculty and staff members serve 460 students in preschool through fifth grade, of whom 58 percent speak Spanish, 32 percent speak English, and others speak Dari, Arabic, Urdu, Twi, Vietnamese, and Farsi; and
WHEREAS, Belmont Elementary School embraces professional development for its faculty and implements best practices for English language learners, cultural competency, and integration of technology in the classroom; and
WHEREAS, to maintain the Belmont Elementary School facility and to provide the best environment possible, air conditioning was added in 1977, an elevator was added in 1996, networked computers with Internet access and interactive white boards were installed in each classroom in 2002–2003, and a two-story, four-classroom addition was constructed in 2005; and
WHEREAS, Belmont Elementary School implemented a specialty program in mathematics and science in 1999–2000 to offer rigorous curricula to students who are especially interested in these subjects and to benefit from a science center adjacent to the school, which continues to provide engaging, hands-on science experiences to all fourth-graders and fifth-graders; and
WHEREAS, Belmont Elementary School is a past recipient of the School of Excellence award, the highest distinction awarded by the Prince William County School Board, and in 2011, it was named a Title I Distinguished School; and
WHEREAS, Belmont Elementary School has a history of community support through business partnerships and a proud tradition of parent involvement through its Parent-Teacher Association, Career Days, Multicultural Nights, English language acquisition and Parents as Educational Partners classes, Jump Rope for Heart and the American Heart Association, and Pennies for Patients for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society; and
WHEREAS, Belmont Elementary School uses the Positive Behavior Intervention Support and Responsive Classroom model, a nationally recognized approach to foster a strong sense of community and to create a safe environment in which students learn and grow, and sets high expectations for teacher and student behavior; and
WHEREAS, Belmont Elementary School offers student leadership and extracurricular opportunities, including robotics, safety patrols, strings, chorus, and after-school enrichment, as well as a SOAR motivational program to promote academic and behavioral success; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Belmont Elementary School on the occasion of its 50th anniversary; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Belmont Elementary School as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for the school's contributions to the community and dedication to giving students a strong foundation for lifelong learning.
