Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Nearly half of the citations were for speeding, police said.
Police issued 1,105 citations during their Sept. 4-14 “Back to School” traffic campaign, which targeted violations around schools, school crossings and buses traveling on area roads. The Prince William County Police Department said in a press release that nearly half of the citations issued to drivers were for speeding in school zones or “speeding generally.” “Along with other offenses, officers focused on two specific violations that significantly impact the safety of our school children: Passing a Stopped School Bus and Speeding in a School Zone,” said a release from the department. “The purpose of these efforts is to help protect students and school staff. Traffic safety involving our students, schools, and school buses is one of the …
Thursday, September 6, 2012
From email to e-newsletters, Blackboard to e-books at the library, tech tools are very much a part of the back-to-school equation
Back to school 2012 is a bit different than in earlier years. While some things will always be handled via paper and pen, technology tools are helping to make sure that parents are informed on the issues big and small. Here are a few ways that FCPS and your child's teacher will use technology to keep in touch and provide resources to help your child learn. KIT and KIT-Plus KIT (Keep in Touch) and KIT-Plus are the e-newsletter services that provide up-to-the-minute information for the public on school delays or closings, emergencies, information about FCPS programs and news stories. Parents, students and employees are automatically enrolled via their contact information provided to the schools. Parents and community members can also select …
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Free Patch swag is available to those who comment and leave a photo.
It's the first day of school in Prince William County, and we want your back to school pictures. Whether you're a young parent nervous about your kindergartner's first day of school or a veteran parent thinking about how quickly time flies, share your bus stop pictures or back to school preparation pictures here. Just upload your pictures to this article. For those of you who comment here and upload a photo, you can have free Patch swag. Don't forget to check out the Woodbridge Back to School Guide. Take care while driving today and any school day, as police are targeting school-related traffic violations. Fight the back to school blues that may sneak up on you when your children return to school. Keep your kids healthy and happy with …
Prevent tragedies with these back to school driving tips from AAA.
As Prince William County children head back to school this week, drivers are reminded to be especially vigilant. "The afternoon hours are particularly dangerous for walking children," according to AAA, the a not-for-profit organization providing members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive services and information. "Over the last decade, nearly one-third of child pedestrian fatalities occurred between 3 and 7 p.m," the organization reported. AAA offers six ways drivers can help keep kids safe during the school year:
School starts today and the Prince William County Police Department plans to be out to enforce two specific school-related traffic laws.
Schools open in the area today and Prince William County Police will be out in force to target violations around schools, school crossings, and around school buses. The Prince William County Police department released a statement Thursday that the department will be focusing on two specific violations: passing a stopped school bus and speeding in a school zone. The department also advised that when the lights on a school zone sign are flashing, the speed posted on that sign is in effect and will be “aggressively enforced.” “The penalty for speeding in a school zone is severe and can result in a fine of over $250,” said the release. “If the speed and circumstances warrant, drivers can be charged with reckless driving.” According to the …
Passing a stopped school bus on the road could earn you six demerit points, a hefty fine and possible jail time.
School starts Tuesday and Prince William County Public Schools is reminding people that as early as 6 a.m. 825 PWCS buses will on the road. As such, PWCS is reminding drivers of the laws surrounding school buses and schools. About 63,000 of nearly 84,000 students will be transported by bus, said PWCS. "Motorists are reminded that flashing yellow lights in school zones will be on beginning Sept 4," said a release from PWCS. "School zone lights were turned off at most schools in the county during the summer. However, at all locations where summer sessions were held, lights remained operational." PWCS said in its release that "by law, motorists must stop when a school bus is stopped with its red lights blinking and stop sign extended, …
Thursday, August 30, 2012
How stay-at-home parents fight the "empty house" rut when kids return to school.
Moms everywhere jump for joy when the stores stock up on backpacks and sharpened pencils because it means the school year is approaching and they will soon have eight hours for themselves. However, once the morning school drop-off is done or the bus pulls away, sometimes returning to an empty house is daunting. After a long summer of being at the kids' beck and call, a stay at home parents may feel a loss for what to do with all the free time, and find the silence in the usually loud house rather eerie. Not only is the stay-at-home parent relieved of child care duties for the majority of the day, but instead of being at the center of their children's world ("Mom, I'm Hungry!", "Mom, I need help!", "Mom, can we go to the pool?"), she …
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Prince William County Schools' School Age Child Care program will begin the first week of school.
The deadline for Prince William County Schools' School Age Child Care program is rapidly approaching. Parents that would like their children to attend the SACC program the first week of school, Sept. 4-7, must enroll them by Aug. 24. According to PWCS, children registered on Aug. 27 through Sept. 5 will begin participation in the SACC program on Sept. 10. "The SACC program, which is administered by Minnieland Academy, provides high quality child care to the families of the Prince William community," read an announcement on PWCS' website. "Visit the Minnieland Academy Web site to complete the SACC online registration. Find additional details about the PWCS SACC program on the SACC program Web site." Registration is on a first-come, first-…
Keep Mom and kids happy with these healthy school lunch ideas.
Trying to get our kids to eat a healthy lunch at school has its obstacles. First, there's the temptation of the school lunch. From the chocolate milk to the corndogs and a la carte cookies and ice cream, it makes brown bagging it look rather dull. Secondly, your kids have a whopping 20 minutes to eat their lunches, five minutes to walk from the classroom to the lunch table, 20 minutes to eat, and five minutes to pack up, clean the tables, and return to their classroom. There's not a lot of time to socialize between bites. My kids have often come home with their packed lunches half eaten because they "didn't have time to finish." Finally, parents have to battle the morning rush, and sometimes packing a lunch is an afterthought about two …
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Mark your calendars for various high school orientations.
The first day of school is Sept. 4 for Prince William County public school students. In the coming days, PWCS high schools in the Woodbridge area will be having new student and rising 9th grade orientations. Hylton: Aug. 30, 8:30 a.m. to noon Forest Park: Aug. 30, 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Freedom: Aug. 30, 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Osbourn Park: Aug. 30, 8 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Stonewall Jackson: Aug. 23, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Woodbridge High School: Aug. 23, 8 a.m. to noon Editor's Note: Gar-Field High School's new student and rising 9th grade orientation started at 8 a.m. on Wednesday.
Joe George
2:33 pm on Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Thank you to my PWCPD for conducting this activity. Now please do it unannounced to catch those that habitually do this, but knew that the police were out in force, focusing on school zones. more ›