Fairfax County School Board Minutes

September 18, 1962: The Superintendent requested that authorization be given for the development of plans for several construction projects, some of which could be completed during the present school year and all of which by the beginning of the 1963-64 school year. New school – Mosby Woods development – site to be purchased.

October 2, 1962: It was recognized that a school would have to be constructed in the Mosby Woods Subdivision to house the approximately 300 county students in this area presently, particularly in the anticipation of the sale of the Jermantown School to the City of Fairfax and the fact that the Jermantown School is already overcrowded. However, it appears only one site has been approved by the Planning Commission in this general area, the other, previously available one, of more advantageous geographic location, having been rezoned for small lots, making it prohibitive in cost. Mr. Thomasian therefore moved that staff proceed toward acquisition of a site in this vicinity, pursuing possibilities of some alternate properties, to permit some choice by the Board. Mr. Lory seconded the motion and it carried.

October 16, 1962: Mr. Pope explained that even though the Planning staff is willing to submit for the Board’s consideration another site in the Mosby Woods area, as requested by it, it feels its first submission to be the most favorable. Review of more than one site was still considered desirable by the Board to permit it a selection.

November 6, 1962: Mr. George Pope, Associate Superintendent, reported that to date negotiations for the acquisition of the only school site recommended as suitable by the Planning Commission in the Mosby Woods area have been unsuccessful and it may be necessary to resort to condemnation. He explained again for the information of the Board the procedures of condemnation under revised laws which allow work to proceed, but permit no turning back, once funds are committed and proceeding instituted. Housing to be provided by this school is already necessary to some extent. Mrs. Gertwagen moved that the staff be authorized to continue negotiations for the acquisition of elementary school site in the Mosby Woods area, and that condemnation proceedings be instituted should negotiations fail. Mr. Smoot seconded the motion and it carried. Also, architectural firm of Pickett & Siess was appointed to prepare plans for the Mosby Woods School, reusing Keene Mill Elementary School plans, by motion of Mr. Newman, seconded by Mrs. Gertwagen, and carried.

March 5, 1963: Sketch of Mosby Woods Elementary School was also displayed, which is contemplated to utilize similar plan to (Olley Lane - Little Run) except for four rooms less (16 vs. 20 at Olley Lane).

March 19, 1963: Naming of the Olley Lane, Mosby Woods, and Dunn Loring Woods Elementary School was deferred to the Board's next meeting to give Board Members an opportunity to make recommendations.

April 2, 1963: Naming of three new elementary schools had been postponed to this meeting. Mr. Clark moved that the Dunn Loring Woods School be officially named Stenwood School; that the Mosby Woods School name be official; and that the Olley Lane building be called Little Run School. Mr. Hoofnagle seconded the motion and it carried.

April 16, 1963: Mosby Woods bids were next considered. Quite a number of alternatives were requested in this bidding as to types of window, door, floor covering, ceiling, and light installations. Mr. Wooldridge distributed reprints of an article entitled “What Constitutes School Fire Safety.” Mr. Smoot moved that low bid of E. H. Glover be accepted and that this firm be awarded contract for the construction of the Mosby Woods School in the amount of $465,556 ($441,466 base bid; plus $13,200 for sanitary sewer; plus $10,350 for water line; plus $540 for H.P.S. cured solite blocks). Mr. Hoofnagle seconded the motion and it carried.

May 7, 1963: Resolutions were presented, to the Board, requesting authorizations for condemnation proceedings to permit easements through properties for installations as required by the Dept. of Public Works. Mr. Smoot moved adoption of resolution as follows to expedite acquisition of sanitary easement for the Mosby Woods School: WHEREAS the Fairfax County School Board has filed and there is pending in Fairfax County Circuit Court a condemnation proceeding to acquire a site for the Mosby Woods School from Phillip H. Weston and Harryett A. Mogenson; and WHEREAS, actual construction of said school is underway, under the School Board's right of immediate entry; and WHEREAS, in the construction of said school certain easements are necessary on residue of Weston-Mogensen property for water lines, sanitary sewer lines, and storm sewer lines; and WHEREAS, School Board representatives have been unable to negotiate for these easements. THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Fairfax County School Board does hereby authorize attorneys for the Board to amend the suit already filed in above styled case and include provisions for acquiring the necessary easements. Mrs. Gertwagen seconded the motion and it carried.

August 22, 1963: Mr. Wooldridge reported that all new plants are promised for occupancy on the opening day of school, per contracts, except the two anticipated to be delayed: Stenwood and Mosby Woods. The Superintendent reported that alternate provisions will be made for any unanticipated situations developing at the last minute, not permitting occupancy of any of the plants on September 3.

June 29, 1964: The Board directed that the two-story Mosby Woods plans be adapted for the school building contemplated on the Spring Hill area site, Pickett & Siess architects.

July 9, 1964: The firm of Pickett, Siess & Hook was assigned to prepare the plans for an addition to Mosby Woods Elementary School, the firm having been the architects on the original construction.

October 22, 1964: The board awarded the contract for the construction of the addition to Mosby Woods Elementary School to Burroughs & Preston, Inc., in the amount of $80,597.

September 22, 1966: First discussion of the evening concerned request of residents of the Mosby Woods community that students attending the Mosby Woods School be bused rather than walk through pathway presently being used; or, barring that, that the walkway be kept free of undergrowth and snow accumulation and that police patrols be on duty during student use to and from school. Messrs. Burke and Harris of Mosby Woods; Officer Cox, Safety Officer of the County Police Dept.; Mr. Strickhouser, of the County Public Works Department; and Mr. Ebhardt, Director of Transportation, added pertinent information. The Board concluded, from all statements made and reports submitted, that this walking situation is no more dangerous, and even less so, than numerous other areas of students walking to school throughout the county. Several corrective suggestions were offered, however, and representatives of this community were asked to follow up with Mr. Strickhouser for maintenance of the pathway and correction of drainage inadequacy in creek bed, and it was felt that some police protection could be made available. In the course of this discussion several Board Members called attention to Officer Cox's gratifying work with students in the area of safety and the respect in which he is held by the students.

April 18, 1974: The board approved boundary adjustments between Oakton ES, Jermantown ES, and Mosby Woods ES.

August 29, 1979: Citizen Participation - Ed Flynn, representing the Mosby Woods Elementary School PTA, protesting the high student/teacher ratio at the school and requesting one additional teacher.

May 14, 1981: Mr. Frye moved to accept a boundary change affecting the Fairfax City portion of Mosby Woods Elementary attendance area. This would assign students to Westmore Elementary from Mosby Woods Elementary. Mrs. Carney seconded the motion which passed 8-0 with Teller and Lane out of the room.  A subsequent vote moved students from Oakton ES to Mosby Woods ES.

June 14, 1984: Proposed Bond Referendum would allocate $7,042,000 to construct Gymnasium/Music Room additions to 14 elementary schools: Columbia, Cunningham Park, Fairfax Villa, Greenbriar East, Keene Mill, Kings Park, Mosby Woods, Mount Vernon Woods, Rolling Valley, Shrevewood, Vienna, West Springfield, Westbriar, and Wolftrap.

May 8, 1986: Rosa N. Martin, a second grade teacher at Mosby Woods ES, was a final for FCPS Teacher of the Year.

May 22, 1986: Recommendation to approve award of contract for construction of gymnasium/music room additions at Columbia, Kings Park, and Mosby Woods Elementary Schools to the lowest responsible bidder. Mrs. McDowall asked when construction for those additions would take place. Mr. Hlavin replied that construction would take six to eight months, so he would expect them to be ready about mid-year.

June 12, 1986: The Board approved the award of contract for construction of gymnasium/music room additions at Columbia, Kings Park, and Mosby Woods Elementary Schools to Caldwell & Santmyer, Inc., in the amount of $1,403,000.

April 14, 1988: A bond referendum was to go before the electorate in November 1988. The bond was for $179,960,000 to fund various construction projects, among which were renewals at Garfield, Louise Archer, Mount Eagle, Keene Mill, Ravensworth, Bren Mar Park, Waynewood, North Springfield, Annandale Terrace, Haycock, Herndon ES, Mosby Woods, Jackson MS, Frost MS, Herndon HS, and Oakton HS.

April 5, 1990: The Board awarded the contract for the renewal of Mosby Woods Elementary School to Caldwell & Santmyer, Inc., in the amount of $2,038,000.

July 11, 1996: The Board awarded the contract for technology cabling at nine elementary schools (Beech Tree, Braddock, Bren Mar Park, Clermont, Mosby Woods, Mount Eagle, Newington Forest, Springfield Estates, and Stratford Landing) to A-Com, Inc., in the amount of $511,675.

May 22, 1997: Mrs. Heastie said that she had been saddened to see that Mosby Woods Elementary was no longer on the list of special needs schools; that diversity was increasing at Mosby Woods as evidenced by the enrollment of a number of Kurdish students; that Mosby Woods was fourth on the list below the cut-off point; that the number of students who were eligible to receive free or reduced-price lunch at Mosby Woods had decreased; that while Mosby Woods had special needs she knew that a number of other schools did as well; and that she could not, in good conscience, advance the interests of Mosby Woods Elementary over those of other schools.

September 11, 1997: Mrs. Heastie said that she had attended the Back-to-School program at Mosby Woods Elementary School earlier this evening; that Mosby Woods had 13 relocatable trailers; that she was pleased that the Board would soon be awarding the contract for the addition of ten rooms to the school; that the addition project had been funded in the 1995 bond referendum; that because voters overwhelmingly supported the bond referendum in 1995.

September 25, 1997: The Board awarded the contract for an addition to Mosby Woods Elementary School to R. J. Crowley, Inc., in the amount of $2,255,000.

September 10, 1998: Dr. Domenech added his congratulations to school system staff for the quiet opening of schools; that three major additions opened on time--Brookfield and Mosby Woods Elementary Schools and Twain Middle School. ALSO, Mr. Hottot continued by saying that Paul Nguyen, a fourth grader at Mosby Woods Elementary School, had learned about cornerstones and their importance in buildings in this country; that the student had written to the Facilities staff and asked if a cornerstone might not be incorporated into the new wing at Mosby Woods; that Mr. Nguyen had demonstrated a high level of involvement for such a young person. Mrs. Heastie said that she wanted to follow up on Mr. Hottot's comments about the extraordinary commitment by Mr. Paul Nguyen; that it was her pleasure to join Mr. Nguyen's classmates in thanking him for getting the cornerstone for Mosby Woods; that Mr. Nguyen had helped place it, and he told the other students that, "It was heavy"; that the school is thrilled to have the wing with the new media center, art and science rooms, seven classrooms, and conference rooms for teachers.

October 22, 1998: Mrs. Heastie announced that she would be attending Mosby Woods Elementary School’s 35th anniversary on Saturday where they would celebrate their new wing.

May 13, 1999: Ima Campbell, administrative assistant at Mosby Woods Elementary School, had won the Support Employee Advisory Council Award and had been selected based on her contributions to others over and above her normal work responsibilities.

October 4, 2001: Commendations to four students–Megan, Melissa, and Abraham Sayyad, and Virginia Hsu from Jackson Middle and Mosby Woods Elementary Schools who had raised $515 to donate to the American Heroes Fund by playing their musical instruments for her neighborhood community. Dr. Domenech reported at the following meeting that Mosby Woods student Abraham Sayyad had organized a candlelight vigil and concert to honor the victims of 9/11.

March 3, 2003: Mosby Woods ES was to receive a new GT Center. The school also had a Head Start program.

February 10, 2005: The Board awarded the contract for a modular addition at Mosby Woods Elementary School to Henley Construction Co., Inc., in the amount of $1,493,500.

May 12, 2011: Last year FCPS had received a $100,000 grant from the Korean government to launch an after-school Korean language and culture program at four elementary schools—Colin Powell, Eagle View, Mosby Woods, and Cub Run.

April 10, 2014: Mrs. Reed introduced Mahri Aste, principal of Mosby Woods Elementary School, who had received the 2013 Outstanding Principal Award from the University of Virginia's Curry School of Education Foundation. A certificate was presented to Ms. Aste and photos were taken with the School Board.

Newspaper Articles

The Evening Star

December 5, 1965, Page E-6: 8 Elementary Schools Accredited in Fairfax. Eight Fairfax County elementary schools won accreditation last week from the Southern Association of Colleges and School, bringing the number approved to 15 in the system. Other states in the southeastern region are making “tremendous progress” in the accreditation program, but Fairfax County is the only school district in Virginia with elementary schools accredited by this unit, according to Supt. Earl C. Funderburk. Fairfax has more than 90 elementary schools in its system.  Langley High School, the county’s 16th and newest secondary, also was accredited by the Southern Association at its recent convention in Richmond. Newly-accredited elementary schools are Crestwood, Freedom Hill, Graham Road, Hollin Hall, James Lee, Pine Spring, Waynewood and Westlawn. James Lee is one of two all-Negro schools scheduled for closing next fall in the county’s last step to total desegregation. Designed to increase the quality of elementary education, accreditation consists of a “self-study” by each school’s staff to determine how well the school measures up to “desirable qualities” outlines by SACS, Funderburk explained. Later a committee visits the school to see how well requirements of the organization are being met. Eleven additional elementary schools are involved in the evaluation processes this year. They are Flint Hill, Franconia, Great Falls, Haycock, Mantua, Mosby Woods. North Springfield, Westmore, Wilton Woods, Woodburn and Woodley Hills.

The Fairfax City Times

August 8, 1963, Page 2: Registration Open in County Schools. Fairfax County School Superintendent E. C. Funderburk announced today that all school will be open for registration of new pupils Monday and Tuesday, August 12 and 13 between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. He called special attention to two sections in the Virginia School Law which have caused some confusion in the past. First, a child must have had his sixth birthday on or before October 1, in order to register in the first grade; and second, any student, new to the Fairfax County School System, must present both a birth certificate and proof of vaccination for smallpox at registration. A child may register by presenting a hospital record or a baptismal certificate for proof of age but a birth certificate must still be presented within thirty days. Registration of new students in the following new schools will be held as follows: …Mosby Woods--at Jermantown Elementary 813 Jermantown Road, Fairfax, … Parents are urged to register new students on August 17 and 18 in order that may complete their scheduling of students before school begins. The time required to register on the first day of school greatly disrupts the program planned for that day. All principals report for work today and may be reached by phone at the schools during regular school hours.

August 29, 1963, Page 1: Fairfax Schools Overcrowded; Temporary Classrooms Set Up. Fairfax Schools will be bursting at the seams next Tuesday morning as thousands of area students return to their classrooms. At least three of these classrooms will be temporary ones set up to hold overflow from the regular school buildings in and around Fairfax. … Mosby Woods - 372 of the students there are normally scheduled to attend the new Mosby Woods elementary, but its school won’t be completed for “about two months,” according to the county school office. Mosby Woods is one of the last schools approved under the County’s 1960 bond issue; its contract was not let until last spring.

December 13, 1963, Page 1: Mosby Woods Association Off and Running. THE SCHOOLS - The public schools, themselves caught between the County and City, are perhaps the most urgent aspect of Mosby woods’ peculiar political situation. Most children in the area last week transferred from Jermantown to the new Mosby Woods School. But if Fairfax City is running its own schools next fall, Mosby woods may not be one of them. This will mean pupils living in the City portion of the development may have to travel some distance to school. Meacham says the association will keep residents fully informed on developments of the school situation.

January 31, 1964, Page 1: Mosby PTA Will Hear Geo. Pope. The Mosby Woods Elementary PTA meets Tuesday, February 4, at 8 p.m. in the school cafeteria to hear guest speaker George Pope, Associate Supervisor of County Schools. Mr. Pope will discuss “Ten Years of Progress in Fairfax Schools.” Also on hand will be Carleton Cotting and Floyd Bertaglio to discuss the 1964-65 school budget. All parents are invited.

March 20, 1964, Page 1: NEPAL PROJECT. Students at the new Mosby Woods School in Fairfax have been at work in recent weeks collecting materials to aid their counterparts in a school in Nepal. Shown here in the school storeroom are from left, Jim Solomon, Alan Wood, Steven Macham, Danny Smith, Deborah Griffith, Carol Fritheroll, Adrian Sardonia and Ralph Good.

The Northern Virginia Sun

August 26, 1963, Page 3: Nine Fairfax Co. Schools To Be Ready. Nine of the eleven county schools planned for the September 3 opening of schools will be ready in time, it was learned this week. …Two elementary schools, Mosby Woods and Stenwood, will be ready for students in October or November, he said. Funderburk said there was a lot of work to be done to get ready for the expected 80,000 students that will be returning in the fall, but added that most of the construction was accomplished. He said, however, that in some cases work on the sites, cafeteria, gymnasium, or auditorium would continue for a few weeks into the school year.

August 29, 1963, Page 16: Fairfax County Records 80,000 Returning Pupils. Nearly 80,000 students will return to schools throughout the county next Tuesday to attack the changing world of education. …Officials said that only two of the 11 new schools will not be ready for Tuesday’s opening. The elementaries, Mosby Woods and Stenwood, will be ready in October or November… Until that time the students will probably attend another elementary school in the area. If the construction can be speeded up the students may have an extended summer vacation.

August 30, 1963, Page 3: Two Fairfax Schools To ‘Double Up’. Students assigned to Mosby Woods and Stenwood Elementary schools will attend double shifts until the two new schools are completed, County School Supt. E. C. Funderburk announced yesterday. Funderburk said the schools should be ready for occupancy in November. “UNTIL THAT TIME we will do everything possible to assure that our children will lose no instructional time and they will receive the same opportunity for a high quality education as would be found in any of our school,” he said. In order to accommodate children assigned to Mosby Woods, double shifts for the first and second grades will be necessary at Jermantown Elementary.

October 8, 1963, Page 3: Mosby Woods Forms PTA In Advance. A group of parents met to form a Parent-Teacher Association for the new Mosby Woods Elementary School to open later this fall. A mass meeting has been scheduled by the group for Oct. 15 at 8 p.m. in the cafeteria of Jermantown Elementary School to complete organizational plans.

The Washington Post

September 1, 1963, Page B-1: School Opens This Week to Smiles and Tears. In Fairfax County, eight new schools will be swinging open their doors this fall. Enrollment increased in Fairfax County to 80,000, up 7,010 from the previous year. New buildings to open are Fort Hunt HS, Ravensworth ES, Stratford Landing ES, Washington Mill ES, Little Run ES, and Wilton Woods ES. Two more elementary schools, Mosby Woods ES and Stenwood ES, will open in November.

September 4, 1963, Page B-1: 304,000 Pupils Begin Classes in Suburbs. About 78,000 were enrolled in Fairfax County. First and second graders at Jermantown Elementary in Fairfax City are on double-shift because the new Mosby Woods School will not be ready until Nov. 1. In Falls Church, where for the first time new students no longer have the option of going to Fairfax County schools, 1,914 attended classes.