On Friday, you got to meet Matthew Terry, the new principal at Lafayette Upper Elementary School. Today you’ll get to meet Melanie Kay-Wyatt, the new principal at Walker-Grant Middle School.

Melanie Kay-Wyatt, Principal at Walker-Grant Middle School

Hometown: Landover, Maryland (but she moved to Fredericksburg when she was 16)

Previous Job: Assistant Principal at Walker-Grant Middle School (She’s taught almost every grade from K-12 and has been with Fredericksburg City Schools since 1997.)

Education: Bachelor’s from Mary Washington College, Master’s in special education from Old Dominion University and a master’s from the University of Mary Washington in educational leadership. She’s currently working on her doctorate.

Goals For WGMS:

• Maintaining where Mr. Thomas left off and maintaining high academic rigor
• Having new mentoring programs for students
• Boosting graduation and giving more awards
• Creating more electives and course offerings
• Creating more clubs to meet more needs of students
• Reaching out and getting to know five new students each day

Biggest Challenge: “Making sure we meet every student’s needs,” she said

Favorite Subject in School: Math and science

Family: Two daughters: Billie (16) and Temple (13)

Walker-Grant also has a new administrative team. Here’s some more information about them:

Andrea Bumbrey, Assistant Principal
Mrs. Bumbrey received her bachelor’s from Hampton University and her master’s in education from Virginia Commonwealth University.  She most recently served as an Assistant Principal at Lafayette Upper Elementary School.  She has been employed by Fredericksburg City Schools since 2001.
Tim Duffy, Administrative Assistant
Dr. Duffy received his bachelor’s from the University of Mary Washington and his master’s and doctorate from the University of Virginia.  He most recently served as Mathematics teacher at Walker-Grant Middle School.  He has been employed by Fredericksburg City Schools since 2007.

The new year brought two new principals to Lafayette Upper Elementary School and Walker-Grant Middle School. We took some time to talk to each about their goals for the schools, who they are outside of school, and what they want the Fredericksburg community to know about them. Here’s the first one.

Matthew Terry, Principal at Lafayette Upper Elementary School

Hometown: Long Island, NY

Previous Job: Assistant Principal at Walker-Grant  (he’s been with Fredericksburg City Schools since 1999  in several roles, including being the school psychologist for James Monroe High School and Walker-Grant Middle School)

Education: He earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Elmira College in New York, a master’s degree in school psychology from Marist College, in New York and a post-master’s certificate in educational leadership at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond.

Goals for LUES:

• Improve instructional reading and math levels
• Identify which teachers are doing a good job in specific areas and duplicating that
• Keep and retain teachers and inspire them to be better teachers by building morale and working smarter, not harder
• Making sure the students advance and “learn how to learn” and help teachers get students to empower themselves
• Work closer with all the buildings and get good, consistent flow from school to school. “Right now, good cohesive units will benefit the children,” he says.

Biggest Challenge: Empowering parents to take more of an active role in the home, he says. He wants to help parents use their time wisely to benefit.

Favorite Subject in School: Math

Family: Wife, Jennifer and Carly (6) and Connor (7)

Lafayette also has other new administrators for the new year. Here’s some information on them:

Lori Bridi, Assistant Principal
Mrs. Bridi received her Bachelor’s from James Madison University and her Master’s in Education from the
University of Mary Washington.  She has been employed with Fredericksburg City Public Schools since 1995.

P.J. Pcsolinski, Administrative Assistant
Mr. Pcsolinski received his Bachelor’s from
George Mason University and his Master’s in Education from
Virginia Commonwealth University.  He most recently was a physical education teacher at Hugh Mercer.
Mr. Pcsolinski has been employed with Fredericksburg City Schools since 2009.

There will be a meet and greet with Hugh Mercer principal, Mrs. Tankersley, and PTA board members 6:30 p.m. tonight followed by a PTA meeting at 7 p.m. in the library (Child care will be provided).

The Director of Instruction, Mr. Harry Thomas, is the guest speaker.

The topic is:  AYP and Accreditation – What Does It All Mean?

Tidbits from the Fredericksburg City Council meeting Tuesday night:

All seven council members urged city residents to contact state government officials to oppose bills that would require local elected officials to identify with political parties. Councilman George Solley sent a letter to Del. Mark Cole, Sen. Bryce Reeves and House Speaker Bill Howell. All three represent Fredericksburg. (Look for a separate story on this with more details.)

Here is Solley’s letter:

Dear Mr. Speaker,

 I have written Delegate Mark Cole and Senator Bryce Reeves to express my strong opposition to the House Bills that would prevent localities from conducting non-partisan elections. My reasons are given below, but I do want to say most people in Fredericksburg  — many of whom are supporter of yours —  believe that this move is not only unnecessary but would undermine a system that has worked well for a long, long time.

 I firmly believe that such a bill, if passed, would work to the detriment of local government. Fredericksburg, like many other localities, is a place where people know their elected representatives, and the issues we face do not fit neatly within the ideological boundaries of the two parties. The ideological baggage and outside pressures that party affiliation bring may be a necessary part of government at the state and national levels, but they are neither necessary nor healthy for local government.

 Further, government works best the closer it is to the governed, and local governments that have shown themselves able to govern effectively should be allowed to do so without unnecessary interference.

 Lastly, in his pro forma responses to other members of the Fredericksburg City Council, Mark Cole stated that “I do not think it is a good idea to withhold information, such as any party affiliation, from the voters. If a candidate does not want to be associated with a party, they are free to run for office as an independent. “This response fails to fully address the situation. Information concerning party affiliation is not forcibly withheld; any candidate who wishes to do so can broadcast his or her party affiliation on campaign literature, in the media, or in public meetings. In Fredericksburg, in my experience, not one candidate has chosen to declare party affiliation as part of an election campaign.

I urge you to respect the longstanding tradition of good government in the City of Fredericksburg and not try to fix what isn’t broken. Work to prevent the passing of House Bills  157, 374, 769, 931, 351, and 622.

 Regards,

 George Solley

[Note: I added the links to the bills so you can read them for yourself] 

-Boards and Commissions re-appointments:

Appointment to Fredericksburg Clean and Green Commission: Anthony Cantanese

Reappointment of Anne Little and Carolyn Helfrich to Fredericksburg Clean and Green Commission

Reappointment of Christopher Hornung to the Economic Development Authority

Reappointment of Kerri Barile to the Architectural Review Board

-The council amended the FY 2012 budget by appropriating $25,000 in grant reimbursement funds for the Fredericksburg Regional Tourism Partnership in the City Grants Fund. 

-The council amended the FY 2012 budget by appropriating the fund balance of the school operating fund and the school grants fund for school purposes. There will be a public hearing on this at the Feb. 14 meeting.

-Instead of one of the council members, Boy Scout Troop 940 gave the Pledge of Allegiance.

Next Tuesday, the City Council will hold a work session at 5:30 p.m. and its regular meeting at 7:30 p.m.

The work session will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the second floor conference room.

The topic of the work session, according to the agenda released today, will be a water and sewer management study.

The City Council approved the award of contract to Municipal and Financial Services Group, Inc. in May 2011.

The study consists of two parts. The first is a study of the overall management structure of the City’s water and sewer function. The second part is a rate sufficiency study. Here’s a memo with more details.   The cost of the study was not to exceed $90,000, which was to be split equally between the water and sewer funds.

The City Council’s regular meeting starts at 7:30 in council chambers.

Boy Scout Troop 940 will lead the pledge of allegiance.

Here’s the agenda for the rest of the meeting. 

City Hall is at 715 Princess Anne St. in downtown Fredericksburg.

Keep an eye on Twitter for live-tweeting during the meeting.

Be sure to follow @fxbgcitybeat. Or, just click here. 

Next Tuesday and Wednesday (Jan. 24 and 25), there will be alternating lane closures on Fall Hill Avenue between Normandy Avenue and the I-95 bridge. Weather permitting, work will be done on the road between 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Motorists are urged to reduce their speed and watch for detours workers and equipment in the roadway while traveling through the area during this period.

The following areas will have their leaves collected between Jan. 23 and Jan. 27.

Section 21: Hillcrest

Section 22: Morningside

Section 23: Braehead Woods

Section 24: Brown’s subdivision

Here’s the leaf collection schedule for Fredericksburg for next week. (There won’t be any collection on Monday.)

Section 13: Altoona

Section 14: Huntington Hills

Section 15: Westmont

Section 16: Fox Run

Section 17: Alum Spring

Section 18: Twin Lakes

Section 19: Confederate Ridge

Section 20: Courtland Heights

Fredericksburg trash and recycling schedule for the MLK Holiday:

Monday’s trash will be collected Tuesday

Tuesday’s trash will be collected Wednesday

Monday & Tuesday recycling will be collected Tuesday

Also, city schools will be closed and city offices will be closed Monday.

Here’s a list of MLK events around town this weekend.

The planning commission Wednesday night recommended approval of two items relating to the new hotel coming to Eagle Village.

Here’s more information about the hotel from Bill Freehling. 

The hotel would have 93 rooms, be 66,500 square feet and have an area for retail space.

Construction would start in April and is expected to be completed in Fall 2013.

The project is expected to go to the City Council for approval at one of its February meetings.