The First Freedom Student Competition is a national essay contest offering 9th - 12th grade students an opportunity to compete for awards, as they examine the history, current importance and relevance of religious freedom in their lives.

• $3,000 First-Place Award
  
• $1,500 Second-Place Award
  
• $750 Third-Place Award

With the completion of the second week of classes, the ninth graders of the Freshman eXpress have also finished with their suspended curriculum.

The first few weeks of school are stressful for any student, but it's particularly difficult time for ninth graders who are coming from the middle school where they are at the top of the social and academic ladder to the high school where they are once again on the bottom.  There are new rules and procedures to follow, and in the past, students have had to do their best to acclimate themselves to their new surroundings on their own, all the while attempting to keep up with the school work which seems to start immediately.  For many, this is like trying to win a race when you've come out of the starting block already stumbling; you just can't seem to ever catch your footing.

Back to School Event
Arlington, Virginia
September 8, 2009

The President: Hello everyone - how's everybody doing today? I'm here with students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. And we've got students tuning in from all across America, kindergarten through twelfth grade. I'm glad you all could join us today.

I know that for many of you, today is the first day of school. And for those of you in kindergarten, or starting middle or high school, it's your first day in a new school, so it's understandable if you're a little nervous. I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling pretty good right now, with just one more year to go. And no matter what grade you're in, some of you are probably wishing it were still summer, and you could've stayed in bed just a little longer this morning.

The third goal of the school district's Strategic Plan is Human, Physical, and Financial Resource Management. The district continually strives to improve its educational system for effective stewardship, allocation, and management of these resources. We also persist in providing, developing, and utilizing our human resources to support a successful educational program which includes various support services, and we will continue to provide a financial management system that incorporates long-range financial planning, alternative revenue sources, and clear accountability. To that end, district officials have successfully written numerous grants over the past several years earning the district millions in supplemental funding to help keep our local property taxes lower than neighboring school districts.