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2007 SESSION

076417428
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 617
Offered January 10, 2007
Prefiled January 5, 2007
Commending West Point Public Schools on the occasion of its 100th anniversary.
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Patron—Morgan; Senator: McDougle
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WHEREAS, West Point Public Schools is recognized for 100 years of outstanding service to the citizens of the Town of West Point; and

WHEREAS, the Commonwealth's public school system was organized in 1870, the same year the Town of West Point was incorporated; and

WHEREAS, West Point High School was established in 1906 with Thomas J. Harwell as principal; students were housed in three rooms in what is now the elementary school until 1924; and

WHEREAS, the original West Point High School faculty consisted of five members, including elementary school teachers—Miss Katharine P. Howerton, Mrs. K. R. Richardson, Miss Maude Bland, Miss Lily Johnson, and Miss Nettie Williams; and

WHEREAS, only three years of high school were required, and the first class of two students graduated in 1908; and

WHEREAS, the townspeople rallied to support the school with the founding of the first Parent Teachers Association and an athletic association, followed by the literary society in 1911, enrollment in the Virginia High School Literary League in 1913, and the formation of the high school chorus in 1914; and

WHEREAS, the first students graduated with 16 credits in 1914, a student government was formed in 1915, and inter-scholastic competition flourished in football, basketball, baseball, and track by 1916; and

WHEREAS, in the 1920s West Point was beset with change, industry, and rapid growth, and in 1923 W. E. Garber became the superintendent of the public schools in the expanding Town of West Point and King William County, and students began classes in a new high school building in 1924; and

WHEREAS, the popular school yearbook, The Point, was published in 1929; the Tchekovian Dramatic Club was born and the Choral Club was reorganized in 1931; a guidance staff was made available to students, and a commercial program was added to the curriculum in 1934; and

WHEREAS, enduring the Depression, the bombing of Pearl Harbor, World War II, and adapting to a modern age of technology, the students of West Point High, West Point Middle, and West Point Elementary schools have continued to grow in numbers and enrichment, nurtured by skilled and dedicated teachers and staff, experienced principals, and prudent school board members; and

WHEREAS, among its numerous accolades, West Point Public Schools has received 10 consecutive SchoolMatch What Parents Want awards as one of the nation's commendable school districts and was recognized in Money Magazine's article, “100 Top Schools in Towns You Can Afford,” in 1995; and

WHEREAS, the mission of the West Point Public Schools "is to maximize the intellect and abilities of all our children" and its motto is to provide an "Environment for Excellence"; and

WHEREAS, for 100 years, West Point Public Schools has been a vital partner of the West Point community, providing an exemplary education to the students of the Town of West Point; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly commend West Point Public Schools on the occasion of its centennial anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Dr. Jane Massey Redd, Superintendent of West Point Public Schools, as an expression of the General Assembly's congratulations and best wishes for continued success.