Arlington Public Schools' Stratford Program gets new name
Future Rosslyn program will be known as 'The Shriver Program'
Arlington Public Schools' (APS) secondary program H-B Woodlawn will move to Upper Rosslyn in fall 2019. It will occupy a brand-new building on Wilson Boulevard known as The Heights. Along with H-B Woodlawn, APS' Stratford Program will also move to Rosslyn in the fall. The Stratford Program is a secondary school program for APS students with special needs. The Stratford Program and H-B Woodlawn have been co-located for years, although the two schools were separated this past school year because of construction at their current home on Vacation Lane in Arlington. They will be reunited with their upcoming move to Rosslyn.
At the Arlington County School Board Meeting on June 6, the Stratford Program got a new name—the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Program. The name was decided by an APS naming committee composed of Stratford Program staff, teachers, students and parents, as well as other members of the APS community. It honors Eunice Kennedy Shriver, founder and honorary chair of the Special Olympics. The Stratford Program's presentation at the board meeting recognized Shriver as a global leader to improve the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities for over 50 years.
"She was a beacon of light for inclusion before it became commonplace," the presentation said.
Dr. Karen Gerry, principal of the Stratford Program, spoke at the board meeting about the new name and its significance for the school community. She also expressed enthusiasm about their move to Rosslyn.
"On behalf of the Stratford community, I want to share how exciting it is to be moving to The Heights building," she said. "It's an absolutely beautiful building. We'll be moving to The Heights building as we're changing our name to Eunice Kennedy Shriver, which is very appropriate and wonderful. Our students will flourish in this new community and under this new name."
The new name was approved by APS Superintendent Dr. Patrick Murphy. It will officially take effect July 1.
As the move-in date for H-B Woodlawn and the Shriver Program at The Heights approaches, we'll be sharing more news and stories about these two unique academic communities that will soon be part of Rosslyn. Stay tuned!