New elementary school honors family it’s named after

By Amanda Stewart

Published: August 25, 2008

For the Fitzgeralds, the ribbon cutting ceremony for Dale City's newest elementary school was more like a family reunion.

The Fitzgerald family filled the first four rows in the new school's gymnasium Monday evening and for good reason.

The new school is named for Fannie W. Fitzgerald, one of four black teachers who helped to desegregate Prince William County schools in 1964, and it sits on Benita Fitzgerald Drive, named for her oldest daughter, a gold medal winner in the 1984 Olympics.

"What a historic event to have a mother and daughter honored in this special way," Fannie Fitzgerald said during the ceremony.

And, as if that wasn't enough, Fitzgerald's younger daughter, Kim Fitzgerald Lennon is the school's information technology resource teacher. And Fitzgerald Lennon's twin daughters will be kindergarteners at the school this year.

Fannie Fitzgerald said it was "the greatest honor" to have the new school named for her.

"It's such an honor to be alive and to be celebrating this with all of you," she said to cheers and applause from the standing-room-only crowd.

The estimated $21 million school is the first new elementary school to open in the Neabsco District in 30 years and is intended to relieve overcrowding at other elementary schools including Bel Air, Neabsco, Mary Williams and Leesylvania.

"This has been a long time coming," School Board member Julie C. Lucas, Neabsco, said. "I'm just absolutely ecstatic to be here."

The students were excited too.

The first thing 6-year-old Korsen Penn noticed was the six basketball hoops mounted on the walls of the school gym.

"He loves basketball, so he's very interested in that," his grandmother, Karen Stover said.

Soon-to-be third grader Tiffany Asiedu said the school, which will serve 900 students at full capacity, is a lot bigger than the private Holy Family Catholic School, where she went last year.

"The gym is very big. I like that because I like to run around," the 8-year-old said.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony included a musical presentation from some of the students and tons of enthusiasm from the crowd.

It was a good start for the school, but, principal Deraine F. Simpson said, the best is yet to come.

"Though it isn't grammatically correct, you ain't seen nothing yet," Simpson said.

Staff writer Amanda Stewart can be reached at 703-878-8014.