The West Potomac Wire

Gubernatorial Candidates Show Marked Differences in Educational Policy Gubernatorial candidates Abigail Spanberger, democrat, and Winsome Earle-Sears, republican, have both discussed education as important issues they wish to address as potential governors. While they ag...

thewpwire.org/10496/news/g... @splc.org

Science Struggles for Freshmen in Biology For many freshmen, biology is quite a challenge, with some ninth graders struggling to pass this quarter. What is the reason? Is the material just harder than they are used to? Could it be a lack of s...

thewpwire.org/10513/featur...

Shaan Nagda named National Merit Semifinalist Senior Shaan Nagda has been recognized as a National Merit Semifinalist, becoming one of 262 students from Fairfax County Public Schools awarded with this prestigious honor this year. The National Mer...

thewpwire.org/10500/showca...

Application Fees Waived During Virginia College Application Week Seniors at West Po have the opportunity to apply to many Virginia colleges for free in what is known as Virginia College Application Week. This event runs from Tuesday, Oct. 21 through Friday, Oct. 24...

thewpwire.org/10476/showca...

University of Virginia Declines Trump’s Higher Education Compact: Other Schools Should Follow Suit Earlier this month, President Donald Trump sent nine universities, including University of Virginia (UVA), a Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education. Under this agreement, universities wou...

thewpwire.org/10490/opinio...

Mount Vernon Rec Center Reopens to Community After being closed for almost three years, the Mount Vernon Rec Center finally reopened on June 9, 2025. The newly renovated building is 139,000 square feet and features a new rock climbing wall, indo...

thewpwire.org/10511/news/m...

West Po Adds a New Club Rotation into Advisory Advisory at West Po has looked different this year than it has previously. Notably, our school’s administration collectively decided upon adding clubs into advisory’s rotating schedule.  “I believe th...

thewpwire.org/10471/featur...

Application Fees Waived During Virginia College Application Week Seniors at West Po have the opportunity to apply to many Virginia colleges for free in what is known as Virginia College Application Week. This event runs from Tuesday, Oct. 21 through Friday, Oct. 24...

thewpwire.org/10476/showca...

A few members of The WP Wire made the trek to the VHSL Media Championships in Harrisonburg today. Great energy and so much learning! @splc.org

Families Feel the Impact of Federal Government Shutdown For the past week, Congress has failed to pass the appropriations bills needed to fund the federal government, causing a government shutdown as the new fiscal year began Oct.1. The shutdown this year ...

Our school has a large population of families employed by the federal government. thewpwire.org/10467/news/f...

Students Face Detention for Cellphone Use Students, previously seen checking their phones during passing periods, now rarely use their phones in the sight line of teachers and staff. Instead, only the cafeteria is filled with students distrac...

thewpwire.org/10435/showca...

West Po Students Stand Up Against Gun Violence On Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, West Potomac students participated in a nationwide protest against gun violence in America. The protest involved students walking out of the building and to the football fiel...

thewpwire.org/10396/news/w...

@splc.org

Harmony in the Hills Visitors who find themselves in Harrisonburg, Virginia, on a Saturday quickly find it’s not uncommon to hear live music at various venues around town and the entire Shenandoah Valley including the Har...

vajta.org/5004/jcamp/s...

We have at least 2 staff members checked in to Virginia Journalism camp at JMU. We’ll be sure to post their stories. So excited for them and for all they’ll learn and bring back to our class next year! @splc.org

Energy Drinks: Energy or Endangerment? Celsius, Red Bull, Monster, Alani Nu, and many other energy drinks with caffeine in them have been popular among different groups of people. These drinks can come in a variety of flavors and bottles, ...

thewpwire.org/10307/sports...

School Board Finally Approves Cellphone Policy On May 8, the FCPS School Board met to finalize the new cell phone policy for next year based on the feedback from its study and pilot programs this year.  First, they voted on two amendments to the F...

thewpwire.org/10328/showca...

Don’t Write Off Senior Year: Enjoy the Present As a senior, I’ve watched students, myself included, dream about graduation day, itching for the freedom that comes after high school. After years of tests, homework, and early mornings, it’s natural ...

thewpwire.org/10304/showca...

Virginia SOLs to Count as 10-Percent of Grade Next School Year As a result of a bipartisan agreement on education policy, Virginia leaders established extensive changes to the state’s K-12 standardized testing system. They are aiming to raise student performance ...

thewpwire.org/10311/showca...

Better Days At West Potomac, tucked away in a corner of springbank, a classroom brimming with creativity releases their 4th album in just as many years. Mr.Luke Pierce and his students have made the promise to go...

Album release concert today in Springbank: thewpwire.org/10265/uncate...

Their school can censor the student press. They are trying to change that. Student journalists at Alexandria City High School want the school system to change a policy allowing their principal to review stories before publication.

www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...

@splc.org @sno

Censorship Threatens Papers Throughout ACPS and FCPS Censorship has been rearing its ugly head across the nation. For instance, earlier in the year, The Washington Post editorial writers were instructed to focus the paper’s opinion page only on stories ...

thewpwire.org/10230/opinio... @SNO @splc.org

Weapons Detection System Returns to West Po for the Rest of 24-25 As the school day neared its end, Principal Jessica Statz announced over the speakers that the weapons detections system will be returning to West Po for the remainder of the 2024-2025 school year. St...

thewpwire.org/10213/news/w...

@snosites.bsky.social @splc.org

Weapons Detection System Leaves West Po Two Days After Stabbing Today, West Po students walked into school expecting to pass through the weapons detection system, as they did on Thursday. However, there was no difference at doors 1, 5, and 19 today from three days...

thewpwire.org/10206/news/w...

@SNO @splc.org

Take a Gamble on Prom: Show up This Saturday This Saturday, hundreds of West Po students will make their way to the Torpedo Factory for an unforgettable night. From 8-11 pm, juniors and seniors will be dancing, socializing, and just having fun i...

thewpwire.org/10189/news/t...

West Potomac Heightens Security in the Wake of Stabbing Incident This morning, West Po students had to go through metal detection scanners to enter the building. Students were required to go to Door 1, 5, 19, which were filled with the scanners and security personn...

thewpwire.org/10183/news/w...

West Po Remains in “Stay Put, Stay Tuned” After Stabbing As West Po students passed from 2nd to 4th periods this morning, there was an altercation between three students in the Gunston hallway connector. This fight led to one student being stabbed with a kn...

thewpwire.org/10171/news/w...

@SNO @splc.org

Afghan Girls and Women Lost Rights to Education Do you know what’s going on in Afghanistan right now? Let’s talk about women in the United States and Afghanistan.  In the United States women have rights, many gained since the suffrage movement in t...

thewpwire.org/10072/showca...

@snosites.bsky.social @splc.org

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