[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 77 (Tuesday, June 4, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E795-E796]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   COMMEMORATING THE DEDICATION OF SOUTH COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL AND TO 
 RECOGNIZE PRINCIPAL MARSHA MANNING FOR BEING NAMED THE 2013 NANCY F. 
                SPRAGUE OUTSTANDING FIRST-YEAR PRINCIPAL

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 4, 2013

  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the dedication 
of the newest Fairfax County public middle school, South County Middle 
School in Lorton, Virginia, and to congratulate Principal Marsha 
Manning on being named the 2013 Nancy F. Sprague Outstanding First-Year 
Principal for Fairfax County Public Schools.
   Responsible for the education of more than 180,000 students, the 
Fairfax County Public School System (FCPS) is the largest public school 
system in Commonwealth of Virginia and the 11th largest school system 
in the nation. With a budget that exceeds $2.4 billion, the school 
system offers a full range of educational opportunities to each of the 
students who attend one of its 196 schools. Nearly 75% of local high 
school graduates go on to some form of post-secondary education, and in 
2012, Newsweek magazine designated all eligible FCPS high schools as 
the most challenging public schools in the nation. In 2012, the average 
SAT score in Fairfax County was 1654; 140 points higher than the 
Virginia average and nearly 200 points higher than the national 
average.
   These extraordinary accomplishments at the high school level would 
not be possible without an exceptional middle school system that 
thoroughly educates and prepares students in grades 7-8 for the 
challenges of high school. It is my honor to recognize our newest 
middle school, South County Middle School in Lorton, Virginia.
   Following the transfer of the former Lorton prison property to 
Fairfax County in 2002, the explosive growth in the southern end of 
Fairfax County continued to accelerate. In 2005, the doors to a new 
secondary school opened to accommodate children in grades 7 through 12. 
The new school, South County Secondary School, had a maximum student 
capacity of 2,500 and immediately exceeded capacity, requiring a number 
of temporary trailer classrooms to be installed on site.
   In 2008, as Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, I 
was honored to work with the community and my fellow Supervisors to set 
aside $10 million from the county budget expressly for the purpose of 
constructing a new middle school that was desperately needed to 
alleviate overcrowding and provide an environment conducive to 
education and our children's well being. South County Middle School 
opened its doors in September 2012, and on June 5, 2013, we celebrate 
the formal dedication of this institution.
   Principal Marsha Manning has led the school during this inaugural 
year with professionalism, dedication, and devotion to the children in 
her charge. Ms. Manning, a 23-year veteran of FCPS, began her career in 
1990 teaching English at Washington Irving Middle School. She then went 
on to serve as an assistant principal at Mark Twain Middle School, and 
in 2005, helped to open South County Secondary School where she served 
as a subschool principal. It was a natural fit for her to take the 
reins as principal of the new South County Middle School, where she, 
the school, and the students have thrived. She has been described by 
her colleagues as a person who displays ``hard work, integrity, and 
exceptional passion'' and is credited with instilling pride and a sense 
of identity to the school and students--a task that usually takes 
years. I congratulate Principal Manning on being named the 2013 Nancy 
F. Sprague Outstanding First-Year Principal, a recognition very well 
deserved.
   Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in commending the 
faculty, staff, administration, parents, and entire South County

[[Page E796]]

Community for their unwavering dedication to the students of South 
County Middle School. The commitment displayed to the education, 
safety, and well being of our children is instrumental to their health 
and future success, and it is one of the primary reasons that Fairfax 
County is often rated as one of the best counties in the country in 
which to live, work, and raise a family. I thank each of you for your 
tireless efforts, and wish years of success to the Mustangs of South 
County Middle School.

                          ____________________