Manassas Park students win regional art honors as school system crowns first Parent Leadership Academy graduates

Manassas Park City Schools recognized student achievements and community engagement at a board meeting where officials highlighted regional art contest winners, the district’s first Parent Leadership Academy graduates and a well‑attended Seal Night.

The board spotlighted Violet English, a 12th grader at Manassas Park High School, whose yarn painting placed in the Virginia School Boards Association regional contest. “Um, so basically our project was to make a yarn painting based off of a historical art piece and that's um based off of the Night Wonder by Edward,” Violet told the board, describing a project she said took “a long time.” The board also noted middle‑school entrant Celia Nuin and elementary entrant Grace Leno as district submissions to regional competitions.

The board noted the Law Day Art Contest hosted May 1, 2026, by Jacqueline Smith, Esquire, clerk of the 31st Judicial Circuit Court, at the Prince William County Old Manassas Courthouse, and recognized student submissions tied to the contest’s theme, “the rule of law and the American dream.”

Superintendent Dr. Saunders presented the Parent Leadership Academy graduates, calling the year‑long program a district effort to build family leadership and strengthen school‑family partnerships through sessions on governance, student achievement, career and technical education and student wellness. Dr. Saunders thanked staff and volunteers who led the effort, including Rachel Kirkland, and said applications for cohort two have been posted on the district’s Facebook page.

Staff also recapped Seal Night, which had been postponed twice for weather before being moved indoors; staff reported 156 attendees and said 21 Manassas Park middle and high school students volunteered to assemble “cool down” kits. School resource officers and the local fire department attended and assisted with the event.

A student representative told the board that serving on the board had been a learning experience: “I’ve had the pleasure of learning a lot about what happens in the background of decisions that are made for students,” the representative said, and congratulated Violet on her award.

Routine business at the meeting included approval of the agenda and the consent agenda by voice votes. There were no public commenters signed up and no new business. The board recessed for a 10‑minute break and planned a work session immediately afterward on the digital budget books and the academic calendar. The next regular school board meeting was announced for Monday, June 22 at 6 p.m.; the organizational meeting is scheduled for July 13 at 6 p.m.