Today, JEB Stuart is the most ethnically diverse high school in Fairfax County, with the student body representing nearly 70 different countries around the world. This diversity has enriched the culture of the school in many ways, but also presents new challenges. With two-thirds of its students being second language learners, a high mobility rate, and a high poverty rate, JEB Stuart High School has many obstacles to overcome on a daily basis. Yet, it is still a high achievement school; there is a 96% attendance rate, 90% of students graduate, and 99% of the Class of 2002 were slated to attend two or four year colleges (for additional information about the demographics of JEB Stuart, see the school profiles here and here).
In honor of the 30th Reunion of the Class of 1973, we would like to support financially needy JEB Stuart students through contributions to several targeted areas identified in collaboration with the Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA). These programs support academic scholarship for Stuart students, as well as their participation in various organized athletic activities.
Supporting Academic Scholarship
Advanced placement classes and the International Baccalaureate (IB) program help students to excel and prepare them for college level work. To receive college-level credit for their participation, students must take a standardized test upon completing their coursework. However, although a portion of the costs of these tests is offset by Fairfax County, some students find it very difficult to cover the remaining fees and may even shy away from taking the courses because of the test fees. Our contributions will help assure that all students are able to take every test for which they are eligible (see the IB program website for more info).
The JEB Stuart Community Scholarship Fund committee raises funds from the community and awards scholarships to needy students to support them in continuing their education. The awards, which are determined by a committee of parents, teachers, and counselors, are based on financial need, merit, and community involvement. Each scholarship goes a long way toward helping these students and their families provide for college entry.
Supporting Participation in Athletics
Stuart students and their families must cover a number of the costs involved with participating in school athletics. However, because not all families can afford to do so, some students who would like to participate in sports cannot. Contributions made to support Stuart athletics will be used to assist students who otherwise don't have the funds to take part in school sports to purchase equipment, clothing, and transportation. Contributions can be directed to the following two groups to help support the participation of financially needy students:
Athletic Boosters � The JEB Stuart Athletic Boosters supports student athletic activities and teams, both financially and with their time.
Crew Boosters - Because Crew is a club sport in Fairfax County, the team receives no financial support from the school. The JEB Stuart Crew Boosters, Inc., runs and provides full financial support to the Crew program, including providing scholarships to students who cannot otherwise afford the $375 annual dues. Their ability to continue to do this is entirely dependent on the success of their fundraising efforts.
We hope that�whether or not you are able to attend the Reunion this time�you will join us in making a meaningful contribution to our alma mater. Your donations, in whatever amounts, can make a real difference to JEB Stuart students. All contributions are, of course, voluntary.
In addition to collecting contributions by mail and through the website, we will provide the opportunity to make contributions at the Reunion.
The deadline for making contributions is November 1, 2003. At that time, we will forward the donations to the JEB Stuart PTSA.