McLean High School cheerleader, junior Amber Tran Ha, does a series of back handsprings during Franklin Sherman Elementary’s centennial celebration. Photo by Reena Singh.
Kim Todd remembers how she felt at home at Franklin Sherman Elementary School in the late 1970s.
Nearly 40 years later, she is serving as the school’s Parent Teacher Association centennial coordinator and has seen three of her children enter the school as she had.
The school celebrated its centennial year carnival style with the community on Sunday with a petting zoo, cotton candy and fair-style rides and games.
“This school is dear to my heart,” said Todd.
She said that the first McLean Day was actually a fundraiser for the school, which was the first consolidated school in the county.
“When I was here, they were doing the open plan classroom design, which was the new wave of thinking,” she said, remembering how loud the construction at the school was to complete the design.
The PTA gifted the school a globe for its 100th anniversary to represent the diversity within the school walls as well as the need to prepare students for a changing world.
“For over 100 years, students have crossed these doors to be represented in the four corners of the world,” said PTA President Vance Gore.
Pat Bullock already had two children attend the school and was looking forward to a third, 5-year-old Zach Bullock, also attending next year.
“It’s small, everyone’s really friendly and the teachers are great,” she said. “The kids have a really great community of friends.”
State officials like state Senators Janet Howell (D-32) and Barbara Favola (D-31) and Del. Marcus Simon (D-53) spoke at the carnival to commend the school’s achievement.
“Franklin Sherman is one of the very best schools in the Commonwealth, so give yourselves a hand,” said Favola.
Simon said the House of Delegates passed a resolution to celebrate the school’s centennial, but it still needed to be passed by the state Senate before it could be presented.
Dranesville School Board member Jane Strauss’ three children went to the school, she said, and she was the PTA president in the 1980s. She said the school has been reincarnated five different times and was held jousting competitions in the playground when McLean had horse racing competitions. The current building itself has been renovated several times.
Fairfax County Chief of Staff Marty Smith, a former Franklin Sherman principal, also made an appearance. He noted that when he was the principal, the school was gearing up for its 90th anniversary.
“It’s just amazing to think how much has changed in the past 10 years,” he said.