Poplar Tree Elementary School

Infobox School
name = Poplar Tree Elementary School


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motto = What we believe, is what we achieve.... so soar!
established = 1990
type = public
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district = Fairfax County Public Schools
grades = K-6
president =
principal = Sharon S. Williams
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location = 13440 Melville Lane Chantilly, VA 20151
country = USA
information = [phone]
website = http://www.fcps.edu/PoplarTreeES/

Poplar Tree Elementary School (PTES) is an elementary school in the Chantilly section of unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. As of|1996, the school had 830 students.cite news | title = Playground fire may have been set | date = 27 February 1996 | publisher = The Washington Times | page = 2, C6]

The school was opened in 1990. During its construction, parts of the school building were struck by boulders ejected from blasting works 70 feet away. The boulders damaged part of the building's air conditioning system and a wall of the school's boiler room. The cost of the damage was $200,000. cite news | title = Construction Blasting Damages Fairfax School; Incident May Delay September Opening | author = Patricia Davis | date = 10 July 1990 | publisher = The Washington Post | page = b04] cite news | title = Blasting damages new school (UPI) | date = 10 July 1990 | publisher = Richmond Times-Dispatch | page = b-8] cite news | title = Blast mishap may delay opening of school | date = 10 July 1990 | publisher = The Washington Times | page = 2, B2]

When it was first built, the school did not have a playground. The school's Parent-Teacher Association set up a playground fund and fundraising events included a fashion show. cite news | title = Today | author = Maria DiGiulian | publisher = The Washington Times | date = 13 November 1990 | page = 2, F2] They eventually raised $40,000, and the playground was built in 1993. However, it was destroyed in a fire on the morning of 27 February 1996.

In 1993, the school was also the location of a controversy when a prayer box was placed in its teachers' lounge by members of a group affiliated to Moms in Touch International. Teachers were invited to place anonymous prayer requests into the box. According to Sandra Culmer, the school's principal at the time, no teachers or parents objected to the box, but several "concerned citizens" questioned its presence. The prayer group did not wish anyone to be offended by the box and they removed it upon these complaints.cite news | title = Prayer Group Removes Box From School | author = Tamara Jones | date = 9 December 1993 | publisher = The Washington Post | page = v04]

Mass murderer Seung-Hui Cho, who executed the Virginia Tech massacre, studied in the school from 1995 to 1997. He was one of only three Korean students enrolled at the time, and was good in English and mathematics. cite news | title = Childhood friend recalls a different side of Cho | date = 20 April 2007 | publisher = Joong Ang Ilbo | author = Lee Hyeon-gu]

References

External links

* [http://www.fcps.edu/PoplarTreeES/ Poplar Tree Elementary School's website]