Abingdon Elementary School
by Third Grade Spanish Immersion Class
Our School
Abingdon Elementary School is located in Arlington, Virginia and is the largest elementary school in Arlington. It is a good place to listen and to learn about our community and the rest of the world.
There are 612 students at Abingdon Elementary and is a very multicultural school. The student body is 27% Hispanic, 32% White, 30% African American, and 11% Asian.
The Spanish Immersion program is great! We have half a day in English and half a day in Spanish. In English we do Language Arts, Spelling, Social Studies, and Reading. In Spanish, we have Math, Science, Spanish Language Arts, and Spanish Reading.
Climate
The average snow fall is about 10 to 12 inches per year. In the winter, the temperature ranges between 35 to 45 degrees, while in the summer it is about 90 degrees. When it rains, the average rainfall is about 40 inches.
Arlington, Virginia, has four definite seasons. Fall and Spring are cool and summer is hot and humid. In the winter, it can get real cold. The climate is often unpredictable, so be sure and look up the local weather.
Agriculture in the Area
There are many community gardens in Arlington and lots of personal gardens too. While there are no major crops in Arlington, there are the community and personal gardens. The climate is ideal for growing vegetables, flowers and other plants. The soil is made up of mostly clay that sucks all the water when the gardens are watered, but causes water to stand on top of the soil. The soil can be very challenging.
Our School Garden
There are two gardens, the "Seeds of Change" garden and the "Virginia" garden. They are located on the sides of the school. The gardens began in 1992 as a project between Abingdon and the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History. Different classes use the garden and it is open to all students and staff.
The "Seeds of Change" garden is a rectangular shape and divided into six plots. The "Virginia" garden has native plants and is a triangular shape. We plant a variety of plants in both gardens. The gardens are living learning labs where we have special lessons and events.
Our Area
Abingdon Elementary is located in Arlington County, Virginia. The county thinks Arlington is urban, but the people think it is suburban. There are over 185,550 people who live there. The office and commercial market has more than doubled since 1980. There are approximately 80,000 dwellings.
Arlington is right next to Washington D.C. and is along the Potomac River and borders the Atlantic Ocean. Arlington is 26 square miles and has over 300 miles of roads. Arlington County is always changing.
Tour of Arlington
Arlington is a great place to explore because Washington D.C. is right next door. The Pentagon is in Arlington and is an interesting place to visit because many military offices are located there and other official things. Arlington is beautiful, safe and a great place to live.
Other things of interest in the Arlington area are:
- Walker Chapel which was open on July 18, 1979. It was named after the Walker family.
- Fireworks in the area are another great thing to see. We can see fireworks on Abingdon's hills.
- There are many nature centers in Arlington to picnic, and there are over 100 miles of trails to explore and to use.
- Parks are very beautiful to picnic at, play and to just have fun.
- The Ball-Sellers house is one of the oldest houses in the county and is an interesting place to visit.