Kings Glen Elementary School

Kings Glen Elementary School opened in September 1969. The history of Kings Glen is entwined with that of our sister school, Kings Park Elementary School. Kings Park opened in 1964 and rapidly became overcrowded as the school-age population in our area grew much faster than initially projected. Kings Glen was constructed to relieve the overcrowded conditions and from the very beginning the community was adamant that the neighborhood not be split between two separate schools. A compromise was reached to house grades 4-6 at Kings Glen and the younger grades at Kings Park, an arrangement under which our schools still operate today.

Mary M. Musick, Principal of Kings Park / Kings Glen School Complex (1969-1980)

From 1969-1980, Kings Glen and Kings Park operated as one school complex called Kings Park / Kings Glen Elementary School. Both buildings were jointly administered by one principal, Mary M. Musick, but each building had its own separate assistant principal. The assistant principals from Kings Park / Kings Glen were often selected for principalships after one or two years. As the school grew, however, the frequent turnover of assistant principals created what Principal Musick considered to be a detrimental effect to the school. In the late 1970s, she proposed, and the school system accepted, a plan to form two schools, each with its own full-time principal. In 1980, Bernice Howard was appointed principal of Kings Glen Elementary School and Irene Nassor was assigned as her assistant principal. Mary Musick remained principal at Kings Park Elementary School, and the PTA remained as one to serve the entire Kings Park / Kings Glen community.

What’s in a Name?
Have you ever wondered how Kings Glen Elementary School got its name? Find out in this video produced for the Fairfax County Public Schools cable television channel Red Apple 21:

Kings Glen Elementary School opened in September 1969. The school was named partly for the Kings Park residential neighborhood with the addition of the word “glen” in reference to the local landscape. The word “glen” is Scottish in origin and is defined by the Scottish National Dictionary as a valley generally traversed by a stream or river. The “glen” in this instance refers to the Accotink Creek Stream Valley which is located 200 yards east of the school. The headwaters of Accotink Creek begin in the City of Fairfax. From there, the stream travels southeast, passing through parks and neighborhoods, until it reaches Accotink Bay and flows into the Potomac River near Fort Belvoir. The name Accotink is Native American in origin. Historians believe the word means “at the end of the hill” and that it was the given name of a village that was once located along the banks of Accotink Creek. Archaeologists have yet to find evidence of such a village, but they have found stone tools indicating that American Indians inhabited the creek’s watershed as early as 10,000 years ago.

Rosie Gordon Memorial Courtyard
Our courtyard is named in memory of a former Kings Glen Elementary School student who passed away in July 1989. During the naming dedication ceremony the following October, students were given a pink program booklet imprinted with a poem written by Rosie called "Fall."

"The leaves are yellow, red and brown,
A shower sprinkles softly down,
The air is fragrant, crisp and cool
And once again I’m stuck in school."

Our Principals
1969 – 1980: Mary N. Musick
1980 – 1983: Bernice Howard
1983 – 1991: Franklin D. Freeman
1991 – 1999: J. Martin Marinoff, Jr.
1999 – 2005: James Baldwin
2005 – 2021: Samuel L. Elson
2021 – Present: Dr. Christine A. Ritter