Greenspring Veterans Groups Sponsor Local Students for Virginia Girls State Program
Four years ago, Greenspring Post 123 was issued its formal charter as in independent Post in The American Legion. Today, the Post has 58 members at Greenspring. Since 2011, the Post has sponsored a local student who wishes to attend the Virginia Boys State program organized by The American Legion. The program teaches students how the Virginia government works while developing leadership skills and an appreciation for citizens’ rights. This year, with added financial support from the Women in Military Service resident group at the community, Greenspring Post 123 will be sponsoring two students who also work at Greenspring. They will attend the parallel Virginia Girls State Program organized by the American Legion Auxiliary. The program will take place June 15-21 at Longwood University. Pete Straub, Greenspring resident and Commander of Post 123, attended Boys State 56 years ago in Missouri and considers it a win-win for all parties involved. "I think it’s a beneficial program," said Straub. "Students can be a part of democracy in action and learn about working together for a common goal."
Sharing A Passion for STEM
Summer Keating of Fairfax Station starts STEMaze group.
Summer Keating is only in sixth grade at Silverbrook Elementary School, but the 11-year-old Fairfax Station resident is already sharing her passion for science and math with the community. “We don't do enough hands-on science, there is too much work for SOLs,” Summer said. “When we do science, it’s not as creative as I would like.”
Honored for Enthusiasm and Dedication
West Springfield Senior Natalia Rivero Nogales recognized by Hispanic Leadership Alliance.
When Natalia Rivero Nogales graduates in a month from West Springfield High School, she plans on majoring in psychology so she can become a counselor and help people, something that she says is her goal in life.
National Merit Scholarship Winners
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) has named 31 Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) students winners of $2,500 National Merit Scholarships. The students are part of a group of approximately 2,500 National Merit finalists chosen to receive scholarships primarily financed by the NMSC. Winners of the scholarships, with their probable career fields in parentheses, are:
Communities to Discuss School Start Times
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) will hold eight community meetings—one per cluster—in May and June to gather feedback from students, parents, employees, and community members on proposed adjustments to school start times. Participants are welcome to attend the meeting that is most convenient for them.
South County Senior Awarded Scholarship
Christian Canales will be first in his family to attend college.
For his work as a leader in the Hispanic community, South County High School senior Christian Canales has been awarded a $1,000 from the Fairfax County Hispanic Leadership Alliance. Canales will be attending James Madison University in the fall where he will study education, and plans to be a high school teacher. “I want to help others and be a teacher, and help guide kids in the right direction. I just want to do the same for others that my teacher did for me. A lot of families don’t put education first, but I believe if you’re not educated, you won’t have a successful life,” Canales said. Canales will be the first in his family to attend college, which he says is a huge deal for him. “It’s not a weight on my shoulder, but I have to set the example,” Canales said. “I think me going to school and trying to show my cousins and other family that you need to go to school. I’m like a role model to them. I want them to go by my example and continue their education.”
Area Students Recognized In Fair Housing Contest
Sharon Garrott of Lake Braddock and Brianna Camp of Robinson win awards.
Burke resident and Lake Braddock junior Sharon Garrott and Robinson senior Brianna Camp were recently recognized for their submissions to the Fairfax County Student Human Rights Commission competition. This year’s theme was “Fair Housing: Opening Doors to Equal Opportunity.” Garrott was selected as a winner in the literary category for her poem, “Battle Within these Walls.” Brianna Camp won the contest’s art category with her painting.
Choral Festival Fills Hayfield
More than 900 middle school sixth-graders participated in the all-Fairfax county choral festival on Saturday, April 26. The festival featured 120 schools in the county. With so many students, the auditorium at Hayfield Secondary School was filled to capacity.
For Congressional Candidates, No Common Ground on Common Core
Democrats in Virginia's 8th Congressional District divided on national education standards.
Should American schools share national standards? That's a question that divides the 10 Democrats seeking to replace longtime U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (D-8), who is retiring after 24 years in the House of Representatives. During a recent candidates forum, the Democrats were asked if they support the Common Core State Standards Initiative, two candidates said they disagreed and eight candidates said they agreed.
Audience Will Have a Blast
West Springfield presents “The Pajama Game” from May 1-4.
The West Springfield High School drama department is hard at work preparing for their spring musical, “The Pajama Game,” which lead cast member and junior Barbara Lawson says is a lively show with talented performers. “There are a lot of popular songs in it that you may not know are in the musical but that you’ve heard before,” Lawson said. “It’ll be a really fun show.”
Achievement Gap Addressed at Budget Hearings
Admissions to Thomas Jefferson, cuts to Summer School, later start times discussed.
Of the 487 students admitted to the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, only 10 are black. Eight of these students are Hispanic. This is even though 177 black students and 214 Hispanic students applied for admission to the school. “Unless you actually believe that black and Latino children have some type of intellectual deficiency that prevents them from competing for admission to TJ, you have to believe there is a failure in the Fairfax County Public School system in terms of preparing these students to adequately compete for admission to TJ,” said Tina Hone, former school board member and founder of the Coalition of the Silence (COTS), at the FY 2015 budget public hearing on April 8.
Promoting STEM in Schools, Budget Hearings
Nifty Fifty STEM education events continue as students advocate for STEM at Fairfax public hearings.
As part of an effort to inspire students to pursue STEM careers and to spark interest in math and science, scientists visited Fairfax County Public Schools last week to talk about their careers and to provide insight on the field.
Orange Hunt Elementary Math Night Transformed
Winter Olympics as theme of first STEM Night experience.
On March 20, Orange Hunt Elementary School revamped its former Math Night into a STEM Night that rocked the students and the community into an evening of learning and fun for the whole family. What began as a somewhat daunting endeavor, our new, small, STEM Planning Committee, which consisted of a half dozen science and math teachers and another half dozen of parent experts and scientists, planned an evening with over 20 hands-on experiments, activities and demonstrations aimed to educate students and community in the areas of Science, Technology, Math and Engineering.
Fairfax Arts Programs Receive Federal Grants
Seven local organizations involved in the arts and literature are receiving a total of $230,000 in federal grants from the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA), U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-11) said.
Area Robotics Teams Compete at Patriot Center
Several NOVA teams win awards at FIRST Robotics Competition Greater D.C. Regional
Over 50 teams, including several from Fairfax County, spent the weekend at the two-day FIRST Robotics Competition Greater D.C. Regional, using their engineering and science skills to compete for a spot in the world championship.
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