Save the Fine Arts
On Monday, May 21, over 100 students and alumni of West Springfield High School joined to protest Fairfax County Public School's staffing policies in the fine arts and celebrate the impact the fine arts has had on their lives.
Reduce Crime: Buy Books
Richard Byrd Library hosts sale to support program for juvenile offenders.
Is there a new approach that works to turn juvenile offenders around? Yes - it is the Fairfax County Public Library's Changing Lives Through Literature (CLTL) program. According to FCPL Program Manager, Ted Kavich, CLTL uses the power of literature to transform troubled youth through reading and group discussion.
Community Services Budget Under Scrutiny
$8 Million budget hole threatens programs, public review underway.
The Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board, which provides social services to thousands of the county’s most vulnerable residents and has come under fire for an $8 million budget shortfall, was given a temporary reprieve by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.
Springfield Resident Receives Literary Merit Award
The Lord Botetourt Medal, established in 1772 "for the honor and encouragement of literary merit," is presented to a graduating senior who has "attained the greatest distinction in scholarship." Rebecca Koenig, of Springfield, received this award on Sunday, May 13 at the College of William & Mary’s Commencement ceremony.
‘The Wizard of Oz’ at West Springfield High School
There may be no place like home, but when it comes to musical theater, there’s no place like West Springfield High School. Last night, West Springfield took the audience somewhere over the rainbow in their production of "The Wizard of Oz."
Fresh and Exciting
Hayfield’s production of ‘The Children’s Hour.’
Behind every rumor lies some small ounce of truth. Hayfield Secondary School’s production of "The Children’s Hour" showed a small town turned upside down with a little white lie that was maybe not so little after all.
Game On
George Mason University students develop video games aimed at curtailing gang recruitment in Virginia.
Law enforcement officials now have two unlikely weapons in the fight against gang activity in Virginia: video games and college students.
‘The Arabian Nights’ at Lake Braddock
The sound of drums filled the air as the cast lined the aisles, chanting in unison. Voices flew from all sides of the auditorium and the audience remained entranced throughout Lake Braddock High School’s production of "The Arabian Nights."
‘Arabian Nights’ at Lake Braddock
Lake Braddock students perform culturally-rich classic.
Don’t expect Disney’s "Aladdin" in Lake Braddock Secondary School’s production of "The Arabian Nights."
Addressing ‘College Drinking Culture’
The Perils of the College Drinking Culture" forums continue through May.
It’s college decision time for Fairfax County seniors, and college-bound students and their parents are encouraged to attend an upcoming program that deals with binge drinking on college campuses. "The Perils of the College Drinking Culture" will be presented by the Unified Prevention Coalition of Fairfax County, in collaboration with the Fairfax County Police Department, in April and May at locations across the county.
County Takes Aim at Bullying
Survey helps county create bullying outreach, cyberbullying prevention.
Monitoring aggressive behavior is a primary concern of Fairfax County when conducting the annual Youth Survey. While fewer than 5 percent of students report gang activity or carrying a weapon, a majority of students have experienced bullying from one side or the other.
Honored at the Pentagon
A private tour for seventh-grader who wants to become a U.S. Army Ranger.
"What do you want to do when you grow up?" This question, posed so often to young adults, typically results in ambiguous, pie-in-the-sky answers. Lake Braddock seventh grader and Springfield resident Travis Catina had a very specific response to that question, one that when published in the Dec. 30 Children’s Issue of The Connection caught the attention of U.S. Army officers at the Pentagon and earned him and his family a private tour.
Risky Behavior by the Numbers
Youth Survey highlights risks, assets for students.
Periodically, Fairfax County conducts a youth survey which polls thousands of students to get a glimpse into issues of substance abuse, antisocial behaviors as well as factors such as mental health and civic engagements.
Congressman at Hunt Valley
Connolly reads to second-graders; reveals early dislike of pizza.
The pressure was intense, but in the end U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-11) got rave reviews from nearly 75 Springfield second-graders on Friday, March 2.
Local Governments Enjoy Record Spending
Bucking national trend, local governments here expand while others are contracting.
As local governments across America are laying off firefighters and teachers, governments in Northern Virginia are experiencing record levels of spending and an all-time-high number of employees.
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