Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Students from Mount Vernon and West Potomac High School will compete in the National Leadership Conference.
Five Fairfax County Public Schools Health and Medical Sciences students have finished in the top three at the 33rd annual Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) State Leadership Conference in Williamsburg. These students have advanced to the HOSA National Leadership Conference in Nashville in June. HOSA is a national student organization endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education that provides leadership development opportunities and recognition to Health and Medical Sciences students, according to a press release sent by FCPS. At the state level in the Physical Therapy category, Nena Abernathy of Mount Vernon High School won first place; Jordan Gooch of Lake Braddock Secondary School finished in second place, and Garrett Farmerie…
Monday, March 25, 2013
Morning field trips are canceled due to snow.
Spreak break activities at Fairfax County Public Schools are delayed for two hours Monday morning due to the snowfall, according to FCPS. All FCPS school programs and activities that are being held during spring break will begin two hours late. Offices will open on time. Morning field trips are canceled. SACC centers will be open by 7:15 a.m. Adult and community education classes will start on time.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
The playground was closed off in November after FCPS deemed it unsafe.
Stratford Landing Elementary School can now keep most of the new playground equipment installed last year, Fairfax County Public Schools officials decided last week. The playground apparatus was closed off in November after FCPS officials declared it unsafe and it had to be uninstalled. The Stratford Landing Elementary School PTA raised $55,000 over the last three years for playground improvements. After selecting a design that was met with approval from the Fairfax County Public Schools Facilities Department, last summer the PTA moved forward with installing the first phase of the playground – a new track and climber. Stratford Landing can keep most of the new equipment with the exception of the Gyro Twister. The playground will remain …
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Health fair will teach students about basic healthcare principles.
West Potomac Academy Health and Human Services students will host a health fair Wednesday for the children in the West Potomac Head Start Program. The theme, Passport to Health, will offer the younger students an opportunity to learn about personal health while having a Passport to Health booklet stamped. Head Start participants will visit with West Potomac Academy students studying Occupational and Physical Therapy, Pharmacy Tech,and other subjects. The younger children will learn what happens during a regular check-up with the doctor and dentist, among other health topics. West Potomac Academy students will also teach the Head Start students about good nutrition so they can stay healthy. The health fair is an example of how West …
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Fashion design students will showcase their skills at Crystal City's signature fashion event, which begins Tuesday.
Fashion design students from the West Potomac Academy will participate in the fifth annual Crystal Couture event this week in Crystal City. Current fashion design students and alumni will showcase runway collections alongside professional designers. Students will be working behind the scenes by working with designers, styling models, and assisting with event production. Students will also have a boutique display area at the event to sell their T-shirt collection and original garments. Proceeds from the T-shirt collection and original garments will benefit the Fashion Design program at West Potomac Academy. Sponsored by the Crystal City Business Improvement District, Crystal Couture will offer nightly runway shows and high-end bargain …
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
More sessions for public feedback coming next week as part of the schools superintendent search process for Fairfax County Public Schools.
Visionary leadership, instructional excellence and an advocate for all children. Those are a few of the characteristics residents told the Fairfax County Public Schools board they would like to see in a new schools superintendent. FCPS has hired consultants from Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates (HYA) to help find the replacement for Superintendent Jack Dale, who is retiring later this year. HYA presented its findings to the school board at its Dec. 20 meeting. To see the board's full list of desired characteristics click here. There will be opportunities for the public to give input on this list: Jan. 14, 4 p.m., Centreville HS library Jan. 14, 7 p.m., Hayfield SS (in middle school cafeteria 1535) Jan. 15, 10 a.m., Gatehouse …
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Capital Improvement Plan proposes two new elementary schools in Route 1 corridor.
Elementary schools serving the northern portion of Route 1 and Fort Belvoir are expected to see significant overcrowding in the next five years. A potential solution, according to the recently released draft of the Fairfax County Capital Improvement Plan: two new elementary schools for the Route 1 corridor. The five-year CIP budget will total $871.2 million or roughly $174.2 million per year. Funds approved in the 2011 School Bond Referendum and previous referenda will address approximately $190.8 million of the five-year requirement, leaving a balance of $680.3 million unfunded. Officials expect another referendum in fall 2013. Along with two possible elementary schools in the Richmond Highway Corridor and the eastern area of Fairfax …
Friday, December 21, 2012
The first phase of a new playground at Stratford Landing was shut down recently.
Over the last three years, the Stratford Landing PTA has worked hard to raise $55,000 for playground improvements. After selecting a design that was met with approval from the Fairfax County Public Schools Facilities Department, this summer the PTA moved forward with installing the first phase of the playground – a new track and climber. The first phase opened to students on Nov. 9. But now, it is roped off and unusable. Officials from Fairfax County Public Schools did not respond to a request for comments about the playground. After installing the first part of the playground, the PTA decided to move forward with the next phase of improvements and called FCPS to get the name of a contractor to inspect the playground. However, when the …
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Police say there is no threat, it's just for reassurance in wake of Connecticut shootings.
When children return to school on Monday, families should expect to see an increased police presence, according to the Fairfax County Police Department. The move is a reaction to Friday's shootings at an elementary school in Connecticut, where a gunman killed 20 schoolchildren and six teachers, according to police. The gunman also killed his mother at her nearby home. The following was posted by FCPD on its Facebook page on Sunday: As children return to school tomorrow, you will see an increased police presence at and around schools in the county. We want the community to know this is being done as a reassurance for parents, teachers and students and NOT because there is any threat. It is a result of the shooting in Newtown, CT. For …
Friday, November 2, 2012
More than 150 parents, teachers, students and health professionals joined expert panelists and culinary students at Real Food For Kids’ Feeding Academic Success event to learn why it can and must.
Not only can schools transition from serving highly processed foods to menus of freshly prepared whole foods, but the likelihood of participation in the school lunch program increasing as a result of those changes is high. But it takes commitment – on the part of the county, the teachers and school administrators and parents to drive that change and stay with it. Those were the high points of keynote speaker Chef Ann Cooper, a model and advocate for better school food, at Feeding Academic Success, held last week at Marshall High School in Falls Church. The event, the second for Fairfax County-based parent advocacy group Real Food For Kids, brought together change agents from other school districts, policy experts and medical professionals …
John Farrell
9:01 am on Thursday, January 3, 2013
When did Stu Gibson return to the School Board? After I went to all the trouble of the countdown and everything! Or is Patch making an editorial comment that, while the person in that chair may have changed, the near total deference to all things Gatehouse hasn't? ;-) more ›