Thirteen Fairfax County Public Schools student publications have been awarded the highest ranking of Trophy Class by the Virginia High School League (VHSL), the equivalent of a state championship in scholastic publications.
The following awards were presented to FCPS student journalists in the Magazine Division:
* Trophy Class: Calliope, Westfield High School, Gregory Luongo, adviser.
* First Place: Andromeda, Chantilly High School, Bretton Zinger, adviser; Wingspan, Hayfield Secondary School, Mary Prunchak, adviser; Scribe, Herndon High School, Constance Casserly, adviser; Tartan, McLean High School, Joel Kane, adviser; Opus, Oakton High School, Susan Sullivan, adviser; Portfolio, South Lakes High School, Margaret Ludlam, adviser; and Page, Woodson High School, Ron Shapiro and Drew Marvin, advisers.
* Second Place: Zoic, Centreville High School, Chris Kervina, adviser; Erudite, Edison High School; Alison Douglass, adviser; The Matrix, Fairfax High School, Bryan Pahl, adviser; and Carousel, Robinson Secondary School, Tim Harris, adviser.
The following awards were presented to FCPS student journalists in the Newsmagazine Division:
* Trophy Class: Oakton Outlook, Oakton High School, Chad Rummel, adviser.
* First Place: Rebel Roar, Fairfax High School, Lauren Millette, adviser.
The following awards were presented to FCPS student journalists in the Newspaper Division:
* Trophy Class: The A-Blast, Annandale High School, Alan Weintraut, adviser; the Purple Tide, Chantilly High School, Bretton Zinger, adviser; tj Today, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Jennifer Seavey, adviser.
* First Place: The Bear Facts, Lake Braddock Secondary School, Kathryn Helmke, adviser; the Saxon Scope, Langley High School, Jennifer McAdams, adviser; the Lance, Lee High School, Bob Soule, adviser; Hawk Talk, Madison High School, Cathi Ferrick, adviser; Highlander, McLean High School, Amy Poe, adviser; Valor Dictus, Robinson Secondary School, Stephanie Axelrod, adviser; the Wire, West Potomac High School, Laura Zitnik, adviser; the Oracle, West Springfield High School, Brooke Ramey Nelson, adviser; the Watchdog, Westfield High School, Patrick McCarthy, adviser; and the Cavalcade, Woodson High School, Andrew Springer, adviser.
The following awards were presented to FCPS student journalists in the Yearbook Division:
* Trophy Class: Odyssey, Chantilly High School, Mary Kay Downes, adviser; The Lair, Lake Braddock Secondary School, Ashley Yuckenberg, adviser; The Clan, McLean High School, Meghan Percival, adviser; Paragon, Oakton High School, Chad Rummel, adviser; Lock & Key, South County Secondary School, Leana Jensen, adviser; Freebird, South Lakes High School, Suzanne Abdelrazaq, adviser; The Guardian, Westfield High School, Gary Bender, adviser; and The Cavalier, Woodson High School, Jacqueline Godwin, adviser.

Centreville Preschool is collection donations to send to the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Families from the school are collecting items such as toothpaste, baby powder and shaving cream; snacks; coffee; wool gloves; hand warmers; baby wipes; books; DVDs; and holiday decorations. Collections may be brought to Centreville Preschool, 13916 Braddock Road in Centreville’s Historic District. Donations are due Friday, Nov. 13 so they can be sent to the troops in time for the holidays. Call 703-830-5656.

Chesterbrook Academy in Chantilly announces that first grade teacher Jennifer Fisher has been named Teacher of the Year by Chesterbrook Academy's parent organization, Nobel Learning Communities, Inc., and its National Educational Advisory Board. Fisher was nominated by parents, the school's principal, teachers and staff members to receive this national recognition. The award was formally presented at Nobel Learning's national principal conference, which was recently held in Las Vegas.

Precious Crabtree, an art teacher at Deer Park Elementary School in Centreville, along with her husband Steve Crabtree, has been selected to receive a $5,000 Urban Education Community Collaborative (UECC) Grant from the NEA Foundation. The UECC Grant program encourages local urban affiliates to build or enhance relationships with parental, political, business, religious and community groups through collaborative programs. Projects that receive the grant must be located in an urban association with 1,000 or more active members.
The grant was awarded to the Crabtrees for their BUS-Beginners United for Success-program. The program is now a part of the Fairfax Education Association's overall membership plan. BUS aims to improve the retention rate of educators in Fairfax County Public Schools, ensure the success of the newest educators and move the local association and the profession in a positive direction. The specific objective is to build a support system, in and outside of the schools, for new teachers.

St. Veronica Catholic School, located at 3460 Centreville Road in Chantilly, is hosting a K-8 Open House on Tuesday, Nov. 17 from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Parents will have the opportunity to tour the campus, meet the teachers and school parents and see classes in session. To RSVP for this event, call 703-773-2022 or by email to info@stveronicaschool.org.

The Centreville Wildcat Band department is holding its annual citrus sale. Band students and the wildcat band boosters will be taking orders from Nov. 4-23, 2009. Fruit will be available for pick-up at the school in the band room on Friday, Dec. 4.
A full case contains 50 to 56 oranges or 30 to 35 grapefruit and sells for $30. A half case contains 25 to 28 oranges or 15 to 20 grapefruit and sells for $20. New this year are mixed full cases selling for $35 and mixed half cases selling for $25.
If you are interested in ordering, you may contact your neighborhood band student or contact Tricia Cruz at 703-266-6748 or e-mail her at Va_Cruz@cox.net. Make all checks payable to Wildcat Band Boosters. Delivery can be arranged for hardship cases within a five-mile radius.

More than 700 students at Chantilly High School learned the importance of saving and spending money wisely when the Northwest Federal Credit Union Foundation (NWFCU Foundation) presented the Reality Store to the senior class of Chantilly High School on Oct. 14.
The Reality Store, a budget simulation workshop, assigns individuals a future life scenario that includes financial and familial status. Using the life scenario, students create a budget by making choices on expenditures for everyday living expenses, such as housing, transportation and food. Students attending the workshop faced the reality of making real life budgetary choices and the importance of making wise financial decisions. The students were assisted by 56 volunteers including NWFCU employees and members, local school teachers and administrators, parents and community volunteers.

Chantilly High School’s National Honor Society, Student Government Association, and Performing Arts Department invites all veterans and present service men and women to a Veterans Day Dinner to honor and thank them for their service to the country.
This is a complimentary dinner with a short program centered on a patriotic theme followed by a guest speaker. The dinner will be hosted by Chantilly Academy’s Chef Clay Doubleday and served by students in the NHS and SGA. It will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. in the cafeteria of the school at 4201 Stringfellow Road in Chantilly.
If you and your spouse would like to attend, RSVP by Nov. 1 to ChantillyNHS@gmail.com. You will receive an admission ticket via email. Or call 703-222-2551 and leave a message with your name, mailing address and number that would like to attend.

Pranavi Kotagiri of Centreville graduated from the 2009 Governor’s School of Agriculture held at Virginia Tech on June 28 to July 25. Kotagiri, a junior from Centreville High School, was one of 96 rising junior and senior high school students from across the commonwealth selected to participate in the month-long summer residential program for gifted students interested in agriculture and natural resources.

Lauren Catalano of Clifton graduated from the 2009 Governor’s School of Agriculture held at Virginia Tech on June 28 to July 25. Catalano, a senior from Centreville High School, was one of 96 rising junior and senior high school students from across the commonwealth selected to participate in the month-long summer residential program for gifted students interested in agriculture and natural resources.