Know something that should be featured in School Notes? Awards? Special events? School fairs? Fax a brief write-up to 703-917-0991 or write an e-mail to Mary Anne Weber at mclean@connectionnewspapers.com
Charles "Chuck" McDew, a co-founder of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), established during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, is the guest lecturer at Madison High School, on Friday, Jan. 16. McDew has devoted his life to social and political change. Throughout his life he has remained active in organizations working for social and political change. He has worked as a teacher and a labor organizer; managed antipoverty programs in Washington, D.C.; and served as a community organizer in Boston and San Francisco. Currently a member of the community faculty at Metropolitan State University in St. Paul, Minn., McDew teaches the history of the Civil Rights movement, African American history, and social and cultural awareness. McDew will speak to students enrolled in Madison's "Combating Intolerance" class and will be available during all three lunch periods for brown-bag-lunch discussions. He will also lecture and answer questions in the school auditorium.
The Boyd School, a Montessori Children’s House, is hosting an open house on Saturday, Jan. 17, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., at its Reston/Great Falls campus in Herndon as well as its other campus locations. All families are invited to join the staff of The Boyd School for tours of the campus and to receive information on Montessori programs available, summer camp and 2004-05 school year student enrollment. The Fairfax Campus accommodates students from the age of 5 to 5 turning 6. The other locations provide toddler classes for 18 months through 3 years. The Boyd School has campuses in Broadlands, Fairfax, Reston, Centreville and Herndon. A new 22,000-foot building on a 3.5-acre site in the Westfields Office Park is under construction and, when completed, will serve as the new home of the Centreville campus. For more information on Montessori and The Boyd School, visit the Web site at www.theboydschool.com; call the Fairfax campus at 703-934-0920; or e-mail fairfaxadmin@theboydschool.com.
Summer Enrichment Camp Fair. On Jan. 22, the FCAG (Fairfax County Association for the Gifted) is sponsoring a Summer Enrichment Camp Fair from 7:30-9:30 p.m., at Oakton High School, 2900 Sutton Road, Vienna. Representatives from Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth, universities, math/science/nature/tech camps and more will be available to provide information on academic/creative activities during the summer months.There will also be literature available from Belvoir Terrace, Harvard and others. The 2004 FCAG Enrichment Guide, which lists over 150 activities, will also be available. For more information, see www.fcag.org, or call Lisa Greenfield at 703-280-4155. Admission is free.
Substance Abuse Education seminars for parents will continue to be held in the new year at three locations, Langley High School, McLean High School and Herndon High School. At Langley High School there will be sessions on Jan. 28, Feb. 18, March 10 and 31, April 28 and May 19.
At McLean High School the sessions will be Jan. 14, Feb. 4 and 25, March 17, April 14, May 5 and 26, and June 9.
Starshine Theater Young Actors' Workshop begins rehearsing a new musical drama, "The Van Gogh Cafe," based on the novel by Newbery Award-winning author Cynthia Rylant, on Saturday, Feb. 7, at the School of Theatrical Dance in Great Falls. Adapted and directed by Patricia Budwig, the play is open to boys and girls 8-16. It is a full-production experience, offering a speaking role to every student, as well as lead singing and action/dance roles for those interested. A professionallyproduced CD soundtrack of the original musical score will include cast members' vocal talents. Performances take place in late March at the Great Falls Grange. Call 703-790-9050, or e-mail StarshineTheater@aol.com for complete audition and rehearsal information.
Lorien Wood is a Christ-centered school with integral curriculum modeled after Rivendell School in Arlington. Lorien Wood will feature small, mixed-age classes, with emphasis placed on character development, community, and parental involvement. Doors will open in the greater Vienna area in fall 2004 with grades K-4, expanding through grade eight over the next four years. The next open houses will be Wednesday, Feb. 4, at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, March 6, at 9:30 a.m., all at Church of the Good Shepherd, 2351 Hunter Mill Road, Oakton. R.S.V.P. appreciated but not required at nfo@lorienwood.org or 703-281-1807. For additional information, visit www.lorienwood.org.
Taylor Chenault Newby, son of Donna R. Taylor of McLean, achieved the honor roll at Mercersburg Academy. Taylor is in grade 11. Mercersburg Academy is a co-educational, independent, college preparatory boarding and day school in south-central Pennsylvania, with students in grades nine through 12 and a postgraduate year.
Todd V. Arnts of McLean has been nominated by Sen. George Allen for the U.S. Naval Academy. Todd is currently a student at McLean High School, where he is captain of the varsity cross-country team and a member of the National Honor Society. Sen. Allen nominates students to the U.S. service academies based on the recommendations of the Service Academy Review Board, which evaluates and interviews students whose initial applications make it through a series of eliminations. Todd is the son of Timothy and Kathleen Arnts.
Twenty seven Fairfax County Public Schools teachers earned national board certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in 2003. To date a total of 184 Fairfax County Public Schools teachers have earned their national board certification from the NBPTS.
Among them are Catherine Chenzoff of Chesterbrook Elementary School; Sherry Graves of Forest Edge Elementary School; Mary Thayer of Madison High School and Linda Hanlon of Waples Mill Elementary School.
James Siddall, a member of the Class of 2007 at Phillips Academy, a coeducational independent boarding high school in Andover, Mass., has been named to the honor roll for the fall term. To be named to the honor roll, students must maintain at least a five-point average on a six-point scale. James is the son of David and Mary Siddall of Great Falls.
The following Great Falls Elementary School students received awards at the Fairfax County level of the Reflections Contest for 2003-04: Abhya Panya Vij received Outstanding Interpretation in Literature, Intermediate; Jenna Pugrant received the Award of Excellence in Music, Middle; Lauren Simmons received the Award of Excellence in Photography, Primary; Lauren Dore received the Award of Merit in Photography, Middle; and Abhya Panya Vij received the Award of Merit in Visual Arts, Intermediate. Abhya's literature entry will go on to represent Great Falls Elementary at the district level.
Seven students from Classical Ballet Academy, Herndon, recently auditioned for supernumerary positions with the Kirov Ballet during their production of the Nutcracker. Cynthia Donavin Rudorfer, artistic director for CBA, and Nell Hacker, choreographer at CBA, recommended the students audition. All seven students were selected for roles with the Kirov Ballet. Their assignments include rats, party children, guests, bells, eggs, tea and ghosts.
The dancers rehearsed with the professional company and gave up a considerable amount of their winter break to attend rehearsals and perform on Christmas night.
Dancers include Nadine Rousseau, age 11, grade 5, Willow Springs Elementary, Fairfax; Yuko Ruch, age 11, grade 5, Louise Archer Elementary, Vienna; Jacqueline Montgomery, age 13, grade 7, Nysmith Academy; Ryan Baker, age 11, grade 5, Flint Hill Elementary, Vienna; Kymberly McCoy, grade 5, Navy Elementary, Fairfax; Sean McCoy, Navy Elementary, Fairfax; Nathan Chaney, age 13, grade 7.
Long & Foster Real Estate once again offers its annual Long & Foster $150,000 Scholarship Program for well-rounded graduating high school-seniors entering an accredited four-year college or university. The Long & Foster Scholarship Program will award $1,000 to each of 150 worthy recipients throughout its seven-state region for the 2004-05 academic year. The monetary scholarship award will be made payable directly to the college or university in the student’s name. The deadline for applying is March 1, 2004, and the scholarships will be awarded beginning May 3, 2004.
Eligible high-school seniors must have at least a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale, demonstrate financial need, indicate positions of leadership they held while a student and describe in which school groups they have been involved, community organizations in which they have served, and whether they have held a part-time job while in school, to be considered well-rounded applicants. Applicants will be asked to write a short essay on either their most significant high-school experience or their expectations for college.
Applications for the Long & Foster Scholarship Program can be obtained from any of Long & Foster’s residential sales offices, from high-school guidance counselors, or via Long & Foster’s Web site at www.longandfoster.com/scholarship. Check the Long & Foster Web site for a list of service areas where applicants must reside to be eligible for the scholarship program.
A hard copy of the application and the required attachments must be mailed by March 1, 2004, to Long & Foster Corporate Headquarters at the following address: Long & Foster Scholarship Program, c/o Corporate Marketing Department, Long & Foster Real Estate Inc., 11351 Random Hills Road, Fairfax, VA 22030-6082, Attention: Colleen Park.