Come to an Internet safety seminar on Thursday, Feb. 16, from 7:30-9 p.m., at Immanuel Christian School, 6915 Braddock Road, Springfield. Are children safe on the Internet? Come and learn what some children probably already know. Jennifer Krell, technology director at Frost Middle School will share her experience and knowledge in this area. Call 703-941-1220.
CEP Preschool, a ministry of Messiah United Methodist Church, will begin open registration for the 2006-07 school year on Saturday, Feb. 4. The program offers classes for children 17 months through 4 years of age. Most classes are four hours in length and all classes are staffed by loving, experienced teachers. The preschool is located at 6215 Rolling Road, Springfield. Call 703-569-3033.
Mainly Music, a weekly musical group for preschool children and their caregivers, every Friday, at 10:15 a.m., at Fairfax Community Church, 11451 Braddock Road, Fairfax. The cost for each Friday's group is $3. Call 703-745-1030 or visit www.fairfaxcommunity.net.
Fairfax County Public Schools has expanded support services for families of students with disabilities. Parents can now access the services of a special education ombudsman for guidance and support. The eight ombudsmen are part of a network that provides assistance to parents who are navigating the special education process and feel they could benefit from the advice and knowledge of a more experienced and specially trained parent. Parent ombudsmen can provide information about the special education process and services provided by Fairfax County Public Schools, as well as information about special education regulations, procedures, and policies. They may collaborate with parents to assist them in resolving problems. They may also attend Individualized Education Program (IEP) or school-based meetings to help parents and staff members reach consensus regarding the special education process. For more information, contact the Parent Resource Center at 703-204-3941. For a listing of the eight ombudsmen visit www.fcps.edu/DSSSE/ombudsmen/index.htm.
Sign Up for Cub Scouts. Boy Scouting is available to boys who are 11 through 17 years old, or who have earned the Cub Scout Arrow of Light Award, or have completed the fifth grade. Boy Scouts camp, hike and fish in the great outdoors. They get together in troops and try out new experiences.
Venturing offers a program that is fun and full of challenge and adventure for young men and women who are 14 (and have completed the eighth grade) through 20 years of age. Learn more about Venturing's outdoor, sports, arts and hobbies, community service and Sea Scouting crews.
For more information about these programs, call Scott Romans at 703-455-2167.
Messiah United Methodist Church's Child Enrichment Program has openings in the 2- and 4-year-old classes for this fall. Four-year-old classes are Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., and the 2-year-old class is on Mondays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. For more, call Betsy Findley at 703-569-3033.
WyzAnt, Inc. provides free tutoring to deserving students through its charity, WyzAide. WyzAnt is looking for students who have demonstrated dedication to their studies, have high aspirations for their academic and professional futures, and who sincerely desire assistance. Visit www.wyzant.com, call 703-945-1835 or e-mail wyzaide@wyzant.com.
The Fairfax County Park Authority is responding to community changes with additional programming to meet the needs of youngsters who are educated at home. New daytime classes, ideal for homeschoolers, will be offered this fall at Providence and South Run RECenters. Some classes for the approaching school year include: Outdoor Science, which explores flight, weather, geology and space in an outdoor setting; Explorations in Chemistry; Explorations in Astronomy; and Explorations in Botany. Register at any time until the day the class begins. Classes will be canceled due to low registration. For more, call 703-324-8548 or visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks.
TOT Preschool of Sydenstricker United Methodist Church is registering children from 3-5 years old for 2005-2006. Degreed, experienced teachers staff our half-day program at 8505 Hooes Road, Springfield. For more, call 703-644-6384 or e-mail tot@sumcidsciples.org.
Girl Scouts. Two groups open to girls between 5 and 11, and 11 and 17 years old, all year round. Activities include high-adventure outings such as rock climbing, white water rafting and back packing, international and national travel, internship opportunities on capitol hill, theater, art, science, technology and making friends. For more information call Betsy Kiger at 1-800-523-7898, ext. 578, Sharon Fontanella at 703-451-4680 or Dale Hook at 703-866-1840. Visit www.studio2B.org or www.gscnc.org.
The Air Force Officers' Wives Club of Washington, D.C. has scholarships available for high school seniors, continuing education students and non-military spouses who are dependents of United States Air Force members (active duty, retired, POW/MIA or deceased, officer or enlisted) residing in the area. Applicants will be judged on both academic and citizenship achievements. Judges will not consider financial need in their selections. High school seniors may contact the counseling officer of their school for a copy of the application and eligibility requirements. The application is also available by sending a stamped, self-addressed business size envelope to: AFOWC Scholarship Committee, 50 Theisen St., Washington, D.C. 20032-5411. All applications must be received by Feb. 17, 2006.
Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. presents the Long & Foster Scholarship Program, which will award $1,000 to each of 200 recipients for the 2006-07 academic year. The deadline is March 1, 2006. The monetary scholarship award will be made payable directly to the college or university in the student's name. A selection committee made up of local members of academia will select the final scholarship winners by April 15, 2006. Eligible high school seniors must have at least a 3.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale, demonstrate leadership and financial need, indicate positions of leadership, and list all school groups and/or community organizations in which they have served or been involved in, and any part-time jobs held while in school. A short essay will also be expected from each applicant so that the selection committee can obtain a better picture of each student. All of this information will be considered in choosing well-rounded applicants. Applications can be obtained from any Long & Foster branch, from high school guidance counselors, or at www.longandfoster.com/scholarship.
The Young Entrepreneur Foundation of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), in conjunction with NFIB-Virginia, awards $1,000 scholarships annually to high school seniors who have demonstrated entrepreneurial initiative. Seniors who have launched a small enterprise, have solid test scores and/or have been active in civic organizations such as Junior Achievement are excellent candidates. Applications are accepted from Jan. 2-March 15. Applicants must be nominated by one of NFIB-Virginia’s 8,000 small-business members. A list of NFIB members in different communities who are willing to sponsor an applicant can be obtained by contacting Jennifer Hatten at 866-798-4578 or at jennifer.hatten@NFIB.org. Visit www.nfib.com/yef.
The Virginia Business and Professional Women’s (VA BPW) Foundation offers a variety of scholarships, grants and fellowships to assist women to re-enter the job market or further their education and careers, as well as to support the study of women's issues. Visit www.bpwva.org.
Fairfax County Public Schools maintains a toll-free telephone hotline for emergency messages, with information in three languages. 1-800-839-FCPS (3277) is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In the event of school closings or delays or other emergency situations, information can be obtained by dialing the toll-free number from anywhere in the region. Messages are available in English, Korean and Spanish.