To have school information listed in The Arlington Connection, mail to 7913 Westpark Drive, McLean, VA 22102 or write an e-mail to arlington@connectionnewspapers.com or fax to 703-917-0991. Deadline is 2 p.m. the Thursday before publication. Call Rebecca Halik at 703-917-6407.
Washington Wizards’ all-star guard Gilbert Arenas and Chairman Abe Pollin are supporting local schools in the 2006-07 season. At each home game this season, Arenas will "shoot" for one designated school, which will receive $100 for every point. In turn, Pollin will match Arenas by giving schools $100 for each point he scores on the road. Eight APS school are among the 82 schools chosen to participate in the "Gilbert Scores for Schools" promotion. The Arlington schools include Drew Model, Glebe, Campbell, Abingdon, Jamestown and Patrick Henry elementary schools, Wakefield High School and the Stratford Program. The eight "Gilbert Scores for Schools" games are as follows:
* Feb. 25 vs. Minnesota – Jamestown
* March 20 vs. Portland – Stratford
* March 24 vs. L.A. Clippers – Patrick Henry
The Arlington Teen Network Board has reconvened for its fourth year to focus on a new set of issues: teen-parent communication, teen stress during high school and the need for county-wide teen events and activities in Arlington. A fourth committee will focus on communication and outreach. With these issues in mind, the Network will advocate for events as diverse as teen dances and parent-teen workshops.
* The High School Teen Stress Committee has decided to concentrate on the overwhelming pressures that Arlington teens face throughout the school year — specifically the pressure that comes from advanced courses, academic competition, college applications and time management challenges. They plan to examine the Arlington Public Schools’ (APS) homework policy, to explore the need for Advanced Placement (AP) support for new AP students and to consider the stress of homework schedules that often require students to work on multiple major assignments or to study for several tests at once.
* The Teen Events and Activities Committee plans to identify county-wide activities that would be fun and affordable for teens from all over Arlington. Ideas so far include concerts, dances, laser tag nights, movie nights and bowling. The committee will encourage and assist teen event organizers and help to spread the word about teen events via internet networking sites such as www.arlingtonteens.com, Facebook and Myspace.
* The Parent-Teen Communication Committee will tackle the issue of parent-teen miscommunication and search for ways to help teens better understand their parents and their actions. The committee hopes to film interviews with parents and teens for use on local cable television. The committee also would like to host teen-parent workshops.
* New this year is the Communication and Outreach Committee, which will represent the Teen Network Board and facilitate internal and external communications.
The Arlington Teen Network Board is a County and School Board-appointed teen advocacy group comprised of Arlington high school students. The students, from all different backgrounds and parts of Arlington, provide a county-wide voice for teens. To find out more about the Network’s activities and how you can get involved, contact Judy Hadden, the adult coordinator of the Teen Network Board, at arlingtonteen@yahoo.com or 703-241-5999.
NASA has selected K. W. Barrett Elementary School, in Arlington, Va., to fly their school's experiment aboard the agency's reduced gravity aircraft, the "Weightless Wonder," a modified McDonnell Douglas DC-9. Teachers and students are working on the design and construction for their proposed project to get it flight-ready. Once complete, Andrea Donovan, second grade teacher; Margaret Frick, library media specialist, Fred Delventhal, instructional technology coordinator; and Susan Golden, science lead teacher, will travel to NASA's aircraft facility at Ellington Field and the Johnson Space Center in Houston. The K.W. Barrett teachers will arrive at Ellington on Feb. 4 to prepare for their flight that week. Following their flight, the teachers will be able to share their experiences and immediate findings with their students back at home via video conferencing technology through NASA's Digital Learning Network.
Kristin Snyder, who teaches guitar at Yorktown High School and strings at Abingdon Elementary School, is coached by Dr. Harlan Parker from The Peabody Conservatory of Music at a master class conducting workshop. The Yorktown Symphonic Band participated, giving area conductors the opportunity to be coached by Dr. Parker, assisted by Yorktown band director Benjamin Williams, on the relationship of Laban dance movement to the art of conducting. The high school band students gained insight about music by watching the professional musicians learn.