Oakridge Elementary School, 1414 24th Street South, Arlington, needs after-school tutors on Tuesday and/or Thursday afternoons. Call Malcolm Tronic at 703-228-8820.
Attention parents of children ages 3-5 years old, children may qualify to receive free quality child care through CDI Head Start at Arlington. Head Start is a national child development program which has standards that specifically meet the needs of each child. Call 703-465-1116.
Kristin T. Reiland has entered first year studies at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, located in Lewisburg, WV. Reiland, daughter, of Peter M. Reiland of Venice, Fla., and Marilyn M. Lenart of Syracuse, N.Y. received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biotechnology from Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, N.Y. While at RIT, Reiland was a regular on the Dean’s List. She calls Arlington home and attended Liverpool High School in Liverpool, N.Y.
The National Merit Scholarship Program has recognized 14 Arlington students as semifinalists in the 52nd annual National Merit Scholarship Competition. Semifinalists are the highest scoring entrants in each state and represent less than one percent of the nation's seniors. The 14 students attend the system's high schools and Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. The 12 National Merit semifinalists at Washington-Lee High School are: Patricia Sever, Sarah R. Weber, David G. Willard, Yorktown High School, Abbey Chung, Lauren A. Kuhlik, Anne K. Minoff, Jonathan O. Nardolilli, Elizabeth O’Neill, Chase R. Raines, Chelsea B. Sklar, Anna M. Sosdian and Chao Yin. The two students attending Thomas Jefferson High for Science and Technology are: Christian P. McGurik and Arjun Sreekumar
World-renowned violinist Midori recently presented a master class for orchestra students from T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria and the H-B Woodlawn Secondary Program in Arlington. The participating students were Louis McCracken, a 16 year-old junior at T.C. Williams High School, and Thomas Moran, a 16 year-old junior in the H.B. Woodlawn program in the Arlington Public Schools district. They each received a private lesson in front of the audience. Each presented a movement of a concerto, prepared over the course of several months with their private teachers. McCracken, who pursues private violin studies with Michael Faulkner, is a member of the Washington Metropolitan Youth Orchestra and recently was selected, through competitive audition, to perform in the Northern Virginia Senior Regional Orchestra. During the Master Class, he performed the first movement of Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 5 with T.C. Williams Choral Director Patricia Jarvis as his accompanist. Moran, the son of professional violinist Risa Browder, the Orchestra Director of H.B. Woodlawn, and John Moran, a professional cellist, performed the first movement of Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 3, with Andrew Horowitz as his accompanist. Moran pursues private violin studies with Mary Ann Tortolano.
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:
* Dec. 4 vs. Dallas – Glebe
* Dec. 13 vs. Denver – Wakefield
* Dec. 15 vs. Miami – Campbell
* Dec. 26 vs. Memphis – Drew
* Jan. 10 vs. Chicago – Abingdon
* 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.
Twenty-four Kenmore Middle School students performed on the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center on Nov. 19. The performance is the culmination of a newly formed partnership between Bowen McCauley Dance, a professional contemporary dance company based in Arlington and Kenmore Middle School. Nearly 40 Kenmore students auditioned in late September for the opportunity to participate in a residency with BMD. Since early October students have received instruction once a week for an hour and a half after school from Lucy Bowen McCauley, founder and director of BMD. Kenmore students will also have the opportunity to perform with BMD in April 2007 at Kenmore and in June at Lubber Run amphitheatre.
Arlington Public Schools' Wakefield High School held its first orientation meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 28 for the recently formed Red Cross Club. Red Cross school clubs are service groups that work to fulfill the humanitarian mission of the American Red Cross. Working closely with Arlington County Chapter, Club members will participate in Red Cross service projects that help their school, the Arlington community and the world. The Club offers student members many opportunities for self-development, leadership experience and the ability to choose activities that will address their communities' greatest needs.
Over the past several months, students and staff have worked hard to give back to the community. Schools participated in walks for the homeless, they raised money and raised awareness for other worthy causes. Tuckahoe completed its annual fall food drive to benefit the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC). Students collected 726 pounds of food including 120 boxes of cereal, 161 bags of pasta and 185 cans of food. This marked a new record for Tuckahoe. Cynthia Brown, Tuckahoe principal and parent Michelle Shanahan organized the event.
Swanson seventh-graders made more than 2,000 sandwiches for the homeless during class in October.
Several schools participated in walks for the homeless. Hoffman-Boston students, accompanied by several Arlington County Police Department motor squad officers, walked for the homeless through the Arlington View neighborhood near the school. Students also collected spare change in their classrooms. All funds collected from the walk and classroom boxes are being donated to the homeless shelter on Columbia Pike.
Yorktown health education specialist Stephanie Meadows took 30 students to participate in the Walk for the Homeless on the National Mall, and Gunston teachers Corey Meyers and Cheryl MacPherson, students and parents also participated in the annual walk to end hunger and homelessness.
Both Henry and Randolph held walks for the homeless. Henry students participated in a parade escorted by the ACPD and ACFD. Randolph students participated in the Fannie Mae Foundation Help the Homeless Mini-Walk. Students under the direction of speech therapist Karen Darner collected spare change in support and recognition of homeless people in their community and walked to raise awareness of the problem of homelessness.
Marcia Churchill, social studies teacher at Williamsburg, worked with her students to raise money for UNICEF. McKinley also held a successful fundraiser for UNICEF in October. Over 200 McKinley families participated in the Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF Challenge. Proceeds from both will be used to help children across the globe gain access to better nutrition and medicine. Students and APS staff were able to raise over $4,700 to support the homeless and other charities in the area.
The Barrett Elementary School community hosted a visit of 27 elementary, middle, and high school principals from Brazil on Dec. 7. Each principal, a Fulbright scholar, is an awardwinning principal from each of the states in Brazil. The Brazilian principals were in the United States from Dec. 2-16 as part of a Fulbright program to observe American comprehensive elementary, middle and high schools, alternative and continuing education programs like the Arlington Mill High School Program. Barrett staff members and natives of Bahia, Brazil, Cristina Torres and Lorena Beverly warmly welcomed the Brazilian principals and assisted staff in giving the visitors a school tour. Following the tour, Principal Terry Bratt presented a miniworkshop on parent involvement strategies and professional development activities at Barrett. The Brazilian principals were interested in knowing more about how American schools are funded, teacher and principal education, and the qualities a good school should have.
In partnership with the Arlington County chapter of the American Red Cross, J-Lynn VanPelt and students have begun a Red Cross Club at Wakefield. The club allows students and staff to volunteer as equals and is designed to improve volunteerism, promote awareness of human rights, and bring disaster training to the school. Wakefield High School recently inaugurated the club which will help students learn about disaster training and be able to help others. Club members will work closely with the Arlington County chapter and will participate in service projects that help the school and the community. The club’s first project was to organize events for both World AIDS Day and Human Rights Week. Students raised money for victims of genocide in Darfur and posted signs and passed out red ribbons for World AIDS Day on Dec. 1.