Send announcements to the Alexandria Gazette Packet, by e-mail to gazette@connectionnewspapers.com. Deadline is Thursday at noon for the following week’s paper. Photos are encouraged. Call Rebecca Halik at 703-917-6407 with questions.
The Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities will hold summer programs and activities for the Charles Houston Recreation Center community at the Dr. Oswald Durant Memorial Recreation Center, 1605 Cameron St., for youth ages 6 to12. Programs for pre-teens and teens will be held at the George Washington Middle School, 1005 Mt. Vernon Ave. Summer programs begin Monday, June 23 and continue through Friday, August 15.Youth Programs include structured activities for participants, as well as opportunities for free play. Activities include sports, games, tournaments, arts and crafts projects, swimming, and reading activities. Special events include an ice cream social, international food tasting, field day, a pre- Fourth of July cook out, movies and a Show Your Talent contest. In addition, participants will take field trips to the Skate and Fun Zone, Port Discovery, City libraries, the MAC Hoffman Theater, and to Bull Run Park and Pool. Operating hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday at the Dr. Oswald Durant Memorial Recreation Center. Children who are residents of the City of Alexandria, between the ages of 6 and 12, are welcome to participate (children 5 years of age may participate if they have completed kindergarten).
The G.W. Power-Up Summer Program, located at the George Washington Middle School, is a summer day camp program for youth ages 11 to 14. Structured, age-appropriate activities, sports, games, arts and crafts, 4-H project clubs, field trips and other special events will be offered. Operating hours are 9 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday.In addition to the Power-Up Summer Program, evening activities for teens will be available at the George Washington Middle School, Monday through Saturday from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Activities include table games tournaments, video games, pizza parties, movie nights, sports and use of the gymnasium, a weight room with fitness equipment, multi-purpose room, and classrooms. Scheduled field trips include visits to the Skate and Fun Zone, the Cameron Run Wave Pool, and a boat ride to the National Harbor.For additional information and to register for summer program activities, call the Charles Houston Recreation Center staff at 703-838-4814.
One on One Basketball presents its first overnight camps this summer. Located at the 130 acre Episcopal High School campus. The Northern Virginia Basketball Camp caters to boys ages 7 – 16 and provides a day camp option. The Northern Virginia overnight Camp runs July 6-10 for $475. The day camp option (9 a.m.-3 p.m.) is $350. The Intensive overnight Camp runs July 11-13 for $350. Team and group discounts available. One on One Basketball runs other day camps throughout the region. Call 202-244-BALL or visit http://www.1on1basketball.com/dc/
Over 200 George Washington students boarded buses for the Annual “Music in the Parks” Competition in Williamsburg. They competed before tough and discerning judges who evaluated them on musicianship, interpretation and presentation. Alexandria's GW band and orchestra students scored “Superior” rankings; the competition's top category. The Concert and Symphonic Bands took home first place trophies in their individual divisions. The scores placed them as two of the top four bands among 22 competitors. Video clips of past performances are available on youtube "http://www.youtube.com/user/belowthehill.
The 2008 Summer Technology Institute for students completing the 7th or 8th grade (rising 8th and 9th graders) will be held at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST), 6560 Braddock Road, July 7 through Aug. 1. Students may attend the TJHSST Summer Tech Institute regardless of where they are enrolled in school. TJHSST is a Fairfax County public school. Complete information regarding all course offerings, dates, and descriptions is available at http://information.tjhsst.edu/sumtechins.html
Alexandria Archaeology will be hosting an archaeology camp for kids this summer, and registrations are being accepted now. Campers will learn professional excavating, recording, and artifact-processing methods as they help uncover Alexandria's buried past while protecting historical resources. The camp is open to children ages 12 through 15. There are two one-week sessions, which run from Monday, July 21 through Friday, July 25, and from Monday, July 28 through Friday, Aug. 1. The camp day starts at 9 a.m. and ends at 3:30 p.m., and campers supply their own drinks, snacks and lunch. Camp costs $350 per session and some scholarships are available. Space is limited to just 15 campers per session and a non-refundable deposit of $100 is required to hold a slot. Each camper will receive a commemorative T-shirt. For more information or to register for camp, visit www.AlexandriaArchaeology.org or call 703-838-4399.
Songserea Wood, a student at T.C. Williams High School, is a finalist in Safeway’s Lucerne® Art of Diary™ “Cows & History” Art Contest. Wood, a senior from Alexandria, is a student who takes art under the instruction of teacher Holly Langenfeld. The title of her submission is “Bovine Ends an Epidemic.”
Two Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) volunteers received recognition at the recent Northern Virginia District PTA Meeting and Awards Dinner. Mimi Carter, immediate past president and current fundraising co-chairperson of the Mount Vernon Community School PTA, received the 2008 Northern Virginia District PTA Volunteer of the Year award at the annual event, which took place on April 17.
T.C. Williams High School volunteer Brooksie Koopman was nominated for the Secondary Volunteer of the Year award for her dedication to the T.C. Williams PTSA over the past 11 years. Koopman has served as co-editor of the Parent Handbook and co-chair for the Committee on Community Programs. A familiar face on the All Night Grad Committee, she is appreciated for her efforts to improve lighting around the perimeter of the school.
Michael Reynolds, a senior at T.C. Williams High School, won first place in Automotive Services Marketing at the DECA International Career Development Conference 2008, held April 26 through 29 in Atlanta, Ga. T.C. Williams senior Alia Elnahs, who placed in the state competition’s Marketing Management event, also participated in the international competition.
The Alexandria Youth Council (AYC), Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) and Alexandria Campaign on Adolescent Pregnancy will sponsor the third annual Teen Summit from noon to 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 10, at Minnie Howard School, 3801 West Braddock Road. “Speak Up! Speak Now! Be Heard! -- Let it Out, Tell the World!,” open to students in ninth- through 12th-grades, will provide a way for teens to voice their opinions, learn new information and have fun. Free lunch and free bus transportation will be provided. Visit http://www.acps.k12.va.us/getinvolved/teen_summit.pdf for a bus schedule and additional information.
Three Minnie Howard School students each won $2,000 for being regional winners in the annual eCYBERMISSION science and technology competition. Erfanul Islam, Arvind Mohanan and Daniel Wolfe, and their fourth team member from New Jersey, Shekinah-Glory Dhanie-Beepat, received the Criterion Award for earning the highest score in the "Team Collaboration and Communication" judging category. Two other teams of three students from Minnie Howard also competed. Jennice Bonilla, Diego Gonzalez-Cruz and Nelson Majano investigated which fruits yield the most DNA in a DNA extraction experiment. Corrine Conn, Nora Elnahas and Alexis Gabon investigated budding hormones' effects on cloning plants.
Wesley H. Schmidt of Alexandria, was induced into Lynchburg College's chapter of Beta Beta Beta, the National Honor Society for biological science. Schmidt is a senior environmental science major at Lynchburg College.
T.C. Williams High School senior Meg Glassco received a Best Comic Actress in a Play nomination in the annual Critics and Awards Program, better known as the Cappies, the local high-school equivalent of Broadway’s Tony Awards.
Glassco received the nomination for her role as the Nurse in the T.C. Williams Drama Department’s fall production of “Romeo and Juliet.” She performed in nine shows during her four years at T.C. Williams, and she served as student director of the spring musical, Disney’s “Aida.”
Awards will be presented at the Cappies Gala at 7 p.m. on Sunday, June 8, in the Concert Hall at the Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW, Washington, D.C. Tickets cost $30 per person and may be ordered through Leslie Jones at T.C. Williams, 703-824-6800.
Paul Piontkowski has been inducted into the German National Honor Society (GNHS) at Randolph-Macon Academy in Front Royal. Paul, a junior at R-MA, is the son of Paul and Karen Piontkowski of Alexandria.
Laura Lloyd-Braff of Alexandria, a member of the James Madison University Speech Team, was a national finalist and placed fifth in Communication Analysis in the American Forensic Association National Individual Event Tournament.
Yoonji Um of Alexandria, graduated with a Bachelor of Science in hotel and restaurant management from The University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
Christina Shiroma, a graduate of Saint Stephens and Saint Agnes School, received a bachelor of arts degree from The College of Wooster during commencement exercises on May 12. While at Wooster, Shiroma was a member of Judicial Board, Student Government Association, and the varsity lacrosse team. She also was named to Phi Alpha Theta history honor society, Phi Sigma Tau philosophy honor society, and the Dean’s List. In addition, she received a Robert M. Bruce Memorial Scholarship for writing, an Endowed Faculty Scholarship, and a Woman’s Advisory Board Scholarship. She also won the Philosophy Roundtable Book Prize, earned Academic All-America honors in lacrosse, and received a Lilly Foundation Azimuth Grant to explore history, photography, and philosophical truth.
T.C. Williams High School senior Zachary C. Whitacre is the recipient of a 2008 National Merit college-sponsored Scholarship. Whitacre, who plans to study business at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., is one of 25 Virginia students who received college-sponsored scholarships, announced on May 28 by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Colleges and universities financed more than 2,800 National Merit Scholarships nationwide.
Rives Wiley from St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes School has been selected and chosen to attend this summer’s Governor’s School for Visual & Performing Arts at the University of Richmond.
The following local residents have graduated from Boston College:
* Galen Griffin of Alexandria has graduated with a bachelor of arts degree from the university's College of Arts and Sciences, majoring in communication.
* Eric Gehrke of Alexandria has graduated with a bachelor of arts degree from the university's College of Arts and Sciences, majoring in English and studio art.
* Joseph Conran of Alexandria has graduated with a bachelor of arts degree from the university's College of Arts and Sciences, majoring in political science and communication.
Several T.C. Williams High School students will participate in prestigious academic and leadership programs this summer. Students selected to participate in the 2008 Summer Residential Governor's School for Academics, Arts and Mentoring Programs include Alexander Amaniel, Humanities; Abe-Melek Bekele, Mathematics, Science and Technology; John Fitzsimmons, Humanities; Alexander Hampl, Mathematics, Science and Technology; Ariana Meltzer-Bruhn, Humanities; Yi Ping Roberts, Humanities; and Eliza VanZoeren, Visual and Performing Arts. The month-long programs for gifted students take place at colleges throughout the state.
Matthew Argao, Tiroune Oates, Ethan Livin, Seth Livin, Ryan Haskins, Kevin Lu and Carl Gunter will represent the school at Virginia American Legion Boys State, a comprehensive one-week "leadership action program" designed to educate students about how government works. Representing T.C. Williams at Virginia Girls State are Marie Brown and Shinada Phillips.
Sasha Denisin, a graduating senior, was selected to represent Virginia at the 2008 National Youth Science Camp. This month-long, all expenses paid residential science education program will be held in West Virginia for "the two most promising high school science students from each state." Participants will attend lectures, interact with scientists, pursue their own areas of interest and research in the sciences and explore other disciplines such as music and art. Potential candidates were required to be graduating seniors intending to pursue science, mathematics, engineering or medicine. They also had to demonstrate superior academic and leadership ability and show skills outside of the science and academic fields.
Five Early Childhood Education II (ECE II) students at T.C. Williams High School who took the recent National Occupational Competency Testing Institute (NOCTI) test scored from 86.8 to 75.3, all higher than the national average score of 73.9. The participating students include Nicole Brown, Makia Burns, Shiquana Barr, Kiara Horton and Tahkina Sellers.
Alexandria City Public Schools Department of Food and Nutrition Services will sponsor the USDA Summer Food Service Program at all of summer school sites. Free breakfasts will be provided to all enrolled elementary summer school students weekdays from June 30-July 25. Free breakfast and lunch will be provided to all enrolled secondary and high school summer school students on weekdays June 30-Aug. 1. Free breakfast and lunch will be provided to all enrolled Kindergarten Prep students weekdays Aug. 4-15. For more information, contact ACPS Food and Nutrition Services at 703-824-6640.