Fifth Graders Create Animated Movie
While many movie lovers will be watching to see who wins the Oscars in Hollywood this weekend; a world premiere movie debuted here in Potomac. Ninety-eight Beverly Farms Elementary School fifth graders and their parents sat down to watch an animated film on Monday, Feb. 24. Their eyes were glued to the screen with good reason: they created the film themselves. The film is titled “The Extraordinary Fifth-Grade Field Trip," a 14-minute film composed of 6,438 drawings. Each second of the movie equals 10 drawings. Inspired by their reading of adventure stories and tall tales, the students gave free rein to their imagination as each came up with his or her own animated field trip adventure. Working with artist-in-residence Leila Cabib, each student designed a storyboard illustrating the key scenes of their animated segment and then created and filmed numerous sequential drawings to bring the story to life.
Mountain View Department Awards
Mountain View High presented the following Department Awards, Feb. 5, to graduating seniors: English, Nina Iandolo; Business, Alexis Kharin Arriola; P.E., Reynaldo Gonzalez Martinez; Art, Nina Iandolo, Joshua Todd McDow, Trong LeDuc Bui; EFE, Aya Elhadi Abdelhalim; Family and Consumer Science, Chakoda Lanora Robinson. ESOL: Level 1, Jose Ramos Cantarero; Level 2, Ting Shi Zhong; Level 3, Evelin Clavel Delgado, Reynaldo Gonzalez Martinez; Level 4, Milton Fernandez Lemus, Maria Villafuerte Pineda.
Robinson High Student Attends College, Inspires Others
Rachel Keith will graduate from NOVA and Robinson this spring.
Rachel Keith, a 17-year-old Fairfax Station resident and senior at Robinson Secondary School, has been thinking about college long before many of her peers. It was this forward-thinking that led Keith to take college classes at Northern Virginia Community College as a dual-enrolled student.
Herndon High Prepares For StompFest
Year marks Step Team’s 20th year at school.
High school step teams from around the area will be arriving at Herndon High on Saturday, Feb. 22 for the annual StompFest. "This will be the biggest event we have ever had," said team captain Hannah Vaughn. The Herndon High step team was founded in 1994, and StompFest has been an annual event for sixteen years.
Herndon High To Produce ‘Robin Hood’
Children’s show also fundraiser for HHS Drama Boosters.
"No cast member goes on stage while tech crew is doing operations," said Catherine "Cassie" Szymczyk.
Teacher Vs. Student Basketball Game
Teachers win competitive game against students at Herndon Middle.
On Feb. 6, a team of seventh and eighth grade students from Herndon Middle School competed in a basketball match against school teachers. "We had a lot of students attend this year’s event," said after-school specialist Mike Thomas who was also helping as game announcer.
‘To Be Graceful and Fast’
Westfield High freshman Nicole Bachman isn’t an Olympian, but she is an accomplished ice skater. And on Feb. 27, she and Team Ashburn will compete in the Synchronized Skating National Competition in Colorado Springs. A resident of Centreville’s Virginia Run community, Bachman’s among five girls from Fairfax County on the 15-member team. They skate at the Intermediate Level — the U.S. Figure Skating Assciation’s most competitive level. And this is the first time an Intermediate team from the Washington Metropolitan area has made Nationals.
Students To Perform at Festival
Theatre students from Yorktown High School and from Fairhaven School in Prince George's County will participate in Swapping Stories, a theatre workshop on Feb. 22 at 3 p.m. at the Atlas Performing Arts Center located at 1333 H Street NE, Washington, DC. Swapping Stories is an inter-generational, inter-cultural project that helps people find, develop, and exchange their stories. Led by project creator Judy Thibault Klevins, participants learn to "walk in another's shoes," leading to understanding that one's stories center on universal themes.
Incorporating Math and Science Into a Child’s Day
Simple suggestions for supporting math and science learning.
Maria Kennedy was driving her 5-year-old son to pre-school when he asked a question that stunned her. "Mommy, why is the sun following us?" Kennedy, who says she was stuck in rush-hour traffic and running late for work wasn’t sure how to respond.
Schools’ Band Director Honored
Jane Morgan, the band director at Stratford Landing Elementary School and Waynewood Elementary School, has been named the 2013-14 Elementary Band Director of the Year by the Fairfax County Band Directors Association. Morgan has been teaching band at Stratford Landing since 1999, and said she has learned a great deal from her students. It is her students that have brought her the most joy in her position, Morgan said. “It’s great to see what the kids accomplish and how far they go,” Morgan said. “They just keep me fresh every day.” Morgan has also taught middle and high school students.
Oratorical Winner: Jacob Atagi
Jacob Atagi, is the winner of this year's American Legion Post 24 Oratorical Contest. A freshman at West Potomac High School, Atagi represented Post 24 at the 17th District American Legion Oratorical Contest Jan. 25 at McLean Post 270.
Three Candidates Vie for Democratic Endorsement to Arlington School Board
Race to replace Sally Baird is on for Democrats.
Arlington County schools are at a crossroads. Enrollment is steadily rising, and parents have become upset about the amount of standardized testing that takes place in schools across the county.
‘Nerdicus’ Advances to State Finals
West Springfield High School attends finals second year in a row.
After West Springfield High School won the Virginia High School League district, regional and state one-act contests last year with the play “The Other Room” under the leadership of Bernie DeLeo, it became clear to the drama director that he wanted to write a play that demonstrated a less tragic side to autism.
Robinson Student Receives DAR Good Citizen Award
Katie Rogers awarded for patriotism, service, leadership and dependability.
Judy Erickson, a member of the Thomas Lee Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, has known for years that Katie Rogers would make a great candidate for the group’s Good Citizen award. Erickson met Rogers and her mother, Mariana Vervena, when Rogers was a child. The two are neighbors in Fairfax, and Rogers sold Erickson Girl Scout cookies for years.
From Two Perspectives
The Alexandria Mentoring Partnership (AMP) was created in 2006 to ensure that quality mentors and mentor programs are available for Alexandria's youth and young adults in need.