Recent Stories
Sunrise Seniors Welcome Visitors For Open House
Sunrise Senior Living’s Director of Sales Valerie Parker, and Sales Assistant Shelley Jennings are always pleased to show off the facility at Fair Oaks on Joseph Siewick Drive in Fairfax.
From Herndon to Sierra Leone
Floris United Methodist Church leads student service trip.
Emily Lopynski started her Pen Pal relationship with Afiju, a boy of about the same age from the Child Rescue Centre in Bo, Sierra Leone, when she was in the third grade. Lopynski, a Herndon resident, just finished her freshman year at William and Mary College. She and Afiju are still in touch. In fact, their communication over the years has grown. “It was so wonderful when he got access to Facebook,” Lopynski said. “We could really keep up with each other and have a real conversation.” A vast improvement, considering that for most of the time since the two first “met,” their friendship relied on the exchange of letters that sometimes took as long as five months from the writing of one to the reading by the other.
‘We Are the World’ at Dranesville Elementary
International Night features world music, dance, food and exhibits.
For the 11th time, the halls were alive with the sound of music at Dranesville Elementary’s International Night Program on Friday, April 26, from 7 until after 9 p.m. The cafeteria was entertainment central. After Principal Kathy Manoatl got things started, the evening began with five first grade classes delighting the assembly with their individual performances of songs from Russia, Latin America, Germany, Indonesia and France.
McLean Orchestra Hosts ‘Midnight in Paris’
Orchestra offers its final “Season of Imagination” concert on May 4.
Trust people who wear formal attire as their uniform, and those who direct and administer their efforts, to know how to put on a gala. Sunday, April 21, was the night of the McLean Orchestra’s annual fundraiser held at the Hilton Tysons Corner. Themed “Midnight in Paris” from reception start through a dinner that included a live auction, acknowledgements and awards, and finally dancing to the tunes of Ed Witles The Elegant DJ, the black-tie evening was as well-arranged, conducted and received as any of the musical performances for which the orchestra is known.
Collecting for Those in Need
GMU student coordinates care campaign for domestic abuse shelter residents.
Joy Tharrington, a senior psychology major at George Mason University (GMU) and starting forward on their women’s basketball team, has been coordinating an effort with her teammates and members of the track and field teams to collect small, but comfort-providing items for the women and children being protected at Artemis House, the county’s only crisis domestic violence shelter, run by Shelter House, Inc.
Robinson Students Make the Cut for Caring
26 Acts of Kindness campaign continues.
April 1st marked the beginning of Robinson Secondary School’s “26 Acts of Kindness”—a tribute to the 26 children and adults who were killed at the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting last December in Newtown, Conn. The Student Government Association (SGA) pulled out all the stops to make this “pay it forward” campaign a success, even providing t-shirts with space on the back for supporters to fill in each act of kindness performed, producing a promotional video that was uploaded to YouTube, and even establishing a Twitter site where do-gooders could post what good deeds they had done.
Reston Little Leaguers Kick Off New Season
Parade marks Opening Day.
Although there was no official headcount, judging by the size of the crowds it’s just possible that all 692 registered players, and their moms, dads, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents all turned out for the 20th Annual Reston Little League (RLL) Opening Day Parade through Reston Town Center.
Robinson Students Commit to 26 Acts of Kindness
The number 26 is in honor of the 20 students and six staffers killed during the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
Even if only 10 percent of Robinson Secondary School’s almost four thousand students accept the Student Government Association (SGA)’s 26 Acts of Kindness Challenge during the month of April, that would still mean 10,400 random acts of kindness and courtesy added to the world. Not a bad achievement.
A Journey of Discovery
Mary Jo Smrekar of Reston and Sue Ries Lamb of Alexandria facilitate The Women’s Collaborative.
“Join With Us in Discovery.” That’s the header on the invitation for the 2013 Women’s Collaborative, a “journey of discovery” that takes place in three four-day sessions at Meadowkirk Retreat and Conference Center in Middleburg. The first session takes place Thursday, May 30, through Sunday, June 2; the second takes place in August; and the last is in October.
Jewish-Muslim Passover Seder Commemoration
Local multi-religious celebrations and interfaith dialogue inspire communities nationwide.
With one foot in Fairfax County and the other in Loudoun, (yes, they needed permits from both counties during construction) the All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS) Center in Sterling couldn’t have been a better choice of venue for an interfaith commemoration of Passover, the ancient Jewish holiday celebrating the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt over 3,000 years ago. The building, with its cross-counties placement, symbolizes the bridge building that took place on Saturday, March 30, when members of the ADAMS Center co-sponsored a Passover Seder with the Washington Area Jews for Jewish-Muslim Understanding, led by Andrea Barron. Sitting side-by-side in the small meeting room were Jews and Muslims as well as Christian pastors from Falls Church and Reston.