Education

iPads Come Into the Classroom

Sixty first and second graders at Keene Mill try out these devices during the school day.

Tablets and iPads in the hands of 6-year-olds is not such an unusual sight anymore, and now these devices are being used in the classroom. At Keene Mill Elementary School, 60 iPads are in the hands of first and second grade students, and being used to “change the time, place and pace of learning.”

Ten Days in Diplomacy

Woodson High junior reflects on her experiences with High School Diplomats program at Princeton.

“OK, everybody, I got the call! The buses are coming! I repeat, The buses are coming!” With those words, an excited cheer rises among the giant mob of American students, our nervousness and excitement feeding off of each other, spreading through the crowd like an electrical impulse.

Fairfax High’s Homecoming Parade

Fairfax High’s Homecoming Parade was Friday, Oct. 24.

City of Fairfax Band Turns 45

The band kicks off their 45th season on Nov. 1.

In 1969, Nixon was president, men walked on the moon, gas cost 35 cents a gallon, and the war in Vietnam raged on. In Fairfax, a group of musicians came together to play one summer concert as the City celebrated the Fourth of July.

Sharing Fun of Reading

Volunteering with The Reading Connection.

Diana Mertz opened the door to the Ruby Tucker Center on Tancil Court in Alexandria.

Up Where the Air Is Rare

Chantilly yearbook adviser is in Virginia High School Hall of Fame.

Mary Kay Downes has won her share of awards over the years; but now, she’s seemingly reached the pinnacle. On Oct. 15 in Charlottesville, she was inducted into the Virginia High School Hall of Fame.

What’s on the Ballot?

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 4.

Every voter in Virginia will vote for U.S senator and their member in the U.S. House of Representatives.

High Schools to Start Later Next Year

School Board approves later start times.

Phyllis Payne has been fighting for more sleep for a decade. On Oct. 23, it all paid off. The co-founder of Start Later for Excellence in Education Proposal - or SLEEP - saw the Fairfax County Public School Board approve to move high school start times ahead by 30 minutes, 11-1.

Franklin Sherman Celebrates 100 Years

Centennial bash for school with historic roots in McLean.

Kim Todd remembers how she felt at home at Franklin Sherman Elementary School in the late 1970s. Nearly 40 years later, she is serving as the school’s Parent Teacher Association centennial coordinator and has seen three of her children enter the school as she had. The school celebrated its centennial year carnival style with the community on Sunday with a petting zoo, cotton candy and fair-style rides and games.

Langley High Teacher Receives National Award

Leah Puhlick a recipient of the Yale Educator of the Year Award.

Katherine Tan may have graduated from Langley High School last year, but one teacher has made an impact on her to this day. The Yale University freshman nominated her former Advance Placement [AP] chemistry teacher, Leah Puhlick, for this year’s Yale Educator of the Year award - and she was one of this year’s recipients.

Fairfax County Calendar

Your guide to entertainment in Fairfax County.

For those looking to fill their calendar with some home-brewed, Fairfax County fun stuff (read: entertainment and diversion), The Connection's Fairfax County Entertainment Calendar has many options: weekend jaunts and larks; date night inspiration; winter-to-spring fun; day-long festivals and events; art-outings; family fun-and-learning fusions; plays and shows; beyond-Small Business Saturday local shopping and bazaars; markets of handcrafted wares; music; 1Ks to marathons... the list goes on. If you know of an event not listed in our entertainment calendar, email it to south@connectionnewspapers.com for happenings in south Fairfax County or north@connectionnewspapers.com for entertainment in the northern parts of the county.

Mourning Hannah

Candlelight gathering planned for Saturday.

More than a month of what Charlottesville chief of police Timothy Longo described as an “unprecedented” search is finally over.

Stage Presence

Cappies recognized among arts leaders at Arts Council awards.

After Bill Strauss first approached Judy Bowns about creating a student-driven arts awards and journalism organization 16 years ago, the ensuing creative partnership resembled a pair of cartoon characters.

Batter, Up

Former Lake Braddock baseball player Nick Balenger recognized for injury recovery.

Nick Balenger’s promising athletic career all but disappeared in an instant. In 2012, the former Lake Braddock pitcher suffered a spinal cord injury while swimming in Hawaii.

South Lakes Senior Selected to All-American Marching Band

Fairfax County students chosen for 2015 U.S. Army All-American Bowl performance.

Reston South Lakes senior Samantha Gifford was recognized by the U.S. Army for her selection to the 2015 U.S. Army All-American Marching Band on Friday, Oct. 24. The selection ceremony was held in the theater at South Lakes High School (SLHS) in Reston.

The Connection