Education

Sarah Connolly named Parent Liaison of the Month

Each month a school-based parent liaison will be recognized for his or her service to the staff and families of FCPS. The November recipient of this recognition is Sarah Connolly, parent liaison at Aldrin Elementary School.

Substance Abuse Forums to be Held Nov. 10 and 18 in FCPS

The signs and symptoms of teenage drug abuse, the actions parents can take, and where to find supportive resources will be shared at an upcoming “Protect Against Substance Abuse” community program, scheduled for Monday, Nov. 10, at South County High School, and Tuesday, Nov. 18, at Fairfax High School. The nonprofit Unified Prevention Coalition of Fairfax County (UPC) and its work group, PROTECT (Parents Reaching out to Educate Communities Together), will present this educational program.

Cooper Journalists Meet CNN Anchor

One hundred Cooper Middle School journalists had the opportunity to Skype with the news anchor Carl Azuz.

Preparing Sandwiches for Martha’s Table

Churchill Road Elementary School continues its long-standing community service tradition by making sandwiches for Martha’s Table, a nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C. that serves sandwiches to those in need.

‘An Awesome Experience’

Chantilly High student attends Governor’s German Immersion Academy.

Chantilly High senior Kate Meyer is such a fan of German culture and language that she spent three weeks of her summer immersed in it. She attended the Virginia Governor’s German Immersion Academy at Washington and Lee University in Lexington.

Cotman Honored as Middle School Counselor of Year

Liberty's Paula Cotman honored among 100 middle school counselors in the county.

Liberty Middle School counselor Paula Cotman of Fairfax was named Middle School Counselor of the Year for Fairfax County Public Schools on Aug. 20 — from a roster of about 15 counselors nominated for the award. There are roughly 580 counselors in the county; and about 100 or so work in middle schools.

Thirty-Six FCPS Students Named to Virginia Honors Choir

Vocal musicians from 14 Fairfax County public schools have been named to the Virginia Honors Choir for 2014. This select choir is open only to the top 125 singers from around the Commonwealth of Virginia, and is the highest honor a choir student can attain during his or her high school career.

A Dream Come True

Alexandria Book Shelf Turns 1, dedicates MVCS location.

Summer school paid off for Mount Vernon Community School principal Peter Balas, who officially opened the newest Alexandria Book Shelf Oct. 6 as part of the DreamDog Foundation literacy program.

A Medieval Book Fair at Polk

Hundreds of students and their families attended the annual book fair at Polk Elementary School on Monday evening, Oct. 20.

Herndon High Pumps up SAT Average

Most improved among county schools.

Herndon High School did it. The school made the biggest gains in their Scholastic Assessment Test - more commonly known as SAT - scores among all other high schools in the county.

Texting While Driving Examined at Langley

Langley High School students learn safety through simulator.

Hanna Hunt was behind the wheel, phone in hand. When a text popped up, she had a choice. Would she answer it? Hunt, a senior at Langley High School, was playing a simulated driving game during lunch, so when she “crashed” her car earlier that day, she walked away with zero consequences. The simulator was a part of the school’s theme of the year - road safety - in partnership with AT&T’s It Can Wait campaign to give students a reality check on Oct. 16 for how texting on their phone affects their driving.

Homecoming Parade for Westfield

Westfield High’s Homecoming Parade was Friday, Oct. 17, in Centreville.

Fractured Shaft Stops Colvin Run Mill

Tours and interpretations of the Great Falls historic site continue.

Grinding with the main stones at Colvin Run Mill Historic Site has come to a stop for the next few months. Miller Mason Maddox found a crack in the main axle of the site’s water wheel, which catches the water flowing through the millrace and powers the mill.

Walking Dead

Clifton residents put on a bigger, scarier Haunted Trail on Saturday, Oct. 25.

Julie Thompson isn’t a voodoo priestess. But the stay-at-home mother, of Clifton plays, one, one night of the year, in a skit for Clifton’s Haunted Trail.

Centreville Wildcats on Parade

Centreville High’s Homecoming Parade was Friday, Oct. 17, in Little Rocky Run.

The Connection