Education

Riverbend Park Hosts Virginia Indian Festival

At Riverbend Park in Great Falls thousands of visitors stopped by to attend the annual Virginia Indian Festival. Mixing with the crowds and greeting visitors was Park Manager Marty Smith. “I have been working at Riverbend Park for 20 years, and manager for 10 years,” said Smith. It was Smith who organized and developed the concept of an educational event about the indigenous people of Northern Virginia for the general public.

Weaving Community and Lifelong Learning

Great Falls Library brings threads together.

Concerns about the strength and condition of “the fabric of our society” abound, but how is that fabric woven in the first instance, and how is it used and enjoyed and rewoven into the modern tapestry of community? Spend just one day (or two) with the librarians, volunteers and patrons of the Fairfax County Public Library in Great Falls and you will see. The library opens its doors on Wednesday at 10 a.m.

Commentary: The Children Fairfax Shouldn’t Leave Behind

It’s the beginning of a new school year, and we in Fairfax are justifiably proud of our schools, which we proclaim are “among the best in the nation.” But what we don’t discuss enough is whether they are the best for all of our children. When we measure FCPS’s success, we often talk about the number of AP classes taken, high SAT scores and admissions to the best colleges and universities. These “US News and World Report” statistics measure how high our best students can go, but what about the rest? We have a minority student achievement gap. It’s narrowing but is still significant.

Going Beyond A-F in Virginia

One reader urges for as much needed time as possible to be taken when constructing a new school evaluation scale.

Sherman: A Vision to Close the Achievement Gap

What Sherman Did Accomplish

Yvonne Folkerts Discusses Mort Sherman's Educational Legacy

Sherman Resigns — Finally

It's good that Mort Sherman Resigned from Alexandria County Public Schools, says a reader, but that doesn't mean that the school board itself will improve over night.

Editorial: Later Start Times for High School

It’s past time to act; let this year be the year.

Tuesday morning, Sept. 3, the first day of school in Fairfax County, Dr. Karen Garza began her official day at 6:30 a.m. at Chantilly High School. While Garza was making herself available for interviews before the first class started at 7:20 a.m., many students were already on the school bus.

Wellbeing: How To Set Realistic Goals

Local experts say the key to success is setting achievable goals.

Laura Wheeler Poms, of Fairfax, set out to earn a doctorate degree and make a career change. As a wife, mother and working professional, the goal, she said, often felt lofty. “Writing my dissertation at times felt overwhelming, especially if I looked at it as one huge project,” said Poms, who now holds a Ph.D. in industrial/organizational psychology and is an assistant professor of global and community health at George Mason University in Fairfax. “I set goals like writing one page or doing one analysis each day and I was able to get it done. I also gave myself little rewards along the way.”

Two FCPS Students Elected Key Club International Officers

Two Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) students have been elected to the 2013-14 Key Club International Board of Trustees. Raeford Penny, a student at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST), was elected international president of the organization, and Eric Yoon of Oakton High School was elected as an international trustee.

School Announcements

School Notes

Scholarships, Awards, Acceptances, and Graduations

Viewpoints: What are you looking forward to the most this school year?

“I’m looking forward to sports, football, basketball … looking forward to that. Also the challenge of new classes this year because junior year is typically the most difficult. I’m starting to look at colleges this year.”

Excited to Go Back to School

Fairfax County Public Schools began school year on Tuesday, Sept. 3.

If any of the children waiting at a Westbriar Elementary School bus stop had first-day-of-school jitters, no one showed them. The kids intuitively lined up as the bus approached the stop as parents waved good-bye. The children were excited; parents marked another passage in their children’s lives.

Leader Of The Pack

Firefighters distribute 2,400 backpacks to children in need.

Children receive backpacks from local firefighters

Capturing Vienna’s History

Historic Vienna, Inc. project recorded and filmed residents’ recollections of earlier Vienna.

There was a time when there was no Rt. 66 ramp in Vienna … mainly because there was a time when there was no Rt. 66 anywhere nearby. Nor was there a Capital Beltway. There was, however, a time when a train from Alexandria stopped in Vienna going west. There was a time when there were maple trees on Maple Avenue and churches along Church Street. Before Louise Archer Elementary School was named after the principal who ran the school for many pivotal years, it was a “colored” school.

It’s Back to Churchill Road in McLean

First day for girst graders, other students at Churchill Road Elementary.

On Tuesday, Sept. 3, parents, students and faculty came together at Churchill Road Elementary School in McLean for the first day of school. Danielle M. Mazurowski, a music teacher for nine years at Churchill Road was at one of the doors greeting people as they entered into the cafeteria.

The Connection