Education

A Beautiful Mind

Powerful play takes students inside the mind of autistic teen.

In 1996, Bernie DeLeo was exactly where he thought he should be. A former actor-turned-film producer and writer, DeLeo was living in New York City with his wife and young son. He had an agent, and had just gotten work on a sitcom—Life’s Work—starring Michael O’Keefe. But one weekend, while he was in Los Angeles, he got a call from his wife that irrevocably changed the course of his life. Charlie, his 3-year-old son, had been diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of autism.

Art Competition Winners Announced

U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-11) attends ceremony at Lorton Workhouse Arts Center.

More than 200 high school students and their parents and teachers gathered at the Lorton Workhouse Arts Center last week to hear U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-11) and judges from across Virginia’s 11th Congressional District announce the winners of the annual Congressional Art Competition.

Hollin Meadows Celebrates Earth Day

Girl Scouts held a used book sale and also added the last few boxes of this season’s cookies on the table at the annual Earth Day celebration at Hollin Meadows Math and Science Focus School on Saturday, April 20.

Lake Braddock Senior Receives Scholarship

Nathaniel Smith awarded $5,000 from Northern Virginia Urban League.

The Northern Virginia Urban League awarded $50,000 in scholarships to local high school students at its annual Community Service and Scholarship Awards Dinner Friday, April 19. The organization, whose mission it is to enable disadvantaged youth to achieve economic and academic success, awarded one scholarship to Lake Braddock Secondary School senior Nathaniel Smith.

Trying To Save Part of School

Residents ask school system to save part of building.

The planned renovation of Woodlawn Elementary School has become a topic of discussion between Fairfax County Public Schools staff members and local elected officials. At the heart of the discussion is the school system’s proposed renovations to the school.

Arlington School Notes April 24

School notes for Arlington natives.

Marymount’s Remembrance Day: Time to Give Back

Every spring, Marymount students help clean up Arlington’s Rock Spring Park to honor and remember those in the university community who have died.

A Day of Service at Kilmer Middle

Students learn how to make a difference in their community and the world.

On Wednesday, April 17, students, teachers, and administrators experienced the first official Day of Service at Kilmer Middle School. The program saw the day’s usual lesson plans replaced with community service activities of all sorts. While the activities ranged in variety from packaging food, to writing letters of advocacy, to creating digital PSAs and so much more, the objective was the same for each—to teach youths about their ability to make a difference in their community and the world.

Karen Garza Hired as Superintendent of Fairfax County Public Schools

FCPS Board lauds Garza’s “openness” and “willingness to engage” community.

The Fairfax County School Board unanimously approved educator Karen Garza of Texas to be the next superintendent of the 181,000 student district at its April 18 school board meeting.

SSSAS Students Inspired by ARTStravaganza

At the 10th Annual ARTStravaganza on March 21, St. Stephen's & St. Agnes Lower School students experienced a day devoted to the visual and performing arts. Twenty-one professional artists joined SSSAS teachers and Upper and Middle School students in sharing their passion and knowledge with students in junior kindergarten through fifth grade.

‘A Fantastic Piece of Escapism’

Woodson High presents Tolkien’s classic, “The Hobbit.”

Welcome to Middle Earth, as envisioned by J.R.R. Tolkien in Woodson High’s production of “The Hobbit.” It’s the adventure of a peaceful homebody persuaded by a wizard to help a group of militant dwarves reclaim their treasure from a marauding dragon. “One of our biggest challenges was building a huge, dragon puppet,” said Director Terri Hobson. “There’ll be lots of caves, rocky hills and earth tones. And we actually have five girls who are being trees.”

‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, RELAX!’ at Fairview Elementary Spring Family Night

Fairview Elementary School’s PTA in Fairfax Station is very excited about its first ever family recycling event being held Friday, May, 3 from 6-9 p.m. on the school’s blacktop behind the school.

Editorial: Value-added Evaluation?

TJ admissions illustrate growing gap between “haves” and “have-nots.”

More than 181,000 students attend Fairfax County Public Schools. So why do the 480 students who were accepted for next year’s freshman class at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology seem so important? Fairfax County Public Schools have a single elite magnet school, Thomas Jefferson, and TJ is frequently referred to as the top high school in the country. Dramatic disparity in the makeup of admissions at TJ is an indicator of disparity in early identification of students as gifted and talented, of access to advanced classes and enrichment, and in the basic education that the Fairfax County Public school system offers to all of its students.

New Class, Old Divisions

Demographic data for T.J. class of 2017 show lack of diversity at governor's school.

Even as federal regulators look into a civil-rights complaint about the lack of diversity at Thomas Jefferson School for Science and Technology, recently released demographics show that the number of black and Latino students is dropping. According to a report released last week by Fairfax County Public Schools, 8 percent of students who apply are Hispanic while only 3 percent of those who are accepted are Hispanic.

School Notes ARL 4/17/2013

Email announcements to arlington@connectionnewspapers.com. Deadline is Thursday at noon. Photos are welcome. Michelle Dawn Williams earned a graduate certificate degree in museum studies from the University of Memphis.

The Connection