Shortened School Year Approved
<bt>As long as there is no need to use the two remaining snow days over the next couple months, the last day for Fairfax County Public Schools students will be Friday, June 14 and Monday, June 17 the final teacher work day. The School Board unanimously approved the shortened calendar Thursday, April 11.
Principals in the six high schools that have graduation scheduled for June 18 can substitute that day as the final teacher work day and give teachers June 17 off.
In addition, July 5 will be a holiday for 12-month employees since they do not benefit from the early closure.
<sh>Book Selection Town Meeting
<bt>Fairfax County Public Schools will hold a town meeting to receive input on the book selection process Thursday, May 2, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., in the Jackson Middle School auditorium, 3020 Gallows Road, Falls Church.
The regulations governing the selection of library materials, supplementary instructional material and the challenge process will be explained. Representatives from Parents Against Bad Books in Schools (PABBIS) and Right to Read will present their organization's views.
Community members will have an opportunity to sign up to speak for three minutes; sign up will begin at 6:45 p.m. in the school lobby. Speakers are encouraged to bring copies of their remarks.
<sh>All-County Choral Festival
<bt>More than 700 sixth-grade students will participate in the 26th Annual Sixth Grade All-County Choral Festival Saturday, May 4, beginning at 3:30 p.m., at Fairfax High School, 3500 Old Lee Highway, in Fairfax.
The program will include traditional, folk and classical choral music selections. The public is welcome to attend the concert, which will take place in the fieldhouse at the school. Admission and parking are free. The festival choir will be conducted by Sheri Neill, assistant professor of music at George Mason University, accompanied by Jim Miller of Alexandria.
<sh>Students Win National Scholarships
<bt>Jenifer Thomas of Edison High School in Franconia and Michelle Allison, Nii Armar and Etan Eitches, all from Thomas Jefferson School for Science and Technology, will receive achievement scholarship awards for college undergraduate study from the National Achievement Scholarship program.
Thomas, who will study economics, will receive a $2,500 scholarship sponsored by State Farm Companies Foundation. Allison, who is interested in psychiatry, and Eitches, who also plans to study economics, will each receive $2,500 from the National Merit Scholarship Corp. Armar, who is interested in engineering, is an honorary achievement scholar and is being recognized for outstanding performance in the competition.
The National Achievement Scholarship program is a privately funded competition created specifically to honor outstanding black American youth.
<sh>Library Catalog Online
<bt>Fairfax County Public Schools has begun using a new library catalog system, Unicorn ÉCOLE, which is specifically developed for kindergarten through 12th grade libraries, as well as an online public access catalog. The system change required converting more than 3.5 million items and 191,000 patron records in four months.
Anyone with Internet access can search by title, author or subject and can find out where the books are available to be checked out and at what locations. Fairfax County Public Libraries will soon be converting to the same system, creating a standardized library catalog countywide.
<sh>ACE, Inova Recognized
<bt>Fairfax County Public School’s Office of Adult Education (ACE) Workplace Training and Inova Learning Center at Inova Health System will receive this year’s Outstanding Workplace Education Partnership Award on April 14. The award is given by the Virginia Association for Adult and Continuing Education and recognizes an employer’s commitment to the education advancement of its employees within a collaborative relationship with a public adult education agency.
ACE’s Workplace Training group worked with Inova to produce a literacy program that includes English for speakers of other languages and basic skills classes.
<sh>Veterans Affairs Approves Program
<bt>Fairfax County Public Schools’ Office of Adult and Continuing Education (ACE) has received approval from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for four additional career training programs: Professional Activity Director; Principles of Real Estate; CISCO Certified Network Associate Preparation; and Oracle Database Administration. The approval allows veterans to use their GI Bill benefits to pay for the classes and brings the ACE-approved courses to 34.
For more information about ACE is available at www.fcps.edu/adult.htm.
<sh>Art-Filled Summer Program
<bt>Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) will offer the Institute for the Arts summer program July 8-Aug. 1 at Fairfax High School, located at 3500 Old Lee Highway. This summer enrichment program, which runs from 8 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, offers more than 100 fine-arts courses in dance, visual arts, music and theater arts. A student may participate in one or more disciplines by taking four classes daily in his areas of interest.
The program is open to rising seventh- through rising 12th-graders and includes study in a variety of disciplines.
FCPS students who are currently enrolled in grades six through 11, county residents enrolled in private schools, and nonresidents are eligible to enroll. Brochures can be found at all Fairfax County public libraries and school registration centers, as well as online at www.fcps.edu/DIS/OACE/summer/IFTA-2002.pdf.
Registrations must be received at the summer school office, 5775 Spindle Court, Centreville, VA 20121, on or before April 26. Tuition and transportation costs are $570 for Fairfax County residents and $770 for nonresidents. Students will be expected to participate in all activities during the institute.
<sh>Schools Events Calendar
<bt>Wednesday, April 17, 7 p.m.
School Health Advisory Committee. Devonshire center, 2831 Graham Road, Falls Church.
Thursday, April 18, 7:30 p.m.
Adult and Community Education Committee. Pimmit Adult Center, 7510 Lisle Ave., Falls Church.
Friday, April 19, 7-10 p.m.
Luther Jackson Sports Night. Fairfax County students and their families are invited to participate in a fund-raising activity for the Physical Education Department at Jackson Middle School. There will be exhibition sports events with teachers against students, performances by dance and other groups, plus food and music. Tickets are $1 per person. Luther Jackson Middle School, 3020 Gallows Road, Falls Church.
Monday, April 22, 5:30 p.m.
Fairfax County School Board special meeting, challenged materials. Burkholder Center, 10700 Page Ave., Fairfax.
Monday, April 22, following special meeting
Fairfax County School Board work session, finance and budget. Burkholder Center, 10700 Page Ave., Fairfax.
Monday, April 22
Nurturing Parenting Program. Department of Family Services, Prevention, of Fairfax County is holding a Nurturing Parenting Program for Hispanic Families, for parents and their children up to 4-years-old, to teach nurturing skills and to reinforce strengths, values and culture. No cost, but registration is required. For more information, call 703-324-7405 or 703-324-7723. St. Anthony's Catholic Church.
Thursday, April 25, 8 a.m.
Professional Technical Studies Advisory Committee. Walnut Hill Center, 7423 Camp Alger Ave., Falls Church.
Thursday, April 25, 7:30 p.m.
Fairfax County School Board regular meeting. Jackson Middle School, 3020 Gallows Road, Falls Church.