A weeklong celebration of the 50th anniversary of Great Falls Elementary School will begin on Sunday, May 4, with a 5K Run and Fun/Run for all ages. The celebration will also include an anniversary party on May 9 and a golf tournament on May 12.
The school, like the community, was originally named for Forestville. In 1955, the name was changed to the Great Falls School, after the volunteer fire department adopted that name.
To prepare for the celebration, a program featuring archival photographs and stories from the history of the school is being built from stories and photos gleaned from the public’s memory and its shoeboxes of family photos.
Heidi Mraz, the organizer, is collecting stories from the community and matching them with appropriate photos. Material should be submitted by April 29. To reach her, e-mail to hpmraz@msn.com. Or call her at 703.759.4933 to submit story ideas. “We love hearing these stories,” said Mraz.
“We have historical pictures and a time line that goes back to the days of the dinosaurs. It goes on though John Smith and the carousel at Great Falls National Park.
“The time line will be a great way to showcase the way things were,” Mraz said. “Some of these little bits of information are entertaining in themselves. The school cafeteria was once the meeting place for St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church after it was organized in the late 1960s, Mraz said.
“Great Falls was so rural then,” she said. “Kids used to walk to school with their dogs, and the dogs would wait for them to get through with class and walk them home.”
Before that the school met in the Colvin Run Schoolhouse and later, in the volunteer firehouse.
“WE HAVE PHOTOGRAPHS of each class that is [at the school] now, so that every child at Great Falls today will be in the program,” said Mraz.
“We will do a day in the present life of Great Falls, and through the photographs, see a typical day in the community.”
Every family at the elementary school will receive a copy of the book; 1,100 copies will be printed.
The weeklong community celebration will include an invitation-only anniversary party at the Great Falls Grange on Friday, May 9, with silent and live auctions Susan Grow, 703-757-9889, is chairing the party, and Jeanne Slade is chair of both the live and silent auctions. To made a donation, call 703-759-3038
The Roadrunner Golf Classic will be held on Monday, May 12, at Reston National Golf Course with a putting contest and prizes for a hole in one. Jim Mraz will chair the golf tournament, which costs $150 per person including greens fees and cart, dinner and drinks.
The road race will begin at the elementary school at 7:15 a.m. on Sunday, May 4, followed by a walk at 7:30 a.m. There is a one-mile course for grades six and under and a one-quarter mile course for children in kindergarten to second grade. All participants who finish will receive a medal.
Marianne Burkhart, who chairs the 5K walk-run, said about 200 people are expected to run. She can be reached at 703-759-3675. Registration and waiver forms are available at www.gfepta.org, or runners may register before the race on May 4.