Trustees of the McLean Citizens Foundation presented a $16,767 check to Susan Poretz, board president of the Falls Church McLean Children's Center, to fully equip a classroom for a new program for 2-year-olds in Lemon Road Elementary School on Idylwood Road. The Center was able to meet the terms of the McLean Citizens Foundation challenge grant signed in November, raising a total of almost $36,200 for the new program. The Center, which is celebrating 30 years of providing a high-quality early-childhood program to children of working families, will move to the new classrooms in late June.
<cl>David Banh, Rocco Repetski, Shekar Siddarth, David Raber, Robert Brady, Mike Turpyn, Kai Huang and Thomas Mildorf of the Thomas Jefferson High School chess team gather around their Virginia State Scholastic Chess Championship first-place trophy. Their team took top honors at the competition on March 8-9.
<lst>For the third year in a row, the chess team of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology won first place at the Virginia State Scholastic Chess Championship, held in Richmond, March 8-9. More than 500 children representing 80 schools participated in several divisions. Also from Fairfax County, Hayfield Secondary took second place. The Virginia State High School Championship was awarded to Robert Brady of McLean, a 10th-grader at Thomas Jefferson. Robert will represent Virginia at the Denker National High School Championship to be held in Los Angeles on Aug. 3.
Neighborhood College, for Vienna-area 10th- and 11th-graders, teaches how to access town and county services, run effective meetings, solve community problems and make decisions. A light dinner is served at each session. Every Tuesday until April 1 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Registration required, call Robin Patton at 703-787-4998. Vienna Community Center, 120 Cherry St. S.E.
Northern Virginia Friends School in Oakton will begin enrolling third-graders this fall. Open houses are on Wednesday, April 9, at 10:30 a.m.; and Saturday, April 26, at 3 p.m. The location is 2854 Hunter Mill Road. Reserve at 703-281-NVFS.
The Teen Character Award will again be sponsored by the McLean Citizens Association to recognize teens with exceptional ethical and compassionate character. Teens who have, without compensation or recognition, cared for people or helped their community deserve to be recognized as an example to others. Nomination applications are at the McLean Community Center and the middle and high schools in McLean. They are due April 1. 703-734-4944.
Local host families are sought for French high-school students studying in the United States this summer. The International Center for Language Studies in Washington, D.C., will have 15-20 students. Families will be expected to provide room and board, help facilitate the students’ use of public transportation, and include them in weekend activities that will enhance their American experience. Incidental costs will be paid. A stipend will be given to each host family. Call 202-639-8800 to apply.
The Fairfax County School Board is seeking community input regarding the naming of the new elementary school scheduled to open in September 2003 on the Andrew Chapel site. The new school is located at 1400 Trap Road, Vienna. Members of the community who live within the new school’s boundaries as determined by the School Board vote on March 3 are invited to attend a community meeting on Monday, March 31, 7 p.m., in the Cooper Middle School cafeteria. Cooper is located at 977 Balls Hill Road, McLean. Jane Strauss, Fairfax County School Board member, will conduct the meeting. Joan Wilcox, director, Cluster 1 schools, and Sandra Furick, who has been selected to serve as principal of the new school, will also attend. Questions regarding which students will be assigned to the new elementary school should be directed to Gary Chevalier, director, Facilities Planning Services, at 703-246-3608. Questions about the March 31 meeting or procedures for naming the new school should be directed to the Cluster 1 office at 703-204-3810.
Looking for a night of fun and laughter? Then make plans to attend the "Spring Comedy Fest," set for April 3, 4 and 5 at Kilmer Middle School, 8100 Wolftrap Road in Vienna. Each performance will begin at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $4 at the door.
The comedy fest will feature 3 one-act plays: "Oh, What a Tangled Web," "That’s Acute Bunny" and "Who’s on First?" Surrounding the plays will be clowns, troubadours and humorous mayhem. More than 45 Kilmer students are involved in the drama production under the direction of Linda J. Clagg.
For more information, call Linda Clagg at 703-846-8963.
The nationally ranked Oakton High School (OHS) Varsity Dance Team will be offering a one-day dance team camp on Saturday, April 5, 1-6 p.m., at Oakton High School. The camp is open to students in grades seven-11. Students do not have to be in the Oakton High School district to participate. Campers will work with dance team members and coaches to learn at least one full routine. Registrations are available in surrounding public high schools, in the OHS activities office, on the OHS Web site under Athletics, or from current members of the Oakton Dance Team. Campers and the OHS Varsity Dance Team will take part in a brief performance for the public, 6:15-6:45 p.m., directly following the camp. Campers will receive a T-shirt, snack and three free tickets to the closing performance; additional tickets are $1. Cost of the camp is $50, with a $5 discount for registration postmarked before March 28. Registration at the door is $55. Space limited to 75 campers.
The award-winning James Madison High School band in Vienna will sponsor a weekend car wash April 5 and 6 to raise money for band activities. The car washes will be done from 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Saturday, April 5, at Vienna Shell, Maple Avenue and Glyndon, and Sunday at Vienna Texaco, 252 Maple. Ave.
The Northern Virginia Chapter of Jack and Jill of America Inc., an organization that fosters the growth and development of children through cultural, educational, social and community service initiatives, will host a scholarship dinner/dance fund-raiser on April 25, at the Waterford at Fair Oaks, 12025 Lee Jackson Memorial Highway in Fairfax. The event is one of several activities the organization sponsors and opens to the public in an effort to raise funds to be awarded on graduation to academically talented high-school students whose families meet certain income guidelines
To purchase tickets, or to send donations, contact Denise Fox, the committee's ticket sales and publicity chair, at 703-818-6588.
J.P. Buterbaugh, a fifth-grader at Great Falls Elementary, is one of only 100 Virginia students to qualify for the state geography bee, which will be held April 4 at Old Dominion University in Norfolk. After winning their school geography bee, students in grades four through eight qualify for the state bee by taking a written examination. One winner from each state, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories qualifies for the National Geography Bee, held in May in Washington, DC. The National Geographic Society sponsors the geography bee program.
The McLean High School Choral Department presented its 51st annual Boar's Head Feast at McLean Baptist Church on March 7 and 8. The annual feast is an evening of revelry, food and surprises for the whole family. This year's program included vocal selections by McLean High School's Madrigal chorus, a medieval-style meal, dancing, fortune telling and favor and trinket selling.
The award-winning Madrigals are a self-directed, 18-member a cappella singing group supervised by choral director Linda Martin. It performs in period costume and regularly garners first-place trophies and superior ratings in competitions.
Jaqueline Salamack, a freshman at Rosemary Hall in Wallingford, Conn., has made the dean's list for the second term. She is the daughter of Donald and Maureen Salamack of Great Falls.
The McLean High School Boys Basketball Team will host two sessions of Highlander Basketball Camp this summer, at Longfellow Middle School, July 7-11 and July 14-18. Camp tuition is $110 per session. Camp times are 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m., Monday through Friday. For more information, contact coach Drew Murphy at 703-714-5774 or andrew.murphy@fcps.edu.
Students at Chesterbrook Elementary have been practicing community service by supporting the Arlington Street People's Assistance Network (ASPAN). During the week of March 17-21, the Chesterbrook Student Council sponsored a toiletries drive in support of ASPAN. The students have been active participants in an ongoing sandwich-making program; they make 200 sandwiches every Monday morning, which are then delivered by parent volunteers.
The Youth Council of the Northern Virginia Workforce Investment Board, in collaboration with the Fairfax County Department of Community and Recreation Services, has announced its 2003 "Tapestry for Tomorrow" visual arts competition. Young people 12-19 from the counties of Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William and the cities of Falls Church, Fairfax, Manassas and Manassas Park may depict their employment goals 10 years in the future, the year 2013. The goal is to encourage students to identify and interpret their long-term career aspirations while creating a vision through any artistic medium. The competition will culminate with a special ceremony on Tuesday, April 29, 7-9 p.m., at the Fairfax County Government Center. For additional information on the Tapestry for Tomorrow arts competition, visit www.myskillsource.org/home/youth_services/youth_activities/index.asp. For more information about the Northern Virginia Workforce Investment Board and the Youth Council, call 703-752-1606 or visit www.myskillsource.org.
Graduating seniors residing in or near Great Falls are invited to apply for two Alexander DeFilippis scholarships being offered this Spring, sponsored by the Women's Association of St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Great Falls. The selection process places major emphasis on good character and demonstrated service to others through involvement in school, church or community projects. The students must also have a 2.5 or higher grade point average. Membership in St. Catherine of Siena Parish is not required.
Scholarship packages are available in the St. Catherine of Siena parish office at 1020 Springvale Road, Great Falls. Applications must be returned by May 15.
Great Reunions announces these confirmed dates for local high-school 2003 reunions:
McLean High School, Class of 1992, June 28 at the Doubletree Tysons Corner, Leesburg Pike;
Oakton High School, Class of 1983, July 26 at the Sheraton Premiere at Tysons Corner, Vienna.