To have an item listed, mail to the Gazette, 1604 King St., Alexandria, VA 22314; fax to 703-917-0991 or e-mail to gazette@connectionnewspapers.com. Deadline is Friday at noon for the following week’s paper. Photos and artwork encouraged. If you have any questions, call Elizabeth Orr at 703-917-6449.
Mount Vernon High School's class of 1954 is organizing a mini-reunion for lunch in Alexandria Saturday, Oct. 23; details to be determined. Class president Mary Jane (di Zerega) Hammerland will be in town from California and would love to see any classmates. For more information, call Leonard "Buzz" Jackson at 540-877-2513.
Fairfax County Public Library is offering live homework assistance for students in grades four through early college. The service, online at http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library, will be available from 2-10 p.m. seven days a week. The service features live tutors who can help students with math, science, social studies and English.
The Fairfax County Youth Leadership Program is currently accepting applications from high-school juniors enrolled in Fairfax County Public Schools for the Youth Leadership Program, which includes a paid three-week summer internship in a Fairfax County government agency or office.
The Youth Leadership Program is sponsored by a partnership between Fairfax County government and Fairfax County Public Schools to prepare high-school students to become tomorrow’s community leaders. One to two interns are selected from each Fairfax County public high school based on their achievement, leadership, commitment to active citizenship and volunteerism. The three-week paid internship will take place July 11-29, 2005, and is designed for training opportunities and site visits to expand each intern’s knowledge of public service within Fairfax County.
Students should see their school guidance director or a member of the faculty in their social studies department for a brochure and application or go to www.fairfaxcounty.gov/gov/dmb/fcylp.htm to learn more about the program or to download the application. Applications are due on Oct. 30, to Youth Leadership Program teacher sponsors or the guidance director in each high school.
For more information on the Fairfax County Youth Leadership Program, call Susan Datta in the Department of Management and Budget at 703-324-4068.
Virginia School Fair. Learn about private schools and financial aid at this event, hosted by the Black Student Fund. Seven Northern Virginia schools, including Alexandria Country Day, Potomac, and St. Stephen and St. Agnes, will participate. 1-4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 17 at the William Ramsay Recreation Center, 5650 Sanger Ave. For more information, call 703-506-3552.
College Night. Fairfax County Public Schools will hold its 29th annual College Night from 7-9 p.m., on Monday, Oct. 18, at Hayfield Secondary School, 7630 Telegraph Road, Alexandria. The event will offer workshops about college admissions, athletics, and financial aid. For more information, visit http://www.fcps.edu/DSSE/CollegeFairNight or call 703-876-5248.
Alice B. Coakley has enrolled in William Smith College, Geneva, N.Y., as a member of the class of 2008. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Coakley.
Michael F. Chen, a graduate of St. Albans School, recently began studies at Allegheny College, Meadville, Pa. Chen was named a Trustee Scholar by the college.
Mount Vernon High School has been selected to receive a Year Three renewal grant of $2,500 from the America Online Aspirations Fund. According to Kristie Cunningham of AOL, Mount Vernon High School has "proven success is impressive, and we hope that this continued support will allow you to continue to expand and grow your AOL Aspires Program." This particular grant was awarded to fulfill the goal of encouraging high-school success and promoting college opportunities for female Hispanic students enrolled at MVHS.
The class of 2006 at Mount Vernon High School will be holding a mulch sale Saturday, Nov. 6, at the MVHS parking lot next to the football stadium. Bags containing 3 cubic feet of shredded hardwood mulch will cost $3.50. Area residents can place orders for mulch by calling the Subschool III office at 703-619-3200. Place your order no later than Oct. 22. Orders of 10 bags or more can be delivered to your home.
Eric Brent, principal of Mount Vernon High School, announced that three senior students have been named as Commended Students in the 2005 National Merit Scholarship Program. The MVHS students are Michael Hirata, Brett Layton and Derrick Theil. A Letter of Commendation from the school and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), which conducts the program, will be presented by the principal to these scholastically talented seniors.
About 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Although they will not continue in the 2005 competition for Merit Scholarship awards, Commended Students placed among the top 5 percent of more than one million students who entered the 2005 competition by taking the 2003 Preliminary SAT/ National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.
West Potomac High School Orchestra performs in a Fall Concert at 7:30 p.m. The concert will be held at the main auditorium of West Potomac High School, 6500 Quander Road. The concert is free and open to the public. For more information, call 703-718-2500.
The Guiding Our Children Home Alliance invites the general public and home schoolers to bring and play games at the Sherwood Hall Library the second Tuesday of every month from 3:30-5 p.m. The Sherwood Hall Library is located at 2501 Sherwood Hall Lane, Alexandria.
NVCC Classes. Second session classes begin Oct. 20 at Northern Virginia Community College. Students can still enroll in many classes. Tuition costs $67.68 per credit for Virginia and eligible Washington, D.C., residents and $215.13 for out-of-state students. For more information, call 703-323-3000 or visit www.nvcc.edu/admissions.
Lisa L. Wu has been appointed to the Virginia Museum of Natural History Board of Trustees. The Virginia Museum of Natural History is located in Martinsville and is an affiliate of the Smithsonian. Wu is a teacher at Thomas Jefferson High School in Alexandria.
Washington Mill Elementary of Mount Vernon will be featured in a documentary on stress reduction in schools by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, an international association representing 160,000 professional educators in 135 countries. The school was featured because students and staff work as a team to create a stress-free atmosphere through such steps as a daily music routine and daily messages from principal Tish Howard.