The Arlington League of Women Voters is collecting school supplies for needy children at Barrett and Randolph Elementary Schools. Collection boxes are at the seven libraries in Arlington, the lobby of Courthouse Plaza and at the Virginia Commerce Bank branches on Wilson and Williamsburg Blvd. Supplies will be collected until September 11.
The Yorktown High School crew team is conducting a series of car washes this summer and next fall. The crew team holds several fund-raisers per year to purchase equipment and pay for coaches. The goal of the car washes is to replace some 10-year-old erg machines. Preston's Care Pharmacy, a local, family owned pharmacy, is letting the team use its parking lot and water. Preston's is located at Lee Highway and N. Dickerson Street, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on the following Saturdays: Aug. 6, Sept. 10, Sept. 24, Oct. 1 and Oct. 16.
Several volunteers were celebrated as Arlington Public Schools 2004 – 2005 Honored Citizens during the June 16 School Board meeting. To be eligible for this recognition, volunteers must be Arlington residents who have demonstrated a sustained commitment for a minimum of five years. School Board Chair Libby Garvey, with assistance from other School Board members, presented each of the Honored Citizens in attendance with a marble apple.
The 2005 Honored Citizens are:
Peter Ross has served as an after-school volunteer at Oakridge Elementary School twice a week for the last five years as the coordinator for the school tutoring program. Ross oversees 52 volunteers, has developed a tutoring handbook and is responsible for coordinating teaching materials for tutors and correlating these standards to the SOLs.
William Ross has been an active Tuckahoe Elementary School volunteer and PTA leader for eight years. He has served as the parliamentarian, vice president, historian and president of the PTA Executive Board and volunteers during Tuckahoe expedition days. Ross helped create Tuckahoe Park’s Nature Trail and has coordinated the annual Fun Run for the last four years. He has also coached youth basketball, soccer and baseball teams and is the chair of the Arlington Landlord Tenant Commission. He’s also active in the Overlee Knolls Civic Association.
Chuck Schultz has served on the Advisory Council on Instruction in several capacities since 1997. Currently he is the co-chair of the committee. Additionally, he has served as an APS science fair judge for several years.
Johanna Margaret Blume has been named to the dean's list at Knox College for the spring term. Selection to the dean's list requires a grade point average of 3.45 on a 4.0 scale, among other criteria. Blume is a junior American studies major and the daughter of Allen Blume, of Arlington, and Suzanne Martley, of Rapid City, S.D.
Arlington Traditional has been awarded a National Schools of Character Promising Practices award. The Character Education Partnership (CEP) awards Promising Practices citations to schools for implementing unique and specific strategies in character-based education. CEP showcases the chosen practices in its annual National Schools of Character publication and honors the schools and districts at the annual CEP National Forum. Winners receive a certificate in recognition of their work and a copy of the publication.
Barcroft students in grades two through five participated in the Jump Rope for Heart fundraiser, collecting $4,238.25. Georgia Allin, a student in Cheryl Knowles' class, was the top fundraiser, collecting $210.
On April 29 and 30, Barcroft guidance counselor Kelynne Bisbee and fifth-grade teacher Amy Schrock walked in this year's two-day Avon Breast Cancer Walk in Washington, D.C. They raised $4,712 and have already signed up to walk again next year.
Yorktown art teacher Denise Phalan designed a school flag that will be sent up in space on a Space Shuttle Mission set for lift-off in September. The flag is dedicated to former Yorktown student David Brown, who died in the Space Shuttle Columbia accident in 2003.
Career Center teachers David Welsh, Tom O’Day and Michael Lahr have won the regional level of the Career and Technical Education "Creating Excellence" award program. Welsh and O'Day, both TV/multimedia teachers, were entered in the "group" category for their project titled, "creation of an integrated curriculum Web site for television and multimedia production for classroom use that encompasses the Virginia Department of Career and Technical Education's updated online curriculum." Lahr, a commercial arts teacher, was entered in the "individual teacher" category for his program, "integrating art with commercial communications and Web-based systems."
Dr. Ann Kennedy, reading specialist at the Career Center, has been awarded the George Mason University Outstanding Alumnus Award for 2005. As the award recipient, Kennedy gave a commencement address at the college's convocation at the Patriot Center on May 21. As part of the award, Kennedy’s teaching is being featured as a case study in a soon-to-be published book by Dr. Betty Sturtevant of George Mason University. She has also been selected as an exemplar in a recent report funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Yorktown teacher Allyson McKowen has been selected by the Virginia Junior Academy of Science as its “Science Teacher of the Year.” McKowen will receive an all-expense-paid trip to the 2006 annual conference in St. Louis, Mo.
Glebe third-grade teacher Andrea Reyes has earned a Marymount University “Academic Excellence” award. The award is presented annually to one graduating student for superior academic performance and for contributions to their department or field of study through curricular and co-curricular activities. It is the department’s highest award. She was nominated for the award by Marymount faculty and advisors.
Arlington Mill guidance counselor Lisa Styles-Rolle has been selected as the 2004–2005 Educator of the Year by the American Association of University Women. The award recognizes the close relationship Styles-Rolle maintains with her students. The awards luncheon was held on May 21.
Washington-Lee foreign language department chair Irene Rondon has been awarded a 2005 Spanish Culture and Language Fellowship sponsored by The Washington Post in cooperation with the Spanish Ministry of Education and the Embassy of Spain. In July, Rondon will travel to Spain and follow an intensive course in Spanish Literature at the University of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia.
Sandra Phaup, fine arts coordinator and daVinci Project writing specialist at Barcroft, received an Italian Culture and Language Fellowship. The fellowship is sponsored by The Washington Post, the Embassy of Italy and the National Italian American Foundation. Phaup will spend half of the 10-day fellowship in Milan where Leonardo daVinci, Barcroft’s instructional focus and inspiration, worked for more than 15 years.
Drew Montessori teacher Carol Oakes has been awarded the 2005 Gold Apple Award by The Board of Children Together. The award recognizes Oakes’ work to provide children with special needs with a variety of developmentally appropriate childhood settings to help them learn and grow to their full potential.
Dr. Sharon Malley, Gunston’s life skills teacher, traveled to South Africa June 6-16 as a part of a People to People Delegation. The trip was sponsored by the American Association of Mental Retardation. The delegation is made up of 12 professionals in the field of mental retardation/developmental disabilities from around the country.
Lynn Leavitt, McKinley third-grade teacher, and her class were selected to be highlighted in The Washington Post Kids Post section on July 19. This special feature will highlight the philanthropic efforts of these McKinley students.
Long Branch extended day supervisor Mary Ann Jackson has been selected by the Arlington Partnership for Children Youth and Families as a Connect with Kids Champion. Jackson is being recognized for going beyond the call of duty in her work with the extended day program. With careful planning, Jackson ensures that there are a variety of age-appropriate activities.
The following Arlington Public Schools staff members have been selected to attend the week-long ExxonMobil Teachers Academy in July: Beth Prange, Liz Rathbun and Amy Osborne from Carlin Springs Elementary; Noreen Haus and Veronica Dannerhoj from Oakridge Elementary; Diane Jones from Nottingham Elementary; Carrie Strasburger from Barrett and Arlington Traditional elementary schools; and Michele Lombard, science specialist at the Education Center. They are among the 200 educators selected nationally to receive advanced training in science and mathematics best practices.
Washington-Lee and Yorktown have been selected as Virginia Honor Bands by the Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors Association. The Washington-Lee band director is Alex Robinson, and the Yorktown band director is Benjamin Williams.
The Arlington County Scholarship Fund for Teachers Inc. awards scholarships to students who are members of the graduating class of an Arlington public high school and who have shown a genuine interest in the field of education and plan a career in that field. Nine $2,000 scholarships were awarded.
Sarah Barnett received the Arlington Retired Teachers Association Scholarship. Barnett will attend George Mason University, focusing on secondary education. She plans to major in history and government.
Swadu Beckley received the Arlington County Council of PTAs Scholarship. Beckley will attend the University of Virginia at Wise, focusing on secondary education. Beckley plans to major in international relations, creative writing and black studies.
Genevieve Clarkson received the Taylor Elementary School/Yorktown High School Scholarship. She will attend James Madison University and plans to major in music and music education.
Sarah Haseltine received the Science Focus Elementary School/Washington-Lee High School/Arlington Education Association Scholarship. She will attend Auburn University, focusing on secondary education, with a major in English.
Kevin Kuhm received the Arlington Retired Teachers Association Scholarship. Kuhm will attend Christopher Newport University and plans to focus on secondary education, with majors in history and English.
Ashley Landers received the Arlington Retired Teachers Association Scholarship. She will attend Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, focusing on secondary education, with a major in history.
Emily Poly received the Arlington County Council of PTAs Scholarship. She will attend James Madison University, focusing on elementary education with a major in music education.
Melissa Rios received the Arlington Retired Teachers Association Scholarship. She will attend George Mason University, focusing on secondary education, with a major in history and government for ESOL students.
Rebecca Shinners received the Arlington County Council of PTAs Scholarship. She will attend Georgetown University, focusing on secondary education, with a major in history and social studies.
Boston University awarded academic degrees in May to Thomas J. Cleaver, M.S. in computer information systems; Emily S. Dorsey, B.A. in political science; Virginia Harris, M.A.T in social studies education; Maria N. Stoeckl, M.P.H in social and behavioral sciences; Anita Tonakarn, M.P.H in international health; and Joanna K. York, M.A. in biology. All are Arlington residents.
Natalie Koski-Karell from Yorktown High School has been chosen to attend this summer's Governor's School for Visual and Performing Arts at the University of Richmond. To be selected to participate in the Governor's School, students must first be nominated by their local high school. Visual and Performing Arts applicants participate in a statewide audition and submit teacher recommendations. Applications are then sent to a statewide selection process to compete with students from across the Commonwealth.
The following students from Arlington recently graduated from the College of William and Mary: Cecilia Margarita Banks, Bachelor of Arts; Matthew Vierk Bernt, Bachelor of Arts; Sarah Elizabeth Brown, Bachelor of Arts; Anna Powers Dick, Bachelor of Science; Aaron Theodore Herman, Bachelor of Arts; Katherine Marie Hughes, Bachelor of Arts; Cecily Frances Hutton, Bachelor of Arts; Edgar Patrick Landas, Bachelor of Business Adminstration; Marc Louis Lauterbach, Bachelor of Arts; William Brian Marlow, Bachelor of Arts; Matthew Harris Martin, Bachelor of Arts; Valerie Jean Martineau, Bachelor of Science; Alexander Francis Massey, Bachelor of Science; Kerry Elizabeth McGonagle, Bachelor of Arts; Martha Maureen McKee, Bachelor of Arts; Andrew Michael Moon, Bachelor of Science; Anne Marie Mueller, Bachelor of Arts; Joy Sajiyo Neely, Bachelor of Arts; Lauren Amy Nellor, Bachelor of Arts; Melissa Lanier Park, Bachelor of Science; Song Peng, Master of Accounting; David Curtis Peters, Bachelor of Arts; Clarisse Normand Reiter, Bachelor of Arts; Andrew Michael South, Bachelor of Science; Alanya Nicole Tetreault-Rooney, Bachelor of Arts; Eileen Tschetter, Bachelor of Science; Patrick Joseph Walsh, Bachelor of Arts; and Thomas Michael Wittenschlaeger, Bachelor of Science.
Nina O'Malley, from Wakefield High, and Adam Roddy, from Washington Lee High, are among 95 junior and senior high school students from across Virginia were selected to participate in this year's Governor's School for Agriculture held at Virginia Tech on July 3–30. The one-month summer residential program for gifted students interested in agriculture and natural resources provided hands-on, cutting-edge, scientific and academic instruction to future leaders and scientists.
Three Arlington residents received their diplomas from Washington College on May 22. Hanh Hong Nguyen received a B.A. in mathematics and computer science, Anneliese O'Brien received a B.A. in philosophy, and Madeleine Perry received a B.A. in English.
Eitra Kennedy, Natasha Panasiuk and Cynthia Short, juniors at the Arlington Career Center, were awarded the gold medal in the television news anchor competition during the 41st annual National Leadership and Skills Conference and SkillsUSA Championships. The competition was held in Kansas City, Mo., on June 22.
The television news anchor competition is a three-member team contest. Eitra Kennedy and Cynthia Short worked as the news anchor team. Natasha Panasiuk worked as the technical director, also operating the teleprompter. The students were evaluated on their broadcast writing ability, knowledge of lighting and cameras, voice quality, diction, timing, pacing and performance techniques.
All of the teams received an identical “hard copy” of 15 various newswire service printouts. They had to determine the “top six” stories of the day and put them in order of importance. Next, working against the clock and other teams from across the country, they had to quickly rewrite the stories, type them into the teleprompter and tape a two-minute, professional news broadcast.
All three students plan to be involved with the TV production program next year.
Johanna Gray was awarded a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy Studies by The University of Chicago. An Arlington resident, Gray is the daughter of Charles Gray and Susan McCluskey and a 2001 graduate of Yorktown High School. During college, she was named to the dean's list, and she graduated with general honors and honors in her concentration. She was an RA for two years and worked in the Housing Office. She also helped with new student orientation and worked as a research assistant to a professor studying welfare reform.
Cyrus Kiefer Kouhestanti was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in economics and political science from Denison University May 15. Kouhestanti was a member of Omicron Delta Epsilon (economics honorary) and Pi Sigma Alpha (political science honorary) and was named to the dean's list. He was also named a departmental fellow in political science and is a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity. Kouhestanti was a 2001 graduate of Yorktown High School and is the son of Amir and Jeanne Kouhestanti of Arlington.
Lauren Cochard of Arlington, a senior art history major at Carleton College, has been selected for membership in the Phi Beta Kappa Society. The Carleton chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa Society was established in 1913 and elects membership from students who rank in the highest 15 percent of their graduating class and meet other prescribed criteria. Cochard is the daughter of Hilary and Frederic Cochard of Arlington.
Danny Foster of Arlington, a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School, was named as delegate to the 2005 American Legion Boys Nation Program. The selection was based on academic record, leadership potential and previous association with the American Legion. The program consists of lectures and events in Washington. Government officials, including the president, participate in the program.
Twenty-two students from Arlington were named to the dean's list at William and Mary for the spring semester. To earn a spot on the dean's list, a student must take at least 12 credit hours and earn a 3.6 grade point average. The students are: Stephen Allan Chanderbhan, Kristin King Corcoran, Alexander Francois Danvers, Caitlin Smith Davis, Kathleen A. Davis, Alexandra Moore Gade, Anne McGivern Gessler, Kathryn Rose Heffner, Amanda Caroline Heyer, Younes Jabbara, Robert Burke Kolick, Daniel Peter Kuehn, Carol Rozear Logan, Lydia Beth Malley, William Brian Marlow, Valerie Jean Martineau, Alexander Francis Massey, Robert Daniel Pratt, Katherine Jeong-Wha Spatz, Sara Kathryn Strehle, Erin Haley Ward and James Frederick Wilson.
Eric D. Schiffer, a student at Washington College who is a resident of Arlington was named to the Dean's List this last Spring.
Samantha Dorsey, a graduate of Washington-Lee High School attending James Madison University to study history, was selected to be a summer intern at George Washington's Mount Vernon. Dorsey is working on the Pioneer Farmer Site, maintaining an 18th century farm and learning about the operations of Mount Vernon. She lives at Mount Vernon, dresses in period clothes and interacts with the public while participating in activities such as harvesting, cooking and tending to livestock.
Chip Fowler, the son of Amanda Fowler of Springfield and Chip Fowler of Arlington, graduated from Randolph-Macon Academy May 28. Fowler was frequently named to the dean's list and president's list for his high academic averages. He was selected as the second squadron executive officer in the Academy's Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps this year. He was also named "Most Improved Runner" in cross country this past fall. Chip plans to attend Virginia Tech in the fall.
Arlington residents Emily J. Duggan, Maegan E. Griles, Jennifer L. Marlay and Lauren M. Zimmerman were named to the dean's list at Boston University for the spring semester.
Keyssi Rivera Navia, Jessica Novillo and Carmen Leon-Pacheco, all from Wakefield High School, recently won HACER scholarships from McDonald’s. In a ceremony on June 16, McDonald’s awarded $2,000 scholarships to a total of 25 local Hispanic-American high school seniors to help them pay for college.