Welcome back, Ms. Charlotte Ross, the crossing guard at the corner of Polk Avenue and Pegram Streets. It's so great to see you, and we are all glad you have fully recovered from your car accident injuries. Although the other crossing guards have done a good job filling in for you, it just feels better to have you at that busy corner.
Local schools are starting off the school year with a little extra money, thanks to Jack Taylor. Mr. Taylor donated $500 to each Alexandria PTA. That's $1,500, folks, for our kids at Hammond, Polk and Patrick Henry Schools. Well done, Mr. Taylor.
If you have school-aged children, there are some important dates coming up. First, our new city manager is sponsoring three town-hall style meetings to explore child-care issues for school-aged kids. The meetings will be held on Jan. 31, Feb. 1 and Feb. 2 at Jeff Houston, Patrick Henry and Mount Vernon Recreation Centers, respectively. All meetings will begin at 6 p.m. RSVP at 703-838-0701 or call with comments.
Also, summer camp plans loom before us. The annual Summer Camp Fair will be held on Feb. 23 at Hammond Middle School at 5:30 p.m. This fair is a clearinghouse of information on summer camp options for Alexandria kids.
Finally, if you have a rising kindergartner, stop by Polk Elementary School on Feb. 24 for an 8:30 a.m. coffee with Michael Brown, Polk's principal.
PARENTS ATTENDING Polk's January PTA meeting were treated to a special presentation by 3rd graders Robbie and Cullen Prall, who used Powerpoint and a laptop computer to demonstrate how learning-disabled kids process information differently. With the help of Susan Kenney, their LD teacher, they ably demonstrated how they and their classmates prepare for SOLs and other tests by using different strategies, like mnemonics and manipulatives to memorize information. Everyone learned a lot from Robbie and Cullen.
Last but not least, remember to shovel your snow from the sidewalk. Do a good deed and help out a neighbor who may have some trouble removing the snow. Lots of folks in our neighborhood use the sidewalks to get to school and to the Metro bus. Walking in the street is not a good alternative, especially for kids walking to school.