<sh>College Board Honors Wakefield
<bt>Wakefield High School has been chosen as one of only three schools in the country to win the prestigious Inspiration Award from the College Board.
The award recognizes schools that have made great strides in improving the academic environment for all students and helped them pursue higher education.
The president of the College Board, Gaston Caperton, will present the award to the school during an assembly on May 3. The other 2006 winners are high schools in Tyler, Texas, and Hobbs, N.M.
Wakefield will also receive $25,000 to expand its AP Network program.
"We’re so proud of the faculty and students," School Board Vice Chair Mary Hynes said during an April 27 board meeting. "This is a real recognition of all the hard work that has been going on there preparing students for success for what happens after high school."
<1b>— Seth Rosen
<sh>Moran Arrested at Darfur Protest
<bt>U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (D-8) was among five congressmen arrested Friday at a peaceful protest outside the Sudanese Embassy in Washington, D.C.
The politicians were picketing the embassy outside to draw attention to the nearly 400,000 people who have been killed in the Darfur region of Sudan by government officials and the Janjaweed militia. An estimated 3.5 million Sudanese people have been displaced from their homes since 2003.
Arrested alongside Moran were U.S. Reps. Tom Lantos (D-Calif.), Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), John Oliver (D-Mass.), Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-Tex.) and six religious and protest leaders.
"The Sudanese government is carrying out a horrible genocide in Darfur," Moran said in a statement. "They are rebuffing attempts to allow U.N. forces into the region that would bolster the African Union soldiers currently struggling unsuccessfully to quell the violence. This demonstration was an effort to bring the atrocities sanctioned by the Sudanese government against their own people to their own embassy's doorstep."
Moran was charged with disorderly conduct and unlawful assembly, both misdemeanor offenses. He was held for two hours by the Metropolitan Police Department.
<1b>— Brian McNeill
<sh>Yorktown Claims State Debate Championship
<bt>On April 22, the Yorktown High School Debate team won the Virginia High School League’s AAA State Championship for the first time in school history.
The debate team is composed of Alison Deich, senior; Daniel Klimow, junior; Daniel Straus, junior; Emily Burke, junior; Andrew Seidman, sophomore; Sam Strongin, sophomore.
The team is coached by history teacher Kevin Briscoe, and Duane and Roberta Hyland.
Daniel Straus and Emily Burke finished first in Classic Policy Debate at the championship in Lynchburg, while Andrew Seidman and Sam Strongin finished second in the same category. Alison Deich won the Lincoln-Douglas Debate. Daniel Kilmow competed in the Student Congress category and advanced to the super session (the top 20 of 60 students).
The School Board will recognize these students during its June 1 meeting.
<sh>Taylor Team to Compete in Odyssey Championships
<bt>Taylor Elementary School’s fifth-grade Odyssey of the Mind team placed second in the state finals and is now headed to the 27th annual World Finals Tournament in Iowa.
The team had previously finished in first place at the Northern Virginia – East Regional Tournament on March 11, and is preparing to travel to Iowa State University for the May 24-27 world championship.
The six team members are Madeleine Humm, Nick Hayes, Ashley Meredith, Marc Nussbaum, Betsy Goodwin, and Jeremy Nussbaum, and they will be accompanied by coach Claire Goodwin.
Odyssey of the Mind is an international competition in which teams work together for months preparing creative solutions to long-term problems. The students then demonstrate that solution in an elaborate presentation.
The team performed "The Great Parade," which required them to build a hand-powered vehicle that would make three trips around a "parade" route, with a different float atop the vehicle for each trip.
The problem also required a "Spectacular Celebration" and at least two team-created technical elements. Both solutions had to be completed within eight minutes. The students were required to create everything, including the vehicle, props, costumes, and the theme without any help from their coach or parents.
Arlington Public Schools were last represented at the World Finals in 2002 when Key Elementary School’s team traveled to Boulder, Colo.
<sh>Neighborhood Day Approaching
<bt>Come out and celebrate Arlington’s 10th annual Neighborhood Day on Saturday, May 13.
This year’s theme is "Many neighbors, one community," and includes community barbecues, park cleanups, yard sales, walks and open houses.
The festivities conclude with the Neighborhood Day Parade at 2 p.m. along Wilson Boulevard. The Animal Welfare League is hosting a Walk for the Animals at Bluemont Park at 9:30 a.m.
To see how your community is celebrating Neighborhood Day, visit www.co.arlington.va.us/nd2006.