Send announcements to the Alexandria Gazette Packet, by e-mail to gazette@connectionnewspapers.com. Deadline is Thursday at noon for the following week’s paper. Photos are encouraged. Call Rebecca Halik at 703-917-6407 with questions.
The Howard Gardner School, a progressive high school for grades 9-12, is hosting an open house on July 28 from 6-7:30 p.m. The Howard Gardner School, located at 4913 Franconia Road. RSVP 703-822-9300.
T.C. Williams High School class of 1973 will have their 35th reunion from July 25-27 at Hilton Mark Center, 5000 Seminary Road. Call Vicki Warren at 770-396-7783 or Jodi Finn at 703-627-3769 for information.
Alexandria Archaeology will be hosting an archaeology camp for kids this summer, and registrations are being accepted now. Campers will learn professional excavating, recording, and artifact-processing methods as they help uncover Alexandria's buried past while protecting historical resources. The camp is open to children ages 12 through 15. There are two one-week sessions, which run from Monday, July 21 through Friday, July 25, and from Monday, July 28 through Friday, Aug. 1. The camp day starts at 9 a.m. and ends at 3:30 p.m., and campers supply their own drinks, snacks and lunch. Camp costs $350 per session and some scholarships are available. Space is limited to just 15 campers per session and a non-refundable deposit of $100 is required to hold a slot. Each camper will receive a commemorative T-shirt. For more information or to register for camp, visit www.AlexandriaArchaeology.org or call 703-838-4399.
T.C. Williams High School senior Zachary C. Whitacre is the recipient of a 2008 National Merit college-sponsored Scholarship. Whitacre, who plans to study business at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., is one of 25 Virginia students who received college-sponsored scholarships, announced on May 28 by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Colleges and universities financed more than 2,800 National Merit Scholarships nationwide.
Rives Wiley from St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes School has been selected and chosen to attend this summer’s Governor’s School for Visual & Performing Arts at the University of Richmond.
The following local residents have graduated from Boston College:
* Galen Griffin of Alexandria has graduated with a bachelor of arts degree from the university's College of Arts and Sciences, majoring in communication.
* Eric Gehrke of Alexandria has graduated with a bachelor of arts degree from the university's College of Arts and Sciences, majoring in English and studio art.
* Joseph Conran of Alexandria has graduated with a bachelor of arts degree from the university's College of Arts and Sciences, majoring in political science and communication.
Several T.C. Williams High School students will participate in prestigious academic and leadership programs this summer. Students selected to participate in the 2008 Summer Residential Governor's School for Academics, Arts and Mentoring Programs include Alexander Amaniel, Humanities; Abe-Melek Bekele, Mathematics, Science and Technology; John Fitzsimmons, Humanities; Alexander Hampl, Mathematics, Science and Technology; Ariana Meltzer-Bruhn, Humanities; Yi Ping Roberts, Humanities; and Eliza VanZoeren, Visual and Performing Arts. The month-long programs for gifted students take place at colleges throughout the state.
Matthew Argao, Tiroune Oates, Ethan Livin, Seth Livin, Ryan Haskins, Kevin Lu and Carl Gunter will represent the school at Virginia American Legion Boys State, a comprehensive one-week "leadership action program" designed to educate students about how government works. Representing T.C. Williams at Virginia Girls State are Marie Brown and Shinada Phillips.
Sasha Denisin, a graduating senior, was selected to represent Virginia at the 2008 National Youth Science Camp. This month-long, all expenses paid residential science education program will be held in West Virginia for "the two most promising high school science students from each state." Participants will attend lectures, interact with scientists, pursue their own areas of interest and research in the sciences and explore other disciplines such as music and art. Potential candidates were required to be graduating seniors intending to pursue science, mathematics, engineering or medicine. They also had to demonstrate superior academic and leadership ability and show skills outside of the science and academic fields.
Five Early Childhood Education II (ECE II) students at T.C. Williams High School who took the recent National Occupational Competency Testing Institute (NOCTI) test scored from 86.8 to 75.3, all higher than the national average score of 73.9. The participating students include Nicole Brown, Makia Burns, Shiquana Barr, Kiara Horton and Tahkina Sellers.
Alexandria City Public Schools Department of Food and Nutrition Services will sponsor the USDA Summer Food Service Program at all of summer school sites. Free breakfasts will be provided to all enrolled elementary summer school students weekdays from June 30-July 25. Free breakfast and lunch will be provided to all enrolled secondary and high school summer school students on weekdays June 30-Aug. 1. Free breakfast and lunch will be provided to all enrolled Kindergarten Prep students weekdays Aug. 4-15. For more information, contact ACPS Food and Nutrition Services at 703-824-6640.
Kevin Starr, the son of Tom Bradley and Judith Starr of Alexandria, graduated from Randolph-Macon Academy on May 31, 2008. While at R-MA, Kevin was active in the band and handbell choir, the National Honor Society, and the National English Honor Society. Cadet Second Lieutenant Starr was also a leader in cadre, the Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFJROTC) leadership group at the Academy, serving as the band equipment officer. At the end of the school year, he received the Band Performance Certificate. Kevin plans to attend College of William and Mary in the fall. He had received a total of $76,000 in scholarship offers.
Christina Powell of Alexandria was named to the dean's list at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Ga., for spring quarter 2008.
Robert Benson of Alexandria received academic honors at Lynn University by making the dean's list in the spring 2008 academic term. Benson, a freshman majoring in hospitality management, earned a GPA of 3.5 or better.
The following students just graduated and received a degree from Boston University:
Drew M. Brenenborg, Master of Science in Business Administration and Management
Cindy L Otis, Master of Arts in International Relations
Anna H. Lin, Master of Business Administration and Management
Margaret M. Harley, Bachelor of Science in Communication
Alexandra Chatilovicz of Alexandria made dean's list for the spring 2008 semester at Mitchell College.
Sara Frances Fry of Alexandria, a sophomore at Gettysburg College, has been placed the dean's commendation list for outstanding academic achievement in the spring 2008.
Suzanne Michelle Marlatt of Alexandria has graduated from Columbia College, Chicago with a bachelor's degree in marketing communication.
Bijan Otero of Alexandria graduated from the Junior Law Cadet Program.
Eleven Alexandria residents graduated from Radford University at the end of the spring semester. Earning bachelor of science degrees were Benjamin Doren Weston, geology; Curtis Dayton Barrows, media studies; Anna Kathryn Morgan, media studies; Ashley Cristen White, social work; and Elizabeth Carter Newstadt, recreation, parks, and tourism. Earning bachelor of business degrees were Kristian Bristol Lawson, finance; Brett Noble Riley, management; Abel Mengistu Gizaw, economics; and Cathleen Megan Searles, marketing. Earning a bachelor of arts degree was Manual Jesus Gomez, psychology. Earning a master of science degree was Lauren Elizabeth Mitchell, special education.
For the second straight year, Lyles-Crouch Traditional Academy has received the Governor's Gold Award for Best Practices in Nutrition and Physical Activity. The school is one of seven gold award-winning Virginia schools, and the only school to receive recognition for four consecutive years. Only three schools received the gold award this year. Lyles-Crouch previously received bronze and silver awards.
Owen McAleer was named to the honor’s list at Phillips Exeter Academy. He is a senior and Alexandria resident.
Nicole Pool graduated this May with a Master of Arts in Christian Counseling and Discipleship from Capital Bible Seminary in Lanham, Md. She plans to continue in her current ministry as a part-time Youth Associate at Downtown Baptist Church in Alexandria.