The 24th annual Chantilly Pyramid Minority Student Achievement Committee (CPMSAC) awards ceremonies are slated for the first weekend in June. Achievement awards will be presented to middle- and high-school students on Saturday, June 6, at 5 p.m., at Chantilly High. Elementary-school students will receive their awards on Sunday, June 7, at 4 p.m., at London Towne Elementary.
These students recently earned Dean’s List status for the spring semester at Coastal Carolina University. To qualify for the Dean's List, freshmen must earn a 3.25 grade point average and upperclassmen must earn a 3.5 grade point average; all students must be enrolled full time to earn status on either list.
Tammy R. Banton of Centreville
Jenna M. Showalter of Centreville
Sarah E. Burnheimer of Ashburn
Bryan J. Nelsen of Chantilly
St. Timothy School in Chantilly has an innovative new program for the 2009-10 school year. The current Junior High will be transformed, incorporating the sixth-grade into the new Middle School. The new Middle School Model will provide all of the sixth- to eighth-grade students a greater opportunity for a challenging environment at their academic level. Students will have different specialized teachers for each of their core classes and will have an opportunity to select electives from a wider range of choices, while still continuing with their Spanish, Religion and P.E. classes. Students will be guided through the Middle School by an advisor, heading a small Advisory Group made up of students in each grade level. Openings in the new Middle School are still available. Contact the school registrar, Kim Kovac, at kkovac@sainttimothyschool.org.
A team of four students from Rocky Run Middle School has earned an Application of Science, Math, and Technology Criteria Award in the 2008-09 national eCYBERMISSION competition. Rocky Run Middle School, a Fairfax County public school, was the only school in Virginia to receive an eCYBERMISSION award this year.
The Detours team, which includes students Arjun Balaji, Rahul Ramraj, Tabitha Timm, and Jayanth Devanathan, received the award for examining the problem of damage caused to cars and injuries caused to passengers in collisions with deer. The team created different types of bumpers and affixed them to model cars for crash tests. They concluded that a claw-shaped bumper, which would move deer out of the way during a collision, would cause the least amount of damage and injury.
Each team member receives a $2,000 U.S. Savings Bond and certificate of recognition from the U.S. Army, sponsor of the eCYBERMISSION competition. Rocky Run teacher Joy Pryde-Haskins served as team advisor.
During the Memorial Day weekend, from May 23-24, students Kenny Lau and Jasjot Jaggi, members of the Chantilly Speech and Debate Team, competed in the Catholic Forensic League’s Grand National Tournament. The Catholic Forensic League is an established organization for students across the nation who are interested in a variety of events in which individuals either debate current events, or perform prepared speeches for judges. Fighting through one of the most vigorous qualifying tournaments in the nation, Lau and Jaggi were two out of the small handful of competitors chosen to represent the state of Virginia at the National Tournament. As established competitors in Virginia, Lau and Jaggi proved their valor this Memorial Day weekend by surviving the grueling preliminary rounds which consisted of over 200 competitors across the nation in their respected events in which both competitors performed memorized speeches for a panel of judges. Of all the competitors from Virginia, Lau and Jaggi were two of only three students who managed to break into the elimination rounds. During these final rounds, Lau managed to break into octo-finals while his comrade, Jaggi, advanced all the way to the semi-final round, the farthest anyone from this region has advanced. For more information on the success of these students, contact Chantilly Speech and Debate coach Brian Cannon at 412-849-0897.
<lst>The following area students were among 1,125 students graduating from the University of Mary Washington during its 98th commencement ceremony on Saturday, May
9, in Ball Circle on the university's Fredericksburg campus.
* Margaret Alexandra Bauman, a resident of Centreville, graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. degree, religion.
* Elizabeth Marie Bodi, a resident of Oak Hill, graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. degree, English.
* Thomas Francis Fay Jr., a resident of Oak Hill, graduated with a B.A. degree, religion.
* Daniel Lee Fong, a resident of Centreville, graduated with a B.A. degree, music.
* Jennifer Hogue, a resident of Centreville, graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. degree, English.
* Ahran Lee, a resident of Centreville, graduated with a B.A.
degree, political science.
* Kayla Elizabeth Mariani, a resident of Oak Hill graduated with a B.A. degree, English.
* Katharine F. Mason, a resident of Chantilly, graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. degree, international affairs.
* Paula Ndeke Olson, a resident of Chantilly, graduated cum laude with a B.A. degree, international affairs.
* Lauren Rae Orsini, a resident of Oak Hill, graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. degree, English.
* Samantha L. Packard, a resident of Oak Hill, graduated cum laude with a B.A. degree, theatre.
* Nicholas James Schierer, a resident of Oak Hill, graduated with a B.A. degree, history.
* Kaitlyn Louise Clarkin, a resident of Centreville, graduated with a B.S. degree, business administration.
* Carolyn Mary Duffy, a resident of Chantilly, graduated with a B.S. degree, psychology.
* Sarah M. Isaac, a resident of Chantilly, graduated with a B.S. degree, psychology.
* Jessica Nicole Miller, a resident of Centreville, graduated with a B.S. degree, psychology.
* Christine Sung-Eun Park, a resident of Centreville, graduated cum laude with a B.S. degree, psychology.
* Nicole Elizabeth Pethtel, a resident of Centreville, graduated cum laude with a B.S. degree, psychology.
* David Daniel Rodriguez, a resident of Oak Hill, graduated with a B.S. degree, computer science.
* Kevin Storus, a resident of Centreville, graduated with a B.S. degree, business administration.
* Jessica Kiana Turner, a resident of Centreville, graduated with a B.S. degree, business administration.
* Amelia Rhen Van Vlack, a resident of Oak Hill, graduated magna cum laude with a B.S. degree, psychology.
* Kirsten Shugrue, a resident of Chantilly, graduated with a M.S. degree, elementary education.
Gina Kirkland of Clifton was recently inducted into the Virginia Tech chapter of Psi Chi National Honor Society. Psi Chi Honor Society recognizes academic achievement among psychology students. This society encourages, stimulates, and maintains excellence in the scholarship of individual members in all fields, particularly in psychology, and to advance the science of psychology.