School news: Student winners, Momo, and more

Zero the Hero visits kindergarten students at Bren Mar Park Elementary to help them learn to count by 10s. [FCPS]

Online safety – The Annandale High School PTSA invites the community to a PTA Connected with Facebook Digital Families Community Event on Friday, March 22. The event starts with a pasta dinner in the AHS cafeteria 6 p.m. and follows with the movie “Screenagers,” an interactive presentation, breakout conversations with parents and students, and ends with a brief wrap-up and raffle prize drawing at 8:30 p.m.

The goal of the event is to promote safer and more responsible use of online technology and mobile phones. The movie and discussions are aimed at young adults, middle schoolers, and their parents. You don’t need to be connective with Annandale High School to attend. The event is free, but participants are asked to RSVP for planning purposes. Register here.

GeoBee winners – Twenty-three FCPS students have been named semifinalists in the 2019 National Geographic GeoBee Virginia State Competition to be held at Longwood University on March 29. Among them are Aidan Wright of Canterbury Woods Elementary School, Samik Bhinge of Frost Middle School, and Caroline Clinton of Jackson Middle School.

The Falls Church High School Buddy Club is working to spread awareness about how to describe friends with intellectual disabilities and asked classmates sign a poster to stop using the “r” word.

Momo warning – Fairfax County Public Schools are warning students and parents about the Momo Challenge, a social media “game” that encourages elementary school-age children to engage in a series of increasingly dangerous tasks, including acts of self-harm.

Although the Momo Challenge is a viral hoax, it’s drawn worldwide attention, leading school officials to urge parents to talk to children about internet safety and monitor their online activity. Visit this page on the FCPS website for resources on internet safety.

AHS student award – Annandale High School seniors who have volunteered in the community are invited to apply for a Making a Difference Award from the Annandale Christian Community for Action (ACCA). A monetary award will be presented to a graduating senior during the school’s annual awards day.

Nomination forms can be picked up from Mrs. Brown in the Student Services Office and must be returned by April 1. Nominations cannot be made by relatives. Nominees will be asked to submit an essay about why they think volunteering is important, what they did, and the impact their efforts had on the community.

Students at Pinecrest School.

Pinecrest re-accredited – Pinecrest School, a preK-6 private school in Annandale, has been re-accredited by AdvanceED, the umbrella organization for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, through June 2024.

“Most noteworthy is Pinecrest’s score on AdvancED’s Index of Education Quality, which is a holistic measure of overall performance based on a comprehensive set of standards and review criteria,” says Head of School Nicole McDermott. “I am proud to report that AdvancED awarded Pinecrest a score that is significantly higher than the national average.”

Pinecrest School provides children with a progressive educational curriculum that emphasizes critical thinking skills, hands-on projects in small classes, and a positive atmosphere that promotes social and emotional growth. The school opened a new building in December 2017.

Academic stars – The Woodson High School Academic Bowl Team finished second in the South Regional Competition. The competition, at the Mississippi School for the Deaf, featured 20 teams of deaf and hard-of-hearing students. The Woodson students, Greyson Horn, Irene Paek, Rosie Millett, and Talia Guglielmino, will compete in the National Academic Bowl Competition in April at Galludet University in D.C.

The winning Woodson Academic Bowl Team with their sponsors. [FCPS]

Scholastic Writing Awards – Students from four Fairfax County middle schools and 13 high schools were named winners in the 2019 Regional Scholastic Writing Awards competition.

Winners from schools in the Annandale/Mason District area included:
Christina Lu, Jackson Middle School – Silver Key, personal essay-memoir, and honorable mention, critical essay.
Anna Tan, Justice High School – Silver Key and honorable mention in the poetry category.
Brooke Carmody, Justice High School – honorable mention in the personal essay-memoir category.
Raheel Levine, Falls Church High School – honorable mention, personal essay-memoir category.

Fitness for kids – Camelot Elementary School students in grades 3-6 are invited to join the Camelot Fit Club and take part in training sessions on Tuesdays and Fridays before school and Mondays after school through the end of April. The club is aimed at getting kids excited about physical activity by introducing them to basic running, jumping, and throwing skills and having them train for a 5K.

Congratulation, Colts! – The girls varsity basketball team at the private Congressional School ended the season undefeated. The Colts won the Capital Athletic Conference title trophy March 6 after beating Westminster School in a playoff game.