Tag: education
Small band, big sound: Justice HS Wind Ensemble delights audiences
The Justice High School Wind Ensemble. [Andrea Fus] By Tara Rethore, JHS band parent The Justice High School (JHS) Wind Ensemble is taking its show on the road. They are just one of two high school concert bands in the commonwealth invited to play at the Virginia Music Educators Association (VMEA) conference this weekend in … Continued
Annandale Toastmasters Club builds speaking skills – and cleans up the community
Members of the Annandale Toastmasters’ cleanup crew. If Little River Turnpike looks a little cleaner, it’s thanks to the Annandale Toastmasters Club. Since the group adopted a section of the roadway in Lincolnia in 2019, members have collected many bags of litter during cleanup events, most recently on Nov. 7.
School news roundup: escape room, vaccine clinics, and more
Students solve a problem in Jackson Middle School’s Escape Room. [FCPS] The following news items about schools in the Annandale/Mason District area are from Fairfax County Public Schools and individual schools. COVID vaccine clinics – Beginning Tuesday, Nov. 16, the Fairfax Health District and Fairfax County Public Schools will offer the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for children … Continued
Community center coming to Annandale
Plans are moving forward for the establishment of a community resource center in the Heritage Shopping Center in Annandale. Construction is expected to start in early 2022, said Supervisor James Walkinshaw (Braddock). Fairfax County signed a lease with the Webb Cos. for a 1,200-square-foot long-vacant space formerly occupied by CrossFit Annandale.
New historic marker commemorates James Lee Elementary School
Descendants of James Lee pull the cord to unveil a historic marker commemorating James Lee Elementary School. Alma Amaker, who attended James Lee Elementary School when it opened in 1948 in Falls Church, remembers it as the “very best concept of a neighborhood school.” Amaker spoke at the unveiling of a historic marker Oct. 2 … Continued
Virtual learning to be available for quarantined students
Students at Columbia Elementary School in Annandale eat lunch outside. Tents have been set up at many schools for instruction and meals in an effort to limit physical contact indoors. [FCPS] Fairfax County Public Schools plans to provide virtual learning to students who are paused, quarantined, or isolated due to COVID-19. The new system, called … Continued
School news roundup: excellence, fitness, and quarantine
Parklawn Elementary School [Parklawn PTA] The following news items about schools in the Annandale/Mason District area are from Fairfax County Public Schools and school emails to the community. Excellence at Parklawn – The National PTA has recognized Parklawn Elementary School and its PTA as a National School of Excellence.
Afghan refugees face big challenges; volunteers help them adjust to life in the U.S.
Volunteers help children with art projects at the Homework Club. Newly arrived refugees from Afghanistan often have to build a new life starting from scratch. “We left everything behind,” says N, who fled Kabul with his family last month as the Taliban took over the country. [We’re using initials rather than names to protect refugees’ … Continued
School board approves employee bonuses
The Fairfax County School Board on Aug. 26 approved one-time $1,000 bonuses to all full-time and hourly contracted employees, including bus drivers and food service workers. Temporary hourly employees will get $500 bonuses.
Westminster School’s new head of school is a former student, long-time administrator, and sister of the previous head
Nancy Schuler, the new head of Westminster School, with her brother Ellis Glover, the former head of school. For only the third time in its 59-year history, Westminster School has a new leader. Nancy Schuler, the former director of admissions, started a new position as head of school on Aug. 1. She succeeds Ellis Glover … Continued
Former Columbia ES student returns as principal
When Michael Astudillo started his new job as principal of Columbia Elementary School in Annandale earlier this summer, he had a sense of déjà vu, reports News4 Washington, the local NBC affiliate. That’s because Astudillo was a student at Columbia. On a tour of the school with News4’s Northern Virginia Bureau Chief Julie Carey, he … Continued
New Virginia laws legalize marijuana, abolish death penalty, protect absentee voting
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam signs legislation allowing localities to establish green banks. Third from left: bill sponsor Del. Kaye Kory (Annandale). A long list of laws passed by the Virginia General Assembly and signed by Gov. Ralph Northam are now in effect. The following laws took effect July 1 unless otherwise noted: Marijuana Legal possession … Continued
School news roundup
Students in the Environmental Club at Woodson High School (above) raise vegetables for local food pantries. Belvedere Elementary School has a similar program. These school news items and photos are from Fairfax County Public Schools. Back to school – The vast majority of students plan to return to in-person learning for the 2021-22 school year, … Continued
Cicada lessons at Belvedere featured on TV news
Belvedere students examine a cicada. [Photos: FCPS] By the time the cicadas from Brood X started emerging earlier this month, students at Belvedere Elementary School in Annandale were ready and eager to study them up close. Two environmental educators, a librarian, and a resource teacher have been educating students about the 17-year cicadas for weeks, … Continued
Sleepy Hollow Arts hosts open house: learn about art classes and camps this summer
The community is invited to an Open House at Sleepy Hollow Arts Studio Saturday, May 15, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., to learn about art classes and see students’ artworks. The studio is at 3914 Moss Drive, Annandale. It’s in the Sleepy Hollow Woods neighborhood, which is having a communitywide yard sale the same day, 8 a.m.-2 … Continued