Tag: education
Schedule set for Hidden Oaks camps
Registration is now open for summer camps at Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Annandale. The camp schedule wasn’t included in the printed version of the spring Parktakes due to the expansion and renovation underway at the nature center. Hidden Oaks camps will be conducted outdoors, except during bad weather. Maximum attendance has been reduced to … Continued
FCPS reinstates books challenged by parents
Two books that had been subject to a formal challenge have been reinstated in Fairfax County Public School libraries. The books – Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe and Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison – had been temporarily removed following a complaint in September. Parents had charged the books were inappropriate in schools because of claims … Continued
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.
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 hisfamily last month as the Taliban took over the country. [We’re using initials rather than names to protect refugees’ identities.] N and his family were among several refugees at the … 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 has a long history at the 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 who retired after a 45-year career at Westminster, including 29 years as head of school.
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