Monday, April 29, 2013
Top news of the week from our Patches around Virginia and DC.
Patch has 31 community sites in Virginia and D.C. Here are some of the top stories from around the region over the past week. 16. Mark Wahlberg Visits: Actor Mark Wahlberg visited T.C. Williams High School on Wednesday morning for an assembly presented by Get Schooled, a nonprofit that aims to engage high school students in an effort to improve graduation rates and empower more students to achieve in college. “I had to work really hard to get where I’m at,” Wahlberg said. “And I don’t mind working really hard to try and maintain it." 15. Runner Pledges 30 Races: Arlington resident Lauren Bailey is halfway through a personal challenge that has been daunting and exhilarating — running 30 races in one year, the year of her 30th birthday. …
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Plus, Iguana models, cell towers in disguise, a Ladybug exodus and two birds ask, "Who cooks for you?"
Editor's Note: Patch has 31 sites in Virginia and D.C., and not a day goes by that something weird isn't happening somewhere in the area. Here's a look back at some weird goings on over the past week. Drivers at the Lake Ridge commuter lot near Interstate 95 saw more than the road crews and heavy machinery that have become standard commute scenery. Prince William County Police arrested a man April 19 when they found him dancing naked on the hood of his car. Without question, you should surrender to authorities when police have identified you as the suspect in a grand-larceny case. But we feel compelled to caution suspects about checking their pockets after a 27-year-old Annandale man turned himself in. Police in Falls Church say they …
Friday, April 26, 2013
Fairfax County's pre-kindergarten program will likely go another year without the funding it needs to shorten a wait list with hundreds of kids.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is ready to adopt the Fiscal Year 2014 Budget package, but some officials are unsettled by the lack of funding for the expansion of the Head Start program, which currently has hundreds of students on the waiting list. Through a mix of county, state and federal funding, Head Start provides free pre-kindergarten classes to students from low-income families, giving them the extra attention they need to be on par with their peers when they enter the Fairfax County Public School system. Roughly 1,500 kids are currently enrolled in the program — but more than 800 others are waiting. The program won’t receive any additional funding in this year’s budget because of worries that more funds will be lost in …
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Several McLean and Tysons area school food service facilities were inspected in April.
In Virginia, health department inspectors check on schools as well as restaurants. In either case, inspection reports aren't quite as simple as getting a letter grade or an easy-to-see number rating to post in the front window. In Fairfax County, inspectors from the Virginia Department of Health grade restaurants based on critical and non-critical violations. A "critical violation" is one that "poses a direct or immediate threat to the safety of the food being served." Non-critical violations are generally related to cleaning or maintenance. "Ideally, an operation would have no critical violations, or none which are not corrected immediately and not repeated. In our experience, it is unrealistic to expect that a complex, full-service …
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
American School Counselor Association calls Longfellow's school counseling program a "model program."
The American School Counselor Association has recognized Longfellow Middle School for having a “model program,” Fairfax County Public Schools announced. The Recognized ASCA Model Program designation is for “successfully demonstrating how their comprehensive school counseling programs benefit all students,” according to FCPS. Criteria for the award includes using data to drive the counseling program and collaborating with parents, students and administrators to get input and evaluate the program’s effectiveness. Learn more about RAMP here.
In ranking of top U.S. high schools, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology remains the top school in Virginia, but slips in national standing.
Fairfax County is home to the top five public high schools in Virginia, according to the U.S. News and World Report’s 2013 Best High Schools rankings. U.S. News generated the rankings through a partnership with American Institutes for Research, looking at students’ performance on standardized tests and how successfully schools educated black, Hispanic and low-income students. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology was once again ranked the top school in Virginia. It was ranked No. 4 of all schools nationally, down from its No. 2 post in 2012. Replacing TJ at No. 2 was BASIS Tucson in Arizona, which jumped from sixth in 2012. Where McLean Schools Rank Langley, James Madison, McLean and W.T. Woodson rounded out the rest of …
Sunday, April 21, 2013
A revised policy would allow gay members but continue to prohibit adult LGBTQ leaders. Should Boy Scouts of America lift its ban for youth? Has the policy affected your family's experience with scouting? Tell us in the comments.
For years, the Boy Scouts of America has struggled with whether to lift its ban on gay scouts and leaders. But it may be an issue the organization will soon put, at least partially, to rest. In response to the flood of feedback the group has recieved since last summer, when it voted to uphold policy banning gay members and LGBTQ leaders, the Boy Scouts of America announced Friday it was proposing an end to the ban for youth scouts. The organization would still ban adults "who are open or avowed homosexuals or who engage in behavior that would become a distraction to the mission of the BSA," according to the draft policy. The issue will come before 1,400 voting BSA members at a June meeting in Texas. The National Capital Area Council, …
Friday, April 19, 2013
The event will benefit the American Cancer Society.
A group of students from Langley High School has organized a Relay for Life fundraising event April 27 and 28 to benefit the American Cancer Society. The event is one of only two Relay for Life events in Northern Virginia planned and organized completely by students. Nearly 300 students, teachers and parents from the Langley High community have signed up for the event, including 27 teams, mostly consisting of students. The event begins at 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 27, when teams will pitch tents on the Langley High football field. One member of each team will walk on the track at all times, symbolizing the fact that cancer never sleeps. Local cancer survivors will walk the first lap around the track, and music, games, contests and …
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Superintendent from Lubbock, Texas will step in as leader of Fairfax County Public Schools on July 1.
Karen Garza was officially appointed Thursday as the next superintendent of Fairfax County Public Schools. Garza, currently the superintendent of the Lubbock Independent School District in Texas, will start July 1. The school board approved Thursday a four-year contract for Garza, through June 30, 2017. Read: New Fairfax Superintendent: 'I Am A Constant Learner' In remarks after the unanimous vote, Garza said her primary focus will be on teaching and learning, "for that is our core work." "To our stakeholders, our employees, our parents and our business and community partners, I pledge to be responsive and accountable to all Fairfax County schools stakeholders," she said. Garza also said she planned to be "very visible," noting the best …
Fairfax County Public Schools new leader says she'll focus on teaching and learning as she succeeds Superintendent Jack Dale, who retires June 30.
In her first public appearance in Fairfax County, incoming superintendent Karen Garza said her focus would be on teaching and learning and responding to students and their needs — a philosophy she intends to continue if she begins work here this summer. At a press briefing late Thursday afternoon, she said she'd seek input from a wide range of stakeholders when approaching difficult situations. "I think every decision you make and every challenge that you face, having various voices included in those solutions ... makes for a much better decision," she said. Garza, currently the superintendent of the Lubbock Independent School District in Texas, was officially appointed the next leader of Fairfax County Public Schools at the school board's…
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