for the week of March 25-31, 2010
Free Leaf Mulch Now Available at the Recycling Center Don’t miss out on high quality leaf mulch available at the Falls Church Recycling Center free of charge! The Recycling Center is located at 217 Gordon Road and is open daily from 7 a.m. to dusk. Bring your own container and tools for loading mulch, or you may hire someone to load and/or haul it for you. Contractors must hand-load mulch and may not bring heavy equipment into the Recycling Center (no loaders or dump trucks, please). For more information about hiring a contractor, go to www.fallschurchva.gov. The Department of Environmental Services Operations Division will continually refill the mulch pile as time permits,
RAD Registration Ends March 27 The Police Department is offering a free Rape Aggression Defense (R.A.D.) program of realistic self-defense tactics and techniques for women, 12 years of age and older. The course is offered in four, threehour sessions. Classes will be held at St. James School (830 W. Broad St.) on April 5, 7, 12, and 14, from 6-9 p.m. Participants are required to attend all four sessions. The R.A.D. System is a comprehensive, women-only course that addresses awareness, prevention, risk reduction, risk avoidance, and the basics of hands-on self-defense training. R.A.D. is not a martial arts program. Nationally certified R.A.D. instructors from the City Police Department teach the course. The registration deadline is March 27. For more information and to register, e-mail ksdempsey@verizon.net or call 703-248-5061.
city
Repairing Homes, Rebuilding Lives: Home Repair for the Community Rebuilding Together is the leading non-profit home repair provider for the Falls Church community. On the weekend of April 24-25, volunteers will repair the homes for free of more than 50 lowincome homeowners throughout Arlington, Fairfax and the City of Falls Church To qualify for the program, you must own and live in the home to be repaired and met income level requirements. Priority is given to seniors, persons with disabilities and families with children. To apply call RPJ Housing, the non-profit that runs the home repair program, at 703-528-5606 ext. 16. A recipient of the City’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), RPJ Housing provides free home repair services to low- and moderate-income homeowners in Northern Virginia throughout the year. Volunteers conduct home repairs to increase the homeowner’s ease of use, safety, security, and independence. Emphasis is placed on accessibility and safety modifications to accommodate lowincome homeowners who are elderly and/or disabled.
but there is plenty of mulch to go around! You do not need to be a City of Falls Church resident to pick up free mulch. The leaf mulch program accomplishes two important goals: • It saves tax dollars. Every fall, Operations Division crews vacuum approximately 5,000 cubic yards of leaves from the curb. It is far less expensive to recycle the leaves into mulch and offer it back to residents than it is to haul the leaves away and pay to dispose of them. • It brings life back to your soil and lawn. Adding leaf mulch to your soil will naturally turn clay-rich soil into nutrient-rich soil that is healthier for trees and plants - with zero waste in the process. Spread a thin layer of mulch on the lawn to provide nutrients through the spring. For more information, visit www.fallschurchva.gov or call 703-248-5176 (TTY 711).
Turn Off the Lights for Earth Hour 2010 This Saturday, join millions across the globe and turn off your lights for one hour, Earth Hour, at 8:30 p.m. City Council proclaimed 8:30 - 9:30 p.m. on March 27 as Earth Hour to make a stand against climate change. Residents and businesses are encouraged to turn off all non-essential lighting and commit to actions reduce their carbon footprints and conserve energy. Get more information and pledge your support at www.earthhour.org.
Celtic Music Concert At Cherry Hill Farmhouse Saturday, March 27 Enjoy a lively evening of Irish music at Cherry Hill Farmhouse, 312 Park Ave., on Saturday, March 27 at 8 p.m. Musicians from the band Poirt o’Call will perform on banjo, mandolin, fiddle, flute, concertina, and guitar in the intimate atmosphere of the Farmhouse parlor. Tickets are available in advance at the Community Center, 223 Little Falls St., for $12; and at the door for $14. For more information, call 703-248-5171 (TTY 711).
Spring Break Fun at Cherry Hill Farmhouse History comes alive this spring break at Cherry Hill Farmhouse, 312 Park Ave. Call 703-248-5171 (TTY 711) for more information or to register. 19th Century Dress Up Tea Party Monday, March 29, noon–1:30 p.m., ages 8 and older, $12 Children will learn about 19th century life as they dress in period clothing, play parlor games and enjoy a tea party. Civil War Soldiers and Spies Wednesday, March 31, 10 a.m.–noon, ages 8 and older, $8 Learn about a soldier’s life, make hard tack and try to decode messages. Old-fashioned Cooking For Kids Friday, April 2, 10:30 a.m.–noon, ages 8 and older, $8 Kids will grind corn, make bread and churn their own butter.
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Questions or Comments?
City of Falls Church, Harry E. Wells Building 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, VA 22046 703-248-5003 (TTY 711) The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. This document will be made available in alternate format upon request. Call 703-248-5003 (TTY 711).
Superintendent Recognizes Support Staff Award Nominees
Robert Jones, Technology Paraprofessional, George Mason High School “Whenever I am having a rough day, he gives me the tools to build a bridge and get over any situation.” – Evin Davis, GMHS Student
Martha “Mim” McFarland, Library Assistant, Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School “She understands the importance of instilling in children a love of reading and she does this by pairing students with challenging books that she knows will motivate them!” -Karen Post, MEHMS Teacher LaBryan “Coach T” Thomas, Maintenance Technician, Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School “The very definition of support is to bear the weight…. From hanging a plaque and changing banners to taking a popcorn delivery ‘later today’, to fixing something broken, to opening a building on a weekend…we all find ourselves calling on Coach T to bear the weight for us.” – Tom Horn, GMHS Athletic Director This year’s nominations were screened by a five-person review committee. The 2010 award recipient will be announced next month and he or she will receive a cash award. The winner and nominees will be recognized by the school board at a reception in the spring.
FCC-TV Spotlight: Mount Daniel First Grade Spring Show Tune in to Falls Church City Television (FCC-TV) to see the Mount Daniel First Grade Spring Show. This program features students from the first grade at Mount Daniel Elementary performing Nuts! – A musical that celebrates the circle of life. You can catch the MD Spring Show on FCC-TV at the following times: • Monday, March 29th at Noon • Tuesday, March 30th at Noon • Wednesday, March 31st at Noon • Thursday, April 1st at Noon • Friday, April 2nd at Noon You can now see FCC-TV programming live at www.fcctv.net anywhere in the world! FCC-TV also airs in the greater Falls Church area on Cox Channel 12, Verizon Channel 35 and RCN Channel 2.
BIE Partner of the Week Phil Duncan
Civicatalyst Communications School involvement: Serves on the BIE Advisory Committee; volunteered at Mary Ellen Henderson Career Fair; worked with government teachers on civics lessons; runs the GMHS Atheltic Boosters Mulch Sale. Why Phil is a BIE partner: “It’s all about the mulch! It’s gratifying to be able to share my professional skills with teachers, students and school-affiliated organizations. There’s one more day to order mulch, so if you are a procrastinator, get that order in to me by Friday, March 26th. pduncan@civicatalyst.com.” For more information about sharing your expertise through the BIE Partnership, visit www.fccps.org or contact Marybeth Connelly at connellym@fccps.org.
Foundation Footnotes Online auction now open The Foundation’s annual online auction opened this week and continues through April 21st. Be sure to visit the auction site at www.auctionforourschools.com to check out the exciting auction items that are available which include vacation packages, entertainment, dining and professional services. The online auction precedes the Foundation’s Annual Celebration event on Friday, April 23rd. Bidders need not be present at the event to win. Instead, to keep an eye on the progress of bidding and to place last minute bids, you can use the absentee bidder function of the website to vie for the fabulous auction packages. The Foundation is registered as a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. For information about the Falls Church Education Foundation, visit www.fcedf.org or contact Donna Englander at denglander@fcedf.org. School content published in The Schools Focus is written and edited by the Falls Church City Public Schools. For more information, visit www.fccps.org - the official site for Falls Church City Public Schools news.
Summer Enrichment Registration Ends Friday The Falls Church City Public Schools’ 2010 Summer Enrichment Camp offers FCCPS students in grades 1-7 the opportunity to pursue individual interests during a 9-day enrichment academy. All instructional activities are developed and delivered by FCCPS educators. The Summer Enrichment Camp runs Tuesday, June 22 – Friday, July 2, 2010. All classes will be held at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. each day. Class sizes are limited and will be filled on a firstregistered, first-filled basis with priority given to families who register in person at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School (601 South Oak Street ATTN: Steve Knight). Registration ends Friday, March 26th. For an application and more information visit: www.fccps.org/sec or contact Steve Knight at knights@fccps.org.
Calendar for March 25-April 2, 2010
Schools
It started as a typical day at school, but it led to a big surprise for four Falls Church City public school employees who are nominees for this year’s Support Staff Employee of the Year award. Superintendent Lois Berlin and other school division leaders surprised each nominee with a balloon bouquet and a copy of their nomination letters. The FCCPS Support Staff of the Year Award was established in 2005 to recognize exemplary service to schools. This year’s nominees are: LV Bendolph, Custodian, George Mason High School “In the 41 years I have worked in public schools, I have never known a member of the custodial staff who is more proud of his work or more eager to find ways he can be helpful than LV.” – Kenneth Siekman, GMHS Assistant Principal
Testing 3/18 – 4/9 WIDA Access for ELLs (All Schools) 3/25 3:15 p.m. National Spanish Exam (GM) 3/26 3:15 p.m. National Spanish Exam Make-Up (GM) March 25 5:30 p.m. Wakefield @ Mason (Softball) 7:30 p.m. 1st grade Musical (GM) 7:30 p.m. Joint School Board/City Council Budget Work Session (City Hall) 7:30 p.m. Family Life Education Advisory Committee (MEH) 7:30 p.m. Loudoun Valley @ Mason (G Soccer) 26
3:00 p.m. Mason @ Marshall vs. Chantilly (Baseball)
29-4/1 29 30
Spring Break (Schools Closed/Day Care Open)
3:00 p.m. Mason @ Marshall (Baseball) 11:00 a.m. Lee @ Mason (Softball) 12:00 p.m. Mason @ Woodson (Baseball) 2:00 p.m. Lee @ Mason (Softball)
31 12:00 p.m. Mason @ Marshall vs. Falls Church (Baseball) April 2 Easter Holiday (Schools Closed / Day Care Closed) For more calendar information, visit www.fccps.org/calendar. (MD) Mt. Daniel School (TJ) Thomas Jefferson Elementary (MEH) Mary Ellen Henderson Middle (GM) George Mason High (CO) Central Office