for the week of April 15-21, 2010
Celebrate Arbor Day in Frady Park Saturday, April 17 Arbor Day goes back to its roots this year with a celebration at Frady Park, located at East Broad and Fairfax streets. Frady Park is the site of the first Arbor Day celebration in the City of Falls Church and the Commonwealth of Virginia. This 118th Arbor Day celebration will be held Saturday, April 17 at 3 p.m. The public is invited to this free event, which will feature a reenactment by the Falls Church Victorian Society and a musical performance by a barbershop quartet. Festivities will also include a presentation of Falls Church’s 32nd consecutive Tree City, U.S.A. Award by the National Arbor Day Foundation. The City of Falls Church was the first community in Virginia to be recognized as a Tree City and has the longest state record for this annual award.
FY11 Budget Update
Costumed reenactors perform at the Arbor Day Celebration.
Recycling Extravaganza Set for April 24
The City Council will adopt the fiscal year 2011 budget at its regular meeting on Monday, April 26 at 7:30 p.m. FY11 runs July 1, 2010-June 30, 2011. In these final weeks, Council will consider several budget options, including real estate tax rate increases of 15 and 20 cents. The proposed budget tiers and service impacts are posted online at www.fallschurchva.gov. Copies of the proposed budget and Capital Improvements Program are available on the City Web site and at the Mary Riley Styles Public Library, 120 N. Virginia Ave. E-mail Budget Comments Send general government budget suggestions to budget@fallschurchva.gov. Correspondence submitted to this e-mail will be reviewed by the City and considered for the FY11 Budget. Comments are posted anonymously on the City Web site.
Spring Cleanup this Saturday Don’t forget to include the City of Falls Church in your spring cleaning plans. The Department of Environmental Services and the Environmental Services Council invite you to join in the fun of working together to help keep the City a beautiful community! Saturday, April 17 10:30 a.m. – noon Rain or shine! Meet at the front of the Community Center (223 Little Falls St.) Free picnic lunch to follow! Call 703-248-5176 (TTY 711) to register.
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Parking is available on North Fairfax Street or in the Child Development Center parking lot off North Cherry Street. This event is sponsored by the City of Falls Church, the Falls Church Preservation and Improvement Society, and the Falls Church Victorian Society. For more information regarding Arbor Day activities, please call the City Arborist at 703-248-5183 (TTY 711).
Get real-time updates and instructions on what to do and where to go during an emergency, by registering for Falls Church Alert. You will receive alerts from the City via portable electronic devices and e-mail, only in the event of an emergency. Sign up for this free service at alert.fallschurchva.gov. You can also visit alert.fallschurchva.gov to update your profile, and add or delete devices from the emergency distribution list.
Bring unwanted items to Semi-Annual Recycling Extravaganza on Saturday, April 24, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. This is an opportunity for the community to bring electronics (including computers, printers, scanners, TVs and more), cell phones, clothing and textiles, bicycles, printer cartridges, eyeglasses, hearing aids, and medical supplies for recycling, reuse, or donation. Residents can also bring up to three file boxes of personal documents for secure shredding, at no charge! For a complete list of acceptable items, visit www.fallschurchva.gov. The Extravaganza will be held at the Falls Church Property Yard, across from the Recycling Center, located at 217 Gordon Road. For more information, please call the Environmental Programs Specialist at 703-248-5176 (TTY 711) or visit www.fallschurchva.gov.
Submit Artwork to the Art Show & Sale The 6th Annual Falls Church Art Show & Sale is scheduled for April 23-24. Call for entries! City residents of all ages are invited to submit original artwork to the show (limit three submissions per person). Photography, paintings (watercolor, oil, or acrylic), and drawings (pencil or pastel) of any size will be accepted. Submissions can be framed or unframed. All artwork may be submitted to the Community Center, 223 Little Falls St., beginning Monday, April 19 and no later than noon on Friday, April 23. For more information, visit www.fallschurchva.gov or call 703-248-5077 (TTY 711).
Find Us on Facebook Become a fan of the City of Falls Church on Facebook and get up-to-date City government information. Get the link at www.fallschurchva.gov.
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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).
In all Falls Church City Public Schools this month, lunch is being served on trays made from materials which have less environmental impact than the Styrofoam trays in general use for the last several years. “These new trays are made from 100% recycled materials that are fully compostable,” Food Service director Richard Kane said. Each school cafeteria began the pilot lunch tray trial which is scheduled to conclude on May 5th. During the month, several factors will be assessed such as cost and tray durability to help determine whether a permanent switch will be made. Kane welcomes feedback on the new product from students, parents and staff at kaner@fccps.org.
FCC-TV Spotlight: NASA Sci Files Tune in to Falls Church City Television (FCC-TV) to watch NASA Sci Files. This Emmy award-winning series introduces students in grades 3-5 to NASA and integrates mathematics, science, and technology through the use of Problem-Based Learning, as the tree house detectives solve real world problems. You can watch NASA Sci Files on FCC-TV at the following times: • Mondays and Fridays at 7:30 a.m. • Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4:00 p.m. 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 David Gogal
Law Offices of Blankingship and Keith, PC School involvement: Worked with seventh grade students at Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School to prepare arguments for a mock trial in Civics class. Why David is a BIE partner: “I am a strong believer in volunteering in the community, especially with our youth programs. Given our city’s well-established culture of volunteerism, there are so many opportunities to volunteer in Falls Church, and I have been fortunate to participate in a number of them – however, this is the first time I was able to share my career experience as a lawyer with students in a classroom. I certainly enjoyed it!” 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 GMHS Robotics Team receives FCEF assistance for participation in National Competition GMHS FIRST Robotics Team will proudly participate in the FIRST Championship in Atlanta this week thanks to donations from the Education Foundation as well as from numerous individuals and corporations. The FCEF will raise funds to support this special initiative at the upcoming Annual Celebration on April 23rd at the Westin Arlington Gateway. Under the direction of John Ballou, FCCPS faculty member, the student team will bring their robot to the black-tie optional event to showcase the team’s accomplishments. For more information about the FCEF Annual Celebration go to www.fcedf.org. The Foundation is a registered 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.
National Recognition for GMHS Online Newspaper George Mason High School’s online school newspaper, Lasso Online, is being recognized nationally for its “dedication to reporting the news in a timely and professional manner.” The Columbia Scholastic Press Association has named Lasso Online a prestigious Silver Crown Award winner; one of only a few high school newspapers in the country to achieve such standing. The Columbia Scholastic Press Association, first established in 1925 by Columbia University, created the Gold and Silver Crown award programs to publicly recognize and congratulate excellence in student media. Of the hundreds of online high school newspapers entered in this year’s competition, Lasso Online is one of only 27 online publications to receive a Columbia Crown award for 2010. You can view Lasso Online at – www.fccps.org/lasso.
Calendar for April 15-22, 2010 Testing Now-5/7 SRI Post Test (MEH/GM) April 15 4:00 p.m. Mason @ St. Stephen’s (B Tennis) 6:00 p.m. Mason @ Park View (G Lacrosse) 7:30 p.m. Mason @ Park View (B Lacrosse) 16 5:00 p.m. Mason @ Clarke Co. (G Tennis) 5:30 p.m. Mason @ Madison Co. (G Soccer) 7:00 p.m. Mason @ Madison Co. (Baseball/Softball) 7:00 p.m. Madison Co. @ Mason (B Soccer) 17 10:00 a.m. Boys Soccer Carwash (GM) 19-23 TV Turn-Off Week (All Schools) IB Art Show (GM) 19 6:00 p.m. Mason @ Freedom (G Lacrosse) 7:30 p.m. Freedom @ Mason (B Lacrosse) 20 4:00 p.m. Mason @ St. James School (B/G Tennis) 5:00 p.m. Mason @ Strasburg (Baseball/Softball) 7:00 p.m. Mason @ Strasburg (B Soccer) 7:00 p.m. Strasburg @ Mason (G Soccer) 21 7:30 a.m. Principal’s Coffee (MEH) 4:30 p.m. Mason @ Madison Co. (Track) 7:00 p.m. Mason @ Washington Lee (B Lacrosse) 7:00 p.m. Washington Lee @ Mason (B Lacrosse) 7:00 p.m. College 101 Night (GM) 7:00 p.m. Elementary PTA (MD) 22 4:00 p.m. Mason @ Wakefield (G Tennis) 4:00 p.m. Wakefield @ Mason (B Tennis) 6:00 p.m. Mason @ Loudoun Co. (G Lacrosse) 6:30 p.m. Mason @ T. C. Williams (Softball) 7:00 p.m. School Board Work Session (CO) 7:30 p.m. Family Life Education Advisory Committee (MEH) 7:30 p.m. Loudoun Co. @ Mason (B Lacrosse) 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
Schools
Compostable Lunch Tray Trial Underway