Falls Church City Focus 6-17-2010

for the week of June 17-23, 2010

Concerts in the Park Series Begins Tonight Bring a blanket and picnic dinner and sit back, relax, and enjoy live entertainment from local musicians and artists in Cherry Hill Park (312 Park Ave.). The series will be held every Thursday from June 17-Aug. 5 at 7 p.m. For more information, call 703-248-5077 (TTY 711).

2010 LINEUP:

June 17 Falls Church City Concert Band (movie themes) Artist: Cathy Summers (photography) June 24 Randy Barrett and the Barretones (bluegrass) Artist: Mary Exline & Pyracantha (paintings) July 1 Andrew Acosta and the New Old Time String Band (American roots) Artist: Mary O’Donnell & Henry Gallucio (paintings) July 8 Doris Justis and Friends (folk and acoustic) Artist: Ellen Dempsey (jewelry) July 15 Mike Thornton Quartet (jazz) Artist: Al Krachman (photography) July 22 Tom Principato (rock and roll and blues) Artist: Cheryl Bearss (paintings) July 29 Billy Coulter (rock) Artist: Terry Dusicsko (cut paper, jewelry and picture frames) Aug. 5 Judo Chop (80’s music) Artist: Bev Rocco & Justine Spilman (paintings and photography)

Help Make the City More Pedestrian- and Bicycle-Friendly

Summer Reading Program: Dive into Books

The City is developing a Pedestrian, Bicycle and Traffic Calming Strategic Implementation Plan that will:

The Mary Riley Styles Public Library Summer Reading program begins June 21 with the theme: Submerge Yourself, Dive into a Good Book! Children and teens from preschool to 18 years can participate. Everyone who completes the program gets a free book! Visit the library beginning Monday to sign up.

In addition to promoting summer reading, other summer library activities are: • Tuesdays, 2 p.m., beginning July 6, Wii Game Day for kids ages 7-14 who have registered.

• Wednesdays, 2 p.m., beginning June 23, Bingo for ages 4 to 6 with a parent or guardian, and ages 7 to 14.

• Wednesdays, 7 p.m., beginning June 23, It’s Showtime, the first week with Bob Brown’s puppet performance of Clowning Around.

• Thursdays, 11:30 a.m. 1:30 p.m ., Craft Making drop in.

• Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10:30 a.m. beginning July 6, Summer Story Times for children aged 2-5.

The library is located at 120 N. Virginia Ave. For more information call 703-248-5034.

• Create a well-connected walkway system • Afford accessibility for all pedestrians • Provide safe streets and crossings • Promote a culture of walking and biking • Identify continuous sustained funding, tools, and leadership

City residents are invited to use an interactive map to pinpoint areas in the community that require improvements for pedestrians and bicyclists. The link to the map can be found on the City Website homepage at www.fallschurchva.gov.

Help Create the Plan Volunteers are needed to serve on the committee to help create the plan. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, June 30.

Anyone interested should submit completed applications (www.fallschurchva.gov/Content/Government/BC/BCApplication.pdf) to the City Clerk’s Office at cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, June 30.

For more information, contact Wendy Block Sanford, Principal Planner/Transportation Planner, at WBlocksanford@fallschurchva.gov or call 703-248-5041 (TTY 711).

PUBLICATION NOTICE

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The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, call 703-248-5077 (TTY 711)

The City of Falls Church will no longer be producing the weekly City Focus due to budget reductions. The July 1 edition will be the last regular printing of this page. To continue getting City news: • Register to receive the semimonthly e-FOCUS newsletter by e-mailing newsletter@fallschurchva.gov with “e-FOCUS subscribe” as the subject, or sign up online at www.fallschurchva.gov • Visit www.fallschurchva.gov to get the latest City news and program information • Visit www.fccps.org to get Schools news • Tune in to FCC-TV

Eating Burritos Can Help Fund City Events The City of Falls Church and the new Falls Church Chipotle invite area residents to help raise funds for special events in the City. Next Thursday, June 24 from 5-8 p.m. at the Chipotle in the Broaddale Village Center, 300 block of W. Broad St., diners can enjoy a burrito, chips and salsa, and a soda, for only five dollars (the perfect picnic dinner for that evening’s concert in Cherry Hill Park!). One hundred percent of sales will be donated to the City to help fund City sponsored events.

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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).

GMHS Wins Record Six State Championships

FCC-TV Spotlight: 2010 GMHS Commencement Tune in to Falls Church Community Television (FCCTV) to watch the 2010 George Mason High School Commencement. This year’s ceremony takes place at DAR Constitution Hall and features commencement speaker Congressman Jim Moran. You can also see speeches and performances by members of the graduating class.

The program airs on FCC-TV at the following times: • Friday, June 18th at 4:30 p.m.

• Saturday, June 19th at 3:00 p.m.

• Sunday, June 20th at 5:00 p.m. • Monday, June 21st at 12:00 p.m.

• Wednesday, June 23rd at 12:00 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 Rosemary Winchester and Shakia Branch

Essential Health Care School involvement: During Staff Appreciation Week, spent several days at Thomas Jefferson Elementary and Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School providing chair massages and spinal evaluations.

Why Rosemary & Shakia are BIE partners: “Sometimes people don’t realize how stressed they are until they sit down in that massage chair and relax. Teachers work so hard, taking care of others. It’s a treat to be able to take care of them for a few minutes of their busy day.”

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 registration for Run for the Schools now open The 5th Annual Run for the Schools 5K Race and 1 Mile Family Fun Run/Walk will be held on Sunday, September 12th at 8 a.m. The event includes a chip-timed, certified 5K race throughout the tree-lined streets of Falls Church City and a post-race awards ceremony featuring cash and equipment prizes.

The event also features a one-mile family fun run/walk. To register, visit www.fcedf.org and click on 2010 Run for the Schools. Proceeds will benefit Falls Church Education Foundation programs and operations.

The Falls Church Education Foundation is a registered 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization.

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.

Scholastic Bowl team picked up its fourth championship title.

George Mason’s championship year all started in the fall when the girls cross country team brought home the state title, which was the second ever for the team.

“Still success has nothing to do with trophies,” Horn said. “Next year we want to increase participation numbers, advance our skill sets, improve our off-season training opportunities, and our in-season strength and conditioning. We will also create opportunities for student-athletes to learn and demonstrate leadership, character and maturity, and develop a comprehensive student-athlete academic advisory program.”

No Recession at TJ on Market Day You would be hard pressed to find signs of any kind of a recession during Thomas Jefferson Elementary Market Day last week.

Students, whose pockets were burning with all the “Tiger Bucks” they had earned for various achievements and good behavior all year, went on a big shopping spree in the stores of their 4th grade entrepreneurs!

From baked goods and origami to homemade candy and magnetic buttons, the elder Tigers put all their math, economic and oral speaking skills to work to move their merchandise. The TJ Market Day has become an annual year end activity that students love.

Fourth graders Angela Dilas (left) and Grace Johnson show off their homemade baked goods at “A.G.’s” store.

GMHS Spirit Wall Getting Face Lift After five years, the wall which greets everyone to the main entrance of George Mason High School is getting a face lift this summer.

“It is one of the first things people see and we want it to always look nice,” said facility use coordinator Photo by Joy Nystrom Seve Padilla.

The spirit wall contains the painting of five running mustangs through the words “Mason Spirit” and includes the George Mason quote, “All men are by nature born equally free and independent.”

There will be no change in the design of the wall, just fresh paint. Prep work began on June 1st and the project is expected to be completed by the end of summer. Teachers Pam Spicer, Janet Weber and Maria Shields are coordinating students to help paint the wall. The project is open to everyone.

Calendar for June 17-July 6, 2010 Testing Now – 6/18 7/12 – 7/15 7/21 – 7/23 8/4 – 8/5 June 17

18 21

22

July

GMHS Exams SOL Writing (GM) SOL Non-Writing (GM) SOL Non-Writing Part 2 (GM)

Early Release Day (All Schools) 5:00 p.m. GMHS Graduation (Constitution Hall) Last Day of School – Early Release Day (All Schools) Professional Day Summer Camp Begins – Day Care 8:00 a.m. Band Booster Meeting 6:30 p.m. School Board Work Session (City Hall) 8:00 p.m. School Board Regular Meeting (City Hall)

1 7:00 a.m. School Board organizational meeting (City Hall) Summer School Begins (All Schools) 6 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

In no other school year has George Mason High School won more Virginia state championships than 2009-2010.

But adding another 6 titles and a bunch of new trophies to the case is only half the story of success for a year that is one for the history books.

“More than half of our athletes maintained a 3.5 grade point average or better The championship banner in Mustang during their season,” adds FCCPS Athletic Gym awaits another six entries this year.

Director Tom Horn. “Winning is outside of our control, but excellence is not.”

When the final whistle blew on the 2010 VHSL Spring Jubilee Sunday, not only had the Mustang boys soccer team repeated as state champions in a 2-1 win over Radford, it put a cap on the most decorated season in GMHS history.

The day before, the Mustang girls soccer team won its third consecutive state title, and the boys tennis team picked up a 6th title in 10 years. This past winter, the girls basketball team won its second consecutive championship and the