Falls Church City Focus Pages 2-11-2010

for the week of February 11-17, 2010

City Budget Forums: “Balancing Priorities” Feb. 13 and 18

Presidents’ Day Holiday Schedule Monday, Feb. 15

The City needs your input on which general government and schools lines of services you value the most. Two Budget Forums have been scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 13 from 10 a.m.-noon, and Thursday, Feb. 18 from 7- 9 p.m. at the Community Center, 223 Little Falls St. Meetings will begin with brief backgrounds from the City Manager and School Superintendent, followed by small-group discussions and “open mic” Q&A about budget priorities.

These Budget Forums are part of a series of public meetings that will stretch through April 26, when the City Council adopts a tax rate and budget for next year. The information gathered from these meetings will help City officials develop the FY11 Budget (FY11 runs from July 1, 2010-June 30, 2011).

The Budget Forums will be taped and broadcast on FCC-TV and online at www.fallschurchva.gov.

For information about the City’s budget, go to www.fallschurchva.gov. General government budget suggestions can also be sent to budget@fallschurchva.gov and School budget suggestions can be posted online at www.fccps.org/board/budget/fy11/.

CITY HALL COURTS DMV SELECT OFFICE IN CITY HALL LIBRARY SENIOR CENTER SHERIFF’S OFFICE COMMUNITY CENTER SCHOOLS GEORGE BUS YARD WASTE, BUNDLED BRUSH, CHRISTMAS TREE & SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

city

NO SERVICE NO PICKUPS For information about collections, call 703-248-5316 (TTY 711) or 703-248-5176 (TTY 711).

Get real-time updates and instructions on what to do and where to go during an emergency in Falls Church City, 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.

Enjoy an evening of laughter, family fun and basketball in celebration of Black History Month. The Falls Church City All-Star Team will play New York City’s finest – the Harlem MagicMasters! The MagicMasters barely beat the Falls Church All-Stars last year, so let’s show them what Falls Church is made of this year! The fun starts at 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 26 at the Community Center (223 Little Falls St.).

Advance Tickets available at: www.instantseats.com/events/tinnerhill Children under 5 free Advance purchase: youth $8, adults $10 At the door: youth $10, adults $12 Get your seats early! Seating is limited.

For more information, e-mail nikkigraves77@yahoo.com, call 703-241-4109, or visit www.tinnerhill.org.

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.

OPEN

Sign Up for Falls Church Alert

Black History Celebration & Celebrity Basketball Game, Feb. 26

Find Us on Facebook

CLOSED

Cherry Hill Is for Lovers Chocolate by Candlelight Friday, Feb. 12, 8 p.m. $10 per person Calling all chocolate lovers to the first annual chocolate tasting - participate in the “blind” tasting of a variety of chocolate delights by candlelight. You may be surprised by your favorites!

Valentine Tea Sunday, Feb. 14, 2 p.m. $24 per person Bring someone special to tea and learn about the history of Valentine’s Day celebrations with a special emphasis on the search for love in the 19th century. The tea includes sandwiches, sweets, warm scones and tea!

To register or for more information, call 703-248-5171 (TTY 711).

Summer Camp Registration Underway After the winter we’ve had, now’s a great time to think ahead to the warmer months. What better way than to sign up for a fun summer camp? The Recreation & Parks Division’s annual summer camp program offers a variety of activities for youth of all ages. Programs are offered June through August, and range from sports to art and theatre. Registration is now open for City residents and non-City residents can sign up beginning Feb. 16. View the 2010 Summer Camp brochure and register online at www.fallschurchva.gov.

www.fallschurchva.gov - The official site for City of Falls Church news

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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).

Thomas Jefferson Elementary School fourth grade teachers, students and parents celebrated Colonial Day on January 28th. Students dressed up in colonial costume and taught one another about colonial trades such as doctor, weaver, cabinetmaker, silversmith, and glassmaker. The following businesses supported this event by donating food and paper goods for a colonialstyle lunch: Chesterbrook Residences, Economy Party Supply, Giant Food, and Harris Teeter.

Special Education Study The Falls Church City Public Schools conducts regularly scheduled studies for each major program area. The Special Education Study will begin late this month. Two parents from the elementary, middle and high school levels are asked to participate in this comprehensive review process.

If you are interested in serving on this committee, or if you would like more information, please contact Elizabeth Mackie, Director of Special Education at (703) 248-5630 or at emackie@fccps.org.

FCC-TV Spotlight: Today’s Air Force Tune in to Falls Church City Television (FCC-TV) to watch Today’s Air Force. This weekly news program features in-depth stories about the U.S. Air Force and its people, programs, technology, exercises, operations and more. You can watch Today’s Air Force on FCC-TV at the following times: • Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 a.m. • Saturdays at 6:30 a.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 Bonita Woods

Chesterbrook Residences School involvement: Prepared the Colonial Day meal for the Thomas Jefferson Elementary school fourth grade festivities.

Why Bonita is a BIE partner: “As a parent, I appreciate the Virginia history my son is learning through Colonial Day. I am delighted to put my professional expertise to work by making a colonial meal of ham, biscuits, cornbread, and other traditional foods.”

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 Auction items needed for online, silent auctions The Falls Church Education Foundation’s 6th Annual Dinner fundraiser will be held on Friday, April 23rd at The Westin Arlington Gateway. The Host Committee is actively seeking donations of items to feature in the preceding online auction, March 22nd through April 20th, and silent auction on April 23rd. Auction categories include dining, get-a-ways/travel, sports/memorabilia, educational services, health/beauty, home, jewelry, pet care, and more.

Proceeds from the fundraiser provide support for the Foundation’s operations and programs such as its teacher grants program. For more information, please contact the Foundation office at (703) 538-3381.

The Foundation is 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, contact the Falls Church City Public Schools Communications Office. Phone: (703) 248-5699 Fax: (703) 248-5613.

Mulch Sale to Support GMHS Mustang Athletics The 17th annual George Mason High School Athletic Boosters Mulch Sale is underway.

Top-quality shredded hardwood mulch comes in 3 cubic ft. bags at $5 per bag. All proceeds will benefit the George Mason athletic program.

Delivery is free in Falls Church City and surrounding neighborhoods. The deadline for orders is March 26th for delivery on April 10th.

For more information and to download an application, visit www.fccps.org/mulch.

Mustangs Cook Up Gourmet Lunch

Bon Appetit! Students in George Mason’s Gourmet cooking class put the finishing touches on their latest tasty creation. The class does all the grocery shopping, food preparation, serving and check calculation in an effort to better understand what the food service industry is all about. The gourmet lunches have become a George Mason faculty favorite.

FCCPS FY11 Budget Calendar February 13th TBA

Budget Work Session #2 (CO) ( See www.fccps.org/budget for time when announced) February 16th 7:00 p.m.

Public Hearing #2 (CO)

7:30 p.m.

Budget Work Session #3 (CO) February 23rd 6:30 p.m.

Budget Work Session #4 (City Hall)

8:00 p.m.

Public Hearing #3 (City Hall)

After Hearing Regular School Board Meeting

(City Hall)

(School Board Votes on Budget) Work sessions are not televised but are open to the public. All but the fourth work session will be held in the Falls Church City Public Schools Central Office conference room, 800 W. Broad Street, Suite 203, Falls Church, Va. Public hearings will be held in the Chambers at City Hall and can be seen live on Falls Church City Television (Cox Ch. 12, Verizon Ch. 35 and RCN Ch. 2) or via the Web at www.fcctv.net. For more FCCPS budget information, visit www.fccps.org/budget.

Calendar for February 11-18, 2010 Testing Now-12 Stanford 10 Gr 2 (TJ) February 11 7:00 p.m. Mr. and Ms. Mason (GM) 12 10:00 a.m. Mason @ Regional Tournament

(Wrestling) (Strasburg)

2:00 p.m. Mason @ Regional Tournament

(Swimming) (Warrenton) 13 10:00 a.m. Mason @ Regional Tournament

(Wrestling) (Strasburg)

TBA - Budget Work Session #2 (CO)

(See www.fccps.org/budget for time when announced) 15 President’s Day (Schools Open/Day Care Open –

Snow Day Make-up Day)

6:00 p.m. EIP/HEP Tutoring 7:00 p.m. School Board Budget Public Hearing #2 (CO) 16

7:30 p.m. School Board Budget Work Session #3 (CO) 7:00 p.m. Extended Day Care Adv. Board (TJ) 17

7:00 p.m. Elementary PTA (TJ) 18 6:00 p.m. Symphonic Concert (GM) 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 www.fccps.org - The official site for Falls Church City Public Schools news

Schools

Colonial Day at TJ