Area Students Win Virginia History Day Awards
Students from three Fairfax County public schools earned awards at the 2013 Virginia History Day competition, held in Williamsburg.
Programming Marathon at TJ
Area high schoolers impress instructors at the 24-hour computer programming marathon.
When a voice over the loudspeaker announced, “free swag outside,” a stampede of teenagers cleared out the Thomas Jefferson High School (TJHSST) gymnasium in less than a minute. Even after almost 20 hours of coding and programming, the students were at no loss for enthusiasm, especially for free paraphernalia decorated with the TJ Hackathon logo. Kim Holton, a volunteer whose son was participating in the hackathon, said, “They all seem really tired and they’re dragging, but they’re excited.”
Lake Braddock Theatre Revisits ‘Rashomon’
Director and fight choreographer also worked on school’s 1994 production.
Nineteen years ago, Lake Braddock drama teacher R.L. Mirabal and local choreographer Casey Kaleba worked together on “Rashomon,” the staged version of Akira Kurosawa’s 1950 dramatic film rooted in Ryunosuke Akutagawa’s Japanese folkloric stories and "In a Grove."
A Beautiful Mind
Powerful play takes students inside the mind of autistic teen.
In 1996, Bernie DeLeo was exactly where he thought he should be. A former actor-turned-film producer and writer, DeLeo was living in New York City with his wife and young son. He had an agent, and had just gotten work on a sitcom—Life’s Work—starring Michael O’Keefe. But one weekend, while he was in Los Angeles, he got a call from his wife that irrevocably changed the course of his life. Charlie, his 3-year-old son, had been diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of autism.
Art Competition Winners Announced
U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-11) attends ceremony at Lorton Workhouse Arts Center.
More than 200 high school students and their parents and teachers gathered at the Lorton Workhouse Arts Center last week to hear U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-11) and judges from across Virginia’s 11th Congressional District announce the winners of the annual Congressional Art Competition.
‘You Can’t Stop the Beat’
“Hairspray” takes the stage at Robinson Secondary.
Robinson Secondary’s Cappies production is “Hairspray,” and Director Chip Rome is more excited about this show than he’s been about any show in “quite some time.”
Lake Braddock Senior Receives Scholarship
Nathaniel Smith awarded $5,000 from Northern Virginia Urban League.
The Northern Virginia Urban League awarded $50,000 in scholarships to local high school students at its annual Community Service and Scholarship Awards Dinner Friday, April 19. The organization, whose mission it is to enable disadvantaged youth to achieve economic and academic success, awarded one scholarship to Lake Braddock Secondary School senior Nathaniel Smith.
Hundreds Take Part in Reston Walk MS
More than 1,600 individuals and 50 volunteers participated in Sunday’s Walk MS presented by Booz Allen Hamilton in Reston, benefiting the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s National Capital Chapter. Meteorologist Jacqui Jeras from ABC7-WJLA hosted the starting line program after participants warmed up with Zumba led by Nikki McNutt-Thiem from Full Out Fitness.
Helping Homeless ‘Close to Home’
Springfield man launches the 25th Project Charity Golf Classic to benefit homeless.
“On Christmas Eve, my church has a gift-wrapping party, and we’ll wrap whatever we have, from tents and sleeping bags to flannel shirts,” Herriott said. “As The 25th Project has grown, we have expanded our goals and now provide tents, batteries, sleeping bags, tarps and other life essentials.”
Andreotta-Urben Engaged
Mr. and Mrs. Mark P. Andreotta of Clifton are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter Ashley Marie to Andrew Paul Urben, son of LTC (Ret.) and Mrs. Edward A. Urben of Woodbridge, Va.
The Comeback Kid
Paralyzed after tragic accident, Nick Balenger throws out WSLL’s Opening Day pitch.
"You always get a special kick on Opening Day, no matter how many you go through. You look forward to it like a birthday party when you're a kid. You think something wonderful is going to happen,” said baseball legend Joe DiMaggio.
Woodson High Celebrates ‘50 Years of Excellence’
Former students and faculty gather for an afternoon of performances, nostalgia and a dedication.
A brisk breeze and bright spring sunshine were nearly as prevalent as the pride and fond memories expressed by alumni and faculty commemorating the 50th anniversary of W.T. Woodson High School on Saturday, April 13.
Robinson Students Make the Cut for Caring
26 Acts of Kindness campaign continues.
April 1st marked the beginning of Robinson Secondary School’s “26 Acts of Kindness”—a tribute to the 26 children and adults who were killed at the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting last December in Newtown, Conn. The Student Government Association (SGA) pulled out all the stops to make this “pay it forward” campaign a success, even providing t-shirts with space on the back for supporters to fill in each act of kindness performed, producing a promotional video that was uploaded to YouTube, and even establishing a Twitter site where do-gooders could post what good deeds they had done.
West Springfield Woman at Boston Marathon Carried to Safety by NFL Champ Joe Andruzzi
Friends and family pray for the Wittich family.
The Wittich family of West Springfield was excited about attending the Boston Marathon, one of the historic city’s prominent annual civic pride events. On Saturday, April 13, Christine Wittich, a West Springfield High School student, posted several tweets about the upcoming trip. “Wittich invasion has commenced. Is Boston ready?” and “Yay for being that matching family,” with a photo of mom Julie and sisters in matching blue t-shirts. But after Monday’s bomb blasts transformed the Boston Marathon into a scene of chaos and terror, leaving three dead and more than 100 injured, Wittich’s tweets became more muted.
History, Up Close and Personal
West Springfield High School students interview veterans at World War II Memorial.
The heat is palpable and the buzz of tourists is mesmerizing but Courtney Simmons is focused on Carmel Whetzel’s account of his World War II experience. Whetzel is a veteran and Simmons, a current freshman at George Mason University and a West Springfield High School graduate, is interviewing him as part of “Capturing the Voices of World War II: A Student Interview Project.”