Greater Falls Church School Bulletin Board

Stuart High Schools To Participate In Pilot Journalism Program

J.E.B. Stuart High School has been selected to participate in a one-year pilot program that pairs veteran journalists with junior colleagues and high school students to revitalize student-run news media and create interest in news-related careers.

The program, Prime Movers, is supported by the George Washington University School of Media and Public Affairs through a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Fairfax County school Mount Vernon and Roosevelt and Ballou High Schools in the District of Columbia will also take part in the program.

Among the professional journalists who will participate in the program are Sam Ford and Peggy Gilgannon of WJLA-TV, Jonathan Blakley and Doug Mitchell of National Public Radio, and Kim Willis of USA Today. Dorothy Gilliam, retired Washington Post columnist and founder of the Post's Young Journalists Development program, is directing the project.

Pimmit Hills Alternative High School Student Selected to 6 6-Week Internship Program

Luther Jackson Middle School, formerly Luther Jackson High School, located on Gallows Road in Falls Church is celebrating its 50th year this year. A parade will be held on September 20 as part of the celebration. The parade will start from the Fairfax Plaza Shopping Center parking lot, turn on Gallows Road and proceed in front of the school for a short distance before turning onto Gatehouse Road . The procession will then turn into the school and wind around the road located on school property. Some of the featured performers include: The Falls Church High School Band and Cheerleaders, Jackson— the Luther Jackson's mascot, LJMS' step team and alumni from LJHS.

Parents of Luther Jackson students are welcome to come and enjoy the festivities. Parking will be limited.

ESOL Department at Frost Middle School Wins 200 Flowering Bulbs

The English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) department at Frost Middle School recently won 200 flowering bulbs as part of the Kids Growing With Dutch Bulbs grant program from the National Gardening Association and is using them to learn about plants and flowers as well as to beautify the school.

One of the two courtyards at Frost is in the process of being turned into a butterfly garden, and the other is used as an experimental garden, complete with pond and outdoor classroom, by seventh grade life science students. Eighth grade civics students perform part of their community service obligation by working in the gardens; last year's students naturalized some of the bulb beds.

This year's batch of bulbs will also be used for naturalizing the school landscape, as well as for studying the structure of the bulbs in ESOL science classes. Some of the bulbs will be forced to bloom indoors so students can study the cold period needed for them to grow and bloom. Once they bloom, the flower structures will also be studied.

Falls Church High School’s Class of ‘54 to Hold 50th Reunion Oct. 15-17

Falls Church High School's Class 1954 will be celebrating its 50th class reunion on October 15-17. It will be held at the Hyatt Hotel in Fair Lakes and the surrounding area. For more information, please contact Barbara Green by email, barbdave7@cox.net, or phone, 703-323-6169, or Conni Donahoe at cswanson36@yahoo.com or 704-365-3206.

Fairfax Co. and Falls Church City Co-sponsor Safe Routes to School Training Workshop

Fairfax County, Fairfax County Public Schools and the City of Falls Church, in cooperation with the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments and other partners, are hosting a Safe Routes to School Training Course next Thursday, Sept. 23, in the community room of the Lee Graham Swim Club, 7319 Lee Highway, Falls Church. This course is offered free of charge.

Safe Routes to Schools is a popular program spreading across Canada and the United States, designed to decrease traffic and pollution while increasing the health of children and the community. The program promotes walking and biking to school through education and incentives that show how much fun it can be. The program also addresses the safety concerns of parents by encouraging greater enforcement of traffic laws, educating the public, and exploring ways to create safer streets.

This workshop will focus on how to initiate and maintain a successful Safe Routes to Schools program. It will also cover how to run effective encouragement, education, enforcement and engineering measures, using interactive exercises to give participants hands-on experience. This course is intended for transportation professionals, school administrators, and local advocates (including parents) who are interested in promoting safe ways for children to walk and bicycle to school.

For more information or to register call Chris Wells or Mimi Murray, Fairfax County Department of Transportation at 703-324-1100, 703-324-1102, Gordon Lawrence, Fairfax County Public Schools at 703-658-3770, TTY 711 or Lorrie Andrew-Spear at 703-248-5680, TTY 711. Course size is limited so please register early. For more information on Safe Routes to School Programs check out the Web site www.saferoutestoschools.org.