Key Middle School students (left to right) Max Benitos, Kelly Catherine and Zachary Adams created art as a means of universal communication with students in Ghana who will receive the art in April and, in response, create their own to send back to Key Middle. (Photo: Elyse Rosenburg)

Elementary Science Fair

Gunston Elementary will hold a schoolwide Science Fair on Thursday, March 13 at 6 p.m. The fair is open to all K-6 students, giving them the chance to exhibit their own displays of topical interests in science. More than 60 projects will be on display including demonstrations, models and experiments.

International Art Night at Hayfield

Art with an international flair will be the theme of Art in the Schools and International Night at Hayfield Elementary this Thursday, March 13 at 6 p.m. Activities will include a parade of nations fashion show, Chinese brush painting, Matisse collages and color by number. Performances include those by the West Potomac Academy dance students and the McGrath Academy of Irish Dance. Hayfield Secondary Advanced Placement (AP) foreign language students will host a story time. The evening will be brought to a close with an auction of international goodie baskets contributed by each grade level.

As American as Apple ‘Pi’

Clearview Elementary will hold a Pi Day Roundabout celebrate the number pi and eat pie Friday, March 14. Sixth graders will travel to stations to draw circles, compute the circle’s area and calculate and graph the number pi. By the end of the day, a colorful paper chain representing the first 1,000 digits of pi will circle the cafeteria to show there’s no predictable pattern or end to the irrational number. Students in graders K-6 begin memorizing signs of the first 20 digits of pi in the library windows two weeks prior to Pi Day in preparation for the Pi Day memorization contest. Last year’s winners memorized nearly 300 digits of pi.

Second Graders ‘Bug’ Out

Second grade students at Hayfield Elementary will see the world through an insect’s eyes in the musical “Goin’ Buggy,” scheduled for Friday, March 14, at 1 p.m. Students become members of the insect population and demand the respect and positive attention these creatures have lacked for so long in the play. Their story is told with songs, dances and humor, teaching the audience about the insects as they perform.

Herndon Earns Technology Award

Herndon Middle’s technology education program has been given the program excellence award by the International Technology Education Association and the National Association of Secondary School Principals. The award is the most prestigious given in recognition of technology education programs in the U.S. The Herndon Middle program was recognized as one of the top technology programs in the country and was the only program from Virginia recognized by the two groups. This is the second award for the program, which was also recognized by the Virginia Technology Education Association (VTEA) last summer. James Gralton and James Bullock were honored as teachers of the year by the VTEA.

Students Run for Their ‘Healthy’ Lives

Lynbrook Elementary students have won their seventh consecutive Healthy School Award from the Marine Corps Marathon for having the greatest number of students in the medium-size school category participating in the 2007 Healthy Kids Fun Run, a one-mile run for fun held the day before the marathon. A total of 168 Lynbrook students participated. Eagle View Elementary was also recognized for having the most students, 195 total, in the large school category. The 2008 Healthy Kids Fun Run is scheduled for Oct. 24.

‘Black History Month Hero’ at Ravensworth

Ravensworth Elementary building supervisor Laverne Brown was selected as the “Black History Month Hero” by ABC 7. The school submitted a video of Brown doing her job and greeting students and their parents. The video also featured students and staff members explaining why Brown is their hero. Ravensworth won the video contest, and Brown won a cash prize.

Winning Teacher of Technology

Steven Snyder of Robinson Secondary was recently honored by the International Technology Education Association as one of 38 teachers from across the U.S. to receive its Teacher Excellence Award. The award is one of the highest honors given to technology education classroom teachers and is presented in recognition of the recipient’s outstanding contribution to the profession and his or her students

Students Save Their Pennies for Cancer

Over $1,300 was collected during February by students at Terraset Elementary to benefit Pennies for Patients. The money raised will help more than 1,000 cancer patients in the Washington metropolitan area. Students learned about blood cancers and how they could make a difference in the lives of others

FCPS Students Make Music Statewide

Seventy-two students from Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) were named to the 2008 Virginia All-State Board, and 37 were named to the 2008 Virginia All-State Orchestra. Both groups will perform at Harrisonburg High School in Harrisonburg, Va. at 1 p.m. on April 5. Additional students were honored as alternates. Thirteen students were named alternates to the All-State Band, as well as four to the All-State Orchestra. Thirteen FCPS students were named alternates to the All-State Band, and four FCPS students were named alternates to the All-State Orchestra.

Educators Day in the Workplace

More than 200 teachers, counselors, administrators, media center specialists and employment transition specialists participated in Fairfax County Public Schools’ Educators Day in the Workplace on Wednesday, March 12. The educators learned about the current workplace climate so they can share this information with students to help them understand the skills, knowledge and education needed to fill available jobs, as well as job opportunities available in the metropolitan Washington area.

A panel discussion about essential workplace skills and information from Fairfax County Executive Anthony Griffin and President of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority Gerald Gordon was given. After the presentations, educators broke into smaller groups and traveled to local businesses to observe employees on the job and talk to them about workplace trends, the variety of careers at each business, the career paths taken by employees and the skills necessary to work for each company.

Student’s PSA Featured at Film Festival

A public service announcement (PSA) by Marcus Clarke, a professional television production student at West Potomac Academy, was featured at the Cinema City International Film Festival March 9-10 in Hollywood. Clarke’s 30-second PSA won the top prize and an all-expenses paid trip to the film festival. Clarke’s PSA raised awareness of “Best Buddies,” an organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of people with disabilities by providing opportunities for one-to-one friendships and integrated employment.