Assistive Technology Parent Session February 22

The FCCPS Special Education & Student Services department invites parents to “AT Fun at Home: Assistive Technology Resources for Students,” to be held on Zoom, February 22 at 1:00 p.m. Presented by Kiara Pusey with The Exceptional Experience Inc. Pusey also serves as an FCCPS assistive technology consultant. Join to learn about assistive technology resources available to help support learning for students with disabilities in an engaging way at home.

Registration is available at bit.ly/FCNP0224at. For more information, email Rebecca Sharp at rsharp@fccps.org.

Meridian Mustangs Dominate Skyline Hawks with Stellar Defense in Regional Playoff Opener

In front of an enthusiastic hometown crowd, the Meridian Mustangs girls basketball team opened the regional playoffs with a convincing 49-13 win over the Skyline Hawks on Friday. It marked the Mustangs’ third meeting between the two teams, and the Mustangs brought arguably their strongest defensive showing of the season, holding a young but improved Skyline team to only 13 points and only one point in the final quarter.

On top of the impressive defensive showing, the Mustangs continued to bring a balanced offensive attack, with junior Ellie Friesen leading the team in scoring with 19 points and freshman Charlotte Lieu adding 12 points, including two three-pointers. On top of an impressive 12 assists and eight rebounds, Senior Maureen Tremblay added six points, and Junior Nora Stufft added to the Mustangs’ strong presence under the basket with six points and eight rebounds of her own. Senior Ava Smith added three points to the win, while sophomore Jayla Evans and freshman Adelyn Pye added two points and one point, respectively, to the victory.

Mustang Boys Secure Semifinal Spot with Gritty Win Over Armstrong Wildcats

In the second game of Friday night’s doubleheader, the top-seeded Mustang boys basketball team took on the Wildcats from Armstrong High School in Richmond  The Mustangs got off to a quick start, building a 19-10 lead in the first quarter off sharp shooting from Sophomore Will Davis and Junior John Alverson. The offensive success continued through the first half as the Mustangs tallied a total of seven three-point buckets, with two each from Davis, Alverson, and Sophomore Daylen Martino, as well as one from Junior John Lyman.  Meridian went into the half up 37-23.

Halftime adjustments by Armstrong slowed down the pace in the second half and left fewer opportunities for three-point shots. Armstrong narrowed the score to within four points in the closing two minutes of the game, but the Mustangs were able to withstand the pressure with scrappy play and some clutch free throws from Lyman and Senior Grant Greiner (their combined free throws accounted for seven of the eleven points scored by the Mustangs in the fourth quarter.)  With a final score of 58-51, the Mustang boys punched their ticket into Tuesday’s semifinal matchup versus #4 seed Northwestern District opponent Kettle Run High School.

Kassa: MHS Star Joins Elite National Youth Advisory Council to Combat Hunger and Waste

Meridian High School student Joyce Tadesse Kassa has been announced as a 2023-2024 National Youth Advisory Council Member for The Kroger Company’s Zero Hunger | Zero Waste environmental and social impact plan. Joyce was selected as one of the 15-member Youth Advisory Council nationwide out of over 15,000 applicants.

As part of the committee, Kassa has designed, is actively planning, and is leading a Community Impact Project focused on a sustainable garden this semester.

As an advisory council member, Kassa is working to address issues including hunger, climate, and responsible consumption and recycling. 

Board Celebrates Appreciation Month, Honors Black History, and Showcases Student Service

Last night’s Falls Church School Board meeting was marked by a festive atmosphere, as February has been designated as School Board Appreciation Month and the current week as School Board Clerk Appreciation Week. In a heartfelt display of gratitude, each school in the district crafted a video tribute to honor the school board’s efforts. Additionally, clerk Marty Gadell received a special proclamation in recognition of her dedicated service to the board. 

The board also unanimously approved a proclamation recognizing February as Black History Month and this year’s theme of African Americans and the Arts. A highlight of the meeting was the FCCPS Spotlight segment, which showcased the impactful GIVE Day of Service held at the Secondary Campus.

On GIVE Day, held on the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday, approximately 300 students transformed their day off into a “day on” by assembling protein meal packages for Ukraine and local food banks, demonstrating a remarkable commitment to community service and international aid.

Henderson and Meridian Students Excel in District X Honors Chorus

This past Saturday, students from Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School and Meridian High School participated in the District X Honors Choruses. Auditions for district honors chorus were in November, where over 600 hundred young singers auditioned, and fewer than 300 were selected. Such experiences provide them with a platform to showcase their musical talents and opportunities for personal growth and camaraderie with fellow musicians.

High school students who are accepted into the district honors chorus have the opportunity to audition for the All Virginia Honor Choir. Each district sends 24 high school students to All VA, and three are coming from FCCPS: Lina Rosenbaum, Eudora Neal, and Hannah Boesen.

Aubrey Marrow was selected for the All Virginia Middle School Honor Choir. One thousand ninety-eight students auditioned, and 363 were selected. Aubrey was the 5th place Soprano 1 across the state. The All Virginia Middle School Honor Choir will meet in Richmond April 18-20 for rehearsal and performance.

Meridian High’s Mustangs Make a Splash: Historic Performance at State Swim and Dive Championships

Last weekend the Meridian Swim & Dive Team competed in the Class 3 Diving State Championship (February 15 at the Hampton Aquaplex in Hampton, VA), and the Class 3 Swimming State Championship (February 17 at SwimRVA in Richmond, VA).

This year, 48 divers from across the state competed for 16 places in the diving championship. This number has doubled since last year, and the sport continues to grow. This year’s was the largest Dive Team to advance to the state championships in Mustang history.

Mustang divers secured massive wins for the team at regionals, taking 1st (Alex Way), 2nd (Connor Tweddle), 3rd (Landon Manwaring), and 4th (Markus Kummer) places on the Boys Team, and 3rd (Jordan Sussman) and 4th (Julia Hall) places on the Girls Team. Their performance helped propel the Boys Team to region runners-up and the Girls Team to 5th place. Alex Way also broke his school record this season, scoring 490.10 at the 2023 Cardinal Classic held in December 2023.

The Meridian Swim Team, thanks to a great showing at the Class 3B Regional Swim Meet held February 3 at Colgan High School (Manassas, VA), sent a total of ten boys and seven girls to compete at the Class 3 State Championship. The Boys Team was the 2023-2024 region 3B runner-up.

This year the competition for the state championship was fierce: only those with a qualifying state cut time, relays placing in the top four, or individuals who placed in the top five at the regional meet advanced to the state championships.

Regional placers that advanced to the state championship:

• Boys 200-yard Medley Relay (3rd place)
• Boys 400-yard Freestyle Relay (3rd place)
• Girls 200-yard Medley Relay (2nd place)
• Girls 200-yard Freestyle Relay (3rd Place) 
• Matthew Janicki (100-yard Backstroke, 2nd place)
• Jonathan Katen (200-yard Individual Medley, 3rd place) 
• Jonathan Katen (100-yard Butterfly, 3rd place)
• Tiberius Schmittel (50-yard Freestyle, 5th place)
• Kyra Gorman (100-yard Breaststroke, 2nd place)
• Megan Riehm (100-yard Backstroke, 5th place)
• Lydia Sturgill (100-yard Butterfly, 2nd place)
• Lydia Sturgill (500-yard Freestyle, 4th place)

Kyra Gorman and Lexi Ries also advanced in the 100-yard Freestyle, both having had regular season qualifying state cut times.

At the Class 3 Swimming & Diving State Championship, top five placers included Alex Way (Diving, 1st place), Connor Tweddle (Diving, 4th place), Matthew Janicki (100-yard Backstroke, 3rd place), and Kyra Gorman (100-yard Breaststroke, 5th place).

The State Championship Psych Meet Sheet can be found here. Streaming will be available and the links for streaming through NFHS Network will be available on the VHSL website.

Five Seniors Advance as Finalists in the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Competition

The National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships that began in 1955. Approximately 1.5 million high school students enter the program each year. Students are administered the Preliminary SAT during grades 9-11 every October. Only scores from the 11th-grade year are eligible for the academic competition. The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) has now determined which of the 16,000 Semifinalists named in September 2023 met all requirements to advance to the Finalist standing in the competition. Meridian High School announced the following seniors who were recognized on February 12 as Finalists in the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program:

• Tucker Albaugh
• Lucas Hollinger
• Joseph Ziayee 
• William Kroboth
• Matthew Janicki

Learn more about the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. 

Mt. Daniel Students Embrace Kindness Week with Heartfelt Acts and Valentine’s Day Celebrations

During last week’s Kindness Week, Mt. Daniel Elementary School students spread kindness with anonymous compliment hearts and had a fun time exchanging Valentines!   The students shared their appreciation for classmates while strengthening the classroom community and spreading positivity. 

OSE Fourth Graders Spread Kindness to Seniors with Handmade Bookmarks and Valentines

During Kindness Week, Mrs. Skomra’s fourth grade class made bookmarks and Valentine’s Day cards for 80 residents at The Kensington and Sunrise Senior Living, spreading kindness around the City of Falls Church.