
Herndon High Cadets Defeat Reigning Mid-Atlantic Champions
Herndon High’s Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) finished first in the Lee-Davis regional physical fitness meet, where they competed against 12 schools in strength, endurance and speed events.

Dranesville Students Walk to School
Credit last year’s 5th grade class at Dranesville Elementary for getting the school involved in International Walk to School Day. “The 5th graders and their teachers were Internet searching for healthy activities as part of their science and health classes,” said Principal Kathryn Manoatl, “and they came across this global action campaign. It called for an international day of walking to school. Seemed like a perfect match. The focus was on school kids and what could be easier than walking?”

Herndon High Hosts Band Competition
Fairfax High places first, McLean High second in Class VI.
The stadium at Herndon High was packed Saturday with friends and family attending the 16th Annual Virginia’s Showcase of Bands. Twenty-six high school marching bands from across northern Virginia and Maryland competed throughout the day Saturday, with the larger bands performing Saturday evening.

Students GIVE Back in Big Way
Student-run educational nonprofit celebrates third year, expansion of services.
During his freshman year at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Kevin Cao had the opportunity to volunteer at Belvedere Elementary School in Falls Church. What he learned there is having impact around the Fairfax County School system to this day.
‘I Was Born to Be an Educator’
Franklin band director retires after 28 years.
Lawrence Walker was at Franklin Middle when it opened in 1984.

Time for School
Advice on how to transition from a laid-back summer to a hectic academic year.
When Ellen Feldman’s 5-year-old son started school for last fall, one of the biggest adjustments for the single mother of two was having to adhere to a schedule. “All of a sudden we went from being able to do things on our own time frame to having to wake up and be at a certain place at a certain time,” said Feldman. “Sending my son off to school for the first time was exciting, but also difficult.”
Editorial: Starting School Prepared
First day of school is Sept. 4; local nonprofits provide school supplies and weekend food.
With school beginning in a few weeks, area charitable organizations have been collecting contributions of new backpacks, calculators, other school supplies, money and gift cards and winter coats to help the tens of thousands of truly needy Northern Virginia students.
Letter: No Enemies on TJ Admissions Front
To the Editor:
FCPS is not being honest, straightforward or holding itself accountable for the fact that too few of these disadvantaged kids are achieving as well as others relative to their populations and too few are fostered appropriately so they can be identified for and take advantage of advanced curricula, including advanced academic programs (AAP) and thence TJ and high school honors, AP and IB programs. The leaders in this system have had years to figure out how to make serious improvements, but they have hidden and spun or not even bothered to gather data and have excluded individuals and groups that could be partners in resolving this situation. Thus, we have a segregated system, as the data show.

Scholarship Winners
The Fairfax County Alumnae Chapter (FCAC) of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. awarded six scholarships in the amount of $10,000 during its 2012 May Week program.

Bach to Rock Moves To Worldgate Centre
Bach to Rock (B2R), America’s music school for students of all ages, announced on July 18 it will re-locate its current school in Herndon, located at 465 Herndon Parkway, to a larger facility at Worldgate Centre located 13009 Worldgate Drive later this year.

Practicing Economy at Oak Hill
Summer camp teaches elementary school students challenges of real-life economy.
What says summertime like lazy days by the pool, barbecues and the law of supply and demand?

‘Oliver!’ at Herndon High
Play features students from several local schools.
The Herndon High School Theatre Boosters will present "Oliver!" starting July 27, a summer show that will feature students from Herndon, South Lakes, Chantilly and Westfield High Schools. The production also received assistance from several local elementary and middle schools, as well as the Reston Community Players, the Alliance Theatre of Chantilly, Westfield Theatre and the Centreville Presbyterian Community Theatre.

Consumer Confidence on the Rise in Washington Region
Survey participants perceive regional economy better than broader national picture.
Consumer confidence is on the rise, according to results of a new survey by the Greater Washington Board of Trade.

Inaction May Cause Federal Officials to Create Health-Care Exchange for Virginia
January 2013 is the deadline for the commonwealth to create authority for exchange.
Virginia is suffering from deadline fever, although Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell is calling for a second opinion.
FCPS Students Earn Awards at National TSA Conference
More than 28 Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) middle and high school students won awards at the National Technology Student Association (TSA) Conference, held recently in Nashville.