rip springfield mall - ellington...

Springfield Connection ❖ November 29 - December 5, 2012 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com online at www.connectionnewspapers.com

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November 29—December 5, 2012

Franconia ❖ Kingstowne ❖ NewingtonFranconia ❖ Kingstowne ❖ Newington

SpringfieldSpringfield

RIP Springfield MallNews, Page 3

History ConferenceFocuses on ConflictAnd CourageNews, Page 8

Schools UsingDiversity forStudent BenefitsFocus on Immigration, Page 10

Supervisor Jeff McKay (D-Lee), who hasbeen instrumental in pushing the

Springfield Mall project forward, looksback at the demolished exterior of the

mall. Vornado kicked off exterior demo-lition of the mall on Monday, Nov. 26.

RIP Springfield MallNews, Page 3

History ConferenceFocuses on ConflictAnd CourageNews, Page 8

Schools UsingDiversity forStudent BenefitsFocus on Immigration, Page 10

2 ❖ Springfield Connection ❖ November 29 - December 5, 2012 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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Gift Certificates Available Firewood Available

Every year between Christmasand New Year’s, The SpringfieldConnection turns its pages over tothe contributions of local students.We are seeking artwork,photography, poetry, opinions,short stories and reflections. Wewelcome contributions frompublic schools, private schoolsand students who are homeschooled.

E-mail to: ChildrensSouth@connection newspapers.com, ormail (.jpg and text files on disconly) by Dec. 5, to 1606 King St.,Alexandria, VA 22314. Please besure to include the student’sname, age, grade, school andtown of residence along with eachsubmission. For information, call703-778-9410.

Be a Part ofCHILDREN’S(& TEENS’)CONNECTION

Advertising SalesWork part-time in and near your home office

Enjoy commissions and flexible hoursGreat opportunity for outside sales person to work primarily in

and near your home in Springfield. Use relationship selling to createand expand community print and internet advertising campaigns tolocal businesses for Connection Newspapers, Northern Virginia’sbest-read community newspapers and websites.

Keep productivity high and commuting low while workingclose to home. After a short training period, travel to our OldTown Alexandria headquarters and production facility requiredonly once or twice a week during off-peak traffic hours. Call703-778-9431 for details.

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Springfield Connection ❖ November 29 - December 5, 2012 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

News

Springfield Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic

703-778-9414 or [email protected]

By Victoria Ross

The Connection

Fairfax County SupervisorJeff McKay (D-Lee)could not have been hap-pier as chunks of steel

and concrete began falling offSpringfield Mall Monday morning,Nov. 26.

“This is the biggest thing to hap-pen in Springfield since the Mix-ing Bowl,” McKay said, watchingas the CAT excavator began demol-ishing what was once Garfinckel’sdepartment store.

McKay, who has been instru-mental in pushing the SpringfieldMall project forward for severalyears, joined Vornado/Charles E.Smith President Mitchell Shearand other civic leaders to kick offthe exterior demolition of the mall,a visible sign that the 1970s-era“fortress” mall will be transformedinto Springfield Town Center in2014.

Holding a rock-sized piece ofGarfinckel’s in his hand, McKaysaid it will be a relief to be able totell constituents that the project,which the board of supervisorsapproved three years ago, is finallyunderway.

“It’s the first question everyonealways asks me. Not why, butwhen,” McKay said.

“People have doubted thisproject,” said Nancy-jo Manney,executive director, Greater Spring-field Chamber of Commerce. “Weare all excited to see the new re-done project.”

In July, mega-developer Vornadoshuttered all of the interior stores

as the first phase of the $200 mil-lion renovation began. But theproject had lurched forward in fitsand starts for so many years thatmany in the local business com-munity were skeptical they wouldever see a new mall.

Faiqa Bahtti, who works in salesat the Hilton across from the mall,walked over to the constructionsite on Monday morning to takephotos of the demolition. “It’s ex-citing to finally see it happen.People wondered if this day wouldcome,” she said.

In 2006, Vornado Realty pur-chased the mall for $171.5 million.In 2009, the board of supervisorsapproved rezoning of the propertyto permit Vornado’s developmentplans. Soon after, any sign of re-development came to a halt. Noconstruction equipment material-ized, and shoppers saw the mallcontinue its slow decline.

In 2010, Vornado defaulted onits mortgage of $171.5 million,and then refinanced the mall for$115 million, a strategic way toalleviate debt.

“People have been disappointedin the past,” McKay said, “but wheneverything is complete, the finalproduct will knock your socks off.”

THE NEWLY-RENOVATEDMALL, which Shear said wouldopen in the fall of 2014, will in-clude an addition of roughly700,000 square feet of retail, res-taurants, a food court and a state-of-the-art movie theater. The 20-foot-tall brown numbers that in-dicated the mall’s six main en-trances—a hallmark of the 1970s-

era mall—will be replaced withone central grand entranceway.

Though Shear said it was tooearly to disclose potential new ten-ants, he said the new center willhave a more “upscale” tenant mixand the three anchor stores—Macy’s, Target and JCP—will re-main open during construction.

“There will be much more interms of variety of shops,” saidVornado’s project manager, BobByrne, adding that the mall willbe turned “inside-out,” with out-ward facing storefronts in keepingwith the town center look of themall.

Later phases of the renovation—expected to take about 10 to 15years—will complete the towncenter look, with a mix of upscaleretail and commercial develop-ment, a 225-room hotel, pedes-trian plazas, recreational facilities,2,000 residential units and trans-portation improvements.

McKay and other county lead-ers have called the mall’s renova-tion “the most important redevel-opment project in Springfield.”

Jerry Gordon, executive directorof the Fairfax County EconomicDevelopment Authority, agrees.

He said Springfield has all theright pieces in place to experiencea “rebirth” and create a vibrantnew identity, despite its ubiquitousname.

“Every state has a Springfield,and Springfield, Virginia, has al-ways been a bedroom community.Now it’s changing, and that’s ex-citing,” Gordon said. “I think JeffMcKay has shown a great deal ofleadership on this.”

Gordon said the time is right forthe community’s transformation.

“You have transportation in placewith the Mixing Bowl and a Metrostation, and the jobs coming—anestimated 16,000 new jobs and $8-10 million in construction as a re-sult of Ft. Belvoir’s Base Realign-ment and Closures (BRAC)—andthe next thing are the amenities,such as the new Springfield TownCenter… This all contributes to ahigher quality of life.”

MCKAY SAID he was looking for-ward to new shops that cater tochildren, since he has two youngchildren, “and good restaurantsthat my wife and I can enjoy.”

He said the chunk ofGarfinckel’s—a place he remem-bers shopping with his mother, andbeing “bored to tears”—will takeits place on a shelf in his officewith other pieces of Springfield’spast, such as Chi-Chi’s Mexicanrestaurant and Circuit City.

Demolition signals transformation of Springfield Mallinto $200 million town center.

RIP Springfield Mall

Vornado Realty Trust

An architectural drawing of the grand entry plaza near the LoisdaleRoad entrance.

Photos by Victoria Ross/The Connection

Supervisor Jeff McKay (D-Lee), who has been instrumental in pushingthe Springfield Mall project forward, looks back at the demolishedexterior of the mall. Vornado kicked off exterior demolition of the mallon Monday, Nov. 26.

“People have doubted this project,” said Nancy-joManney, executive director of the Greater SpringfieldChamber of Commerce, standing next to Supervisor JeffMcKay (D-Lee) and Vornado/Charles E. Smith PresidentMitchell Shear during the exterior demolition of the mallon Monday, Nov. 26.

“The final product willknock your socks off.”

—Supervisor Jeff McKay


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Fatal Crashin Springfield

A 62-year-old woman died when her carveered off the road and struck a tree. Thedriver, Dinh Quy of the 6200 block of Will-iam Edgar Drive in Alexandria was operat-ing her 2009 Toyota Corolla in the parkinglot of the shopping center on the southeastcorner of Rolling Road and Old Keene MillRoad. On Tuesday, Nov. 27 shortly after 7p.m. Quy left the parking lot and headednorth in the southbound lanes of Rolling

Area Roundups

See Roundups Page 5

Road. After passing through the intersec-tion of Old Keene Mill Road, the car veeredto the left and struck a tree on the west sideof Rolling Road. Quy was pronounced deada short time later.

It is not yet known if a medical condi-tion, alcohol or speed were factors contrib-uting to this crash and it is still under in-vestigation.

Anyone with information is asked to con-tact Crime Solvers by phone at 1-866-411-TIPS/8477, e-mail atwww.fairfaxcrimesolvers.org or text “TIP187”plus your message to CRIMES/274637 or call

Fairfax County Police at 703-691-2131.

Police Collect Toysfor Ill Children

For the 26th year in a row, the FairfaxCounty Police Department motorcyclesquad is working collaboratively with theFairfax County Sheriff ’s Office, VirginiaState Police, Fairfax City Police, Falls ChurchSheriff ’s Office, and the Town of ViennaPolice to collect and distribute toys for sickchildren, as well as local charities such as

the Ronald McDonald House.Please consider donating a new, un-

wrapped toy, game or book at any FairfaxCounty Police station before Monday, Dec.10. Donations are also being accepted atthe Fairfax County Police Headquarters at4100 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax.

The motorcycle officers’ “Santa’s Ride”collection will take place on Dec. 11; distri-bution of gifts will take place at InovaFairfax Hospital on Dec. 12 and GeorgetownHospital on Dec. 13.


Tips for Year-EndCharitable GivingFinancial expertsoffer suggestionsfor ensuringone’s donationsare well spent.

By Marilyn Campbell

The Connection

Tis the season for giving,and that includes dona-tions to charities. Ac-

cording to a recent survey, chari-ties report that year-end contribu-tions make up nearly 40-percentof annual donations.

“With regard to your tax plan-ning, if you’re in a favorable posi-tion and can afford to do so, thisis a good time to give to charity,”said Charles W. Miller, associateprofessor of finance at MarymountUniversity.

Money experts say there are afew things that one should considerbefore donating to a charity.Potomac resident Glen J. Buco,president, West Financial Services inMcLean, says, “Your first thoughtwith regard to charitable gifts is thatyou need to support charities andgroups that you would like to sup-port and the tax deduction shouldbe a secondary factor.”

Steve Pilloff, Ph.D., a professorof finance at George Mason Uni-versity in Fairfax, encourages po-tential donors to make sure thecharity’s priorities are consistentwith one’s philanthropic goals.“Look at the mission of the char-ity,” he said. “Does it feed hungrypeople? Does it provide funds formedical research? I am alwaysmore comfortable with a charitythat I’m familiar with.”

RESEARCH A POTENTIALCHARITY to learn how one’s do-nation will be spent. “There arewebsites where you can go to seehow much of every dollar givengoes to charity and how much goes

Steve Pilloff, Ph.D., a pro-fessor of finance at GeorgeMason University inFairfax, encourages poten-tial donors to make surethe mission of the charityis consistent with one’sphilanthropic goals.

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to administration,” said Buco.“One more point to note, you needwritten acknowledgment from thecharity for gifts over $250 in or-der to deduct the donation.”

Make sure the charity of one’schoice has high ethical standards.“Unfortunately, you always readabout scams,” he said. “There arecharities that are not fully legiti-mate, but have names that soundsimilar to established charities totry to confuse people. When some-one is going to make a donationthey should try to make sure thattheir money is going to where theythink it is going.”

Buco adds, “In the wake of [Hur-ricane] Sandy, you have to be es-pecially careful of scams. The IRS(Internal Revenue Service) has awebsite called “[Exempt Organi-zations] Select Check” where youcan look up a charity to see if theyare registered with the IRS.”

Consider local charities. “Thereare a lot of local organizations andgroups that really don’t get thefunding that they need, so it is niceif you can support local charities,”he said.

Before writing a check to a charity, experts say make surethat the organization is ethically and financially sound.

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News

Avoiding Holiday DebtPlan now to prevent post-holiday bills.

By Marilyn Campbell

The Connection

Festive store displaysmean the holiday shop-ping season is in fullswing. While a recent

survey by the National Retail Fed-eration is estimating that con-sumer spending will be conserva-tive this year, the group predictsthat the average shopper is plan-ning to dole out $421.82 on fam-ily members, $75.13 on friendsand $23.48 on co-workers.

“The holidays bring on a feelingof consumption on the part of in-dividuals to provide gifts to fami-lies and friends,” said Charles W.Miller, associate professor of fi-nance at Marymount University inArlington. “Often, when moniesare not available, people turn to the path of leastresistance which is the credit card.”

While the holidays mean increased spending formany, financial setbacks can be avoided. Local moneyexperts offer strategies for those determined toemerge from the season with minimal or no debt.

McLean-based financial advisor Kristan Andersonsaid, “Avoiding holiday debt is all about setting abudget and being creative about gifting options,” shesaid. “The budget should be an amount that doesnot require the additional use of credit cards forshort-term financing.”

Potomac, Md. resident Linda Berg-Cross, a re-searcher and professor of psychology at HowardUniversity suggests, “Avoid developing a consumingstyle based on what the media is selling. Media lit-eracy is critical for financial savvy in today’s world.”

Berg-Cross recommends thatconsumers use money-saving tac-tics like “holiday shopping at re-sale stores, waiting for sales, cut-ting coupons, and [internet] surf-ing to comparison shop.”

Theresia Wansi, Ph.D., professorof finance at Marymount Univer-sity adds, “You can go to a storelike Bloomingdales and lookaround and then go to a discountstore and find the same items at amuch lower price.”

Anderson says avoid waiting un-til the last minute to purchasegifts. “Starting early…allows youto spread the costs out over a fewmonths or more,” she said. “Somestores are offering layaway, whichis another option that avoids in-creasing credit card debt.

Steve Pillof, Ph.D., assistantprofessor of finance at George Mason University ad-vises consumers against going shopping without amethodical plan. “Stores have colorful displays andholiday lights that lure shoppers,” he said. “Beforegoing shopping you have to sit down and decidehow much money you are going to spend on eachperson. Make a list and take it with you to helpresist overspending. Don’t charge more on creditcards than you can afford to pay off easily in threemonths.”

For those having financial difficulties Andersonsays, “It is worth having a discussion with familymembers and opting to not exchange gifts outsidethe immediate family. Or just have a simple gift ex-change where each person has only one person tobuy a gift for. Don’t underestimate the value of ahomemade gift, either.”

To avoid accumulatingcredit card debt during theholidays, financial expertssay plan ahead, develop astrict budget and stick to it.

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For more information, contact the Public Infor-mation Office, 703-246-2253

Adopt a Shelter AnimalThe Fairfax County Animal

Shelter is offering a free spayor neuter for the first 100cats, kittens, dogs or puppiesadopted from the shelterthrough Dec. 31. The specialoffer is part of the shelter’sannual Home for the Holi-days adoption celebration tohelp homeless animals leavethe shelter for stable, newhomes in time for the holi-days.

The shelter has cats and dogs available for adop-tion, in addition to rabbits, small mammals, rep-tiles and birds. To view animals available for adop-tion, visit http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/police/animalservices/ and click on adoption. The shel-ter is at 4500 West Ox Road in Fairfax. Regularadoption hours are Tuesday-Friday, noon-6:30p.m.; and Saturday, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. For moreinformation, call 703-830-1100.

Cold War Competition toBenefit Veterans

CrossFit Liberation in Lorton hosts The Cold WarII Competition—its second annual CrossFit com-petition for the Mid-Atlantic Region. The Cold Warcompetition comprises both team and individualcompetitor divisions, featuring more than 200CrossFit athletes from across the Mid-Atlantic re-gion competing in the two-day challenge. Eventparticipants include many active duty personneland reservists, as well as military veterans andwounded warriors. The CrossFit program was de-veloped to enhance an individual’s physical com-petency in order to prepare them for dealing withlife’s challenges. A portion of the Cold War II com-petition proceeds will go to Hidden Wounds, anon-profit organization whose mission is to pro-vide interim and emergency counseling servicesto ensure the psychological health and well-beingfor combat veterans and their families, as well asthe National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)to support bipolar research.

Saturday, Dec. 1, team registration begins at5:15 a.m. The first heat of athletes goes out at 7a.m.; the second is Sunday, Dec. 2, at 5 p.m. atSouth Run Recreation Center, Reservation Drivein Springfield. www.thecoldwar-midatlantic.com.

Area Roundups

Dai Dai thecat needs agood home.


Opinion

Learning in a Global CommunityStudents in Fairfax County speak 160 languages.

This week our ongoing series aboutimmigration in Fairfax Countytakes a look at county schools, andsome of the joys and challenges of

having a diverse student body that speaks asmany as 160 different languages at home.

Find the series compiled online at http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/news/Immi-gration/.

For the director of language acquisition inFairfax County Public Schools, the 44 percentof students who speak a foreign language athome present an opportunity to create lan-guage immersion classes where half a kinder-garten is learning Spanish or Korean while theother half is learning English.

For principals of some elementary schoolswhere more than half of their students are notproficient in English, the need to have studentsmeet benchmarks in a variety of subjects is arelentless process. In addition to limited En-glish, immigrant students come from variedbackgrounds, some with good basics in their

own languages and some with limited previ-ous education in any language. The parents ofthese students are similarly varied.

Meanwhile, representation of Latino andAfrican American students in Fairfax County’stop instructional centers for gifted students lagsdramatically.

FCPS is conducting two criti-cal sets of public meetings thisweek and next. The call for pub-lic input is not specifically about

growing diversity in the schools, but relatedchallenges make both the possible expansionof centers for the county’s most talented stu-dents and the selection of a new superinten-dent of schools that much more important.

A fast moving proposal to expand the num-ber of centers to provide “advanced academic”services is the topic of meetings this week. Themeetings will run from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday,Nov. 27, in the Westfield High School cafete-ria; Wednesday, Nov. 28, in the Lee High Schoolcafeteria; and Thursday, Nov. 29, in the Kilmer

Middle School cafeteria.Fairfax County Public Schools Superinten-

dent Jack Dale will be retiring in June of 2013.The School Board has hired a search firm,Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates, whichwill be gathering community input. Many ofthe challenges facing the new superintendentwill revolve around growing diversity, and atrack record of open communication andachievement in this will be key to success.

SUPERINTENDENT SEARCHCOMMUNITY MEETINGS❖ Dec. 3 - 7 p.m., cafeteria, South County HS, 8501

Silverbrook Road, Lorton, VA 22079.❖ Dec. 4 - 7 p.m., cafeteria, Langley HS, 6520

Georgetown Pike, McLean, VA 22101.❖ Dec. 5 - 7 p.m., cafeteria, Robinson SS, 5035

Sideburn Road, Fairfax, VA 22032.❖ Dec. 6 - 10 a.m. Gatehouse Administration Center,

8115 Gatehouse Road, Falls Church, VA 22042Room 1600.

❖ Dec. 6 - 7 p.m., cafeteria, Annandale HS, 4700Medford Drive, Annandale, VA 22003.

❖ Dec. 6 - 7 p.m., cafeteria, Groveton ElementarySchool, 6900 Harrison Lane, Alexandria, VA 22306.

❖ Dec. 7 - 1 p.m., Gatehouse Administration Center,8115 Gatehouse Road, Falls Church, VA 22042Room 1600.

Editorial

Immigrants and Today’s Faith ResponseFocus on Immigration

By John Horejsi, Coordinator

Social Action Linking Together (SALT)

The presence of increasing numbers ofimmigrants is a challenge to the FairfaxCounty faith community commit-

ments. The challenge is to be a faith commu-nity with open arms.

Historically the churches in the United Stateshave been immigrant churches. Who amongus cannot trace one’s ancestors back to a coun-try outside the U.S.? The church’s care andconcern for countless European immigrants iswell known. Today, we the faith communityare called to welcome immigrants with simi-lar hospitality.

The situation of immigrants is often desperate.Entering a culturally strange and different land,and struggling financially is as scary today as itever was in the past. Perhaps it is even more sobecause of the quickened pace of American life.

Those who are fortunate to connect withhelpers are settled within a few years. Othersremain in transition the rest of their lives asfamilies struggle with complex adjustments.All face major problems in housing, employ-ment, health care, legal assistance, and a diffi-cult new language.

Immigrants frequently face the additionalobstacle of cruel prejudice and racism. Non-immigrants often want to exclude them fromthe benefits of a free country, yet are eager touse cheap and reliable labor of immigrants.

The immigrants and other refugees keepcoming, not necessarily because they want to,

but as one, fleeing from war and persecution,put it, because of “the persistent advantage oflife over death.”

Presently, many Hispanics from CentralAmerica are located in Northern Virginia. About65 percent are Salvadoran, 15 percent Hondu-ran, and 10 percent each are Guatemalan andNicaraguan. The faith community in NorthernVirginia has not been unaware of the presenceand plight of these immigrant refugees.

Nationally, for more than 65 years, CatholicCharities agencies have responded to the needsof people who come to this country in searchof a better life. Thousands of refugees have

been settled. Over 90 percent of Catholic re-settlement services are provided throughCatholic Charities, which is one of the keys tothe future of migration ministry in the U.S.

In Northern Virginia, one of the responsesof the faith community has been through HogarImmigrant Services, a program of CatholicCharities. Hogar assists immigrants in partici-pating more fully in their everyday lives. In-formation referrals, legal information services,and educational opportunities are just someof the aids. The aim is to help the NorthernVirginia immigrant population become knowl-edgeable, participating individuals in society.

Yet much remains to be done, especially inand by the faith community. What are the el-ements of this challenge?

❖ Recognizing the contributions of the im-migrants to the community;

❖ Providing a greater voice to the immigrantcommunity in decision-making within the com-munity;

❖ Supporting programs designed to improvethe quality of life for newcomers;

❖ Serving as advocates to create a favorablepublic opinion out of which good things canhappen; and

❖ Seeking to raise consciousness for solidar-ity with the poor and the stranger.

Our response must be to acknowledge byword and action that the spirituality of the faithcommunity and the spirituality of the immi-grant communities are interdependent.Through love, kindness, service and advocacyfor each other both stand to gain.

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Springfield


Saturday, December 1st9 a.m.–4 p.m.

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Admission: $2, children 12 and younger free~ Door Prizes Awarded ~

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Letter to the Editor

To the Editor:Diversity is a wonderful part of living in

Northern Virginia. It is fabulous that myhusband, daughters and I have opportuni-ties to learn about various cultures. As theworkforce development director at Infant/Toddler Family Day Care, a nonprofit, statelicensed, family child care system represent-ing approximately 28 countries and 15 lan-guages, my family and I have the opportu-nity to get to know individuals that haveimmigrated to the United States recently andothers that did so long ago. Founded in1983, the organization started to see diver-sity early on, around 1985. Women immi-grating from all around the world were look-ing to combine their love of children, needfor financial stability and desire to be athome. I am honored each time I have the

opportunity to visit a new home and hearstories of immigration and the strugglessome have gone through. Each time I getanother perspective on what it means to haveour freedom. Even if a family does not havea lot of resources they often want to makesure they feed me or send me home withfood for my family. The caring and nurtur-ing family child care providers I work withhave changed who I am and allowed me toexpose my family to opportunities that maynot otherwise be possible. This best keptsecret in Northern Virginia has supportedand empowered our very diverse commu-nity for almost 30 years and I hope it contin-ues celebrating differences for many more.

Lisa Farinholt-O’Brien, LCSWSpringfield

Bulletin Board

Learning From Diversity

Send notes to the Connection [email protected] or call 703-778-9416. Deadline is Friday. Dated announcementsshould be submitted at least two weeks prior to theevent.

MONDAY/DEC. 3Personal Safety Seminar. 7 p.m. at 7250

Commerce St., Springfield. Franconia DistrictStation will hold a seminar at the Richard ByrdLibrary. This seminar will be in English.

WEDNESDAY/DEC. 5 Personal Safety Seminar. 7 p.m. at 7250

Commerce St., Springfield. Franconia DistrictStation will hold a seminar at the Richard ByrdLibrary. This seminar will be in Spanish.

SUNDAY/JAN 13Baseball Camp. TBD, at Lee High School, 6540

Franconia Road, Springfield. A six week baseballcamp with Head Coach John Dowling of LeeHigh School and with the U.S. Baseball Academypracticing advanced hitting, pitching, catching,fielding and baserunning; for players in gradesfirst through 12th, six players per coach only.Register now. $99. 866-622-4487 orwww.USBaseballAcademy.com.


News

U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-11) visits with Jon Vrana, president of theBurke Historical Society and Darby Colwell from the Victorian Society ofFalls Church at the Eighth Annual Fairfax County History Conference,“Conflict & Courage: Sites & Stories of the Civil War in Fairfax County,”on Nov. 10 at the Stacy C. Sherwood Community Center in the City ofFairfax.

U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-11) and Board of Supervisors ChairmanSharon Bulova present awards to local historians. From left—the produc-ers of “HiStory—the History of McLean/Great Falls from 1607 to thePresent,” Evelyn Fox, Wanda Hill, Joan Morton, Virginia Norton and GailT. Nields, David G. Farmer, V. Denise Barrett and Lisa F. Becker. AwardsCommittee Chairperson Lynne Garvey-Hodge looks on.

Pictured here are authors Ed Trexler, Chuck Mauro and Don Hakenson.Steve Sherman is a member of a media company, HMS Productions, anda member of the Fairfax County History Commission. Standing is JonVrana, president of the Burke Historical Society and a re-enactor whoparticipated in the re-enactment of the “Secession Vote in Fairfax”conference production.

History Conference Focuses on Conflict and CourageLocal historianshonored.

Pho

to

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ntributed

The eighth Annual Fairfax CountyHistory Conference was held onSaturday, Nov. 10, at the StacyC. Sherwood Community Cen-

ter in the City of Fairfax. A record 120 par-ticipants were in attendance to enjoy thetheme of “Conflict & Courage: The Civil Warin Fairfax County.” Over 20 authors andexhibitors also attended and the day wasfilled with living history, including the re-enactment of the “Secession Vote in FairfaxCounty” by the Jon Vrana players.

The passion of both sides was clearly por-trayed, including the reminder of the silencewomen endured in not being able to sharea voice in local or national elections. Otherliving history presentation included the pre-miere of Chuck Mauro’s play, “Chantilly:After the Storm” depicting three survivorsfrom the Battle of Ox Hill/Chantilly on Sept.1, 1862. Award-winning author and speakerGreg Clemmer spoke on “Why the Civil WarStill Lives” and captivated the audience bynumerous references to how present theCivil War is in our daily lexicon—includingthe comparison of all presidential speechesto the Gettysburg address and the presenceof Civil War music still used in Hollywoodtoday—with “Dixie” being the most com-monly used song in movies. Kevin Knappcaptured the audience’s attention with hisperiod dress and stories of ThaddeusLowe—the Reconnaissance Balloonist wholanded a balloon in our own Vienna, andliterally launched the First American AirForce. Letters written by Clara Barton wereread by Susan Rosenvold, an educator atthe Clara Barton Medical Museum.

The Fairfax County Park Authority sentthree of its premier historians, Mike Henry,John Rutherford and Jim Daniels to speakon, “Echoes Still – This Land = Our Land”—a review of the many sites and stories thatare the backdrop to Fairfax County’s parkstoday. The “Seeds of Independence” historic

preservation group from Gunston Hallshared their video which had been releasedearlier this year, “The Story of Free BlacksLiving on Mason’s Neck During the CivilWar”—a fascinating look at a prosperousand now forgotten part of Fairfax County—where numerous “free” blacks lived, ownedhomes, property and business establish-ments—yet who unfortunately got caughtup in the horror of the war as it took placearound them. The conference ended with apassionate “Appeal” from PresidentAbraham Lincoln—masterfully re-enactedby Fairfax County School Board memberDan Storck.

GUESTS INCLUDED retired news corre-spondent Roger Mudd and Del. Ken Plum(D-36). U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-11)joined with Fairfax County Board of Super-visors Chairman Sharon Bulova to presentawards to local historians who had contrib-uted to document and preserve the rich his-tory of Fairfax County this past year. It isthe custom of the Fairfax County HistoryCommission to present Annual Awards tocitizens who have given of their time and

talents to create a document or media pre-sentation that serves to preserve and pro-tect the history of the vast historic resourcesof Fairfax County. The Fairfax County His-tory Commission this year presented thefollowing Awards:

Heritage Awareness Awards:❖ C. Denise Barrett—The Nan Netherton

Award for her work in researching and writ-ing a narrative about Lakewood Estates inthe neighborhood off Wolf Shoals in SWFairfax County. She included information onthe prehistory of the county—early landacquisitions, the American Revolution andthe Civil War and on into 20th century life.This is all documented with 304 endnotesand a bibliography of 26 sources. She willalso receive a $500 prize for her efforts.

❖ Lisa Friedrich Becker—The CJS DurhanAward for her nomination to the NationalRegister of the Sydenstricker School—which she has also been extensively in-volved in renovating and “resurrecting” asa well-received community project. She willalso receive a $250 prize.

❖ David G. Farmer—The Beth MitchellAward for his Automation/Indexing of the

collection of Flint Hill Cemetery Records—reflecting its use back to 1875. His summaryExcel spread sheet consisted of 3,500-pluslines of data and a collection of informa-tion from more than 2,100 tombstones. Hewill also receive a $500 prize for his re-search and documentation efforts.

Recognition Awards:❖ Distinguished Service Award—for the

casting, performing and presenting threetimes as well as producing a video of sameof a play called “Captain John Smith: aHiStory of McLean & Great Falls Virginia.”It honored the 400th anniversary of thefounding of Jamestown and subsequentevents that occurred in the McLean area.Copies were distributed at local McLeanschools and libraries. Evelyn Fox was thecoordinator (and attended the conferencewith her husband, Shawn, as a special tripfrom Texas—where she now resides). As-sistants for the production are Wanda Hill,Joan Morton, Virginia Norton & Gail T.Nields.

❖ Lifetime Achievement Award—Suzanne Levy. For her 30-plus years of ser-vice in the Virginia Room of the Fairfax CityLibrary and her efforts to promote history,genealogy and historic preservation in theregion. (Information is also available on theFairfax County History Commission website: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/histcomm/awardsprogram.htm).

Committee members who coordinatedefforts for the conference included, BarbaraNaef, Dr. Liz Crowell, Susan Gray, EstherMcCullough, Naomi Zeavin, Sallie Lyons,Carole Herrick, Mary Lipsey, Mike Irwin andRob Orrison. The Awards Committee in-cludes Jack Hiller, Elise R. Murray, RobertBeach and Naomi Zeavin. Fairfax CountyHistory Commissioner Lynne Garvey-Hodgechairs both the Conference Planning Com-mittee and the Awards Committee. TheNinth Annual Fairfax County History Con-ference is scheduled for Nov. 9, 2013 andwill also be at the Stacy C. Sherwood Com-munity Center in The City of Fairfax.


OPEN HOUSESSATURDAY/SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1 & 2

Call Specific Agents to Confirm Dates & Times

When you visit one of these Open Houses, tell the Realtor you saw it in thisConnection Newspaper. For more real estate listings and open houses, visit

www.ConnectionNewspapers.com and click on the “This Week in Real Estate” link.

Burke6100 Eagle Landing Rd.............$635,000.........Sun 1-4.Carol Hermandorfer .. Long & Foster ..703-503-18129750 Rehanek Ct.......................$550,000.........Sun 1-4..........Doris Crockett...........Weichert ..703-615-84119417 Ulysses Ct........................$414,950.........Sun 1-4..Kathleen Quintarelli...........Weichert ..703-862-880812213 Wye Oak Commons Cir..$364,900..........Sat 1-3...........Kimberly Neff.......Avery-Hess..703-802-8200

Clifton8209 Cub Den Ct....................$1,125,000.........Sun 1-4............John Cooney ............. Fairfax..703-989-996914018 Marleigh Ln....................$595,000.........Sun 1-4...............Ed Duggan.......Century 21 ..703-989-77356324 Deepwood Farm Dr..........$589,000.........Sun 1-4...............Ed Duggan.......Century 21 ..703-989-7735

Fairfax Station7513 South Reach Dr................$849,950.........Sun 1-4..Kathleen Quintarelli...........Weichert ..703-862-8808

Falls Church3804 Munson Rd......................$829,000 ..Sat/Sun 1-4.........Patrick Kessler..Keller Williams..703-405-65407937 Freehollow Dr...................$571,000.........Sun 1-4....Christine Shevock............RE/MAX..703-475-3986

Lorton9529 Peniwill Dr.......................$989,900.........Sun 2-4..................Pat Fales............RE/MAX..703-503-4365

Manassas9800 Grant Ave.........................$159,000.........Sun 1-4......Veronica Kressel..Samson Props..703-819-9804

Springfield6025 Queenston St ................... $429,500.........Sun 1-4................Dilip Kinra..................DNK..301-515-07667205 Layton Dr.........................$425,000.........Sun 1-4 ..............Trong Trinh..................TMT..703-237-67798453 Millwood Pl......................$409,900.........Sun 1-4........Leland Lambert ..................ERA..703-742-69006505 Castine Ln........................$405,000.........Sun 1-4.........Monica Adams............RE/MAX..703-434-94006207 Middlesex Ave..................$390,000.........Sun 1-4...............Joni Koons...........Weichert ..703-549-87008518 Springfield Oaks Dr..........$324,928.........Sun 1-3............Darla Colletti............RE/MAX..703-971-5555

Woodbridge727 Harbor Side St....................$416,000.........Sun 1-4.........Diane Lenahan..........Wolf Run..703-283-7328

To add your Realtor represented Open House to these weeklylistings, please call Erin Peck at 703-778-9449 or E-mail the

info to [email protected] listings due by Tuesday at 3 P.M.

Leroy Lucy Vegas

News

Three Narcotics K-9s Support the ForcePhotos courtesy of Fairfax County Police Department

Leroy, Lucy and Vegas are trained and readyfor duty. With their keen sense of smell,they are experts at scanning wide varietiesof locations and assisting patrol officers

with requests for service on a 24/7 basis. These dogsare busy, industrious professionals.

Last year, officers assigned to the Fairfax CountyPolice Department Organized Crime and NarcoticsUnit were responsible for 392 arrests and removing263 pounds of drug material from Fairfax County.

Canines and their handlers play a key role in help-ing keep Fairfax County safe and drug-free. Accord-ing to the unit’s commander, Captain Mike Wall, “TheK-9 teams are an invaluable resource to our detec-tives. Suspects often intentionally carry their drugsin ways that are difficult to detect through a chanceencounter with a police officer. The dogs are fre-quently able to alert our detectives to the presenceof narcotics that would likely never have been found

without their trained sense of smell. Many of ourdrug seizures and arrests can be attributed to thework of our K-9 partners.”

All of the K-9s were bred and raised by Green Col-lar K9 in Greensboro, N.C. and all understand com-mands in English. Each K-9 has a personality and awork ethic that is unique; here are some details abouteach dog:

Leroy; a one-year-old yellow Labrador retrieverstarted work in July 2012. He replaced retired K9Jazz, who he lives with, along with another blackLabrador named Tebow.

Lucy; a three-year-old Red Fox Labrador who lovesto work. She also loves children, lying on the floor,and getting petted. She lives with retired K-9 Otisand another dog named Molly.

Vegas; a two-year-old Labrador has been sniffingout narcotics since December 2010. She lives in ahome with another 7-year-old Labrador.

Send notes to the Connection [email protected] orcall 703-778-9416. Deadline is Fri-day. Dated announcements should besubmitted at least two weeks prior tothe event.

Nick McGovern of Springfieldhas been selected to play Jack for theUniversity of Mary Washington pro-duction of “Into the Woods.”

McGovern is the son of Michaeland Julie McGovern of Springfieldand is a 2010 graduate of Robert E.Lee High School. A junior majoringin business administration and the-atre, McGovern is a member ofUMW’s varsity baseball team and theImprov Troupe. He has been namedto the Dean’s List.

Rosanne M. Kysar, of Spring-

field, graduated from Boston Universitywith a Master of Science in computerinformation systems in September2012.

The following students were namedsemifinalists in the 2013 NationalAchievement® Scholarship Program:Hayley V. Harris and Warren D.Smith from Centreville High School;Tommie A. Banks from West Spring-field High School.

The following students were namedsemifinalists in the 2013 National MeritScholarship Program: Emily R.Costigan of South County SecondarySchool; Benjamin D. Sando ofCentreville High School; John B.Hyde, Victoria L. Irvine, YeserKim and Alexander C. Moree fromWest Springfield High School.

Air Force Airman 1st ClassPeter L. Nguyen of Springfieldgraduated from basic military train-ing at Lackland Air Force Base, SanAntonio, Texas. Nguyen is the son ofKim Le of Springfield, and stepson ofDwight Rider of Stafford. He is a2006 graduate of West SpringfieldHigh School. He earned an associatedegree in 2010 from Northern Vir-ginia Community College,Alexandria.

Jessica Marsh has been namedto the spring 2012 dean’s list at Mon-tana State University.

Cole Mitchell has been namedto the fall 2011 dean’s list atRandolph-Macon Academy. He is theson of Taylor and Sue Mitchell ofSpringfield.

School Notes

Every year between Christmas and New Year’s,The Springfield Connection turns its pages over to thecontributions of local students. We are seekingartwork, photography, poetry, opinions, short storiesand reflections. We welcome contributions frompublic schools, private schools and students who arehome schooled.

E-mail to: [email protected], or mail (.jpg and text files on disconly) by Dec. 5, to 1606 King St., Alexandria, VA22314. Please be sure to include the student’s name,age, grade, school and town of residence along witheach submission. For information, call 703-778-9410.

Be a Part of CHILDREN’S(& TEENS’) CONNECTION

10 ❖ Springfield Connection ❖ November 29 - December 5, 2012 Springfield Connection ❖ November 29 - December 5, 2012 ❖ 11www.ConnectionNewspapers.com www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLATTENDANCE AREASStudents who speak a language

other than English at home

38,760 FairfaxCounty elementaryschool students (44percent) speak alanguage other thanEnglish at home.

By Donna Manz

The Connection

The schools that feed intoGeorge C. MarshallHigh School are the aca-

demic home to children from allover the world. It’s not surpris-ing, then, that Marshall is an in-ternational community, a TysonsCorner United Nations, so tospeak. Many of the studentscome for the prestigious I.B. (In-ternational Baccalaureate), butmost are in the Marshall district,which embraces students fromTysons to the far-reaches ofVienna. From Italian to Swahili,there is a myriad of languagesnative to Marshall’s students,who represent more than 90nations.

“Marshall has an internationalstudent body from all walks oflife, from the four corners of theworld,” said principal JayPearson. “Our kids cross somany boundaries. We don’t re-fer to it as ‘diversity,’” Pearsonsaid. “For our students, this isthe norm. These kids are veryaccustomed to moving betweengroups of students from every-where, so, there aren’t ‘cliques.’

“We are the face of whatFairfax County is in 2012.”

FIVE INVITED STUDENTSgathered in a roundtable discus-sion at Marshall recently. Whatthey agreed on is that Americanschools are less-intense aca-demically, less-academicallypressuring than schools outsidethe U.S. In other countries, it is

academics-only that define yourfuture, a selected group of studentssaid in the recent discussion withPearson and an interviewer. In theU.S., the students said, you haveextracurricular programs that en-hance the total person. What theU.S. does not have, however, thatinternational schools stress, is anemphasis on foreign language flu-ency.

English is a compulsory curricu-lum in many school systems theworld over. Some students, such asKasthury Paramiswaran, aMarshall senior from Malaysia,speak multiple languages, fluent ineach. Kasthury’s family movedaround the world as part of herfather’s job, and Kasthury masteredfour languages in her journeys. Shesaid she still works very hard in herI.B. subjects, getting “A”s in everyone of her classes. She is applyingto colleges in the United Kingdomand the Netherlands.

Jia Loh, a Malaysian native whohas been in the U.S. for two years,said the transition to schools herewas “hard,” even though the aca-demic environment is less intensethan in Malaysia.

“I had to adjust to different cul-tures. It was hard to find friendswho share my culture.”

Dalila Ferrara’s family movedaround Italy; her father is in themilitary there. In the early 1990s,he was assigned to a U.S. base inTexas and his experience there wasnot a good one. “He warned me notto tell people I’m Italian,” Dalilasaid. “He told me not to be proud

By Alex McVeigh

The Connection

As Fairfax County has ex-perienced massivegrowth in its interna-tional population, its ef-

fects have spread to its educationalinstitutions. Forty-four percent ofthe Fairfax County Public Schoolsstudents come from homes thatspeak a language other than En-glish, which includes 160 differentlanguages.

In 2006, the county came upwith the goal to eventually have allgraduates be able to communicatein two languages. The county cur-rently offers 11 different lan-guages.

“We highly value the diversity ofour population, because it’s advan-tageous for our students to growup here, as global citizens,” saidTeddi Predaris, director of thecounty’s Office of Language Ac-quisition. “We believe it’s a hugeasset for our students in their fu-ture endeavors.”

Approximately 28 percent of thecounty’s current population are for-eign born, with Spanish, Korean,Vietnamese, Arabic, Urdu and Chi-nese/Mandarin being the mostcommon languages spoken in thehomes of elementary school stu-dents.

The county’s kindergarten two-way immersion program is onemethod used by schools to takeadvantage of increasing diversity.The program consists of half En-glish speakers and half who speakthe immersion language.

“In this program, the teachersand students are language modelsfor each other, and they spend halfthe day working at each language,”Predaris said. “Our criteria for add-ing these programs is having alarge enough population of thenon-English speaking group tomake a 50-50 mix possible. This isone of the models we hope to ex-pand in coming years.”

The county has five Spanish kin-dergarten two-way immersion pro-grams, at Bailey’s, Braddock, LakeAnne, London Towne and Rose HillElementary Schools. New this yearis a Korean two-way immersionschool at Colin Powell ElementarySchool in Centreville.

THE PROGRAM AT COLINPOWELL was designed to take ad-vantage of the area’s large Korean

Schools Using Diversity for Student BenefitsImmersion, ESOL programs aim to takeadvantage of area cultures.

“We highly value the diversityof our population, because

it’s advantageous for ourstudents to grow up here, as

global citizens.”— Teddi Predaris, director of the county’s

Office of Language Acquisition

Focus on Immigration

where they have little tono schooling. There’s al-ways a silent period inthe beginning, but peri-ods like lunch and recessallow the Spanish speak-ers to talk among them-selves, which helps openthem up. Children learnmost of their languagefrom each other, so hav-ing native speakers ofboth languages helpsboth groups immensely.Each group of native speakersgets to be the language rolemodel for half a day, with theother students learning from them.It really boosts their confidence.”

COUNTY SCHOOLS also feature

Janet Funk, principal of GunstonElementary School in Lorton,where approximately 300 studentscome from a home where anotherlanguage is spoken, says everydayinteraction with new cultures is animportant part of early education.

“Interesting conversations can beheard in the lunchroom, especiallywhen students from other coun-tries bring their food from home.Children are very interested inbringing their favorite foods, whichnaturally flows to a discussion oftraditions and celebrations,” shesaid. “With these informal discus-sions, the students learn the impor-tance of accepting classmates forwho they are. This supports ourgoal of cultural acceptance an col-laborative interaction among ourschool community.”

But with such diversity comeschallenges, especially when itcomes to Standards of Learningtests.

“Classroom teachers and ESOLteachers work diligently to help thestudents learn the English lan-guage. Many of our students fromother countries are still learningEnglish and are reading belowgrade level expectations,” Funksaid. “These students receive read-

ing instruction in the classroomsetting and the ESOL class-room. They are receiving a‘double’ dose of reading ona regularly scheduled ba-sis. However, when itcomes time to take theSOL tests, they are re-quired to take the test on

grade level in a lan-guage in which they arenot proficient.”In Virginia, SOL tests

must be taken in English,but in Texas, for example,

standardized tests can be taken inSpanish.

CHANGES to the state’s licensurerequirements this year have alsocaused some difficulties. This year,the state required teachers in el-ementary school programs to notonly be licensed in their language,but also for elementary education.

“We’ve struggled this year due tothe new requirement,” Charltonsaid. “We’ve had to use some long-term subs until as recently as twoor three weeks ago before we hadenough full time teachers that metqualifications. Now I think the uni-versities are aware of the change,so it might be better in future years,but it can definitely make it diffi-cult to find people.”

population. The Korean studentswho are in the program all couldspeak a little English

“The program is a niche that fitsvery well in our community. For thenative English speakers, it helpsthem understand more about theculture of the people they sharethe community with everyday. It gives everyone moreunderstanding of thepeople that walkthrough our doorsevery day,” said

Principal LindaClifford. “Walking into aclassroom the other day, I wasamazed at how many non-Koreanstudents were able to understandKorean very well.”

Clifford said she hopes in futureyears that the school can expandthe program beyond kindergarten,eventually to every grade at theschool. The school also offers anafter school program to all studentswho are interested in learning Ko-rean, and they even have a pre-school program to teach immigrantfamilies about school programsand other information they mightnot otherwise be familiar with be-fore their children start school.

Students in the program atBailey’s Elementary take health,math and science in their nativelanguage. As a magnet school, stu-dents from across the county canapply, which the school uses mainlyto fill its English-speaking require-ment.

“The native Spanish speakerscome to Bailey’s with a wide rangeof English skills, depending onwhere they come from,” said As-sistant Principal Rachel Charlton.“Some come from very rural areas

Another area of growth has beenthe county’s English for Speakersof Other Languages program,which started 35 years ago with300 students. Since then it has seena steady increase, with 15,000 infiscal year 2001 and 31,000 thisyear.

immersion programs in Japanese,German and French at elementaryand middle schools.

See Curriculum, Page 12

Marshall High Is the Face of Fairfax CountyOver 90 countries represented bystudent population.

George C.Marshall

High Schoolhas a student

populationrepresenting

more than 90nations.

“Marshall has aninternationalstudent body fromall walks of life,from the fourcorners of theworld … We arethe face of whatFairfax County isin 2012.”— George C. Marshall High

School Principal JayPearson

Photo by

Donna Manz/

The Connection

Viewpoints

What was your biggest concern or fearwhen moving to U.S. schools?

—Donna Manz

KasthuryParamiswaran,senior,Malaysia

“I had a closegroup of friendsthere and I didn’tknow anybodyhere,” on leaving Malaysia whenshe had made friends in hernative high school. “I still workvery hard in my [I.B.] classes.”

Dalila Ferrara,junior, Italy

“Actually, I wasreally happy tomove here. Myonly fear wasthat I wouldn’t beaccepted. Thatdidn’t happen. My biggest dreamis to get an MBA from Harvard.”

Millan Mbise,senior,Tanzania

“The culturalaspect. Forexample, inTanzania there islittle interactionwith teachers. The teachers arestrict, classes are very intense. It’snot like that here. I played varsitysoccer last year and that helpedme a lot with the transition toMarshall.

“I figured out what I wanted todo with my life when I movedhere. I want to be a pharmacist.”

Jia Loh,senior,Malaysia

“Mybiggest fearwas findingfriends. Stillfind it hard

to join cliques. Most of myfriends are internationalstudents. I’m still workingon that part of the transi-tion. My dream is to find ahigh-paying job I like,accounting or law.”

AmberHolder,senior,Panama

“Mybiggest fearwas that Iwouldn’t

have the same friendsthroughout my academiccareer. My dream is toestablish a music educationsystem that would producemore diverse, well-roundedmusicians, not just musi-cians who are skilled in justone instrument.”


By Michelle Kain

The Connection

Garfield ElementarySchool in Spring-field, like all ofFairfax County, has

a population that reflects awide range of backgrounds.With 33 languages spoken, theschool’s ESOL (English forSpeakers of Other Languages)program has had to expand.The school has a first gradeclass of 60 students, 58 ofwhom are ESOL students rang-ing from levels one throughfour.

Jane Cofie-Raczko, who hasbeen a teacher for the past 13years, teaches one of three firstgrade classes in which all 20 of the students haveEnglish as a second language.

The majority of these students are from Hispanicor Middle Eastern backgrounds and common lan-guages include Spanish, Arabic, Urdu, Farsi, Ko-rean, Chinese and Vietnamese. The challengesinvolved with teaching these students depend ontheir proficiency with the English language.

“For students who speak almost no English, itcan be difficult to communicate to the studentsthat you want them to succeed and that you arethere to help them. It can also be difficult to getthe students to ask for help, mostly due to theirlack of confidence in their speaking ability. Forstudents with a better knowledge of the social lan-guage, it can be tough to give them a similarlystrong academic language. Add the already diffi-cult material to learning English for the first timeand it can be very challenging,” said Cofie-Raczko.

“The success of the students with the curricu-lum and their preparedness for middle and highschool depends on the schooling they received intheir home country as well as when they enrolled

Teachers discuss challenges of teaching English asa Second Language.

We Are the World, at Garfield

of being Italian.” Dalila carriedthat warning with her when sheentered Marshall. The dire warn-ing turned out to have no basis ather new school. “When I tellpeople here I’m Italian, they say,‘oh, I love Italy’ and then, I’m sorelieved. Yes, I am proud to say I’mItalian here.”

In Italy, it was always school andstudying through late evening,Dalila said. She had no social lifethere.

“When I came here, it was sucha relief,” she said. “I was so happyI finally had time for myself.”

Millan Mbise, from Tanzania,was pleasantly surprised by thedegree of interaction between stu-dents and teachers. Teachers areless approachable than in the U.S.Millan, whose native language isSwahili, grew up speaking English,

From Page 10

‘Hidden Curriculum’up their native language.

“Studies show that bilingual stu-dents do better academically.”

Bloom said the school helpsnewly-immigrated students totransition by embracing the fami-lies as they enter the school. Rela-tionship-building is how he refersto the partnership. “When you es-tablish that relationship with newfamilies from other countries, youget rid of a lot of hurdles. Whenyou do that, the families feel val-ued and a part of the Freedom Hillfamily. We have students learningfrom one another simply fromtheir exposure to each other.”

The children of Freedom HillElementary School are so accus-tomed to establishing relation-ships within the classroom, theydon’t recognize barriers, Bloomsaid. “It’s a representation of theworld.”

Bloom refers to the school’s di-at Garfield,” said Rozi Khakpour, an ESOL teacherat Garfield Elementary.

Students who have attended Garfield from thestart get the opportunity to develop oral languageat an early age through programs such as Lunchand Bunch in which kindergartners with Englishas a second language meet twice a week to havelunch and practice this important skill.

The program, along with others, have provento be successful as “students who have been atGarfield since kindergarten often exceed in highschool and earn positions on the honor roll,”Khakpour said.

“Another thing that has proven to be helpful,”said Kirsten Howard, another first grade teacher,“is Garfield’s social curriculum.” This social cur-riculum, which concentrates on teaching studentscooperation, assertion, responsibility, empathy,and self-control, has given students a greaterawareness outside themselves and has helpedthem in middle in high school as demonstratedby their willingness to take on leadership posi-tions.

Mariana Del Cid-Quintanilla, Spanish,parents from El Salvador

Anmul Jan,Pashtu, bornin Pakistan

Michael Opuni, Akah,parents from Ghana(Michael born in US)

Yusuf Ouanina,Arabic, Morocco

Tracy Huynh, Viet-namese, Vietnam

Mohammed (Jafar)Abdulridna, Arabic, Iraq

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Jane Cofie-Raczko gives her first grade class thedetails regarding their upcoming test.

Focus on Immigration

“There’s so much value in having aschool where children from all overthe world can come together.”

— Scott Bloom, Freedom Hill principal

as well. English is compulsory inthe schools, and, Millan calls it the“unofficial” language of Tanzania.

Millan is bused from Marshalldaily to Falls Church High Schoolfor a class in “pharmacy technol-ogy.” He learned what he wantedto do with his life while living hereand attending an American school.He wants to be a pharmacist someday.

FREEDOM HILL ELEMEN-TARY SCHOOL feeds into theMarshall pyramid. Like Marshall,Freedom Hill is the world in mi-crocosm. There are more than 42languages spoken in the students’homes and the children of Free-dom Hill represent more than 53countries. Some Freedom Hill stu-dents are from diplomatic families,already bilingual or multilingualwith English exposure. Others arenew to English. The school,through its many ESOL levels,works with these students to helpthem adapt to English.

“Within the realm of school, thekids are held accountable to com-municate in the English language,”said first-year Freedom Hill prin-cipal Scott Bloom. As the kids in-teract with their peers, they pickup English.

“I like to think we also recognizethe importance of kids having thatdual-language skill,” Bloom said.“We want them to learn English,but, we don’t want them to give

versity as a “hidden curriculum.”“There’s so much value in hav-

ing a school where children fromall over the world can come to-gether,” Bloom said. “You set thestage for the children to share theirhistory, backgrounds, culture, andexperiences. “There’s so muchpower in bringing all these differ-ent cultures together that I thinkit’s justified to call it a hidden cur-riculum.

“The kids don’t even knowthey’re learning from this diver-sity.”

Marshall’s roundtable studentseager to discuss their new lives allsaid that school life is more pres-sured in their native countries withlittle opportunities within theschool system to learn nonaca-demic things. Schools do not pro-mote extracurricular activities asthey do here.

“Students are pushed by theirparents to excel academically inMalaysia,” Kasthury said. “Many ofthese kids commit suicide. They’retold, ‘if you’re not the best, you’llnever succeed.’”

Amber Holder has found a mul-titude of extracurricular activitiesto engage in. In Panama, there wasonly a single option. Here, shesaid, she’s involved with themarching band, the literary maga-zine and other programs. “InPanama, you have to find oneplace to fit in. But, here, you canfit in in many places.”


By David Siegel

The Connection

A delightfully boisterous,but controlled chaos litup a recent rehearsal of

the Providence Players’ nextproduction, the family-friendlyholiday treat, “The Best Christ-mas Pageant Ever.” Over adozen joyously energeticmiddle school and high schoolstudents were rehearsing theirroles under the watchful eye ofDirector Beth Whitehead(Mantua).

Written by Barbara Robinson,“The Best Christmas PageantEver” has been a magazine ar-ticle, a book and a play. It is acomic, heartwarming tale fo-cused on children consideredsome of the most incorrigible intown. Then they are cast in thelocal church’annual Christmaspageant.

Fully expecting the worse, theentire town shows-up, just wait-ing to see an expected car-crash. Will the Christmas pag-eant be ruined? Or will somekinder, gentler virtues somehowsurface?

Whitehead noted that therewas an open call to cast the 30-actor production. It includesabout 20 children; over 50 chil-dren auditioned for the roles.

Blake Phillips, a freshman atWoodson High School greatlylikes the theater. “I can expressmyself in a theater production.I get to show feelings and emo-tions as an actor.” He wantedto be in “The Best ChristmasPageant Ever” since “it is aunique show, family-centered,kids-centered show. It can teachgood lessons. And the audiencecan watch children transform asthey hear the Christmas Story

for the first time. They trulybegin to change before theaudience’s eyes.”

Hazel Thurston has a very keyrole, she narrates the evening’sentertainment.

She is from Kenmore MiddleSchool in nearby Arlington.Thurston loves theater and be-ing in this production. “Thereare lots of funny lines. . . . Andthere are good lessons to belearned. Don’t judge people bywhat you first see on their out-side; there may be great kind-ness and niceness hidden awaylonging to get out.”

One of the early members ofthe Providence Players, nowcelebrating its fifteenth year, isDave Schwartz performing as areverend lending a hand to helpthe children understand theChristmas Story. “It is a funshow with so much energy. Re-ally, the whole family will en-joy it.”

This holiday family fare pro-duction of the Providence Play-ers will benefit the generous,charitable work of the YoungHearts, a group of FairfaxCounty teens who raise fundsto battle blood cancers andother diseases. As a co-produc-tion of the Young Hearts, PrinceMcLaughlin is taking on the re-sponsibilities of production co-producer.

Providence Players present “TheBest Christmas Pageant Ever.”

Buoyant Holiday Fare

From left, Blake Phillips as Ralph Herdman, RyanClark as Leroy Herdman, Brendan Dure as CharlieBradley, and Jody Parker as Imogene Herdman inrehearsal for the Providence Players of Fairfax pro-duction of “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.”

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When and WhereProvidence Players of Fairfax per-

form “The Best Christmas PageantEver” at the James Lee CommunityCenter Theater, 2855 AnnandaleRoad, Falls Church. Performancesare on Dec. 7-16, 2012, Thursday,Friday and Saturday evenings at 8p.m., and Saturday and Sundaymatinees at 2 p.m. Tickets: $15-$18.Call 703-425-6782 or visitwww.providenceplayers.org.

‘All I Want for Christmas’Encore dancers present annual holiday show.

By Bonnie Hobbs

The Connection

A great way to kick off theholiday season is by see-ing Encore TheatricalArts Project’s new show,

“All I Want for Christmas.” Thissong-and-dance extravaganzaaims to delight audiences of allages.

Show times are Dec. 8 and 15at 1, 4 and 8 p.m.; Dec. 9 and 16at 1 and 4 p.m.; and Dec. 14 at 8p.m. at NOVA’s Annandale campusat 8333 Little River Turnpike. Tick-ets range from $17-$30 atwww.encore-tap.org/ or call 703-222-5511.

“The sets are huge and glorious, the costumes arecolorful and there’s a lot of acting, plus both old andnew songs,” said the director and choreographer,Raynor van der Merwe. “We have everything fromdancing reindeers and elves to sophisticatedRockette-style numbers—one done with lightedwreaths.”

The 31 dancers have been training and rehearsing18 hours a week in preparation, and van der Merwesays they’re “enthusiastic, talented and giving per-formers.” Rounding out the cast are acting veteransTina and Dan Delafield who portray the head elves,Margaret and Marv.

“The girls have worked incredibly hard and havebeen a joy to work with,” said van der Merwe. “Andthe upbeat numbers will have the audience dancingin their seats.”

THE SETS WILL SHOW New York’s RockefellerCenter and the North Pole. Designed and painted byTabitha Dees, they’re 50 feet wide and 20 feet highand she put in 18-hour days for six weeks to com-plete them. But she says the long hours and hardwork are all worthwhile.

“They have lights, real working windows anddoors, and there’s even snow,” said Dees. “One ofmy favorite parts is when the curtain goes up andthe audience gives a collective gasp. For a moment,they’re transported to another place.”

“That’s part of the magic of theater,” added vander Merwe. “For a little while, you’re all on the samejourney together.”

Centreville’s Logan Floyd plays Mistletoe the elf.“She starts off as a good elf, but makes the mistakeof opening a letter meant for Santa—which she’s notsupposed to do,” explained Floyd. “Because of it, she’sinfected with the Gimme-Gimme Flu and becomesselfish.” She then passes it on to the other elves andthey have to find an antidote.

As Mistletoe, Floyd likes transforming from a goodto a bad elf. “Everyone else is such a good character,so it’s fun getting to explore a different type of char-acter,” she said.

With Encore since age 2 is Fairfax’s Grace Cryblskey,a sixth-grader at Oak View Elementary. In the show,she acts and dances in six numbers. “I play a littlegirl talking with her friends about Santa,” she said.“She thinks Christmas is only about getting presents.I also play an elf named Jinkxie. At first, she’s a regu-lar elf and then she turns evil, and it’s fun playingboth characters.”

Cryblskey’s favorite number is “Winter Wonder-

land” because “it’s about how Christmas is a winterwonderland and it’ll snow while we’re dancing.” Shesaid the audience will enjoy the whole show because“the script is well-written, very funny and entertain-ing.” She loves dancing because “it’s a way to ex-press myself and you get to be onstage, share yourtalents with others and make them happy.”

FAIRFAX RESIDENT Christina Mastracchio, 14, isa 10-year member of Encore. “When I’m onstage, it’sthe most amazing feeling,” she said. “I love perform-ing and seeing people’s reactions when I do some-thing cool.”

She especially likes the song, “Dolly,” because “weget on a train and the sound effects are really good,and the tap dancing is very crisp.” Overall, she said,“The audience will like the show because the danc-ing is professional, the singing is amazing and so isthe acting—and everything just comes together.”

Teen Audra Avery, who’s homeschooled, joinedEncore at age 6. She said van der Merwe taughther “how to show the audience with your expres-sion how much you love to dance—which I do.”Playing an elf named Twinkle, when the story starts,she’s in charge of getting things ready for Christ-mas. But she’s eventually infected with the flu, aswell, which makes her want to keep all the pre-sents for herself.

“I usually play the nice elf,” she said. “ButTwinkle’s character changes, so it’s like playing twoparts. And I love the costume—it’s a short blue,pixie-type dress; all the costumes in this show arereally amazing. My favorite number is ‘Reindeer;’we wear brown and have antlers, and the song hasa lot of leaps and is really high-energy. I think theaudience will also like our new, winter set for theNorth Pole and the storyline.”

Alia Artieda of Centreville loves dancing because,she explains, “I can express myself about everything.”She also likes the “Cool Yule” number because it’sdone with a smaller group and “it’s bluesy, which ismore my style.”

Chantilly High sophomore Renee Griese says it’s“an amazing feeling being up on stage and havingpeople clap afterward. It gives you a really good senseof accomplishment.” Calling the show “kid-friendly,”she said, “When the curtain goes up and you hear allthe little kids, they think everything they see onstageis real and are totally entertained by it.”

“All the girls in this production want it to be greatas much as I do,” added van der Merwe. “It’s a fullcast focused on a common goal, and that’s whatmakes it special.”

Entertainment

Dolls and a train are at the North Pole in Encore’sannual holiday show.

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Send notes to the Connection [email protected] or call703-778-9416. Deadline is Friday. Datedannouncements should be submitted atleast two weeks prior to the event.

THURSDAY/NOV. 29Richard Byrd Library Sale. 1-9 p.m.,

at 7250 Commerce St., Springfield.Find 10,000-plus books, many likenew, from fifty cents to $3, on thetopics of cooking, hobbies, children’sbooks, fiction, art and nearlyeverything else with an especiallyrich history collection. The salecontinues through Saturday, Dec. 1.703-451-8055.

The Diary of Anne Frank. 7 p.m., atWest Springfield High School, 6100Rolling Road, Springfield. Presenting“The Diary of Anne Frank,” thefamous story of a young Jewish girlforced to go into hiding with herfamily during the Holocaust. $5students; $10 adults. http://www.fcpsdrama.com/.

FRIDAY/NOV. 30Richard Byrd Library Sale. 10 a.m.-

6 p.m., at 7250 Commerce St.,Springfield. Find 10,000-plus books,many like new, from fifty cents to $3,on the topics of cooking, hobbies,children’s books, fiction, art andnearly everything else with anespecially rich history collection. Thesale continues through Saturday,Dec. 1. 703-451-8055.

Drumming with Dishes: TheHoliday Edition. 10:30 a.m., W-3Theatre at the Workhouse ArtsCenter, 9601 Ox Road, Lorton. Anadventurous toddler invites her shyimaginary friend to a kitchen wherethe two cook up music and see whatmakes the holiday season the most

The annual Model Train Show is a mecca of gauges andtrain displays for the whole family.

Twenty-Third Annual Model Train ShowOn Saturday, Dec. 1, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., at the Fairfax Station Railroad Mu-

seum, 11200 Fairfax Station Road, Fairfax Station, moving gauges, agarden-themed gauge, a caboose, gift shop and many train displays make a festiveday. Bring your own model train problems to “The Train Doctor” and see Model Aautos, weather permitting. $5, adults; $1, children. 703-425-9224 or www.fairfax-station.org.

wonderful time of the year; the playis a 35-minute interactive, non-verbalshow with two adult actors and amusician, geared toward childrenages 2-6. $8 (children under 12months, free).www.artsonthehorizon.org.


SATURDAY/DEC. 1Drumming with Dishes: The

Holiday Edition. 9:45 a.m., 11:15a.m., at the W-3 Theatre at theWorkhouse Arts Center, 9601 OxRoad, Lorton. An adventuroustoddler invites her shy imaginaryfriend to a kitchen where the twocook up music and see what makesthe holiday season the mostwonderful time of the year; the playis a 35-minute interactive, non-verbalshow with two adult actors and amusician, geared toward childrenages 2-6. $8 (children under 12months, free).www.artsonthehorizon.org.

Twenty-Third Annual Model TrainShow. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., at the FairfaxStation Railroad Museum, 11200Fairfax Station Road, Fairfax Station.Moving gauges, a garden-themedgauge, a caboose, gift shop and manytrain displays make a festive day;bring your own model train problemsto “The Train Doctor” and see ModelA autos, weather permitting. $5,adults; $1, children. 703-425-9224 orwww.fairfax-station.org.

Richard Byrd Library Sale. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., at 7250 Commerce St.,Springfield. Find 10,000-plus books,many like new, from fifty cents to $3,on the topics of cooking, hobbies,children’s books, fiction, art andnearly everything else with anespecially rich history collection. 703-451-8055.

A Magical Christmas. 1 p.m., at theW-3 Theatre, the Lorton Workhouse,9601 Ox Road, Lorton. Santa hasn’tstopped in the town of Believe forthree whole years and doesn’t evenknow the place exists—can Joy’sgrandfather turn the town Christmasspirit around? $8, children; $12,adults. www.lortonarts.org.

The Diary of Anne Frank. 7 p.m., atWest Springfield High School, 6100

Rolling Road, Springfield. Presenting“The Diary of Anne Frank,” thefamous story of a young Jewish girlforced to go into hiding with herfamily during the Holocaust. $5students; $10 adults. http://www.fcpsdrama.com/.

SUNDAY/DEC. 2 South County HS Holiday Craft

Fair. 10 a.m.-3 p.m., at 8501Silverbrook Road, Lorton. Uniqueholiday gifts, entertainment,concessions and silent auction;benefits the All Night Grad Party. $2;$1, seniors 65-plus; ages 12-and-under, free. [email protected].

Drumming with Dishes: TheHoliday Edition. 11 a.m., W-3Theatre at the Workhouse ArtsCenter, 9601 Ox Road, Lorton. Anadventurous toddler invites her shyimaginary friend to a kitchen wherethe two cook up music and see whatmakes the holiday season the mostwonderful time of the year; the playis a 35-minute interactive, non-verbalshow with two adult actors and amusician, geared toward childrenages 2-6. $8 (children under 12months, free).www.artsonthehorizon.org.


TUESDAY/DEC. 4Benefit Breakfast for Area

Children Living in Foster Care.10-11 a.m., at Long & Foster RealEstate Springfield office, 7202 OldKeene Mill Road. Bring a toy orclothes for tot to teen to bedistributed by Fairfax County’sDepartment of Health and HumanServices for Chrismas. Checks or cashalso welcomed. Call 703-452-3905for advanced pick up.LongandFoster.com.

FRIDAY/DEC. 7Drumming with Dishes: The

Holiday Edition. 10:30 a.m., W-3Theatre at the Workhouse Arts Center,9601 Ox Road, Lorton. Anadventurous toddler invites her shy

Calendar

See Calendar, Page 15

HUMANE SOCIETY OF FAIRFAX COUNTYHours: Monday-Friday 10-4 and Saturday 10-3 • 703-385-PETS

Adoptions: By appointment only. • www.hsfc.org

THIS IS “HOWARD”Stop the presses...Howard needs to gethis picture on the front page so he canshow the world how adorable he reallyis. This incredible fella is long, low and atotal loverboy. He loves everyone and isgentle enough for even a baby to cuddlewith. He’s 5 years young and still loves agame of fetch…though you may be theone getting the most exercise! His earsalone will have you under his magicspell, and his soulful expressions willseal the deal. Come and meet the bestpal you’ll ever have!Incredible Fella!

For a free digi-tal subscriptionto one or allof the 15ConnectionNewspapers,go towww.connectionnewspapers.com/subscribe

Be the first toknow – get yourpaper before ithits the press.

Complete digitalreplica of theprint edition,including photosand ads, deliv-ered weeklyto your e-mailbox.

Questions?E-mail:[email protected]


Westwood BaptistChurch…703-451-5120

BibleImmanuel Bible

Church…703-941-4124Catholic

St. Bernadette’sCatholic Church…

703-451-8576Christian Science

First Church of Christ,Scientist…703-866-4325

Church of ChristCentral Christian Church…

703-971-0277Springfield Church

of Christ…703-451-4011Church of Jesus Christ

of Latter Day SaintsChurch of Jesus Christof Latter Day Saints…

703-451-0631Disciples of Christ

Springfield ChristianChurch…703-354-4994

EpiscopalSt. Christopher’s

Episcopal…703-451-1088

Evangelical CovenantCommunity Covenant

Church…703-455-4150

JewishCongregation Adat

Reyim…703-569-7577

Ohev Yisrael MessianicCongregation...703-550-0888

Jehovah’s WitnessSpringfield North Congregation…

703-971-2936Lutheran

Prince of Peace Lutheran…703-451-5855

St. John’s Lutheran Church…703-971-2210

St. Mark’s Lutheran Church…703-451-4331

Immanuel Lutheran Church…703-549-0155

MethodistMessiah United

Methodist Church…703-569-9862

Springfield United Methodist...703-451-2375

St. John’s United Methodist…703-256-6655

Sydenstricker UnitedMethodist…703-451-8223

Non-DenominationalLove International Church…

703-354-3608New Life Open Bible Church…

703-922-7577New World Unity Church…

703-690-7925International

Calvary Church…703-912-1378Presbyterian

Grace Presbyterian Church…703-451-2900

Harvester Presbyterian Church…703-455-7800

Kirkwood Presbyterian Church…703-451-5320

Assembly of GodHarvest Church…

703-971-7070Word of Life Assemblyof God…703-941-2312

Baha’i FaithBaha’is of Fairfax

County Southwest…703-912-1719

BaptistCommunity of Faith

Tabernacle…703-455-4594

Fellowship BaptistChurch…

703-569-5151First Baptist Church-

Hayfield…703-971-7077

First Baptist Church-Springfield…703-451-1500

Franconia BaptistChurch…

703-971-4475South Run Baptist

Church…703-455-4521

To Advertise Your Community of Worship, Call 703-778-9418

COMMUNITIES OF WORSHIP

From

Send notes to the Connection [email protected] orcall 703-778-9416. Deadline is Fri-day. Dated announcements should besubmitted at least two weeks prior tothe event.

Advent Holy Communionworship service, 7:30 p.m. onWednesdays Dec. 5, 12 and 19 atLivingSavior Lutheran Church, 5500Ox Road, Fairfax Station. All arewelcome—join to celebrate the sea-son. 703-352-1421. http://www.livingsaviorlutheran.org.

On Tuesday, Dec. 25, a Christ-mas Eve Candlelight HolyCommunion Service takes place at6:30 (family) and 8:30. All are wel-come—come to celebrate the season.703-352-1421. http://www.livingsaviorlutheran.org.

Fairfax Baptist Temple, at thecorner of Fairfax County Parkwayand Burke Lake Roads, holds a BibleStudy Fellowship at 9 a.m. Sundaysfollowed by a 10 a.m. worship ser-vice. Nursery care and Children’sChurch also provided. 6401 Mission-ary Lane, Fairfax Station,7 0 3 - 3 2 3 - 8 1 0 0 ,www.fbtministries.org

A Walk through AncientBethlehem, Dec. 8-9, 2012.Walk through a replica of ancientBethlehem during the time of JesusChrist’ birth. On Dec. 8 and 9,Parkwood Baptist Church ofAnnandale will present its 12th an-nual re-creation of Bethlehem. Toursconducted from 4 to 8 p.m. will fea-

ture costumed re-enactors includingRoman soldiers and tax collectors,musical performances, and a nativityscene with live performers and ani-mals. Activities and crafts forchildren and refreshments for all. Noadmission charge. 8726 BraddockRoad, Annandale. Details availableat www.bwalk.org or 703-978-8160.

Lord of Life Lutheran offersservices at two locations, in Fairfaxat 5114 Twinbrook Road and inClifton at 13421 Twin Lakes Drive.Services in Fairfax are held on Satur-days at 5:30 p.m. and Sundays at8:15, 9:45 and 11:15 a.m. Services inClifton are held on Sundays at 8:15and 10:30 a.m. 703-323-9500 orwww.Lordoflifeva.org.

First Baptist Church ofSpringfield offers Sunday school at9:15 a.m., followed by a 10:30 a.m.worship service. 7300 Gary Street,Springfield. 703-451-1500

www.fbcspringfield.org.

Clifton Presbyterian Church,12748 Richards Lane, Clifton, offersSunday worship services at 8:30 a.m.and 11 a.m. Nursery care is pro-vided. Christian education for allages is at 9:45 a.m. 703-830-3175.

St. Andrew the ApostleCatholic Church, 6720 Union MillRoad, Clifton, conducts Sundaymasses at 7:30 a.m., 8:45 a.m.,10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. It alsooffers a Saturday vigil at 5:30 p.m.and a Thursday Latin mass at 7 p.m.703-817-1770 or www.st-andrew.org.

Faith Notes

imaginary friend to a kitchen where thetwo cook up music and see whatmakes the holiday season the mostwonderful time of the year; the play isa 35-minute interactive, non-verbalshow with two adult actors and amusician, geared toward children ages2-6. $8 (children under 12 months,free). www.artsonthehorizon.org.

Sweeney Todd—The DemonBarber of Fleet Street. 7 p.m., atThomas Jefferson High School, 6560Braddock Road, Alexandria. Thestudent choir along with the TJfaculty, parent and alumni choirsperform the Sondheim classic aboutthe vengeful London barber and hislandlady’s mysterious meat pies. $10.www.tjchoir.org.

SATURDAY/DEC. 8Drumming with Dishes: The

Holiday Edition. 9:45 and 11:15a.m., W-3 Theatre at the WorkhouseArts Center, 9601 Ox Road, Lorton.An adventurous toddler invites hershy imaginary friend to a kitchenwhere the two cook up music and seewhat makes the holiday season themost wonderful time of the year; theplay is a 35-minute interactive, non-verbal show with two adult actorsand a musician, geared towardchildren ages 2-6. $8 (children under12 months, free).www.artsonthehorizon.org.

A Magical Christmas. 1 p.m., at theW-3 Theatre, the Lorton Workhouse,9601 Ox Road, Lorton. Santa hasn’tstopped in the town of Believe forthree whole years and doesn’t evenknow the place exists—can Joy’sgrandfather turn the town Christmasspirit around? $8, children; $12,adults. www.lortonarts.org.

2nd Saturday Art Walk. 6-9 p.m.Workhouse Art Center, 9601 OxRoad, Lorton. Meet each building’sfeatured artist, a reception in W-16from 6-7 p.m. and more.www.WorkhouseArts.org.

Sweeney Todd—The DemonBarber of Fleet Street. 7 p.m., atThomas Jefferson High School, 6560Braddock Road, Alexandria. Thestudent choir along with the TJfaculty, parent and alumni choirsperform the Sondheim classic aboutthe vengeful London barber and hislandlady’s mysterious meat pies. $10.www.tjchoir.org.

A Season of Joy. 7:30 p.m., at St.Mark’s Lutheran Church, 5800Backlick Road, Springfield. TheNorthern Virginia Chorale,accompanied by a chamber orchestra,will perform Vivaldi’s Gloria, as wellas seasonal favorites by Handel,Rutter and others, along with theChorale’s traditional carol sing-along.Advanced tickets $15 atwww.northernvirginiachorale.org; atthe door $10 students (12-24);Under 12 free.

Fairfax Symphony Orchestra:Masterworks III. 8 p.m. GeorgeMason University Center for the Arts,4400 University Drive, Fairfax.Conductor Christopher Zimmermanand pianist James Dick performRossini’s Overture to La Gazza Ladraplus Tchaikovsky’s Piano ConcertoNo. 1 and Symphony No. 6,“Pathétique.” $25-$55. 703-563-1990or www.fairfaxsymphony.org.

SUNDAY/DEC. 9Drumming with Dishes: The

Holiday Edition. 11 a.m., W-3Theatre at the Workhouse Arts Center,9601 Ox Road, Lorton. Anadventurous toddler invites her shyimaginary friend to a kitchen wherethe two cook up music and see whatmakes the holiday season the mostwonderful time of the year; the play isa 35-minute interactive, non-verbalshow with two adult actors and amusician, geared toward children ages2-6. $8 (children under 12 months,free). www.artsonthehorizon.org.

Calendar


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Wednesday 11 a.m.

703-917-6464

Zone 2: • Burke

• Fairfax • SpringfieldEmploymentEmployment

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Email letter, resume plus clips [email protected]


Sports

By Jon Roetman

The Connection

Chantilly senior Sean McGorty and LakeBraddock senior Sophie Chase were thebest in the state of Virginia this year, eachwinning a VHSL AAA cross country

championship on Nov. 10.Two weeks after capturing state titles at Great

Meadow, McGorty and Chase took their running showon the road to compete at the Foot Locker CrossCountry Championships South Regional on Nov. 24in Charlotte, N.C. They experienced familiar results.

McGorty won the seeded boys’ race with a course-record time and Chase won the seeded girls’ race, earn-ing each a spot at nationals on Dec. 8 in San Diego.McGorty, who is committed to Stanford University, fin-ished with a personal-best time of 14:28, and Chaserecorded a time of 17:05 at McAlpine Greenway Park.McGorty’s effort broke the record of 14:32, set in 2004by Andrew Bumbalough of Brentwood, Tenn.

“My performance was all I could have hoped for,”McGorty wrote in an email. “To run that fast on thecourse was amazing and I couldn’t be happier withmy performance. . . . My time was a course recordand this means so much to me. The course has suchhistory and to hold the record there is truly an awe-some feeling. I went out pretty hard so I knew that Ihad a chance at the record, but I really thought Ihad it in the last 200 meters.”

This was McGorty’s fourth year competing at theFoot Locker regional meet and his third year run-ning in the seeded boys’ race. As a sophomore in2010, he finished 35th. McGorty placed sixth as ajunior last season, earning him a trip to nationals.The top 10 finishers advance to the national cham-pionship meet. McGorty went on to place 10th atnationals in 2011.

CHASE COMPETED in the girls’ seeded race at Foot

Locker regionals each of her four years of high school.She placed 41st as a freshman, eighth as a sopho-more and second as a junior. At nationals, Chase fin-ished 38th as a sophomore and 11th as a junior.

Chase wasn’t the only girls’ harrier from NorthernVirginia to advance to nationals. West Springfieldjunior Caroline Alcorta placed eighth (17:19) andOakton sophomore Allie Klimkiewicz finished ninth(17:29), securing their places in San Diego.

Alcorta’s time was a personal best.“It’s unbelievably exciting and nerve-wracking all

at once,” Alcorta wrote in an email. “Making it toFoot Locker Finals has been one of my goals eversince the beginning of the season and I can’t believeit’s actually happening! It’s like a dream come true!”

Alcorta knew about two-thirds of the way throughshe had a chance to crack the top 10.

“Somewhere around the two-mile mark, I realizedthat there was only seven of us in the pack,” shewrote. “I was shocked there was only seven (later Iwas caught by another girl), but I came to the real-ization that we were all going to make it. We had allworked and pushed ourselves so hard that we wereable [to] pull away from the rest of the field, andafter that I decided I was not going to let this oppor-tunity just slip by, I had come too far to lose it.”

Alcorta placed 23rd at least year’s Foot LockerSouth meet with a time of 17:52. She remembersthe experience.

“Last year, I didn’t really have any goals in mindexcept to try and finish top 30 (top 30 is consideredto be ‘All South’), and felt like I was running just torun and maybe even PR,” she wrote. “I rememberduring the race the top 10 girls just flying away fromme and thinking, ‘Off they go!’ After that, I knew I’dhave to stick to that group the next and upcomingyear if I had ever wanted a chance to try and qualifyfor the Finals. This year, I feel like I knew what toexpect and knew what I needed to do in order tohave a shot at making top 10.”

LAKE BRADDOCK senior Nick Tuck finished 14thin the Foot Locker South seeded boys’ race with atime of 15:15. In the girls’ race, Robinson juniorMacey Schweikert finished 21st with a time of 18:00.West Springfield senior Maddie Wittich was 22ndwith a time of 18:01.

Alex Lewis and GarettDriscoll, two membersof the 2012 Virginia

state champion Lake BraddockBruins, saw their hard workpay off as they signed theirNCAA National Letters ofIntent to play Division Ibaseball. Lewis will be head-ing to the Big South(Farmville) as part of theLongwood Lancers, whileDriscoll will bestaying close tohome andplaying for theGeorge MasonPatriots. Notonly have theybeen teammatesin high school,but over theyears, they haveplayed travelbaseballtogether. They were both anintegral part of the Bruinssuccess this past season,winning the first state cham-pionship for Lake BraddockBruins baseball. This is aculmination of years of hardwork by both boys.

Lewis played third base forthe Bruins and is likely tohave an opportunity to startas a freshman and make animmediate impact. He was2012 first team All-PatriotDistrict and LBSS 2012Defensive MVP. In addition,Lewis was a member ofChampionship 2012 VACommonwealth North Team.

“There were other schoolswho had interest but in theend I chose Longwood be-cause it was a good fit forme,” Lewis said. “It is arapidly growing baseballprogram and I have a goodchance to start as a freshman.I like the coaching staff andhow they approach the gameand I really liked the field andcampus.”

Garett Driscoll is the catcherfor the Bruins. He was secondteam all-Patriot District andreceived the 2012 MikeMuresco Award for Commit-ment from LBSS. Earlier thismonth, Driscoll completed his

travel seasonwith an inviteto the MLBsponsored“South AtlanticBorder Battle”in Burlington,N.C. where heplayed for theVirginia teamcoached by theMLB Braves.

“It has beenmy goal to play collegebaseball since I played LittleLeague,” Driscoll said. “I havebeen fortunate to get to knowCoach Brown and the rest ofthe coaching staff over theyears. I can’t think of a betterbaseball program to play for. Ihave had a chance to spendsome time on campus becausemy sister, Mckena, is theretoo. It will be great to spendmy first two years there withher. George Mason is anoutstanding school and I lookforward to getting an excel-lent education as well ascontributing to the Patriots onthe field.”

Committed to PlayTwo Bruinsbaseball playerscollege-bound.

Lake Braddock baseball players Alex Lewis, left, andGarett Driscoll signed letters of intent to play in college.

“It has been mygoal to playcollege baseballsince I playedLittle League.”

— Garett Driscoll

Co

ntributed pho

to

Four Northern VirginiaHarriers Heading to NationalsLake Braddock’s Chase,West Springfield’s Alcortaearn trip to San Diego.

West Springfield junior Caroline Alcorta,seen at states on Nov. 10, advanced tonationals by placing ninth at the FootLocker Cross Country ChampionshipsSouth Regional on Nov. 24 in Charlotte,N.C.

Robinson junior Macey Schweikert, seen atstates on Nov. 10, finished 21st at the FootLocker Cross Country ChampionshipsSouth Regional on Nov. 24 in Charlotte,N.C.

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Zone 2 Ad Deadline:

Tuesday Noon

703-917-6400

Zone 2: • Burke

• Fairfax • SpringfieldClassifiedClassified

21 Announcements 21 Announcements 21 Announcements

OBITUARY

Mike Wilder of Centreville, Virginia passed away on November 12, 2012 on his 48th birthday. Mike was born in Knoxville, TN. He grew up in Lake Ridge, VA and graduated from Woodbridge Senior HS in 1982.

Mike attended George Mason University and later Marymount University where he received his Bachelor's degree in Commu-nications while working at AT&T part-time. Through a program offered by AT&T, Mike got his Master's degree in Human Re-source Development from American University. Mike met his wife Sonja at AT&T in 1988. They were married in 1992. They have two daughters, Rachel and Erica.

Mike continued to work at AT&T until he transferred to Concert. He later joined Nextel Communications and was working as a Senior Manager when his illness occurred.

Mike was diagnosed with a brain tumor in August 2002. He had surgery to remove the tumor on August 15, 2002. Through the years, he never fully recovered from the initial surgery and as a result of his injuries never worked again. He had several recurrences of the brain tumor. In June 2012, the tumor re-turned and was nearly as large as the initial tumor. The doctors determined that the only treatments they could offer this time were palliative.

Mike's mom passed away in 2001. His dad passed away in 2008. His brother, Dave, lives in Lake Ridge, VA with his wife, Jane, and daughter Kristi.

Mike touched many people's lives before and after his illness. He was adored by friends, co-workers, and caregivers. He had a quick wit and made funny comments right up until his last day.

A funeral Mass will be held at St. Timothy Catholic Church, 13807 Poplar Road, Chantilly, Virginia 20151 on Friday, No-vember 30, 2012 at 2 p.m.

21 Announcements 21 Announcements



21 Announcements 21 Announcements 21 Announcements26 Antiques

We pay top $ for antique furniture and mid-century

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Email:[email protected]

102 Instruction

Looking to start theschool year strong?

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CLASSIFIED • CHOOSE 1 TO 6 ZONESE-mail [email protected]

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EMPLOYMENT • CHOOSE 1 TO 6 ZONESE-mail [email protected]

or call Andrea @ 703-778-9411


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