Dozens of protesters showed up last night to the Fairfax County School Board’s work session on a proposal that would change how local school boundaries are adjusted.

Before the school board began discussing the proposal, the meeting room was packed with protesters. Police blocked the door, telling a crowd of about 30 people outside that they could not go into the room, which had reportedly reached its capacity.

The discussion on the proposal was delayed by an hour and a half as staff worked to set up overflow seating with live streaming of the work session in the cafeteria.

Around 7:30 p.m., Jeffrey Platenberg, the assistant superintendent for the Department of Facilities and Transportation Services, kicked off the discussion on the proposal with a presentation.

The draft policy would look at a new set of criteria for prompting and then establishing school boundaries. Once a school boundary change has been identified, some of the new criteria to create the new boundary include:

• “socioeconomic and/or racial composition of students in affected schools”
• “the safety of walking and busing routes”
• “operational efficiency”

“When boundary changes are being considered by the School Board, the changes shall not be restricted by the boundaries of individual schools, administrative areas, zip codes, or magisterial district,” according to the draft. The proposal would also get rid of expedited boundary adjustments.

Throughout the meeting, protesters in the room waved signs saying “Communities Build Great Schools NOT Boundary Changes” and “Education Excellence NOT Social Engineering.” Several of the protesters said that they thought the process behind how the proposal was created was not transparent.

Some Great Falls residents have banded together to oppose the boundary changes — which could break up the Langley school pyramid. An online petition to keep the pyramid together has gained more than 2,000 signatories.

“We want our school board and administration to recognize that redistricting would pull apart our community, will significantly decrease property values of hard-working families who pushed the envelope to move into this community, and most importantly, leaves the underlying problems unsolved,” the petition states.

School board members had mixed reactions to the proposal.

School Board Chair Karen Corbett Sanders said that “significant growth” in the Dulles Corridor that will impact schools and questioned if an outside consultant could help the board and community, since it “seems to be a bit of a disconnect that people don’t feel like we have let people about what we’re doing.”

“I very much support opening the boundary,” Jane Strauss, the Dranesville District representative, said.

Meanwhile, others raised concerns about equitable access outlined in the proposal.

At-Large Member Ilryong Moon said that he’s not convinced that the proposal is an improvement after asking for an example of “equitable access to educational opportunities” and Platenberg told him that school boundaries could change to prevent program placement in different schools.

The school board is slated to approve the draft in September ahead of its incorporation in the Capital Improvement Program draft in December.

Catherine Douglas Moran and Fatimah Waseem reported on this story.

Seventeen area high school seniors were recently awarded scholarships by the medical staff at Reston Hospital Center.

The student, who are from Fairfax and Loudoun County high schools, were recognized for academic excellence and excitement for pursue careers in healthcare.

RHC offers $15,000 in scholarships to local schools annually. The program has been in effect for the last 21 years.

“We are thrilled to be able to support these young adults as they venture into the world in search of their dream careers,” Dr. Avisesh Sahgal, president of Reston Hospital Center’s Medical Staff, said in a statement.

This year’s scholarship recipients are below:

• Ansel Sanchez – Briar Woods High School
• Lindsay Marie Burns – Broad Run High School
• Anna Kate Erstling – Chantilly High School
• Ashley Arely Reyes – Chantilly High School
• Lillian Tran – Dominion High School
• Riya Hadvani – Herndon High School
• Christopher Ngo-Khang Nguyen – James Madison High School
• Mariana Fernandes Gragnani – Langley High School
• Yanni George Conomos – McLean High School
• Maxmine Irmhild Ayompe-Mody – Oakton High School
• Jasmine Chiann Foo – Oakton High School
• Allison Armstrong – Park View High School
• Rayness Mollinedo-Rodriguez – Park View High School
• Chelsea Lazatin – Potomac Falls High School
• Nicole Post – South Lakes High School
• Olivia Nicole Chandler – Westfield High School
• Daisy Allison Lopez Rosa – Westfield High School

Photo via Reston Hospital Center

Jesse Kraft, the principal of Coates Elementary School since 2016, was named Fairfax County Public Schools 2019 Outstanding Principal.

Kraft was recognized for bringing people together and maintaining positivity wherever he goes. Josie Mani, a gifted education teacher who nominated Kraft for the award, said Kraft “has taken strides to make our community feel welcome and to partner with them as much as possible.”

“He maintains and active social media presence and even learned some Spanish so that he could further connect the school and community,” Mani wrote.

Kraft was recognized for gestures like flipping burgers at a school barbecue, offering fist bumps during the morning, and his frequent visits to classrooms. A teacher at heart, Kraft teaches positivity project lessons, offers quarterly grade-level assemblies and teaches upper level students about public speaking.

Parent Christine Crawford told FCPS that Kraft is “always visible at school and connects easily to students at all grade levels.”

Kraft also made sure all teachers were trained in classroom management techniques, which he says are key to a healthy learning environment.

It’s not the first time the educator and administrator was recognized for his accomplishments. He was named the county’s outstanding first year principal in 2010. In 2004, he was also nominated for teacher of the year.

He began his career in FCPS as a teacher at Newington Forest Elementary School in 1996, after which he served as an assistant principal at Westlawn and and Oak Hill elementary schools. In 2009, he was the principal at Providence Elementary School. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh.

Photo via FCPS

Lake Anne Elementary School received its third Eco-school Green Flag, an honor given by the National Wildlife Federation to schools that champion environmental stewardship.

Lake Anne first received the award in 2012 and nabbed two additional awards during the first two years in the program.

Since then, the school has made changes to become more environmentally sustainable.

“Being an Eco-School permeates our school through energy conservation, recycling, water conservation, eco education, our bird houses, and our sustainable garden. Our students are eco stewards every day,” said Principal Jill Stewart.

The school has been involved in many environmentally sustainable projects, as told by Fairfax County Public Schools:

Since 2012, Lake Anne added a pollinator garden, a Monarch butterfly garden, a bird garden for all seasons, a mini meadow, a watershed garden for its dry pond, added solar panels to save energy, added raised beds to the courtyards, and started protecting bluebirds by adding a bluebirds nest box trail. The school also started a community edible garden to provide food for its families in the summer, established and grew a recycling program in the classroom and the cafeteria, participates in walk and roll to school once a month, and started a nature trail in the woods to facilitate nature observation. The school also certified its gardens with the National Wildlife Federation and the Monarch Watch program. 

More information about the award is available online.

Photo via FCPS

Bike to School Day returns to Fairfax County Public Schools tomorrow (Wednesday). The annual event aims to promote physical activity and put a dent into traffic congestion and pollution near schools.

As students bike or walk to school, parents are encouraged to accompany their kids to school and organize bike trains or walking groups.

The event is part of a series of events this month, which is National Bike Month. Bike to Work Day is set for May 17. FCPS provides guidance on the safest routes to and from schools in the county.

Reston schools participating in Bike to School Day include:

• Aldrin Elementary School
• Lake Anne Elementary School
• Sunrise Valley Elementary School
• Terraset Elementary School

For more information, visit the county’s website.

Photo courtesy of Steve Gurney

Film on Reston Takes CenterStage Tonight — Dive into the story of how Reston founder Robert Simon envisioned Reston and fought to keep his original principles strong during the film screening of “Another Way of Living: The Story of Reston VA” tonight at 7 p.m. at CenterStage. The event is free and open for all ages. [Reston Community Center]

High Honors for Herndon High School Freshman — The student, Claire, was recognized by the Town of Herndon as the Distinguished Teen Volunteer for 2019. She contributed more than 400 hours of service since 2017. [Fairfax County Public Schools]

Reston Students Win Big at Virginia Odyssey of the Mind — Students from six Fairfax County schools, including several competitors from Reston, earned top honors at the state competition over the weekend. The contest encourages students to solve complex problems. [Fairfax County Public Schools]

A Recap of Founder’s Day — Reston Historic Trust & Museum organized the 2019 Founder’s Day Celebration over the weekend with a day-long event to mark the 55th anniversary of Reston’s founding. [The Connection]

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“Explore the Universe” — A program at Turner Farm Park in Great Falls will offer people ages 9 to 18 an opportunity to learn about stars and galaxies; dark matter and dark energy; and the physics that helped shape the universe from 7:30 to 8:25 p.m. The cost is $8 per person. [Fairfax County]

Students heading to All-Virginia Honor Groups Concert — Four students from South Lakes High School and six from Herndon High School have been named along with more than 200 students from Fairfax County public schools to the 2019 All-Virginia Concert Band, Symphonic Band, Chorus, and Orchestra. The groups will perform on Saturday, April 6, at the Dominion Energy Center for the Performing Arts in Richmond. [FCPS]

Absentee voting map — The Virginia Public Access Project has a data visualization showing where Virginians cast the most absentee ballots. [VPAP]

License plate database — “A Fairfax County judge on Monday ordered the Fairfax police to stop maintaining a database of photos of vehicle license plates, with the time and location where they were snapped, ruling that ‘passive use’ of data from automated license plate readers on the back of patrol cars violates Virginia privacy law.” [The Washington Post]

Photo courtesy Tim Boone

The end of the school year is approaching, which means that many students are thinking ahead about summer jobs.

South Lakes High School will host a job fair for teens on Thursday (March 28) to help connect students to potential employers.

The fair is set to take place in the main corridor outside of the cafeteria during the school’s four lunch sessions, according to Fairfax County Public Schools.

Reston-area employers will set up tables to offer applications and answer students’ questions about part-time employment.

Employers that have signed up already include:

• America Inline
• Autobell Car Wash
• Brightview Senior Center
• Cascade Beverage
• Chick-Fil-A
• Continental Pools
• Einstein Bros
• Fairfax County Fire and Rescue
• Fairfax County Park Authority
• Fairfax County Democrats
• Glory Days Grill
• Goldfish Swim School
• Guardian Aquatics
• Herndon Parks and Rec
• High Sierra Pools
• Jay Vending
• Metropolitan Washington Airports
• Reston Association Aquatics
• Reston Association Camps
• Reston Association Member Services
• Nando’s Peri Peri
• NVPools
• Roer’s Zoofari
• Sunset Pool Management
• Town of Vienna
• Winkler Pools
• YMCA Reston

Some of the employers are looking to hire teachers during the summer, according to FCPS.

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South Lakes JROTC Team Wins Award — “The South Lakes JROTC Marksmanship Team won the Spicer Cup, the Fairfax County rifle team championship, finishing the 2018-19 season undefeated.  Team members are Kridsada Cheunchom, Julie Pasette, Noah Davidson, Alexandra Perez, co-captain Isbella Dunkle, captain James Liddle, Victor Pineda, Mishal Khattak, Aiza Shabaz and Logan Jones.” [Fairfax County Public Schools]

W&OD run or walk — At 6:30 p.m., the Reston Runners will start and end a 50-minute walk or run at One Life Fitness Gym in Isaac Newton Square. [Reston Runners]

PJ party at the library — The Herndon Fortnightly Library will host pajama party storytime from 6:30-7:15 p.m. [Fairfax County]

FCPS statement — Fairfax County Public Schools recently released a statement on seclusion and restraint after “special education advocates, concerned parents and community members have raised concerns in light of recent media reports.” [FCPS]

YP Connections events — Head to Founding Farmers from 5:30-7:30 p.m. for a networking event. Registration closes at noon, and tickets cost $15 for chamber members or $25 for guests. Light refreshments and one drink ticket will be provided. [Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce]

Get Woke! Book Club — Scrawl Books has a progressive book club that focuses on reading titles that cover timely political issues. This month’s book is “Undocumented: How Immigration Became Illegal” by Aviva Chomsky. The discussion starts at 7 p.m. [Scrawl Books]

Photo courtesy Navid 

Creative printmaking tonight — Head to ArtSpace Herndon to learn how to carve and create your own prints from handmade plates, carved blocks and more from 6-8 p.m. All levels are welcome. Four sessions cost $160 total. If you enjoy it, the next class will be held on April 3. [ArtSpace Herndon]

Reston company scores SEC contract — Reston-based Octo Consulting recently “announced it has been awarded a position on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s ONE IT IDIQ vehicle. This 10-year, $2.5 billion vehicle contains seven service channels through which the SEC’s Office of Information Technology will procure IT services and solutions, including systems and software development.” [Associated Press]

2019 Virginia GeoBee — Out of the 23 students named as semifinalists, some are from area schools, including Forestville, Great Falls Elementary and McNair elementary schools. [FCPS]

Silver Line snags — “Though there are three outstanding concrete issues for the line from Wiehle-Reston East to Ashburn, only one of them has had a plan approved to address it: The more than 1,000 faulty framing panels at stations.” [WTOP]

Mardi Gras party — Head to the Tall Oaks Assisted Living from 3-4:30 p.m. for a Mardi Gras celebration. Partygoers can enjoy a live performance by the Louis Pettinelli Jazz Duo. The event is free. [Facebook]

School lottery — Eyeing the magnet school program at Hunters Woods? Registration for FCPS elementary magnet lottery programs opened today at 8:30 a.m. [FCPS]

Photo via Marjorie Copson

Delayed school opening — FCPS will open two hours late today, due to the wintry weather. [Reston Now]

Open mic poetry — Head to ArtSpace Herndon from 7-9 p.m. to hear poetry from Eric Pankey and Jennifer Atkinson, followed by an open mic for an hour. [ArtSpace Herndon]

First day of March — Final payments for the Reston Association’s assessment are due today to avoid late fees. [Reston Association]

“Time Stands Still” — The Reston Community Players are back on the stage at 8 p.m. tonight with their new production. [Reston Community Players]

Photo courtesy @greatfallsva/Instagram 

Public schools in Fairfax County will open two hours late tomorrow as wintry weather sweeps the county tonight and tomorrow morning.

FCPS announced the decision on Twitter around 6 p.m. today (Feb. 27) “based on the winter weather advisory in effect overnight.”

Locals can expect 1 to 3 inches, according to the National Weather Service.

Based on the winter weather advisory in effect overnight, all Fairfax County public schools will open two hours late tomorrow, March 1, 2019 (Cond 3B). School offices and central offices will open on time. SACC opens at 8:00 am

— Fairfax Schools 🌟 (@fcpsnews) February 28, 2019

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