South Lakes High School’s Class of 2014 graduation is six months from today, but All-Night Grad Party organizers are already hard at work — and seeking the community’s help.
The All Night Grad Party (ANGP) has been held annually since 1987, and offers a safe, alcohol/drug–free celebration for the entire class.
The event is organized and staffed by parents and volunteers and takes huge financial and volunteer support to operate activities such as casino games, bull riding, photo booths, a DJ, food and door prizes, says donations coordinator Jon Payne.
That’s why organizers are asking help from residents and businesses to raise about $35,000 in order to make the event a success. Gifts of both money and goods (ie, gift cards for door prizes, food from local restaurants) are welcome.
For more information, contact Jon Payne, donations coordinator, at: [email protected].
To donate directly, send a check (made payable to “SLHS ANGP”) to: ANGP, South Lakes High School, 11400 South Lakes Drive, Reston VA 20191, or visit http://www.southlakesptsa.org/ANGP.html.
Also available on the website: Merrifield Garden Center gift cards and Papa John’s discount cards that will help raise money for the event.
Reston’s Suli Dainkeh, a 2013 South Lakes High grad, started for the University of Maryland in the NCAA College Cup Soccer Championship on Sunday at PPL Park in Chester, Pa.
The Terps lost to Notre Dame 2-1. Dainkeh, who played midfield for the Seahawks, played in 23 of 26 matches for Maryland this season, primarily as a starting central defender.
Maryland was the No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament and won 11 consecutive games before falling to the Fighting Irish.
During that streak, Dainkeh and the other defenders conceded just five goals.
Dainkeh, who played on on the U.S. Men’s U-18 team and was a member of D.C. United Academy, was named 2103 Gatorade State Player of the Year in Virginia and was a First Team All-Met, All-Region and Liberty District selection. He helped lead the Seahawks to a 12-1 regular-season record last spring.
Read more about Dainkeh’s journey from Sierra Leone to Reston.
South Lakes High School’s swim team will enter Friday’s meet against James Madison at Oak Marr Rec Center with a 1-0 record after topping Stone Bridge last weekend.
The girls team defeated Stone Bridge 202-83; the boys team won 193-90.
“It’s a very nice opening meet with a lot of good swims,” said SLHS coach Scott Brown. “We’ll keep moving people around and see what we can do pressing forward to get people in the best events.”
South Lakes won both the boys and girls 200-yard medley relay, South Lakes placed first. Jair Valenzuela, Tyler Ellis, Bradley Torrington, and Gianmichel D’Alessandro swam for the boys. Natalie Obando, Sabrina Groves, Emily Landeryou, and Caitlyn King swam for the girls.
South Lakes boys swept four events, taking first through third place in the 200 medley relay, the 200 freestyle, the 50 freestyle and the 100 freestyle.
Other highlights:
- Sabrina Groves (first), Natalie Obando (second) and Malina Stassinos (third) swept the girls 100 butterfly.
- Mac Sogandares won the 100-yard butterfly and 100 breaststroke and anchored the first-place 400 free relay team with Dylan Hawley, Benjamin Gryski, and Johnny Micka.
- Joseph Hosi won the 200-yard freestyle; was second in the 100-yard butterfly, and anchored the first-place 200 freestyle relay team with D’Alessandro, Conor McBride, and Tyler Hutson. Hutson also won the 50 free .
- Sabrina Groves won both the 100 butterfly and 200 individual medley as well as the 400 free relay with Malina Stassinos, King, and Landeryou.
- Landeryou won individual events – the 100 back and 50 free, while King won the 100 free.
- Paige Sogandares won the 500 free and was second in the 200 free.
- Kalyn Macaluso placed first in 100 breast and anchored the first-place 200 free relay team with Obando, Stassinos, and Katie Degutis.
Submitted by Lyn Fiscus. Have sports scores to report? Send them to [email protected].
South Lakes Girls Basketball guard Caitlin Jensen will play college basketball at University of Mary Washington next season, coach Christy Winters Scott said.
Jensen, a 5-foot-6 senior, averaged 15 points per game last season. She is a four-year varsity player for the Seahawks.
Mary Washington is a NCAA Division III school, so it does not offer athletic scholarships. However, Jensen earned an academic scholarship, Winters Scott said.
“We are extremely proud of Caitlin’s decision to play basketball at the University of Mary Washington,” said Winters Scott. All of her hard work, since her freshman year on our varsity team, has come to fruition. Caitlin has found the best fit for her as a student, as well as an athlete, and we could not be more proud of her.”
Photo: Caitlin Jensen surrounded by family members (seated) and SLHS basketball coach Christy Winters Scott, Director of Student Activities Linda Jones and Principal Kim Retzer (standing).
The South Lakes High School girls basketball team began its season with a No. 13 ranking and a 57-18 victory over Stone Bridge on Tuesday.
The team returns nine players to the squad that advanced to the VHSL state tournament in 2012-13. The girls were ranked No. 13 this week by The Washington Post.
Senior Abigail Rendle, who has signed with William & Mary, led all scorers with 15. She also had nine rebounds, five steals and three blocked shots. The Seahawks led 24-2 at halftime.
The boys team lost to Stone Bridge 77-71.
Update, 10:20 a.m. — South Lakes High School principal Kim Retzer says the school was given the all-clear at 9:45 a.m. and classes in the 400 wing resumed as usual.
Original story:
A chemical spill caused two wings of South Lakes High School to be temporarily closed Monday morning as Fairfax County Police were called to the school for cleanup.
The spill, reportedly of a small amount of hydrochloric acid, occurred in one of the science labs prior to the school day, a school spokeswoman said. No students were injured and the police were called as part of school protocol. Two staff members in the lab at the time were taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure, a FCPS spokesman said.
Hydrochloric acid is is highly corrosive, can cause severe burns if it gets on skin and can be noxious to breathe, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
The two wings closest to the lab (the junior and senior subschools) were closed and students are relocated until the all-clear can be given.
The fire department was still on the scene as of 7:54 a.m.
The good news: South Lakes football team has gone from winning one single game in 2011 to a 5-5 record and a spot in the VHSL Regionals this year.
The bad news: The Seahawks have to travel to 10-0 Centreville to play a road game against one of the top teams in Virginia.
Marvin Wooten, coach of No. 16 seed South Lakes says neither he nor the team is intimidated by the Conference 6 top seed.
“We are not intimidated at all,” said the third-year coach. “We know Centreville is a very good team – one of the best in the state. But this is a chance for us to showcase how good we are. I am as confident as I have been all season long.”
Wooten says the game plan remains the same but “we have a few subtle tricks up our sleeve.” The key is to get the ball and make plays, play our defense and special teams.”
After losing several close games in 2012 to finish 3-7, the Seahawks started 2013 with a goal of playing in the postseason. With that goal met, the team has a new confidence, he said.
“Our No. 1 goal was to see improvement,” Wooten said. “The seniors in particular have worked hard,” he said. “It is good for the younger kids too as we want to develop players who continue to improve. I am very optimistic about our program.”
Kickoff time is 7:30 p.m. at Centreville.
(Photo by Mike Heffner/Vita Images)
South Lakes High School’s football team will play in the postseason for the first time since 2010.
Even though the Seahawks lost to Fairfax 24-7 on Friday, the team finished 5-5, which was good enough for a spot in the Virginia High School League Northern Region postseason.
The Seahawks are the No. 16 seed and will play at No. 1 seed Centerville (10-0) Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Centreville has scored more than 28 points in every game this season and more than 50 four times. The Wildcats are ranked No. 2 by the Washington Post. They have outscored their opponents 513-96 this season.
South Lakes, in its third year under Marvin Wooten, has made great strides this season. After the team made the playoffs in 2010, the lone season under coach Andy Hill, Wooten took over, and the Seahawks were 1-9 in 2011 and 3-7 in 2012.
Meanwhile, several South Lakes players earned Conference 6 honors:
Senior Ethan Clark was named Co-Defensive Player of the Year.
First Team: Ethan Clark, Khayri Denny, Akram Gibreel, Mateo Rul
Second Team: Alex Woodward, Marc Harrison, Darius Hawkins, Jeremiah Norman
Honorable Mention: RJ Lee, Tavarius Lee, Joey Owens, Jon Mangal, Anthony Mayo, Colby Laxton
To see complete playoff pairings, visit the VHSL website.
(South Lakes football photo by Mike Heffner/Vita Images)
A traffic stop in which three young people fled from police caused three Reston schools to go on lockdown Thursday.
Fairfax County Police public information officer Lucy Caldwell said officers stopped a car in the 2100 block of Whisper Way at 12:05 p.m. Three people fled from the car, she said. Police searched for the people on the ground and by helicopter, and South Lakes High School, Langston Hughes Middle School and Terraset Elementary were all briefly place on lockdown, and then secure building mode, until the community’s safety could be determined, Caldwell said.
Schools sent out an email to parents at 1 p.m.
A juvenile female was quickly found, and two male suspects were found shortly afterwards, said Caldwell.
One of the males was charged with an outstanding warrant for unlawful entry and numerous traffic charges. Petitions are pending against the other male, a juvenile, police said.
The investigation is ongoing, Caldwell said.
South Lakes High School’s Spirit of Reston marching band scored a Superior rating – the highest honor – at the Virginia Marching Band State Assessments on Saturday.
South Lakes was the host school for the competition in which 13 bands came to Reston to perform for the judges.
The state assessments are used to rate the quality of Virginia marching bands. Other local bands participating included Chantilly, James Madison, Robinson, and T.C. Williams — all of which scored Superior ratings as well.
South Lakes will be performing this year’s Romeo and Juliet-themed performance at the Seahawks final home football game at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.
— Submitted by Roberta Gosling/Photo by Melissa Gifford
Have some school or club news? Send it to [email protected].
South Lakes High School, Hunter Mill Supervisor Cathy Hudgins and several Reston community organizations are teaming up for a Support Our Troops Project this week.
The project, also being supported by Reston Youth Association and Reston Soccer Association, will being a taste of hime to a unit of 78 servicemen and woman serving in Ghazni, Afghanistan, says Supervisor Hudgins.
This unit has a special connection to Reston as the forward operating base commanding officer is Navy Commander Halle Dunn, a graduate of South Lakes High School.
Here is how to help:
Students and football fans are encouraged to bring donations for care packages to the final South Lakes’ varsity football game on Friday. Items can also be delivered through Nov. 15 at the Hunter Mill District Office, 12000 Bowman Towne Dr.
Cold weather winter items, holiday decorations, food, toiletries, entertainment and sports equipment are some of the items needed to support these sailors and soldiers. For additional suggestions, see the list attached to this article.
Letter of support from community members are also welcome. They can be sent to:
Cdr. Halle Dunn
PRT Ghazni
FOB Ghazni
APO, AE 09364
Additionally, a flag that was flown by the Provincial Reconstruction Team Ghazni over their base will be presented and flown at South Lakes High School on Nov. 13 at 9 a.m. as part of the school’s Veteran’s Day commemoration.
Changing Demographics – Did you know that minorities now make up the majority at Fairfax County Public Schools? [Fairfax County Times]
Speaking of Schools – FCPS students have no school Monday, Nov. 4 and Tuesday, Nov. 5 for teacher workdays and Election Day. Enjoy the four-day weekend.
Football Friday – South Lakes plays at Marshall Friday at 7:30 p.m. The Seahawks (4-4) lost to Stone Bridge 41-13 last week. Herndon (1-7) is at Centreville Friday at 7:30 p.m. The Hornets lost to Westfield 62-28 last week.
Get into the Halloween spirit — and help others at the same time — on Wednesday.
Members of South Lakes High School’s International Thespian Society will be participating in a nationwide community service project “Trick or Treat So Kids Can Eat” from 3 to 8 p.m.
The ITS members will be collecting canned food and other non-perishables outside of Giant at Fox Mill Shopping Center. Food will be donated to Cornerstones’ food pantry, so donations will go directly to helping local families.
So if you are headed to Giant tomorrow afternoon, think about picking up a few items. Just hand them off to the costumed characters out front.
Hundreds lined South Lakes Drive this past Friday for the annual South Lakes High School Homecoming Parade.
Bands and student groups marched down the parade route, alongside honorees riding in floats and cars.
The parade ended at the school, before a pep rally and the homecoming football game.
