“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

Students score art awards — “South Lakes High School students swept the Fairfax County Art Region’s 2019 Regional Scholastic Art Awards, securing 24 honors. Twenty students earned a total of twenty-four awards, eight Gold Key, ten Silver Key and six Honorable Mentions.” [Connection Newspapers]

“Ambient Eye” performance — Ambient Eye is a multimedia collaboration between visual artist Monica Stroik and musician Doug Kallmeyer. They will improvise visual and auditory techniques at 7 p.m. at the Greater Reston Arts Center at Signature. The performance is free. Prosecco and petits fours will be provided by Balducci’s Food Lover’s Market. [GRACE/Facebook]

Run/walk from Reston Town Center — The Reston Runners will spend 50 minutes out and back from Potomac River Running in Reston Town Center starting at 6:30 p.m. [Reston Runners]

Photo courtesy Mark Yates

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.

File photo

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]

Diners today (March 20) at Honeygrow can support the South Lakes High School baseball teams.

You will need to choose the “cash” option when you order at the kiosk and then either show the flier or mention “giving local” to the cashier to have 20 percent of your order go to the baseball team.

Honeygrow is a chain that serves up locally-sourced salads, stir-fries and fruit-honey desserts.

The spot in RTC West at 12100 Sunset Hills Road is open until 10 p.m. daily.

If you want to catch one of their games, the next games are against Centreville High School on Friday (March 22). The Boys Varsity one is an away game, while the Boys Junior Varsity is on home turf.

A South Lakes High School teen was among the 21 students from Fairfax County public schools who earned national medals in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards program.

Gabrielle Baughman will receive a silver medal for a painted self-portrait, FCPS said in a press release.

In June, an award ceremony at Carnegie Hall in New York City will honor the national medalists, according to the press release.

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards recognize student artists with categories including architecture, ceramics and glass, comic art, design, digital art, drawing, editorial cartoon, fashion and more.

Image via Scholastic Art & Writing Awards/Facebook

In celebration of Women’s History Month, the Reston Historic Trust and Museum will bring together four women from a variety of athletic programs to discuss how Title IX affected their careers and women’s sports overall.

Enacted in 1972, Title IX had a dramatic impact on women’s sports by guaranteeing by law equality in federally assisted athletic programs.

Since its founding, Reston’s recreational facilities have been available to all of its residents, according to the museum.

The free event features the following panelists:

• Vicky Wingert, a documentary producer and former coach for college and high school basketball teams
• Skye Eddy Bruce, a collegiate and youth All-American goalkeeper, state champion track athlete and founder of the Soccer Parenting Association
• Valerie Lister, the South Lakes High School assistant coach for track and field and a former sportswriter
• Jennifer Volgenau Wiley, a former varsity soccer and basketball player at South Lakes High School in the 1980s. She also played Division I soccer at William and Mary.

“Women Playing in Reston: The Effect of Title IX on Women’s Sports” is set to take place on Wednesday (March 13) at 7 p.m. at the Jo Ann Rose Gallery (1609-A Washington Plaza).

A temporary exhibit at the Reston Museum to accompany the panel discussion will be on display throughout March.

Photo via Reston Historic Trust and Museum/Facebook

(Updated at 5:05 p.m. on March 4) Starting Saturday (March 2), a student art exhibition will be on display at the Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE).

The exhibit features art by students at Fairfax County public schools, who are participating in GRACE’s education program called “Emerging Visions.”

GRACE reworked the program to include grades K-12, inviting elementary and middle schools to participate for the first time, according to a press release from the arts center.

“We are now able to take the best parts of our existing programs, expand those in close conversation with FCPS and make a greater impact on more young artists,” Executive Director and Curator Lily Siegel said in the press release.

In addition to the three longstanding participating FCPS high school schools — Herndon, Oakton and South Lakes high schools — the exhibit includes student art from Dogwood, Hunters Woods and Hutchinson elementary schools and Rachel Carson Middle School.

The exhibit is based on Caitlin Teal Price’ exhibit last year titled “Green is the Secret Color To Make Gold.”

GRACE worked with art educators at the schools to develop content and concepts to include into the curriculum, according to the press release. After educators, students and their families had the chance to view the exhibition and meet the curator and artist, students were able to respond to the theme by creating their own artwork.

FCPS released additional information about the students and their art on March 4:

One student, who is non-verbal, experiences art and, primarily painting, as a ritual or routine, according to this teacher. He makes repetitive marks with varying color and layers them to refer to different subject matter, such as a landscape. Another student has made at least one artwork a day for multiple years on topics from space-like environments to designs that involve flags of the world. South Lakes students shared their artist statements, explaining the process for creating their works.

[Another] student described the artwork as expressive of the mental illness she has been diagnosed with and says her work shows “that I’m locked inside myself and can’t get out of the emotions in my head.” She uses symbols indicative of psychological and emotional states. A team of two students uses found objects to which they apply paint, glue, and other materials, embracing their sense of humor and love of experimentation to provoke a sense of play and curiosity in their audience.

A third student uses her art to define herself through her own values and beliefs, not through the culture of her home country. She uses layering as a metaphor for memory and experience relevant to her life today. One student used a found piece of wood to which she responded with color and brush strokes ranging from tumultuous to more gentle; another uses her responses to daily events, observations, and feelings to create her paintings. One student submitted a photography display using a camera from a bin of broken cameras, kept by his teacher for spare parts, and fabricated a pinhole lens for the camera. Using a 30-second exposure, he took a series of photos that didn’t meet his expectations but he came to like for their abstract quality and colorful texture that “had a kind of painterly approach.”

Several free events are based around the exhibit.

The opening reception for the exhibit is set for tomorrow from 5-7 p.m. GRACE plans to host an open mic for kids on March 16.

The exhibition will be on display until March 30 at the gallery located at the Reston Town Center (12001 Market Street #103).

Photo via FCPS

Students from South Lakes and Herndon high schools are among the 22 students from Fairfax County public schools who won the 2019 Student Peace Awards of Fairfax County.

The award recognizes junior and high school students “who have made a positive contribution to their school or wider community by promoting mutual understanding and respect for all people,” according to the award’s website. Currently, the awards are given out to students in Fairfax and Frederick counties.

FCPS said the following about the winners from South Lakes and Herndon high schools:

Herndon High School: Lydia Goff, president of her school’s Best Buddies chapter, organizes monthly social events, one-to-one get-togethers and fundraisers for the 90 students in the program. She is also a leader in the Spread the Word to End the Word campaign to end the use of the demeaning ‘r’ word.

South Lakes High School: Sophia Liao founded the Young Democrats Club, serves on the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council and is a member of her school’s Student Council.  She organized a trip for students to go to China to volunteer at a panda center and organized her school’s participation in National Walkout Day in response to the school shooting in Parkland.

The awards began in Fairfax County in 2006 at Herndon High School and, by 2013, were offered to every public high school in the county. Each recipient receives a monetary gift, along with another one for a peace-focused charity of the student’s choice.

The winners will be recognized at a reception on March 10 at the Sherwood Community Center in Fairfax.

File photo

Starting today (Feb. 15), South Lakes High School students can apply to the Reston Scholarship Fund of the Community College of Northern Virginia.

Liz Blankespoor, a Restonian and co-founder of the scholarship fund, told Reston Now in an email that the scholarship is currently supporting 22 graduates of South Lakes High School who are working on their post-secondary degrees.

The scholarship awards 10 scholarships each year to seniors planning to attend the community college before transferring to a four-year college.

South Lakes High School senior graduating in June must:

• be attending the Northern Virginia Community College in this fall
• have a GPA of 2.75 or higher
• demonstrate financial need

The scholarships vary amounts, with a possible award of up to $16,000. They are spread over the course of six years and are renewable for students who maintain a GPA at or above 2.75 and continue to demonstrate financial need, Blankespoor wrote.

Submissions are due by May 1.

File photo

The yearly triathlon just for kids is back.

The ninth annual Reston Youth Triathlon will take place Sunday, May 12, at the South Lakes High School (11400 South Lakes Drive).

The triathlon includes athletes swimming in the heated Ridge Heights pool, biking near South Lakes High School and then running on Reston Association paths before finishing at the school’s stadium.

The triathlon is open to kids ages 6 to 15 with different distances for the triathlon’s three parts based on age groups. Registration opened on Jan. 16.

The fundraising “Be Amyazing!” triathlon began three years after “Amy’s Amigos” was founded in 2008 to honor Amy Boyle, who was battling brain cancer.

In past years, the triathlon has raised $125,000 for the Childhood Brain Tumor Foundation, which helps social entrepreneurs and small organizations.

The event is coordinated in conjunction with the CORE Foundation.

Photo via Core Foundation

Basic knitting — Want to learn how to knit? The Reston Regional Library will show you “the only two stitches you need to knit anything you want” from 7-8 p.m. tonight. [Fairfax County]

Two musical worlds collide — Koto player Yumi Kurosawa will perform with tabla player Anubrata Chatterjee, bridging the cultures of Japan and India. The performance starts at 8 p.m. at CenterStage. Tickets cost $15 for Restonians. [Reston Community Center]

Movie theatre chain may come to Reston — “Upscale movie theater chain Cinépolis is close to a deal to open an eight-screen theater at Halley Rise, making the mixed-use project in Reston its first location in Northern Virginia.” [Washington Business Journal]

Students helping students — Leadership students from South Lakes High School recently organized a workshop to teach leadership skills to student ambassadors from Terraset Elementary School. [Fairfax County]

Locals are encouraged to get outside and take part in a bird watch and count.

Participants can head to the National Wildlife Federation (11100 Wildlife Center Drive) for a free workshop with some tips and tricks ahead of the Great Backyard Bird Count next week.

Launched in 1998 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society, the Great Backyard Bird Count was the first online project for citizens to collect and display data on wild birds in near real-time, according to the Audubon Society of Northern Virginia.

Bird enthusiasts of all ages are encouraged to take part in the four-day count each February.

Tomorrow (Feb. 2)

• Stuff the Bus (9:30 a.m.-3 p.m.) — Head to the Village Center at Dulles Giant (2425 Centreville Road) in Herndon to support LINK as a part of “Stuff the Bus,” which takes place at various locations around the county to benefit local nonprofit food pantries.
• Coffee and Conversation with DaMaris Hill (11 a.m.) — DaMaris Hill will discuss “A Bound Woman is a Dangerous Thing” at Scrawl Books (11777 N. Shore Drive). The book dives into how American women of color are burdened by incarceration by tackling issues of racial injustice, police brutality and mass incarceration, along with the historical legacy of incarcerated black women that precedes it.
• “Three Moves to Divine” (11 a.m.-4 p.m. ) — The exhibit, which provided photographic memory of Ghana by Randy Preston, closes at ArtSpace Herndon (750 Center Street).
• Great Backyard Bird Count Workshop (1-3 p.m.) — The free workshop at the National Wildlife Federation (11100 Wildlife Center Drive) will teach participants how to count and report the count for the Great Backyard Bird Watch, which will take place from Feb. 15-18. Registration is required.
• “Superior Donuts” (2 p.m.) — Reston Community Players’ production closes Saturday afternoon at RCC Hunters Woods (2310 Colts Neck Road).
• South Lakes HS 14th annual Broadway Night (2-4 p.m., 7-10 p.m.) — The South Lakes High School Choral Department will feature numbers from some of Broadway’s most popular revivals including “Pippin,” “Chicago,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Guys and Dolls,” “Godspell” and more. The Broadway-style show is performed by more than 120 students from South Lakes High School and its pyramid schools. Tickets cost $15 for adults and $13 for students and seniors.

Sunday (Feb. 3)

• Sunday Cruise Ride (10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.) — Join the Reston Bike Club for a ride. Three different routes are available. Participants are set to meet in the ArtSpace Herndon parking lot.
• Digital photography class (1-5 p.m.) — Photographer Mary Louise Ravese will show participants with a digital SLR (DSLR) or mirror-less camera the five most essential camera settings that have the most impact on the look of a photograph during the class at ArtSpace Herndon.

Photo via vantagehill/Flickr pool 

Open mic poetry — Virginia Poet Laureate Henry Hart and Bill Glose will kick off an open mic at 7 p.m. at ArtSpace Herndon. Then anyone can take the mic from 8-9 p.m. [ArtSpace Herndon]

Herndon business acquisition — Government contractor CACI recently announced it struck a $750 million deal to acquire Herndon-based LGS Innovations, which provides network infrastructure for the Defense Department and the intelligence community. CACI, which is based in Arlington, has major operations in Chantilly, Herndon, Lorton and Reston. [Washington Business Journal]

“For the Love of Art” — The League of Reston Artists will debut a new painting and photography exhibit at RCC Hunters Woods. While RCC programming is canceled today due to the snow, locals can check out the exhibit this weekend. It runs until Feb. 28.  [League of Reston Artists]

Photo via Patty Rollin

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If you’re looking for a post-work drink or bite to eat, stopping by Glory Days at North Point Village Center could also help out the local high school.

Today from 5-9 p.m., the sports bar and restaurant will be raising money for the South Lakes High School class of 2021, which is already fundraising for graduation events.

A manager at Glory Days said the restaurant regularly hosts “dining for dollars” events to support local organizations. All meals at the restaurant are eligible for the donation.

“Once you eat, you put your receipt at an envelope at the front,” the manager said. “We will donate 10 percent of the bill.”

Photo via North Point Village Center