Falls Church School Board Member-elect Justin Castillo was privileged to get a look inside Boeing’s new 787 Dreamliner aircraft last week on the plane’s maiden flight to Reagan National Airport.  The new wide-body plane made its first landing at DCA as part of a goodwill tour around the country.

The 787 includes numerous new features including  larger windows and higher cabin pressurization to increase passenger comfort.  It also has a carbon fiber fuselage, a sophisticated new wing and high-efficiency engines to cut fuel consumption by as much as 20% over the aircraft it will replace.

Boeing’s new aircraft should be an increasingly common sight in our skies beginning later in 2012, but its size and range make it a better fit for long-haul flights out of Dulles International Airport.  While the new Boeing plane landed with ease on DCA’s relatively short main runway, the airport’s taxiways were not designed to handle the plane’s 197-foot wingspan as part of routine operations.

Asked about lessons FCCPS students can learn from aircraft, Castillo quipped, “Kids who want to work on cool things like the 787 need to study hard and excel in math and science!”

US Chamber Hall of Flags

The International theme of the Gala is a fitting tribute to the many international students and friends from overseas that chose Falls Church City as their temporary home away from home. We are pleased to welcome them to our schools and recognize that while they are here, their presence adds a unique dimension to the educational experience of all our students. The FCEF Gala is one of 2 major fundraising events initiated by the Foundation each year. Its aim is to raise fiduciary and community support for the Foundation and the four public schools that it benefits. Since its inception in 2003 the Foundation has worked to maintain the highest standard of excellence of education in our schools. Funds raised by last year’s gala were instigatory in updating the teaching technology at all four schools including the purchase of Elmo document cameras at Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School, digital cameras and iPads at George Mason High school and interactive state of- the- art smart boards at Mt. Daniel and Thomas Jefferson Elementary Schools. It also provided seed funding for the start up of the Pathway to International Baccalaureate Program at George Mason High School.

The Chairman of this year’s gala is Ms Gabi Enache who has recently moved to Falls Church herself. A veteran of event planning she has brought an enthusiasm and energy to the Host Committee that promises to make this year’s Gala one to remember. The event has been made possible thanks to lead sponsor Alarm.com and Honorary Chairs, Scott & Michelle Whitaker along with other sponsors including Acacia Federal Savings Bank, Arcadis, BB&T, David Chavern and Sarita Gopal, Cox Communications, Hess Construction, Cathy Kaye and Tom Clinton; Needham, Mitnick & Pollack, Pearson Square; Gabi & John Sandoz; Steve Sprague; SWH Group; Tori McKinney/Keller-Williams Realtor; Valic Financial Advisors, Virginia Commerce Bank, Rick’s Carpet and Dominion Virginia Power.

Opportunities are still available for additional sponsors and donations of items for auction are still being sought. Sponsors, benefactors and donors will be featured in the souvenir Gala program that will be published for the event and will be available on line. The program will also offer advertising space for local businesses. For more information contact Donna Englander at 703 248 5627 or denglander@fcedf.org. Tickets for the gala are $125 per person and are on sale now at www.fcedf.org. A portion of the cost is tax deductible. 

George Mason High School is ranked in the top 20 on a list of “America’s Best High Schools”, released today by US News and World Report (USNWR) magazine. Mason is ranked 1st among traditional Virginia public high schools and 19th of the nearly 22,000 high schools across the country included in the survey.

“The entire George Mason community is committed to excellence in mind, body, and character. We expect to achieve at high levels throughout our student body, and while the results are nice to hear, we are not surprised,” said George Mason Principal, Ty Byrd.

“We are confident that each Mason student is provided with a rigorous academic challenge and consistent support as they strive to reach individual and group goals. Thanks to our students, our teachers, counselors, administrators, assistant superintendent, superintendent and our school board. We are truly an exceptional community,” Byrd said.

The magazine also noted the school’s strong community in its review. “George Mason emphasizes parent involvement through conferences, parent nights and open houses,” the magazine reports. “The school’s proximity to Washington, D.C. and the agencies and international organizations in the area, draws in a culturally diverse student body.”

The magazine awarded George Mason with a Gold Medal for achieving a perfect 100.0 rating in the USNWR College Readiness Index which is based on exam participation rates and the percentage of students passing at least one exam. Mason reached 98% proficiencies in Reading and Geometry.

The school was also cited for its International Baccalaureate program and electives such as Mandarin Chinese and personal finance.

David Tarter and Phil Duncan won election to the Falls Church City Council while Mayor Nader Baroukh was re-elected on Tuesday following a competitive race that featured a crowded field of seven candidates. Incumbent City Councilor Lawrence Webb was defeated in his bid for another term. Robin Gardner did not seek re-election.

Mr. Tarter, chair of the city’s Economic Development Authority (EDA) and a former interim city attorney, earned the largest number of votes with 1293.  He is a commercial real estate lawyer in Arlington. Mr. Baroukh, an attorney for the Department of Homeland Security, finished a strong second with 1189. Mr. Duncan, also a member of the EDA and the owner of a city-based business called Civicatalyst Communications, gained third place with 1047 votes. Mr. Webb finished fifth with 672 votes.

John Lawrence, who was the leading vote-getter among those who lost during the last Council election in 2010, was the bridesmaid again, finishing fourth with 732 votes. A newcomer and the youngest candidate in the race, William Henneberg, was next with 652 votes, followed by Paul Handly with 514.

Although it’s not known how and why residents made their decisions, it may be instructive that two of the three winners are members of the EDA in a campaign season in which additional commercial development for the city emerged as a key priority for voters and candidates alike.

Mr. Duncan agreed. “The success of two people on the EDA does indicate that voters have a seriousness of purpose about economic revitalization,” he said.

He also congratulated all the candidates for a hard-fought and clean campaign, and said he felt badly for those who lost. “My heart goes out to those who didn’t win. The community was very well served by this campaign.”

Mr. Tarter, the runaway top vote-getter, said he was grateful for the support of so many City residents. “I am humbled and honored by the support of the voters of Falls Church. I appreciate the confidence they have shown in me. I look forward to tackling the many challenges the city faces and helping Falls Church realize its full potential.”

Mr. Baroukh said he is eagerly anticipating serving with the newly elected candidates.

“I thank all the citizens of Falls Church City who came out to vote today. I look forward to working with the new Council on continuing to make our City a great place to live.”

Sitting city councilors Ira Kaylin and Johannah Barry told the Times they were excited for the next Council term to start. Mr. Kaylin, who was elected in 2010, said: “I am truly looking forward to working with the new Council. I believe the upcoming years will be vital for the city.”

Ms. Barry, also elected in 2010, added: “This is a great opportunity to bring new ideas together. This time will be so important to addressing critical issues facing Falls Church.”

Four candidates for School Board were elected unopposed.  Kieran Sharpe, Joan Wodiska, and Justin Castillo were elected to four year terms, and Charlotte Hyland was elected to complete two years of the unexpired term of Patrick Riccards, who resigned to take a job in Connecticut.

The city registrar reports that 26 percent of the 8,758 registered voters in the city went to the polls, besting the 24 percent figure from 2010. Ward 3 had the highest turnout at 26 percent. Wards 1 and 2 reported turnout of 22 and 23 percent, respectively. The rest, 171 votes, were absentee ballots.

This was the last May election in Falls Church City, following a referendum decision by the voters last year to move City Council and School Board elections to November beginning in 2013.

The newly-elected members of both the City Council and School Board will begin their terms in July.

The George Mason High School Girls Field Hockey Club is keeping the excitement alive in the spring.  The team played in the “Beach Bash” tournament in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware last weekend, gaining lots of experience against teams from around the region.

Rising 8th – 11th grade girls and parents interested in the team may send inquiries to gmcfieldhockey@gmail.com for information about the Spring meeting, summer camps, and more.

GMHS Field Hockey Club team, sitting, from left, Annie Mothershead, Autumn Broxson, Caroline Duffett; kneeling, Celestine Taevs, Anna Hennessey, Hailey Thomas, Isabella Dod, Callie Gaskins, Darcy Jones, Gabe Brown; standing, Julianne Kelly, Nicole Iraheta, Rachel Pugh, Emily Garrett, Cami Malm, Sabine Wills, Ellie Yatsko. Not pictured, Coach Kristen Terry. (Photo by Justin Wills.)

The George Mason High School Athletic Hall of Fame Nominating Committee has announced that it will be reviewing nominations for the Hall of Fame with the objective of holding inductions in the Fall of 2012. Interested individuals are encouraged to nominate any athletes, teams, coaches, administrators, or program friends they believe are worthy of consideration and induction. The Committee will also consider nominees for a Special Achievement Award which is designed to honor persons who have made particularly inspiration contributions to George Mason High School athletics.

Information as to the criteria used for selection are available on the website and the nominating form. The form can be obtained at http://www.masonathletics.org/index.cfm?action=main.alumnitr (when you are on the site, scroll down and click on “nomination form”) and may be submitted after completion as described on the form.  Among other things, athletes must have graduated at least five years ago (classes through the Class of 2006 are eligible) with similar constraints as to teams (teams that completed their seasons on or before the spring of 2006 are eligible). Self-nominations are not permitted.

Nominations should be submitted by no later than Tuesday, May 15th.

If you have questions, please contact the Committee Chair Scott Sager (scotts1147@aol.com), Vice Chair Joel Hamme (joel.hamme@ppsv.com), or George Mason High School Athletic Director Tom Horn (HornT@fccps.org).

Odyssey of the Mind (OM) is an international organization with regional, state, and international competitions focusing on the ability to solve problems creatively while working as part of a team.  The purpose of OM is to encourage children to use their higher level thinking skills to solve interesting and challenging problems.

OM teams are composed of 5-7 members.  Each team is assigned one of six long-term problems.  These problems change each year.  This year teams might have been required to build a vehicle capable of displaying emotions, present an original performance about a team of scientists on a mysterious expedition, craft a balsa wood structure designed to hold weight, create a short musical built around the theme of “To Be or Not To Be”, perform a skit involving angels capable of changing negative situations into positive situations, or build a device that could uncover surprise objects from remote distances.

In additional to completing the assigned long-term problem, teams must prepare to face a “Spontaneous” problem on the day of competition.  The teams, without benefit of support from parents, friends, or coaches, enter a room and are given a new problem to solve, on the spot, in front of a team of judges.

On March 31^st, 17 teams representing the Falls Church City Public Schools participated in the regional competition at West Potomac High School competing alongside 150 other teams with great success.

Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School brought home two third place finishes, and Thomas Jefferson Elementary earned two 6^th place finishes, two 5^th place finishes, a 2^nd place finish, and a 1^st place finish.

The Loch Ness Monsters from TJ Elementary grabbed 1st place.

The first place team of third graders dubbed themselves the “Loch Ness Monsters”.  James Trombo, Kurt Barth, Felix Barth, Daniel Trauberman, Parrish Pipestem, and Colson Board will be moving on to the state finals in Newport News this weekend.  What follows is one of their coach’s reflections on her OM experience this year…

Last year, my son James, Valerie Barth’s twins Kurt and Felix, and Daniel were on an Odyssey of the Mind Primary Problem team. The team was coached by my husband, Joe Trombo, and John Krotzer; Valerie sat in on most meetings. This year, John relocated to the Far East for work, and my husband felt unable to contribute the time needed. Valerie and I decided we wanted to keep the boys together and we would coach the team. Parrish had previously been on a team coached by his mother, and Colson was interested in giving Odyssey of the Mind a try, though unsure whether he wanted to perform.

Before our first meeting, the boys knew they wanted to solve the ride-on vehicle problem entitled “Ooh-Motional Vehicle”.  By the third meeting, they had lots of drawings of Volvo-looking cars, and the green idea to power one geo-thermally.

Then in late December they toured my backyard and basement, which had sadly become a graveyard for two bicycles, two tricycles, a few scooters, a Big-Wheel, and many other toys. Within 5 minutes, the boys had found and decided to use my garbage can. This was a garbage can that had been under my deck for some eight years, it was lid-less, cracked and leaked, mildewed and rather ratty, but the boys insisted. Valerie and I looked at each other, raised our eyebrows, and took a few deep breaths. My mantra soon became, “It will be okay.”

A few seconds more, and the boys had found the top of a Little Tykes sandbox. This turtle sandbox had passed from my husband’s cousin through his aunt (who used it for composting) and through both my children. Thus, a Turtle was born!

Over the course of several more meetings, the boys established a set of 6 rules: Safety First (nobody gets hurt too badly), Try Your Best, Pay Attention, Be Respectful, Must Have Snack, and Have Fun. They also read the problem over and over, and knew the vehicle had to travel a pre-determined course with three stops, move forward and backward using two different propulsion systems or power sources, display 4 different emotions and be a character in a play.

We had a safety meeting on the use of tools and power tools, a meeting on batteries and simple circuits, and a meeting to play with springs, bungee cords and all kinds of joining materials. But, still, they hadn’t written the play. One afternoon, Valerie sent her Kurt and Felix into their room and told them to write a story about a turtle with three things happening to it. What emerged was entitled “The Space Turtle and the Attack of the Mars Martians.” Soon thereafter, Felix knew he wanted to be the driver and everyone else wanted to be a Mars Martian. James was chosen to be the narrator, and Parrish agreed to be the President.

It’s hard to say just which boy came up with what idea, though each can tell you his contribution, and another will cut in to tell you how he heard the idea and improved it. Ideas came fast and wild, bouncing around like lottery balls, and somehow landed in a sweet combination. But the boys each unwittingly stepped into a unique role as team-mate. Parrish kept the team on task, and became the order-keeper, encouraged everyone to pay attention, and could quickly take a vote or decide to flip a coin to make a decision. Daniel listened to everyone, took all the ideas in and processed them, then returned reshaped ideas with precise and often comedic timing. Colson was the planning and process guy, he thought through a problem and placed each step in order of when it needed to be done, then did it.  James charged in with grand ideas and the enthusiasm to get it done now. Kurt saw problems and opportunities for improvement and never stopped thinking about the project. Felix found the middle ground between Kurt and James, and truly steered not only the vehicle but also the team.

Of course, Falls Church parents are the greatest, but the parents of our team truly went beyond what should be asked of any parent. They provided enthusiasm, encouraged everyone to have fun, believed in their sons and the team, provided tons of popcorn and Capri-sun, accepted that their 9 year olds would be using power tools, and reorganized their schedules to accommodate a meeting schedule that progressed from weekly, to twice weekly, to three times a week through much of February and all of March.

Regional Competition day was March 31^st, and everyone arrived at West Potomac High School early. The self-styled Loch Ness Monsters’ performance was the second of the day, and started about 9:15am. The boys clamored to tell the staging judge all about their gun, their grenade, their fireworks, and their exploding rocks, but I was able to assure him that they would not need to call the fire department again, as everything was actually an artistic interpretation of the prohibited items!

Through a small miscommunication, the vehicle went to stage left instead of stage right as was planned. This meant that props on both sides of the stage were in the wrong place. The team noticed, and in an amazing display of teamwork, managed to reset the entire stage into a mirror image and adjust their stage entries accordingly, all as the performance continued. The correction was so seamless, even the parents who had seen the play 4 times in rehearsal did not notice what had happened. The coaches were wrecks!

Later in the morning, while waiting to solve the Spontaneous problem, I asked the boys which one of their six rules they followed the most and which they followed the least. The unanimous response was they had fun the most, and paid attention the least. Of course, that response made my day and term as coach perfect.

When the scores were tallied, Thomas Jefferson Team A placed first in their problem and division at the tournament. The division contained 10 teams, with 2^nd through 5^th graders competing. Yet, the six third-grade boys did what they said they would do… “we’re in it to win it” was established in December, and that they did. But one day, they will realize that they also won in many other and more important ways, just as every other participant in Odyssey of the Mind also won. In an era in which everything comes internet-quick and is often a solitary pursuit, they learned to work together as a team to solve a problem over four months.

The problem was complex; there were many decisions they had to make, and many little problems to solve along the way. There was a lot of creative thinking, interpretation and re-interpretation of instructions and rules, and many long hours of construction and crafting.

There were sacrifices, too. Every team member had to compromise with one another, one boy missed the first 4 baseball practices and another ate a sandwich dinner in the car every Friday evening en route from soccer to Odyssey of the Mind meetings. When polled, the guys all say they want to win at the State Tournament and will definitely be in Odyssey of the Mind next year. (But the chatter right now is more about the indoor pool and water guns at the hotel and the potential trip to Busch Gardens.)

Besides the team, team parents and coaches, there are many others to thank for our opportunity to participate and our success in Odyssey of the Mind. Thomas Jefferson Elementary School purchased several memberships to sponsor multiple teams, and also paid the registration fees for all teams in both the Regional and State Tournaments.

Additionally, Mr. Bob Palermo, TJ’s principal, Ms. Mary Kay Howard, TJ’s assistant principal, Ms. Lisa Allan, fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Jennie Ehrenzller, librarian, and Mrs. Pattie Smith, second grade teacher volunteered the first Saturday of their Spring Break in order to staff the regional meet. Ms. Heidi Lang and Ms. Beth Green coordinated the teams, distributed information and paperwork, and located space for rehearsals.

And perhaps most significantly, the classroom teachers at both Mt. Daniel and Thomas Jefferson, in the course of their normal duties, have laid the educational foundation, spirit and ethic of hard work, teamwork, cooperation, attention to detail, art, creativity, stage performance and much more which allowed the boys to come the team with a full toolkit. You’re the best!

Please wish the Loch Ness Monsters luck as they compete at the Virginia State Odyssey of the Mind Tournament on April 14^th in Newport News, VA.

Editor’s Note:  Some 150 FCCPS students from Thomas Jefferson Elementary and Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School participated in the Odyssey of the Mind competition.  The teams and individuals are listed below.  Congratulations to all the FCCPS participants and their coaches on this very worthy endeavor.

The League of Women Voters of Falls Church has released its Voters’ Guide for the May 1 elections for City Council and School Board. 

The Voters’ Guide includes candidate questionnaire responses from the seven candidates for City Council and the four candidates for School Board.  City Council candidates were asked whether the current real estate tax is just right, too low or too high, what city services they would propose or cut, and how the City should position itself in the region.  School Board candidates were asked how to ensure excellent physical facilities, how to ensure that students develop necessary skills, and how to manage unexpected bulges in the student population.

The guide also includes information on the new voting ward alignment, as well as voter identification requirements. 

The Voters’ Guide is available here.

Sixty-one teams competed in the DC Regional FIRST robotics competition this past weekend with George Mason’s robot, Vae Victus, coming within once match of making the finals.  The team performed well in the nine qualification matches held all day Friday and Saturday morning at the DC Convention Center, earning a spot as one of eight alliances to advance to the elimination rounds.

This year’s challenge,  ”Rebound Rumble” is  played by two competing alliances on a 27′ x 54′ field.  Each team consists of three robots competing to score as many basketballs into their hoops as they can during the two minute and 15 second match.  The match ends with robots attempting to balance on bridges located in the center of the field for bonus points.

In the quarter finals, the alliance easily defeated the number four seeded team.  They then went on to defeat the number one seeded alliance 64-55 in an exciting first match of the semi-finals.  During the second match, all three robots on the alliance had technical problems, forcing a third and final match.   With some of the technical issues still at hand, the alliance was unable to overcome their opponent.  Two weeks earlier at the Virginia Regional Competition in Richmond they also made it to the semi-finals only to be defeated by the alliance that went on to win the tournament.

Vae Victis on the field. (Photo: Arthur Pierson)

John Ballou, the faculty advisor for the program, was very pleased with how well the team fared at both events.  “I think our team did a fantastic job.  They played well and all of their hard work paid off.  It was a thrill a minute!”

At the end of the competition, awards are given to individuals and teams who have merited special recognition.  The volunteer of the year award was given to Falls Church resident and GM mentor, Don Brobst, who was recognized for “participating in or leading many FIRST initiatives and activities.  He gives willingly to help teams become the best they can be, and he is committed to FIRST‘s mission.  His dedication to teams’ technical and logistical know-how, and ‘no excuses’ attitude have made him an invaluable mentor, advisor, planning committee member, and event volunteer.”  When the Vae Victis team realized that it was their own member, Mr. Brobst, the cheers were enormous!

A few minutes later, the parent cheering section was again on their feet when the Johnson & Johnson sponsored Gracious Professionalism Award was awarded to George Mason.  The award “celebrates outstanding sportsmanship and continuous gracious professionalism in the heat of competition, both on and off the playing field.  At FIRST, sportsmanship means playing fairly, playing with humility, helping others, and not allowing results to compromise or drive your efforts.  It is a high standard, and one that we are proud to report is one of the distinguishing features of FIRST’s robotic competitions.”

The announcer went on to say, ” This team showed gracious professionalism that reached beyond this event.  In the weeks leading up to the competition, they worked alongside other teams helping them to get ready for this event. While at the DC Regional, they repeatedly shared their spare parts with those in need and helped teams debug their software.  This very friendly and helpful team had a great attitude and demonstrated . . . .Propitius Phasellus . . .That is Latin for Gracious Professionalism.”

FIRST (For Inspiration and  Recognition of Science and Technology) is an international program founded by Segway inventor,  Dean Kamen, designed “to turn young people on to career opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math” (STEM) and to promote “teamwork, competition, and just plain fun for young people ages 6-18″.  For more information visit www.usfirst.org.

Team 1418 with trophies. (Photo: Arthur Pierson)

Please visit http://fallschurchpta.org/hgtour.html, click on the “Tickets and Tour Information” button, and follow the prompts to pay securely via PayPal. Ticket pickup will take place the morning of the tour at Mount Daniel Elementary School, 2328 North Oak Street, Falls Church, Va. Because ticket sales on the day of the tour will be limited, it is strongly recommended to purchase your ticket in advance.

For more information, please visit http://fallschurchpta.org/hgtour.html, “like” the Tour on Facebook, or email fcc.hg.tour@gmail.com.