FRIDAY 3/26: Deadline to Buy Mulch, Boost GMHS Athletics
March 4, 2010 by Falls Church Times Staff · Leave a Comment
The 17th annual George Mason High School Athletic Boosters Mulch Sale is under way; March 26 is the order deadline. Top-quality shredded hardwood mulch comes in 3 cubic ft. bags at $5 per bag. Delivery is free in Falls Church City and surrounding neighborhoods. Delivery date is Saturday, April 10.
Download an order form from the GMHS Athletics website (www.masonathletics.org) and mail it along with check payable to GMABA to Phil Duncan, 1069 W. Broad St., #776, Falls Church, VA 22046. Include your address, phone and e-mail. Paper copies of the order form are available at the Library and Community Center. More information: pduncan@civicatalyst.com, or call (703) 209-2005.
The mulch sale is the Athletic Boosters’ major annual fund-raiser to support a wide range of activities benefiting George Mason student-athletes and recognizing their accomplishments — including our scholarship program; awards dinners in the fall, winter and spring; equipment purchases; and trophy cases and championship banners.
Mason’s Lasso a Winner, Awaiting the Color of Their Crown
March 2, 2010 by Scott Taylor · 2 Comments
Mason's award winning Lasso Online
By SCOTT TAYLOR
Falls Church Times Staff
March 2, 2010
One of the facts of life in the newspaper business is readers will offer up praise and contempt in equal measure. A healthy mix of each in a newsroom’s mailbox is a sure sign they are doing a good job.
Another sign a newspaper measures-up are peer-reviewed awards for journalism. The students at George Mason High School who produce Lasso Online may compete one day for the Pulitzer Prize, the James Beard Award, or GLAAD Media Awards but they can add an honor to their resumes today: Columbia Scholastic Press Association Crown Finalist.
The CSPA was first organized at Columbia University in 1924 and the Crown Awards constitute the highest recognition for overall excellence to a student print or online publication. Over 1,500 newspapers, magazines and yearbooks published during the 2008-2009 academic year were eligible for the 2010 Crown Awards. Lasso Online was one of 27 internet based high school newspapers named as a finalist.
“Technically, this means we have already won,” said Joy Wagener, Mason’s Lasso Online sponsor. “In two weeks, the judges will determine if we’re of silver crown or gold crown quality but both levels are winners.”
According to CSPA’s website: “The Awards Convocation for Scholastic Crown recipients will take place during CSPA’s 86th annual Convention, on Friday, March 19, 2010, in the Roone Arledge Auditorium of the Alfred Lerner Student Center on Columbia’s Morningside Heights campus.”
The Falls Church Times will provide an update once the final awards are announced.
George Mason High School’s Lasso Online
George Mason HS Continues Winning Ways in Scholastic Bowl and Girls Basketball
February 28, 2010 by Falls Church Times Staff · Leave a Comment
February 28, 2010
Scholastic Bowl
Peggy Monahan reported that once again George Mason High School is the Scholastic Bowl State Champion in Division A. She reports that the Mustangs were undefeated in 4 matches on Saturday to capture the trophy. Congratulations to Coach Jamie Scharff and his fantastic team!
Girls Basketball
Meanwhile, Craig Cheney reports that George Mason High School Girls Basketball won the Region B Division 2 title for the 3rd year in a row. The Mustangs beat Strasburg on Friday 52-27 in semifinals at Eastern Mennonite and topped Buckingham Country 63-26 last night in the finals.
Cheney reports that the quarterfinal playoff game of the state tournament will be next Friday night or Saturday at Robinson High School to earn a trip back to Richmond for State Final 4 title the following week.
George Mason Scholastic Bowl STATE CHAMPS
WEDNESDAY 3/3: GMHS International Dinner: A Night of Family Fun
February 28, 2010 by Falls Church Times Staff · Leave a Comment
This year the 22nd GMHS International Dinner will be held on Wednesday,March 3 at 6:30 pm-8.30pm in the Mustang Café. For those new to the school, the International Dinner is an annual event hosted by the GMHS International Club and sponsored by the PTSA and ESOL/Foreign Language staff. It is a fun celebration of our diverse Falls Church community, with over 250 attendees enjoying a delicious array of ethnic foods and entertainment with an international flair. It is a wonderful event for all families.
This is a pot-luck. Attendees MUST bring an entrée, side-dish or salad for 8-10 people to share. Disposable containers are advised. Don’t have time to cook?? Bring a family size dish from one of our local ethnic restaurants!! Desserts are provided by the PTSA.
Also there will be a raffle of Global baskets compiled by the International Club, with proceeds going to Haiti Relief Project and the child the Club is sponsoring through PlanUSA.
Volunteers are needed. This is a PTSA sponsored event which can not happen without the help of volunteers to make extra food and/or be part of the kitchen crew. If you would like to volunteer, please contact Jane Cashin at 703-534-5247 or cashinjl@hotmail.com
Mason Students Named National Merit Scholarship Finalists
February 24, 2010 by Falls Church Times Staff · 3 Comments
February 24, 2010
Three George Mason High School students have earned national recognition as National Merit Scholarship finalists. Kelley Frank, Hannah Gann, and Noam Terman recently received letters notifying them that they are among an elite group of students nationwide who are eligible to compete for the prestigious academic scholarships. All were recognized during morning announcements at George Mason High School. At right are Kelley, Noam, and Hannah, backed by Principal Tyrone Byrd and guidance counselor Amy Kurjanowicz. (Photo by FCCPS Communications)
WEDNESDAY 2/24: Deadline to Donate to GMHS International Club ‘Global Basket’ Raffle
February 20, 2010 by Falls Church Times Staff · Leave a Comment
At this year’s International Dinner, Wednesday, March 3, the International Club will be raffling off Global baskets to help raise funds for the Haiti Relief project and to sponsor a child in need through PlanUSA. We need your help filling the baskets with international literature and travel books from around the world. Suggestions for country/regions are American, Irish, Greek, German, Japanese, Chinese, India, Russian or any country of your choice.
We need coffee table books, music CDs, maps, flags, travel DVDs, foreign film DVDs, cookbooks, travel guides, restaurant gift certificates. Any donations of items and/or filled baskets would be appreciated.
Please help support the International Club in this worthy cause and make a profound difference in the Haiti Relief Project. Donations of goods/baskets are needed by February 24 at GMHS. For further details please contact Tina Kao at kaot@fccps.org.
POSTPONED: Charity Basketball Game for Haiti
February 3, 2010 by Falls Church Times Staff · Leave a Comment
The student versus faculty basketball game originally scheduled for February 3 at George Mason High School has been postponed. The event, a fundraiser for Haiti relief efforts, will be rescheduled.
City Schools 1st in ‘Challenge Index’; GMHS 4th in Region
February 1, 2010 by (see byline) · 1 Comment
By FALLS CHURCH CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS COMMUNICATIONS
February 1, 2010
The Washington Post Challenge Index measures a public high school’s effort to challenge all of its students. This year, the Falls Church City Public Schools finished first out of 28 in the regional division-wide rankings and George Mason High School finished fourth out of 172 individual high schools in the region. The results were published in today’s edition of the Washington Post.
“I’m so proud of our students and staff at George Mason High School,” Superintendent Lois Berlin said. “They continue to challenge themselves to reach their greatest potential, and it shows in the results.”
The formula used for the Challenge Index is to divide the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate or other college-level tests a school gave in 2009 by the number of graduating seniors. Tests taken by all students, not just seniors, are counted.
George Mason High School scored 5.333 in the annual rating. Since George Mason is the only FCCPS high school, the school’s rating also serves as the division rating. Arlington County finished second with a school division rating of 4.192. The individual high schools that scored above GMHS were Columbia Heights (5.595), Richard Montgomery (5.663), and H-B Woodlawn (6.00).
“What this shows us is that our school is among the very best in the nation when it comes to encouraging students to take challenging courses and college-level tests,” GMHS International Baccalaureate Coordinator Asheesh Misra said. “What we are especially proud of is that while our participation continues to increase, so does our students’ performance on these end-of-course assessments. As more Mason students take IB and AP courses, our overall performance remains strong. I hope that charging for exams next year does not negatively impact our continued growth in participation.”
Currently, the school division pays for college-level tests in an effort to encourage students to challenge themselves. Because of the state of the economy, the school board is considering, among a number of options, requiring students and their families to pay for the exams in an effort to make ends meet in FY11.
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The second of four school board work sessions is scheduled for Saturday, February 6, at 8:30 a.m. in the FCCPS Central Office conference room, 800 W. Broad St., Suite 203. Work sessions are not televised but are open to the public.
The second of three public hearings is scheduled for Tuesday, February 9, at 8 p.m. in the Chambers at City Hall. The public hearing will be televised on Falls Church City Television (Cox 12, RCN 2 and Verizon 35) and streamed live on the FCC-TV Web site, www.fcctv.net.
Citizens may also view school board budget materials and leave feedback for the board via the school division Web site, www.fccps.org. Click on the Budget 11 icon at the bottom of the home page.
