for the week of March 4-10, 2010

city

MARCH 2010Questions or Comments?City of Falls Church, Harry E. Wells Building300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, VA 22046703-248-5003 (TTY 711)The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act.This document will be made available in alternate format upon request. Call 703-248-5003 (TTY 711).

www.fallschurchva.gov - The official site for City of Falls Church news

6 Farmers’ M

arket, 9 a.m.-n

oon

5 FIRSTfriday

8 Yard Waste, Bundled Brush

a

nd Special Collections

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ity Council, 7:30 p.m.

9 Juvenile and Domestic Relations

C

ourt in Session

H

ousing Commission, 7 p.m.

10 General Distric

t Court i

n Session

C

able Access Board, 7 p.m.

C

itizens Advisory Committe

e

on Transporta

tion, 7:30 p.m.

City Council A

ppointments

Committee, 7

:30 p.m.

11 Human Services Advisory Council, 7 p.m

.

Aurora House Citizens

A

dvisory Committee, 7

:30 p.m.

B

oard of Zoning Appeals, 7:30 p.m.

Falls Church City Manager Wyatt Shields will pres-ent his proposed fiscal year 2011 budget at the City Council meeting on Monday, March 8. The meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. in Council Chambers, located at 300 Park Ave. FY11 runs July 1, 2010-June 30, 2011. The proposed budget will be posted on the City Web site at www.fallschurchva.gov following Monday’s presentation.

Watch OnlineThose who are unable to attend the Council meeting are

invited to watch online at www.fallschurchva.gov. Click on “City Council Meetings” under Popular Topics on the left.

City Budget Schedule March 8: Proposed budget presented

March 20: Budget Town Hall

March 22: 1st Public Hearing

April 10: Budget Town Hall

April 12: 2nd Public Hearing

April 26: 3rd Public Hearing and FY 11 Budget Adoption

View the complete schedule, including work sessions and meeting locations and time, at www.fallschurchva.gov.

E-mail Your Budget CommentsSend general government budget suggestions to

budget@fallschurchva.gov. Correspondence submitted to this e-mail will be reviewed by the City and considered for the FY11 Budget. Comments are posted online at www.fallschurchva.gov and will remain anonymous.

Find Us on FacebookBecome a fan of the City of Falls

Church on Facebook and get up-to-date City government information. Get the link at www.fallschurchva.gov.

The Rain Barrel Program is Back!The Northern Virginia Rain Barrel Program

is up and running for 2010! Learn how to har-vest and use rooftop runoff at a regional rain barrel workshop or sale.

A rain barrel is a modified 50-gallon food-grade polyethylene barrel placed under roof downspouts to collect water. Rain barrels help the environment by reducing our dependence on municipal water (therefore protecting natural resources), allevi-ates overstressed storm drains, and helps you save money (use the collected rainwater to water lawns and gardens or wash your car instead of turning on the hose!).

Make your own rain barrel at a workshop and learn how to build, install and maintain a rain barrel. Cost is $52, including a $2 processing fee. Premade rain barrels can also be purchased for $62, including a $2 processing fee. Registration and prepayment is required; go to www.arlingtonenvironment.org/barrel.php. For more information, e-mail rainbarrel@fairfaxcounty.gov or call 703-324-1428.

The 2010 Census: Easy, Important and Safe

The 2010 Census will document the changes in our nation since the last decennial census in 2000, and tell us how we’ve evolved as a country. Census data affects how more than $400 billion per year in federal funding is distributed to tribal, state and local govern-ments. It is vital that everyone in the United States be counted.

The 2010 Census form is one of the shortest Census forms in history – only 10 questions - and takes about 10 minutes to com-plete. Households will be asked to provide key demographic infor-mation, including: whether a housing unit is rented or owned; the address of the residence; and the names, genders, ages, races and relationships of others living in the household. By law, the Census Bureau cannot share respondents’ answers with anyone, including other federal agencies and law enforcement entities.

U.S. households will receive the form by mail or hand delivery this month. The initial form package, which will consist of the 2010 Census form, a cover letter, and a postage-paid return envelope, will be delivered this month in areas where the U.S. Postal Service delivers. Census workers will deliver forms March 1 through April 30, in most other areas. Responding immediately to the 2010 Census form is the most efficient way to complete the Census. Census workers will visit households that do not return the forms to take a count in person.

For more information visit www.census.gov.

City Manager to Present Proposed FY11 Budget on Monday

Spring into Fun at the Community Center

As the snow melts away, the Falls Church Recreation & Parks Division is gearing up for its spring break camps. Camps are open to youths, age 3 to 18. Camps include dance, multi-sport, basketball, acting, science, golf, and fencing. There’s also a week of fun trips just for middle school students. Outings include trips for swimming, horseback riding, ice skating and visiting Dave and Busters and Central Park Fun Land. Camps run from March 29-April 2.

And for the first time, there will be a Super Spring Camp for students who are on break the week of April 5-9. This camp will include arts and crafts, sports and games.

View the full listing of camps in the 2010 Winter Spring Brochure online at www.fallschurchva.gov.

Scho

ols

School content published in The Schools Focus is written and edited by the Falls Church City Public Schools. For more information, visit www.fccps.org - the official site for Falls Church City Public Schools news.

BIE Partner of the WeekLaura HullCreative Cauldron

School involvement: Donated event tickets as a prize for the Poetry Out Loud competition; provides work experience in the arts to students; served as role model on the Thomas Jefferson Career Bulletin Board; provides performance and display space for student exhibits.

Why Laura is a BIE partner: “Creative Cauldron seeks to inte-grate the arts into every area of our citizens’ lives, by providing opportunities for learning, participation and enjoyment of the per-forming and visual arts for both school-age students and adults. With the new ArtSpace Falls Church, we now have the ability to serve an even wider audience and reach out to more of our community.”

For more information about sharing your expertise through the BIE Partnership, visit www.fccps.org or contact Marybeth Connelly at connellym@fccps.org.

Calendar for March 4-12, 2010Testing

4-5 SOL Writing (MEH/GM)

March

5 4:00 p.m. Mason @ Stuart High – Scrimmage (G Tennis) 5:30 p.m. PTA March Madness (MEH) 6:00 p.m. Hayfield Secondary @ Mason – Scrimmage (G Soccer) 7:30 p.m. Hayfield Secondary @ Mason – Scrimmage (B Soccer)

6 8:00 a.m. Haiti Relief (GM)

8 7:30 p.m. Gifted & Talented Advisory Committee (TJ) 7:30 p.m. City Manager presents FY11 Budget (City Hall)

9 5:30 p.m. Elementary PTA Book Fair (MD) 6:30 p.m. Mason @ West Potomac – Scrimmage (Softball) 6:30 p.m. School Board Work Session (City Hall) 7:30 p.m. Pre-Festival Chorus concert (GM) 7:30 p.m. Heritage High @ Mason – Scrimmage (G Soccer) 7:30 p.m. Kindergarten Parent Orientation (MD) 8:00 p.m. Regular School Board Meeting (City Hall)

10 4:00 p.m. Mason @ Washington Lee – Scrimmage (Baseball) 5:30 p.m. Elementary PTA Book Fair (MD) 7:15 p.m. Mason @ Washington Lee – Scrimmage (G Lacrosse) 7:15 p.m. PTA (MEH)

11 5:00 p.m. Stuart High @ Mason – Scrimmage (G Lacrosse) 6:30 p.m. Stuart High @ Mason – Scrimmage (B Lacrosse) 7:30 p.m. Joint Meeting - School Board/City Council/Planning Comm. (City Hall)

12 7:45 a.m. Parent Teacher Mini Conferences (GM) 7:30 p.m. Hayfield Secondary @ Mason – Scrimmage (B Soccer)

For more calendar information, visit www.fccps.org/calendar.

(MD) Mt. Daniel School (TJ) Thomas Jefferson Elementary

(MEH) Mary Ellen Henderson Middle

(GM) George Mason High (CO) Central Office

Foundation FootnotesSchool families are invited to annual dinner Falls Church City Public School families will soon receive an invitation to the foundation’s annual dinner and auction. Plans for the April 23rd fundraiser include dining, entertainment by special musical guests, and bidding on exciting auction packages. Proceeds benefit the programs and operations of the Falls Church Education Foundation.

The Foundation is a registered 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. For information visit www.fcedf.org or contact Donna Englander at denglander@fcedf.org or 703-538-3381.

FCC-TV Spotlight: Jazz Cardio Strength StretchTune in to Falls Church Community Television (FCC-TV) to watch Jazz Cardio Strength Stretch, a public access program produced by Jazzercise. This pro-gram gets your blood pumping through a cardio warm up, then moves on to muscle toning during the strength segment, and lets you unwind with some cool-down stretches at the end of class. This program airs every weekday morning at 6:00 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. Now you have no excuse not to get moving every morning!

You can now see FCC-TV programming live at www.fcctv.net anywhere in the world! FCC-TV also airs in the greater Falls Church area on Cox Channel 12, Verizon Channel 35 and RCN Channel 2.

The George Mason Scholastic Bowl team con-cludes its impressive 23-0 season with a state cham-pionship title after breezing through the double-elimina-tion tournament at William and Mary on Saturday.

As throughout most of the season, the Mustangs’ vic-tories seemed almost effort-less. The closest margin of victory in the final four games against the commonwealth’s best schools was 85 points.

The team was led by junior captain Asher Morse and starting seniors Katie Buenneke, Jonathan Ross and junior Anuraag Sensharma. Contributions in the tournament were also made by Mary Ma, a senior, and juniors Jakob Hand, Ross Wilson and Crawford Taylor.

The state title is Mason’s fourth and along with 3 runner-up finishes, the George Mason squad has participated in the final game in 7 of the last 9 years.

GMHS Scholastic Bowl Team State Champions

The 2009-10 George Mason Virginia Scholarship Bowl State Champions are (l to r): Jakob Hand, Ross Wilson, Crawford Taylor, Mary Ma, Anuraag Sensharma, Katie Buenneke, Jonathan Ross, Asher Morse (captain) and James Scharff (faculty sponsor).

Registration is now open for 2010 FCCPS Summer Day Camps.

Camps will be held weekly from June 21st – August 27th, except July 2nd, from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Thomas Jefferson, for children entering grades 1-4 and at Mary Ellen Henderson Middle for children entering grades 5-8.

Children participate in a wide variety of activities and interest area “camps.” In addition, the children are offered rec-reational and board games, art projects, theater arts, literacy and service learning activities. Each week, children have the opportunity to swim, go on a field trip and visit with at least one special guest.

Parents may register their campers for only the weekly ses-sions they need. But hurry, as each weekly session could reach capacity quickly.

To register visit www.fccps.org/sec or for more informa-tion call (703) 248-5683.

Summer Day Camps Registration

Spring Break Day Care Registration OpenThe Falls Church City Public Schools is accepting reg-

istration for Day Care/MS ASAP during the upcoming spring break, March 29th – April 2nd.

The programs will be offered from 7:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. each day. If enrollment is not sufficient to keep all centers open, programs may be consolidated at Thomas Jefferson Elementary.

To register, visit www.fccps.org/daycare. Deadline for registration is March 22nd. Additional fees apply.

Summer School Dates AnnouncedMark your calendars! The Falls Church City Public Schools summer sessions have been scheduled for the following dates and times:Mount Daniel Elementary: July 6-9 (T-F) and July 12-29 (M-Th)/ 8:30 a.m. -12 p.m.

Thomas Jefferson Elementary: July 6-31 (M-F)/ 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Mary Ellen Henderson Middle: July 6-31 (M-F)/8:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

George Mason High: July 6-23 (M-F)/8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.