Vienna - Ellington CMSconnection.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/news/documents/...2014/12/22 · The snow measured up to be as high as 2 ft. tall. Play-ing in the snow the next morning

Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ Children’s Connection ❖ 2014 - 2015 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com online at www.connectionnewspapers.comDecember 31, 2014 - January 6, 2015

By Gillian Hughes, 18, of Vienna.

ChildrenChildren’s Connection 2014s Connection 2014Children’s Connection 2014

ViennaViennaand Oaktonand Oakton

2 ❖ Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ Children’s Connection ❖ 2014 - 2015 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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Children’s Connection

By Luke, grade 7, OurLady of Good Counsel.

By Trudy, grade8, Our Lady ofGood Counsel.

Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ Children’s Connection ❖ 2014 - 2015 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Vienna/Oakton Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic

703-778-9414 or [email protected]


By Madison Knapp, grade 8, Thoreau Middle School.

Welcome

Dear Readers: This week, theVienna and Oakton Connec-tion turns over its pages to theyouth and students.

We asked principals and teachers fromarea schools to encourage students to con-tribute their words, pictures and photos forour annual Children’s Issue.

The response as always was enormous.While we were unable to publish everypiece we received, we did our best to puttogether a paper with a fair sampling ofthe submitted stories, poems, drawings,paintings, photographs and other works ofart.

We appreciate the extra effort made byschool staff to gather the materials duringtheir busy time leading up to the holidays.We’d also like to encourage both schoolsand parents to mark their 2015 calendarsfor early December, the deadline for sub-

missions for next year’s Children’s Connec-tion. Please keep us in mind as your chil-dren continue to create spectacular worksof art and inspiring pieces of writing in thecoming year.

The children’s issue is only a part of ouryear-round commitment to cover educationand our local schools. As always, the Con-nection welcomes letters to the editor, storyideas, calendar listings and notices of localevents from our readers. Photos and othersubmissions about special events at schoolsare especially welcome for our weeklyschool pages.

Our preferred method for material is e-mail, which should be sent [email protected], butyou can reach us by mail at 1606 KingStreet, Alexandria, VA 22314 or call 703-778-9414 with any questions.

Editor Kemal Kurspahic

By Allie Reback, 8, Wolftrap Elementary.

By Dave, grade3, Our Lady ofGood Counsel.

By Abigail Paredes,12, of Great Falls.

By MadelineDoherty,grade 3,

ViennaElementary.


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As You Make Your End-of-YearCharitable Donations…

Please consider children in need of medical and dentalcare right here in Fairfax County.

Each year, the Medical Care for Children Partnership(MCCP) Foundation provides care to thousands of children inlow-income working families right in our own community.These children do not qualify for government programs orprivate insurance, and without MCCP, they would havenowhere to go.

To learn more and todonate, please go towww.mccpfoundation.org orcall 703-286-0881.

Thank you for joining yourneighbors in supporting thiscause so that all our localchildren can go to school ingood health!

Special Thanks to The Connection Newspapers

www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

An independent, locally owned weeklynewspaper delivered

to homes and businesses.Published by

Local Media Connection LLC

1606 King StreetAlexandria, Virginia 22314

Free digital edition delivered toyour email box. Go to

connectionnewspapers.com/subscribe

NEWS DEPARTMENT:[email protected]

Kemal Kurspahic Editor ❖ 703-778-9414

[email protected]

Amna RehmatullaEditorial Assistant

703-778-9410 [email protected]

Bonnie HobbsCommunity Reporter ❖ [email protected]

Donna ManzContributing Writer

[email protected]

Jon RoetmanSports Editor ❖ 703-752-4013

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ADVERTISING:For advertising information

[email protected]

Don ParkDisplay Advertising

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Debbie FunkNational Sales703-778-9444

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Editor & PublisherMary Kimm

[email protected]@MaryKimm

Executive Vice PresidentJerry Vernon

[email protected]

Editor in ChiefSteven Mauren

Managing EditorKemal KurspahicPhotography:

Deb Cobb, Craig SterbutzelArt/Design:

Laurence Foong, John HeinlyProduction Manager:

Geovani Flores

Special Assistant to the PublisherJeanne Theismann

[email protected]@TheismannMedia

CIRCULATION: [email protected]

Vienna & Oakton

Be a part of our Wellbeing pages, the first week of every month.

Delight in our HomeLifeStyle sections, the second week ofevery month. Peek at the top real estate sales, glimpse over-the-top remodeling projects, get practical suggestions foryour home.

Celebrate students, camps, schools, enrichment programs,colleges and more in our A-plus: Education, Learning, Funpages, the third week of every month.

Questions? [email protected] call 703-778-9431



By ThomasMcIntyre,

grade 8,Thoreau

Middle School.

By IsabelleBellegarde,grade 7,ThoreauMiddle School.

By JaydeThomas, grade

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By KatieStemp,grade 7,ThoreauMiddleSchool.

A Fearful Polar BearBy Luke Caplan

Grade 5, Louise Archer Elementary

Wandering through the icy snow,I’ve lost my cubs, I don’t know where to go.The wind is howling to and for,I’m wandering through the icy snow.A snowflake lands upon my nose,It flies away when a strong wind blows.I would follow that snowflake wherever it goes,When the snowflake lands upon my nose.I stumble on, towards the sun,The wind strikes me like a deadly stun.I’ll tell you that it isn’t fun,When I stumble on, towards the sun.I see my cubs playing happilyAt the base of a frozen tree.The ice and cold don’t scare me,As I watch my cubs playing happily.

I really want to be the World’s bestsoccer player. These are some rea-sons why. First, if you are really

good, the club owner will pay you a lotof money.

Second, my league (Great Falls soccer)

is probably the worst in the All Starsgroup. So if I train harder, that hard train-ing might help me be the best.

— Youngmin Hong, grade 4,

Churchill Road Elementary

When I Grow Up



By Bridget Frank,grade 2,Flint Hill El-ementary School.

By Percy Park, grade 4,Cunningham Park Elementary.

By Geneva, grade 3,Cunningham Park Elementary.

By Jordan Forrester, grade 6,Cunningham Park Elementary.

By Alec Thompson, grade 1,Cunningham Park Elementary.

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StormBy Alexandra Radt,

grade 4, Colvin Run Elementary

The storm came down from the moun-tains old, through the forest it roared androlled;

the tree trunks groaned,the forest moaned,trees fell down upon the mold.The storm went on from west to east,all movement in the forest ceased;but the storm went on across themarsh,and its shrill voice was released.The reeds hissed, their tassels bent,the grasses rattled, on it went;from north to south and east to west,disaster struck wherever it went.The storm blew on from west to east,then it blew off the Earthand finally ceased.

USBBy Seongjun Lee,

grade 5, Colvin Run Elementary

Thumbnail, thumbdrive, flash drive,hardware,I keep my memories in youWhen I need I take it out from youShhh...This is top secret,Many names you have.Where is it?It’s in here.Where did I put?It’s in me.Give me the File.Just pick me up.I’ll keep it safe.


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By Isabella Zhang, grade 1, Colvin Run Elementary.

By Cate Poliquin,

Spring Hill

Elementary

In 2008 there was a hugesnowstorm in McLean.The snow measured up

to be as high as 2 ft. tall. Play-ing in the snow the nextmorning was super fun but,staying up through the nightturned out to be super scaryfor my family. My family washaving a nice time watchingthe snowfall, and listening toChristmas music. The firewas so warm, but we used upa lot of wood. I watched as thepiles of snow grow bigger andbigger. Soon my dad becameworried. We had used up mostof our wood! Then one of theworst things happened, thepower went out. My dad soonbecame super worried, be-cause all we had to eat wascereal and cold food.

As time passed by, thehouse became colder andcolder. Then my parentshopes came true, the powercame back on! The nextmorning my sister and Iplayed in the snow all day.Now my family knows to beprepared for a snowstorm.

The Storm

By Emilie Kim

Grade 5, Churchill

Road Elementary

It was a winter night, bone-chilly and the ground wascovered with milky white

snow. A wavy, steep slopeawaits the people who weregoing to go sledding or skiingthe next day. At ten o’clock p.m,any five year old kid would befast asleep, but not me. I wasgoing to go animal watchingwith my father. My stomachwas filled with butterflies andthey seemed to kick my stom-ach very harshly. My heart wasthudding with an unusually fastpace. As I was wide awake, Iwaited as my father was com-ing in my room. We were goingto go animal watching.

As my father and I steppedout into the moonlight, thegrass crunched and made beau-tiful, ruffling sounds. I stared atthe moon for a few seconds. En-chanted by its radiant light, Istepped forward. The moonwas magnificent and mysteri-ous to me as I moved closer andcloser. The stars seemed todance around me as I glancedaway from the moon. My mis-ery had suddenly vanished. It

was replaced with hope. I think itis from the amazing moon andstars. Then, I remembered why Iwas outside with my father. As afrightening cloud had stolen mymoon, I sprinted across my yardand I leaped into my father’sawaiting arms after a quick glanceat the shining moon and stars.

I grasped my dad’s navy blueshirt and I ran to our small, butpretty, stone pond. I gasped as Isaw that the moon was on thepond.

My father said reassuringly, “Itis just the moon’s reflection on thepond. The water acts like a mir-ror.”

I understood, and I went towardthe pond. I was silent as a shadowas I scurried across the lawn.Then,a gust of wind blew me off course,and it took away my courage as itflew past me. I ran with all mymight to my father.

He asked, “Are you okay?”I nodded silently and we contin-

ued our sightseeing for animals.My father and I were filled with

joy as we saw some animals as wewalked away from our quiethouse. There were raccoons andsquirrels along our sight. I hearda low hoot and I knew that wewere not alone in the darknessthat gave me goosebumps. As we

walked for miles it seemed, Idug my heels into the soft, am-ber-brown mud and my fatherwas concerned. We were aboutto enter the woods.

The woods is a terrible night-mare, and darkness surroundsyou in that creepy place. I frozeand I whispered that I wouldnever go in that place. My fa-ther noticed that and he saidthat we weren’t going into thewoods. As my father was check-ing the time, I tumbled down ahill and I was terrified.I shut mybig golden brown eyes, and assoon as I landed, my eyesslowly blinked and then Iopened my eyes out of curios-ity. I stared at the place I hadlanded on. My father had fol-lowed me and started scoldingme. I shushed him and we bothstared at the place I had fallen.It was beautiful with a snowcovered slope that was filledwith trees that were the colorof an emeralds. The part I likedbest was that there were somany animals in my sight.

That was the most amazingthing that has happened to me.I enjoy being around animalsand even when I was reallyyoung I loved to pet and seemany different animals.

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By Ejun Kim, grade 8, Westminster School.

StarsThe stars smile down at meThey rock me to sleepAt night they wake me upThey go back to sleep at daybreakThey have bright, sparkly eyesI love the stars,They love me back

— Catherine Kim, grade 4

WinterWinter comes, pushing fall awayIt breathes its icy cold breathChilling my spineCrying, rain turns to snowIt sleeps with a blanket of whiteAs it comes, it freezes the landThe world feels blankThere is nothing in sightWinter takes over day and nightThe cold winter

— Alexander Hearn,

grade 4

GrandmotherHer gray dry hands holding mineResting so quietly on a blue quiltAfter dinner she turned and whis-

peredNot all bruises hurtDivine in the day all dressed upSo many years agoOlder now but laughingThe cancer did not get herHow come she feels so tiredEvery minute countsRemember

— Michael Pandula,

grade 6

The SeaThe wind blows through my wavyhair here and there I listento the sounds of the EarthI jump happily through the wickedsandTumbling to my feet and tasting theairSeeing the sea and sungleaming bright like shining startsfish swimming bybeauty strikes everywherebut my happiness beats it allwith my moonlight fun

— Christina Buravtsova,

grade 7

A MomentAlong the Way

Trudging along an endless and un-known path

Eyes cast towards the concreteground

Mind filled with idle and unimportantchores

Never once looking up and glancingaround

Suddenly, I halted to sweet sounds ofwind chimes

I looked up and glimpsed at streaks ofrainbow birds flying by

I stood in surprised awe of the emer-ald land

A land of wonders and magic in everybend

I took a moment to stop along the dullway

Breathing in sweet fragrance of alluringflowers

Mesmerized by the trees as they gentlysway

Stumbling upon a world of filteringlight

Tranquil lullabies sang the soft chorusof a breeze

Exquisite decoration of floral andleaves

The sun shone a spotlight, for this wasthe day

When I took a moment along theendless way

— Rosy Sultana, grade 8

A Bike RideNeedles spin around a metal centerBlack rubber covers the spokesMy feet rest on the pedalsAs I steer towards the distant dunesWisps of smoke fade around meAnd the skyscrapers disappearThe shore finally in viewAs the concrete slips beneath meI reach the sandy knollsAnd swiftly hop off my bikeA spray of sea salt mists my faceAs the azure tide froths at the shoreThe air slowly becomes grey and hazyShrouding the streaks of early sunHeavy clouds begin to trudge inAnd tiny droplets of rain tap meI rush out of the tumbling seaAnd am loath to get on my wet bikeTo return to the grey buildingsThat will never satisfy me

— Ejun Kim, grade 8


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Doing WhatYou Love

Something that I wouldadore doing as an occupationis to be an author. I would liketo be an author because I loveto read and I am frequentlyanxious to pour out my imagi-nation onto a piece of paper.The single piece of paper be-comes two, and soon enough Ihave a story before my eyes.What I think a lot of people dowhen they are choosing a jobis to see how much money theywould get for it.

But the most important thingabout a job is if you love doingit all the time.— Aidan DiConti, grade

5, Vienna Elementary

LoveThe best gift I have ever given

someone is love and hope.Hope gives people inspiration

and determination to do betterthings and to keep going. Lovehelps people when they’re downor when they’ve suffered from aloss.

They’re both important becausewhat would happen if we didn’thave them? Everyone would hateeach other. All in all love helps theworld and makes it a better place.— Ciaran Sullivan, grade


The Best GiftLast Mother’s Day, I gave my

mom a book of quotes that I wroteentitled “Waiting for Thunder.” Ifilled it with quotes that I had ei-ther heard, or conjured up myself.My favorite quote of mine was “Bethe is, not the was.” I think I haveprobably given gifts that are bet-ter, but this was really special tome, and my mom. On the after-noon of Mother’s Day, I presentedthe printed and final copy to mymom. While reading it, right thenand there, Shani Horne was

brought to tears.—Kai McCloskey, grade


The Best PresentThe best present I have ever

given someone was a puzzle Imade out of pictures I drew. Icarefully drew blue birds at thetop of the page facing in twodifferent directions.

Even though they aren’t fac-ing the same way, somehowthey are connected. Betweenthe birds I wrote “We Are AllConnected Together.” Belowthat I drew the best picture ofmy family in Sunday clothes Icould.

I drew a picture of a creeknext to it that held familymemories deep in the roots ofthe trees that grew over into thecreek so that the memoriesflooded out.

— Ashley Schroder,

grade 5,

Vienna Elementary

By Arden Lee, grade 6,Vienna Elementary.

By Laura Balle, grade 1,Vienna Elementary.

ByHunterMoss,grade 6,ViennaElemen-tary.


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The biggestthings arealways the

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-William Van Horne

If I wanted to rationalize the benefit ofdelaying my heretofore every-three-weekchemotherapy infusion from three weeks tofour and now on to five, possibly six – andthat’s dependent on improved results froma second/maybe even third retest upcom-ing (this retest a bit more involved thandrawing blood) – I would say it’s only fittingthat I should have a break/brake; after all, itis the holiday season when all good things;yada, yada, yada. If only it were thatsimple.

But simple is the last thing that a cancerpatient’s life can be characterized as being;whether they have been “prognosed” as“terminal” as I was, or are at the beginning(diagnosis), middle (under treatment andsurviving under circumstances too numer-ous and varied to list) or end of theircancer-affected life. And so for me toexpect smooth sailing at any time duringthis process is totally and entirely unreason-able – and mostly, I haven’t. I’m just luckyto be in a boat with a few provisions stillleft in it. Ergo, this column is not a com-plaint, just an update, as the previous fewcolumns had sort of led you regular readerson a bit of a walk in my shoes, althoughone likely without the neuropathy nearlysix years of non-stop chemotherapy canexact. Still, I am mostly upright, up andabout and able to handle any and all activi-ties, especially those relating to daily living.However, right now I worry that after twoconsecutive three-week-interval, pre-che-motherapy lab results specifically measur-ing my cretanine levels (which reflects kid-ney function), and a second retest as well,all indicated too high/abnormal (a first-timeoccurrence), thereby preventing my regu-larly scheduled Alimta infusions – twice – ifI have indeed crossed the Rubicon, so tospeak. Obviously, it serves no particularpurpose for me to invoke history, especiallyhistory with which I have very little familiar-ity. However, if some of what I’ve read con-cerning this historical event is true – theevent’s significance notwithstanding, it haspartially led to the creation-and-then-acceptance of a word’s/phrase’s figurativemeaning – then I sure hope my die has notbeen cast.

But who knows, really? And eventhough this cancer stuff is all very personal– and my circumstances are unique to meas a cancer patient – I try not to take it per-sonally, if that makes any sense? Somehow,I try to minimize the negative effect of anyof it, mentally, that is. As concerns me andmy treatments (starts, stops and fits), it hasalways been about what happens next.Until there’s no more next, there’s alwayswhat’s next. Now I have a third round oflab work next week and a 24-hour creati-nine clearance collection in the interim tomeasure my levels as accurately as possibleto help determine what happens next.Hopefully, levels will reduce, and more ofthe same treatment which has resulted inmy unexpectedly long life expectancy andmost recent “shrinkage,” can continue. Butof course, there are no guarantees either.Oh, there is one: this process isexcruciating.

Nevertheless, somehow the patient (orat least this patient) has to be patient andlife has to be lived. Otherwise the cancerwins. And to quote Brian Dennehy, a/k/aSheriff Cobb, from the movie “Silverado,”completely out of context: “We can’t behaving any of that now, can we?”

Kenny Lourie is an Advertising Representative forThe Potomac Almanac & The Connection Newspapers.

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

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26 Antiques

We pay top $ for STERLING, MEN'S WATCHES,

JEWELRY, COSTUME JEWELRY, FURNITURE,

PAINTINGS AND CLOCKS.Schefer Antiques

[email protected]

Do what you can, with

what you have,where you are.

-TheodoreRoosevelt

EmploymentEmploymentBUSINESS OPP

NATIONAL CHILDRENS CENTERNo sell! Salary + Bonus + Benefits!

Weekdays 9-4

TELEPHONE

☎☎301-333-1900

A great opportunity toWORK AT HOME!

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BUSINESS OPP

NATIONAL CHILDRENS CENTERNo sell! Salary + Bonus + Benefits!

Weekdays 9-4

TELEPHONE

☎☎301-333-1900

A great opportunity toWORK AT HOME!

☎☎

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E-mail ad with zone choices to:[email protected]

or call Andrea @ 703-778-9411

EMPLOYMENTDEADLINESZones 1, 5, 6............................Mon @ noonZones 2, 3, 4 ...........................Tues @ noon

E-mail ad with zone choices to:[email protected] or call Andrea @ 703-778-9411

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HOW TO SUBMIT ADS TO

DesireBy Emily S., grade 7,

Our Lady of Good Counsel School

The aching desires of the few,include the necessities for me and you,but the vast majority want the new,they want the luxury and they lust,because they must,they need the future in the past,they need products that must last,for as long as they want them to.What happened to this world, what must we do?release the greed,make a creed,and find the greatness in giving and not wanting,loving not taunting,and fulfill the deserved desires of peace, nourishment, and fair

treatment for others,for the fathers, children, brothers, sisters, and mothers.

The Substance of LifeSylesh S., grade 8,


Time, the substance of lifeAppears to be rifeBut passes byIn a blink of an eyeEach moment that we wasteIs forever erasedEvery second well-spentWill make us contentLife is a dreamIn which time reigns supremeMake the best use of timeMake each moment sublime

TimeBen M., grade 8,


They say time is never ending,but is that really truethey say the end is impending,like the damp morning dewBut have you a cluewhat’s coming for youa hurricane of sadnessa whirlpool of despairunnecessary illnesseven though it isn’t fairbut maybe life is just unfinished business,and happiness is just around the chair.

“A Fleeting Glance at the Past”Sofia F., grade 8,


When one finds oneself longing for a certain time,Remember that the time we have now is ephemeral,And even though it’s an uphill climb,The here and now must be treated like an emerald.In the words of Penn,“Time is what we want most, but what we use the worst”So remember now and then,To remind yourselves that time can’t be reversed.And though now we may trudge along,Recall dear cohorts,That though the days are long,The years are short.

TattoosBy Julia K., grade 8, Our Lady of Good Counsel

All the inkthat covers my bodyare all the stories

I could never tellSecrets I always keptEvery confession I never madeTons of memoriesmade into drawingswill stay with me foreverAll the things that have hit me so hardAre now visibleYou look at me and you might judgeBut I am coveredWith the stories of my life

PaperBy Tommy F., grade 7,


It looks like a magic carpet floating in the windpaper is a tree that was once skinnedIt was recently the stem of a treethere are two sides of paper, not threeand as you may overlook this piece of artit has lots of history and the idea is smartIn China paper was made out of bambooand that’s about it, as I think it throughIt started as papyrus in Egyptthey were smart and strategicpapyrus was a good-sized plantbut not used by Ulysses S. GrantUlysses S. Grant used something else, I thinkmaybe he used parchment, pens, and inkBut now it’s just paper and a ballpoint penpaper is pushed to its limits by menSo paper could be a very useful thingso don’t overlook it as you overlook string

NatureBy Donald W., grade 7,


The crisp wind blows,The ocean’s limits no one knows,The fields of grass,Green with grace,Nature fills all,Earth and Space,The clouds,A wisp of white,They’re in the air,Until night,The sky the sky,Filled at night,With gleaming stars,That shine so bright,Until day,We wait in fright,The sun has risen,It beholds such light,It shines all day,With all its might,Until it goes down,Out of sight

By Dave, grade 3, Our Lady of Good Counsel



Documents

Vienna - Ellington CMSconnection.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/news/documents/...2014/12/22 · The snow measured up to be as high as 2 ft. tall. Play-ing in the snow the next morning