Fairfax High School
3501 Rebel Run
Fairfax, VA 22030
Tel: 703.219.2200
fcps.edu/FairfaxHS
City of Fairfax Schools
The City of Fairfax City Schools are committed to increasing the academic achievement of all its students, strengthening the climate in which student learning takes place and expanding professional learning communities to enhance student and faculty learning.
In the News
Fairfax High has 14 National Merit Commended Scholars!
NOVEMBER 2009 — Congratulations to the 14 Fairfax High students named 2009-2010 National Merit Commended Scholars.
They include: Arabella Ahn, Katherine Barlow, Jack Bechert, Aditya Bhatnagar, Anurag Bhatnagar, Yen-Ming Chen, John Gillen, Lailah Irani, Joo Young Jo, Gi Young Kim, Gary Kochetkov, Sathya Mathavan, Bailey McDade, and Carrol Vander Clute. This year we also have one National Merit Semifinalist, Emily Schutz.
AUGUST 2009: WELCOME TO TWO NEW CITY SCHOOL PRINCIPALS
The City of Fairfax School Board is pleased to announce that Fairfax County Public Schools have hired two new principals to fill some big shoes for the principalships at Fairfax High and Providence Elementary School.
AT FAIRFAX HIGH
Taking Scott Brabrand’s place as the head of Fairfax High is David Golfarb, who was named principal of Fairfax High last summer after spending two years as an assistant principal at South Lakes High School.
Scott Brabrand has been promoted to the position of Assistant Superintendent of Cluster IV for Fairfax County Public Schools effective July 1. He replaces Brian Binggeli, who has been named superintendent of Brevard (Florida) Public Schools.
Read more about Scott Brabrand’s promotion here.
AT PROVIDENCE ELEMENTARY
Replacing retiring principal Joy Hanbury at Providence Elementary will be Jesse Kraft, an experienced, respected educator in FCPS who began his teaching career in 1996 as a 3rd grade teacher at Newington Forest Elementary. In his nine years there, he taught 4th and 6th grade and served as a “Great Beginnings” coach supporting new teachers during their first-year in FCPS.
In 2001, he achieved National Board Certification, and in 2004 was nominated for the prestigious FCPS Teacher of the Year award. Kraft then became the assistant
principal at Westlawn Elementary in Falls Church in 2005, and in 2007 was the AP
at Oak Hill Elementary School.
They join the two other City School principals, Kathy Mullenix, the long-time principal of Daniels Run Elementary, and Scott Poole, Lanier Middle School’s principal since 2006.
City of Fairfax School Board has a new student representative: Jonathan Earley.
Welcome to the City of Fairfax School Board’s new student representative from Fairfax High, Jonathan Earley. The senior is active in the band program as a percussionist, being a part of the marching band, winter drumline, and percussion ensemble. Outside of school, Jonathan is an Eagle Scout from Troop 1887 at American Legion Post 177 in Fairfax, and is an active member in youth activities at his church. He served as a Page for the Virginia House of Delegates in 2005. Some of his hobbies include making videos, photography, and politics.
Graduation 2009
“It was a tremendous honor to have Douglas Garcia speak at this year’s commencement ceremony,” said principal Scott Brabrand, who just weeks later learned he had been promoted to Cluster IV Assistant Superintendent for FCPS.
On June 15, Brabrand spoke about his four years at Fairfax High and told the class of 2009 “we entered the school as freshmen together, and all have learned important lessons in our time together.”
He then turned the podium over to commencement speaker Douglas Garcia, the assistant secretary of education for Virginia, which is part of Governor Kaine’s cabinet.
The native of El Salvador shared the story of his life as the son of immigrants, and the challenges he overcame to work his way to a top job in the Virginia education department. Read on for an excerpt of his speech.
Valedictorian Speaker Esha Pendharkar
Good afternoon class of 2009, family, friends, and faculty. Four years ago, this day seemed to be a distant dream, but today it is a reality. Our success today would not be possible without the love and support of our amazing parents, family, friends, teachers, and administrators. On behalf of the senior class, I would like to thank all of these distinguished individuals for standing by our sides through the highs and lows.
Each one of us comes from a unique background. Look around, and the diversity at Fairfax High is unmistakable. In fact, we are a majority minority school.
We have students who excel in math, others who hold a passion for language, and those who have a talent for art. We take part in different activities, from honor societies to sports to instruments to jobs. We seek to be doctors, teachers, lawyers, artists, athletes, engineers, and CEOs. We exhibit creativity, leadership, spirit, and dedication.
Lanier Honors: Students take home top academic, music awards
Special awards are given each year to Lanier Middle School students who exemplify a variety of leadership skills.
This year, the John Harris Citizenship Award went to 7th grader Bryce Gentry and 8th grader Casey Lawrence. The Mary Hovan Humanitarian Award, went to 7th grader Melissa Detios and 8th grader Hamid Cetinkaya. The grand prize, the Eagle of the Year Award honored 8th grader Leah Johnson (pictured right)
Last year she also took home a lion’s share of the awards, including the Mary Hovan Humanitarian Award, the Diplomat Team Award, and the DAR Award. In fact, this year’s Laura Elliot Writing Award also went to Johnson and to 8th grader Bobby Doyle.
Congrats to the Daniels Run winners of the President’s Award for Educational Excellence
Among the dozens of students graduating from 6th grade at Daniels Run this June was the group of children (pictured above) who took home the coveted President’s Award for Educational Excellence. Jacopo Gliozzi (pictured, center) was named the Most Outstanding 6th grade student of 2009.
“Congratulations to these students, and all the 6th graders who will be moving to Lanier next year,” says Daniels Run Principal Kathy Mullenix. “We know you will do a terrific job in middle school, and we will miss you.”
Providence Elementary School Student Ambassadors 2008-2009
With the goal of building a community at Providence Elementary, principal Joy Hanbury and her staff assembled a group of student ambassadors to walk visiting grown-up volunteers to the right classrooms, assist during special events such as Family Heritage Night and Read Across America day, and help students new to Providence to learn the ropes.
In fact, when Wandis Lu was new to school last year, she was paired with Providence ambassador Ninoska Claure. It turned out that Ninoska did such a great job making Wandis feel comfortable that this year she became an ambassador herself.
“This is such a great program, and Ninoska made me feel so comfortable and at home, that I wanted to participate.”
Spring 2009: School + Community = The Power of Working Together
Imagine a high school where students not only learn from textbooks and top-notch teachers, but work with professionals in the community who mentor, advise, and even hire them in the fields they hope to someday work.
There’s nothing futuristic about that scenario in the City of Fairfax Schools, where special programs have been implemented at each school that connect students to the community.
At Fairfax High’s Academy for Communications and the Arts, for instance, senior Michael Harrell (pictured at right) is enrolled in the graphics and photography program. In addition to learning the basics of design and working on cutting-edge computers, he’s getting experience creating ads and magazines for local companies that have hired his class to do a variety of graphics jobs that involve multimedia production, web and motion graphics development, 3-D modeling and animation.
Mighty Mentors: Students at Providence Elementary benefit rom the many mentors who come to school each week
Gary McKenzie has three grown sons (26, 23, and 21 years old), boys he raised on his own. When his youngest left for college, the CFO of the National Pest Management Association decided he wanted to help other local kids who might need assistance with academics and sports — or just a little encouragement.
When he learned about the Providence Mentoring Program at the elementary down the road from his Fairfax City office, he was one of the first to sign up.
“This program is great because it lets a guy like me who has always loved being a dad have the opportunity to provide assistance to local kids,” says McKenzie, who often tries to turn fun he has with the kids into learning opportunity — like when he brought his son’s old bug collection to show the kids.
Reading Rewards at Lanier Middle School
When George Mason University’s head basketball coach Jim Larranaga came to Lanier Middle School in February to talk about the Ticket to Reading Rewards program, he brought three players with him to show the middle school students that filled the auditorium what it means to be a champion.
“These athletes don’t just work hard on the court,” explains Larranaga, who is famous for helping Mason’s 2006 Men’s Basketball team became the first CAA team to make the Final Four. “They work hard in the classroom—and that’s where it counts.”
Diving into a good book is as rewarding as making a game-winning basket, he insisted, and shared his excitement about the new program launched in FCPS this year.
Fairfax High's National Merit Commended Scholars, 2008-2009
Congratulations to the Fairfax High School students who won the honor of being named National Merit Commended Scholars.
They include: Eun Bae, Josiah Case, Debajan Dasgupta, Jean DeOrnellas, Derek Ellison, Sheila Faalasli, Kelley Jensen, Collin Kourtz, Gada Lam, Francesca Lee, James Lee, David Moon, Phillip Murphy, Esha Pendharkar, Chloe Sevilla, Luke Tonia, Phoebe Torres, and Jackson Walters.
How the competition works
Students are named National Merit Commended Scholars based on their high scores on the PSAT/NMSQT test that they take the spring before their senior year of high school. They must rank in the top 5 percent of the 1.4 million students at 21,000 schools that take the exam.
Daniels Run’s GEMS: Girls Excelling in Math & Science
What turns girls off to math and science? It depends if you believe in the myths or reality, according to an August 2007 MSNBC.com article that outlines five myths the National Science Foundation believes endure about girls and science.
The myth: From the time they start school, most girls are less interested in science than boys are.
The reality: In kindergarten and first grade, about as many girls as boys have positive attitudes toward science.
“But by second grade, when students are asked to draw a scientist, most portray a white male in a lab coat,” the article reports. “Any woman scientist they draw looks severe and not very happy. The persistence of stereotypes start to turn girls off, and by eighth grade, boys are twice as interested in science, technology, engineering, and math careers as girls are.”
Congratulations Francesca Lee, winner of the 2008-2009 Harry F. Byrd Jr. Leadership Award
Fairfax High School senior Francesca E. Lee was presented with the prestigious Harry F. Byrd Jr. Leadership Award on Feb. 18, 2009 for her academic achievement, character, leadership, and good citizenship.
“Only one student is selected from each of the 11 Congressional districts in Virginia,” explains Maureen Kim, the FHS Career Center Specialist who was with Francesca when she received the award — and a $10,000 prize.
To find those top 11, three students from each district are selected as finalists and interviewed by a prestigious committee of state leaders: Senior Justice Harry L. Carrico, Supreme Court; Dr. John T. Casteen III, President, University of Virginia; Dr. Philip C. Stone, President, Bridgewater College; William C. Mims, Chief Deputy Attorney General; Harry F. Byrd III, President, Orchard Management Company and Thomas F. Byrd, President and Publisher of The Winchester Star.
Ode to Joy
It is with heavy hearts that we say farewell to Providence Elementary’s principal Joy Hanbury (pictured here with some of her kids), who is retiring in June. Hanbury has been at Providence since 2002, and her impact has been felt by everyone who has walked through the door.
“Joy Hanbury’s dedication to all children at Providence has resulted in continually improved student achievement,” says City Schools Superintendent Ann Monday. “She has created an environment where every child’s potential is nurtured. I will miss her positive and selfless leadership; she never hesitated to do whatever was necessary for the families in her school community.”
Hanbury — who in May won the prestigious Fairfax Futures’ 2009 School Readiness Educator Award in recognition of her accomplishments in creating partnerships and inspiring others to help young children make successful transitions to elementary school — says her career has been rich and incredibly rewarding.
Winter 2009: US Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings Comes to Fairfax High
Just weeks before leaving office at the end of 2008, US Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings visited Fairfax High School on November 19 to view the AVID program and observe other cutting-edge initiatives it has embarked on with the goal of improving students’ 21st Century Skills.
As one of the principal authors of the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act, Spellings said throughout her four-year tenure, “We cannot prepare students for the global economy if we don’t get them to grade level first.” In 2005 she convened a Commission on the Future of Higher Education to recommend reform at the post-secondary level.
The reason for concern, she explained during her trip to FHS, is that students are not being adequately prepared to land jobs after they graduate from high school. Spellings pointed to a national survey of human resource executives that reported:
• Nearly 70% believe high school graduates fall short when it comes to critical thinking skills
• 81% say high school grads have deficient writing skills
• Almost 1/3 said they will reduce their hiring of employees that
only have a high school diploma
Understanding 21st Century Schools
By Ann Monday, Superintendent
City of Fairfax Schools
Now that we are almost a decade into the 21st century, the reality that the future is now is inescapable. Recent events make it clear that our survival as a nation depends upon a workforce ready to compete in a very different world.
In recognition of the challenges of the 21st century, a consortium of business and education leaders formed the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, a group that developed a vision for student success in the new global economy. Its goal: To serve as a catalyst to position 21st Century Skills at the center of US K-12 education by building collaborative partnerships among education, business, community and government leaders.
Fairfax Food Frenzy: City Schools’ students collect food for the homeless
by Sarah Hardenbergh
Marketing Education Teacher, Fairfax High
WITH THE FLUCTUATING STATE of the economy, area food banks have been hit hard as they work to cope with an increase in demand for food and a decrease in supply.
Three students from the Fairfax High School marketing program DECA—Mike Kim, Mylee Sabarre, and Byran Bradley—decided the best thing they could do to give back to the community at holiday time was to lend a helping hand and increase awareness about the problem.
City School Leaders: Winter 2009
AMIR Hobson is one of those teens who breaks the mold, says Lanier’s testing coordinator and intern Diana White.
“His winning personality and solid character grab a teacher’s attention at the beginning of a school year, and never lets it go. Most of his teachers have commented on his outstanding character and admit they wish for sons just like Amir, who excels academically and finds time for many important civic activities at school and in the community. This National Junior Honor Society member exemplifies scholarship, character, and leadership.
“After I finish grade school I’d like to go to one of the best colleges in America like Harvard or Yale,” Amir says. “I know how hard it is to be accepted into colleges, so I’m trying to get the best head start I can.”
Future Problem-Solvers
At Providence Elementary, students are working on how to think, not what to think through a successful program called the Future Problem Solving Program International (FPSPI). Established by an organization that creates hundreds of problem solving activities for students in grades K-12, students in grades 4-6 are working weekly to master new skills.
The program spans a variety of disciplines and content areas, and topics are selected from three strands: business and economics, science and technology, and social and political issues.