News

As seniors clean out their lockers, preparing never to return to school again, some teachers are preparing for a similar farewell. While some are retiring, others are pursuing personal goals or simply teaching at another school.

Among the teachers leaving is English teacher Kelly McDonald. She is returning to Gar-Field High School after teaching here for two years.

McDonald is "leaving for new opportunities and new challenges," she said.

McDonald cites the awards ceremony as one of her favorite memories.

Several students will participate in the Virginia Governor’s School program this summer. The program consists of a collection of magnet schools and summer programs for select students throughout the state.

In addition to offering students an enrichment opportunity, the program aims to provide talented students with academically and artistically challenging courses beyond the offering of their base schools.

Last Wednesday, students filed into the auditorium to watch Marshall’s first student film festival. The event showcased short films produced by Marshall students and was arranged by Film Studies teacher Pierce Bello.

Presenting a grim, disturbing account of her life in Nazi-occupied Poland, holocaust survivor Charlene Schiff visited on May 4 to discuss her experiences during the Holocaust and to speak out on recent issues such as the Darfur genocide.

According to history teacher Wanlance Yates, history teacher Gayle Weiss initially organized the event because her classes missed opportunity to visit the Holocaust Museum.

Sitting down with student journalists from across the county, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Superintendent Jack Dale discussed issues impacting the county in the coming year, including the fiscal year (FY) 2011 budget, which will be finalized on Thursday.

Although Dale’s originally proposed FY 2011 budget featured drastic cuts, the majority of programs on the chopping block will remain in place next year.

“Most of the things we thought we would have to cut, turned out we won’t have to,” Dale said in reference to the originally proposed extensive cuts.

Best Buddies participated in a walk for the Best Buddies Virginia chapter on Sat. May 8 at Oakton High School. The walk served as a major fund-raising event for the organization. Participants had the option of walking for either one or three miles.

“[The event] really brings out the whole community,” club sponsor Michael Mann said.

Mann stressed that it was important to see “the differences that bring us together. Anyone [even] if they’re really not involved can come to the event,” he said.

Sophomore Carrie Zettler believes that the walk helped promote unity.

For Special Education teacher Helen Schaefer, Relay for Life holds a personal significance. As an ovarian cancer survivor, the event provides hope for the future of cancer treatment options.

“For me, it means that our whole community gives up time to make lives better for people with cancer or people who might yet have cancer,” she said.

Schaefer, who has participated in the Vienna Relay For Life every year since its founding in 2004, said the money raised from the participants are used to improve the medications for current cancer patients, as well as finding a cure.

Following the initiative of local high schools, on Friday, Amnesty will host Jamnesty, an event designed to raise awareness of humanitarian issues across the world through musical performances.

“The goal is to create a chill environment where friends can dance, hang out and listen to music,” junior Shannon Minor said.

Jamnesty will showcase student performances, including singing, musical instruments, and local bands.

The club hopes that this year’s success will allow for Jamnesty to become an annual event and “start a legacy,” Minor said.

Beginning on Friday, the theatre department will showcase their newest production, Musical Comedy Murders of 1940. Based on the play written by John Bishop, the play will show will begin on April 23 and conclude its showings on May 1.

Unlike previous productions, the cast is composed of only 10 cast members and four understudies; in comparison, Peter Pan had almost 40 cast members. This sizeable difference "makes rehearsals a lot easier and there’s more time to do individual scene work," senior Meara O’Malley said.

Witold Dzeilski, First Secretary from the Polish Embassy, will be visiting on Thursday for Europe day, an annual celebration of the formation of the European Union (EU).

Dzielski will discuss the history of the EU, Poland’s role in the EU and in the world and US – EU relations. He will also address Poland’s perspective on more pressing topics, such as current EU involvement in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.