Pentagon MMA in Arlington has been closed for in-person classes due to COVID-19, but that’s not stopping them from taking care of their students, families, and community.
They have pivoted to a robust virtual schedule of high-energy Mixed Martial Arts classes for both children and adults, along with an extensive on-demand video library. With creative strategies and a no-quit approach, they have been able to keep their students engaged, healthy and active, while providing a sense of normalcy and human connection during isolating times.
The kids’ virtual MMA program offers live, interactive classes five days a week for different age groups starting at age 4. The classes incorporate a life skills curriculum with chore assignments and mat chats. In addition to MMA classes, the kids’ virtual program includes complimentary virtual events such as weekly Kids’ Night In, Story Time, Discovery Zone and 31-day challenges with prizes such as obstacle courses, medals and swag bags.
Adults can take live virtual classes in Muay Thai, Jiu Jitsu and Women’s Fitness Kickboxing five days a week, in addition to special virtual events such as classes in Pilates, stretching, and Yoga, live interviews with coaches, and virtual Happy Hours.
National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial. Photo via Cameron Davidson
Arlington National Cemetery. Photo via Arlington Convention and Visitors Service
The Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Photo via Cameron Davidson
Marine Corps War Memorial. Photo via Jake McGuire
Theodore Roosevelt Island. Photo via Arlington Convention and Visitors Service
Memorial Amphitheater – Arlington National Cemetery. Photo via Jake McGuire
This article was written by Emily Cassell, Director of The Arlington Convention and Visitors Service
No one could have predicted the level to which this pandemic has altered our lives.
In a matter of weeks, millions of people have lost their jobs. Most Americans are staying at home to protect each other, while everyday heroes are keeping the country running. Gone for now are the days of light-hearted socializing at restaurants or simply meeting a friend for a cup of coffee.
And Oxford Economics reports that the travel industry’s losses will far exceed those of any other sector — more than nine times the impact of 9/11. According to the U.S. Travel Association’s April 16 report, Virginia experienced an 84 percent decline in travel spending the previous week, down $451 million from the same week last year.
Here in Arlington it is no different. The County’s tourism industry — which in 2018 provided $3.4 billion in economic impact to our community and supported the livelihoods of nearly 27,000 hard-working people at Arlington hotels, restaurants, stores and other businesses — suffered catastrophic losses almost overnight.
Our hotels are virtually empty during what’s usually a peak travel season. Many have furloughed treasured long-time associates, and several have made the extremely difficult decision to temporarily suspend operations.
Of course, this situation is an unavoidable consequence of the pandemic. Public health experts agree that now is not the time for folks to be traveling or gathering for conferences.
And although we can’t encourage visitors to come right now, we at the Arlington Convention and Visitors Service are doing everything possible to support Arlington’s hotels and local businesses through personal engagement, news and data, and to keep a steady stream of inspiration flowing through our social channels.
As a division within Arlington Economic Development (AED), we’re sharing AED COVID-19 business resources and information on the new GRANT Program that’s designed to provide immediate financial assistance to Arlington’s small businesses. We’re also working behind the scenes on plans for Arlington tourism’s re-emergence from this crisis.
As we approach National Travel and Tourism Week, May 3-9, it is important to recognize the value travel holds for our economy, businesses and personal wellbeing. In the best of times, visitors staying in Arlington’s hotels are going to restaurants — often for multiple meals a day.
They’re buying things in our independent stores and shopping malls. They’re attending theatrical performances, concerts and neighborhood festivals. They’re experiencing our iconic sights and traveling via Metro, taxis, Lyft and Uber. They’re contributing greatly to local employment and to the success of our small businesses. Without those visitors, we’re not the community we know we can be.
If we Arlingtonians have learned anything from past crises and this current one, it’s that the hospitality industry is both united and resilient. We will return, as will Arlington’s small businesses. It’s up to all of us to support our hospitality colleagues, and to make the industry’s comeback a triumphant one.
In the meantime, I wish you and your loved ones all the best for good health and safety, and I look forward to our making our way through this challenging time together.
In celebration of National Volunteer Week, Arlington Free Clinic (AFC) would like to say THANK YOU to our amazing volunteers!
Our 450+ volunteers are the foundation that allows AFC to provide free, high-quality care to our low-income, uninsured neighbors in normal times, and they have enabled us to continue caring for those most vulnerable to being overlooked and forgotten during the COVID-19 crisis. When it would be easy to say, ”I need to look out for me,” they have instead said “What can I do to help?”
From the moment we announced our new protocols last month, volunteers have stepped up — whether it’s a provider offering to learn our new telehealth system, an interpreter signing up to be “on-call” for virtual visits, pharmacists coming in to make sure our patients’ prescriptions get filled, or nurses making check-in calls to ensure patients and their families all are well, informed and have the resources they need.
Thank you for your incredible work and dedication to our mission.
Learn more about Arlington Free Clinic’s continued work during the COVID-19 crisis here.
If you’d like to support us financially, please consider a gift in honor of our volunteers for Volunteer Week.
Imagine the fright in coming down with symptoms of coronavirus: fever, cough, tiredness and trouble breathing. Then imagine trying to navigate the health care system with limited English skills, especially when loved ones are barred from medical settings to limit the virus spread.
We’re hearing about the risks facing front line workers including doctors, nurses, emergency personnel and service workers, yet there are also disturbing reports that medical interpreters are not being afforded personal protective equipment and protocols, and of patients experiencing sub-standard, potentially life-threatening barriers to services.
“High quality medical interpretation allows healthcare service providers to effectively communicate and comply with language access laws,” says Silvia Villacampa, Managing Director of Liberty Language Services in Vienna, Virginia.
“Because in-person interpreters risk exposure like all health care workers, video remote and over-the-phone interpreting are excellent ways to reduce risk while providing much needed support to service providers serving limited English-speaking patients in our community,” Villacampa adds.
25 million people in the U.S. speak no or limited English, and the COVID-19 epidemic has intensified longstanding language access issues in health care. Video remote technology, which can be used with any phone, tablet or computer with a webcam, offers the safest solution.
“It’s HIPAA compliant, and our trained and qualified interpreters work in hundreds of languages, as well as American Sign Language,” Villacampa notes.
With years of experience providing on-site medical and legal interpretation services throughout the mid-Atlantic region, Liberty Language Services applies the same careful vetting, training, testing and understanding clients’ needs to Video Remote and Over the Phone Interpreting.
Visit the Liberty Language Services website for more information.
St. Thomas More Cathedral School (STM) in Arlington moved swiftly and seamlessly to fully instruct students online in PreK to 8th grade amidst the Coronavirus crisis.
With a 1:1 mobile device ratio already in place, students departed school on Friday, March 13 (a previously scheduled early dismissal) with their books, in addition to their iPad, Chromebook or HP touchscreen laptop prepared to learn virtually for the foreseeable future.
Meanwhile, teachers spent the remainder of that fateful half day in professional development to fortify their Google Classrooms and Seesaw accounts with activities. The foresight of having faculty and students experienced in online educational techniques since its inception has proven fruitful in the first weeks learning at home, particularly since Governor Northam closed Virginia schools for the remainder of the 2019-20 year.
STM students are now learning online with all of their teachers in a modified 4 hour daily classroom schedule that meets and exceeds the Diocese of Arlington requirements for instruction. Students participate live via Google Meet amongst other interactive applications, while the parents support each other in a private Facebook parent group dedicated to the school community.
IT support tickets and even a Virtual Spirit Week have been successfully managed online in this ‘new normal.’ The teachers at STM have long embraced technology for integration into all subject areas.
“Our school has a traditional environment in that we use textbooks daily, still teach cursive and grammar,” shared Principal Cathy Davis of St. Thomas More Cathedral School. “However, we have a progressive philosophy amongst our peers with regards to best practices for instruction, including differentiation and adapting to new ways of doing things.”
Davis added, “my staff is sought out by other schools to train their teachers in how to do this, but it will take them a while to ramp up and catch up to where we sit.” She continued, “our students gain exposure to technology little by little from PreK onward, as developmentally appropriate and when purposeful in lessons. We know that embedding technology into classrooms engages more learners and often reaches them when a text cannot. It also prepares students for high school and beyond.”
Modalities in use for online learning include, but are not limited to: Google Classroom, SeeSaw, Edgenuity, Class Dojo, Kahoot!, EveryDay Mathematics, Reading A-Z, Epic, World Book e-checkout, Spelling CIty, Kahoot, Zaner Bloser Handwriting, Khan Academy, Scratch & Scratch Jr., Loyola-Press and CodeSpark.
Earlier this school year, STM opened a dedicated Design Lab space filled with STEM learning equipment and further opportunities to apply skills in robotics, 3-D printing, green screen technology and more, courtesy of PTO fundraising and events.
St. Thomas More Cathedral School serves students in PreKindergarten through 8th grade in the Diocese of Arlington, just outside our nation’s capital of Washington, D.C.
Our Mission is to nurture and develop the spiritual, academic, social and emotional promise of each child in accordance with the teaching of the Catholic Church, rooted in Gospel values and led by the examples of the Master Teacher, Jesus Christ. St. Thomas More is recognized as a high-performing U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon School since 2006.
Address: 1563 N. Colonial Terrace, Unit 201 Neighborhood: Rosslyn | Georgetown Vista Listed: $409,900 Open:Virtually Open
Welcome to Georgetown Vista unit 201 located in the heart of Rosslyn. This 2 bedroom, 1 bath is arguably one of the best values in Arlington with 750 square feet of living space.
Enter into the living room with refinished wood floors that flow to the dining room. Sliding glass doors open to a balcony with views of Georgetown. The kitchen was renovated in 2014 with high gloss white cabinets and Fisher & Paykel stainless steel appliances. The bathroom was renovated in 2019 with gray subway tiles, a new tub, a new vanity with a marble countertop and “distressed wood” ceramic tile floors. The windows and sliding glass doors were replaced in 2014.
The unit comes with 1 parking permit with a second spot available and an extra storage cage. Georgetown Vista has an enviable location just steps to the Rosslyn Metro, the Key Bridge, Georgetown and so much more!
Mission Lofts, Fairfax County’s first and only live/work community, brings the style, function and flexibility that you crave but just can’t find.
Each hand crafted one and two-bedroom loft can be your envy inspiring apartment, sun-drenched office or impossible to find combined live/work space. Exposed ceilings, finished concrete floors, huge spaces, tons of parking, countless amenities found nowhere else, all at prices that won’t break the bank?
Yes! In fact, when living and working there, it’s like renting your office and getting the area’s best apartment for free. By focusing completely on your needs, Mission Lofts offers a way of life simply not available elsewhere.
“Try on” our unique floorplans, industrial finishes, massive windows, huge showers, colossal closets and designer appliances. At Mission Lofts, you’re more than a name, you’re a member of the “Mission Club”, our unique platform granting exclusive access to conference spaces, business and fitness centers, clubhouse, abundant services and more.
Not merely somewhere to live or work, Mission lofts is where you truly belong; a community that empowers your ideas and aspirations in unique and beautiful surroundings that elevate all who come.
Our neighbors are hurting and they need your support.
The COVID-19 crisis is creating massive economic and health distress that is putting increased pressure on already stressed medical and social services. Arlington Thrive is the only organization in Arlington County that provides rapid same-day financial support to our neighbors in dire need.
Arlington Thrive has created the Arlington Emergency Relief Fund to address this unprecedented crisis. With your support of the Arlington Emergency Relief Fund, Arlington Thrive will make all the difference. Donations to Arlington Emergency Relief Fund will prevent people from descending into hardship from which they might never recover.
To make a difference and help your neighbors who are in the most dire need today, please donate to the AREF today. Together, with your contributions, Arlington will truly Thrive.
As your community’s credit union, we encourage our members and community to protect themselves from scams, especially during difficult times when fraudsters try to take advantage of people.
Here are a few tips to consider:
Be skeptical of links and attachments: Exercise caution in clicking links or attachments sent by text message, email, or social media, particularly from unknown senders. This is known as “phishing,” when a scammer tries to steal personal information disguised as a trusted communication.
Don’t give personal information to someone who calls you: Trusted organizations will not call and ask for sensitive personal information like account numbers or Social Security Numbers. If you receive a call, hang up and call the organization back on their published phone number to verify.
Monitor your statements: Watch for transactions that you did not initiate. Online banking is a tool to be able to see your transactions in live time. If you see a suspect transaction, notify your financial institution immediately. Consider setting fraud and transaction notifications for larger purchases or low balance notices in your account.
Be careful at ATMs and gas station pumps: Watch for devices placed in the card reader that try to steal your card information. If you notice something on the card reader that’s loose or looks irregular, don’t use the machine and inform the owner.
Hang up on automated robocalls: Scammers use illegal automated phone calls to pitch schemes. Don’t follow the direction to press numbers, including one that connects to an operator or “un-enrolls” you from calls.
Research charities before giving: Scammers prey on people’s desire to help by setting up fake charities. Research the organization and never donate by gift card or wire transfer.
If you have questions about your ACFCU membership or need financial solutions in this uncertain time, call us at 703-526-0200.
We are here to serve you if you live, work, volunteer, do business, go to school, or worship in Arlington, Falls Church, Alexandria, or Fairfax County. For more information, visit ArlingtonCU.org or email [email protected].
Membership eligibility requirements apply. Federally Insured by NCUA.
In today’s digital environment, organizations must collect vast volumes of data, analyze that data to retain high-value customers, predict trends, identify emerging markets, mitigate risk, drive innovation and more.
This means IT leaders must know how to gather and store information, combine data into meaningful clusters, mine it for compelling insights, and present it in a way that can help the business.
“Nowadays every company needs data-literate IT leaders who understand how to manipulate data, hear the voice of data, and translate insights into a competitive advantage for the business,” says Barbara Hoopes, Associate Professor of Business Information Technology at Virginia Tech.
Not everyone has the time or financial resources to commit to a full master’s degree program, however. Some may already have a master’s and are just looking for a narrow update on a current skillset. For these reasons, the VT-MIT program also offers IT professionals the option to earn a graduate certificate in six specialized IT subject areas, including Business Analytics and Data Mining.
“IT leaders can find a certificate that speaks exactly to their professional needs without having to commit several years to pursuing a master’s degree,” says Hoopes. In fact, students can earn a certificate in as little as 12 months.
Whether looking to enhance existing skills or prepare for a major career transition, VT-MIT students can expect:
Enhanced marketability as they develop skills where a current dearth of talent is driving competitive salaries and prime opportunities for career advancement.
Greater convenience through exclusively online courses and a flexible schedule that allow for VT-MIT students to stay in the workforce while they earn a credential, shift their course loads at busier times for their business, and benefit from the experience of peers from across the globe.
Rapid upskilling in high-demand areas through focused graduate certificate options. Employers often provide tuition reimbursement “to contribute to the skill sets and the knowledge base of employees without having to release them to earn a degree as a full-time student,” says Hoopes.
Data analytics can provide organizations with invaluable insights — but only if IT leaders know how to parlay data into insights that drive informed business decisions.
Learn more about Virginia Tech’s 100% online Master of Information Technology and graduate certificate options at vtmit.vt.edu.
Address: 900 N. Stafford Street #1214 Neighborhood: Alta Vista Condominium (Ballston) Listed: $409,900 Open: Virtually Open 3D Tour
With one of the best locations in Ballston, the Alta Vista sits right on top of the Ballston Metro and is a short 3 minutes from your condo door to the metro. Never walk outside to the brand new Ballston Quarter’s shops, restaurants and night life.
This one bedroom has an impressive open floor plan that has been updated with beautiful maple cabinets and granite counters in the kitchen which opens to the dining room via a breakfast bar. The large living space has a combined dining/family room with table space and windows that look out over Stafford Street from the 12th floor. The bedroom is large enough to accommodate all of your needs including a space for a home office and connects to the dual entry bathroom with black granite countertops and dark ceramic tile floors.
This unit comes with one large parking space and extra storage and is located in the Alta Vista in the heart of Ballston, with a 24-hour concierge, a gym and a large community room. Contact us for a private tour.
