teacher

Egypt Unrest Results in APS Students Losing Their Teacher

By ARLnow.com

The protests in Egypt are hitting home for a group of Arlington Public School students.

The Egyptian government has cut internet service in response to the unrest.  As a result, Washington-Lee High School has temporarily lost its Arabic teacher, who teaches the class remotely from Egypt.

A “live” teacher has now been brought in to continue teaching the class.

APS sent the following letter home to parents yesterday.

January 31, 2011

Dear Parents,

The recent events in Egypt have caused a disruption in Internet communications and with the Skype sessions that our students have with teachers from the Arab Academy in Cairo.

We would like to inform you that our Arabic students will continue to receive uninterrupted instruction. The online course our students follow is housed in Herndon, VA and therefore students can access the online material at any time. Ms. Wasan and Ms. Mona, APS Arabic teachers will visit each school in person and continue to provide instruction to our students. This plan will be in effect until Skype communication with Cairo is restored.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

Regards,

Pat Teske, Supervisor, Office of Instructional and Innovative Technologies Office

Hildi Pardo, Distance Learning Specialist, Office of Instructional and Innovative Technologies

Marleny Perdomo, Supervisor, World Languages Office

Wakefield High Educator Named N. Va. Teacher of the Year

By ARLnow.com

Colette Fraley, a social studies teacher at Wakefield High School, has been named 2011 Teacher of the Year for Northern Virginia. The honor, bestowed by the Virginia Department of Education, comes five months after she was named Arlington Public Schools 2010 Teacher of the Year.

Fraley learned of the honor today when APS superintendent Dr. Pat Murphy and Wakefield principal Dr. Christian Willmore made a surprise visit during her fourth period U.S. Government class. She was presented with flowers, a letter from Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and a congratulatory certificate from the Department of Education.

Fraley, who has been with Arlington Public Schools for 10 years, will now be considered for the title of Virginia Teacher of the Year, which will be awarded at a banquet on Oct. 15 in Glen Allen, Va.

Previous Arlington teachers to be named Teacher of the Year for Northern Virginia include Laurie Sullivan (2004) and Robin Liten-Tejada (2002).

Beloved Ashlawn Elementary Teacher Dies Suddenly

By ARLnow.com

A beloved fifth grade teacher at Ashlawn Elementary School suddenly passed away on Friday, two weeks before the start of school.

Long-time Ashlawn teacher Jimsey L. Frye is being remembered as a devoted educator with an infectious sense of humor. She died unexpectedly at the age of 61, at a time when she was getting ready to greet students for a new school year.

“Needless to say this is a loss for us and the larger school community, as Ms. Frye has touched so many lives in her many years of teaching,” wrote Ashlawn’s new principle, Judy Apostolico-Buck, in a letter to parents.

“I know the strength of the Ashlawn community will sustain us at this difficult time,” Apostolico-Buck wrote. “Please be assured we are working diligently to ensure the fifth grade will be off to a good start this year, despite our loss.”

The school will have counselors available to students or families that would like assistance, Apostolico-Buck said.

Former Ashlawn principle Edgar Miranda said college-aged students would regularly come back to Ashlawn just to visit Ms. Frye.

“She took a genuine interest in them, not just as students but as people,” Miranda said. “She was a wonderful person.”

Frye is survived by a brother, several sisters and Matthew Lemons, her husband.

A memorial service for her Frye be held tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. at Bull Run Park in Centreville. A private staff memorial was held on Monday.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Fire Works Pizza Opens in Courthouse — The much-anticipated Fire Works Pizza has finally opened its doors and its large outdoor patio. A “healthy” crowd showed up for the first night, writes TBD’s Rebecca Cooper.

New APS Teachers and Staff Getting Ready For New School Year — This week, all new Arlington Public Schools employees are undergoing a comprehensive training program to prepare them for the fast-approaching school year. School starts on Tuesday, Sept. 7.

Arlingtones Looking for a Few Good Men — The Arlingtones Barbershop Chorus is looking for new members. The a cappella group meets weekly at Gunston Middle School. More from the Ode Street Tribune.

Police Investigate Disturbance at Windsor Apartments in Shirlington — After a 2:00 a.m. call from a resident who had just returned home to find his neighbor’s apartment trashed, Arlington police responded to the Windsor apartment complex at 3000 South Randolph Street. In the trashed apartment, they found a chair that had been apparently thrown through a window, a handgun and a possible shell casing lying on the floor, and a very drunk middle-aged man on a couch. The man was taken to a local hospital. No word on whether the gun had been fired in the apartment, but curiously nobody had called to complain about noise in the area.

Flickr pool photo by Christopher Doorley.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Science Teacher Wins Presidential Award  — A beloved H-B Woodlawn High School biology teacher has won a prestigious honor from the White House. Dat Le is among the 103 recipients of the 2010 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. Teachers from Huntingtown, Md. and Bristow, Va. are also among the recipients, although Le is the only inside-the-Beltway award-winner. He will receive a $10,000 prize from the National Science Foundation and a seat of honor at an awards ceremony later this year.

Republicans Voters to Choose Congressional Nominee Today — Voters in Virginia’s 8th Congressional District are heading to the polls to choose which GOP nominee will face incumbent Rep. Jim Moran (D) in the fall. The Associated Press wins the award for the most concise, cynical take on the race:

In the 8th District, little-known candidates Matthew Berry of Arlington and Alexandria’s Patrick Murray, vie for the right to challenge 10-term Democratic Rep. Jim Moran in the heavily Democratic inner suburbs of Washington, D.C.

Polls are open from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. today. Click here for a list of polling place.

Maggie Moo’s Closes in Shirlington, Yogiberry Moving In — Via Shirlington Village Blog, we learn that the Maggie Moo’s ice cream shop in Shirlington has closed. A Yogiberry frozen yogurt store will be moving in. Sign of the times?