Alexandria Mom's Calendar of Events

Saturday, August 18, 2012

365 - Shred


45th District Special Election Voting Information

FROM THE ADC: 



September 4 Tuesday Voting Information for Special Election for House of Delegates, 45th District:

• Absentee Voting begins on Friday, August 10.
• Deadline for mailing or faxing absentee ballot applications to be received by the Voter Registration Office is Tuesday, August 28.
• Voter registration deadline is Tuesday, August 28. Applications must be postmarked by Tuesday, August 28, or dropped off at the Voter Registration Office by 5:00 pm on August 28.
• Applications for voter registration are available at the Voter Registration Office, DMV Centers, Alexandria Public Libraries or online at the Virginia State Board of Elections –www.sbe.virginia.gov.
• Deadline for in-person absentee voting is Saturday, September 1, 5:00 pm.
• Absentee ballots may be dropped off, delivered personally,  at the Voter Registration Office by Tuesday, September 4, 7:00 pm.
• In-person absentee voting at the Voter Registration Office, 132 N. Royal Street, Alexandria. Weekdays – Monday – Friday- 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, and the extended hours are Tuesday, August 28, 8:00 am – 7:30 pm and Saturday, September 1, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm.  
For more information call 703-746-4050 or visit  www.alexandriava.gov/elections.

Alexandria Community invited to Participate

For Immediate Release: August 15, 2012

City of Alexandria Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities Invites Community to Participate in the Development of a Benefits-Based Fee Policy for Programs and Services

The Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities (RPCA) is working with the consulting firm GreenPlay to train RPCA staff on how a benefits-based fee policy would work in Alexandria. RCPA plans to consider the use of a benefits-based methodology to recommend appropriate City tax dollar subsidies for the programs and services provided to the community. The Pyramid Model is recognized as a national best practice approach for park and recreation fee establishment. Any proposed fee changes will be brought forward to the Parks and Recreation Commission for their input and then to City Council for action.

As a component of the planning process, GreenPlay will be conducting a series of community workshops for park and recreation stakeholders and users.  Workshops are scheduled from Monday, September 10 through Thursday, September 13.  Workshops include a short presentation from GreenPlay explaining the pyramid methodology and then attendees will participate in identifying where programs and other core services fit within the pyramid.

Please call to RSVP by Friday, September 7, your attendance for one of the sessions listed below:


  *   September 10
Cora Kelly Recreation Center, 25 W. Reed Ave.
6-8:30 p.m.
RSVP to Angela Redfearn at 703.746.5566


  *   September 11
Lee Center, 1108 Jefferson St.
6-8:30 p.m.
RSVP to Barbara Farrington at 703.746.5533


  *   September 12
William Ramsay Recreation Center, 5650 Sanger Ave.
6-8:30 p.m.
RSVP to Harold Little at 703.746.5527


  *   September 13
Charles Houston Recreation Center, 901 Wythe St.
6-8:30 p.m.
RSVP to Sheila Whiting at 703.746.5451, or 5412.


For additional information, contact David Miller, Division Chief, at davida.miller@alexandriava.gov<mailto:davida.miller@alexandriava.gov> or 703.746.5426.

ACPS Leadership Luncheon


Thursday, August 16, 2012

365 - tool?

apparently this is a tool needed for skateboarding.....

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

365 - love these


Books for School


As you get ready for school, and you may need to purchase books for your child,  here are a few ways to save money when purchasing those books ---- text books and literature books

*Make sure to get the ISBN #'s from the required books,  so that you get the correct edition.


www.half.com

www.paperbackswap.com

www.amazon.com



You can shop around for the best price on various websites but other suggestions are:

  • post what you need on your local/neighborhood listservs - neighbors may have the book you need
  • craigs list

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

ACPS shows improvements

ACPS 2011-12 ACADEMIC RESULTS SHOW IMPROVEMENT
Reading Scores Up and Number of AP Test Takers Increase to Highest Ever
 
  
Alexandria Va.  —  Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) Superintendent Morton Sherman said today that even with increased enrollments, the steady growth in reading scores on the state Standards of Learning (SOL) exams shows that schools can make huge differences under challenging circumstances with the right focus.  Last year, the division committed to making reading an area of focus for the 2011-12 school year to stop the downward trend in SOL reading scores from the previous three years.  
 
“Our schools are meeting the challenge of improving literacy and reading comprehension by making this a priority using data to guide instruction across the division,” Dr. Sherman said. “Out of the seven grade levels tested in reading, grades 3, 4 and 6 improved and grade 8 maintained last year’s achievement level. We still have work to do; however we are pleased to see progress.”
 
ACPS also used Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) quarterly assessments and targeted monitoring of students to help boost reading scores.  School administrators were encouraged to use what worked best for their school population and climate.  The number of English Language Learners (ELL) students and the number of students receiving free and reduced price meals increased substantially last school year.   William Ramsay Elementary School and Cora Kelly School for Math, Science, and Technology are examples of schools making a huge difference under challenging circumstances having made gains across all grade levels in reading.  Ninety-eight percent of Cora Kelly’s fifth-graders passed the reading SOL. Both schools serve diverse populations and have the highest percentage of students eligible for free and reduced price meals in the division.  
 
“Even as we see gains across the division, I am extremely proud of the gains in reading made at Cora Kelly and Ramsay,” Dr. Sherman said.  “These schools have placed much-needed focus on their reading programs and adapted to changing populations and student needs for excellent results in reading.”
 
Statewide, as expected, the new state mathematics assessments produced an expected downward turn in math scores. They do, however, provide a foundation and new baseline data for future achievement.  Sixth grade math scores rose by seven points, while the other eight grade levels tested, consistent with state level trends, resulted in decreased scores. ACPS will focus on professional development for teachers with support in the area of math concepts, monthly data analysis by teachers for use in the classroom and a close look at best practices where ACPS teachers and schools are meeting benchmarks and showing improvement in math scores.  ACPS is monitoring individual teachers and results that are exemplary in an effort to gain insight that can be shared across the division; clearly there are lessons that can be learned from these teachers.  The Virginia Department of Education released Math SOL results today that can be viewed at http://www.doe.virginia.gov/news/news_releases/2012/aug14.shtml.  Statewide SOL test results can be downloaded athttp://www.doe.virginia.gov/news/news_releases/2012/aug14.xlsx.
 
Preliminary 2012 Advanced Placement (AP) results indicate the greatest number of AP tests taken by the largest number of AP students in the history of T.C. Williams High School.  Of equal importance, achievement results also increased, besting the historic levels seen in recent years.   A total of 785 students took 1,623 AP subject tests in the spring of 2012.  The 785 students who took at least one AP test in 2012 represented an increase of 4 percent from the 2011 total.  The percent of students at T.C. Williams who took at least one AP test in 2012 was 37 percent, a 2 percent point increase from 2011.  
 
For more detailed information on results or to arrange an interview, please contact Kelly Alexander, director of communications, at 703-824-6635 ornews@acps.k12.va.us.
 

365 - pesto

geting ready to make pest0

Monday, August 13, 2012

365 - Pop!


Absentee voting

Absentee Voting Open for Eligible City Voters 
For Immediate Release: August 13, 2012
On Tuesday, September 4, there will be a Special Election to fill a vacancy in the House of Delegates, 45th District. The 45th District includes parts of Arlington and Fairfax as well as 13 precincts in Alexandria. 
Polling places in the 45th District will be open from 6 am to 7 pm. Absentee voting for the Special Election began August 10.

.Many Alexandria voters are eligible to vote absentee, but relatively few take advantage of this option. There are several qualifying circumstances. For example:
  • You commute and work for 11 of the 13 hours the polls are open. (Take into account those days when traffic is heavy or the weather is bad and it takes longer than usual to get to and from work.)
  • You are a caregiver for a confined family member.
  • You are unable to go to the polls in person on Election Day because of an illness or disability.
  • You will be absent from Alexandria on Election Day because of personal business, work, school, or vacation.
To learn more about these, and other circumstances in which absentee voting is an appropriate option, visit alexandriava.gov/Elections and click on “Absentee Voting,” or call 703.746.4050.
 Absentee Voting in Person
You can cast your absentee ballot in person at the Alexandria Voter Registration Office,
132 North Royal Street, Suite 100, or by mail. In-person absentee voting hours are as follows:

Regular Hours for in-person absentee voting:
Extended hours for in-person absentee voting:
The deadline for voting absentee in person is Saturday, September 1, at 5 p.m.
Absentee Voting By Mail
If you wish to absentee vote by mail, download an application fromalexandriava.gov/Elections, or contact the Voter Registration Office to have an application mailed to you. 
For complete information on this Special Election, including voter registration deadlines, sample ballots, campaign finance reports and a list of precincts that are in the 45th District, visit alexandriava.gov/Elections.
 

Beauregard open space presentation & tour

Beauregard Open Space Sites Presentation and Tour

For Immediate Release: August 13, 2012

The Beauregard Rezoning Advisory Group is hosting a meeting and tour of potential open space sites on Wednesday, August 15 at 6:30 p.m. at the Jerome “Buddie” Ford Nature Center, located at 5750 Sanger Ave. in Alexandria. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss and evaluate potential sites for open space acquisition using $1.5 million BRAC-133/Department of Defense funding set aside for that purpose.

Following a brief overview presentation, the group will visit the sites where access is permitted. The remaining sites will be toured by the group. The public is invited to the meeting and go to each site visited by the group; however, please note that transportation will not be provided.

Spanish translation services will be provided. Background information and materials are available on the Beauregard Small Area Plan website.

For questions, please contact Maya Contreras in the Department of Planning and Zoning at Maya.Contreras@alexandriava.gov or703.746.3816.

City announces limited pool hours

City of Alexandria Announces Reduced Outdoor Pools Hours for 2012 Season

Beginning Monday, August 20, the City of Alexandria outdoor pools will return to a limited schedule. City outdoor pools will be open throughMonday, September 3 as follows:
For a complete list of City pools, operating hours, fees and additional information, visit www.alexandriava.gov/pools.

Sunday, August 12, 2012