365 - Adventure

365 - Scary Scary Halloween

Some things we've seen on our walks.....

International Coastal Cleanup 10/20

Volunteer for the 27th Annual International Coastal CleanupSaturday, October 20, 10 am – 12 noon
Oronoco Bay Park, 100 Madison Street, Alexandria

Are you interested in volunteering in the Ocean Conservancy’s 27th Annual International Coastal Cleanup this weekend?  This cleanup has been coordinated by Clean Virginia Waterways for the last 17 years, and is also sponsored by City’s Department of Transportation and Environmental Services (T&ES) Office of Environmental Quality (OEQ) and Alexandria Crew Boosters for this annual statewide event to clean our waterways and collect valuable data about trash and litter in our waterways.  We will be cleaning Oronoco Bay Park – rain or shine.

Oronoco Bay Park is located at 100 Madison Street in Alexandria’s Old Town area.  Volunteers will meet and sign in at the end of Madison Street near the Rowing Clubhouse.

What to wear?

Volunteers should wear shoes and clothes that they do not mind getting dirty; trash bags and gloves will be provided.

Volunteers should RSVP to jesse.maines@alexandriava.gov.  Registration will also occur at the end of Madison Street on Saturday morning.

Alexandria School Board Forum 10/23

FROM THE PTAC: 

Please join us on Tuesday for a chance to meet and hear from the candidates!

Alexandria School Board Forum
Tuesday, October 23rd at 7pm 
in the George Washington Middle School Auditorium.

This event sponsored by the ACPS PTA Council. 
Be sure to cast your vote on November 6!

 

Have questions or need more information? Contact the PTAC, http://www.acps.k12.va.us/ptac/
or Cindy Martinez, PTAC Communications, metzlinez@gmail.com


Here are the candidates:
District A
Heath Wells - Heath.wells.esq@gmail.com
Bill Campbell - campbelw1@verizon.net
Karen Graf - graf4schoolboard@gmail.com
Stephanie Kapsis - Stephanieforschoolboard@gmail.com
Helen Morris - votehelenmorris@gmail.com
Joyce Rawlings - truefamilylove@yahoo.com
District B
Kelly Carmichael Booz - Kellycbooz@gmail.com 
Michael Brookbank - brookbank4betterschools@gmail.com 
Chyrell Bucksell - chyrellbucksell@gmail.com 
Justin Keating - keating@justinkeating.info
Marc Williams - marcwilliams4schoolboard@gmail.com
District C
Ronnie Campbell - Ronnie-Campbell@comcast.net
Pat Hennig - p.hennig@att.net
Chris Lewis -  chris@lewis4acps.org 

Metro Stage Yard Sale 10/27

Gender Difference Presentation - "Girls vs Boys"

"Girls vs. Boys"

Valley Drive Preschool and the Alexandria Preschool Directors Group
invite you to a presentation by parenting guru, Dr. Rene Hackney, on
gender differences.

Details:

Where: Valley Drive Preschool

700 Commonwealth Ave.

Alexandria, VA 22301

When: Monday, October 22, 2012 at 7-9pm

Cost: $5 to be paid at the presentation. No RSVP necessary.

Presenter: Dr. Rene Hackney, is a parenting and child development
specialist and the founder and creator of Parenting Playgroups.

Valley Drive Preschool is a child-centered, play-based cooperative
preschool located in Alexandria, VA

ADHD Coaching for Parents

THE ACPS Parent Resource Center Presents: 

ADHD COACHING STRATEGIES FOR PARENTS: 

Presented by Jodi Sleeper-Triplett, Premier Coach Trainer

Thursday, November 1

7-9pm

G.W. Middle School

Mt. Vernon Avenue

3rd floor, Room 348A

Jodi Sleeper-Triplett, Master Certified Coach, Senior Certified ADHD Coach and Board Certified Coach, is the founder of the movement for ADHD coaching for youth. As the creator of the ADHD youth coaching model used as the basis for a groundbreaking two year coaching research study

(2010), Jodi is seen by many of her peers as the foremost expert in the field of ADHD coaching for youth.

Jodi is the president of JST Coaching, LLC, a premiere coach training and coaching company. She developed the first training courses focused on coaching youth with ADHD, now offered

in English, Spanish and Turkish. Her first book, Empowering Youth With ADHD, is available online and in bookstores.

Jodi completed her coach training with the Coaches Training Institute, Success Unlimited Network, and the American Coaching Association. She graduated from the unique BDIC Program at

the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, with a B.A. in human services/mental health. She is a long-standing volunteer for CHADD at the national, regional, and local levels.

For more information, visit the JST Coaching website, www.jstcoach.com.

To RSVP or for more information please contact Mónica Sanjur at 703.824.0129 or monica.sanjur@acps.k12.va.us

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“What’s Next, Alexandria?”

FROM THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA: 

More than 1,000 Alexandrians have already participated in the City’s “What’s Next, Alexandria?”community poll on the future of civic engagement in Alexandria. The poll has been extended an additional week in order to collect as much of your feedback as possible. If you haven’t already done so, please take the poll by October 25. The poll is available online; a printable copy of the poll is here and copies are available at all City recreation centers, libraries and at City Hall (completed polls can be submitted in collection envelopes at these locations).

Most importantly, mark your calendars! Building on the input you provide, our next step together is a Community Dialogue on Thursday, November 15, 7 p.m. at the First Baptist Church Activity Center, 2932 King Street.  That night, in addition to working with your fellow Alexandrians on this important issue, we’ll hear from Dr. Carolyn J. Lukensmeyer, founder and former President of America Speaks.

For more information about the "What's Next, Alexandria?" initiative, please visitwww.alexandriava.gov/WhatsNext, email whatsnext@alexandriava.gov or call Carrie Beach, project manager, at 703.746.3853.

Bike Rodeo this Saturday

FROM A NEIGHBORHOOD LISTSERVE: 


MVCS is hosting, along with ANHSI, a bike rodeo this Saturday, October 20th from 3-5pm. It will be held in the Cora Kelly parking lot. 
Your child can test their street smarts and ride through the safety course. Upon successful completion of the course, children can get a free bike helmet or some other safety gear for their bikes(first come, first served); if your child does not have a bike, there will be bikes there to borrow. Plus, Velocity, a Del Ray bike co-op, will be there to make sure your child's bike is in tip-top shape. There will also be information on free or low-cost health insurance for children. 

If you have an hour or two to spare(to help kids through the rodeo or help fit helmets), please contact Lisa Clausen in the clinic at school(703-706-4464).

365 - Fall Colors

Beauregard Rezoning Advisory Group Meeting

Beauregard Rezoning Advisory Group Meeting Wednesday, October 24 at 7 p.m.  
For Immediate Release: Wednesday, October 17, 2012
 The Beauregard Rezoning Advisory Group will hold a meeting on Wednesday, October 24,  from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., at the Jerome “Buddie” Ford Nature Center located at 5750 Sanger Avenue. The meeting topics will include theSeminary Road/Beauregard Street Alternatives Report.
The agenda and materials will be posted on the City’s Beauregard Small Area Plan website (alexandriava.gov/BeauregardPlan) on the Beauregard Rezoning Advisory Group page. 
 
The meeting is open to the public. Public comments are welcome. Spanish translation services will be provided at the meeting. Individuals with disabilities that may require assistance or special arrangements to participate in the Beauregard Rezoning Advisory Group meeting may call the Department of Planning and Zoning at 703.746.4666. For meeting-related questions, please contact Maya Contreras in the Department of Planning and Zoning at 703.746.3816  or emailMaya.Contreras@alexandriava.gov
 

365 - Bones

Bullying Prevention Basics, October 23

October is National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month and the Alexandria Mentoring Partnership is hosting a training event at The Lyceum (201 S. Washington Street) from 6-8 p.m. This event if for mentors, tutors, helpers, staff members and others. Refreshments will be provided

Kindly RSVP to Erin Dawson.

Alexandria Campaign on Adolescent Pregnancy Receives HHS Grant

FROM THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA: 

Alexandria Campaign on Adolescent Pregnancy Receives HHS Grant

The Alexandria Campaign on Adolescent Pregnancy (ACAP) was awarded a three-year Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) grant for $290,494 per year from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families to provide evidence-based prevention programs that address teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections with up to 800 at-risk youth.

The partners in the project include: Capital Youth Empowerment, Northern Virginia Aids Ministry, Community Lodgings and T.C. Williams High School’s Graduation, Reality, and Dual-Role Skills (GRADS) class. The project includes movement, meditation and nutrition components based on current research on adolescent brain development.

Teen pregnancy prevention is a priority for the City of Alexandria. For more information about the Alexandria Campaign on Adolescent Pregnancy, visit www.KeepIt360.org. To learn more about the PREP Project, contact Lisette Torres, ACAP Coordinator, Lisette.torres@alexandriava.gov, 703.746.3130.

Sent on: 10/15 11:45

365 - Apple

For Immediate Release: October 15, 2012

Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities to Gather Public Input on Management Plans for the City’s Large Multi-use Parks

In October 2012, the Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities will kick-off a nine-month public outreach process to develop Management Framework Plans for the City’s large multi-use Parks. The parks included is this process include Four Mile Run Park, Simpson Stadium Park, Chinquapin Park, Hensley Park, Holmes Run Park, and Ben Brenman/Armistead L. Boothe Parks. The goal of this effort is to study and understand the existing conditions and plan for future needs in each of the parks.

Park Planning staff want to know how you use the parks, what you like about the parks, and what you hope to see in the parks in the future. Your input will help guide the plans and ultimately inform decisions on how the parks evolve over time.

Share your thoughts in the following ways:

1. Send us feedback! Visit the Citywide Park Planning page and provide feedback on how you “see” the park.
   
   - OR -
2. Beginning September 28, 2012, go to one of the parks and pick up a map at the park entrance. Marking up the map, show us how you use the Park and what improvements you hope to see. You can also print a map from the website.

Attend our workshops:

• Four Mile Run Park: October 10 at 6:30 pm (COMPLETED)Cora Kelly Recreation Center, 25 W. Reed Ave.
• Simpson Stadium: October 17 at 6:30 pm
  Mount Vernon Recreation Center, 2601 Commonwealth Ave.
• Chinquapin Park: October 24 at 6:30 pm
  T.C. Williams High School (Rotunda), 3330 King St.
• Hensley Park: October 29 at 6:30 pm
  Lee Center, 1108 Jefferson St.
• Holmes Run Park: November 7 at 6:30 pm
  Samuel Tucker Elementary School, 435 Ferdinand Day Dr.
• Ben Brenman/Armistead L. Boothe Parks: November 14 at 6:30 pm
  Samuel Tucker Elementary School, 435 Ferdinand Day Dr.

We hope to hear from you! For additional information, contact Dana Wedeles, Park Planner, at 703.746.5491 orDana.Wedeles@alexandriava.gov.

The City of Alexandria is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation or to request materials in an alternative format, call Dana Wedeles at 703.746.5491 (Virginia Relay 711) or e-mail Dana.Wedeles@alexandriava.gov.

Dine & Donate, proceeds to benefit ALIVE!, 10/20, In Memory of Ian Daughtrey

FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD LIST SERVE: 

Dine & Donate, proceeds to benefit ALIVE! in memory of Ian Daughtrey

Invite family, friends, and neighbors to Lone Star Steakhouse (3141 Duke Street) on Saturday, October 20th, anytime for lunch or dinner and Lone Star will donate 15% from your dinner receipt to ALIVE! in memory of Ian Daughtrey. 

Ian had been an ALIVE! volunteer through TC Williams High School program- Didactic Guild, a small group of individuals who volunteer at the ALIVE! House every Tuesday night; tutoring, playing and watching movies with younger kids. ALIVE!'s programs serve thousands of Alexandrians annually with shelter; financial help for rent, utilities, medical care and other critical needs; emergency food; deliveries of donated furniture and housewares; and low-cost early childhood education. 

Newly Formed Friends of ACPS to Hold Meeting

After several months of discussions and planning, the newly formed Friends of Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) will hold its first meeting Saturday, November 3, 12 – 1:30 at TC Williams High School (agenda below). 

Friends of ACPS is a community of parents and other citizens who will work together – and with existing student- and education-focused organizations – to promote a common mission and achieve the shared goals that result in greater academic success throughout the Alexandria City Public Schools System.

During this first meeting, we will talk about our Roadmap for progress, hear from academic experts, involved parents and ACPS representatives on progress that has been and still needs to be made across the ACPS system, and seek your input and discussion on our first initiative –Future Families – which seeks to educate Alexandria parents whose children do not yet attend an ACPS school on the facts about how ACPS and their local school may fit for them and give them a forum for asking questions to make important decisions about the future education of their children.

We will also provide opportunities for meeting attendees to pick up badges to become ACPS volunteers if they have registered through the ACPS website (https://knt2.keepntrack.com/HTML/KnTOnlineVolunteerApplication.html?db=alexandria&version=2.72.8). Please let us know if you plan to join us for the November 3 meeting and if you have any questions beforehand.

Thanks to all who have expressed interest and we hope you will join us as Friends of ACPS!

Your fellow Friends
Lee Lynch and Kristen Mason Coreas

Proposed Agenda for Friends of ACPS Meeting

Saturday, November 3, 2012; noon – 1:30 pm
TC Williams High School [specific room still TBD]

1. Welcome and overview of grassroots initiative – Lee and Kristen
2. Anatomy of a turn-around – what it would take to move ACPS from near the bottom to toward the top:
• Educational expert (non ACPS)
• ACPS representative
3. The power of parental involvement:
• ACPS FACE
• Local involved parents
• Fairfax turn-around parent
4. Where do we go from here:
• Describing who are we
• Agreeing on goals and objectives
• Short-term activities
• Dividing into working groups
• Getting others on-board
• Next steps and meeting

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(I don't think this will be ready in time for Halloween!)

308 hours = 20,000 voters = WE NEED YOUR HELP!

FROM THE ADC: 

Alexandria Democrats - 

308 hours = 20,000 voters = WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Between now and November 6, there will 308 hours of in-person absentee voting in Alexandria.  308 hours.  And we expect about 20,000 Alexandrians will vote via in-person absentee this year. 

We need your help in passing out our Democratic sample ballot to voters who will be voting by in-person absentee.  

CAN WE COUNT ON YOU FOR AN HOUR OR TWO?

We need your help in greeting voters at the Alexandria Voter Registration Office and at Charles Beatley Library.  Can you spare an hour or two?  Can you help us greet these in-person absentee voters and help educate them about our great Democratic candidates?  This is the last chance we have to speak to voters before they vote. 

If you can help, Andrea Martin, our Coordinated Campaign Director (andrea@alexdems.org; 703-549-3367) can help find a time that's convenient for you.  

ABSENTEE POLL STANDING IS CRITICAL THIS YEAR TO KEEP VIRGINIA BLUE!

If you want to volunteer for anything between now and Election Day, this is it!  Poll standing for in-person absentees is so critical.  Contact Andrea Martin (andrea@alexdems.org; 703-549-3367) for the dates and times available to greet voters heading to the polls for absentee voting.  

Please consider standing the polls for Alexandria's absentee voters. Victory on November 6 depends on it!

Regards,

Dak Hardwick, Chair

Alexandria Democratic Committee