vienna krutika joshi, thoreau middle school,connectionarchives.com/pdf/2015/123015/vienna.pdf ·...

Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ Children’s Connection ❖ 2015 - 2016 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com online at www.connectionnewspapers.comDecember 30, 2015 - January 5, 2016

Krutika Joshi, Thoreau Middle School,grade 7, Ms. Michele Physioc

ChildrenChildren’s Connection 2015s Connection 2015Children’s Connection 2015

ViennaViennaand Oaktonand Oakton

2 ❖ Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ Children’s Connection ❖ 2015 - 2016 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ Children’s Connection ❖ 2015 - 2016 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Children’s Connection

Dear Readers:

This week, the Vienna/Oakton Connection turns overits pages to the youth

and students.We asked principals and teachers from

area schools to encourage students to con-tribute their words, pictures and photos forour annual Children’s Issue.

The response as always was enormous.While we were unable to publish every piecewe received, we did our best to put togethera paper with a fair sampling of the submit-ted stories, poems, drawings, paintings,photographs and other works of art.

We appreciate the extra effort made byschool staff to gather the materials duringtheir busy time leading up to the holidays.We’d also like to encourage both schools andparents to mark their 2016 calendars forearly December, the deadline for submissions

Welcomefor next year’s Children’s Connection. Pleasekeep us in mind as your children continueto create spectacular works of art and inspir-ing pieces of writing in the coming year.

The children’s issue is only a part of ouryear-round commitment to cover educationand our local schools. As always, the Con-nection welcomes letters to the editor, storyideas, calendar listings and notices of localevents from our readers. Photos and othersubmissions about special events at schoolsare especially welcome for our weeklyschools pages.

Our preferred method for material is e-mail, which should be sent [email protected], butyou can reach us by mail at 1606 KingStreet, Alexandria, VA 22314 or call 703-778-9414 with any questions.

Editor Kemal Kurspahic

Annabelle Li,5, Waples MillElementary,kindergarten,Ms. MelissaPisani

Kali Smolinski, Colvin Run Elementary, grade 2, “Self-Portrait withFriend,” crayon and marker

LaiceyXayachak,CunninghamPark Elemen-tary, grade 2,Ms. AliceBredin-Karny,“Patrol andFriend”

Jack Gao, Vienna, Colvin Run Elementary, grade 1, “Meadowlark Garden”

Ray Wilson, James Madison High, grade 10


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Thoreau Middle Artwork

Allison Kirkman, Thoreau Middle School,grade 8, Ms. Michele Physioc

Allison Kirkman, Thoreau Middle School,grade 8, Ms. Michele Physioc

Abbigail Gibson, ThoreauMiddle School, grade 8, Ms.Michele Physioc

Willow Thompson, Thoreau Middle School, grade 7, Ms.Michele Physioc



The ViennaChildren’s Connection

is published byLocal Media Connection, LLC.

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Max Brooke,Churchill

RoadElementary,grade 2, Ms.

CindyZemke.

“Bamboo”A bamboo plant sways in the bamboo trees.It tries to run away from Pandas But with no legs!Chomp Chomp gulp!But it grows back!It does it all again!Oh no!

—Max Brooke, Churchill Road Elementary, grade 2

I was four when I met my bestfriend; a stuffed horse. Myolder sister Becca bought him

for me, and I’ve loved him eversince. He is brown and fuzzy, witha yellow bow tied around his neck.He has beans in one leg, but no-where else. His neck now flopsover from all the times he’s beensuffocated while I’m sleeping, andhe doesn’t sit up straight anymore.I remember once, I was around six,and I couldn’t find Horsey. I lookedeverywhere; the living room, din-ing room, my room, my sisters’ andbrothers’ rooms, the kitchen andeven the basement. He was no-where to be found. That night, Isat in the kitchen, refusing to goto bed without Horsey. My momtried to remind me that I had otherstuffed animals. I still didn’t wantto go to bed without him. JustHorsey. I sat next to the windowin the kitchen as rain poured downaround us. Then something caughtmy eye. A small brown, fuzzy yetdamp, ear. I jumped to my feet. Iran out the door and into the backyard. I grabbed my cold, soaked,best friend from a rotting, rustingtable on the back deck. I held himclose to me and told him I lovedhim. I ran inside and put him inthe dryer so he could be clean.

Once done, we go upstairs to-gether and cuddle in my bed. Heis my best friend. He’ll always bethere for me. When I got stitches,when my mom died, when my sis-ters are mad at me, when I justcan’t take it. I know he’s alwaysthere.

Friend:1. A person attracted to another

by personal regard2. A person who gives assis-

tance; supporter; faithful compan-ion; keeper of secrets

3. Someone with whom you canlaugh or cry; share your hopes anddreams

4. Someone who knows allabout you and still loves you

—Kimberly Tallant,

Cooper Middle School,

grade 7

Danni Marino, Churchill Road Elementary, kindergarten,“I am thankful for my friend”

Best FriendsFor Life



Colvin Run Elementary Photo Gallery

Cameron McCusker, Colvin Run Elementary, grade 3,“Black Glue and Watercolor”

Kali Smolinski, Colvin Run Elementary, grade 2, “Self-Portrait with Friend,” crayon and marker

Evan Chen, Colvin Run Elementary, grade 2, stitchery onburlap

Kyra Joostema, Colvin Run Elementary, grade 6, Ms.Lauren Grimm

Elliot Dell’Atti, Colvin Run Elementary,grade 3. “Heritage Self-Portrait”

Ryan Moon, Colvin Run Elementary, kin-dergarten, “King of Kindergarten”

Federica Lewis, Colvin Run Elementary,grade 6, Ms. Lauren Grimm

Grayton Simanson, Colvin Run Elemen-tary, grade 5, Ms. Lauren Grimm

Blake Thompson, Colvin Run Elementary,grade 4, Ms. Lauren Grimm

Connor Lee, Colvin Run Elementary, grade1, Ms. Lauren Grimm


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“The Town of Vienna”The town of Vienna: what a place,In Northern Virginia it’s a very quaint space.So many festivals get celebrated here,The kids and adults, together they cheer.From the historical library to the very old train,To Viva Vienna where the rides are insane.From the restaurants like the Vienna Inn and Foster’s Grill,There is also a Wendy’s, whose shakes give me a chill.The days go by and the town of Vienna keeps getting better,I don’t think it will ever get worse, never ever.

Follin Lane is a very busy street in the town,But from now until January it will be shut down.The thing I can’t stand the most is the sound,Of construction where they move the big dirt mounds.Vienna has a good location as everyone can see,It’s a great tourist attraction because it is near D.C.Tysons also is a few seconds away,And other places are close by, Fairfax and the Chesapeake Bay.So all in all, it is a tiny but extraordinary place,And if you didn’t know I wanted to inform you, just in case.

—Joe McClorey,

Our Lady of Good Counsel School, grade 6




A New PerspectiveBy Charlie Freitas

St. Mark Catholic School, grade 8

My stomach lurched as I look over my left shoulder. It musthave been almost a hundred feet down off the side of that nar-row path. “Oh yeah, that horse loves to look over the canyon.He’s the daredevil of the group,” our guide said. The horse I wasriding was hugging the edge and I knew I would surely fall if myhorse lost its footing.

About an hour before that my family passed a horse ranch, andmy mother said, “Why don’t we going horseback riding down theGrand Canyon.” Of course she didn’t mean the whole Grand Can-yon, just a small divot with dry land off one of the sides of theGrand Canyon. What sounded like an innocent idea soon turnedto joy then fear. “These horses are pretty tall, aren’t they,” I saidto the man helping mount the horse. “These are actually some ofour biggest horses,” the man said. My stomach dropped. I feltlike this was the last time I was going to step with my own legs. Igot up on the horse and so did the rest of my family. We startedriding down a narrow path barely the width of my horse. Mynerves were definitely showing. I was scared but I couldn’t turnback anymore, my parents already paid for the trip.

We passed huge rocks that looked like they were held up byinvisible columns. All the fear that I experienced on the way downwas gone now. The guide started to talk, “These rocks were cre-ated about 1.8...” I stopped listening because I was amazed bythe undisturbed scene that was right in front of me. I looked upand saw trees and the clear sky. The sun was shining right intomy eyes, but it wasn’t annoying me like usual. The world seemedto stop even though my horse was still trotting forward as it wastrained to do. The world was different from down there. Thefeeling I had was similar to being up high in the clouds eventhough I was on ground.

We started back up the familiar trail, but it was different now. Iappreciated all the surroundings more. The fear and apprehen-siveness were gone now and I was mostly just focusing on themysterious enchantment of the ancient orange stones. Our guideasked us, “How’d you guys like it?” Our family all said, “We lovedit,” almost in unison. My horse still hugged the edge but I trustedit, I knew it wouldn’t let me fall.

This experience was amazing and I had a once-in-a-lifetimeview that I will never forget. I saw the world from a new perspec-tive. I never knew that something could be so fear-inducing, butso awe-inspiring too.

“Fall Rain”Water drips off the leavesAs the branches sway back and forthAnd the drenched leaves drift down

When the rain falls downit lands against the umbrellas belowlike a person collapsing after a hard day’s work

It slides down the slippery umbrella and falls to the sidewalkhitting the ground and slipping into the sidewalk’s edgesand then disappears in thin air like a ghost

—Drew Garner, Vienna Elementary, grade 6, Mrs.

Lewis

Vienna Elementary

Artwork

Jaclyn King, ViennaElementary, grade 6,Ms. Marianna Condley

Matthew Pearson, Vienna Elementary,grade 6, Ms. Marianna Condley

Daniel Choi, Vienna Elementary, grade 2,Ms. Marianna Condley

Ariel Barker, Vienna Elementary, grade 6,Ms. Marianna Condley

Theo Erickson, Vienna Elementary, grade 3Ms. Marianna Condley


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Cunningham Park Elementary Artwork

Chloe Dehn,CunninghamPark Elemen-tary, grade 3,Ms. AliceBredin-Karny,“Shy Expres-sion”

ArianaBonilla,CunninghamPark Elemen-tary, grade 3,Ms. AliceBredin-Karny,“HappyExpression”

Geneva Carr,CunninghamPark Elemen-tary, grade 4,Ms. AliceBredin-Karny,“Handstand”

LeslieAlvarado-Andrade,CunninghamPark Elemen-tary, grade 4,Ms. AliceBredin-Karny,“Tennis”

10 ❖ Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ Children’s Connection ❖ 2015 - 2016 Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ Children’s Connection ❖ 2015 - 2016 ❖ 11www.ConnectionNewspapers.com www.ConnectionNewspapers.com


“War”It destroys everythingBuildings, people, and citiesIt takes away anythingFamilies, memories, and livesScared, afraid, and fearfulThat’s how people feelBattery, rape, and deathAll for the moneyPeople end up killing one anotherAll out of greedIt’s just not right

—Sunhyup Park,

Vienna, Marshall High, grade 9, Mr. Pierce

“Change”Fall is nearLeaves start to changeLast year’s self

—Emma Smith,

Vienna Elementary, grade 6, Mrs. Lewis

“9/11”I look upI start to cryMy heart falls like the tower.

—Leilani Uribe,


“Silence”Silence is a zippershut tight like a locked boxSilence lets you hear everythingSilence sets your ears freeSilence is a breezeSilence is an empty room

—Bavly Mouner, Vienna

Elementary, grade 6, Mrs. Lewis

“Basketball”Shoes skitterMy opponent shootsSwish! It went inI dribble down the courtI pass to my teammateIn a flash he shootsBuzz! Time has expiredAll I do is watch

—Eric Dorman,


“The Move”Thump,Thump,ThumpBoxes being placed on the groundVroom,Vroom,VroomThe sound of more moving trucks with our stuffShh,Shh,ShhRain hitting the ground hardUgh,Ugh,UghMy family and I wishing the move was easier

—Dania Albarghouthi,

Vienne Elementary, grade 6, Mrs. Lewis

“The Wizard”One day the great wizard came to townHe hopped on stage with a frownHis nose shone redHis wand looked deadHe must have been a clown.

—Tyler Johnson,


Vienna Poetry Corner

Madison High Gallery

Eythan Huang, 7, Flint Hill Elementary, grade 1

Annabelle Li, 5, Waples Mill Elementary, kindergarten,Ms. Melissa Pisani

Ejun Kim, 13, Oakton, Westminster School, grade 8,Mr. Muntain

Teodora Hryshchyshyn, James Madison High, grade 10

Phillip Sullivan, James Madison High, grade 12

Audrey Lynch, James Madison High, grade 11

Josh Nagy, James Madison High, grade 10

Annika Burstein,James MadisonHigh, grade 11

View from the TopCaroline Mukerjee,

St. Mark Catholic School,

grade 8

I hear a soft purr, as the enginecomes to life. All of a sudden Imove faster and faster, my handstightly grip the seat, as the planelifts off the ground. My ears pop aswe head toward the bright blue sky.

Earlier that day my familyplanned for my brother and I to goon a personal plane ride with mymom. We arrived at the localairport in Gulf shores, Alabama,where the pilot was waiting for us.“I call shotgun!” Cameron called. Igot in with my mom in the back

and started slowly strapping myself in,still having second thoughts aboutwhat I was about to do. Then the pilotturned around in his seat. “You’regoing to need these.” he said as hehanded me a pair of headphones.“Thanks” I answered. I turned to thewindow and waved nervously to mydad, who was standing with my littlesister, Claire, watching us go. “Let’s dothis!” Cameron said, pumped. The pilotgot to work pushing buttons andflipping switches. The plane startedgliding down the runway, picking upspeed. The wheels lifted off the groundand rose swiftly into the sky.

“Wow” I exclaimed. The worldlooked so different from up above. Theocean was a tie dye of greens and

blues, the gulf was shimmering in thesunlight. The sand looks soft and thewater was calm. The trees, buildings,and people looked all so diminutivefrom up in the plane. All I could dowas gaze at the magnificent worldbelow me. Somewhere in the back ofmy mind I could hear Cameron askingthe pilot about how the plane worksand what that button did, but at thatmoment I didn’t care. I was glad that Ididn’t back out at the last minute.“Look Caroline, we are flying by thepeninsula.” my mom said. “Yeah, wearen’t that far from our house.” Iremarked. “Well we can’t go that farfolks, we have to turn around now.”the pilot said through the headphones.

The plane started to descend to the

earth and knew it was over, but Iwasn’t discouraged because I hadan incredible experience. Theplane’s wheels skidded to a halt onthe runway. I clambered out of theplane and ran to my dad who wasright where we had left him. “Howwas it?” he asked. “It was amazing”I replied. “Yeah, it was awesome!”Cameron put in. We started walkingback to the car explaining ouramazing adventure.

When you are in the sky you seethe world from a whole new andexciting perspective. You seethings farther away and youcapture our full potential. Now Iknow what it means to have yourhead in the clouds.


Children’s Connection “Falling into Fall”I walk outside to feel the big breezy bite in the airI enjoy the sunny autumn day that shines brighter than a diamondI think to myself as the leaves dance around the sidewalkThey fall as silent as the drop of a pinThe smell of pine cones fill the airSo many perfect pumpkins perched on porchesFall is a time filled with happinessFall is orange, yellow and brownThe days are shorts and the nights are longHow great is this time where we fall into fall?

—Ahaana Naimpally, Vienna Elementary, grade 6, Mrs. Lewis

“Dreams”When nights get cold and the days get darkI go into a long journeyClosing my eyes and drifting away.Starting to fly in a fantasy worldI see a stunning new land from up above.Bright green grass spreading across the Valley like an endless river,Beautiful eyes of a fairy sparkling in the crisp airA glowing sun cascading down a waterfall,A flower as beautiful as a picture perfect day.My toes feel the tickle of the chilly river in the Valley below,My hands feel the softness of the butterflies fluttering past me,My heart feels it never wants to leave this magical, astonishing place!

—Leilani Uribe, Vienna Elementary, grade 6, Mrs. Lewis

“Monkey Feast”Swinging on the vinesLooking for bananasGotta get home before darkHere comes a safari going down the roadPictures being flashed all aroundSpot a banana in one of their handsHop down to go steal the fruitThen “ROAAR” run at the sight of a lionNow I have to go home without a bananaTo make it even better I smoosh a banana on the way home“I want to go to sleep,” I whineSo sad when I get home with just a smushed banana to giveI hand it over with a sad look on my face,My mother sighs and drops the banana outside our treeNothing but sorrow and the scent of a smushed banana fill the airUntil... RUMBLE, RUMBLE, RUMBLEA family of monkeys charge toward usWe all wonder whyThen they all stop, all 30 of themThey stare at my smushed banana then at usAnd best of all they brought their own bananasAfter we invite them upMMMM, MMMMMonkey Feast

—Colin Sullender, Vienna Elementary, grade 6, Mrs. Lewis

“Santa Claus”Asleep in my roomWhen I hear a small boomI jump out of bedI see someone redI wonder who it could beIt’s Santa Claus I seeHe comes up to me“It’s Christmas,” says heHe starts dancing aroundTo a delightful soundI join the joyful danceThen we start to pranceOut the door we goInto winter’s wonderful, white snowI hear a reindeer neighWe hop into the sleighUp into the airAnd we see a glareIt is Rudolph’s red lightShining during the night

Going down to the snowy North Poleground

We slam into it with a poundAs we started to walk aroundA toy shop I foundElves everywhere making toysFor all of the girls and boysEquipment for sportsAnd toys of all sortsTime to go back home,Where no reindeer roamI get back in my bedTo rest my headI remember the timeWhere I went to a place with no crimeThere was no time to pauseWhen I met Santa Claus

—Christopher With,

Our Lady of Good Counsel

School, grade 6

This Thanksgiving weekend, my fa-ther and I watched lots of collegefootball during “Rivalry Week”. My

dad asked me if I thought a rival is a friendor an enemy? I think a rival should be afriend. We shouldn’t have enemies. Somepeople get mad and yell at their rivals, butI think a rival can be someone who helpsyou. In sports, they can help you play bet-ter and make the game fun.

I read a story about the first Thanksgiv-ing. At first, the Pilgrims were afraid of theNative Americans and did not like them.The Native Americans helped the Pilgrimssurvive in the New World by showing themhow to grow corn and they became friends.President Lincoln declared Thanksgiving aholiday in 1864 during the Civil War whenthe states were fighting against each other.My sister told me that brothers foughtagainst each other during the Civil War andthat it was a really sad time for our coun-try.

Rivals can be from the same state and

even the same family. We watched an in-terview about a family rivalry. One brotherwas playing on the Georgia Tech team andthe other was playing on the Georgia team.The mom was wearing a Georgia Tech jer-sey and the dad was wearing a Georgia jer-sey. Both players wanted their teams to win,but they were brothers, and even thoughthey were rivals, I bet they also love eachother.

When I play, I want my team to win. Ialso feel bad about the possibility of beat-ing my friends but I still play my best andtry as hard as I can to score points. I hopethey understand that it is just a game, andthat even though we are competing againsteach other, we are also friends. Competi-tion and rivalry should be about having funand helping each other become better play-ers and people.

—Wesley Beeland, 8,

Great Falls, Colvin Run

Elementary School, grade 3

Wesley Beeland, 8, a third grader at Colvin Run Elementary School, livesin Great Falls, is pictured with a statue of President Lincoln taken thissummer at Gettysburg Park.

Pho

to

co

ntributed

Thanksgiving and Football Rivalry Weekend


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By Valerie Dirkse

Kilmer Middle, Grade 7

There are many trends in middle schoolincluding, fashion, sports, TV shows,and much, much more. Sometimes theycan be good, but other times they can

be just plain mean. I think the one that should bethe most popular is kindness. By doing little acts ofkindness for your friends, classmates, teachers,and school, you can make a big difference. Be thefirst one to light a spark, so eventually we cankindle a blazing fire of kindness.

The great thing about kindness is that you don’thave to do something huge to make a difference. Alittle act of kindness can go a far way, like a smileor a wave. These are not hard to do and they canmake people happier. They can create a dominoeffect. Because you smiled or waved at them, theymight think to do that to another person. Then theperson who was smiled at, is in a better mood andis reminded of kindness. They might help aclassmate with their school work or do anotherkind act for a teacher. The chain effect keepshappening and eventually the kindness is spreadall around to everyone and everything. All it tookwas one person being kind.

A smile or other simple act of kindness includinggiving someone your seat, saying please and thankyou, or telling someone good morning can have alarge effect. Along with creating a domino effect, itcan do many things to the person individually.Sometimes people have bad days, weeks or evenmonths, and are going through really roughpatches in their life. They can range from getting abad grade on a quiz to failing math, having adisagreement with your best friend, to yourparents getting a divorce, or a classmate annoyingyou, to being bullied. Sometimes we know that thepeople who need comfort are going through thetough times and we can comfort them specifically,but other times we have no idea that they arefeeling sad at all, so it is never a bad idea to bekind. Whether it is big or small, it always helpsknow that someone cares enough to be kind. It canbrighten their day, wake them up if they weretired, and make them feel appreciated. Even if aperson is completely fine, it never hurts to see asmiling face.

When my friend invited me over for dinner, Iwas really happy. It made me realize that she caredenough to plan it with her parents and make timeon her calendar to spend it with me. Another time,

I was really tired in my second period class; aclassmate said good morning to me and I woke upright away. I had a better day because it. Any act ofkindness, no matter how small or big, has apositive influence.

Even though people know that being kind is theright thing to do, it is sometimes hard to be nicefor many different reasons. Sometimes people canforget to be caring, underestimate the power ofthose small acts, or are too lazy to even do asimple thing. Another thing that sometimes keepsus from doing these simple acts is that we don’twant to be kind to people we dislike. I don’t wantto make someone happy if they make me or othersunhappy, or they always are misbehaving. I don’twant to give them the kindness and happiness,because they wouldn’t want to be kind either. Onething that I have to remember is to treat others theway I want to be treated. It is sometimes hard andunfair, but it is the kind thing to do.

In closing, even though kindness can some-times be hard, it always the right thing to do. Itcan cheer people up on bad days and create adomino effect. Even small acts of kindness, havebig impact. Light the first spark of kindness,even if it is just a smile or wave, and watch thefire begin to blaze.

The Blazing Fire of Kindness

“Big Sister”She drives down the streetand then pulls out her phoneto looks at some new texts“Stop I’m scared” I say fromthe back of the carShe doesn’t careignoring meThere goes a car,then anotherShe starts to gatherherself to look upbut a second later“CRASH”then I wake upbut she’s not thereNever the same again

—Josie Dudek,




Reindeer, by Abigail Paredes, 13, Great Falls, Seneca Ridge MiddleSchool, grade 8

Tess and Mia

Focus

Meet Young Artist of Great FallsAbigail Paredes, 13, of Great Falls, eighthgrader at Seneca Ridge Middle School inSterling, has sent a selection of her artwork.

God’s love

Apple Pear

Biellmann spin



“Christmas”Sometimes I wonder what makes Christmas so great,Perhaps it’s the presents or staying up late.Maybe it’s the songs and decorations,Or the different gingerbread creations.I believe it is the feeling that makes Christmas so unique,It is the feeling that makes me such a Christmas geek.It’s not the decorations, songs, or food,Christmas is all about everyone’s mood.Santa is great along with music on 97.1,But your spirit is what really makes Christmas so fun.I will never dislike the movies and songs Christmas brings,Or the Christmas carols of joy that everybody sings.I love playing with my new toys on those distinct Christmas days,My parents sip coffee and tea and watch my little sister as she plays.I love the white snow that covers the ground,And the fire making a magnificent crackling sound.I’m not saying all these things aren’t fun,But don’t you just feel empty when Christmas is done.

—Eddie Paquette, Our Lady of Good Counsel, grade 6

“Hunter and Me”

I opened the door and Hunter’s outsideI show him the ballOff! he knocks me downthe ball hits the ground and Hunter’salready dribbling around the yardthe leaves crunch under us as we playthe wind howls but we don’t carebut soon it is dark and time to go inwe race inside and slam the doorI take of my boots Hunter’s laying downWe relax by the crackling fire thinking about our next game together

—Caitlin McCall, Vienna Elementary, grade 6, Mrs. Lewis

“Frost”I wake up, and all I seeIs the Dark.I turn around, and then I seeA crack of lightThrough the drapes.And then I rememberIt’s Christmas Day!I hop out of bed, run down the stairsAs the sweet aroma of Mom’s French toast fills the house.I open my stocking above the warm fire.I taste the fresh peppermint staff, shaped like a shepherd’s crook.After I walk to the tree,Dressed in silver and gold and red,Draped in colored lights,We open our presents, and I can hear the crackle of wrapping paperAs it rips open,(We kids look forward to this all year)After we finish, “Snow!” I think, and rush to the window.But no snow.Just frost, cold to the touch.

—Melanie Greig, St. Mark School, grade 6

“Crimson Pledge”The Crimson blaze stays brightAs the fire spreads throughout the nightThrough Earth’s stone and Deaths mightCrimson will survive the FightThey pledge to protect what’s dearWhen humanity’s enemies grow nearFor now their job is good as doneAs the enemy’s reduced to noneSo when the fire burns awayCrimsons legacy will be known to this dayAs our enemies know todayThat humanity’s here to stay

—Nicholas Montalto, Vienna Elementary, grade 6, Mrs. Lewis

“Balloon”The shining sun smiles upon a pale blue balloonascending to the heavens above.It rises further and furtherinch by inchuntil it rides a gentle breeze. Suddenly the moody clouds pounce like a cat stalking its prey and unleash a bolt of rage.POP! The inflicted balloon slowly sinks to the groundand all life leaves its deflated shape forever.

—Emma Smith, Vienna Elementary, grade 6, Ms. Lewis



What They Are Thankful For at Churchill Road

Kate Walsh,Churchill RoadElementary,kindergarten,“I am thankfulfor the earthand my family”

AlvaroEscoberos-Marcos,Churchill RoadElementary,kindergarten,“I am thankfulfor my friends”

Julia Jackson,Churchill RoadElementary,grade 2, Ms.Cindy Zemke

Kirin Sandu, 5,Churchill RoadElementary,kindergarten,“I am thankfulfor my family”

Zara Lang, 5,Churchill RoadElementary,kindergarten,“I am thankfulfor my family”

Evan Herlands,6, ChurchillRoad Elemen-tary, kinder-garten, “I amthankful formy family”

Alex McNeill,Churchill RoadElementary,grade 2, Ms.Cindy Zemke


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703-437-6530www.stannes-reston.org

1700 Wainwright Dr., Reston

ST. ANNE’SEPISCOPALCHURCH • Reston

Welcoming, Diverse, Progressive


ChristmasEve Dinner

It is Christmas Eve, and I ameating a traditional UkrainianChristmas Eve dinner consisting oftwelve different dishes. First thingwe eat is the sweet smelling honeybread. After, I see the yummyvarenyky made of mashed pota-toes, onion, and sour cream. I feelthe borscht in my mouth hot andtasty. I hear my grandmother say-ing how good the food is. Then Itaste the fish salty and flavorful. Ilove this dinner!

—Andriko Bilaniuk, St.

Mark School, grade 6

ChristmasOn Christmas Eve night I hear

the steaming fire crackling. I hearthe sounds of Christmas music. Igo to sleep wondering what willhappen the next day. Then I wakeup and run to the family room tosee all of the presents. I go to wakeup my brother and parents. I smellpancakes cooking and see theChristmas tree sparkling...I look tosee what’s inside my stocking...Itaste hot chocolate as I open eachpackage. After we open all of ourpresents we eat breakfast. For therest of the day we play with ournew presents. Christmas is my fa-vorite holiday.

—Samantha Brohoski, St.

Mark School, grade 6

Christmas BreakEvery year during Christ-

mas break, I go to mygrandparent’s house. My uncleand aunt are always there, and wemake Christmas cookies. Mygrandma always makes the doughahead of time so that it is readywhen we get there. I see all of thedecorations on the table. I feel thecold dough. I hear everyone laugh-ing and having fun. I smell thecookies baking in the oven. Afterthey’re done, I taste the freshlybaked sugar cookies. They’re sogood!! We take some home whenwe leave, and those are the cook-ies we give to Santa.—Erin Garvert, St. Mark

School, grade 6

St. Mark Catholic School Writings

Nysmith School

Art Gallery

Zani Xu, 9,NysmithSchool,“Yardsale”

Iyla Sharifahmadian,5, Nysmith School,

Mrs. Hand,“Iyla and Minal

Visiting the Zoo”

Kina Xu, 5,Nysmith School,kindergarten,“Winter Fun”

Advertising Deadlines are the previous Thursday unless noted.

JANUARY1/13/2016..........................................HomeLifeStyleMartin Luther King Jr. Day is Jan. 181/20/2016...............................A+ Camps & Schools1/27/2016...................................Community Guide1/27/2016........................... Winter Fun, Food, Arts & Entertainment; Valentine’s Preview

FEBRUARY2/3/2016......................Valentine’s Dining & Gifts I2/3/2016...............Wellbeing – National Children’s Dental Health Month2/10/2016...........................................HomeLifeStyle2/10/2016....................Valentine’s Dining & Gifts II2/17/2016................................A+ Camps & Schools2/24/2016..........................................Pet ConnectionE-mail [email protected] for more information.

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NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATORYPOLICY AS TO STUDENTS

The Sycamore School admits students of anyrace, color, national and ethnic origin to allthe rights, privileges, programs, and activitiesgenerally accorded or made available to stu-dents at the school. It does not discriminateon the basis of race, color, national and eth-nic origin in administration of its educationalpolicies, admissions policies, scholarshipand loan programs, and athletic and otherschool administered programs.



If tomorrow were never tocome, it wouldnot be worthliving today.

-Dagobert Runes

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Notice of Trustee’s Sale2050 S. Glebe Road, Arlington, VA 22204

Arlington CountyIn execution of a Deed of Trust dated October 11, 2013, in the

original principal amount of $555,000.00, recorded as Deed Book4732 at 40 of the Clerk’s Office of the Circuit Court ofArlington County, Virginia, the undersigned Trustee will onWednesday, January 6, 2016 at 9:30 a.m., by the front mainentrance to the Arlington County Courthouse, 1425 N. CourthouseRoad, Arlington, VA 22201, offer for sale at public auction to thehighest bidder, the following property, with improvements thereoncommonly known as 2050 S. Glebe Road, Arlington, VA 22204and more particularly described as follows:

Parcels 2,3, and Part of Lot 2, Estate of Benjamin Perry Improved by premises known as 2050 S. Glebe Road,Arlington, VA and as more particularly shown on platattached hereto and made a part of hereof entitled “Lot 2of the Partition of the Estate of BENJAMIN PERRY and aVacated 16.5’ Outlet Road” by Alexandria SurveysInternational, LLC, dated Mark 5, 2002, as the same is dulyplatted and attached to the corrected Deed recorded inDeed Book 4196 at page 1179 among the Land Records ofArlington County, Virginia.

RPC: 31024007

This sale is subject to any reservations, restrictions on use,covenants, obligations, rights of way, conditions, easements, leasesand mechanic’s liens, if any, whether of record or not of record, tothe extent any of the foregoing apply and take priority over the lienof the Deed of Trust.

Deposit of $20,000.00, or 10% of the sales price, whichever islower, by cashier’s or certified check, shall be required to qualify asa bidder prior to the sale, except for the Noteholder.

The deposit, without interest, is applied to the purchase price atsettlement. Settlement will be held on or before fifteen (15) daysafter the sale. Upon purchaser’s default, the deposit shall be for-feited and the property shall be resold at the risk and costs of thedefaulting purchaser.

The balance of the purchase price shall be paid by certified orcashier’s check, or wire transfer. Settlement shall be at the offices ofthe undersigned Trustee, or other mutually agreed upon location.The property and any improvements thereon shall be sold in “as is”condition without any warranties. The successful bidder shallassume all loss or damage to the property from and after the time ofthe sale. Purchaser shall be responsible for all costs of the convey-ance, which shall be by special warranty including, but not limitedto, the preparations of the deed, Regional Congestion Relief fee,and the grantor’s tax. Real estate taxes shall be adjusted as of thesale date. The sale is subject to such additional terms as theTrustee may announce at the time of sale. The purchaser will berequired to sign a Memorandum of Sale incorporating all the termsof the sale.

George J. Shapiro, Trustee

FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:George J. Shapiro, TrusteeLAW OFFICES OF GEORGE J. SHAPIRO1464 Ingleside AvenueMcLean, VA 22101703-228-1926



Kenny Lourie is an Advertising Representative forThe Potomac Almanac & The Connection Newspapers.

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

The Time Is Now,And Then Some

As I sit and write, I am 25 days out from mynext CT Scan. Which ordinarily, wouldn’t causea blip in my thinking; having been scanned and“resulted” over 25 times in the last seven years(usually, once every three months). However,this time the scan will occur after a quarter inwhich I’ve changed my infusion schedule fromevery three weeks to every four, as written aboutin a recent column entitled “All Four It.” In doingthe math: 13 weeks divided by three; 13 weeksdivided by four; as a result of this modification, Iam now receiving one fewer dose of chemother-apy. And this change was made not because Iwas in remission or my tumors had shrunk. No,this change was made because of a less-than-desirable quality of life. Also, as written about ina previous column, one entitled “SlipperyHope,” feeling miserable one out of every threeweeks was not contributing much to the qualityof that life so in sharing these feelings with myoncologist, the change in frequency was agreedto. But my CT Scan schedule remains quarterly.Ergo this column’s angst.

Given this rather significant change – and thecorrelating reduction in medicine administered,this next scan is hardly just another few slides inand out of the computerized tomography. No.This may very well be a crossroads in my treat-ment. If the scan shows no growth, then off I cancontinue infusing into the wild blue yonder (atleast for the next three months until my nextscan). If, on the other hand, the scan showsgrowth and/or movement, then perhaps I havecrossed over onto a path going who knowswhere. And since my frequency change wasmade without discussing the what-if scenarios(which my oncologist prefers not to do), I amfree to speculate without the benefit of any pro-fessional insight. Presumably, we’ll either goback to infusing every three weeks (continuingwith Alimta) and see what appears – or not – onthe CT Scan (three months hence) or we’llchange medications/protocols entirely and then,as we say in Boston: “It’ll be Katie ‘bahr’ thedoor;” meaning, watch out/hang on for dear life(no pun intended) because new and differentdrugs don’t necessarily equate to an improved/“normal” quality of life. In short, my situa-tion/health could get worse. And my request/desire to alter my previously effective infusionschedule – so far as keeping my tumors stable isconcerned – from three weeks to four, may bethe direct cause. Wanting to improve the qualityof my life may now have led to a reduction inthe quality of that life. And though I certainlyunderstand how unreasonable it is for apatient/survivor to expect to have his cake(sugar-free preferably) and eat it too; still, I washoping I had a few more bites at the apple.

I’ll know soon enough – not, and that’s thepoint of this column. Unfortunately, I’m alreadyworrying about the results and the consequencesof my actions. Usually, the associated anxietystarts about two weeks before the scan. Now,considering the stakes, I am worrying about itnearly four weeks before. Double the troubleand none of the fun. And believe me, it’s not asif worrying this far ahead of the next scan servesany purpose whatsoever. Nor will it speed upthe process or affect the scan results. All thathappens is that I will be nervous and anxiousabout something I can’t control, and make worsea situation (the waiting) that I’ve previously beenable to manage.

Well, at least I’m not blaming myself – totally,anyway. This is all premature and nothing is pre-ordained. And considering that I’ve been onchemotherapy for almost seven years, and sur-vived way beyond my oncologist’s original “13months to two-year” prognosis, perhaps mytumors won’t be effected and life will go on as-per-usual. Who knows? Maybe infusing less willactually help me more?


By Olivia Zhang

Churchill Road Elementary,

grade 5, Ms. Gabriele

I trotted out the warm, cozy house andcautiously stepped onto the porch inmy backyard. In an instance, cold air

hit me in the face like somebody giving mea cold, hard slap. I took a deep breathwatching it in the air as it turned into a puffywhite cloud then disappeared like magic. Istepped forward again feeling the water inthe snow seep into my boots. Today was asunny but cold day. Perfect for playing inthe snow that would soon melt. It was thebeginning of spring. The leaves on once baretrees now began to grow and would soonbloom flowers. I looked ahead at Ava, myyounger sister. She was prancing in circleswhile laughing like snow was the best thingin the world.

“Come on! Come on!” she said gigglingand waving me over.

I stepped forward again and again until Iwas at the last step of the stairs. I hesitateda moment before finally stepping down intothe fresh, sparkling snow. The perfectnessof the snow disappeared under my bootswith each step I took. Where the sunlighthit at the right spots, the snow sparkled likejewels. I quickly ran to Ava not wanting toruin the perfectness. Of course, that didn’twork. It just made more footprints.

I felt it before I saw it. “WHAM!” Thesnowball hit me straight in the arm. I lookedin the direction of the thrown snowball andsaw my sister pointing at me, then laugh-ing, then bending down to make anothersnowball.

I shook my head and yelled, “You’re on!”I grabbed a handful of snow, not caring if

I ruined the perfectness, compacted thesnow into a circular ball, then aimed andthrew. “Wham!” I shut my eyes for a sec-ond waiting for the pain to hit. Two heart-beats later, I peeked and saw my snowball,not Ava’s, hitting her straight in the back.Bullseye! I thought.

Ten minutes later, I looked down at myclothes. Ava and I were covered in snowalmost head to toe! I couldn’t tell who wascovered the most.

We laid down next to each other just gaz-ing up at the brilliant blue sky and whiteclouds that looked like cotton candy. Icouldn’t hear anything but the sound of thewind in my ears. My heartbeat that wasonce beating furiously now slowed downas I relaxed. The back of my head began tofeel numb, spreading throughout my wholehead as I lay there for a long time. Soonenough, I lifted my head up and just satthere, arms around my legs.

“Let’s go sliding!” Ava suddenly said.She bounced up, then trotted to the play-

house, climbing up the rope that led to theslide. I stood up, brushed off some of thesnow, then tromped through the snow tothe bottom of the slide. There, I pushedsnow from different directions to the footof the green colored slide, making a moundthat my sister would slide into.

Right when I stepped away from the slide,

I felt a fast breeze whip across my face, thena joyful “Whee!”, and finally, the sound ofsnow going everywhere.

“My turn!” I said laughing as my sisterpushed all the snow back into a big pile.

I climbed up the multi-colored steps andthen crawled on my knees to the startingpoint of the slide. As soon as I saw Ava stepaway from the bottom, I pushed my glovecovered hands hard against the slide shout-ing with joy as I flew down the slide, thewind whipping my hair. “Splat!” I landedin the big snow pile laughing as I did.

“Whoo hoo!” I said high-fiving Ava, “Let’sdo it again!”

We began the tiring but fun process allover again taking turns to build the big snowpile.

After a few more rounds, Ava ploppedonto the snow on her back and moved herarms and legs like a car windshield. I laiddown next to her and began moving myarms and legs just the way she did. Avajumped up from her snow angel a few min-utes later then sat cross-legged on theground studying what she made. Once Ithought I had finished, I got up slowly hop-ing not to ruin the snow angel I had made.I sat down cross legged next to Ava andstudied mine. Silence passed over ourneighborhood like no one was there except

for the cheerful, chattering birds. My snowangel looked pretty good except for the factthat a couple footprints were near it. Ava’ssnow angel looked shorter and cuter thanmine as if it was a replica of her.

“Do you want to go back inside?” I asked.I was hoping she would say no but in-

stead, she nodded her head like a bobblehead, got up, and then skipped up the stepsto the porch. She stomped her feet near thescreen door while shaking off the snow. Ididn’t want to leave the breathtaking sitebut I got up, sprinted up the steps, andstomped the snow off my boots.

Inside the warm cozy house a few mo-ments later, my sister and I took off our lay-ers and layers of clothes, scarves, gloves,hats, and shoes.

We now sat in front of the warm, crack-ling, orange fire. A warm, fizzy apple ciderbubbled in my cup. I brought the cup to mylips and tipped the cup slightly letting thecider fall into my mouth, the bubbles pop-ping on my tongue.

The yummy flavor danced in my mouth.This apple cider was my all-time favorite.It tasted like regular apple cider but wasfizzy like soda.

As I took more and more gulps of the de-licious apple cider, I realized how glad I wasto have a great family and friends.

Winter Wonderland

Eleni Katsapis, St. James Catholic School, grade 6



I took a deep breath andstood on my toes, lookingover my horse’s thick, coalblack mane. Hundreds of

eyes were watching the group ofriders that were already inside.

“Okay, you can go in and startfixing your girth,” one of the in-structors breezed past me, flash-ing me smile and added, “Goodluck.”

“I’m going to need the wholestate of Virginia’s luck on my sideif I don’t want to go in there andmake a fool of myself,” I mutteredunder my breathe, lightly tuggingmy horse forward. “Come onNacho, now’s not the time for nap-ping.”

As I lead him through the arenagate, I stroked his soft, brown neckso I didn’t have to look at the au-dience.

When I had led him to the arenaand halted him, I finally dared tolook up.

The bleachers were packed withparents, friends, and siblings com-ing to watch us ride.

“Good luck.” Siri smiles at meas she leads Twinkie, the palominogelding she often rode, past me.

I smile briefly at her, feeling thebutterflies in my stomach eruptinto giant moths.

Swinging the beat-up leatherreins over my shoulder, I start totighten Nacho‘s girth.

“Too loose,” I murmur, my slickhands slipping on the smoothleather as I tighten the girth acouple more holes.

When I finish, I lead Nacho overto the dusty wooden mountingblock. Climbing on, I had to steady

myself so I didn’t fall off as itrocked back and forth.

Holding onto the saddle tosteady myself, I stick my left footin the stirrup and swing over andonto his back, gently loweringmyself into the saddle.

Clicking to him, I directed Nachoover to where the two girls that Iwas riding with sat as their mountsstood quietly under them.

“We have to say our names?!?”Rachel squeaked as I got closer.“That’s it, I’m outta here!”

Our instructor, Meredith, rolledher eyes, “Come on guys, you cando this, and you can’t back outnow, it’s show time!”

Much to my dislike, I ended upbeing first.

Facing the crowd, I announced,“Hi, my name is Michaela, and thisis Nacho,” I say, surprised at howclear my voice sounded.

While I wait for the other girlsto finish saying their names andthat of their mounts, I fiddle withmy brand new, purple and redriding crop.

“Okay girls, let’s get started,” ourother instructor, Christopher,called out as she marched throughthe dusty ring to the center of thearena. “Tighten your reins andwhen I say ‘three,’ pick up yourposting trot.”

When she reached three, I giveNacho a slight nudge and tap withmy crop.

Ignoring the sea of faces, I fo-cus on rising up and down in timewith his outside leg.

“Up, down, up, down,” I mutterto myself, “Come on Nacho, youcan do it!”

Gradually, I feel the myself re-lax and the tension leave myshoulders. This is fun! I thought.

As suddenly as it had started, theshow ended and I was leadingNacho out of the riding ring andto his stall.

Wiping my brow, I circle him andbegan to take off his saddle andbridle. When I finish, I slipped onhis faded orange halter andclipped on the lead rope.

Tugging on the rope, I led himout of his stall and to the areawhere you bathe your horse.“Come on boy, let’s go take a bath.”Nacho seemed to blink in agree-ment.

Leading him over to where a fewspare hoses were laying around, Itied him to a steal circle in thewall, making sure to use a safetyknot so that he could pull away,without getting hurt, if he gotscared or spooked.

Grabbing an already soakedsponge, I started to rub it over hisback where his saddle had been.

His back glistened from the wa-

ter, and I licked my dry lips. I wasparched. Spraying myself with thehose was definitely a possibility.

Forcing myself to stay focused, Isoon finished and led Nacho backto his stall.

I pull off his halter and I hughim. “Thanks boy, you were awe-some.”

Digging through my jacketpocket, I find a horse treat andhold it under his muzzle. He im-mediately stops trying to chew onmy jacket and snaches the treatfrom the palm of my hand.

Crumbs fly everywhere as hechews on the treat.. “Piggy.” Ilaugh and scratch his nose lightlywith my finger tips.

As I watched him munch noisilyon some hay that he found on thefloor of his stall, I thought back toearlier today, It was amazing, Ithought, I hope I get the chance tobe in another horse show sometime.

—Michaela Svensson,

Churchill Road Elemen-

tary, grade 5, Mr. Depa’s

Horse Show

A GoodPerson

The majority of peoplestrive to be a good person,but not everyone knowswhat it means to be a goodperson. Yes, it is importantto be kind to others andrespect others rights, butthere is more to beingconsidered “good.” Themotive to your kindness isalso a key component. Agood person will be kindonly for the sake of beinghelpful. A good person willfeel it is necessary to bepleasant even when itseems impossible, andstrives to make someone’sday just because they feellike it. People who have agood attitude towardsother people, and a senseof selflessness, are what Ibelieve are good people.

—Tatum Lohmar,

Cooper Middle

School, grade 8

AubreyAugustine,CooperMiddleSchool,grade 7,“Horse”

The city of Vienna, it can’t be deniedAll of us residents, we live here with prideWe’re lucky to live in this beautiful cityWhen you look around, you must admit that it’s prettyFor others do not possess what we find abundant(If I were to describe it, it might sound redundant)But I think I will go ahead and specifyWhat makes this town’s beauty magnifyFirst, the scenery, it is just so grandThe endless, rolling nature all over the landWe are so very fortunate to see things so prettyWhile some other towns stare at roads so grittyWe have rolling hills and dipping valleysNot dangerous streets, nor dark alleysNow another thing, I would like to mention

Is something that will probably grab your attentionYou can visit all the different restaurants galoreOr zip on over to your favorite storeWithout going on an hour long tripJust to get one paper clipFor example, my favorite restaurant is Foster’s GrilleWhenever I go there, it’s an absolute thrillOr another store that I really likeIs Spokes Etc. where I bought my new bikeFor the people of Vienna, we are such nice folksWe welcome people warmly, and tell kind jokesAnd we never ever are even close to meanWe make you feel like you’re on an island so sereneNow I hoped this helped you to fully seeThat the people of Vienna are extremely lucky!—Tolan Robertson, Our Lady of Good Counsel School, grade 6

“The City of Vienna”

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