Community Corner

Math Whizzes, Finest Principal, White House Preserver: NoVA Good News

Good news in NoVA this week includes math whizzes win global challenge, local principal named the best, and fire station gets donated grill.

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An Oak Street Elementary team is competing in the World Finals of the Odyssey of the Mind problem-solving competition in May.
An Oak Street Elementary team is competing in the World Finals of the Odyssey of the Mind problem-solving competition in May. (Courtesy of Jon Labukas)

VIRGINIA — This week's good news stories in Northern Virginia include three Falls Church students are heading to the problem-solving world finals, Thomas Jefferson students win first place in global math competition, and the horticultural director at Mount Vernon is picked to help preserve the White House.

Plus, an Alexandria principal is named Washington Post Principal of the Year, Alexandria is ranked as the third-best city in the U.S. for local food, and scholarships are awarded to the top high school performing artists in McLean.

Here are some of this week's good news headlines:

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Falls Church Elementary Team Problem Solves Way To World Final

In November 2022, an Odyssey of the Mind team formed from three elementary school children living on the same street and two other friends. Now that team from Oak Street Elementary is headed to the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals. The team is believed to be the first in 18 years from Oak Street Elementary to make the World Finals.

TJ Students Secure First Place In Global Math Competition

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A team of students from Fairfax County's Thomas Jefferson School for Science and Technology came out on top of a prestigious international math competition Monday. The team of 11th and 12th graders participated in the MathWorks Math Modeling Challenge, a competition challenging students to use math to solve real-world problems.

Alexandria School Principal Named Washington Post Principal Of Year

A principal at an Alexandria public school has earned recognition as the Washington Post's 2023 principal of the year. Liza Burrell-Aldana, the principal at Mount Vernon Community School, was chosen among 16 nominees from DC, Maryland and Virginia.

Spring2Action Giving For Alexandria Nonprofits Tops $2.8 Million

Alexandrians did more than help the Spring2Action day of giving reach its $2.5 million goal. Fundraising surpassed that goal to reach over $2.8 million. Spring2Action was held Wednesday as the annual day of giving to support Alexandria nonprofits. The event is held by nonprofit ACT for Alexandria every year in April.

Mount Vernon Horticultural Director To Help Preserve White House

The horticultural director at Mount Vernon is expanding his work from the first president's home to the current president's home. In mid-April, President Joe Biden announced appointees of the Committee for the Preservation of the White House, including Mount Vernon native J. Dean Norton.

Mount Vernon Fire Station Benefits From Donated Grill

A Fort Hunt-based business served up a special donation to the Mount Vernon Fire Station minutes away in Hybla Valley. Village Hardware, a family-run hardware store, donated a new Weber Genesis II grill to the Mount Vernon Station at 2601 Sherwood Hall Lane. The grill will help the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue personnel cook breakfast, lunch and dinner during their shifts.

National Merit Scholarship Winners

More Star Students and Schools

Performing Arts

New Dining and Retail Options

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