Vienna and Oaktonconnectionarchives.com/PDF/2017/092017/Vienna.pdf · opening kicked off a weekend of events such as shoe fitting and gait analysis using a state-of-the-art 3D foot

Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ September 20-26, 2017 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com online at www.connectionnewspapers.com

Opinio

n, Page 4

❖

Entertainm

ent, Page 8

❖

C

lassifieds, Page 10

September 20-26, 2016

Pho

to

co

urtesy o

f K

aren Bo

lt

Page 6

ViennaViennaand Oaktonand Oakton

Fall Book Sale at OaktonLibrary Attracts HundredsNews, Page 3

Vienna OktoberfestCelebrates 10th AnniversaryNews, Page 9

Recently, Leela Ayyar, a senior atOakton High School, conductedfocus groups at FCPS STEM Campand Tech Adventure to support hermanuscript for “Elara, STEM Girl.”

Oakton High SeniorAuthors ‘Elara, STEM Girl’

News, Page 12

Oakton High SeniorAuthors ‘Elara, STEM Girl’

2 ❖ Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ September 20-26, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Meeting to DiscussPartisan Gerrymandering

The Vienna Area Branch of The American Association of UniversityWomen (AAUW) will host a free event Tuesday, Oct. 10, 6:30 p.m., atOakton Library Meeting Room, 10304 Lynnhaven Place, Oakton. Thepublic is welcome.

The topic is partisan gerrymandering of legislative districts — whatit is, and how to defeat it. View the documentary GerryRigged: Turn-ing Democracy on Its Head, produced by OneVirginia2021: Virginiansfor Fair Redistricting and WCVE (PBS). OneVirginia2021 representa-tives will lead a discussion about gerrymandering, efforts for reform,and national trends.

AAUW is the nation’s leading voice promoting equity and educationfor women and girls. Founded in 1881, AAUW members examine andtake positions on the fundamental issues of the day — educational,social, economic, and political.

For more information, email [email protected].

Vienna’s Little Library to Mark120th Anniversary

Historic Vienna, Inc. has announced a celebration commemoratingthe 120th Anniversary of Vienna’s Little Library, on Saturday, Oct. 14,from 1-4 p.m., at the Freeman Store and Museum, 131 Church Street,NE, in Vienna.

The one-room library building, now located on Mill Street in Vienna,was the Town’s first public library, constructed in 1897 by local resi-dent Edward R. Pierce at Library Lane and Maple Avenue. It was movedin 1912 to Center Street and Maple Avenue, and in 1969 to its presentlocation where it is maintained as a museum by Historic Vienna.

The celebration will include remarks by local dignitaries and formerLittle Library patrons, presentation of proclamations honoring the an-niversary, musical entertainment, games for children and adults, andsouvenirs and refreshments for everyone. For additional information,

Week in Vienna

See Week, Page 5

Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ September 20-26, 2017 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

NewsVienna/Oakton Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic

703-778-9414 or [email protected]

By Colin Stoecker

The Connection

Wednesday, Sept. 13, markedthe start of the Oakton Pub-lic Library Fall Book Sale.DVDs, Music, Books, and

comic books were for sale through Satur-day. They range in price from 25 cent no-vellas to two-dollar hardcover books andsome special items.

“All libraries have friends that are non-profits” said Barbara Hippe, an Oakton resi-dent. She has been the president of theFriends of Oakton Library, a volunteer groupthat helps out with books sales and com-munity events for eight years.

“We handle books donated to the library.We sell the books and put that money backinto the library,” she said. She is one of 400members of the Friends of Oakton Library,and all members pay membership dues.

The book sale takes place twice annually,and this year’s fall sale has started off with

many visitors on Wednesday who attendedthe premier shopping opening. “It’s been re-ally busy and crazy since we opened,” saidHippe.

Some of these shoppers hold a scannerin one hand, and a book in the other as theysearch for buried treasures—books thathave a much larger resale value than theydo at large books sales like these.

One of these scanner wielding shoppersis David Cromer, a Fredericksburg resi-dent and member of the Friends of OaktonLibrary. “I think there’s a good selectionhere, it’s well organized and there aresome good prices,” he said. He is able toenjoy premier access to the book sale as amember before it opens to the public onThursday.

THE SALE is arranged by genre. “Every-body has a different taste, what’s interest-ing to a history buff isn’t interesting tosomeone interested in romance novels”said Hippe.

Potomac River Running Opens Vienna StoreOn Thursday, Sept. 7, Mayor Laurie DiRocco joined store staff mem-bers and running enthusiasts to cut the ribbon on the new PotomacRiver Running store at 111 Maple Ave. W. in Vienna. The storeopening kicked off a weekend of events such as shoe fitting and gaitanalysis using a state-of-the-art 3D foot scanner from Superfeet,group run, Yoga for Runners by SourceCore Studio, CrossFit forRunners provided by CrossFit Mill Street, and complimentary sam-plings from Caboose Brewing Co., Caffe Amouri, and MOD Pizza.

Sometimes special items cyclethrough the sale, such as comicbooks, vinyl records, puzzlesand games.

Throughout the year, Hippesells books and items on Ama-zon to raise money for theOakton Library. This year sheraised $3,000 through her Ama-zon sales. The fall book saleaims to raise anywhere from$6,000 to $10,000, althoughthat outcome is yet to be seen.

“It’s clear that people wantmore books,” said Hippe. “Theylike programs, CDs and the li-brary computers, but it’s allabout maintaining a healthybook selection!”

Books, paperback and hard-back are still important to thelibrary as are DVDs and music,but people more and more arerenting Ebooks as well.

Fall Book Sale at OaktonLibrary Attracts Hundreds

Photos by Colin Stoecker/The Connection

Premier shoppers and members of the Friends of the Oakton Librarybrowse the selection at the Fall Book Sale at the Oakton Library Wednes-day, Sept. 13.

Barbra Hippe, Oakton resident and President of the Friends ofOakton Library, and Tooley Milstead, Book Sale Co-Chair, were incharge of the all-volunteer led Fall Book Sale at the Oakton LibraryWednesday, Sept. 13.

A shopper browsesthe 25 cent massmarket books forsale at the Fall BookSale at the OaktonLibrary.


Opinion

Every year is Election Year in Virginia,and each year the election matters.This year, all the members of the Vir-ginia House of Delegates are up for

reelection, along with statewide races for Gov-ernor, Lieutenant Governor and Attorney Gen-eral.

So many things are at stake. The deadline toregister to vote in the General Election on Nov.7, or update an existing registration, is Mon-day, Oct. 16.

Of the 30 incumbents in the Virginia Houseof Delegates who are runningunopposed, 11 are in NorthernVirginia: Mark Keam (D-35);Ken Plum (D-36); David Bulova(D-37); Vivian Watts (D-39);

Eileen Filler-Corn (D-41); Mark Sickles (D-43);Paul Krizek (D-44); Mark Levine (D-45);Charniele Herring (D-46); Patrick Hope (D-47); and Rip Sullivan (D-48).

Marcus Simon (D-53) faces no Republicanchallenger, but will face Mike Casey, an Inde-pendent.

In Northern Virginia, there is only one openseat, the 42nd, vacated by Dave Albo (R) whosays he can’t afford to continue dedicate somuch time to the legislature at the expense ofhis law practice. Kathy Tran (D) faces LolitaMancheno-Smoak (R).

Other contested races: Kathleen Murphy (D-34) faces Cheryl Buford (R). Kaye Kory (D-38)faces Paul Haring (R). Tim Hugo (R-40) faces

Donte Turner (D). Alfonso Lopez (D-49) facesAdam Roosevelt (R). Jim LeMunyon (R-67)faces Karrie Delaney (D). Jennifer Boysko (D-86) faces Linda Schulz (R).

The local Connection newspaper to each ofthese races has covered or will write about eachcontested race; you can find the stories on ourwebsite.

The League of Women Voters of the FairfaxArea (LWVFA) will hold both in-person andtelevised forums for the public to learn aboutthe candidates who are running for election tothe Virginia House of Delegates.

❖ Thursday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. at ProvidenceCommunity Center: 3001 Vaden Drive, Fairfax.Invited candidates: Mark L. Keam (D), DavidL. Bulova (D), Eileen Filler-Corn (D), KathyK.L. Tran (D), Lolita I. Mancheno-Smoak (R),Marcus B. Simon (D), and Mike S. Casey (I).

❖ Thursday, Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. at HayfieldSecondary School, Lecture Hall: 7630 Tele-graph Road, Alexandria. Invited candidates: L.Kaye Kory (D), Paul B. Haring (R), Vivian E.Watts (D), Mark D. Sickles (D), Paul E. Krizek(D), Mark H. Levine (D), Alfonso H. Lopez (D),and Adam Roosevelt (R).

❖ Wednesday, Oct. 25 at 7:30 p.m. at SullyGovernment Center: 4900 Stonecroft Blvd.,Chantilly. Invited candidates: Kenneth R. “Ken”Plum (D), David L. Bulova (D), Donte T. Tan-ner (D), Timothy D. “Tim” Hugo (R), Karrie K.Delaney (D), James M. “Jim” LeMunyon (R),Jennifer R. Boysko (D), and Linda C. Schulz

(R).The remaining televised forum at Fairfax

County Public Access are on Channel 10 orlivestreamed on YouTube “Inside ScoopLivestream.” The public can submit questionsby email to [email protected] orcall 571-749-1142 between 7-8:30 p.m. Tunein on:

❖ Monday, Oct. 2 at 8 p.m.: Invited candi-dates: Kathleen J. Murphy (D), Cheryl A.Buford (R), Kenneth R. “Ken” Plum (D), DonteT. Tanner (D), Timothy D. “Tim” Hugo (R), R.C.“Rip” Sullivan, Jr. (D), Karrie K. Delaney (D),James M. “Jim” LeMunyon (R), Jennifer R.Boysko (D), and Linda C. Schulz (R).

Killing the Poor toPay Millionaires,Current Attempt

Because the current effort in the Senate tovote on “repeal and replace” for the Afford-able Care Act is, if anything, worse than theprevious attempts in substance, I hope that youwill read my previous editorial from June.http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/news/2017/jun/27/opinion-editorial-killing-poor-pay-millionaires/

— Mary Kimm

[email protected]

Voting Every Year, But Always CriticalLeague of Women Voters provides forums to learn about the candidates.

Editorial

By Liz Barnes

PRS CrisisLink Volunteer

Beginning as a volunteer atPRS CrisisLink started forsimple, altruistic reasons. I

wanted to make a difference andshow myself and my family the im-portance of giving back to others.The experience at NorthernVirginia’s hotline and textline was

something farmore than Iimagined itwould be.

Training taught me that beforeyou can help, you must listen. Youmust listen to understand, not lis-ten to solve a problem. This iseasier said than done becausewhen someone is suffering, allanyone wants to do is fix it forthem.

I learned people have incrediblestrength which turns into resil-ience and despite how much I loveto give advice, people are alreadyexperts in their own lives. I alsolearned how many people feellonely even when they are sur-rounded by others mostly becauseof the shame and isolation theirexperiences bring them. Above all,

I learned howimportant it isto alwaysmaintain ac o m m u n i t yc o n n e c t i o nthrough vol-unteering. Ifwe can give

back, we must; the need is nevergoing away.

Taking calls on the hotline haschanged my life and all my expe-riences at PRS CrisisLink havemade me a better human being.The passion I have for helping oth-ers has only intensified the more Ilisten. So many people have saidto me “Oh, I could never work ona crisis hotline. It’s too scary.”Sometimes I would laugh and re-ply gently about how helping isimportant.

Now, after five years, I am a littlebolder. Yes, it can be anxiety pro-voking to answer calls in whichpeople are concretely thinkingabout ending their lives. Yes, hav-ing to make life-saving decisionson a phone line is stressful. How-ever, it is an extreme privilege towitness the courage and vulner-ability each person must have to

reach out when they are in thatmuch pain. Furthermore, I amhonored to be the person to listenin the moments where someone islonely and hurting with no oneelse to call.

The honor I felt in these mo-ments left me desiring to trainother volunteers. I joinedCrisisLink’s training team.Through this, I have learned whatit takes to be successful in this kindof work. Empathy, a desire to learnconsistently, distress-tolerance,life-experience and a sincere de-sire to help others is the make-upof every one of our team members.Our volunteers include lawyers,teachers, stay-at-home parents,veterans, human service workers,architects, nurses, students, clergy,

law enforcement, and more —each offering 3-4 hours a week foran entire year to our life-savingservices. Mental illness impactsmore than the one person experi-encing the crisis. It impacts ourfamilies, friends and community atlarge. This September, PRS is sup-porting National Suicide Preven-tion Month through the#CallTextLive Campaign, whichhas a number of ways to get in-volved that encourage dialogueabout suicide. Talking about sui-cide will help more people feelcomfortable to call or text ahotline. When they do, I standready to listen.

To volunteer, contact PRS at 703-531-6351.

Taking the Call

Volunteers at the PRS CrisisLink call center.

PR

S Pho

to

Commentary

www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

An independent, locally owned weeklynewspaper delivered

to homes and businesses.Published by

Local Media Connection LLC

1606 King StreetAlexandria, Virginia 22314

Free digital edition delivered toyour email box. Go to

connectionnewspapers.com/subscribe

NEWS DEPARTMENT:[email protected]

Kemal Kurspahic Editor ❖ 703-778-9414

[email protected]

Donna ManzContributing Writer

[email protected]

Andrea WorkerReporter

[email protected]

Mike SalmonEditorial Assistant

[email protected]

ADVERTISING:For advertising information

[email protected]

Don ParkDisplay Advertising

[email protected]

Debbie FunkNational Sales703-778-9444

[email protected]

David GriffinMarketing Assistant

[email protected]

Editor & PublisherMary Kimm

[email protected]@MaryKimm

Executive Vice PresidentJerry Vernon

[email protected]

Editor in ChiefSteven Mauren

Managing EditorKemal Kurspahic

Art/Design:Laurence Foong, John Heinly,

Ali KhalighProduction Manager:

Geovani Flores

Special Assistant to the PublisherJeanne Theismann

[email protected]@TheismannMedia

[email protected]

Vienna & Oakton


News

By Shirley Ruhe

The Connection

Despite forecasts of post-Hurri-cane showers, things rolledalong in bright sun at theNorthern Virginia Senior Olym-

pics bocce competition on Thursday, Sept.14. Nineteen competitors in five age groupsfrom 50-99 are signed up at Green AcresSenior Center in Fairfax. Competitors andonlookers sat at picnic tables munchingdonuts and drinking water to cool down asthey waited for the competition to begin.

Ninety-two-old Henry Coletto fromOakton, the oldest competitor, has no onein his age group for competition so he waspaired with Sonny Caputo from Springfieldin the 80-89 age group. Caputo says this ishis first Senior Olympics although he is play-ing in the regular bocce league. Coletto’sregular league partner, Nicholas Garito ofFairfax, is also competing. “Henry and I hada tough year. We came from last place to

third place,” Garito said, adding he got thebocce program started 10 years ago andconvinced the Lions Club to build the courtfive years ago.

Coletto says he lived in Massachusetts for82 years and then four of his children wholive around here “kidnapped me andbrought me here.” He had driven to thecompetition from Oakton. He said, “My chil-dren don’t believe I should drive too muchanymore.”

Robena Reid of Lorton and Lynn Thomp-son of Fairfax started out with the women’s55-59 competition. Reid says she is kind ofa novice, and Thompson says this is her firsttournament, and she has practiced twice.Pink balls, blue balls, back and forth.

Charlie Perla, bocce ref, said, “Here wego measuring again. Blue is closer andtouching. No, no, no it’s red.” He adds, “Getout the dollar bill.” The test of touching iswhether you can get a dollar bill betweenthe balls. “I can’t believe it: did they bothget gold?” He measures again and the finalresult is Reid wins by one inch.

Herb Levitan of Arlington plays one of thelater competitions. He says he is registeredin 27 events this year but may not be ableto do a couple of them on Saturday sincehe is also organizing a table tennis matchat the same time.

call 703-938-5187.

Veteran, Author to Speak in ViennaChapter 227, Vietnam Veterans of America Inc., invites all veterans, friends, and

the general public to attend the Oct. 19 chapter meeting at Neighbor’s Restaurant,262D Cedar Lane, Cedar Lane Shopping Center, Vienna, at 7:30 p.m.

Marc Leepson, Vietnam War veteran and author, will discuss the life of BarrySadler, a combat Vietnam War Special Forces soldier, who wrote and sang the song,“Ballad of the Green Berets,” a 1966 #1 Billboard Hot Single list.

Admission is free. For information, call Len Ignatowski at 703-255-0353 or visitthe web page at www.vva227.org.

Green Acres SeniorCenter hosts boccecompetition.

Senior Olympics Rolls Along

Henry Coletto, Oakton, theoldest bocce competitor,waiting for his game.

Photos by Shirley Ruhe/The Connection

Henry Coletto of Oakton throwsout his first ball.

From Page 2

Week in Vienna


By Marilyn Campbell

As a new school year got underwaythis month, Sebla Tobin, a familytherapist in Rockville, Md., noticed

an uptick in the number of her patients whoare parents, expressing concern about theteachers their children had been assigned.

“So many parents are leery of new teach-ers or teachers who are young,” she said. “Iencourage them to give the teacher a chancebefore passing judgment and marching intothe principal’s office to ask for a differentteacher. Just because a teacher graduatedfrom college last spring doesn’t mean thatthey won’t effective. And a teacher who’sbeen in the classroom for 20 years may bejaded and grumpy.”

Teacher effectiveness is a concern amongparents as the school year gets underway,says Tobin, and she points to research whichshows how teachers can affect studentachievement. A 2011 study from Harvardand Columbia universities showed a linkbetween effective teachers and studentswho were more likely to attend college,have lower teenage pregnancy rates andother positive outcomes. So what qualitiesconstitute an effective teacher?

Effective teachers are knowledgeable ofthe subjects they are teaching, says PamelaGarner, Ph.D. professor of Childhood Stud-ies at George Mason University. “Effectiveteachers are able to transfer that knowledgeto students who have different comprehen-sion levels,” she said.

Creating a classroom environment that issafe for student learning is also important,adds Garner. “Overall, effective teacherswork hard to create a positive classroomclimate which is characterized by provid-ing opportunities for student input in deci-sion making and support for individual dif-ferences,” she said.

Setting high expectations for all students,but realizing that students have a varietyof abilities, is an important factor, believesJessica Lewis,Ed.D., professor ofeducation atMarymount Univer-sity. “For some stu-dents getting a C islike a medal ofhonor and that’sOK,” said Lewis.“Students want todo well and be pushed, but pushed withsupport. Knowing that a teacher under-stands the student and their abilities sendsa positive message that the teacher is ontheir side when it comes to learning.”

A teacher who is able to demonstrategenuine concern for students is necessaryto create an effective learning environment,adds Lewis. “Parents often say ‘I want a

teacher who knows their content,’ but I al-ways go back to ‘does the teacher care?’ Ifa teacher doesn’t care, then they’re not go-ing to be effective. An effective teachermotivates students to want to learn.”

An ability to form a strong relationshipwith students is another characteristic thatLewis believes is important. “The more rap-idly the teachers can get to know the indi-

vidual students andthings they enjoy liketheir hobbies, thesports they like, thesooner that teachercan see that studentsare real little peoplebehind thosenames,” she said. “Asa teacher you have to

put the heart first and policy second. Whatfactors are going on at home that can throwthe student for a loop. If you have a caringadult to say, ‘Hey do you want to talk aboutit?’ that can make a big difference.”

An effective teacher accepts students forand where they are, adds Lewis. “Studentscan learn more from a teacher when theteacher shows that they care,” she said.

New Year, New Teacher

“An effective teachermotivates students towant to learn.”

— Jessica Lewis, Ed.D.,Marymount University

Photo by Marilyn Campbell

A positive classroom helps wel-come students back to school is animportant factor in student learn-ing, says Pamela Garner, Ph.D. ofGeorge Mason University.

How to identifyeffective teachers.

Thirty girls formed a row of pompoms at Gate 5, Terminal A, atReagan National Airport, and

cheered on the passengers as they disem-barked the Southwest flight arriving infrom Madison, Wis. Their goal was to givethe arriving Vietnam, Korea and World WarII veterans a return home they likely neverreceived coming back from war. For thegirls, meeting almost 100-year-old Opal —a World War II female veteran that hadserved in the medical corps in the Navy —was especially inspiring. This wasn’t thefirst time the James Madison High SchoolDance Team had greeted an Honor Flightarriving at the airport and it won’t be theirlast. Volunteering in the community hasbecome a part of what the Madison Danceteam does, above and beyond its count-less hours of practice, perfecting theirdance routines for home games and com-petitions.

The team is nationally top-ranked andcredits its success not just to coachingby Suzanne Mansfield but to the com-mitment each dancer has to each otherto work hard and support one another.The bonds between the dancers havebeen strengthened by the volunteer workthey have done together as a team. Cap-tain Samantha Lane, a senior this yearon the Varsity team said, “The motto forMAD Dance is about Making A Differenceat our school, in our community and inthe world.”

THE TEAM has found countless waysto do just that. They have been the open-ing act for the Tysons Corner Food forOthers 5k race for the past three years,dancing before the start to get the run-ners ready to run. Food for Others BoardMember Sara Singmaster said, “Thedance team’s participation in the race hasbecome the heart of the event…makingit feel like a community gathering.”They’ll be out on Saturday, Sept. 9 danc-ing again at the race start in theBloomingdales parking lot, hoping todraw community attention to those whoare hungry in our area.

The team has also assembled hygienekits each year to distribute to those inneed. Last year, the team prepared over

500 kits that Lane personally deliveredto an orphanage in Swaziland, where shewas shadowing the doctors treating theHIV positive and TB infected orphansthere. This year the team focused onneeds closer to home, delivering 250 kitsto the Fairfax County Lamb Center whichserves the homeless in our area.

When Hurricane Harvey hit recentlythe girls were determined to help. Cap-tain, Riley Rosenberger said, “Sam and Isent out a note to the team and urgedeveryone to go through their closets andbring in socks, clothes and shoes for thekids and families in Houston.” The teamshipped over 18 boxes of donations andadded in over 250 hygiene kits they hadpacked for children, complete with cray-ons and coloring books to let Houstonknow that James Madison High Schoolcares.

HEAD COACH Mansfield has alwaysencouraged a strong sense of teamwork.Mansfield, a James Madison High Schoolgraduate herself, believes that schoolspirit means bringing everyone together.Under her direction, three years ago, thedance team reached out to the cheersquad and marching band to organize aschool-wide spirit performance for thepep rally and homecoming game. Thecombined programs’ half-time show hasbecome an annual tradition now and iseven more poignant as the school mournsthe loss of Head Football Coach LennySchultz. As Mansfield said, “CoachSchultz would always stop by our prac-tices and talk to the girls at the lunchtables, letting them know how much hewas looking forward to their half-timeperformance.”

Schultz embodied what this schoolstands for, a community that cares. Hiswords of encouragement to the footballplayers before every game as well as thedance team before they left for the 2017UDA National Dance Team Champion-ship were “Leave No Doubt.” The Madi-son Dance Team has taken that to heartand is making sure that there is no doubtabout their commitment to Make A Dif-ference, not just on the dance floor butoff of it too.

Welcoming war veterans, sending aid toHouston, performing at community events.

Madison High Dance TeamKeeps ‘Making a Difference’

Captain, junior RileyRosenberger; freshmanEva Ponos; sophomore

Olivia Garrett; andCaptain, senior

Samantha Lane deliver-ing hygiene kits to The

Lamb Center.

Pho

to

co

ntributed


ww

w.lo

stdo

gand

catr

escu

e.or

gA

dopt

/Don

ate/

Volu

ntee

rNews

U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-11) and Speaker PaulRyan (R-WI) signed the joint resolution condemn-ing the violence from hate groups in Charlottesville.Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine authored theSenate companion. The legislation now heads toPresident Donald Trump’s desk.

“I am pleased the House of Representatives spokein one unified voice to unequivocally condemn the

shameful and hate-filled acts of violence carried outby the Ku Klux Klan, white nationalists, white su-premacists and neo-Nazis in Charlottesville. I hopethis bipartisan action will help heal the wounds leftin the aftermath of this tragedy and send a clearmessage to those that seek to divide our countrythat there is no place for hate and violence,”Connolly said.

House, Senate Condemn Hate-filled Violence

Speaker PaulRyan (R-WI)

and U.S. Rep.Gerry

Connolly (D-11) signing

CharlottesvilleJoint Resolu-

tion.

Photo

contributed


FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF VIENNA450 ORCHARD STREET, NW

VIENNA, VA 22180703-938-8525

email: [email protected]

SUNDAY WORSHIP, 7:45 AM & 10:00 AMCHRISTIAN LEARNING ACADEMY (SUN.) 9:00AM-9:45AM

MIDWEEK SERVICES, WED. 7:00 PM

Visit These Houses of Worship

To Highlight Your Faith Community, call Don at 703-778-9420

Submit entertainment announcementsat www.connectionnewspapers.com/Cal-endar/. The deadline is noon on Friday.Photos/artwork encouraged.

ONGOINGVienna Saturday Farmers Market,

through Oct. 28, 8am-noon,sponsored by the Optimist Club,Across from Vienna Volunteer FireDepartment in parking lot of FaithBaptist Church, 201 Center StreetSouth, Vienna

The Freeman Store & MuseumWednesday through Sunday noon-4p.m. 131 Church St. NE, Vienna. TheFreeman Store & Museum isdedicated to Preserving andpromoting Vienna’s heritage throughthe identification, preservation, andinterpretation of history significantplaces, events, and persons.Historicviennainc.org

Bingo Night. Sundays. 4 p.m. FlameRoom, Vienna Volunteer FireDepartment, 400 Center St. S,Vienna. $10. www.vvfd.org/bingo.html.

Gentle Yoga. Thursdays, 6:30 p.m.Emmaus United Church of Christ,900 E Maple Ave. E., Vienna.Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. UnitarianUniversalist Congregation of Fairfax,2709 Hunter Mill Road, Oakton.Gentle Kundalini Yoga, one freeintroductory session, seniordiscounts. Increase flexibility,improve breathing and health, reducestress. Ravi Kaur has 15 yearsexperience teaching yoga. $15 persession. www.edimprovement.org.571-213-3192.

WEDNESDAY/SEPT. 20Dining with Dorothy. 12:30 p.m. at

Bonaroti Restaurant, 428 Maple Ave.E, Vienna. Join Dorothy and thegroup for laughter and conversationover lunch. Call 703-281-0538 orvisit www.scov.org.

FRIDAY/SEPT. 22Kings Dominion Trip. 8 a.m.-6:30

p.m. at The Old Firehouse, 1440Chain Bridge Road, McLean. KingsDominion has roller coasters tomusical dance shows and carnivalgames. Admission to the theme parkis included in the fee. $80/$70 MCCdistrict residents. Visitwww.mcleancenter.org.

Wildfire Scotch Dinner. 6:30-9 p.m.at Wildfire, Tysons Galleria, 3rdfloor, McLean. Executive ChefsMoreno Espinoza and Edwin Amayaprepare a custom four-course menueach paired with a handcrafted singlemalt scotch from Dalmore, located inthe heart of the Scottish Highlands.$125. Call 703-442-9110.

“The Princess Bride” Movie. 7 p.m.at The Old Firehouse, 1440 ChainBridge Road, McLean. Admission andpopcorn are free. Prop bags are $5each. Visit www.aldentheatre.org.

Fairfax Genealogical SocietyMonthly Meeting. 7:30 p.m. atDunn Loring Volunteer Fire Station,2148 Gallows Road, Vienna.“Discovering Your Immigrant’sOrigins” presented by Rich Venezia.Visit www.fxgs.org.

SATURDAY/SEPT. 23Fun Fall Bazaar and Market. 9

a.m.-3 p.m. at 10100 GeorgetownPike, Great Falls. Great Falls UMCAnnual sale Shops, bake sale, books,silent auction, children’s activities,Appraisal Roadshow, and BBQdinner. Call Lois 703-759-2843.

Family Fun Day. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. atVienna Town Green, 144 Maple Ave.E. Event includes refreshments, a liveband, dunk tank, ninja warrior-themed obstacle climb,entertainment for children, rafflesand a live auction including a plane

ride for two. Donations from theevent will support local childrendiagnosed with cancer and theirfamilies through Growing Hope, alocal non profit organization andJohns Hopkins Childhood CancerResearch Center. Visitwww.optimistclubofgreatervienna.org.

Fairfax Genealogical SocietyPresentation. 10 a.m.-noon atDunn Loring Volunteer Fire Station,2148 Gallows Road, Vienna.“Emerald Isle Express: ResearchingIrish Ancestors” by Rich Venezia.Visit www.fxgs.org.

SUNDAY/SEPT. 24Run, Walk and Wheel. 7 a.m. at the

Sport & Health Club in TysonsCorner, 8250 Greensboro Drive,McLean. MedStar NationalRehabilitation Network will host the14th annual race. Call 571-218-7594.

50th Anniversary Commemorationand Luncheon. 10:15 a.m. at TheChurch of the Good Shepherd(United Methodist), 2351 HunterMill Road. Visitwww.GoodShepherdVA.com or call703-281-3987.

Teddy Bear 5K and 1K. 2-6 p.m. atPimmit Hills Park, 7230 IdylwoodRoad. All proceeds from this event goto Falls Church-McLean Children’sCenter. Visit potomac.enmotive.com/events.

Amadeus Orchestra. 4 p.m. at SaintLuke Catholic Church, 7001Georgetown Pike, McLean. SoloistEmil Chudnovsky makes his Amadeusdebut in Mendelssohn’s ViolinConcerto. Visitwww.amadeusconcerts.com.

MONDAY/SEPT. 25Charity Golf Tournament. 8 a.m.-2

p.m. at Westfield’s Golf Club, 13940Balmoral Greens Ave., Clifton.Annual Family PASS golf to benefitthe working homeless Families ofFairfax County. Visitwww.familypassfairfax.org.

FRIDAY/SEPT. 29Meet the Artist. 10 a.m.-noon in

rooms 1 and 2 at the Dolley MadisonLibrary,1244 Oak Ridge Ave.,McLean. A presentation by local artistGwen Bragg, an artist member of theVirginia Watercolor Society and theNational Watercolor Society, andpast president of the Potomac ValleyWatercolorist. Call 703 356-2998.

Dance Party. 7-10 p.m. at The OldFirehouse, 1440 Chain Bridge Road,McLean. Teens can enjoy cateredfood and drinks while immersingthemselves in music played by a DJ,for 7th-12th graders. $5. Visit

www.mcleancenter.org.

SATURDAY/SEPT. 30Books, Movies, CD Sale.10 a.m.-4

p.m. at Patrick Henry Library, 101Maple Ave. E., Vienna. Free. Call703-938-0405.

SUNDAY/OCT. 1Books, Movies, CD Sale. 10 a.m.-2

p.m. at Patrick Henry Library, 101Maple Ave. E., Vienna. Free. Sundayonly, fill shopping bag for $5. Call703-938-0405.

FRIDAY/OCT. 62017 Community Leadership

Award Presentation. 6:30 p.m. atMcLean Hilton Tysons Corner, 7920Jones Branch Drive. Honoring Markand Brenda Moore. Visitwww.leadershipfairfax.org/.

OCT. 6-8Annual Used Book Sale. Friday 9

a.m.-7 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m.,and Sunday noon-4 p.m. at theSpring Hill Recreation Center, 1239Spring Hill Road, McLean. Hosted bythe McLean Area Branch of theAmerican Association of UniversityWomen (AAUW) featuring theauction of a signed WashingtonNational Max Scherzer shirt and cap.Visit www.aauw.org/.

OCT. 6-9Glass Art Exhibit. Various times at at

the Vienna Art Center, 115 PleasantStreet, NW. “Catching Eyes withWatercolor and Glass” with CaroleChoucair Oueijan.

SATURDAY/OCT. 7Stuff the Truck Food Drive. 9 a.m.-4

p.m. at Safeway, 9881 GeorgetownPike, Great Falls. Benefit forCommittee for Helping Others (CHO)and Artemis House to provideemergency food aid to those in needin Vienna, Oakton, Dunn Loring andMerrifield. Artemis House is FairfaxCounty’s only 24-hour emergencyshelter for victims of domestic andsexual violence, stalking and humantrafficking. Sponsored by The Churchof Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saintsand the Great Falls Baha’is as part ofthe regional Day to Serve initiative.Visit www.daytoserve.org/.

Vienna Oktoberfest.11 a.m.-7 p.m.along Church St., Vienna. Liveentertainment on three stages, beer,food, games, German Auto Show.Visit www.viennaoktoberfest.org/.

Entertainment

Road RallyFriday, Oct. 13 is the first day of the British Car Tour forMilitary Kids. 9:30 a.m. A 750-mile maiden American tourthrough the hills and autumn foliage of Maryland, WestVirginia and Virginia. Called the DC Area America’s Reli-ability Run, it’s a fundraiser for Our Military Kids, anonprofit in McLean. Visit www.ourmilitarykids.org orcall Judy McSpadden at 703-734-6654.


Select yourproducts from

our MobileShowroomand Design

CenterFully Insured &

Class A LicensedSince 1999

Free Estimates703-999-2928

From Now to WOW in 5 Days Guarantee

Visit our website: www.twopoorteachers.com

Home of the $6,850 Bathroom Remodel

TWO POOR TEACHERSKitchen and Bathroom Remodeling

10% downnothing until the jobis complete for the

past 17 years

10% downnothing until the jobis complete for the

past 17 years

News

Vienna Oktoberfest celebrates its 10th an-niversary this year with an expanded beergarden and food court as well as new ven-dors and entertainment options. The fes-

tival has historically drawn 20,000-30,000 attend-ees. Presented by the the Vienna Business Associa-tion and Town of Vienna, Oktoberfest will be heldfrom 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, on historicChurch Street. All ages are welcome, and admissionis free. Vienna’s 2017 Oktoberfest will feature:

❖ Live entertainment on three stages: Main Stage,Kid’s Stage, Acoustic Stage

❖ German Beer and Food Garden featuring theCaboose Brewing Company ❖ Domestic Beer andMultinational Food Garden located on Mill Street

❖ Access to beer and wine at all food locations❖ Children’s activities and games❖ All new Handcrafted Market❖ All new Business Expo area❖ German Auto ShowOktoberfest’s steady growth signifies markedly in-

creased interest in Vienna as a destination for shop-ping, eating, and beer. Vienna’s own, Caboose Brew-

ing Company, is the Platinum Sponsor for the sec-ond consecutive year. “We’re so excited to be anOktoberfest partner again,” said Caboose co-ownerMatt Greer, “we love being part of this hyper-local,family-friendly community event and are thrilled tohelp raise money for local charities with the VBAFoundation. It is the next best thing to the MunichOktoberfest!” Oktoberfest is accepting sponsor andvendor applications through Sept. 19, 2017. For moreinformation and vendor applications, visit theOktoberfest website, www.viennaoktoberfest.org.

Well behaved dogs are welcome to attend the eventon leashes. No festival-specific parking or shuttlesare available; public parking spaces are availablethroughout the Vienna commercial area. There willbe a designated Uber/Lyft pick-up and drop-off areawithin feet of the festival.

Vienna OktoberfestCelebrates 10thAnniversary

MedStar National Rehabilitation Network(MedStar NRN) will host the 14th annual Super H5K Run, Walk & Wheel on Sunday, Sept. 24 forrunners, walkers and adaptive athletes. The eventbegins and ends at the Sport & Health Club inTysons Corner (8250 Greensboro Drive, McLean).Registration begins at 7 a.m., and the race beginsat 8 a.m. The post-race party begins at 9 a.m.,with free food and refreshments.

All proceeds from the race support MedStarNRN’s adaptive sports programs. These pro-grams enable athletes with disabilities to com-pete in various sports such as wheelchair bas-ketball, wheelchair tennis, sled hockey, quadrugby, sit volleyball, hand cycling, rowing andmore.

Funds raised from the Super H race have re-cently helped the MedStar NRN wheelchair bas-ketball team place in the top tier in the national

wheelchair basketball tournament and is helpingsome of our paralympic athletes attempt to makeit onto the U.S. Paralympic team.

“It is a thrill to see the adaptive athletes take offon their hand cycles, wheelchairs and some withjust crutches doing the same event able-bodiedathletes do…just a little differently,” said HarryFreedman, founder of the Super H 5K.

The race registration fee of $35 after Sept. 1supports the Adaptive Sports Program withMedStar NRN for children and adults with physi-cal disabilities to pursue healthy, active lifestylesthrough recreational and competitive sports. On-site registration on race day is $40. Online regis-tration closes on Friday, Sept. 22.

Packet pick up will take place on race day, Sun.Sept. 24 at registration at Sport & Health.

For more information and to register online, goto: MedStarNRH.org/SuperH5K.

Super H 5K Run, Walk and Wheel toBenefit Those with Disabilities

Presented by the the Vienna Business Asso-ciation and Town of Vienna, Oktoberfestwill be held from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday,Oct. 7, on historic Church Street.

Photo contributed


ClassifiedTo Advertise in This Paper, Call by Monday 11:00 am 703-778-9411

WWW.CONNECTIONNEWSPAPERS.COM

ComputersAnnouncements

We pay top $ for STERLING, MEN’S WATCHES,

JEWELRY, COSTUME JEWELRY,

FURNITURE, PAINTINGS AND CLOCKS.

Schefer Antiques703-241-0790

[email protected]

Announcements Announcements



Sports

In Competitive Mode at Senior OlympicsSkillsCompetition

Senior Olympics’ Football andFrisbee Throw and Softball Hitand Throw events were held atWakefield District Park inAnnandale on Wednesday, Sept.13.

Leonard Kalkwarffrom Springfield

throws a Frisbee inthe 85-89 age group.He won a gold medal

with a throw of 53’ 6”.

Field EventsThe Senior Olympics’ Field

Events were held at Falls ChurchHigh School on Sunday, Sept. 17.

Thomas Sullivanfrom Oakton

prepares to throwthe shot in the

70-74 age group.

Lisa Ninomiyafrom Vienna

throws the minijavelin in the 55-

59 age group.

Photos by

Tom Manning

The Connection

SwimmingSenior Olympics Swimming was

held at the Claude Moore Recre-ation Center in Sterling on Friday,Sept. 15

Betsy Boswell fromVienna competes in the100 yard breaststroke.

She won a gold medal inthe 60-65 age group with

a time of 1:51.31.


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

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

Our long, local, overnight nightmare isalmost over. By the date this column publishes:Sept. 20, 2017, I will, for the first time in nearlynine weeks, not had to have snaked down inthe dark, our “turny-twisty” and narrow 150-year-old staircase to walk from the upstairsmaster bedroom to the downstairs and onlyusable commode. Though the renovation ofthis upstairs bathroom is not entirely completenor ready for primetime (it is mostly usable asthe water is now running and flushing), thedemolition/renovation process apparently mustgo on/adhere to a schedule so, on Tuesday,Sept. 19 the downstairs bathroom, with all itsfully functioning amenities will come under thesledge hammer – among other tools, and pro-vide no further use until on or about Oct. 24.

This heretofore (“Good Will Hunting”) logis-tical challenge has not presented too many dif-ficulties for my wife, Dina. But given that I’m amale of a certain age, quite the opposite hasbeen true for me. Once or twice and occasion-ally even more per overnight depending uponhow late and how much I’ve had to eat ordrink before bedtime, I’ll need to visit the bath-room to attend to some very personal business.To be clear, the ‘challenge’ to which I refer isgetting to the bathroom, not starting and/or fin-ishing what I intended once I get there.Moreover, when the task at hand has beencompleted, of course I need to retrace my steps– usually in the dark, and walk back upstairs.Though not nearly as difficult as walking down-stairs; nevertheless, at the time I am goingdown and back up, in the middle of the night,my vision might not so readily acclimate andmy balance is, let’s just say: inconsistent, espe-cially when trying to avoid the miscellaneousbathroom-remodeling boxes staged in the livingroom on the very route I must travel.

Needless to say, having this nightly nonsensecome to an end is most definitely a columnworth writing. Not necessarily to self-indulgeanymore than usual but more so to amuse youregular readers and possibly even prepare youfor your own in-home renovation. And consid-ering that this renovation is our first – and wehave minimal experience with these matters, Ithought it useful to write it forward and perhapsshare a less-than-obvious impact of taking theone-and-only-on-the-same-floor bathroom outof service. Sinks, mirrors and shower/tub issuesnotwithstanding, all of which can be withstoodand endured with the reorientation to thedownstairs bathroom, the commode issue, con-sidering its unpredictability, naturally trumps allother real or imagined difficulties.

Though the upstairs bathroom is incompleteand lacking multiple finishing elements, itstransformation so far is incredible – to our eyes.I’ll spare you any details because that reallywould be self-indulgent and not at all the pointof this column. But the two months or so it willhave taken for the upstairs bathroom tobecome operational again and the nightly effectit’s had on me appears to have been worth thewait.

As concerns the downstairs bathroom, weare now ready, willing and able to integrate itsdestruction into our routine. Given that it ismore of a powder room than a master-typebathroom – though it will include a shower-only enclosure, no longer will it be my twice-nightly destination. In addition, I am lookingforward to its transformation because theinterim process will not prevent me from goinganywhere I regularly go nor inconveniencingmy wife, Dina, when she readies for work inthe morning.

Monitoring its progress will be more of acuriosity than a calamity, since, in my mind,there will be no sense of urgency about thepace of this project as there had been with theupstairs bathroom because my bathroom accesswill not be affected in the least. And in themost, I am extraordinarily grateful – andrelieved.

Talking theWalkBusiness Directory

To Advertise Your Business, Call Karen at 703-778-9422WWW.CONNECTIONNEWSPAPERS.COM

ELECTRICAL ELECTRICAL

GUTTER GUTTER

IMPROVEMENTS IMPROVEMENTS

LANDSCAPING

Alfredo’s Construction Company, Inc.

www.alfredosconstructioncompany.com

Phone:

VA: (703) 698-0060 • MD: (301) 316-1603

•Concrete Driveways•Patios •Sidewalks

•Stone •Brick

LANDSCAPING LANDSCAPING

LANDSCAPING LANDSCAPING

TILE / MARBLE TILE / MARBLE

TILE / MARBLE TILE / MARBLE

Good is not good, where

better is expected.

-Thomas Fuller

An expert is someone who knows some of the worst mis-

takes that can be made in his subject and how to avoid them.-Werner Heisenberg

Submit civic/community announcements atConnectionNewspapers.com/Calendar. Deadline isThursday at noon, at least two weeks before event.

IN-PERSON, TV DEBATESThe League of Women Voters of the Fairfax

Area (LWVFA) will hold four in-person forumsand three televised forums for the public and thepress to learn about the candidates who arerunning for election to the Virginia House ofDelegates. The League invited all certifiedcandidates campaigning for office in theirrespective districts. At the in-person forums,question-and-answer sessions will be followedby an opportunity for informal conversationswith individual candidates. The public and pressare encouraged to attend. For more informationabout the candidates’ priorities and positions,visit www.vote411.org.

In-person forums:❖ Thursday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. at Providence

Community Center: 3001 Vaden Drive, Fairfax.The televised forums at Fairfax County Public

Access are on Channel 10 or livestreamed onYouTube “Inside Scoop Livestream.” The publiccan submit questions by email [email protected] or call 571-749-1142 between 7-8:30 p.m. Tune in on:Monday, Sept. 11 at 8 p.m.; Monday, Sept.18 at 8 p.m.; and Monday, Oct. 2 at 8 p.m.

THURSDAY/SEPT. 21Shepherd’s Center Caregivers Support

Group. 10-11:30 a.m. at UUCF UnitarianUniversalist Congregation of Fairfax - ProgramBuilding, 2709 Hunter Mill Road, Oakton. Thissupport group is designed for caregivers of adultfamily members. For more info contactfacilitator, Jack Tarr, 703-821-6838,[email protected].

Chapter Meeting. 7:30 p.m. at Neighbor’sRestaurant, 262D Cedar Lane, Cedar LaneShopping Center, Vienna. Chapter 227, VietnamVeterans of America Inc., invites all veterans,friends, and the general public to attend thenext chapter meeting. Channapha Khamvongsa,founder and Executive Director of Legacies ofWar, will discuss its mission. She is a native ofLaos and earned degrees from George MasonUniversity and Georgetown University.Admission is free. Call Len Ignatowski at 703-255-0353 or visit www.vva227.org.

TUESDAY/SEPT. 26ESL Learners and Volunteers. St. Mark’s

English as a Second Language (ESL) Ministry isseeking new students and volunteers toparticipate in their upcoming fall term. Comehelp 150+ adult learners master the Englishlanguage, prepare for American citizenship,learn to converse fluently in English, improvetheir writing skills, and integrate into the localcommunity. All classes take place at St. MarkChristian Formation Center, 9972 Vale Road,Vienna. Call Monica at 703-980-9380, [email protected], or visit stmarkesl.org.

WEDNESDAY/SEPT. 27Public Hearing on FY 2019 Budget. 7:30 p.m.

at MCC Administrative Offices, 6631 OldDominion Drive, McLean. The McLeanCommunity Center Governing Board invitesDranesville tax district residents to attend apublic hearing on MCC’s FY 2019 Budget.Residents who would like to speak at the publichearing should call the Center at 703-790-0123,TTY: 711, to have their names added to thespeakers’ list. The hearing will be immediatelyfollowed by the regular monthly board meetingfor September. Visit www.mcleancenter.org.

SATURDAY/SEPT. 30Garden Club Yard Sale. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in the

parking lot, 10610 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls.The Great Falls Garden Club is hosting a multi-family yard sale. Visit www.gfgardenclub.org.

SUPPORT GROUPSAre You A Caregiver? Shepherd’s Center of

Oakton Vienna Caregivers’ Support Group takesplace first & third Thursday of each month.February 2nd and 16th, 2017 from 10:00 a.m. to11:30 a.m. Join us at the Unitarian UniversalistCongregation of Fairfax (UUCF) - ProgramBuilding, 2709 Hunter Mill Rd, Oakton, VA. Formore info contact facilitator, Jack Tarr, 703-821-6838 [email protected].

Bulletin


News

By Mercia Hobson

The Connection

Leela Ayyar is a 17-year-old studentat Oakton High School with astrong passion for science, tech-nology, engineering, and math,

otherwise known as STEM. Ayyar is also theauthor of “Elara, STEM Girl,” her unpub-lished book for 4-8-year-olds that encour-ages girls to pursue studies and activitiesin the STEM fields. Through Ayyar’s text andthe vibrant, colorful illustrations by LaueraVanderheart, children can identify with thebook’s characters and their challenges. The32-page illustrated book is based on Ayyar’sexperiences, those of her younger sister,Meera, and feedback from focus groupsconducted at the Fairfax County PublicSchools STEM Camp and Tech AdventureCamp, which took place at Lake BraddockSecondary School this summer.

On Wednesday, Sept. 13, a Kickstartercampaign launched to support the publica-tion of Ayyar’s book. Kickstarter is a globalcrowdfunding platform. Ayyar must raise$4,500 or more in pledges by Tuesday, Oct.31, 2017, 10 p.m. EDT. It is an all or noth-ing campaign. If the total amount is notraised by that date and time, no funding isprovided and the Kickstarter campaign fails.

According to the company’s website,Kickstarter’s mission is to “...help bring cre-ative projects to life.” People back a projectby pledging money. Pledges must occurwithin a specified period, and final pledgeddollars must equal or exceed the project’sstated goal.

AS OF SEPT. 13, 41 backers, includingnine individuals from Herndon and fourfrom Reston pledged a total of $3,489 to-

ward Ayyar’s $4,500 goal.Susan Bingham, Chemistry Teacher, Sci-

ence Department Chair at Oakton HighSchool wrote a recommendation for Ayyar:“Leela has taken her capstone project to ahigher level and found a way to share herpassion for the STEM fields with children.It is vitally important to engage and inspirechildren, but especially girls, in STEM edu-cation. We must all work to end stereotypesand cultural biases that currently preventgirls from equally participating in STEMfields because we need the future contribu-tions of all our children to help us overcomethe many challenges we face.”

In Ayyar’s campaign, she explained thather book, “Elara, STEM Girl” not only en-courages young girls to pursue and take aninterest in STEM but also helps them fromgetting discouraged. “My book is about a

young girl named Elara who enjoys dolls,dress up, and sports. But what she reallyloves is all things STEM, Science Technol-ogy, Engineering, and Mathematics,” Ayyarsaid. “Young girls are naturally interestedin STEM, but their interest usually fades asthey grow older.”

Through her character, Elara, Ayyar of-fers readers tools to address issues such asbeing in the minority, math anxiety, stereo-types, and fear of failure while at the sametime providing ways to build resiliency andovercome challenges when they express aninterest or take part in STEM activities. Byreaching out to young girls, Ayyar hopes tobreak the STEM ceiling for girls and closethe gender gap. Ayyar cited in herKickstarter campaign that only 24 percentof women are in STEM careers, yet 80 per-cent of the fastest growing careers are in

the STEM fields.

IF AYYAR EXCEEDS the $4,500 goal, sheseeks to create a series of Elara books anda website rich with STEM activities. “I haveso many wonderful ideas on how to expandElara’s adventures to continue to inspireyoung girls. Such as ‘Elara and the Stars’where Elara explores astronomy. Or ‘Elaraand the Notions of Potions,’ where she dis-covers just how fun chemistry can be. I’dalso love for her to explore aeronauticalengineering and robotics.”

Shannen Prindle is a friend of Ayyar’s atOakton High School. She was thevideographer for the Kickstarter campaignfilm. Prindle said, “Now more than ever weneed to be encouraging young girls to pur-sue their interests in STEM. This book chal-lenges the same stereotypes that I, andmany other females, had to overcome torealize my true passion for science.”

If you are interested in supporting Ayyar’ssenior year capstone project, visitwww.kickstarter.com/projects/906365131/elara-stem-girl-childrens-book-to-inspire-a-love-f?ref=discovery.

Kickstarter campaignlaunched to supportpublication expensesfor Leela Ayyar’scapstone project.

Oakton High Senior Authors ‘Elara, STEM Girl’

Photo courtesy of Leela Ayyar

Recently, Leela Ayyar conducted focus groups at FCPS STEM Camp andTech Adventure Camp to support her manuscript for “Elara, STEM Girl.”Ayyar’s goal was to gain a multiplicity of views and experiences from theFCPS students regarding ingrained biases and challenges young girlsface in the STEM fields.


Leela Ayyar is a senior at Oakton High School. Her chemistry teacherSusan Bingham, Science Department Chair wrote as a reference: “Leelahas taken her capstone project to a higher level and found a way toshare her passion for the STEM fields with children.”

Photo courtesy of Lillian King

Leela Ayyar (left) wrote “Elara, STEM Girl” when her younger sister,Meera (right) sought her guidance after she encountered challenges inthe STEM fields.


“Elara, STEM Girl” is a children’sbook written by Oakton HighSchool senior, Leela Ayyar. Acrowdfunding campaign is under-way to support publication ex-penses.“My book is about a young girl named Elara who

enjoys dolls, dress up, and sports. But what shereally loves is all things STEM, ScienceTechnology, Engineering, and Mathematics.”

— Leela Ayyar, Senior, Oakton High School

Documents

Vienna and Oaktonconnectionarchives.com/PDF/2017/092017/Vienna.pdf · opening kicked off a weekend of events such as shoe fitting and gait analysis using a state-of-the-art 3D foot