On Friday, April 1, the Fairfax County Council PTA held an event at Falls Church High School which highlighted some of the talented kids of Fairfax County Public Schools. The principal of Falls Church, Mr. Yohe, was at the event and had a nice welcome speech which helped kick off the event. Shortly thereafter, Ms. Pat Hynes, who is the FCPS School Board Chair, and representative of the Hunter Mill District of the board, was introduced.  She spoke about the kids who were being honored and thanked all the parents in attendance.

After Hynes’ speech, Dr. Monique Chism, the deputy assistant secretary had a great speech really appreciating all students who work hard. She said, “None of this would be possible without you (the students).”  She also made note of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002, which was just replaced last year with the Every Student Succeeds Act.  The new act still mandates standardized testing, but it makes the system more fair than the old NCLB law.  Dr. Chism mentioned that this law fits well with the goal for all the students of Fairfax County to truly succeed.

The PTA then went on to honor all the students who signified what this event was about: art and achievement.  Twelve elementary students were then honored with a medal for their outstanding scholastic work, and pictures were taken of them to mark the event.

The PTA then introduced the Jayatika Dance Company which performed the Odissi Dance.  Before the dance began, they stated that the Odissi Dance originated in India and is one of the oldest forms of dancing in India.  Not only is this a specific dance, but they wear a certain attire and jewelry for it. It was a great performance.

Other dances were exhibited as well, ranging from culturally significant forms like the Odissi Dance, to more modern forms like the Robot.  In the end, the event did what Fairfax County Public Schools do best: demonstrate that the rich diversity of our schools is one of our greatest assets.