May 2015 – Notes n Letters

Walk for Teen Suicide Awareness

Hundreds of walkers took part in a six-mile trek along Spriggs Road in the mid-county area last weekend to raise awareness about teen suicide.

Prince William County school officials estimated that more than 400 people participated in the walk, a round trip between Forest Park and Hylton high schools. Although most of the walkers were high school students, participants included young children, adults — some pushing strollers — and even a few dogs.

Students in Advanced Placement government classes at Forest Park organized the event as their final project, which their teacher, Shannon Geraghty, allowed them to do in place of a final exam.

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Washington Post, May 31, 2015

Culinary arts luncheon

For two hours on a recent Wednesday, a corner of the Potomac High School library was transformed into a setting for a fine dining experience. A group of 18 guests sat at tables draped with blue cloths and decorated with colorful centerpieces. They were served a four-course meal featuring cuisine from Asia, Africa, Europe and the Caribbean.

The hosts were a team of students from the school’s culinary arts program. They organized the meal as the final project for their senior-level class. The students coordinated everything, from developing the guest list, invitations and menu, to preparing and serving the food, their teachers said.

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Washington Post, May 10, 2015

Seeds of hope for students with autism

It’s called going over the cliff. When students with autism leave the public school system — and the network of support and therapy it provides — they often graduate to the couch. They struggle to find meaningful employment and to live independently, even though the majority have average to above-average intelligence.

Some special education teachers and parents in Loudoun County have been trying to change that. They created Legacy Farms, a nonprofit organization that introduces young adults with autism to farming. The goal is to help ease the transition from public school to the community.