Events of the past couple of weeks remind me of the wonderful people in our community who tirelessly and endlessly work to ensure that others have a good quality of life. A good friend and former colleague of mine, Elizabeth Link, passed away after a bout with cancer. Visiting with her family and fellow educators I was reminded of our past experiences in working together, and I heard new stories of the work that she did on behalf of pregnant teenagers and teen parents. Her "girls" were always at the forefront of Liz's mind, and she was relentless in her work to see that the young women in Project Opportunities finished high school and went on to college or career training and that they acquired the skills they needed to be good parents. The educational establishment and society in general have not always been kind or supportive to teenage girls who get pregnant, but Liz could see the value in each of these young women and their babies. She went to bat for them in a program whose continued funding was always tenuous. There are hundreds of young women who have a better life because of her intervention. The comments recorded in the friend registry at her memorial service were among the warmest I have ever read as testimony to the many ways Liz supported them and influenced their lives.

 

Last week I also attended a workshop sponsored by Voices for Virginia's Children. A panel of preschool directors and others involved in early intervention and social services for children reminded me of how fortunate we are in this region to have programs that serve our youngest citizens. Although the evidence is overwhelming as to the value of such programs in making a positive difference in the lives of children and their futures, such programs continue to struggle with limited funding. The range of needs among children is broad. Well-trained and caring teachers are needed to provide a quality program, but the pay scale remains at the level of service employees. It is dedication that keeps the staff of these programs going with the success they see in the faces of their young charges and in the stories they hear about the successes their students of the past are having as they grow older. Early intervention with children with special needs saves society millions of dollars in reducing the need for programs and services in the future. We need to continue to work to increase the investment to ensure that the needs of many more children are met.

 

 

 

Thursday, November 6, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m., Public Forum by the Governor's Commission on Integrity and Public Confidence in State Government, at the Caplin Auditorium of the University of Virginia School of Law. Co-chairman Rick Boucher will present an overview of the work of the commission followed by an opportunity for individuals to share their ideas and offer comments. More information is at public forum.     

 

Saturday, November 8, 8:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Fourth Annual Emerging Minority Leadership Conference (EMLC) at the Waterford at Springfield. The conference will "Engage, Educate, Enrich, and Empower" FCCPTA local PTA/PTSA unit leaders, emerging minority leaders, and community advocates in outreach to their diverse communities. More is at Emerging Minority Leadership Conference. 

 

Saturday, November 8, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Fairfax County History Conference, "Fire, Flight, and Fury," admission $20 per person, download brochure and registration form here.

Wednesday, November 12, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., 2014 Commonwealth Institute Policy Summit, a statewide conference bringing together opinion leaders, subject matter experts, community partners, individual advocates, and grassroots groups to discuss the challenges facing the state, and to get new tools to make progress in the coming legislative session. At the Sun Trust Building, 919 East Main Street, Richmond. Register here. 

Thursday, November 13, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., The Initiative for Public Art-Reston (IPAR) annual reception. The team responsible for the successful temporary public art project at Lake Thoreau in Reston, "The Pyramid of Light," will be honored. The reception will include hors d'oeuvres and desserts, catered by South Lakes High School culinary students; music by the South Lakes High School String Quartet, wine and a live auction. Ticket information is at IPAR annual meeting. For information, contact Anne Delaney, IPAR executive director, at 703-467-9797.

November 12-14, Governor's Transportation Conference, at the Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center. Exhibitor booths and sponsor packages are available. See details at vatransconf.org.

Saturday, November 15, 7:00 to 9:30 p.m., A Taste of Fall with FACETS at the Stacy C. Sherwood Community Center, 3740 Old Lee Highway in Fairfax. Click here to purchase tickets. For more information contact Josh D'Antonio at 703-352-3268 or JDantonio@FACETSCares.org.

Sunday, November 16, 4:00 p.m., Reston Community Orchestra Season Opening Concert "West Comes East" at Reston Community Center, Hunters Woods, 2310 Colts Neck Road, Reston. Admission is free, but bring canned or non-perishable goods to support Reston's annual Thanksgiving food drive. Details are at Season Opening Concert. 

 

Monday, November 17, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., Understanding Medicare (55 years and older), RCC Hunters Woods, 2310 Colts Neck Road, Reston. FREE, Registration Required. Medicare is complex and oftentimes confusing. Come hear Mari de Leon, with the Fairfax County Area Agency on Aging, explain even some of the most archaic aspects of the program.

Wednesday, November 26, 7:30 p.m., Community Interfaith Thanksgiving Service, at United Christian Parish, 11508 North Shore Drive, Reston. For more information visit the church's website or call the church office at 703-437-1127.

Friday, November 28, 11:00 a.m., Reston Holiday Parade with the theme "Home for the Holidays." Details are at Holiday Parade.

Friday, November 28, at 6:00 p.m., Reston Chorale's Carol Sing-Along, at Reston Town Center in front of the tree on Market Street with the annual tree lighting ceremony followed by a sing-along of holiday favorites led by members of The Reston Chorale with a brass quintet. FREE - all are welcome! For further information, contact The Reston Chorale directly at 703-834-0079 or info@restonchorale.org .

 

Thursday, December 11, "Practices of Promise for Schools in Challenging Environments" Summit, at VA Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond. The summit is being presented by the Virginia School Boards Association (VSBA) Task Force on Schools in Challenging Environments, the Office of Governor Terry McAuliffe, the VCU School of Education, the Virginia Department of Education, and the Virginia Association of School Superintendents. The Task Force's full report is available at www.vsba.org.