GMHS Lasso Online

After trailing Central Woodstock 35-0 at the half, the George Mason Mustangs started to make a comeback late in the game. The team scored three touchdowns and made one extra point kick, but it wasn’t enough to close the gap and get past the tight defense of the Falcons. Here is a few highlights from the game.

The George Mason hockey team lost to Washington-Lee/TC Williams four to three Friday, June 1.  The game ended in the middle of the third quarter due to an injury suffered by Taylor Arney who broke his femur.

Here’s a highlight video of the game. http://youtu.be/uW5nuxNmgnE

As the end of the school year is quickly approaching, Mason students have a lot on their plate. Seniors even have more to keep track of with all of the senior activities and making sure they get to graduate. To help keep track of the craziness, here’s the senior schedule to graduation:

• Last day of class: Friday, June 1 – This is the last day of class for all seniors.
• Senior exams: June 4-7 – Seniors who have not maintained an A for both the third and fourth quarter must schedule a time to take the exam for that class during this week.
• Senior Service Project: Friday, June 8 – The senior class will be giving back to the community by helping to clean the Howard Herman Park located in the City of Falls Church.
• Senior Reflections and Dinner: Sunday, June 10 – There will be a reflection on the time the Class of 2012 spent together followed by a dinner in the Mustang Café.
• Senior Field Trip: Monday June 11 – The senior class will spend the day at King’s Dominion. Field trip forms and money were due by Friday, April 20.
• Senior Field Day: Tuesday, June 12 – Seniors will meet on the stadium turf at 10 a.m. for a day filled with fun and free food.
• Graduation: Wednesday, June 13 – Students will cross the stage at DAR Constitution Hall. Commencement starts at 5 p.m.
• All Night Grad: June 13-14 – The graduated Class of 2012 will travel to the Skyline Fitness Center for a night filled with fun, games, and free prizes! Pick up a registration form in the main office.

See other articles by Andrew>>>

Art work from all students in IB Art hangs on display throughout the week in the George Mason auditorium. The work is available for viewing during the school day during Mustang Block, 11:45-12:30, and 2-3 p.m. until Friday, April 20.

If you are not able to view the art show during these times, it is also open for viewing Thursday evening from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. with light refreshments.

Administrators from George Mason’s Chinese sister school, Nanning #3, toured and visited various classes today.

This visit follows the annual foreign exchange program between George Mason High School and Nanning #3 School located in Nanning, China.

The highlight for the administrators appeared to be in Dr. Maggie Wiseman’s chemistry class where they got to try the interactive TurningPoint clicker program.

73 degree weather was perfect for Mason’s baseball game yesterday. Students and parents came out to watch as the Mustangs took on the Woodrow Wilson Tigers.

After a slow start, the pace of the game picked up with a total of 14 runs scored. The final score was a tie at 7-7. The next game will be at home Tuesday, March 27 at 5 p.m. against Central High.

Senior Lauren Kane and junior Stephanie Cheney won first team all-state honors for basketball. This is Cheney’s second consecutive year of winning this honor and Kane’s first year. Head coach LaBryan Thomas was also named the single-A Division-Two girls Coach of the Year.

College acceptance is getting more and more competitive each year as students are pushing their workload to stand out as a student. A new opportunity at George Mason, however, will make it easier for students to standout against other students across the country.

For the first time ever, George Mason will be offering dual enrollment classes through Northern Virginia Community College. The classes will be taught at Mason during the school day and will be free of charge to students. The classes that will be offered are Math for the Liberal Arts I and II (course ID 323006 and 323106) and Geophysics (course ID 421006).

The Math for the Liberal Arts classes are only one semester long but are worth three college credits each and half of a high school credit each. The Geophysics class is a whole year long, worth four college credits, and one high school credit.

Speaking from experience, dual enrollment is a great opportunity.  I have been dual enrolled at NOVA since the spring 2011 and have earned thirteen credits. I took four of my five classes through the Governors Career and Technical Academy in Arlington (GCTAA) through the Arlington Career Center. One of the classes was Math for Liberal Arts I which is one of the classes being offered at Mason.

By taking these classes, not only do students start an official college transcript while in high school, but the grades may also boost one’s high school GPA. College admissions offices will acknowledge the extra effort which will help when trying to get into the school of choice.

Another advantage of taking these courses is that they are considered “general education” classes at many colleges which means that college undergraduate students are required to take them to graduate. If high school students take them while still in high school, not only will it be easier to graduate earlier if one decided to do so, but it will also save thousands of dollars.

If you have already submitted your course registration online but would like to make a change and sign up for one of these classes, make an appointment to see your guidance counselor as soon as possible.

See other articles by Andrew>>>

Squirming their way around the stage, the first grade class from Mount Daniel Elementary will entertain an audience of all age groups Thursday night for their annual musical performance in the George Mason High School auditorium. The show is called “SQUIRM” and the theme covers all of the icky, slimy, and silly things that “make you squirm.”

Doors open at 7 p.m. and admission is free so come out and watch the students squirm all about.

Mason students recently showed off their wide variety of talents to battle for the title of Mr. and Ms. Mason 2012. A small portion of last week’s competition is available here, or to purchase a copy for $10, email Steve Mirman at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

The new Pathway Program guides Mason seniors with assistance on preparing for college. The program is a partnership between George Mason High, Northern Virginia Community College, and George Mason University that is designed to help seniors pursue a bachelor’s degree at any four-year institution, even if they attend NOVA before transferring to a four-year school.

The program is open to any senior, regardless of their GPA. The deadline for seniors this year has already passed, but the program will run next year for the class of 2013.

Upon being accepted to the program, students will receive assistance with filling out their FAFSA forms which is required by all colleges and universities to receive financial aid. Students will also register for NOVA as a backup plan in addition to taking the placement tests for free.

Throughout the year, there will be a few meetings that members must attend. There will also be activities at both the NOVA and George Mason University campuses to prepare for college in the fall. As program coordinator Monica Gomez told the senior class at the beginning of the year, even if you don’t really want to go to NOVA, it is a good “back-up” plan if your plan-A fails.

Students with any questions should contact their guidance counselor, email Gomez at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or stop by her office in room E119 anytime on Thursdays.

The Lady Mustangs keep their momentum up by topping the Clarke County Eagles 68-46. Sophomore Julianna Rollo and Junior Stephanie Cheney scored basket after basket putting the team ahead. Watch the 60 second highlight video below to catch more of the action.

A smooth mix of guitars, drums, bass, and vocals will fill up the studio at FCC-TV tonight as George Mason graduate Kate Potrykus (’09) and her new band, Dear Creek, performs live for the Falls Church Coffee House.

From performing in countless JV and Spring variety shows, Potrykus was well known in George Mason before graduating in 2009. This isn’t Potrykus’s first time on FCC-TV either. She has performed twice before; once with her high school band, High Minded, and another time with classmate Louis Henninger (’09). Both of these shows can be viewed on the Coffee House YouTube page.

The Falls Church City School Board met on Tuesday, November 8 for their monthly meeting.

Board members discussed the following:

• Superintendent Jones presented her proposed budget for FY13 which included a pay increase for staff.
• A request to the public to find an interim board member to fill a vacancy.
• Approval of policies 6.15 and 6.35

The next School Board meeting will be on Tuesday, January 24 at 8:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at the Falls Church City Hall.

Arson leads to over $11 million in damages annually, with over 50% of the suspects convicted being under the age of 20. City of Falls Church Fire Marshal Tom Polera spoke to the forensics classes at Mason on Friday, December 16, about major arson cases and how the job of a fire investigator helps settle disputes by determining the exact cause of a fire.

Oftentimes, when the public fire investigator for the fire department investigates a fire, only a broad investigation is conducted. Polera has been working as a private fire investigator for many years, and he has learned that the cause of a fire might not always be what it appears to be. For example, a burn pattern on the floor under a chair might lead someone to think that that is where the fire started, when it was actually caused by the melting material on the chair.

When the MGM Grand Hotel caught fire in the early 1980’s, citizens demanded better fire safety and prevention such as fire alarms and sprinklers in most public buildings. The Station Night Club fire in Rhode Island killed 100 people in 2003 when a fire broke out during a concert. Deadly fires like this could easily be prevented by meeting standard fire codes.

Usually, the highlight of the fire marshal’s visit is getting to see the arson dog sniff out a small drop of gasoline on a strip of carpet the length of the TLC. Even though the dog was not able to visit this year because it was in training, students were still actively engaged in the discussion and interactive learning about how fires start and the process of determining the cause of them.

For many students and teachers, it feels as if the school year just started. However, the year is almost half way over with midterm exams right around the corner during the week of January 23-26.

As usual, the idea of exams being so close is throwing students into a panic. All of the studying and other tests that their teachers may assign the week prior to exams doesn't help with the stress. For those who have yet to receive the exam schedule, it goes as follows:

Exams for Block 1, 2, 5, and 6 will take place at 8 a.m. while block 3, 4, and 7 will take place at 10:30 a.m. There is a thirty minute break between each exam so students can go to the café or go off campus to grab a snack; however, it is school policy that all eighth grade students must remain on campus between exams.

Finding enough time to study is the hardest part of exam week for many students. The other hardest part is finding a good way to study.

If science teacher Dr. Peter Mecca was a student and had to study for exams, he said he would “go ask the teacher for a study guide.” Based on how he did on the packet, he would then determine what teachers he should go see.

Senior Leah Thirkill, who has been taking exams at Mason since eighth grade, says she “sits down and reads over notes.”

No matter how you study, whether it’s a review guide, looking over notes, or just reading the textbook, some studying is better than no studying at all.

For students who have morning Arlington Career Center Classes, they are expected to ride the bus as usual on Monday and Tuesday; on Wednesday and Thursday, these students should come directly to George Mason at 8 a.m. for their block 5 and 6 exams. For students who have afternoon ACC classes, they are expected to attend class as usual. The bus will depart from Mason at 1:15.

Nothing works better to bring a smile to a person’s face than a hand made masterpiece. That is exactly what visitors will see upon entering the FCCPS Central Office. Prior to now, there was nothing but blank, dull walls; however, since the artwork went up, the walls of Central Office has brought life and a smile of joy to all of the employees and visitors. Artwork from all 13 grades line every hall starting at the elevator.

The mission of Falls Church City Public Schools is framed around the concept that every decision is based on what is best for the students.

Superintendent Dr. Toni Jones said the artwork “gives us that exciting reminder everyday” that success of each student is priority. While art plays a major roll in child development, many area school districts are cutting back on their art programs due to budget constraints.

Jones said that FCCPS will not be cutting back on our our program.

“FCCPS is committed to supporting our world-class art department and providing the very best for our students.  While some divisions are cutting back on art, we value and understand that arts integration is essential in developing thinkers who are creative and innovative problem solvers.”

So while some departments might be faced with cuts, the art department won’t have to sweat every nickel and dime.

The work will be rotated periodically throughout the school year to display different pieces. Parents, teachers, students, and other community members are always welcome to stop by the Central Office located in the “flower” building on Broad Street to view the masterpieces.

The Mason community flocked to Flippin’ Pizza Monday evening to show their support for Lasso Online. For every sale where the customer handed in a Lasso Online flyer, Flippin’ Pizza donated 50% of the sale to Lasso. From 4-9p.m., Lasso Online raised $593.25. This money will help pay for the trip to the Columbia Scholastic Press Association spring conference in New York City next March. Lasso Online thanks all who came out to show their support.  Lasso will also be hosting more bake sales at GMHS in the coming weeks.

The trout tank is usually the first thing visitors see when walking into Dr. Mecca’s classroom, but this year there will be nothing but an empty tank. All of the trout died this past weekend for an unknown reason. Currently, there are no new plans to get new fish.

Over the past year, anybody could check up on the trout 24/7 via the online Trout Cam. When students checked up on them in the classroom however, it was a whole different experience.

“Being able to get up close and interact with them made it more exciting” than just sitting behind the computer staring at a screen said a sophomore who wished to remain anonymous. Until next year, students are going to have to wait to see and experience having live trout in George Mason.

It’s the giving time of year again-- time to donate to local charities and homeless shelters around the area. If you aren’t sure where to donate your time and effort this season, here’s a list of possibilities:

Click on image to see a larger version.