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Falls Church Academy is committed to assisting students explore their future career interests in the areas of Health and Human Service fields.
Follow Falls Church Academy on Twitter - @FCAcad
Upcoming Dates to Remember:
- February 5-9 - National School Counseling Week
- February 14 - Valentine's Day
- February 19 - Presidents Day
- February 20 - Nursing School Open House 5-7pm - Plum Center
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February is CTE Month! - Did You Know?
"Did you know a person with a CTE related associate degree or credential will earn on average $4,000-19,000 more a year than a person with a humanities associate degree?" Source
We celebrate CTE Month by highlighting our instructional staff, below.
National School Counseling Week
"School Counselors: Helping Students Reach for the Stars," will be celebrated from February 5-9, to focus public attention on the unique contribution of school counselors within U.S. school systems. National School Counseling Week, sponsored by the American School Counselor Association, highlights the tremendous impact school counselors can have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career. National School Counseling Week is always celebrated the first full week in February.
Although we celebrate all counselors for their great work, we especially celebrate Mr. Emarinn Oundee, Counselor for Falls Church Academy.
WHY I CHOSE TO BE A COUNSELOR?
"
I chose to be a
counselor because I want to be a positive influence to our students. At a young
age, my parents worked multiple jobs at a time making my older brother my
caretaker. Without my brother’s care and guidance I wouldn’t have tried so hard
to be a better person. I believe counselors can have a significant effect on
students’ lives. Having the privilege to help students discover more about
themselves and guide their journey into adulthood is an honor."
 Falls Church Academy students win big at the HOSA District Conference
On Friday,
January 26, 334 students representing Chantilly Academy, Falls Church Academy
and West Potomac Academy’s Health and Human Services courses competed at the
HOSA District Competition hosted by Falls Church Academy. The HOSA, Health Occupations Students of
America, Competition provides a great opportunity for students interested in
healthcare professions to compete by sharing their knowledge in healthcare
related events. Falls Church Academy
students represented themselves and their classes well by taking 1st,
2nd and 3rd in twelve of the nineteen place holding
spots. First place winning individuals
will compete at the Virginia State HOSA Conference in Williamsburg, VA in
March. Falls Church Academy District winners include
Job Seeking Skills
1st – Donna Tran – Pharmacy Technician
2nd – Jennifer Cacanindin – Exp.
Health Science
3rd – Puja Punukollo – Medical Assistant
Extemporaneous Poster
1st - Kelly Tran – Exp. Health
Science
Career Health Display
1st - Elmira Sedaghat Bashir and
Mariam El Fadil – Medical Assistant
2nd – Erika Ford and Aman Soltany –
Practical Nursing
Clinical Specialty
1st – Nicole Richardson – Emergency Medical
Sciences
Medical Photography
1st - Cynthia Huynh – Medical Assistant
3rd – Lena Suraweera – Exp. Health
Sciences
HOSA Bowl
1st – Kelly Team – Emergency Medical
Sciences
2nd – Vadala Team – Exp. Health
Sciences
3rd – Law Team – Medical Assistant
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Celebrating CTE Month by Honoring our Teachers
Each teacher at Falls Church Academy has had the opportunity to hold professional positions in the area of which they teach. This field experience brings great real world application to the material presented in their classes. We asked our teachers "WHY I TEACH?" Here is their response.
"The average age for a Registered
Nurse is 55 years old. There is going to be a huge nursing shortage in
the next few years! I teach to assure the next generation of nurses will
be well trained. Let’s face it, I am going to be their patient one day!" Jackie Portnoy, RN, Program Dir./Level 1 Practical Nursing Instructor
"I love experiencing the world
through my student’s eyes. I also love watching my students stretch their
brains and exercise their curiosity while learning to think critically about
the world around them. Teaching is something new and different every
day. As a teacher I get to learn something new every day and get a new
perspective every class." Jennifer Sokol, Biotechnology Foundations Instructor
"The excitement I
see each day in all my students as they embark into the world of
Fire/Rescue. To watch students grow into valuable men and women,
making the world a better place." Penny Kelly, Emergency Medical Sciences Instructor
"I want to share my love of learning with others. I want to
encourage them to be curious about the world and to seek knowledge about new
things. I want their voices to be heard and for them to know they
can make a difference not just in their own lives but in the lives of others as
well." Kristi Kraft, Early Childhood Careers Instructor
"I never thought I would be teaching high school
students, nor did I ever want to, but in coming to Falls Church Academy, I fell
in love. Being able to share what knowledge I have of the medical word
with young minds that are our future in medicine, is so rewarding. I am
inspired everyday by the students – their hunger to learn, hearing their
experiences with healthcare, watching them grow physically, mentally and
educationally, makes my ‘job’ a place I want to be. It is humbling
to know that I was able to help students with a small piece of their medical
(or non-medical) future." Michele Law, Medical Assistant Instructor
"As a Special Educator, I am pleased when students have an Aha moment. A
few weeks ago, a student and I were reviewing vocabulary for the WRS
exam. I suggested that she put the words in a sentence that she did not
clearly understand. When she wrote her sentence using the word
etiquette. She read the sentence out loud and said Aha and
smiled. When she used the word in a sentence, it made more sense to
her. I teach for the Aha moments and when students make connections in
their own way." Lynda Vincent, Academy Support Teacher
"After a career at Inova Fairfax
Hospital as a Senior Pharmacy Technician I realized an interest in myself to
teach and help others, especially working with ESL students. My wife is a Latin immigrant and I know the
challenges she has had since coming to the US.
When the position at Falls Church Academy for a Pharmacy Instructor came
up I saw the chance to combine my interest and knowledge to help students meet
their career goals. Many in my class are
ESL students. I have a sense of pride to
see students be confident and satisfied in their accomplishments both in class
and once they graduate and become successful in their career field." Rick Schubert, Pharmacy Technician Instructor
"
I teach because I want to give
back and answer why the law reacts the way they do. Not every person
responds to a crisis in the same manner. Law enforcement has a split
second to respond to something but a life time to live with that decision. By preparing students for
real world incidents I’m hoping the information taught can help them with the
decisions they make as they become adults." Mark Boger, Criminal Justice Instructor
"The Lord has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may
know how to sustain the weary with a word. - Isaiah 50:4" Charlotte Hall, Dental Careers Instructor
"My family had a very positive experience with
FCPS when our daughter first started school. We were impressed by the way
faculty and staff all worked together on behalf of the students. It inspired me
to leave my current profession at the time, enter a career switcher program,
and join FCPS. Why do I teach? I enjoy working together with others on behalf
of students. It brings me a lot of joy to know that I have helped a student or
another staff member." Rosie Schubring, Academy Support Teacher
 Fairfax County Police Helicopter Division
Thirty students from the Emergency Medical Science class at
Falls Church Academy attended a presentation, Monday, February 5, at Fairfax
County Police Helicopter Division sponsored
by Women in Homeland Security. At this event, students learned how to intubate a patient, that the pilots are not police officers but civilian pilots and that these helicopter paramedics are not only police officers but can provide different medical treatments than fire and rescue paramedics due to their methods of patient transport. Students were also shown a video about how the Police Helicopter Units are dispatched to pursue criminals, find missing citizens as well as serve in an EMS capacity.
These types of experiences open students eyes to different career opportunities and Falls Church Academy is grateful for the organizations that allow for these opportunities.
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 Give Kids a Smile
On Friday, February 2, thirteen Falls Church Academy Dental
Careers Level 2 students, local Virginia Dentists and other dental professionals participated
in Give Kids a Smile, sponsored by Northern Virginia Dental Society. This event allowed 400 underserved children, pre-K
through elementary grades, to receive free oral healthcare.
Student Kevin witnessed that “it made me
understand the environment of a pediatric office and how to work with children.”
Another student, Karen, said that she learned by working with different dental
professionals that the “same instrument may be called something a little
different by different people and the same instrument could be used slightly
differently too. To be successful you
need to know what each dental office calls their instruments and how they're used.” Finally, Falimawit commented that “some kids
don’t have the same opportunities I have.
It was a blessing to be able to help someone else.”
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