School News
Fauquier County Public Schools
July 4: Holiday for 12-month employees
Aug. 15: New teachers begin
Aug. 18-19: Teachers Work Day
Aug. 20-21: In-Service Day
Aug. 22: Teachers Work Day
Aug. 25: First day of school for students
School Division announces summer hours
Again this year, in an effort to save thousands of dollars in utility costs, Fauquier County Public Schools will institute a mandatory four-day work week for employees who work during the summer.
June 23 through Aug. 7, employees will work on an extended-day schedule Monday through Thursday, and all FCPS school buildings, including the School Board Office, will be closed on Fridays. Office hours will be 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Please note that since the Fourth of July falls on Friday, when offices are closed, July 3 will be a holiday for FCPS employees who work during the summer.
The final four-day work week will be the week beginning Aug. 11. However, that four-day work week will be Tuesday, Aug. 12, through Friday, Aug. 15, which results in employees' having a four-day weekend, Aug. 8-11. New teachers report on Friday, Aug. 15.
Auburn Middle
There were giggles and guffaws aplenty at Auburn Middle School on June 7 as the school year wound to a close. The reason? Two whimsical performers entertained all Auburn students who had read at least four books during the school year.
The Auburn students who earned a seat at the show had helped their school meet the school year goal of 2,600 books read by May. When all was said and done, students and faculty had read more than 4,900 books during the past school year.
To celebrate the accomplishment, the school hosted a special assembly entitled "The Nicolo Whimsey Show," which featured a little bit of everything -- at breakneck speed. Performers Nick Newlin and Joanne Flynn, aka "The Queen of Whimsey," juggled, acted, pantomimed and sang. They made merry music on the tambourine, the accordion, and the musical saw. They had AMS students spinning plates, balancing balls, and wearing funny hats -- no small feat in a middle school setting. A blur of color and hilarity, the entertainers gave two 45-minute performances that were all about fun.
Home-based in Brandywine, Md., the Nicolo Whimsey Show has been performing for more 20 years throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. Through the Bluemont Concert Series, Auburn Middle School Librarian Janet Miles arranged the performance to reward readers who had propelled the school toward nearly doubling its 2007-2008 reading goal.