All neighbors in the Rock Spring area and nearby neighborhoods are welcome (you can find a map of the civic association boundaries on the web at RockSpringCivicAssoc.org). Join us if you want to hear about the County's plans affecting our local neighborhoods, raise your concerns, or are curious to see inside Arlington’s newest elementary school. 

The County Manager will discuss and answer questions on issues affecting North Arlington:
* Transparency in local government
* Old Dominion Drive construction
* Lee Highway re-development & residential neighborhoods
* I-66 HOT lanes & traffic on arterial streets
* Other concerns and questions raised by your neighbors

Dear Resident members of RSCA,

After more than six years as your president, I would like to take this opportunity to both thank you for your support and to inform you that I have decided against running for another two-year term. Although I have enjoyed and immensely appreciated the opportunity to serve the Rock Spring community, I have reached an age and point in my life when my wife and I would like to be free to pursue travel and other pursuits while our health and energy levels still permit us to do so.

I also believe that electing a new president at this juncture would be a logical and healthy next step in the on-going expansion and enhancement of RSCA's communications, participation level, and openness as an organization. 

Thank you once again for allowing me the privilege of serving as your president. I look forward to the remaining three months of my term of office and hope to see all of you at RSCA's Annual Meeting & Elections on Oct. 22.

All the best,

Carl

A "Construction letter"  was sent to RSCA 3/18/15 announcing that a contractor has been chosen and that the phase II Improvement project will get underway shortly. A copy of the letter and additional details are available in the Community Projects folder. 

The following request for your input is from RSCA's representative on the APS Naming Committee, which will be recommending a name for the new elementary school to the School Board. 

 Dear Neighbors,

I have been asked to represent the RSCA on the Naming Committee for the new elementary school that is being built adjacent to Williamsburg Middle School.  The committee is selecting the name for the new school and presenting it to the school board for approval over the next few weeks. To make this job easier, we met to learn more about the history of the site, the features of the new school, and many different options for names.  

After compiling all names suggested the committee voted and the top two names are Friendship 7 Elementary School and Discovery Elementary School. 

Rationale behind Friendship 7

Astronaut John Glenn lived across the street from Williamsburg Middle School with his family.  When he was selected for this mission to fly aboard the Atlas as part of the Mercury mission to be the first person to orbit the Earth, he asked his children to name his space capsule and they named it Friendship.  Glenn added the 7 to honor his fellow Mercury members, a testament to camaraderie and the great nation and world-changing things that can be accomplished together..  This name is both a tribute to John Glenn and a symbol of one of the tremendous, innovative achievements of the 20th century, much like the creation of net-zero energy public buildings will be a tremendous achievement of the 21st century.

Rationale behind Discovery

The new net-energy school will be a significant achievement for APS, Virginia, and the country as we all move toward converting our society toward clean, renewable energy.  The building is designed so that the children will be able to access models of the buildings energy-saving systems so that they can discover how they work.  The innovation behind the school symbolizes that our children will also be discovering throughout their education as they learn about their role in the world around them.  Discovery was also the name of the space shuttle on which John Glenn made his final space flight at age 77 as the oldest person to enter space.

At this point in the process, the Naming Committee is turning toward our communities, made up of representatives from adjacent neighborhoods and schools, to find out what people think about these names.

Please share your opinions with me about these two choices using the linked RSCA Input Form , so that I can best represent the views of the Rock Spring Civic Association.  If you have any questions or would like more information about these names or the naming process, I’ll be happy to answer them.

Many thanks,

Julie Luncher