Register Now for Free ACPS Preschool

Alexandria City Public Schools offers a full-day program to four year olds who have not had a formal preschool experience.

Alexandria City Public Schools offers a pre-kindergarten, full-day program to four year olds who have not yet been in formal preschool setting. Children who are four years old by Sept. 30, 2013, and whose families are income eligible through the Campagna Center may participate in the program. Certified teachers with degrees in early childhood education provide appropriate instruction, according to the ACPS daily digest. The program takes place from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, Sept. 5, 2013 through June 18, 2014 at Jefferson-Houston School and John Adams, Patrick Henry and William Ramsay elementary schools. Register through the Campagna Center, 418 S. Washington St. Call Leslie, 703-549-0111 x107 to schedule an appointment. …

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Kaine: Sequestration to Affect Education Funding in Virginia

Virginia’s junior senator calls sequestration ‘abdication of responsibility.’

The looming sequestration that is slated to cut military spending across the board will also cost Virginia about $48 million in federal funds for pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade education, U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine told educators Friday in Alexandria. Speaking to local school officials and state education advocates at the Campagna Center in Old Town, Kaine, a Democrat, said the cuts would also eliminate 7,000 Head Start slots in the state. If the March 1 sequester goes through, 10,000 teacher jobs would be at risk nationwide, as well as funding for up to 7,200 special education teachers, aides and staff, according to Kaine’s office. Kaine, a member of the Senate Budget Committee, said he maintained hope sequestration could be avoided. “I …

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Campagna's New Neighbors Program Hires Director

Marcia D'Arcangelo has been a volunteer with the organization and was most recently employed at the Newseum.

The Campagna Center has named Marcia D’Arcangelo its new director of the New Neighbors ESL and Family Literacy Program. D’Arcangelo has served with Campagna as a program volunteer tutor and classroom teacher for four years. She most recently was senior program manager at the Newseum in Washington, DC. The New Neighbors program offers English language classes for immigrant and refugees in Alexandria and surrounding areas. Classes take place at the Fowler House at Christ Church. For more news about Alexandria nonprofits, sign up for the Old Town Alexandria Patch daily email newsletter.

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Campagna Center Receives Unexpected Gift of $48K

The gift comes from the estate of Shirley Susan Platt, who was an information research specialist at the Library of Congress.

The Campagna Center recently received a $48,000 gift from the estate of Shirley Susan Platt, an information research specialist at the Library of Congress who supported arts and human needs organizations. “This is truly an unexpected blessing and one that the center certainly has a need for given the many funding gaps we have to work to overcome every year,” said Campagna President and CEO Tammy Mann. “Most of the grants we receive do not cover the full costs of operating our programs.” The group must raise several hundred thousand dollars annually to serve the children, teens and adults in the Campagna initiatives such as Head Start and before and after school programs. To find out more non-profit news around Alexandria, sign up for the …

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Photos: Scottish Christmas Walk in Old Town Alexandria

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Boat Parade of Lights Set to Sail the Potomac

Brightly lit sailboats and powerboats light up the Potomac River Saturday, Dec. 1 beginning at 5:15 p.m., culminating a day of holiday events in Old Town Alexandria.

Alexandria’s annual Boat Parade of Lights rings in December when dozens of colorfully lit powerboats and sailboats parade down the Potomac River. On Saturday, Dec. 1, at the new earlier start time of 5:15 p.m, the parade begins, led by Alexandria’s fireboat Vigilant and Washington, D.C.’s fireboat John H. Glenn Jr., named for the former astronaut and U.S. senator. The boats are dressed to impress a panel of judges who will award prizes in a dozen categories including Best in Show, Thinking Outside the Christmas Box and Hardiest Souls. Pre-parade festivities begin at 3 p.m. at the city marina behind the Torpedo Factory and include free photos with Santa Claus for kids and canines plus free hot cocoa and cider. This year’s boat parade is …

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Literacy Group Reorganizes, Expands Board

Wright to Read becomes an independent nonprofit and names a former state senator and a past president of The Giving Circle to its board.

Literacy advocates Wright to Read has separated from its parent foundation and plans to become a separate, independent nonprofit to improve its business structure. Frank and Betty Wright started the Wright to Read program in 1979 as a part of their family foundation. Since that time, Wright to Read has provided tutoring and mentoring services generally for Alexandria City Public Schools elementary school children who fall behind in reading skills. Wright to Read trains the volunteers who then read with a child for at least one hour per week. As part of the foundation, Wright to Read was administered from 1979 to 2010 by The Campagna Center, a community nonprofit serving Alexandria children and families. However, the program has grown, now …

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Campagna Center's Trejo Honored by White House

Trejo of Alexandria is one of 11 individuals from Head Start program across the country receiving the honor.

The White House on Monday honored Joy Trejo of Alexandria as one of 11 individuals from Head Start programs across the country who have demonstrated a commitment to delivering on the promise of Head Start in their local communities. Trejo is the senior director of Early Childhood and Family Service Programs for The Campagna Center, a nonprofit organization located in Old Town dedicated to uniting the resources of the city's community to strengthen families and provide programs that help children mature and grow. Over 45 years after its inception, Head Start is a program dedicated to serving, educating and caring for a community's most vulnerable children. “Today’s Head Start Champions of Change have collectively shaped the lives of …

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Campagna Center Supporters Host Derby Event

The third annual Bowties & Belles event is set for Saturday 4 to 7:30 p.m.

Looking to have fun for a good cause this weekend? The Junior Friends of the Campagna Center will hold its third annual Bowties & Belles, a Kentucky Derby party, Saturday from 4 to 7:30 p.m. at Collingwood Library and Museum on Americanism on the Potomac. Proceeds from this event help support programs of the Campagna Center. The televised race time is set for 6:15 p.m. The event will feature an afternoon of watching the Derby, a raffle, a silent auction and a cocktail reception featuring the official Derby cocktail, the Mint Julep. “The Junior Friends are thrilled to be hosting a springtime event for the community of Alexandria to benefit the Campagna Center,” said Jane Spence, chairwoman of the Junior Friends, in a statement. “It’s a fun …

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PHOTOS: Belle Haven Country Club Hosts Campagna Center Fashion Show

The 13th Annual Toast To Fashion is the premier fundraiser for the Alexandria nonprofit.

On Thursday night, the Junior Friends of The Campagna Center's 13th Annual Toast to Fashion featured fashion, music and prizes—all for charity. The event, which was attended by hundreds at the Belle Haven Country Club, helps fund programs for more than 1,700 children and families in the City of Alexandria.  ABC7 Sports reporter Britt McHenry emceed the event, and provided hundreds in attendance with a peek into spring fashions.    Awards were presented to Carrie Garland, Nicole Duncan, Allison Priebe Brooks and posthumously to Elizabeth Pignatello whose mother Enid Robinson accepted her award on her behalf.  The Campagna Center's programs include: Event sponsors were: Volkswagen Group of America; Rich, Rosenthal, Brincefield, Manitta, …

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