Spotlights

In Spotlights, we highlight some of the incredible students, teachers, and faculty members of Justice HS!

A FINAL LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

To the students, faculty, family, and friends of Justice HS,

To say this year was a challenge would be the understatement of the century. This school year has brought a number of barriers that forced us to adapt to our undesirable circumstances. Outside of surviving a global pandemic, we have witnessed several historical events that will undoubtedly represent chapters of future textbooks. The instances of police brutality against Black Americans and the rise in Asian American hate crimes have dominated our headlines and have caused hopelessness and fear to many.

I would be lying if I said I joined journalism with overwhelmingly positive intentions. As a freshman in high school, journalism was simply an elective that filled my course requirements. On a whim at the end of my freshman year, I decided to run for a leadership position for the following year, and I am forever grateful for that decision. For the entirety of my high school career, I served in leadership positions on the editorial staff, highlighting the incredible students, staff, and community members of Justice HS. My involvement in journalism has given me a certain sense of optimism that I always carry with me, proving that no matter what is happening in the world, there will always be a positive story to share.

In this school year, we have experienced an unprecedented amount of negativity, hate, and doubt, but that does not cancel out the efforts of positivity within our community. This past year has caused many families to experience financial hardships as a result of the pandemic. In response, members of our community banded together to create Bailey’s Mutual Aid, a non-profit organization that provides food and rent relief to these families. Black Student Association planned multiple events in February to educate, honor, and commemorate Black history and culture, even in a virtual environment. In her downtime from school, senior Caroline Trudeau created a sensory garden in the courtyard of Justice HS to serve as a safe space for all, especially Special Education students.

These instances prove that no matter the circumstances, there will always be light within the darkness. There will always be a way to make positive change in our community, despite the situation. This is why I write. I chose to stick with journalism to search for goodness, even when it might feel absent. This way, I can spotlight this positivity to our community members so they too can experience the goodness.

As this year of uncertainty comes to a conclusion, I will leave you all with a single piece of advice: do not allow gloom and bitterness to cloud your judgment of the world. No matter where you are in life, no matter what circumstances you may find yourself in, there is always an optimistic story to tell.

Sincerely,

Renee Grutzik

PRINCIPAL spotlight: MARIA ECK

by CALLIE PETIT

Staff writer

Recently it was announced in the Justice HS newsletter sent out April 18th, that Ms. Maria Eck, the principal of Justice since 2018, will be leaving.

Before Justice, Eck served as principal of Edgar Allen Poe MS and McNair ES. She also served the position as an assistant principal at McNair ES and Glasgow MS. Prior to her work in FCPS, she worked in the MDCPS (Miami-Dade County Public School System) as an administrator, classroom teacher, and an ESOL teacher.

Eck said the move to being the principal of Justice was very similar and also very different than it was at the middle schools or the elementary schools, but in a good and exciting way. She mentioned that the students, the structure, and the learning target were all very similar, but the differences started with the student life, the after school activities, graduations, and with IB, honors, and diplomas.

“Being the principal for the high school was like being the mayor of a town,” said Eck. She mentioned that when she was first told this, she didn’t understand what was supposed to be implied or why when she said something, everyone would follow it. Eck mentioned how she now knew what this meant over the years, it’s because “she was the boss” and she had to become more mindful of what she would say. “It’s different from Elementary, but it’s really fun. It really was like being mayor of a town,” said Eck.

Due to COVID, the hardest parts of Eck’s job was being virtual, since she felt like there was the loss of student and teacher connections for her. Before Covid, Eck would do weekend visits to the community and she would do the spontaneous pop-ins to teachers' classrooms to touch base, but Covid made it very difficult to have that strong connection.

When asked about her first concurrent staff meeting, she said, “ [It was] like a heart attack with all of the online comments from staff and all of the staff that was in person. However, it's great how teachers could do this so flawlessly.” Along with that, she mentioned that there is still a sense of isolation, how she misses the students, strong connections, and misses the crowded hallways from pre-Covid. A way of connecting with everyone is through her morning announcements she tends to do every morning.

Assistant Principal William Brooks, said over the last three years he has tons of memories from Justice with Eck. He shares one from her first year as principal, at her first away basketball game. Eck and Brooks had administration coverage.

“Ms. Eck entered the game after speaking to everyone. Side note- Ms. Eck speaks to everyone; it usually takes her a while to get to her final destination,” said Brooks. Once Eck took a seat next to Brooks, they watched the game and spoke. Suddenly, she jumped up and started yelling loudly in excitement. A player had scored, she was cheering as all the other fans in the stands were yelling as well.

“The problem,” Brooks said, “was that she was cheering for the wrong team; the student played for the home team, we were the away team. I told Ms. Eck the student who scored doesn’t play for Justice. In her quick-witted response, she said she cheers for everyone.”

Eck describes some favorite Justice memories, like the unforgettable ceremony that occurred when Justice became Justice High School. She was extremely nervous in the moment with all of the media, teachers, tv stations, and how that was incredibly different from elementary or middle schools. Laughing, she said, "There was extra pressure due to my dad watching the live stream of the ceremony.” When she looks back at that memory, it’s a day she will never forget.

Eck’s other memory was last year’s graduation ceremony that lasted four days. She got to walk and talk with the student and their family while going to the auditorium to take pictures. She mentioned that she saw a different side of the students at that moment. “I loved having that individual time to talk to everyone. The minutes I had with around 500 students were so special to me.”

“Continue to be [an] incredible leader and, more important, the person you are. Your faith, will, and dedication encourages others to strive to the highest heights otherwise thought impossible. The changes you implemented here at Justice go far behind instruction and thank you for changing many lives, including my own. Remember the term your mother taught you, ‘awareness.’ - Many Blessings Always W. Brooks”

Eck is always ‘making it happen’, that’s her motto. She shared that when she left Poe MS, a student gave her a canvas with the words ‘made it happen.’ Eck said that the staff are working hard, and she always tells them, they are making it happen. “Justice staff works so hard to make it happen everyday for students. I mean things like learning, teaching, building relationships, supporting families, etc.” said Eck.

When Eck leaves she will always think about that for Justice, that they are making it happen.

STUDENT spotlight: Caroline tredeau

by RENEE GRUTZIK

Editor-in-chief

The Girl Scout Gold Award is a year long project that truly embodies the phrase “make the world a better place.” The Gold Award is a project where junior and senior Girl Scouts are expected to propose and carry out a service project of their choice to benefit their community. The Gold Award is a prestigious honor that is only awarded to the Scouts that are dedicated to bettering their community. Although the project is open to all Scouts, according to the Girl Scout website, only 6% of Scouts actually complete their Gold Award Project. While only a small fraction of Girl Scouts take on the Gold Award, Justice HS senior Caroline Tredeau was up for the challenge.

For her Gold Award Project, Tredeau is in the process of creating a sensory garden in the courtyard of Justice HS. A sensory garden is an enclosed safe space where visitors can simulate their senses with a number of calming attributes. Tredeau’s sensory garden contains rocking chairs, fountains, and a variety of beautiful plants.

“I came up with the sensory garden because I wanted to create a safe environment for the students at Justice,” said Tredeau. “[The sensory garden] will be for people to be calm and feel relaxed if they have a stressful day.”

All students deal stress in the classroom, but Special Education students can be more prone to experiencing a sensory overload. Tredeau recognizes the importance of modulating stress levels to avoid students facing a sensory overload. Tredeau emphasizes that all students, regardless of physical ability, are allowed access to the sensory garden as a way to take a “time out” from the classroom.

Tredeau began the extensive planning process of her Gold Award in December of 2020. One of the major requirements of the Gold Award is to receive a project advisor, someone who can be considered an “expert” in the field of the project. Tredeau selected Justice HS Intellectual Disabilities Teacher Mary Lunger as her project advisor.

After selecting her advisor, Tredeau had to get her project approved by the Girl Scout Council. Tredeau met with a member of the Girl Scout Council through a virtual conference call where she pitched her project and her goals in accomplishing her project. Her project was later approved by the Council.

While the sensory garden is still in the process of being built, Tredeau and her peers have made incredible progress so far. Aside from the general clean up and maintenance of the Justice HS courtyard, Tredeau has planted a number of colorful flowers, installed water fixtures, and places swinging benches around the space. In addition, Tredeau installed a ramp to encourage wheelchair access to the sensory garden.

“It is very important that the garden has wheelchair access,” said Tredeau. “Everyone is welcome to relax in the garden.”

On April 23, Tredeau asked for the help of the Justice HS senior class in painting rocks to be placed around the garden. The students were asked to paint rocks with words and images of strength, positivity, and peace.

With only a few more tasks to complete before the garden is fully finished, Tredeau estimates that the sensory garden will be open for visitors in early June.

“If I could say one thing to the students at Justice about my garden, I would say the garden is free for anyone to use at any time. If you are having a stressful day at school, the garden is open for you.”

Staff spotlight: luther ivery

by KENNETH OROZCO

Staff writer

Luther Ivery is the head of the security and safety team at Justice High School. The team works tirelessly to maintain a safe campus, which is especially important as students and staff are beginning to return to school amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I started at Justice HS as a Safety and Security Assistant in November 2016. It was J.E.B. Stuart HS at that time. I was promoted to my current position as Safety and Security Specialist in February 2018,” said Ivery. “My duties include supervising and aiding in providing a safe and secure environment by working with the principal to develop plans for critical incidents and emergency preparedness measures for the school and enforcing regulations regarding student’s rights and responsibilities.”

Although Ivery works tirelessly to provide protection and security to the school’s students and staff members, under the circumstances of COVID-19, his position has changed drastically.

On Mar. 2, Justice HS began the process of bringing some students and staff back for in-person school. Those who elected to return to school in-person will follow concurrent instruction, a model in which students receive 2 days of teacher-led instruction in the school building and 2 days of teacher-led instruction at home.

However, the return to school has looked much different than school before the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a lengthy list of COVID-19 protocols to be enforced and guidelines to be followed in order to keep everyone in the building safe and secure. One of these protocols is staying 6 feet apart from each other to maintain social distancing, which applies to desks and school buses. Some of the other protocols include, wear a mask to cover your nose and mouth, wash or sanitize your hands after sneezing or cover coughs, clean and disinfect surfaces, and stay home if you feel sick.

Ivery is just one of the members of the Safety and Security Team, a group that works throughout the school day to enforce the COVID-19 guidelines for the students and staff whether in the classrooms, bathrooms, and hallways. According to Ivery, the mission of the Safety and Security Team is to encourage and enforce compliance with the established policies for the benefit of all at Justice HS.

“This is my first year at Justice and Mr. Ivery has made me very welcomed. He’s a very nice person,” said instructional assistant Anthony Tran. “I think he did a very good job setting up safety and security measures before hybrid learning began.”

There is no doubt that Ivery’s efforts have greatly impacted the students and staff members of Justice HS. With his dedication and devotion to protecting Justice HS from the spread of COVID-19, students and teachers can reenter the buildings with peace of mind.

“The challenging part of the return to school will be everyone learning, becoming familiar with, and consistently practicing the new requirements,” said Ivery. “The positive is we are all, student, and staff, working toward the same goal of maintaining a healthy learning environment for everyone.”

self-care spotlight: lisa gunther

by RENEE GRUTZIK

Editor-in-chief

Strength, patience, and mindfulness: key elements that are critical when practicing the ancient Indian tradition of yoga. Luckily for Justice HS, librarian and certified yoga instructor Lisa Gunther has given students and staff members the opportunity to learn and embody these characteristics through the practice of yoga for over eight years.

Gunther previously worked in the tech industry for multiple companies, including a database vendor and a naval shipbuilding contractor. However, 15 years ago, Gunther shifted careers to become librarian in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS). In career, she works closely with students and teachers on strengthening research and literacy skills. To best encourage a love of reading, Gunther provides, organizes, and recommends choice literature pieces to students and staff members.

“I feel fortunate here at Justice that Ms. Ji, the best coworker ever, and I have many opportunities to partner with teachers to teach and interact with students,” said Gunther. “Last year, with the encouragement of Ms. Eck, we created a Makerspace and Design Lab in one of the side rooms in the library where students were able to do hands-on learning activities.”

Approximately 20 years ago, Gunther started experiencing severe pain in her back. As a mother of two toddlers at the time, the pain was likely caused by the constant lifting and carrying her sons. Gunther turned to yoga in hopes of relieving some of her symptoms. Not only was she relieved of her physical symptoms, she was quickly captivated by the mental health benefits she experienced while practicing yoga.

“No matter what your life is like, life is always going to throw some unexpected punches. The practice of yoga is the plan to come back to after getting that punch in the face,” said Gunther. “On the outer level, [I am] physically stronger and more flexible, more energized, but more importantly, yoga is incredibly powerful in regulating mental and emotional difficulties.

During the 2012-13 school year, Gunther was in search of a way to deepen her practice of yoga. Although she had no intention of becoming a yoga instructor, she decided to complete a yoga teacher training program. One of the requirements of the program was to teach a yoga class to the public alone, a thought that terrified Gunther.

“I figured I ought to start practicing well in advance, so I offered a free weekly class to teachers after school. There were about 5-6 teachers who would show up on a regular basis. We met in the library, pushed the tables out of the way, and practiced there. One teacher in particular benefited greatly from having a chance to relax—he fell asleep at the end of class almost every single time. We had to quietly rearrange the tables around him when it was over because we didn’t want to wake him up. It was very cute.”

After perfecting the skills needed to become a yoga instructor, Gunther realized her talents could be used to benefit the students of Justice HS. At the time, she was aware of students who were interested in yoga, so she started the Yoga and Meditation Club. The club met on a regular basis in the side rooms of the library. Unfortunately, as the school population was growing and the demand for additional classroom space heightened, the group dissolved. Determined to give students the opportunity to grow through the practice of yoga, Gunther began offering yoga sessions to the sports teams of Justice HS.

“Ms. Ponton and Coach Forshay took me up on the offer. From there, I began being invited to come into Personal Fitness and some AVID classes about once a quarter. In addition to working with students who already know something about yoga, I get the chance to work with students who have never done it,” said Gunther. “It’s exciting for me to see students discover that they have the ability to transform their thoughts and moods through this simple practice. Yoga can be so powerful!”

When Gunther teaches yoga to Justice HS students, she emphasizes the importance of focusing on breath control and connecting yoga movements with the breath. Gunther notes that many students prefer quieter and slower practices as opposed to faster-paced flow classes. These classes allow for students to step away from the stress of their academic and extracurricular lives to achieve mental clarity.

“There are a lot of expectations and demands on high school students, to get good grades, participate in clubs and sports, volunteer, help out at home, earn money, manage friendships and relationships, and to get in the best college you can. While all of that is part of life, it seems sometimes the message sent is to constantly ‘do more, be better.’ The quiet inward practice of yoga provides a balancing message of ‘do less, notice more, acknowledge what you notice.’ There is no succeeding or failing in yoga—wherever you are is the right place to be.”

Gunther stresses the idea that anyone, regardless of physical capabilities, can benefit from the practices of yoga and meditation, even if it is performed through calm and purposeful breathing exercises. She encourages anyone who has yet to practice yoga or meditation to give it a try.

Is it evident that Gunther has a passion for enriching the lives of Justice HS students through education. Through her position as a librarian, Gunther guides and encourages students to develop a love for literature, and through her passion for yoga, Gunther opens the doors of physical wellbeing and mental clarity for students. However, through all of her efforts as a teacher, she notes that students are not the only ones learning.

“My favorite part about my position is truly in getting to know the students. What I have come to realize over the years in my roles both as a librarian and as a yoga teacher is that learning does not go in one direction from teacher to student. I learn as much from students as they do from me.”

Holiday Spotlight: student-run businesses

by RENEE GRUTZIK

Editor-in-chief

Clara Whitney

For some, a closet clean-out consists of sifting through old clothes and donating them to a local thrift shop. For senior Clara Whitney, closet clean-outs provide an opportunity to make quick cash. For over seven months, Whitney has been selling her unwanted clothing through the online platform Depop, a fashion marketplace app. With her items priced between $8 and $35 and a total number of sales of 37, Whitney has created an impressive profit from her Depop account alone.

“I started selling my clothes on Depop at the beginning of quarantine in March. I wanted to start selling because I wanted to make money. Because of the pandemic, I could not get a job. [Depop] was a safe way for me to make money,” said Whitney. “The second reason is that I do spend a lot of money on clothes. Rather than giving them away to friends or Goodwill, I decided some were expensive enough to sell.”

Though her business is done almost entirely virtually, Whitney says it rarely gets in the way of completing her school work. Whitney balances her school work and Depop account by utilizing her time in between and after classes.

“To post a listing, I take photos of the clothes in between or after classes, which takes about five minutes per item. I regularly can respond to questions from potential buyers during class and update my page in between classes or during lunch,” said Whitney. “The tricky part is shipping out orders, depending on the item the trip to the post office can take pretty long. For example, if I need a specific size box for a larger item. I regularly wait until after school or the weekend to go to the post office.”

Whitney urges students of all ages to use their free time during the pandemic to start a business of their own.

“If you like fashion and you want an easy way to make money, try selling your old clothes online. It’s very easy and gives you great business skills like networking and marketing. If you are good at posting on social media you would be great at this too,” she said. “My Depop account is @claraisjinxed. Make sure to check it out!”

Anthony Mirones-Espinoza

The term “sneakerhead” has been coined to represent people who trade, collect, and sell sneakers of all types. Since his freshman year of high school, senior and sneakerhead Anthony Mirones-Espinoza has created his own business of buying and reselling shoes like Jordans, Air Maxes, Air Forces, Ultra Boosts, and Adidas NMDs.

“During my freshman year, I was looking for a new business to start. I saw that my friend was reselling shoes and clothing from Supreme and realized how lucrative of a business it was. At the time, he could make a $500 profit off a pair of Yeezys or an $800 profit off a Supreme box logo hoodie,” said Mirones-Espinoza.

Over the years, Mirones-Espinoza has perfected the operations of his business. First, he purchases shoes through boutiques, online retailers, and FootLocker affiliated stores. Secondly, he lists his inventory online through platforms like StockX, GOAT, and eBay. When he resells the shoes, he increases the price to create higher profit margins. As a result, Mirones-Espinoza has sold over 3,000 pairs of shoes.

“The constant progression in sales, profits, and business relationships is motivating me to continue my business. A good example of progression is how I used to buy 300 pairs of shoes in a year, but now I buy 300 pairs of shoes per month. Another example of my progression is how I used to aim for $1,000 of profit for a month. Now, I consistently have five-figure profits each month.”

Although Mirones-Espinoza has had tremendous success in his sneaker business, he wants to remind others that running a business is not as easy as it looks.

“One thing I would tell students at Justice High School about my business is that it isn't as easy as I portray it to be. Many of my friends have tried to start similar businesses but they either give up or have shown little progression,” said Mirones-Espinoza. “It took me three years to get to where I am. I had to be consistent and continue to work hard.”

Sofie Edwards

At the beginning of quarantine, many Justice HS students found themselves with an extensive amount of freetime. For some, this meant binge watching new Netflix shows and catching up on sleep, but for senior Sofie Edwards, this meant starting a small business. In her freetime, Edwards bakes and sells beautiful cakes, cake pops, and cupcakes to her neighbors.

“My summers are usually extremely busy because I’m an athlete, but this summer I had absolutely nothing to do. I had been baking a lot in the spring and decided that it would be beneficial if I started to sell some of my items,” said Edwards. “After starting the business, I immediately had a lot of friends and relatives who were interested in ordering from me.”

The majority of her orders are cakes, but to best cater to her clients, Edwards also takes speciality orders upon request. When a customer is sending in an order, they have the option to review the customization page that details the steps in building their cake. Customers can choose their cake and frosting flavors, along with any other additions such as fillings, toppings, and drizzles.

Through the launch of her business, Edwards has learned the importance of time management, especially during the school year. Luckily, her experience with baking before the start of the school year benefitted her school and work balance.

“Since I started the business in the middle of an uneventful summer, I learned about balancing orders and managing my time when there was time to spare,” said Edwards. “I recently made a birthday cake on a homework-heavy weekend, and it would have been a whole lot more difficult if I hadn't had the previous experience of balancing two or three orders on one weekend during the summer.”

To Edwards, her cake business is more than a way to make money, it's a way to brighten the days of her neighbors.

“I really enjoy giving sweets to other people because it can make someone's day. This makes it easier for me to continue into the school year because this year has been so harsh and stressful that people really need some nice things in their lives,” said Edwards. “On top of that, it's been fantastic to see the looks on some people's faces when they see or taste them, which is the best compliment a baker can get.”

NOVEMBER Spotlight: How Makda Dejene is GIVE-ing back to her Community

by GRACE MARTIN

News editor

Makda Dejene, a junior at Justice High School, has found a great way to give back to her local community, while still staying safe in the midst of a pandemic. Dejene is one of the Executive Directors of the GIVE Youth organization, which is a local tutoring program for students that is now completely virtual.

The Growth and Inspiration through Volunteering and Education (GIVE) Youth program is a non-profit community organization that provides free tutoring services to young students in the Northern Virginia area. Their goal is to promote the leadership of 8th-12th grade students through volunteering. Dejene had been one of these youth volunteers for three years now.

Since it was founded in 2010, GIVE has impacted thousands of students and volunteers across Northern Virginia and has expanded to 23 centers at libraries and communities. However, due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, tutoring services are being continued virtually for K-8th grade students.

Dejene began as a tutor her freshman year and was eventually nominated to become one of two center managers at her local center during her sophomore year. Throughout the school year, she recruited multiple tutors and students to join her center. This past spring, Dejene applied and was accepted for a position as an Executive Director.

“When I first heard about this youth-run organization, I was exceptionally grateful to have the opportunity to become a tutor and eventually gain other leadership roles.” said Dejene, “Since then, I have enjoyed participating in GIVE and value the connections I’ve been able to make with children to help them grow as students.”

As an Executive Director, she, alongside the other members of the Executive Team, are in charge of supervising the organization. Dejene has a role in managing all aspects of GIVE, including partnerships, expansions, center managers, students and volunteers, community outreach, and publicity.

“Our most recent challenge was leading the transition of GIVE tutoring to the online platform BigBlueButton and restructuring our system to better fit this change.” said Dejene, as the pandemic forced this sudden change onto many non-profit organizations, including GIVE.

Dejene participates and is a leader in many clubs at school as well. She is the President of the Ethiopean Eritrean Student Association, President of Science National Honor Society, Secretary of the Black Student Association, Reporter of Girl Up, and has held leadership positions while working for campaigns for the FCPS school board.

“I see how much she cared for the Ethiopean Eritrean Student Association and the community we were providing for,” said senior Tigist Demeke, the Vice President of the Ethiopean Eritrean Student Association who has worked closely with Dejene to run the club this year. “Makda is someone who takes consideration of everyone’s ideas and inputs them into her work. She represents exactly how a good leader should act.”

Dejene enjoys the long lasting relationships that are formed within the GIVE community and loves how gratifying this opportunity can be. “I received an email from a parent requesting help for her daughter who was having difficulty navigating online courses as an ESOL student. I was able to pair the student with a tutor who helped her practice English and go over her assignments. These types of rewarding experiences have shaped my passion for GIVE.”

Dejene is a committed and passionate leader at Justice High School and an excellent person to lead an organization that aims to provide educational services to young students. GIVE has provided a great opportunity for her to develop her leadership skills and make a difference in her local community.