Governor's Health Science Academy

Where Skilled Scholars Thrive

 By:  Falls Church Academy

Falls Church High School, home to the Health Science AcademyFalls Church Academy, a Governor's Health Sciences Academy is one of six professional technical centers within Fairfax County Public high schools.  Students from over 20 county schools attend.

The Academy offers advanced career-oriented electives in 11 subject areas: Classroom-On-The-Mall; Fashion Marketing and Marketing Management, Criminal Justice, Dental Careers, Exploring Health Sciences, Early Childhood Careers, Fire and Emergency Medical Sciences, Hotel Marketing, Medical Assistant, Pharmacy Technician and Practical Nursing. Each year more than 400 high school sophomores, juniors and seniors from an average of 22 Fairfax County Public Schools attend the Academy.

Falls Church Academy’s mission is to serve as a professional learning community that provides high school students with hands-on real life applications to explore careers in health and human services, while gaining practical skills, confidence and enthusiasm to thrive in 21st century workplace.

Falls Church Academy opens doors for students to explore various career paths in health and human services and encourages problem solving, collaboration and integration of ideas, skills and strengths. Course content and experiences provide students workplace readiness and college preparatory opportunities to prepare for both post-secondary education and their future career pathway.

Kyle Jackson, class of 2012 and graduate of the Fire and EMS course, recently received the distinction of Volunteer Fire Fighter of the Year by the City of Fairfax where he serves on their Volunteer Fire and Rescue squad. The motivation behind choosing Jackson for this award was that as a student at George Mason University, he saw that GMU didn’t have an emergency response team and felt one should be established. Through the help of the City of Fairfax and local instructors, Jackson established a non-credit course to train EMT students. Upon completion of this new course, students can sit for their National Registry of EMT Certification and then serve to establish this developing on-campus rescue squad.

Penny Kelly, Falls Church Academy EMT Instructor said “I remember talking to him in my classroom when he had no idea what he wanted to do with his life. I said take this class. He did and now here he is.” In addition to these accomplishments, Jackson recently completed the Volunteer Recruit Training with Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue.

ATTENTION  EMPLOYERS—The Falls Church Academy at FCHS will be preparing career experiences for the up and coming academic year. If you are interested in speaking to one of their classes, offering a field trip, or hosting their students for an internship or job shadow, please contact Jill Burrer, Career Experience Specialist at jdburrer@fcps.edu

For more information please contact:  (703) 207-4244   or    http://www.fcps.edu/fallschurchacademy

Career Studies available:

Criminal Justice
Dental Careers
|Fire & EMS
Practical Nursing
Pharmacy Technician
Early Childhood Careers
Exploring Health Sciences & Medical Assistant

 

Students Receive Professional Insights
"The best help we can offer the youth of today is to prepare them for tomorrow.”  ~ Mark W. Boyer

January 2015

Medical Assistant Students at the Governor's Academy, Falls Church High School

Medical Assistant students attended a specialized training program at the Virginian Continuing Care Retirement Community to learn how to care for aging residents   In the near future, Health Science and Medical Assistant students will attend Open Heart Surgery at Inova’s Heart and Vascular Institute

Students in the Level 3 Criminal Justice Program visited the FBI National Training Academy in Quantico, VA. These students, all interested in careers in law enforcement, received an all access tour and insight into what it takes to be a candidate for the FBI and the training it takes to become an agent.

FBI Representative, Lisa Suckow, provided an enlightening tour of the campus, including the dormitory, mock residential neighborhoods used in law enforcement training exercises, and the workout facilities, along with a description of an agents daily work. During this tour students even witnessed a training class practicing tactical maneuvers.

Suckow remarked, “Any job you are interested in doing is one the FBI has a position for.” She encouraged the students to visit www.USAJobs.com and www.FBIJobs.gov for more information on the most up to date summer.

Several students from the Pharmacy Tech Program assisted with the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day sponsored by the DEA.  This event was held simultaneously at the Falls Church Police Station, West Springfield Police Station, and NVCC Annandale Campus. Pharmacy students made posters, presented information on the safe disposal of medications, learned and answered questions about drug dispoStudents in the Level 3 Criminal Justice Program visited the FBI National Training Academy in Quantico, VA.sal, and observed the astonishing amount of drugs people presented for disposal. After only 30 minutes at one location, they had two larges boxes completely full of medications and expected 15 or more 15 gallon boxes to be filled by the end of the day

Children from the Falls Church Pre-School visited the Falls Church Academy Dental Careers class-room for a “Visit to the Dentist” experience. Thirty-two pre-school children were invited the Dental Careers classroom to learn what it's like to go to the dentist.

Activities at this event included an oral hygiene puppet show, coloring dental related pictures, hand painting with Halloween images and experiencing the dental chair and tools that children will see when visiting the dentist.   The Chamber thanks Dr. Lorena Forbes, Dr. Michael Ellis and Dr. Michael Kiesel (703-256-4445) for allowing FCHS students to shadow them at their offices. 

 

Falls Church High School
7521 Jaguar Trail
Falls Church, VA  22044

703-207-4000

www.fcps.edu/FallsChurchHS/

(Students who reside on the north side of Annandale attend Falls Church High School)

 

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