Freedom Aquatic and Fitness Center offers exciting off-site summer camps for children of all ages.
Just a few of the options available for older children are rock climbing, kayak fishing, mountain biking and natural adventures camps.
On the first day of rock climbing camp, campers spend their time on The Edge, a team development course, that teaches them how to get comfortable with wearing a harness, belaying, and acting together as one unit.
Once activities begin, some campers may be hiking while another group is climbing. This strategy keeps the children moving and prevents idleness and boredom throughout the day.
On the rare rainy or hot days that prevents climbing outside, Freedom Center takes children to Vertical Rock, where children can climb.
In the kayak fishing camp, campers travel all around the area to kayak fish at Bull Run, Fountainhead, and the Shenandoah, Rappahannock, and Rapidan rivers. Freedom Center works with the Virginia Outside and Fishing Company to lead the ship and teach the children valuable fishing skills.
Camp counselors will still accompany campers to these locations. Many campers come with no previous fishing experience and develop an excitement and a passion for being outdoors and learning how to fish. Plus, they can learn how to safely kayak.
Rock climbing and paintball are the most popular outdoor camps that the Freedom Center offers. This year, Freedom added a camp for their younger “peewee paintballers.”
Different material is used to prevent injury and the painful sting normally common with paintballing. It’s an excellent program to get children familiar with paintball and to get them excited. Even if a camper only does it once a year with his or her family, Freedom’s paintball camp is a great starter.
As with on-site camps, Freedom Center employs the best-certified instructors off-site. When participating in these camps, children can be in environments they wouldn’t normally have access to on a regular basis. The campers are normally outside all day and during their first week, those five days of adventure are spent learning skills that they would otherwise gain once they were older.
Also, campers are in smaller groups of between 12-15 children quickly form close and valuable relationships with each other. They practice leadership skills and working in a team while camp counselors make sure they act and bond as one unit successfully.
Early on at the beginning of the camp, counselors ensure that older children are learning how to trust and respect one another. Developing these skills is especially important for rock climbing.
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Following Monday evening’s winter storm, school divisions across the region have announced closures for Tuesday, January 7, 2025, due to hazardous road conditions and ongoing winter weather concerns. Below is a roundup of closures and policies for the affected school systems:
Prince William County Public Schools
All schools and offices will be closed Code Red on Tuesday. Inclement Weather Employees are the exception and should follow their assigned schedule.
Stafford County Public Schools
Schools will be closed on Tuesday due to adverse weather and an extended winter storm warning. All activities and events scheduled for the day are canceled. Tuesday was originally a professional learning day, so students were not scheduled to attend.
Manassas City Public Schools
Schools and offices will be closed Tuesday. Code BLUE is in effect for employees.
Fredericksburg City Public Schools
Schools will be closed, and buildings will remain closed as crews work on clearing parking lots and sidewalks. Essential personnel will be contacted by their supervisors for report times.
Manassas Park City Schools Closure for Tuesday, January 7, 2025
All Manassas Park City Schools will be closed on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, due to snowy conditions. **Code RED** is in effect for employees.
King George County Schools
Schools will be closed Tuesday. Code 1 is in effect for 12-month employees.
Fairfax County Public Schools
All schools and central offices will be closed on Tuesday.
University of Mary Washington
All UMW campuses, including Fredericksburg, Stafford, and Dahlgren, will be closed all day Tuesday following the January 6 snowstorm.
Stay tuned for updates on reopening plans and further weather developments. Stay safe!
More as we get them.
The Manassas City Council meeting originally scheduled for January 6, 2025, has been postponed to Monday, January 13, 2025. The meeting will feature the swearing-in of elected officials, administered by the Honorable Jacqueline Smith, Clerk of the Circuit Court.
Mayor Michelle Davis-Younger, who won re-election in November 2024, will take the oath of office for her second term. Joining her will be Councilman Tom Osina, beginning his second term; Councilman Mark Wolfe, embarking on his fourth term; and newly elected Councilwoman Ashley Hutson, serving her first term on the council. All four ran as Democrats in the 2024 election.
Manassas Park Resident Jose Rafael Lizama pled guilty Friday, January 3, 2024, to felony Involuntary Manslaughter stemming from a December 2, 2023 crash where Lizama admitted to striking and killing pedestrian Justin Burns, 39, of Blackstone, Va.
Lizama
Lizama appeared with an interpreter, and his lawyer stood before Judge Angela Horan and took responsibility for the 11 p.m. crash in front of Old Towne Sports Pub in Manassas.
During Lizama’s preliminary hearing in May 2024, Prosecutors presented evidence, including a nearby homeowner’s security camera footage that caught Lizama’s van traveling at a high rate of speed, striking Burns as he crossed the street in an unlit area of Center Street.
(FXBG Advance) – Prior to ever publicly addressing questions about the removal of Mary Becelia from the Central Rappahannock Regional Library’s Board of Trustees for alleged misconduct, the Stafford Board of Supervisors presented Becelia with a “Settlement Agreement, Release, and Covenant Not to Sue.”
Start 2024 on the right foot by prioritizing your mental health and well-being. At Peaceful Mind Solutions, we understand how challenging life can be—whether it’s managing stress from work, family dynamics, or navigating the complexities of the world around us. Our team is here to help you create balance and find the peace you deserve.
We’re offering a free 15-minute consultation to help you explore how therapy can work for you. Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed, looking for support, or just want to talk things through, this is the perfect opportunity to take that first step toward a healthier, happier you.
Scheduling is simple and convenient. Choose the option that works best for you:
Experience the passion and drama of Puccini’s “The Girl from the Golden West”.
Featuring special guest musicians from The Chesapeake Youth Orchestra, this performance brings Puccini’s masterpiece to life with an extraordinary cast.
Featuring:
