February is a Heart Health Month, making it the perfect time to find ways to re-think what we eat in order to help lead us to better heart health. It’s an issue that most of us need to pay attention to, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reporting that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. for both men and women. In fact, each year there are around 610,000 people who die from heart disease, accounting for 1 in every 4 deaths. Further, each year there are around 735,000 Americans who have a heart attack. The good news is that there are things we can do to help reduce our heart disease risk, with what we eat playing an important role.

BASIS Independent McLean started its inaugural year this fall in McLean, Va., Tysons Corner’s first k-12 school, and quickly went to work on the election process to vote in their first school mascot, the BASIS Independent McLean Bobcats. The student-designed electoral process, led by BASIS Independent McLean ninth grader, Rohit Narayanan, mimicked a voting system similar to the United States, and provided a learning tool for students to understand the electoral process during the recent presidential election. For more information on the school, go to http://mclean.basisindependent.com.

Metropolitan School of the Arts (MSA) of Alexandria, Va. will host their annual Breakfast with Santa on Sun., Dec. 18 at 9:30 a.m. and 12 p.m. at the Hotel Monaco, 480 King Street in Old Town Alexandria. Tickets range in price from $35 to $45 per person. All tickets can be purchased online at www.metropolitanarts.org.

Performers will join Santa for the annual Breakfast with Santa. The family-event offers Sunday brunch at the Hotel Monaco in Old Town Alexandria, complete with a live performance from Metropolitan School of the Arts’ dancers and visits from Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Suzy Snowflake and her International Dolls.

“Breakfast with Santa combines the magic of Christmas with festive dance performances and favorite holiday characters, perfect for the whole family to enjoy,” said Melissa Dobbs, executive director and founder of Metropolitan School of the Arts of Alexandria, Va.