Send announcements to The Loudoun Connection, 7913 Westpark Drive, McLean, VA 22102, e-mail to loudoun@connectionnewspapers.com or fax to 703-917-0991. Deadline is Friday, two weeks before the event. Photos/artwork encouraged. For more information, call Jennifer Lesinski at 703-917-6454.
This free listing is reserved for activities and events that are open to the public at no or minimal cost.
Algonkian Elementary School, 20196 Carter Court, Sterling, will be holding a fun fair Friday, March 10, from 6-8 p.m. Includes barbecue chicken sandwiches, pizza, cotton candy, carnival games, moon bounce, spin art, build a sand castle, temporary tattoos and cake walk. Tickets sold at the door.
Farmwell Station Middle School, 44281 Gloucester Parkway in Ashburn Village, will be presenting performances of "Aladdin Jr.," Friday, March 10 and Saturday, March 11, at 7 p.m., in the school auditorium. Aladdin Jr. is a musical play for middle-school-age students based upon the Walt Disney movie and Broadway musical.
Tickets are $5 each. Order forms are available in the Farmwell Station Middle School office. All seats are reserved and will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Ordered tickets may be picked up on the night of the performance at the will-call table. Additional seats may be available at the door on performance nights.
Mill Run and Hillside elementary schools teachers and staff will be playing in a charity basketball game to benefit the schools Saturday, March 11. The PTOs plan to raise money to support educational programs for each school. The game will be held at Briar Woods High School and doors open, at 6 p.m. with the game starting at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased the night of the game and concessions including drinks, hot dogs and pizza will also be available. At halftime there will be a free throw for randomly selected ticket holders. Anyone that makes a basket will receive a savings bond from Middleburg Bank. There will be a prize for everyone whose name is drawn, with an equal number coming from each school.
Broad Run High School Athletic Booster Club 8th Annual Casino Night And Silent Auction, Saturday, March 18, from 7:30 p.m.-midnight, Carradoc Hall, Holiday Inn, Route 7, Leesburg. Tickets $30 per person, $35 at the door. Price includes Mexican buffet, hors d'oeuvres, dessert bar, cash bar. Silent auction includes items signed by the Washington Redskins to golf packages. Professional card dealers and a disc jockey will be providing music.
Aldie Elementary School, 23269 Meetinghouse Lane, Aldie, is holding a basket bingo fund-raiser featuring Longaberger products, Friday, March 24, at 7 p.m.; doors open at 6 p.m. All baskets are filled with prizes. Dinner served by Doc's BBQ of Aldie Country Store. Admission $20 in advance, $25 at the door, includes 20 regular games. Also features two special games, door prizes and raffle. Call Dottie Orrison, 703-327-4978, for advance tickets.
Young writers in Loudoun County are being encouraged to continue using their writing skills by entering writing contests created by Community Voice Media, LLC.
The contests are as follows: March, personal essay; April, pet or wildlife article, nonfiction; May, essay " is my hero because É;" June, poem on any topic and July, summer humor essay. Information on additional contests will be added to the Web site regularly. The deadline for each contest is the end of that month. Each poem requires an entry fee and has certain requirements. There will be cash prizes awarded for the first-, second- and third-place entries.
All students from grades kindergarten-12 including Loudoun County Public Schools, private schools or home-schooled children are eligible to enter the contest. Submission Guidelines are available on the Community Voice Media Web site www.communityvoicemedia.com.
For the third straight year, high school seniors have received a financial boost towards fulfilling their higher-educational dreams by entering the 2006 Legacy of Life Scholarship, endowed by the Leslie Ebert Memorial Fund.
The scholarships are awarded by Washington Regional Transplant Consortium (WRTC), the federally-designated nonprofit organ and tissue recovery agency for the Washington, D.C.-metropolitan service area.
A total of nine scholarships will be awarded: three each in the District of Columbia and in the areas serviced by WRTC in both Maryland and Virginia. Each jurisdiction will have a first-place winner receiving a $3,000 scholarship and two runners-up receiving $1,000 each.
A project of WRTCÕs Donor Family Council, the scholarship challenges students to learn about the benefits of organ and tissue donation and to write a fictional or non-fictional essay persuading someone to give the ÔGift of LifeÕ by saying yes to donation. For more information, a list of rules and an entry form, visit www.BeADonor.org and follow the link to the essay page.
Shenandoah UniversityÕs Northern Virginia Campus in Leesburg is seeking nominations for its Teacher of the Year award, which recognizes quality teaching in Loudoun County. The nomination process concludes April 19. All finalists will be recognized at a reception and the winner will be announced at a Loudoun County School Board meeting in May.
To be eligible, nominees must be full-time teachers in Loudoun County in a specialized area, such as special education, art, music, physical education, drama, English as a Second Language or gifted and talented. Nominees may work at any grade level, but must have at least five years of teaching experience in Loudoun County.
A screening committee from Shenandoah will select the winner based on his or her commitment to students and teaching, subject knowledge and teaching philosophy, ability to manage and monitor student learning as well as service to the community. The screening committee is looking for nominations that demonstrate the teacherÕs impact on students. Letters of recommendation from peers, parents and students will be of particular importance in the selection process.
For information or application forms, contact RT Good, dean of the School of Continuing Education, at 540-665-1290 or Kelly Burk, chair of the Northern Virginia Advisory Council, at 703-779-0037.
Potomac Falls High School will open its doors to the community Saturday, April 22, 6-11 p.m., for its second annual "A Night at the Falls." This family-oriented event will highlight the many dimensions of PFHS and will support academic programs that directly benefit its students.
Features a donated dinner from Outback Steakhouse and a silent auction, Texas Hold ÔEm tournament, 3x3 basketball, drama and music performances by students, cake walk and the Mr. Potomac Falls pageant. A medieval theme this year brings new activities, including tricycle jousting, tug-of-war, a KnightÕs Quest and more.
Admission to the dinner and all evening activities is $25 for adults and $20 for students, seniors and children 5 and older. General admission, which does not include dinner, is $10 for adults and $5 for students, seniors and children age 5 and older.
Tickets go on sale March 1; the ticket request form will be on the Web site. To contribute or make a donation to the silent auction, contact Cheryl Marin at cynthia.c.marin@lmco.com or Doreen Hinnant at 703-450-9212. Visit the event Web site at www.nightatthefalls.com.
Dates for SAT and ACT testing for 2005-2006 have been established for Loudoun County Public Schools. The tests are administered on nationally standardized dates and require advanced registration.
Students may register online or may obtain paper registration materials from the guidance office of each high school. Registration and study information is available at www.collegeboard.org for the SAT and at www.act.org for the ACT. Students should register at least six weeks in advance of the tests.
Most colleges require SAT or ACT for college admissions. Some colleges also require certain SAT II subject tests for admissions or placement. Students should check with all of the colleges to which they plan to apply to determine which tests are required and preferred.
Students usually register for the SAT or ACT in their junior year and repeat the test in the senior year. Some students elect to take both the SAT and ACT.
The SAT test dates are:
* April 1: SAT only, Loudoun County High School.
* May 6: SAT and SAT II subject tests, Broad Run High School.
* June 3: SAT and SAT II subject tests, Park View High School.
The ACT test date is April 8, Broad Run High School.
In recognition of student volunteerism in Loudoun County, the Loudoun Volunteer Services Board has established scholarships for graduating seniors from each Loudoun County public and private high school and from the home-school community.
In support of the Student Volunteer Program, the scholarships recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to the Loudoun County community through their volunteer efforts. Different from traditional scholarships, the Loudoun Volunteer Services' Student Scholarships place more emphasis on a demonstrated interest in and service to the community than on academic or athletic excellence.
It is the goal of the Loudoun Volunteer Services Board to provide opportunities and to encourage students to become active in their community through volunteer service. The Loudoun Volunteer Services' Student Scholarships are funded each year through contributions from county businesses and civic groups.
Students should submit the scholarship applications to Loudoun Volunteer Services, 1 Harrison St., S.E., P.O. Box 7000, Leesburg, VA 20177-7000, by the close of business May 1. Applications are available at each school, by visiting www.loudoun.gov/pio/student.htm or by calling 703-777-0113.
Dominion High School's second annual Project Graduation, a night-long celebration of the Class of 2006, will take place June 17, at the high school from 11 p.m.-5 a.m.
This alcohol- and drug-free event, following that morning's graduation exercises, is sponsored by ATLAS and being organized by the parents of underclassmen to provide an exciting, fun-filled, and safe celebration.
The theme will be "A Day at the Beach" and will feature a disc jockey, dancing, games and giveaways. Food is expected to include submarines sandwiches, ice slushies and a chocolate fountain. Door prizes will be drawn all night. A grand prize will be awarded at breakfast.
Many businesses and community organizations have already contributed to make this a truly memorable night for students. Businesses, organizations or individuals that would like to donate items or make a monetary donation are encouraged to contact Jane Lettmann at 703-444-5139 or e-mail Lett10s@aol.com.
The 1976 gradating class of Broad Run High School in Ashburn is holding its 30-year reunion July 22, at the Holiday Inn at Carradoc Hall in Leesburg. The class is looking for classmates and need help from friends and family of alumni. Call Ana Mallory (Miranda) at 847-797-9043 or e-mail BRHS76@comcast.net.
Rising high-school seniors with leadership experience and an interest in government issues can apply for the 2006 Leadership Loudoun Scholarship. All high-school juniors residing in Loudoun County are eligible to apply for $1,500 to attend a summer conference for youth leaders. Homeschool, private school, magnet school and county public school students can apply.
Requirements include a minimum 2.5 grade point average with high-school junior status, an essay Ñ not to exceed 1,000 words Ñ on how attendance at a conference will assist the student in developing leadership abilities, recommendations from school officials and industry members and an interview with the Government Issues Scholarship Committee. After attending the conference, the student will report on his or her experiences and benefits.
Eligible applicants may obtain the packet from high-school counselors or at www.leadershiploudoun.org. Approved conferences and alternative qualifying criteria for homeschooled students are included in the brochure and online.
Those already accepted for student conferences are encouraged to apply for this scholarship.