<bt>Send announcements to The Herndon Connection, 7913 Westpark Drive, McLean, VA 22102, e-mail to herndon@connectionnewspapers.com or fax to 703-917-0991. Deadline is Friday before publication. Photos/artwork encouraged.
<bt>Rachel Carson Middle School will present "Rachel Carson 2002 - A Tribute to America," a patriot presentation by students and faculty. The 7 p.m. event will include musical performances, artwork, literature.
<bt>The Herndon High School Alumni Classes have an annual picnic the first Sunday in June at Algonkian Park Shelter #1, Sterling. This year it is hoped that the 1962 class will join so a mailing list needs to be done. Names, addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses may be sent to Kathryn Harrison Farrar at 11718 Leesburg Pike, Herndon, VA 20170. E-mail address: kayfar@bigplanet.com. Phone number: 703-430-3975.
<bt>The Band Boosters of Oakton High School annual Florida Citrus Sale is under way now through March. This year Honey and Fall Glo tangerines; navel, Temple and Valencia oranges; Ruby Red and Marsh White grapefruit; and Mineola and Honeybell tangelos are being sold. Fruit is picked and shipped within a week of ordering. Call 703-324-4214.
<bt>The Virginia Department of Education is accepting applications for the 2002 Summer Residential Governor’s Schools and the 2002 Governor's Foreign Language Academies. The residential school is a four- or five-week program in humanities, mathematics, science, technology, agriculture, visual and performing arts, and mentoring in medicine and life science, engineering and marine science for rising juniors and seniors. The foreign-language academies offer multi-week programs in French, Spanish, German, Latin, Japanese and Russian to rising seniors and juniors. For information on the residential program go to www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/Instruction/Govschools/srgs2002.html. For information on the language academies go to www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/Instruction/Language/GAindex.html.
<bt>After Prom is a fun, safe, alcohol-free event attended by many high school juniors and seniors. Activities, prizes, and food are provided. The After Prom event runs from the evening of May 18 to the morning of May 19, 2002, at the YMCA. If you are interested in volunteering your time or would like to make a donation, call Debbie Kimball at 703-444-1753 or e-mail at dkimball@usgs.gov.
\
<bt>The major fund raiser for Herndon High School is the selling of Grocery Certificates. Giant, Shoppers Food Warehouse, and Food Lion are participating. Support students by purchasing these certificates from Joni Ogden at 703-471-4274 or e-mail her at JOgden6040@aol.com with the subject "SCRIP."
<bt>Applications to the Herndon Optimist Club’s annual scholarships are being accepted. Scholarships, up to $1000, can be used for most kinds of education. The scholarship program is open to individuals up to 24 years old who meet one or more of the following requirements:
* Are students at, or have graduated from, Herndon High School.
* Would normally attend (or would have attended) Herndon High School, but who attend/attended either a private or other public schools because of special educational requirements.
* Have participated in Herndon Optimist Club sponsored programs (sports, oratorical or essay contest etc.).
Additional criteria to be considered include: financial need, involvement in extracurricular and/or community activities, academic performance and recommendations or references. For information, call 703-435-1387 by April 20.
<bt>The following local high school reunions are being planned for the summer and fall of 2002. First-Class Reunions is in the process of locating alumni for the 2002 reunion season. Alumni should contact FCR at 888-327-1984 or visit the web site at www.fcreunions.com to update their information.
Herndon, Class of 1982, 20-Year Reunion, TBD date, TBD location
Oakton, Class of 1982, 20-Year Reunion, July 27, Sheraton Premiere - Tyson's Corner
Oakton, Class of 1987, 15-Year Reunion, November 29, 2002, Sheraton Premiere - Tyson's Corner
Oakton, Class of 1992, 10-Year Reunion, August 10, 2002, Holiday Inn - Old Town Alexandria
South Lakes Reston, Class of 1992, 10-Year Reunion, August 17, 2002, Sheraton Reston - Reston
<bt>Rachel Carson Middle School had ten students selected for the Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors District XII Junior Band. The event took place at South Lakes High School on Feb. 1-3, under the direction of Cheryl Floyd from Austin, Tex. Carson participants were Bailee Barfield, flute; Ryan Stahl, Becca Roberts, Sam Kodama, clarinet; Christie Falco, bass clarinet; Kristen Reynolds, tenor sax; Katie Pocalyko, French horn; Jennifer Francis, Danny Parker, trombone; Matt Winchell, baritone.
<bt>Students from Rachel Carson Middle School participated in the Virginia Choral Directors Association District XII Middle School Choir on Feb. 8-9, at Oakton High School. Singers representing Carson were Vidya Avadhanam, Heather Hillery, Stephanie Woo, Madeleine Haugh, Marjorie Boehlert, Suzanne Lee, sopranos; Katie Farwell, Kim Skeritt, Faith McAuliffe, Bekah Wilens, Amanda Campbell, Chantal Jones, altos; Colin Harell, Randy Wang, Paul Cooper, Ahmad Abdullah, tenors; and Kyle Taura and Daniel Hwung, basses. The conductor for the event was Mary Ann Casey of Stafford, Va.
<bt>Rosalind Hamill, Madeleine Haugh, and Faith McAuliffe of Rachel Carson Middle School have been selected for the American choral Directors Association Southern Division Women's Honors Choir which will perform in Charlotte, N.C., Feb. 28-March 2. Dr. Anton Armstrong of St. Olaf's College will be the conductor for this 200-voice choir.
<bt>David Kissam and Sarah Adamson were awarded the Certificate of Merit for their paintings entered in the Scholastic Art Awards. The Scholastic Art Awards have been conducted for 65 years and encourages and recognizes middle and high school achievement in the visual arts. Along with national and regional co-sponsors, the awards have become the largest and oldest competition of its kind in the United States.
<bt>Alex Donskoy was the winner of the Geography Bee at Rachel Carson middle School. Alex, a seventh grader, will now compete at the regional level. Runners-up were Alex Purcell and Kalyani Parthasarathy.
<bt>Students from Rachel Carson Middle School in Herndon received top honors in the Council level of the Reflections contest. Winners were Kelly Meanor, first place (literature); Lauren Ruth, first place (music), Alex Chung, first place (visual arts); Annie Brown, second place (photography).
<bt>Margy Natalie, science teacher at Rachel Carson Middle School in Herndon, is the recipient of two grants given by the Aerospace Education Foundation to be used in fostering aviation in the middle school curriculum. One grant must be used to "introduce or continue to establish knowledge of aviation science, science or mathematics in the classroom," and the other grant is given to a Virginia teacher who includes aviation in her curriculum.
Natalie sponsors the aviation club at Carson Middle School and will use the grant money to purchase materials for making and flying control line aircraft. Members of the Northern Virginia Control Line Club will be coming to Carson Middle School to show some of their planes and to help students learn how to fly them. Natalie is also a member of the Experimental Aircraft Association.