Ad Fontes Academy, a K-12 classical Christian school, will hold an open house Friday, Dec. 12 at 8:30 a.m. for grades K-6 at the Chantilly campus. The headmaster will explain how Ad Fontes teaches Biblically and classically. Call 703-266-8300. The next open house for the upper school will be Jan. 13. Visit the Web site at www.adfontes.com.
The sixth-grade chorus at Centre Ridge Elementary has been invited to sing at the National Park Service's Pageant of Peace on the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., on Friday, Dec. 12 at 6 p.m. This will be the 10th year the school has performed at the Pageant of Peace. One highlight of the show will be "March of the Christmas Children," featuring students from 10 different countries in their native costumes. The Centre Ridge chorus will also perform "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers," a song depicting the story of toy soldiers and dolls that come to life after dark.
Administration of the Scholastic Achievement Test (SAT), which was originally scheduled for Dec. 6 but was canceled due to inclement weather, has been rescheduled for Saturday, Dec. 20. All test takers should report to their assigned testing sites on the same schedule that was provided for the Dec. 6 test. Chantilly High and Robinson Secondary are testing sites. Registered test takers who are unable to attend on the scheduled makeup date or have other questions should contact the College Board at http://www.collegeboard.com/sat/html/center_closings_alert.html or 609-771-7600.
News from Massanutten Military Academy:
* Cadet Nathan Karcher of Centreville has earned the Bronze Eagle Academic Award for the first quarter. Bronze Eagles are cadets who achieve a GPA of 3.0 to 3.49 on a scale of 4.0. Karcher also received a varsity letter in golf, the most valuable player award, and was named All-Conference Second Team (tied for 7th overall). The ninth-grader is the son of Chris and Helen Karcher of Centreville.
* Cadet Zachary Mondres has earned a varsity letter in football and was named the most valuable player. Mondres also received a physical fitness ribbon. Mondres is the son of Eric and rebecca Mondres of Centreville. He is a 10th grader at the academy.
* Cadet Peter Kirschner of Centreville has earned a physical fitness ribbon. The 11th grader is the son of Joe and Brenda Kirschner of Centreville.
Westfield High School Theatre Boosters will present Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" from Dec. 19-21 at Westfield High School. This family friendly play tells the story of miserly Scrooge and his visits by four wise and humorous ghosts. Madrigal singers (played by Westfield's Chamber Singers) will add the sounds of the season to the production. Booster parent Jim Mitchell will play Scrooge and Westfield Theatre Department director Scott Pafumi will play Bob Cratchit. In keeping with the traditions of the holiday season, the cast of 70 is a family affair and includes several combinations of parent-children and student-sibling combinations performing together on Westfield's stage. "A Christmas Carol" opens on Friday, Dec. 19, at 8 p.m., followed by performances on Saturday, Dec. 20, at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 21, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students. Running time is 90 minutes including intermission and the show is appropriate for all ages. Call the Westfield High School Theatre Office at 703-488-6430.
Helen Arzola, a teacher at London Towne Elementary, has earned national board certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in 2003. To date, a total of 184 Fairfax County Public Schools teachers have earned their national board certification from the NBPTS. The teachers work toward certification during a single academic year. The certification process involves participating in professional development and learning how to deepen subject matter knowledge and become more skillful in daily classroom instruction and student assessment. NBPTS certification is meant to complement, not replace, state licensing requirements.
<lst>The Chantilly High School Indoor Percussion Ensemble will be selling Christmas Trees during the holiday season. Sales began on Sunday, Nov. 29 in the side parking lot of the school on Stringfellow Road. Trees are priced from $30-$50. Proceeds from the sale will be used for competition trips.
Westfield High School Guitar Program announces its holiday program:
* Dec. 13 at 7 p.m. — Tysons Corner Mall Holiday Stage;
* Dec. 18 and 19 at 10 a.m. — Westfield High for Theater Holiday Show;
* Dec. 19 at 3 p.m. — Hecht's Stage at Dulles Town Center.
The Grinch and other holiday stories will be performed on Dec. 18 and 19, at 10 a.m. at Westfield High. Perfect for small children, the program features three holiday stories performed by theater students: "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas," "The Night Before Christmas" and "It's a Wonderful Life." Also Westfield Guitar students will lead the audience in carol singing. This is the third annual presentation of these holiday classics. Tickets are $3. Call 703-488-6430 for tickets.
Jonathan Quigley, the son of Georgene Quigley-Wheaton of Centreville, has been awarded The C. Spencer Godfrey Scholarship at Randolph-Macon Academy in Front Royal. A senior at the Academy, Jonathan was formerly awarded the scholarship at a recent ceremony during Family Weekend on Nov. 9. During the same weekend, he performed the lead role in the school play "Don't Drink the Water" by Woody Allen. Jonathan is also the drum major for R-MA's marching band.
William "Billy" Ralston, the son of Dr. Ernest Ralston of Centreville, and Teri Rose Hart of Centreville, has been awarded The Air Force Association Scholarship at Randolph-Macon Academy in Front Royal.
A junior at the Academy, Billy was formally awarded the scholarship at a recent ceremony during Family Weekend. The scholarship was established by the members of the Northern Shenandoah Valley Chapter of the Air Force Association.
NVTA, a non-profit organization of community theaters in the metropolitan area, announces its 8th annual scholarships for high school seniors interested in performance or technical theater. A $1,000 performance scholarship in drama or musical theater will be awarded as well as a $1,000 technical scholarship in either set design, costuming, lighting or makeup/hair design. The application deadline is Feb. 9, 2004. For an application or more information, call Anne Ridgway at 703-330-2787, ext. 13.
Colin L. Powell Elementary School will be holding a Winter Carnival on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2004 from 2-6 p.m. at the school which is located at 13340 Leland Road in Centreville. This will be an indoor carnival with exciting activities for children and adults. There will be three large moonbounce/obstacle course inflatable activities for children from preschool to middle school age. There will be lots of games, a silent auction, live band, face painting and more. Among items already donated for the silent auction are tickets to The Kennedy Center, gifts from area businesses and theme baskets from each classroom. Contact Shirley Gastelle at sgastelle@cox.net or 703-968-4268 (home) or Rosalind Williams at 703-815-2737 or via email at rosalindwilliams@cox.net
The Westfield Art Department is selling White House ornaments again this year as a major fund-raiser. Ornaments are $17 and all proceeds will be used to buy supplies for the Westfield High School's art department. Call 703-488-6577 to place an order. Quantities are limited.
Chantilly High School will offer musical groups to entertain at local holiday parties as a fund-raiser. Small groups of about eight carolers will be available to perform. The money will be used to offset the cost of their music trips. Instead of a set fee, they are asking for a donation to Chantilly Music Boosters. To schedule a group to perform at your party, contact Lynn Traverso at e-mail richtrav@earthlink.net or call 703-378-6312.