The Chantilly High School Indoor Percussion Ensemble launched its 2003 season with an outstanding performance of Stravinsky's "The Firebird" at the "Mirage of Colors" competition at McLean High School on Jan. 25. Chantilly received the highest score of the day regardless of class.
Members of the 41-person drumline performed a unique program which included clashing cymbals, a battery of drummers in formations and 26 stationary keyboard percussionists playing marimbas, xylophones, bells, triangles and an empty propane tank.
The Drumline has an active schedule for the spring, including travel to local competitions, a trip to Nashville, Tenn., and performances at the WGI World Championships in Dayton, Ohio.
Chantilly is a two-time defending Atlantic Indoor Association Champions. The Drumline is directed by Alan Johnson, assistant director of bands at Chantilly. He is assisted by Paul Erickson, Kurt Akers, Guido Aceto and Patrick Austin Moss.
Rufus Timothy Brinn III, son of Mr. and Mrs. Rufus T. Brinn Sr., of Chantilly, was named to the honor roll at Fishburne Military School in Waynesboro, VA, for the first semester. To qualify for this honor, Tim maintained a GPA of 2.5 or higher and did not have any grade below a C.
Omar Samaha, son of Joseph and Mona Samaha of Centreville, is serving as a member of the Lynchburg College Student Emergency Medical Service (EMS) rescue squad at Lynchburg College, a private college in central Virginia. He is a freshman at the college.
Cadet Peter Kirschner recently received a varsity letter in football at Massanutten Military Academy in Woodstock, Va. Kirschner is the son of Joe and Brenda Kirschner of Centreville. He is a 10th-grader at the Academy.
The following Syracuse University students enrolled in the College of Visual and Performing Arts were named to the Dean's List for the Fall 2002 semester:
* Brian Rismiller of Welton Drive in Centreville is a sophomore majoring in illustration.
* Jaime Fraser of Bokel Drive in Chantilly is a sophomore majoring in drama.
These students enrolled in Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications were named to the Dean's List for the Fall 2002 semester:
* Ryan Korby of Yellow Poplar Drive in Centreville is a freshman majoring in broadcast journalism.
* Jaime Fraser of Bokel Drive in Chantilly is a sophomore majoring in public relations.
Sarah Cummins of Centreville was named to the Syracuse University Dean's List for the Fall 2002 semester. She is a junior majoring in architecture.
The following Mary Washington College students were named to the college's President's List (all A's) for the fall semester of the 2002-03 academic year:
* Bradford J. Frost, a sophomore from Fairfax.
* Akash K. Sinha, a senior from Fairfax.
The following students were named to the Mary Washington College Dean's List for the Fall Semester 2002:
* Andrew N. Brown, a sophomore from Centreville.
* Kristin L. Farrell, a senior from Centreville.
* Erin J. McTigue, a senior from Centreville.
* Kate S. Paris, a freshman from Centreville.
* Christina A. Shutt, a sophomore from Centreville.
* Alyssa M. Tice, a senior from Centreville.
* Diana L. Tisinger, a senior from Centreville.
* Caitlin N. Kinkead, a junior from Centreville.
* Ann C. Moulis, a junior from Centreville.
* Joanna M. Duggan, a sophomore from Clifton.
* Rachel C. Goldman, a freshman from Clifton.
* Daniel P. Freret, a senior from Chantilly.
* Stephanie A. Malast, a sophomore from Chantilly.
* Lauren DeAngelis, a junior from Fairfax.
* Margaret K. Duffett, a senior from Fairfax.
* John R. Beck, a freshman from Fairfax.
* Noah B. Cincinnati, a sophomore from Fairfax.
* Lisa M. Egan, a sophomore from Fairfax.
Cluster VII, of the Fairfax County Public Schools, is hosting its annual Community Meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 19, at 7 p.m., at Rocky Run Middle School's Little Theater, 4400 Stringfellow Road, Chantilly. This is an opportunity to meet with the Springfield and Sully District School Board members as well as At-Large members of the FCPS School Board. The FY2004 budget will be discussed and the public will be able to meet with School Board members.
The Westfield High School PTSA will host an overview of the Virginia Standards of Learning and No Child Left Behind Act in the school's lecture hall on Thursday, Feb. 20, at 7 p.m. Virginia Delegates Tim Hugo and Gary Reese, and Senators Ken Cuccinelli and Jay O'Brien have been invited to attend. The WHS administrative staff will present updated information about the SOL appeals process and verified credits requirements for graduation.
The No Child Left Behind Act will seriously impact students and the school — parents should attend so that they can make the right decisions for their children.
Kathy Smith, FCPS Sully District School Board member, will be the guest speaker at the Westfield PTSA meeting on March 20 at 7 p.m. in the school's lecture hall. Smith will share information about current FCPS issues and describe the School Board's activities.
The Westfield PTSA will award three $1,000 5K Race scholarships to selected members of the Class of 2003. Applications are available in the Westfield High School Career Office and applicants must submit their applications by March 14. Contact Birgit Retson, PTSA president, at 703-488-6300.
Westfield High School's Class of 2003 is gearing up for its annual bagged mulch sale. Proceeds from the sale go to the alcohol- and drug-free All-Night Grad Celebration for the class of 2003. The mulch will be delivered on March 15. The high-quality double shredded hardwood mulch is sold in three cubic feet bags for $3.98 each. Delivery is free for the purchase of 15 or more bags. Orders smaller than 15 bags may be picked up at the school on March 15. Deadlines for all orders is March 7. To order your mulch, send a check or money order to: Westfield High School, All-Night Grad Party, 4700 Stonecroft Blvd., Chantilly, VA 20151. Make checks payable to WHS ANGP. Include the amount of mulch you want, delivery address and subdivision. Contact Pat or Doug Bishop at 703-631-3463.
Centreville High School's Class of 2003 is also holding a bagged mulch sale as a fund-raiser for the After-Grad party. Each bag contains 3 cu.ft. of high-quality shredded hardwood mulch which will be delivered to homes on March 22. The cost is $4 per bag. Delivery orders and pickup orders must be placed by March 15 for delivery to homes on March 22. To place orders, mail a check payable to CVHS Project Graduation, Centreville High School, Project Graduation '03, 6001 Union Mill Rd., Clifton, VA 20124. Orders may be placed online at http://www.chsmulch.com. Call Bud Gibson at 703-266-0639.
Fairfax County Public Schools is seeking retired scientists, engineers and other individuals with science backgrounds for the RE-SEED Program. RE-SEED (Retirees Enhancing Science Education through Experiments and Demonstrations) is a project that trains volunteers to work with science teachers in county middle schools, high schools, and professional/technical academies. Persons with backgrounds in life sciences, physics, chemistry, geosystems, physical science, engineering, physics and robotics are needed. Volunteers assist teachers in the development, set-up and implementation of experiments and demonstrations designed to help students investigate basic scientific concepts and apply these concepts to everyday situations. New volunteer training will take place on Thursday, Feb. 20. Contact Sharon DeBragga, Coordinator for Fairfax County at 703-227-2388, or via email at Sharon.Debragga@fcps.edu.
Parents of rising seventh-graders are invited to Parents' Night at Liberty Middle School on Thursday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m. If you know parents of sixth-graders, pass the word along. Parents of rising eighth-graders can look forward to their own Parents' Night on March 11 at 7 p.m. at Liberty. Contact Pam Cunningham, Director of Student Services at Liberty Middle School at 703-988-8200.
A basketball game between Lees Corner sixth-graders and Oak Hill sixth-graders will take place on Friday, Feb. 21 from 6-8 p.m. in the Chantilly High School gym.
The Deer Park PTA invites the community to its Art Auction presented by Avatar Galleries on Friday, Feb. 21, from 7-10 p.m. Tickets are $10 per person in advance and $15 per person at the door. Complimentary dessert and coffee will be served. A cash bar will be available all evening. The preview hour is from 7-8 p.m. and the auction is from 8-10 p.m. Call Jenni Aiello at 703-815-2080.
Westfield High School will hold a Basket Bingo cheerleading fund-raiser on Sunday, Feb. 23 in the school cafeteria. Doors open at 1 p.m. and Bingo begins at 2 p.m. Prizes include Longaberger and Henn Workshop Baskets filled with an Americana Theme plus raffles and door prizes. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. The tickets include one bingo card for each of 20 games played and one raffle ticket. Call Cathy Voyten at 703-818-7033 or Karen Fontana at 703-266-7729.
<lst>News from Centreville Elementary School:
* Due to the snow and cancellation of school on Feb. 7, the CES Movie Night was also cancelled. The "Spy Kids 2" movie has been rescheduled for March 14.
* Each Monday Area Band will meet from 2:30-4:00 (except 2/17)
* Each Tuesday the Homework Club will be meeting.
* Thursday, Feb. 13, the Jump Rope for Heart will be held from 2-6 p.m.
* Friday, Feb. 14 — Beginning Band will be having a concert at 9:30 a.m. in the cafeteria. Also, the fifth-graders will be going to the National Symphony Orchestra.
* Sunday, Feb. 16 — CES will be having Skate Night.
* Monday, Feb. 17 — No school due to President's Day holiday.
* Thursday, Feb. 27 — Second-grade musical in the cafeteria.
* The next PTA meeting will be Thursday, March 6 at 7 p.m. If you haven't joined the PTA and would like to, contact the office for more information.
Fairfax County Public Schools is actively recruiting teachers, librarians, and counselors for the 2003-04 school year. A teacher job fair will be held on Saturday, March 8, at Oakton High School. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Oakton High, 2900 Sutton Road in Vienna. The job fair is for secondary school and special education teachers. Registration is from Feb. 12 through March 4. Call 703-750-8533 to schedule an interview. Preregistration is required. In the event of inclement weather, it will be held on March 15.
Fairfax County Public Schools will co-sponsor the 11th Annual Northern Virginia Regional Student Mediation Conference on March 11 and 12 at GMU. The conference is for students, teachers, counselors, administrators, parents, and community volunteers from nearly 250 schools in conjunction with the George Mason University (GMU) Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution (ICAR). The conference will focus on mediation in secondary schools on the first day, Tuesday, March 11, and on elementary schools on the second day, Wednesday, March 12. The theme of the 2003 conference is Conflict Resolution Skills: The Power to Make a Difference. Contact Marjorie Bleiweis, FCPS Safe and Drug-Free Youth Section, at 703-876-5247.
Lees Corner Elementary will sponsor a Fun Fair on Saturday, March 22 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The school is located at 13500 Hollinger Ave., Chantilly. What's new this year is a moonbounce, jump shot basketball, space ship obstacle course, spin art and more. Contact Pam Dockins at 703-471-1455.
World Heritage is seeking local host families for high school boys and girls from Spain, France, Germany, Thailand, Great Britain, Japan, Mexico or Brazil through World Heritage International Student Exchange Program. Host families provide room, board, and guidance for a teenager living thousands of miles from home. Students are well screened and are selected based on academic performance, English proficiency, teacher recommendations and personal interviews. Couples, single parents and families with or without children in the home are encouraged to apply. The students arrive shortly before school begins in fall 2003. Call Wyndy Fredrick at 1-800-888-9040 or 703-435-8948 or visit the Web site at www.world-heritage.org.
The Children's Friendship Project for Northern Ireland is seeking local families to help with the peace and reconciliation effort in Northern Ireland. Consider hosting a pair of Protestant and Roman Catholic teens (boys or girls ages 15 to 18) in your home for four weeks this summer. To be eligible, families must provide a safe-neutral setting for the teens to get to know one another, a single bedroom for them to share, and day-long adult supervision. For more information or to obtain a host family application, contact Melinda Grochowski at 703-478-6291, or visit the Web site at www.cfpni.org.
Chantilly High School's class of 1993 is trying to locate alumni for its 10-year reunion. The date and location are still being decided. Contact First-Class Reunions at 888-327-1984 or visit the Web site at www.fcreunions.com to update information.
A Chantilly High Alumni Club is being started by Debra Weeks Alexander and her husband Joe, co-presidents of the Chantilly Athletic Booster Club. They hope to reunite Chantilly grads, as well as their parents, and get them involved in school spirit to make Chantilly a real, hometown school. Call the Chantilly Booster Hotline at 703-912-4002 and leave a message. Or call the Alexanders at 703-620-3434.
Centreville Elementary is expanding its after-school, homework/activities club for grades three through six. It'll go from one to two evenings a week, from 3:45 to 5 or 5:30 p.m. The school provides a snack and transportation home, plus homework help and various leisure activities. Some 140 children are expected to participate, but community volunteers are needed to help staff it; call Principal Jim Latt at 703- 502-3500.
The Centreville High School After-Prom Committee is selling a "Four Season Wildcat Blanket" to raise money for the After-Prom Drug/Alcohol Free Event in May, 2003. It is 56 x 70-inches, black/charcoal w/blue imprint, water-resistant nylon on one side that reverses to a cozy, non-pilling poly fleece. The hooded blanket folds up into a handy carrying bag with two pouches and a snap closure. Price: $35 after Jan. 1. Questions and orders, contact Liz Birk at 202-216-8607 or at 703-830-3513.
Fairfax County Public Schools will offer 14 high school courses online through its Online Campus for summer school 2003. The Online Campus offers regular education courses that are as challenging as in-class courses, with mandatory daily attendance, midterm and final exams, and Standards of Learning (SOL) testing. The classes are offered at no charge to FCPS students, but require the approval of the high school guidance counselor.
While it is not intended to replace the face-to-face classroom, the FCPS Online Campus offers choices for students who: are homebound or home schooled, need a class or two to graduate on time, need to catch up, or need to work but want to complete the requirements for a high school diploma. Information about the FCPS Online Campus can be found on its Web site at http://www.fcps.edu/DIS/OHSICS/onlinecampus/
NVTA, a non-profit organization of community theaters in the Washington, D.C. area, announces its seventh annual scholarships for high school seniors interested in either performance or technical theater. A $1,000 performance scholarship in drama or musical theater is awarded as well as a $1,000 technical scholarship in either set design, costuming, lighting or makeup/hair design. The application deadline is Feb. 10, 2003. To receive an application or for more information, call Anne Ridgway at 703-330-2787.