The Sterling Annex on West Church Road in Sterling is offering several programs in March for ages 5 to 12. Dessert and a Book Club begins March 3, Travel Through Cooking begins March 9, Crafty Saint Patrick's Day Camp is on March 17, Spring Pinata Workshop begins March 22 and Drawing and Watercolor Painting begins March 29. Pre-registration is required. For more information call 703-430-6673.
Among the students with perfect scores in the WordMasters Challenge, a national competition in the language arts, were Catoctin Elementary fourth-grader Carol Decker and Lovettsville Elementary fifth grader Aislin Kavaldjian, representing the Round Hill Futura Center, and Mill Run Elementary fifth grade students Celia Lechtman and Kelleigh Maroney, representing the Eagle Ridge Futura Center. The Eagle Ridge team, supervised by teacher Melanie Harrison, placed seventh in the nation in December's competition, one of three separate competitions held during the school year.
WordMasters, an exercise in critical thinking that encourages students to become familiar with a set of new words, challenges the students to use these words in completing analogies. The following students achieved outstanding results in the December WordMasters meet: Taryn Bromser-Kloeden, Banneker Elementary; Victoria Durand, Catoctin Elementary; Bronwen Hale, Catoctin Elementary;
Patrick Hall-Wurst, Emerick Elementary; Grace Marcellin, Hillsboro Elementary; Ian Miller, Hamilton Elementary; Mark Peterson, Hamilton Elementary; Hayley Potts, Lincoln Elementary; Riley Webster, Lincoln Elementary; Emily Douglas, Lucketts Elementary; Amy Armentrout, Mountain View Elementary; Brendan Goggin, Mountain View Elementary; Kelly McCray, Mountain View Elementary; Chris Soukup, Mountain View Elementary; Mary Katherine Jones, Round Hill Elementary; Katie McDonald, Round Hill Elementary; Jacob Windle, Round Hill Elementary; Alex Oshiro, Waterford Elementary; Francis Hazel, Futura Center; Anna Frazer, Cool Spring Elementary; Stephanie Davis, Cool Spring Elementary; Mitchell Smith, Cool Spring Elementary; Alexander Winemiller, Evergreen Elementary; Quinten Raymon Johnson, Leesburg Elementary; Ann VonWodtke, Leesburg Elementary; Anthony Lim, Leesburg Elementary; Emily Crisp, Mill Run Elementary; Ginger Dali, Cedar Lane Elementary; Tyler Dorman, Hillside Elementary; Catherine Gorick, Hillside Elementary; Julia Harmuson, Cedar Lane Elementary; Casey Hart, Hillside Elementary; Alexander Hiatt, Cedar Lane Elementary; Connor Keirce, Mill Run Elementary; Maria Mencini, Hillside Elementary; Wayne Morris, Mill Run Elementary; Bill Qu, Mill Run Elementary; Jordan Schafer, Mill Run Elementary; Adam Stevenson, Cedar Lane Elementary; David Wyman, Hillside Elementary, and Ester Yang, Cedar Lane Elementary.
“Excellence in the Arts,” an arts competition for student artists, sponsored by The Loudoun Arts Council, was held on Feb. 22 at the Sheila Johnson Performing Arts Center in Middleburg. Awards were given in the following eight categories: theatre, dance, vocal music, instrumental, piano, visual arts, digital arts and literary arts. Winners included:
Piano
First Place – Jasmin Lee, Heritage High School
Second Place – Jin Kyong Kim, Potomac Falls High School
Third Place – Joshua Szimonisz, Park View High School
Honorable Mention – Yesel Jun, Broad Run High School
Instrumental
First Place – Gavin Ruedisueli, Loudoun Valley High School
Vocal
First Place – Adam Rothschild, Loudoun Valley High School
Second Place (tie) – Christian Amonson, Loudoun Valley High School
Second Place (tie) – Brad Cypher, Loudoun County High School
Dance
First Place – Alessandra Casuccio, Stone Bridge High School (Loudoun Ballet)
Second Place – Laurel Snyder, Loudoun Valley High School (Loudoun Ballet)
Third Place – Lauren Hafner, Loudoun County High School
Honorable Mention – Melike Konor, Heritage High School (Loudoun Ballet)
Theater
First Place – Jackson Thompson, Loudoun County High School
Second Place – Morgan El-Shafey, Loudoun Valley High School
Honorable Mention – John Klenk, Stone Bridge High School
Honorable Mention – Molly Coyle, Loudoun County High School
Visual
First Place – Heather Cline, Loudoun Valley High School
Second Place – Krystine Rivera, Stone Bridge High School
Third Place – Kelly Young, Loudoun County High School
Honorable Mention – Katie Snider, Home-schooled
Honorable Mention – Whitney Lasik, Park View High School
Honorable Mention – Riky Saunders, Park View High School
Digital
First Place – Steve Gottschling, Stone Bridge High School
Second Place – Daniel Flisek, Heritage High School
Third Place – Christian Amonson, Loudoun Valley High School
Literary
First Place – Annclaire Livoti (for “Icarus”), Loudoun Valley High School
Second Place – Molly Coyle (for “Bayou Lullaby”), Loudoun County High School
Third Place – Amanda Davis (for “Script"), Potomac Falls High School
A team of Seneca Ridge Middle School students placed second out of 16 teams in the Bull Run Chapter of the Virginia Society of Professional engineers' "Math Counts" competition on Saturday, Feb. 14 at Marsteller Middle School in Prince William County. The 11 students on the Seneca Ridge team were team captain Aaron Dufour, Andrew Livingstone, Akhil Pal, Angela Xu, Sharon Long, Grace Yeon, Sarah Choi, Sara Dufour, Sean Iamsuri, Auesta Safi and Ruchi Pandey. Aaron Dufour won first place individually from a field of 102 contestants. Andrew Livingston placed ninth in the individual competition. Sheryl Dufour and Ginny Carnell were the Seneca Ridge coaches.
Award sponsors are being sought for the 23rd annual Loudoun County Regional Science Fair. The fair will be held on Thursday, March 11, at Stone Bridge High School. The competition phase runs from 8 a.m.-1:30 p.m. with the awards ceremony at 7 p.m. in the Stone Bridge High School auditorium. The Science Fair organizers are especially in need of donors who would sponsor a category and present awards to the first-second-and third-place and honorable mention award winners. Awards can be given in any of the 14 categories (Behavioral and Social Science, Biochemistry, Botany, Chemistry, Computer Science, Earth and space Sciences, Engineering, Environmental Science, Gerontology, Mathematics, Medicine and Health, microbiology, Physics and Zoology). Donations are tax deductible. The Science Fair judges can judge and present special awards or the award sponsor is welcome to do the judging and presentation. All donors and award sponsors are invited to attend the science fair luncheon on the day of the fair. To be a donor, contact LCPS Science Supervisor Odette scovel at the LCPs Science Office 703-669-1437 or e-mail oscovel@loudoun.k12.va.us.
Fourth-graders from Ashburn Elementary School dressed in Colonial attire and participated in activities of the time on Thursday, Feb. 12. The fourth-graders participated in a tea with corn bread; made ink; sang songs; learned to cross-stitch; played games; and had a "tavern lunch." They also had a silhouette created to take home with them.
The students traveled from room to room. In one classroom they played boss-out, one of the oldest marble games, and others called dobblers, Ho-go, picking plums and hundreds.
In another room, the students made ink out of "Mrs. Stuart's Bluing," a product used to make whites whiter in the laundry. When mixed with water, the bluing makes an indigo blue, inky substance that the students wrote with using a feather for a quill. The children brought a "tavern lunch" to eat in their classrooms. Each child brought a bag lunch of fresh fruit or vegetables and a biscuit-type sandwich with ham, turkey or a vegetarian ingredient. They were asked to use dark, whole-grain breads and to avoid bringing pre-packaged food.
Jessica Brown of Sterling has been appointed to the honors list for the Fall 2003 semester at Mary Baldwin College.
Nearly 450 Park View High School honors students received recognition recently, in the form of a personal letter of congratulations from Sterling District Supervisor Eugene Delgaudio and gifts from local businesses. The letters include a special coupon, good for one free sandwich from the Chick-Fil-A at Sugarland Crossing, located in the Sugarland Crossing shopping Center at 46920 Community Plaza in Sterling. It also included a free game from Ultrazone and some had 25 percent discount coupons from Cheng's Pacific restaurant. Delgaudio has made a practice of sending congratulatory letters to honors students as those lists are made available to his office and will continue to do so in his next term. He encourages more area businesses to join him and other Sterling establishments in recognizing and rewarding Sterling's honor students.
The National Merit Scholarship Program has named Erin Hart, daughter of Bryne and Brenda Hart of Potomac Falls, a commended scholar. Hart is a senior at Paul VI Catholic High School in Fairfax.
Students at Dominion Trail Elementary School watched a professional theater production of "Charlotte's Web" on Friday, Feb. 20. Actors from the Theatreworks USA touring company presented E.B. White's classic. "The program explores bravery, selfless love, and the true meaning of friendship, "said Principal Sharon Keegan. "The troupe took two hours to put up the scenery for the one-hour production." The actors changed costumes to portray the barnyard animals, the farmers and youngsters and even the spider, Charlotte.
The Advisory Board of the Ashburn Library, a branch of the Loudoun County Public Library, is accepting applications for a scholarship of $250 and the donation of a reference book to the Ashburn Library in honor of the award recipient. All 2004 high school graduates who will attend a post secondary school in the fall of 2004, and who attend either Broad Run High School or Stone Bridge High School, are eligible to apply. Seniors applying must demonstrate scholastic ability and interest in reading and library activities. Candidates applying must possess a current Loudoun County library card, complete an application (available at the information Desk of the Ashburn Library, and Guidance Office at Broad Run and Stone Bridge High School) and submit the application by midnight April 14. Award selection will be made by the Ashburn Library Advisory Board. For more information and to receive an application, call or visit the Ashburn Library, 43316 Hay Road, Ashburn, P: 703-737-8100V/TTY.
Loudoun Hospital Center is accepting applications for the summer high school student volunteer program. Students must complete the 8th grade by June to participate in the eight week program. Volunteers may help in many different areas, including radiology, lab, medical/surgical floors, pharmacy, physical medicine and rehabilitation, nursing and rehabilitation, food services, and the information desk. Opportunities are available at the Lansdowne and Cornwall. Deadline is Apr. 1. Call Joyce Sargent at 703-858-6468.
Loudoun Volunteer Services is offering ten $500 scholarships to seniors, one for each Loudoun public high school with a graduating class, one for C.S. Monroe Technology Center, to one senior student in a private school and to one home-schooled senior. Students who have performed volunteer service at their church, school or for their community and who have a pending acceptance to an accredited college, business or vocational school are eligible for the scholarship. Students should submit their scholarship application to Loudoun Volunteer Services, 1 Harrison St. SE, P.O. Box 7000, Leesburg, VA 20177-7000, by the close of business on April 5, 2004. Applications are available at each school, by visiting www.loudoun.gov/pio/student.htm or by calling Lisa Rose, Volunteer Coordinator at 703-777-0113. Scholarship winners are selected by the Loudoun Volunteer Services Student Volunteer Program Committee, based on a demonstrated contribution to the community through volunteer service. Various clubs, community organizations and corporations from throughout the region donate money for these scholarships. To learn more about Loudoun Volunteer Services visit www.loudoun.gov/pio/volunteer.htm.
The 10th Congressional District Art Show will be Saturday, April 3, at Heritage High School in Loudoun County. The competition is open to all high school students in the 10th District. Students interested in participating should contact their school's art teachers or principals for detailed information on how to enter their work. All pieces entered in the competition will be displayed at the show, which will be open to the public from 12-2 p.m. at Heritage High School, 520 Evergreen Mill Road SE, Leesburg. The entry named "Best in Show" will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol for a year, alongside "Best in Show" entries from similar shows in congressional districts across the country.
Daybreak Community Church will present the one-man, character-building "The Pro-Kids Show" on Friday, March 12 at 7 p.m. in Farmwell Station Middle School's auditorium. For more information, call Ralph Metzler at Pro-Kids at 703-404-2737.
The Virginia Commission for the Arts selected 276 elementary and secondary teachers representing schools throughout Virginia to receive 2003-2004 Teacher Incentive Grant Program funding. Certified elementary or secondary teachers currently employed by a Virginia educational institution (PK-12) were eligible to apply. The following teachers were among those who received the grants: Brian D. Kirk and Tim Paganos, Stone Bridge High School.
The PTSO of Stone Bridge High School is seeking vendors to participate in their annual Home & Garden Fair. All area businesses involved with any aspect of home building, decorating, furnishing and/or landscaping are invited to participate. The fair will be held on May 1 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the SBHS facilities. To reserve a space or obtain more information, contact Janet Klancher at 703-729-5975.
Stone Bridge High School Booster Club will be sponsoring a mulch sale with delivery scheduled for Saturday, April 17. The cost is $3.25 per 3 cu. ft. bag of premium shredded hardwood mulch. Free delivery of 25 or more bags within a five mile radius; smaller orders may be picked up at the high school between 9 a.m. and noon on April 17. Order forms are due no later than Friday, March 19. For more information, contact Tim Buchholz at 703-307-6812 or email timbuch2@aol.com.
Park View High School's graduation has changed from 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 17.
Stone Bridge High School's Project Graduation is raffling off a 2004 Nissan Sentra in a Car or Cash sweepstakes. Project Graduation sponsors an alcohol-free, drug-free, tobacco-free, all night party for graduating seniors. All proceeds of the Car or Cash Sweepstakes will go to support this event. Winners of this raffle may choose the car, donated by Brown's Sterling Nissan, or $10,000. Only 600 tickets, costing $30 each, will be sold. The winner will be announced at 10 a.m. on Thursday, April 1 at the high school. The winner does not have to be present to win but is required to be a licensed driver. Entry forms are available in the Stone Bridge High School office, in the school's newsletter and on its web site, www.loudoun.k12.va.us/schools/sbhs/. Checks may be made payable to "SBHS Project Grad" with the note "Sweepstakes." Entry forms may be mailed to: SBHS Project Graduation, 43100 Hay Road, Ashburn, VA 20147. A receipt/ticket will be returned by mail. For more information, call 703-729-2379 or 703-729-5717.