<i>Send announcements to The Connection, 7913 Westpark Drive, McLean, VA 22102, e-mail to
herndon@connectionnewspapers.com or fax to 703-917-0991. Deadline is two weeks before the event. Photos/artwork encouraged. Call Jean Card at 703-917-6437, with questions.
This free listing is reserved for activities and events that are open to the public at no or minimal cost. </i>
Pinkman Baseball Academy will conduct a series of educational summer baseball camps this summer. The July skills camps will run July 18-21. The August transition camps will run Aug. 1-4 and Aug. 8-11.
Camps will be held at South Lakes High School in Reston, the EDS fields in Herndon, and CP1 and CP2 in Chantilly.
These camps will offer pitching, catching, infielding and outfielding in the morning session, followed by a hitting session, a lunch break, and games in the afternoon.
Regional transportation will be provided from Fair Oaks Mall, Tysons Corner, and Dulles Town Center Mall. Pick up at 8:30 a.m. and drop off at 3:30 p.m. To ensure a meaningful experience, registration is limited. Visit www.pinkmanbaseball.com or call 703-661-8586.
A Serengeti Trek where kids are wild about God is being offered at Saint Matthew's Episcopal Church, 201 E. Frederick Drive in Sterling. The trek will guide children ages 4 through fifth grade for a week of wild adventure fun featuring exotic crafts, unforgettable music, exciting games and thrilling Bible stories. The Trek lasts for one week — July 25-29, in the evenings from 5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Dinner will be served to the hungry explorers. Registration has begun. The cost is $25 for one child, $35 for two siblings, no more than $40 per family. Visit our Web site at www.stmatthewssterling.org to download the registration forms or call Jodie Leach at 703-421-6310 or e-mail at jodieleach2@aol.com.
Starshine Theater at The Langley School Summer Studio presents "Hang-Gliding Through the Sky of Mind — The Life of Leonardo da Vinci." In this original stage production written for young actors, ages 9 through 16 years, students will enter the amazing world and mind of history's greatest visionary, Leonardo da Vinci. All participants will receive speaking roles as they become the characters who shaped Leonardo's quests for great inventions and great art. More characters will enter the stage as those who came after, looking back at the works and shrouding them in criticism and mystery. The play is written and directed by Patricia Budwig.
Students will also receive solo/lead opportunities in singing — live and recorded, action/dance choreography, battle sequences and assistant director roles. Combining set and costume design, coaching in stage movement, voice and acting techniques, and a compact disc soundtrack for each participating family, this intensive performance program promises to transport each student — and their audience — to the magical world of live theater.
Rehearsals, recording session and performances will take place at The Langley School in McLean from July 11-23. Contact Patricia Budwig, play director, at StarshineTheater@aol.com, or 703-790-9050 soon, as the cast is filling quickly.
The Rising Stars Summer Theatre Workshop. This fun-filled one week camp is divided into two programs, one for rising third grade-rising fifth grade students and one for rising sixth grade-rising ninth grade students. It offers the chance to learn basic acting, improvisation and production skills, culminating in a performance on the last day of camp. Both programs will be given at Herndon High School July 25-29 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. The cost is $175 for either program. The directors are: John Whapham, Herndon High School theatre director and Scott Pafumi, Westfields High School theatre director. Visit http://www.herndondrama.org/rising_stars.htm.
The Paladin Program at Chesterbrook Academy is now accepting registration for the Paladin Academic Summer Camp. This program is for students in need of educational intervention, enrichment, and/or retention of previously learned concepts. It is a highly structured program with a small student-to-teacher ratio. The camp will run from June 20 through August 12 and students can sign up for two-week increments. Contact Katie McGahan, Paladin program director, at 703-397-0555 or 703-404-0202 or e-mail Katie.McGahan@nlcinc.com.
Youth ages 12 to 15 can explore the outdoors from Great Falls to the Bull Run River. Navigate a woodland compass course, bicycle along a stream valley trail and canoe the marshes of Lake Accotink. Science and history come alive through hiking, orienteering, wildlife observation and journal writing as we explore watersheds, people and geology. Camp will be conducted by Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Annandale, July 18-22, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The cost is $125 per person. Fee includes van transportation to excursion locations during four days of camp. Phone or walk in registration begins April 13 at 9 a.m. Call 703-941-1065.
Potomac Adventure Camp offers youngsters ages 12 to 15 the chance to explore the Potomac River. Campers can discover the mysteries of this naturally and historically unique waterway by rafting, hiking and biking at different locations. Discover wildlife through observation and learn outdoor skills to enhance your knowledge of the environment. This year’s camp will feature an overnight camping excursion in Maryland. Potomac Adventure Camp is offered by Riverbend Park in Great Falls, Va., from July 25-29, 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Overnight camping will be Thursday, July 28. Costs include fee for outfitters, van transportation and camping fees. Five-day session is $300 per person. Phone in or walk in registration begins April 13 at 9 a.m. Call 703-759-9018.
At the five-day Junior Naturalist camp children, 9 to 11 years of age, can participate in a variety of outdoor activities designed to stimulate their interest in the natural world and breathe life into history. The camp is offered at three locations for $85 per child and one five-day session at Walney Visitor Center with an overnight for $95 per child. Phone or walk-in registration begins on Wednesday, April 13, at 9 a.m. Junior Naturalist camp will take place at
* Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Annandale, July 11-15, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Call 703-941-1065.
* Hidden Pond Nature Center in Springfield, July 11-15, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Call 703-451-9588.
* Riverbend Park in Great Falls, July 18-22, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Call 703-759-9018.
* Walney Visitor Center in Ellanor C. Lawrence Park in Chantilly, July 18-22, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Call 703-631-0013.
The Park Authority has also scheduled two camps that offer children opportunities for nighttime investigations. Hands-on exploration, hikes and activities will reveal the secrets of the night. At Riverbend Parks’ Night Prowlers campers, 7 to 10 years of age, will explore wildlife of the night such as insects, amphibians, bats and so much more. This five-day session will be held at Riverbend Park in Great Falls, from August 1-5, 5:30-8:30 p.m. for $85 per child. Call 703-759-9018.
During Hidden Pond’s Nocturnal Naturalists Camp children, 8 to 10 years old, will explore the park’s wetlands and forests to observe and identify critters who roam the park after dark. This five-day session will be held at Hidden Pond Nature Center in Springfield, from August 1-5, 7-10 p.m. for $85 per child. Call 703-451-9588. Phone or walk-in registration for both of these camps begins on Wednesday, April 13, at 9 a.m. Visit the Fairfax County Park Authority at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks.
Pohick Ranger camp allows children ages 9-12 to be part of a summer version of Hidden Pond’s popular Pohick Rangers program. Participants explore this Springfield park’s wetlands and forests in search of all that lives there. This will be an active, hands-on program, with the emphasis on outdoor field study. Phone or walk-in registration begins April 13, at 9 a.m. A five-day session is $85 per child. Camp will be held at Hidden Pond Nature Center, from July 25-29, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Call 703-451-9588.