Send announcements to The Loudoun Connection, 7913 Westpark Drive, McLean, VA 22102, e-mail to loudoun@connectionnewspapers.com or fax to 703-917-0991. Deadline is Friday, two weeks before the event. Photos/artwork encouraged. For more information, call Jennifer Lesinski at 703-917-6454.
This free listing is reserved for activities and events that are open to the public at no or minimal cost.
Students at Belmont Ridge Middle School will be performing the annual musical ÒOnce on This Island.Ó The director, Justin Daniel, is a first-year teacher at Belmont and is a graduate of Shenandoah University where he received a degree in theater. Daniel also teaches Drama Club at Belmont Ridge Middle School.
ÒOnce on This IslandÓ is a Caribbean adaptation of ÒThe Little Mermaid.Ó Traditional island storytellers, through their singing and dancing, recount the story of a peasant girl who rescues, nurses and falls in love with Daniel, a boy from the wealthy village. When Daniel is returned to his people, the gods who rule the island guide the peasant girl on a quest to test the strength of her love against the powerful forces of prejudice and hatred.
The musical will be performed at 7 p.m., Nov. 17, 18 and 19, in the Belmont Ridge Middle School auditorium, 19045 Upper Belmont Place, Leesburg. Tickets may be purchased in advance for $5 or $7 at the door. All seats are reserved. Call 703-669-1450.
Hillside Elementary School PTO announces a day of holiday events, Saturday, Nov. 19, from 8 a.m.-noon, beginning with Breakfast with Santa. Hillside families are invited to have a hearty breakfast and enjoy a visit and picture with Santa. Reservations and payment are required by Nov. 11 in order to attend this event.
Students will get to take part in the Secret Shop, which allows Hillside students to do some holiday shopping on their own. Parent volunteers and teachers will help guide the child through the shop assisting them in picking out the perfect gift for family members and/or friends. Prices range from 25 cents to $12.
In addition, the school will be hosting a One Stop Shopping event for parents. Various vendors will have tables set up showing their products and services. Some of the items will be sold on the spot and some will have to be ordered. It is a PTO fund-raiser, with the PTO receiving 50 percent of all the items sold or ordered that day. There will also be a raffle.
Hillside Elementary is located at 43000 Ellzey Drive, Ashburn. Visit the PTO's Web site, www.hillsidepto.org.
The Sully Elementary School PTO will be holding an indoor
craft fair and yard sale Saturday, Nov. 19, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., at
Sully Elementary School, 300 Circle Drive. This event is open to the general public. Tables will be provided for all vendors. The price is $25 per table; $40 for two adjacent tables. Food and drink will be available. All proceeds will go toward supporting the Sully Science Park and Playground. Contact Valerie Petrey at 703-787-8931, vpetrey@aol.com or Peter Kronenberg at 703-444-9484, pak@carouselpuppets.com.
Eagle Ridge Middle School, 42901 Waxpool Road, Ashburn, will again host the First Lego League Northern Virginia 2nd Regional Tournament Saturday, Nov. 19 and Sunday, Nov. 20. Approximately 20 teams will compete in this event from local area middle schools. The event is free to the public. The Saturday tournament runs, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The Sunday tournament runs, from noon-6 p.m. Concessions available for breakfast and lunch each day. Visit www.loudoun.k12.va.us/erms or www.firstlegoleague.org.
Dominion High School news:
* The 2005 White House Ornament, honoring President James Garfield, is on sale now at the Dominion High School Office, 21326 Augusta Drive, Sterling. Cost is $18 and supports Dominion High School and ATLAS. Deadline for orders is Nov. 30.
* Sponsorship opportunities still exist for the eight-team Titan Tip Off Basketball Tournament, Dec. 1-3. Contact athletic director Joe Fleming, 703-444-8038, for details.
Briar Woods High School PTSO is selling poinsettias for decorating home, office, church or as gifts for clients or office employees. Funds benefit student activities. Poinsettias will be delivered to the school for pickup on or about Dec. 9. Large orders may be delivered to a selected destination if needed. Call 703-726-0280 or 571-223-2344 for more information. Visit www.loudoun.k12.va.us/bwhs for
order form and pricing.
AOL has awarded Aspirations Fund grants of up to $10,000 each to seven middle schools and high schools from Washington, D.C, Virginia and Maryland to implement 2005-2006 school-based programs designed to nurture the life goals and aspirations of youth.
In addition to this year's grants for new initiatives, AOL also awarded renewal grants to 19 existing AOL Aspires schools to continue the success of efforts they initiated with their initial grant award. Grantee schools are eligible for partial renewal grants for two additional years after being selected as an AOL Aspires school.
Among the AOL Aspires Grant Winners 2005-2006 were Park View High School and Smarts Middle School. Among the second-year grant recipients were Dominion High School, Heritage High School and Seneca Ridge Middle School and the third-year grant recipient was Broad Run High School.
Dates for SAT and ACT testing for 2005-2006 have been established for Loudoun County Public Schools. The tests are administered on nationally standardized dates and require advanced registration.
Students may register online or may obtain paper registration materials from the guidance office of each high school. Registration and study information is available at www.collegeboard.org for the SAT and at www.act.org for the ACT. Students should register at least six weeks in advance of the tests.
Most colleges require SAT or ACT for college admissions. Some colleges also require certain SAT II subject tests for admissions or placement. Students should check with all of the colleges to which they plan to apply to determine which tests are required and preferred.
Students usually register for the SAT or ACT in their junior year and repeat the test in the senior year. Some students elect to take both the SAT and ACT.
The SAT test dates are:
* Dec. 3: SAT and SAT II subject tests, Loudoun County High School.
* Jan. 28: SAT and SAT II subject tests, Loudoun Valley High School.
* April 1: SAT only, Loudoun County High School.
* May 6: SAT and SAT II subject tests, Broad Run High School.
* June 3: SAT and SAT II subject tests, Park View High School.
The ACT test date is April 8, Broad Run High School.
The Stone Bridge High School Project Graduation Committee is sponsoring its Third Annual ÒSBHS Car or Cash Sweepstakes.Ó Tickets are $30, with the winner Ñ selected Dec. 16 Ñ having a choice of winning a 2006 Nissan Sentra from BrownÕs Sterling Nissan or $10,000 cash. Only 600 tickets will be sold. All proceeds go toward the all-night, alcohol-free, drug-free, tobacco-free party for SBHSÕs graduating seniors on graduation night, June 14.
To purchase tickets, call 703-729-5717 or download a form from links on the SBHS Web site at www.loudoun.k12.va.us/schools/sbhs. Tickets will also be sold at home SBHS athletic events and at Ashburn Starbucks.
Long & Foster Real Estate Inc. announces the Long & Foster $200,000 Scholarship Program for well-rounded graduating high-school seniors entering an accredited four-year college or university. The program will award $1,000 each of 200 worthy recipients for the 2006-2007 academic year.
The deadline for applying is March 1 and the scholarships will be awarded in the beginning of April. The monetary scholarship award will be made payable directly to the college or university in the studentÕs name.
Applications for the program can be obtained from any of Long & Foster residential sales offices, from high-school guidance counselors or via Long & FosterÕs Web site at www.longandfoster.com/scholarship. Also visit the Web site for details on eligibility and application requirements.