Send announcements, which are open to the public at no or minimal cost, to The Loudoun Connection, 7913 Westpark Drive, McLean, VA 22102 or e-mail to loudoun@connectionnewspapers.com. Deadline is Friday, two weeks before the event. Photos/artwork encouraged. For more information, call Jennifer Lesinski at 703-917-6454. For additional listings, visit www.connectionnewspapers.com.
Italian for Beginners. A beginner class for children ages 6-10, at Claude Moore Community Center, 46111 Loudoun Park Lane, Sterling. Learn basic Italian through games, stories and sharing recipes. Cost: $48 and preregistration is required. Classes will be held Wednesdays, April 30-June 4, from 4:30-5:30 p.m. Call 571-258-3500.
A Calm Couples Marriage Workshop will be hosted by Crossroads United Methodist Church Friday, May 2, and Friday, May 9, from 7-9 p.m. Nationally-recognized expert Kirk Martin will be presenting "10 Secrets to A Stress-Free Marriage." Registration is $50 per couple. Visit www.CelebrateCalm.com, e-mail CalmClassrooms@yahoo.com or call 703-508-7909 to register. Crossroads United Methodist Church is located at 43454 Crossroads Drive, Ashburn.
Make an oval twill basket at Claude Moore Community Center, 46111 Loudoun Park Lane, Sterling, Saturday, May 3, from 9:15 a.m.-1:15 p.m. Ages 18 and up. Cost: $28 plus $11 supplies fee. Bring towel, bucket, awl/ice pick, tape measure, pencil, heavy-duty scissors, spring-type clothespin and large plastic bag. Call 571-258-3500.
Babysigns: Parent Workshop, Saturday, May 3, 10 a.m.-noon, Claude Moore Recreation Center, 46105 Loudoun Park Lane, Sterling. Ages 18 and up. Learn how to talk to your baby with sign language. Cost: $11.50 � fee covers both parents � plus $38.40 materials fee. Call 571-258-3600.
Sanity in the College Admissions Process, Sunday, May 4, at the Cascades Library, 21030 Whitfield Place, Potomac Falls, 1:30 p.m. Bradley Quin will discuss factors involved in matching the student/parents to the right college and how to negotiate the application process. Visit www.lcpl.lib.va.us.
Every Child Ready to Read, at Cascades Library, 21030 Whitfield Place, Potomac Falls, Tuesday, May 6, 7 p.m. An early literacy workshop for parents and caregivers of children aged birth-5 years. Learn six important skills to make sure your child is ready to learn to read when school starts. Recommended for adults. Register online at www.lcpl.lib.va.us or phone 703-444-3228.
A belly dancing workshop series, at Claude Moore Community Center, 46111 Loudoun Park Lane, Sterling, Tuesdays, May 6, 20 and June 3. All sessions are from 7:45-9:45 p.m. Cost: $48. Preregistration is required, call 571-258-3500.
Adult computer classes at the Claude Moore Community Center, 46111 Loudoun Park Lane, Sterling. These adult computer classes are geared toward novices. Classes are Mondays, 7-8:30 p.m. Microsoft PowerPoint is $59 and will be held May 7 and May 14. Preregistration is required for all classes. A $10 materials fee is paid to the instructor at your first class. Call 571-258-3500.
College Admissions Together: It Takes A Family will be at the Cascades Library, 21030 Whitfield Place, Potomac Falls, May 7, 7 p.m. and Ashburn Library, 43316 Hay Road, Ashburn, May 17, 2 p.m. This presentation will put the college search into the context of a child�s passage to adulthood and how finding the right school is an opportunity to bond as a family. The presentations will be lead by Steve Goodmans. Visit www.lcpl.lib.va.us.
Safe Sitter classes, which teach girls and boys ages 11-14 the skills they need to care for young children. The classes will be held May 10-11. Students must attend both days. The cost is $50. The classes will be held at the Ashburn Farm Community Center on Windmill Drive. To register call 703-858-3465 or e-mail megan.descutner@hchealthcare.com or by visiting www.broadlandsrmc.com.
Co-ed self-defense class, Saturday, May 10, at the Sterling Community Center, 120 Enterprise St., from 1:30-3:30 p.m. Ages 18 and up. Learn the basics in a safe environment. Wear comfortable clothes. Cost: $20. Call 703-430-9480.
You are Next in Line: Everyone�s Guide for Writing Your Autobiography, at the Cascades Library, 21030 Whitfield Place, Potomac Falls, 1-5 p.m., May 13 and 20. Jay Jagoe�s workshop will show seniors how to embrace their future by celebrating their past. Visit www.lcpl.lib.va.us.
AARP driving safety class, Wednesday, May 28 and Friday, May 30, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., at the Senior Center at Cascades Marketplace, 21060 Whitfield Place. Both days required to obtain a certificate. Cost: $10 for members, $12 for nonmembers. To register, call 703-430-2397.
Dance Tech Workshop. Dance-intensive work on ballet, jazz and lyrical technique with turns and leaps. Ballet or jazz shoes required. For ages 7-11. Fee: $150 per person. Held at the Creative Dance Center in Ashburn, Aug. 4-8, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. To register, contact the Douglass Community Center at 703-771-5913 or e-mail dcc@loudoun.gov.
Claude Moore Recreation Center is offering Fit Kids classes for ages 2-5 years old. New session includes tumbling classes, fit kids fitness and a special class for 2-3 year olds: Balls, Balls, Balls. Call 571-258-3600 for times.
The Claude Moore Community Center, 46111 Loudoun Park Lane, Sterling, is offering Music Together, Tuesdays and Fridays, from 9:30-10:15 a.m. and 10:30-11:15 a.m. The class offers developmentally appropriate early childhood curriculum for parents, children and primary-care givers. Call 571-258-3500.
The Claude Moore Community Center, 46111 Loudoun Park Lane, is offering My First Preschool, Mondays and Wednesdays, from 9-10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.; and Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 9-10:30 a.m. Class for children who will be 2 years old by Sept, 1, 2008. Call 571-258-3500.
Leesburg Senior Activity Center, 215 Depot Court, Leesburg, is offering stretch and tone classes where participants use bands and hand weights, every Thursday, 11-11:45 a.m. Free. Call 703-737-8039.
Leesburg Senior Activity Center, 215 Depot Court, Leesburg, is offering tai chi, which involves three primary subjects: health, meditation and martial arts, Mondays, 11 a.m.-noon. Free. Call 703-737-8039.
Leesburg Senior Activity Center, 215 Depot Court, Leesburg, is offering a Sewing and Stitch-In class, Mondays, 9-11:30 a.m. Beginner level. Sewing machines provided; bring in your sewing project. Come and sew, knit, needlepoint or crochet. Free. Call 703-737-8039.
Line Dancing, at the Leesburg Senior Activity Center, 215 Depot Court, Leesburg, Wednesdays, 1-2 p.m. Learn some new line dances. Free. Call 703-737-8039.
Beginner tap dancing, at the Leesburg Senior Activity Center, 215 Depot Court, Leesburg, Wednesdays, 2-3 p.m. Learn some new line dances. Free. Call 703-737-8039.
Claude Moore Community Center, 46111 Loudoun Park Lane, Sterling, is offering lunch bunch afternoons for children 3-5 Mondays and Thursdays, from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Includes crafts, outdoor and indoor playtime and sports. Pack lunch from home, no microwavable food or refrigeration available. Cost: $7 an hour. Register required, call 703-430-6673.
Leesburg Senior Activity Center, 215 Depot Court, Leesburg, is offering a National Council on Aging exercise tape class, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9-10:30 a.m. Free. Call 703-737-8039.