NCC Takes Earth Day Fun to Belmont Ridge MS

The National Conference Center entertained students with animals and botanical lessons.

The National Conference Center provided Earth Day entertainment for Belmont Ridge Middle School students Monday. NCC’s farm partner, David Lay, of Linda’s Mercantile & Farm Market, helped students from Belmont Ridge plant vegetables in the school’s garden. David furnishes NCC’s Executive Chef Craig Mason with fresh produce throughout the year as part of NCC’s fresh and local initiative and sustainability program. In turn, NCC furnishes Farmer Dave with cooking oil to run his tractors and greenhouses. Blue Ridge Wildlife Center also showcased some of the animals they have rescued including an owl, a skunk and a hawk. Loudoun County’s Green Business Challenge award winners, Southland Industries showed off cars that have the cleanest …

• Photos (4)

Belmont Ridge Makes Musical 'Beauty' of 'Beast'

Talented students, an inspiring teacher, and a dedicated faculty and PTO put on an ambitious production for the community.

Students at Belmont Ridge Middle School are in the final stretch of rehearsing their spring musical production Beauty and the Beast. The Walt Disney Broadway musical begins this weekend and continues into the next. Producing a Broadway-length, two-and-a-half hour musical with 196 middle-schoolers might sound overwhelming, but Jason Augustowski was up for the task. Not only is he managing it with finesse, his enthusiasm and teaching techniques inspire and motivate the students. As a language arts teacher at the school, many of "Mr. A's" students choose to be in the annual spring musical because of his outgoing personality. “Mr. A is an amazing director,” said Ally Goodnight, who plays Babette in the show. “He makes it really fun and somehow…

• Photos (25)

Five Minutes with Belmont Ridge's New Principal

Ryan Hitchman, who started the job Jan. 2, shares information about his background and his plans.

When students returned to Belmont Ridge Middle School after winter break, there was a new leader in the front office. Patch sat down with new principal Ryan Hitchman to ask about his background and learn more about his vision for the school. Background: Ryan Hitchman received a masters degree from Western Maryland College/McDaniel College and is working on a doctorate in education from Virginia Tech.  He is a native of Latrobe, Penn. and is a diehard Steelers fan.  He is married and he and his wife, Carisa, have a 75-pound Golden Doodle. Hitchman has been a ninth grade world geography teacher, a high school civics, world history and U.S. history teacher and assistant principal at the high school level. Mr. Hitchman served as a middle …

• Photos (1)

Supervisors Extend Study Period for HS-8 Site

Comments suggest board remains on track to purchase NCC property for Lansdowne high school.

The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted unanimously to extend the due diligence deadline related to a sales contract for property intended to be used for Ashburn’s next high school. The due diligence period is the time during which the county can analyze the property for unexpected obstacles to constructing HS-8 on the site in Lansdowne next to Belmont Ridge Middle School. The National Conference Center now owns most of the land where the school is planned.Construction of the high school would require use of a portion of the middle school land as well as the use of the entire adjacent park. The vote came after many residents spoke during a public input session Jan. 17. Speakers were divided, but it appeared that supporters…

• Photos (2)

Getting Out of the House

Get into the Christmas Spirit with 'Scrooge: The Musical'

The traditional Christmas story based on 'A Christmas Carol' begins this weekend at Belmont Ridge Middle School.

Kicking off the first weekend in December, the Pickwick Players are performing the traditional Christmas tale of Ebenezer Scrooge. Yet in this version, the story of Scrooge is told through song. The Pickwick Players are putting on six performances of Scrooge: The Musical – three this weekend and three more next weekend. Scrooge: The Musical was written by Leslie Bricusse and won an Academy Award for song score. In addition to following the traditional story of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, the stage musical is based off the 1970 film Scrooge starring Albert Finney. The story follows the story of redemption that Ebenezer Scrooge undergoes over the course of Christmas Eve after being visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present and…

• Photos (1)