Back-to-school nights a good time to meet, greet education professionals

Back-to-school nights provide an invaluable opportunity for parents to meet their children's teachers, administrators and PTA representatives, and to get a feel for the students' daily routine. In our area, Marriotts Ridge High School will get an early start, with back-to-school night scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 31 at 7 p.m. The phone number is 410-313-5568.

At Mt. View Middle School, back-to-school night will run Sept. 1 from 6:45-8:30 p.m. If you need more information, call the school at 410-313-5551.

West Friendship Elementary has scheduled its back-to-school night for Sept. 20. Band and strings will meet at 5:30 p.m., grades 3-5 will meet at 6:30 p.m., and grades K-2 will meet at 7:30 p.m. Call the office at 410-313-5512 with any questions.

Finally, Waverly Elementary will host three back-to-school nights. Kindergarten and first grade will meet at Sept. 19 at 6:30 p.m. and grades 2 and 3 will meet Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. On Wednesday, Sept. 21, gifted and talented will meet at 6:30 p.m., with grades 4 and 5 following at 7 p.m. The school phone number is 410-313-2819.

Ladies, take note: the Howard County Office on Aging, Department of Citizen Services will host the third annual WomenFest Sept. 15 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This free wellness event will take place at the Gary J. Arthur Community Center at Glenwood, 2400 Route 97, in Glenwood.

The day is designed to inspire women to live more balanced, healthy and fulfilled lives, and it will include free entertainment, plus 50 vendors exhibiting products and services of interest to women. Attendees may take advantage of free health screenings and view demonstrations of Zumba, bellydancing and Bollywood dance exercises. They can also listen to seminars on health, beauty and fashion.

If you have questions about the event, email glenwoodsc@howardcountymd.gov or call 410-313-5440.

Reservations are still available for the annual Success in Style Pink Bag Lunch, scheduled for Sept. 15 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Mercedes Benz of Baltimore (6631 Baltimore National Pike, Catonsville). Tickets cost $40.

Success In Style is a local nonprofit that provides free business attire and professional coaching to men and women in crisis and the Pink Bag Lunch is the organization's major fundraiser. The event will feature a bagged lunch from Panera Bread, opportunities to shop and network, a fashion show highlighting the organization's mission and door prizes and raffles.

To learn more, go to successinstyle.org or contact Success In Style at successinstyle@verizon.net or 410-750-6475.

America is often referred to as a "melting pot" because of the way different cultures blend into a unique new entity, and this description holds true for American art forms, too. For instance, jazz has its roots in both African and European musical traditions.

If I asked you to name an American form of dance, would you think of something relatively modern, such as hip hop? What if I asked you to name a dance as old as our country itself?

Did you guess square dancing? This type of dance began in colonial New England when the settlers melded their native folk dances – e.g., quadrilles, jigs, reels, minuets – into something uniquely American. In fact, in 1982, President Reagan designated square dancing the official national folk dance.

We may associate square dancing most prominently with western states, but clubs exist all over the nation. Locally, the Tom Thumb Square Dance Club of Ellicott City holds regular dances at Hollifield Station Elementary School (8701 Stonehouse Drive). Classes will begin after Labor Day.

Square dancers like to say, "Square dancing is friendship set to music," so if you are interested in joining this welcoming group, call Tom or LuAnn Harris at 410-730-7326.