Bill Ryan/The Gazette Friends Meeting School students (from left) Ryan Grasso of Mount Airy, Max Grant of Gaithersburg and Madeleine Schoap of Germantown play soccer on Saturday before a groundbreaking ceremony for athletic fields to be built at the Ijamsville school.

The project has been in the work for two years, said the school's director of development, Maria Fotopoulos, also a mother of three children at the school.

The private school is for students in preschool through grade eight.

Substantial donations came from the family of Andrew Eden, a founding member and 2000 graduate of the school; local banks; and the Fred V. Hetzel Memorial Fund, in honor of the school's board of trustees treasurer.

The school intends to make the fields available for use by area athletic groups, Fotopoulos said. The intent of the project is to expand the school's physical education offerings, with an eye to adding a high school within five years, she said.

The school will also add a bird habitat, where vegetation will be planted to attract native birds.

For more information, call 301-798-0288.

Empty Bowls come to Linganore

The annual Empty Bowls Banquet for the Linganore High School feeder system takes place on Wednesday in the cafeteria of the high school, 12013 Old Annapolis Road.

A small meal will be served from 5-7:30 p.m., and Linganore CASS (Community, Agency, School Services) will host a silent auction from 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Student performances begin at 7 p.m.

The cost is $5 per person, with a maximum cost of $20 per family.

Participants are asked to bring canned food to donate.

Centerville PTA meeting rescheduled

The Centerville PTA meeting, scheduled for Tuesday night, was cancelled due to snowy weather.

PTA President Karen Morris said the organization's next meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m., Tuesday, April 5, at Urbana High School.

Future meetings for the new elementary school's PTA will be held on the first Tuesday of every month.

"[On April 5] a representative from the Frederick County Public Schools' transportation department will be there taking questions about busing issues," Morris said.

Also on the meeting's agenda will be updates on fund raising events and a custom playground initiative.

Centerville Elementary is scheduled to open in August. For more information about the Centerville PTA, contact Karen Morris at 301-831-1331.

Have an item for School Notes? Contact New Market/Urbana reporter Patrick Dunne at pdunne@gazette.net or 301-846-2130.