Springbrook, Blake host jazz nights, dinner-dances

The event is sponsored by the school’s music booster club. Proceeds benefit Springbrook’s music program.

Local singer⁄songwriter Patty Reese, a Washington Area Music Award winner and Springbrook graduate, will perform. Members of the Springbrook Instrumental Music Program will serve dinner with music provided by the school’s string ensemble, followed by a performance by the school’s jazz band. Attendees can participate in a silent auction and free dance lesson.

Space is limited. To check on any remaining $25 ticket availability, call the Springbrook High School Instrumental Music Department at 301-989-6062.

James Hubert Blake High School will present its annual Jazz Swing night 7 p.m. March 14 at the school, 300 Norwood Road.

The event features performances by student, alumni and professional musicians and is open to the public, with proceeds benefitting the school’s music program. General admission tickets are $25. Contact Brian Damron, Blake’s director of Bands and Jazz Studies, 301-879-1339, or Brian_A_Damron @mcpsmd.org.

An Italian dinner, desserts and drinks are included. Tables of eight may be reserved. Doors open at 7 p.m. and semi-formal attire is requested.

Albert Einstein High School will hold its annual ‘‘Swing into Spring” dance 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. March 15 at the school, 11135 Newport Mill Road, Kensington. The event is sponsored by the Performing Arts Coalition of Einstein and proceeds will benefit Einstein’s music program.

Members of Einstein’s jazz bands will perform, free dance lessons will be available and light refreshments will be served. Tickets are $15 per person and can be purchased at the door. Call 301-929-2200.

Dr. Seuss featured during reading week at Bel Pre

Bel Pre Elementary School’s ‘‘I Love to Read Week” began Monday with a celebration of Dr. Seuss’ birthday through stories and activities. Events during the week will include daily read-alouds, Read a Shirt Day, Drop Everything and Read Day, Character Night and Guest Reader Day.

Character Night will be held 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at the school, 13801 Rippling Brook Drive. Students are invited to return to school with their families to see their teachers dressed as favorite book characters and hear them read from books featuring that character.

Takoma MS to perform ‘Seussical Jr.’

Takoma Park Middle School’s spring musical, ‘‘Seussical Jr.,” will feature performances 7 p.m. March 13 and March 14. and 4 p.m. March 15 at the school, 7611 Piney Branch Road. Doors open a half hour before show time. Cost for adults is $5, students $3.

Blair PTSA honored

The Montgomery Blair High School PTSA has received a $1,000 prize from the Volunteer Champion for Children Award by the Montgomery County Business Roundtable for Education.

Each year the Montgomery County Council of PTAs chooses a parent involvement program sponsored by one of the county PTAs in order to recognize best practices. The MCBRE provides the cash award.

Blair High School PTSA Volunteer Chair Beth Martin entered the organization’s volunteer program, which routinely reports some of the top monthly volunteer hours in MCPS, according to a news release from the Blair PTSA.

The PTSA will be honored at the MCBRE Champions for Children Gala April 15 in Bethesda.

Students attend program on government

Two brothers from Silver Spring who attend Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville were recently awarded scholarships to attend a week-long program about American government in Washington, D.C.

Ronald Quinn, a junior, and Fonati Quinn, a sophomore, joined 426 other students March 2-8 in the Honeywell Scholars at Presidential Classroom program.

Students had the opportunity to meet with members of Congress, presidential appointees, senior military officers, business leaders and journalists while they learned the connection between science, technology and public policy, according to a news release from Honeywell.

Honeywell awards the scholarships after a rigorous application and review process based on academic achievement and community involvement.

Paint Branch studentto join Post writing program

Paint Branch High School senior Sehar Sabir has been selected to participate in The Washington Post’s Ninth Annual High School Writing Seminar and Scholarship Program.

The four Saturday seminars, from March 8 through March 29, are designed to help high school students interested in journalism careers, according to a news release from the school.

Washington Post reporters and editors serve as instructors. U.S. Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) will meet with the students for an interview.

Sabir is the opinions editor of the Mainstream, the Paint Branch school newspaper, and a second-year journalism student.

‘Beauty and the Beast’ coming to Blair

The Montgomery Blair Players will present Disney’s ‘‘Beauty and the Beast” at the Montgomery Blair Theater 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday and 7:30 p.m. March 14 and March 15. Cost for adults is $7 and students and senior citizens $4. Add $1 per ticket for online reservations. Go to http:⁄⁄mbp.mbhs.edu⁄ for more information or call 301-649-2800.

A cast of 60 will participate, featuring a full orchestra, conducted by Dustin Doyle, according to a news release from the school. The stage crew is directed by John Kaluta. Directors are Blair teachers Miriam Plotinsky and Kelly O’Connor, who took a leave of absence in 2004-2005 to study and perform Shakespeare at Stratford-on-Avon in England. She teaches at Oxford University in the summers.

Paint Branch studentearns scholarship

Joanna Ward of Silver Spring has accepted an Army ROTC nursing scholarship to East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C. Included in the scholarship is money for books and stipend money that all contracted cadets receive. Her total award is worth $101,400. Ward will graduate from Paint Branch High School later this year. She will begin at East Carolina University in the fall of 2008.

Environmental awareness day at Key MS

Students at Francis Scott Key Middle School were scheduled to participate Tuesday in an all-day schoolwide program called ‘‘Call to Action: Going Green Symposium.” The program is designed to raise awareness about environmental issues.

Students were to participate in class activities and hear a speaker on global warming from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or the Chesapeake Climate Foundation. Presenters conducting workshops include the Environmental Protection Agency, the Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation, Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection, the Earth Day Network, Sidwell Friends School, World Bank, National Park, Sierra Club and Roots & Shoots: The Jane Goodall Institute.

Area schools to holdannual mulch sales

Kennedy High School NJROTC’s mulch sale will be held 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 15 in the school parking lot, 1901 Randolph Road. Cost is $4 per 3-cubic-foot bag. Delivery is $5, up to two miles from the school. Orders for delivery must be received by March 13.

Order forms are available at www.jfkptsa.org or by e-mail: mulch@JFKPTSA.org. Send orders with check made out to JFK HS NJROTC, 1920 Autumn Ridge Circle, Silver Spring, MD 20906.

For more information, e-mail mulch@JFKPTSA.org or call 301-460-4725.

Montgomery Blair High School’s mulch sale is taking place Saturday through March 15. For delivery within five miles of Blair, each bag will cost $4 and outside that radius, each bag will cost $4.25. For more info, contact Jimmy Short at 301-649-2808 or Jimmy_V_Short@mcpsmd.org.

The Springbrook Booster Club’s mulch sale will be held April 5 at White Oak Middle School. High-grade shredded hardwood mulch will be sold for $4 pick-up or $4.25 delivered (delivery for Northeast Consortium only, 10-bag minimum). All proceeds to benefit Springbrook athletics. An order form can be found at http:⁄⁄www.gobluedevils.net⁄boosters⁄index.html.

James Hubert Blake High School will hold its mulch sale 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 5. The sale is sponsored by the Blake Booster Club and benefits school activities. Three-cubic-foot bags of shredded hardwood mulch cost $3.75 before March 28 and $4 afterward. To order, call Ken Salins at 301-384-7616 or e-mail kensalins@verizon.net.

Open house, silent auctionat Calvary Lutheran

Calvary Lutheran School will hold an open house 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday at 9545 Georgia Ave, Silver Spring.

The Parent Teacher Council of Calvary Lutheran School will host a silent auction and Hawaiian party 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday in the Fellowship Hall, located in the basement of the church and school building. Admission tickets for adults may be purchased in advance for $10, or at the door for $15. Proceeds will benefit the school by raising funds for items not included in the regular budget. For more information or to buy tickets in advance, call Donna Clark at 301-589-4001, ext. 202.

Registration forprekindergarten, Head Start

Montgomery County Public Schools Head Start and Pre-K programs are accepting registration for children who will be 4 years old by Sept. 1 for the 2008-09 school year.

Pre-K and Head Start programs provide comprehensive services including preschool education, health and social services, and parent involvement for low-income families, including children with disabilities.

Walk-in applications are being accepted 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday at Rocking Horse Road Center, 4910 Macon Road, Room 141 in Rockville. Parents also can register their children at other locations. Call the Prekindergarten⁄Head Start Unit at 301-230-0676 for information about documents parents must bring to complete the registration and for a list of additional registration locations and times. Information also is on the MCPS web site at www. montgomeryschoolsmd.org⁄departments⁄earlychi.

Special opportunities to register will be available at the Early Childhood Readiness Fair 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday at the Long Branch Community Center in Silver Spring. The fair is free and open to parents with children from birth to 5 years old. For more information on the fair, call the Judy Center at 301-431-7696.

More information on prekindergarten and Head Start programs is available at www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org⁄departments⁄itv⁄ITV_Webcasts_Take10.shtm.

Kennedy scholarship music benefit concert

The Ron Kearns Quintet will headline a scholarship benefit concert for the John F. Kennedy High School Instrumental Music Scholarship Funds 7 p.m. March 13 at the Kennedy auditorium, 1901 Randolph Road, Silver Spring.

Call Patricia A. Hopkins at 301-962-5940 or e-mail Patricia_A_Hopkins@mcpsmd.org.

On-the-spot admission nights

On-the-spot admissions and scholarship events sponsored by the Montgomery County Public Schools’ Counseling Service Unit will continue in March.

Representatives from Morgan State University will visit Springbrook High School 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. March 12, and Bowie State University representatives will come to Walter Johnson High School 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. March 19. Call Nancy Carlson of the counseling service unit at 301-279-3593 for more information.

Photo festival

The Nora School, 955 Sligo Ave. in Silver Spring will hold its sixth-annual Nora School Photography Festival for students in grades 6-12. Works by middle and high school students from area schools will be judged by a panel of professional photographers and will be on display at the school April 18. Deadline for entries is April 4. Students may obtain an entry by calling the school at 301-495-6672, or by downloading from the Web site, www.nora-school.org.

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