Volunteers sought to help teachers

Volunteers do not have to be parents.

‘‘It’s a wonderful opportunity for parents to actually get in and make a difference in the classroom, and see what instruction is about also,” Robinson said.

Robinson said volunteers do not need to have a background in education.

‘‘We’re not asking for any special skills, just a willingness to come in and assist in the classroom. If you have identified strength areas where you feel comfortable, we utilize you in those areas,” he said.

The role of classroom assistant is to help teachers, generally by tutoring students one-on-one or in small groups, helping to facilitate classroom discussion or helping to monitor students during special activities or supplemental programs.

Classroom assistants are trained in a three-hour workshop that teaches guidelines for the program and includes hands-on training to teach volunteers how to work effectively with students and staff.

Participants are required to undergo fingerprinting and a background check, at no cost to the volunteers.

Once certified, classroom assistants may volunteer at any county school and are placed in classrooms where the teacher has requested an assistant, Robinson said.

Training is offered beginning Sept. 17 at Drew-Freeman Middle School in Suitland and can be taken on Wednesday evenings or Saturday mornings throughout the school year.

So far, 400 parent and community volunteers have been trained in the program, and officials hope to train at least 200 more in the upcoming school year.

For more information, contact Michael Robinson at 301-952-2535, Ext. 289, or the parent liaison at any neighborhood school.

University of Maryland wins science award

A new optical method for detecting neutrons, developed at the University of Maryland, College Park, was recognized by R&D Magazine, a publication focusing on research and development, as one of the 100 most technologically significant products introduced in the past year.

Neutrons are uncharged particles found in the nucleus of an atom. Neutron detectors are used in various ways, including nuclear reactor monitoring, oil well logging and protective equipment for emergency first responders.

Development work on the neutron detector, known as Lyman alpha neutron detector, or LAND, occurred in College Park and experiments were carried out at the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Center for Neutron Research in Gaithersburg.

E-mail Megan King at mking@gazette.net.