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Merit Scholarship semifinalists named

Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2005

Semifinalists from Montgomery County high schools have been chosen for the 2006 National Merit Scholarship Program. These high school seniors, among 16,000 semifinalists around the country are eligible for 8,200 Merit Scholarship awards, worth $33 million. Semifinalists must advance to the finalist level to be eligible, and about half the finalists will be selected as winners, according to a news release from the Merit program.

Students entered the program by taking the 2004 Preliminary SAT⁄National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT⁄NMSQT) and getting the highest scores across the nation.

Semifinalists from eastern county high schools:

*The Barrie School — Perry Graham.

*Bethesda-Chevy Chase — Zachary Arnson-Serotta, Matthew Barr, Sarah Brody, Rebecca Cohen, Sean Cunningham, Brian Go, Maura Goldstein, Miriam Johnston, Caroline Kolar, Patrick McAnaney, Derek Roberts, Tyle C. Stelzig.

*Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy — Jonothan Ginsburg.

*Montgomery Blair — Elizabeth Albert, Alexander Alm, Michael Arbit, Jacob Asbell, Rachel Bell, Jahnavi Bhaskar, Kiran Bhat, Lu Chen, Abhishek Dhar, Gregory Donaldson, Katrina Emery, Frederick Esch, Rose Feinberg, Daniel Gillen, Alexander Gold, Jordan Goldstein, Jeremy Goodman, Robert Hendryx, Gregory Howard, Ravi Joseph, Mitchell Katz, John Kim, Rachel Kirsch, Erik Li, Yueyang Li, Joseph Lorenz, Maksym Morawski, Sean O’Brien, Margot Pass, Samir Paul, John Silberholtz, Yvchen Tao, Andreas Voellmer, Eddie Wang, David White, Avi Wolfman-Arent, Sarah Wolk, Nina Yang, Yuan Zhang, Yuning Zhang.

*James Hubert Blake — Grace Livingstone, Benjamin Lorber, Adam Purucker.

*Good Counsel — Mary Lewis.

*Albert Einstein — Kevin Finn.

*Richard Montgomery — Naa Adotsoe Ammah-Tagoe, Yvette Chyu, Sarah Dickinson, Tianyi Feng, Elizabeth Fleming, Marissa Grunes, Christopher Higgins, Stephanie Kim, Katherine Kugler, Dora Larson, Tuquynh Le, Grace Lee, David Liu, Grace Mardarelli, Kayla Moskowitz, Yan Nusinovich, Christopher Ray, Jane Robinson, Vineeta Singh, Rohit Sukumar, Derek Turnbull, Eszter Vincze, Kristen Walker, Alina Yang, Julie Yang.

*Paint Branch — Rachel Blair, Matthew Graves.

*Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School — Ezra Deutsch-Feldman, David Distenfeld, Benjamin Falk, Ezra Marcus, Yonah Meiselman.

*Springbrook — Pratiksha Thakore.

*Home school — Susanna Cooper.

Blair student semifinalistsat National Achievement

Natasha Coleman, Sebastian Johnson and Sayoh Mansaray from Montgomery Blair High School have been named semifinalists in the 2005 National Achievement Scholarship Program, which in association with the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, is a competition to provide recognition for outstanding black high school students.

Bel Pre ES needs volunteers

Bel Pre Elementary School needs volunteers for a range of tasks in the classroom and computer labs. Find out how you can help by going to the orientation 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the school, 13801 Rippling Brook Drive, Silver Spring. Call 301-460-2145.

Community forums

Parents and other community members are invited to a series of community forums sponsored by Montgomery County Public Schools. Participants will have an opportunity to comment on the school system’s strategic plan, including areas that are working well and those that need improvement.

The forums this year are 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on the following dates at the following sites:

*Thursday, Albert Einstein High School, 11135 Newport Mill Road, Kensington

*Oct. 6, Northwest High School, 13501 Richter Farm Road, Germantown

Call 301-279-3626 or visit www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org⁄community⁄forums.

Chelsea School has new leader

Chelsea School and its board of governors named Anthony R. Messina Jr. as the new head of school at the private school in Silver Spring that focuses on students with language-based difficulties.

Vendors needed for Kemp Mill ES flea market

The Kemp Mill Elementary School PTA is seeking vendors for its annual fall festival and flea market. The event will be held 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 9 at the school, 411 Sisson St., Silver Spring. There is a $15 donation for each space. For more information, contact Lise Baur at 301-649-9099 or e-mail lisebaur@yahoo.com.

Plant sale at B-CC

The Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School Sports Boosters will hold a fall plant sale 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday on the front lawn of the school, 4301 East West Highway, Bethesda. E-mail Cindy Gray at doug_gray8@hotmail.com.

Car wash to benefit band boosters

The Paint Branch High School Marching Band and the Paint Branch Band Boosters are sponsoring a car wash 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Liberty Gas Station on the corner of Old Columbia Pike and Fairland Road. The car wash is free, but donations are accepted. Call Janie Wright at 301-476-9479.

Hot line number established for school grants

The National Education Association has established a toll-free hot line number for schools, teachers and school employees to apply for Hurricane Katrina grants that total $1 million. Call 1-866-247-2239.

To send items, mail them to The Gazette Youth Press, 1200 Quince Orchard Blvd., Gaithersburg, MD 20878; or fax them to 301-670-7183.

Volunteers sought to serve in schools

Orientations have been scheduled in September and October for volunteers age 50 and older who are interested in working with students in Montgomery County Public Schools.

The first runs 9:30 a.m. to noon Sept. 29 at Holiday Park Senior Center, 3950 Ferrara Drive, Wheaton; the second runs 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Oct. 6 at the Gaithersburg Senior Center at 80 Bureau Drive. For more information and to register for an orientation session, call 240-777-2600.

Einstein hosts college fair

Albert Einstein High School hosts its seventh annual college fair 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Oct. 10 at the school, 11135 Newport Mill Road, Kensington. Students can browse through the school’s main hall and speak one-on-one with representatives from more than 90 colleges and universities from across the country. Call 301-929-2200.

Back-to-school nights

Many local schools in eastern Montgomery County are holding back-to-school nights in the next few days. Many events have already been held.

James Hubert Blake: 7 p.m. today, 300 Norwood Road, Silver Spring. Call 301-879-1300.

Springbrook: 7 p.m. Sept. 29, 201 Valley Brook Drive, Silver Spring. Call 301-989-5700.

Paint Branch: 7 p.m. Thursday, 14121 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville. Call 301-989-5600.

Wheaton: 7 p.m. today, 12601 Dalewood Drive, Wheaton. Call 301-929-2050.

PTSA meetings

Middle schools

Argyle: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 11

Eastern: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 11

Newport Mill: 7 p.m. Oct. 11

Parkland: 7 p.m. Oct. 20

Silver Spring International: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 11

Albert Einstein: 7 p.m. Oct. 18

Paint Branch: 7 p.m. Oct. 18

Students earn Ervin scholarships

Lydia Beasley of Silver Spring and Ashley Williams of Burtonsville were recently named John B. Ervin Scholars at Washington University, St. Louis, Mo.

Beasley, a 2005 graduate of Montgomery Blair High School, will be a freshman in the fall. While in high school, she was the co-chair for the publicity committee in the Church of Christ Youth Group, co-president and teacher for the Physics for Fifth-Graders teaching group and public relations officer for the National Honor Society. She also volunteered at Washington Hospital Center, as well as at the University of Maryland chemistry department and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Goddard Space Center.

Williams is a 2005 graduate of Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville and will also be a freshman at Washington University.

While she was in high school, Williams was the founder and president of Child Protective Services Partners, and volunteered for the American Diabetes Association. She was an AP Scholar, Stand Tall and Reach Scholar and received the W.E.B. Dubois African-American Achievement Award.

The Ervin scholarships are renewable for all four years of undergraduate study.

Rosa Parks principal wins Mann award

Principal Sarah Pinkney-Murkey, the principal of Rosa Parks Middle School in Olney, has received the annual Mark Mann Excellence and Harmony Award from Montgomery County Public Schools.

The Mark Mann Award is given each year to an MCPS administrator who has shown an exceptional ability to encourage academic excellence, positive human relations and strong community outreach. Pinkney-Murkey received this year’s award Sept. 14.

Pinkney-Murkey has been principal of Rosa Parks since the school opened 13 years ago.

Rosa Parks students exceeded the state average score on the Maryland School Assessment by more than 20 percent, with 70 percent meeting or exceeding MSA standards in math and 82 percent of students meeting or exceeding MSA standards in reading. The school was recognized in 2003 and 2004 for outstanding MSA performance, according to a news release from MCPS.

Since the school opened in 1992, attendance has not fallen below 94.5 percent. Rosa Parks students created an anti- bullying program that was shared with the Maryland State Board of Education, which plans to modify and use the program throughout the state, according to MCPS.

The Mark Mann Excellence and Harmony Award was established in 1991, named after a former principal of Parkland Junior High School.

Donate school supplies

Montgomery County’s Linkages to Learning program is seeking donations of new school supplies to help at-risk children and their families with the start of another school year. New backpacks, composition books, crayons, folders, highlighters, paper, pencils, pens, spiral notebooks, zippered binders and other school supplies are needed.

The Linkages to Learning program is a school-based collaboration among the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, the Montgomery County Public Schools and nonprofit, community-based service providers. The program provides accessible services to improve student performance in school, at home and in the community. Prevention and early intervention services for students and their families include health, mental health, social services and educational support.

For many parents at the 27 elementary and middle schools served by Linkages to Learning — located around the county in Gaithersburg, Germantown, Rockville, Silver Spring, Takoma Park and Wheaton — the cost of school supplies is beyond their budgets. Individuals, local businesses, service organizations, faith groups and ‘‘sister” school communities interested in helping these families should contact Sharon Strauss at 240-777-1449 or Sharon.strauss@montgomerycountymd.gov.

Homecomings

Homecoming weekends have been scheduled at eastern Montgomery County Public Schools. The following are lists of the homecoming football games. Often, a dance follows the game. Check with each school for details.

Bethesda-Chevy Chase: Sept. 30 vs. Wheaton, 6:30 p.m.

Paint Branch: Oct. 15 vs. Richard Montgomery, 2 p.m.

Blake: Oct. 21 vs. Watkins Mill, 6:30 p.m.

Einstein: Oct. 21 vs. Wheaton, 6:30 p.m.

Springbrook: Oct. 22 vs. Whitman, 2 p.m.

Wheaton: Oct. 28 vs. Churchill, 6:30 p.m.

Blair: Oct. 29 vs. Einstein, 2 p.m.

Kennedy: Nov. 5 vs. Avalon, 2 p.m.

Interages needs mentors

Interages Inc. needs volunteers to tutor and mentor children at local schools in Silver Spring, Wheaton and Rockville. Volunteers provide friendship, encouragement and help with reading, language, geography skills and⁄or cultural activities. Training, all materials and on-site supervision are provided. Contact Sara Cartmill at 301-949-3551, Ext.19, or Cartmill@interagesmd.org.

Sign up for the annual Human Rights Camp

A ‘‘Human Rights Camp” for eighth-graders, sponsored by the Montgomery County Office of Human Rights, will take place for the second year Oct. 7 through 9 at Camp Letts in Edgewater. Students will participate in various workshops such as gang prevention, and they also will experience traditional camp activities like horseback riding. To learn more or to request an application form, call 240-777-8450.

Youth Press accepting submissions

The Gazette Youth Press, which appears each week in the Gazette2 section of the paper, welcomes the creative works of students in kindergarten through grade 12.

We are interested in stories, photographs, essays, editorials and drawings created by youths.

Anyone interested in submitting creative works for possible inclusion in The Gazette Youth Press, or any high school student interested in becoming more actively involved in the program, should contact Judith Hruz, Youth Press director, at youth@gazette.net or call 301-670-2073.

To send items, mail them to The Gazette Youth Press, 1200 Quince Orchard Blvd., Gaithersburg, MD 20878; or fax them to 301-670-7183.

Where to turn when weather turns bad

In the event that weather forces Montgomery County Public Schools to close, parents and students can get information from the following sources:

*www.mcps.k12.md.us, which immediately displays emergency announcements in bold red letters at the top of the page when appropriate;

*The MCPS Newsfeed, which can be found at www.mcps.k12.md.us⁄info⁄newsfeed;

*E-mail notification through Schools-Out.com;

*Taped recording at 301-279-3673;

*MCPS cable channel 34;

*Local television and radio stations.

Information about school operations is announced publicly as soon as possible on radio and television stations and other media including the Internet. If schools are closed or delayed, the announcement is made no later than 6 a.m. (or the night before if possible). If schools are closing early, the announcements are made by 11 a.m.

PTA meeting schedule

Montgomery County PTAs generally follow the following schedule:

Elementary schools meet the first Tuesday of the month; middle schools meet the second Tuesday; high schools meet the third Tuesday. The county organization meets the fourth Tuesday.

Contact the individual schools for specific information.

Get homework help on TV

‘‘Homework Hotline Live!” is back for another year on cable channel 33.

The show, produced by Montgomery County Public Schools Instructional TV, offers Montgomery County students an opportunity to call on-air teachers for help with their homework.

The program airs live October through April on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4:30-6 p.m., with replays starting at 8 p.m. Each of those nights, six teachers are available to help answer homework questions. In addition, there are nine student volunteers on the TV crew for each program.

Head Start needs volunteers

Head Start, a child development program for low-income children and their families, needs energetic people to work with preschool children in Montgomery County elementary schools.

Volunteers read stories, play games and assist with music, art and lunch. Both morning and afternoon sessions are available.

Call Beverly Brown, volunteer specialist, at 301-230-0676 for additional information.

How your school scores

Montgomery County Public Schools maintains statistics about each school’s performance and demographics, and that information is available on the Web site www.mcps.k12.md.us⁄departments⁄sharedaccountability⁄mspp.

The Maryland School Performance Program Report, which is available on the Web site, includes information about student assessments and standardized tests, attendance, graduation and dropout rates, enrollment and student mobility.

School entry dates shift

The Maryland State Board of Education has established entry dates that gradually raise the age for children entering pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and first grade for all public schools.

By 2007, children entering pre-kindergarten must be 4 years old by Sept. 1; children entering kindergarten must be 5 years old by Sept. 1; and children entering first grade must be 6 years old by Sept. 1.

The gradual phase-in of the new entry dates began with the 2002-2003 school year for pre-kindergarten students. The kindergarten changes began last school year. The first grade changes begin this school year. Each year the new cut off will be moved up one month from the former Dec. 31 deadline, until it hits Sept. 1.

Help your community, earn service credit

The W⁄E Volunteer Program provides weekend and evening volunteer projects for area residents who would like to get involved in group community service activities. All W⁄E Volunteer projects are Student Service Learning approved by Montgomery County Public Schools and supervised by a W⁄E Volunteer team captain and a staff person from the nonprofit agency.

The Weekend⁄Evening Kids Action Network provides supervised projects for middle and high school students. This program is intended to promote a healthy attitude toward volunteering, to give youth a connection to their community, and to provide youth with a positive and rewarding pastime.

For information, contact Nadji T. Kirby, the W⁄E KAN volunteer program coordinator, at 240-777-2614. E-mail Nadji.kirby@montgomerycountymd. or visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov⁄volunteer.

Find the school that serves your neighborhood

A Web site offered by Montgomery County Public Schools is available to help people determine what schools serve a neighborhood or address.

The school system’s Web site www.mcps.k12.md.us features the school assignment locator. Once at the Web site, click on the school assignment locator, then type in the street address and ZIP code. A map will show the address, nearby schools and boundary lines.

Call 301-279-3331 weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for information.

Items appropriate for School News may be mailed to The Gazette, 8650 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20910. They may be sent by fax to 301-562-3262 or by e-mail to jbrocker@gazette.net. Deadline is Wednesday for the following week’s paper.