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More than 190 Lakewood Elementary School students recently made stacks of sandwiches to help feed the homeless at Martha's Table in Washington, D.C.

The Rockville students donated bread, cheese and lunch meats over a three-day period. Students, parents and Lakewood staff members then used those items Nov. 5 to make 2,378 sandwiches in 15 minutes.

The after-school community service project was sponsored by the Lakewood PTA.

Candlewood completes

food drive

Candlewood Elementary School in Derwood recently collected more than 1,000 pounds of food during its annual Kids Helping Kids Food Drive.

The food items were donated to Manna Food Center in Gaithersburg, a nonprofit organization that gives food to needy people in the county.

Parents, students, staff, the school's PTA and its Student Government Association all pitched in for the cause.

Randy Ornstein's third grade class contributed the most food items to the collection.

Farquhar wins

second place at competition

Five Farquhar Middle School students took second place at the Big Bones Bash at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., Nov. 14.

The Olney school's team was made up of eighth-grade students Jordan Newmark and Bhakti Patel and seventh-grade students Hayley Mazur, Jordan Holbrook and Sarah Khan. Farquhar teacher Linda Lindstrom was the team's sponsor.

The team had to submit a concept by Oct. 14 on how to teach young people about the importance of getting enough calcium in their diets. The team was then notified that they were chosen to be finalists in the calcium challenge.

The students used the cell phone to inform teenagers about what their bodies need.

The Farquhar students were awarded $500, which will go to the school's Family and Consumer Science Department. The competition was sponsored by Cabot Cheese, Smithsonian Institute, Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association and Giant.

Fundraising book fair

at Barnes & Noble

The Montgomery County Public Schools Educational Foundation in conjunction with Barnes & Noble Booksellers will hold a fundraising book fair Dec. 3-5.

During that time, a portion of all book and music sales made at the any of the stores nationwide will be donated to the foundation. Shoppers must present a special voucher number, 595355, at the time their purchase is made.

Special events for children and adults will be held at the Rockville Barnes & Noble Booksellers store, located in the Montrose Crossing Shopping Center at Rockville Pike and Randolph Road, during the promotion.

The events are as follows:

-Dec. 4, 7:30 p.m. — "Polar Express" story time with activities and snacks.

-Dec. 5, 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. — Educator Appreciation Day. Teachers will receive 25 percent off books and 10 percent off music.

-Dec. 5, 11 a.m. — Costume character and story time.

-Dec. 5, 2:30 p.m. — Reading and book signing with Shawn K. Stout, author of "Fiona Finkelstein, Big-Time Ballerina!!"

The MCPS Educational Foundation in a nonprofit organization that provides funds for programs that the annual school budget cannot support, including funding for special equipment, technology grants and programs for at-risk students.

For more information, visit www.mcpsfoundation.org.

Sandy Spring Friends to hold open house, winter carnival

Sandy Spring Friends School will hold an open house and annual Winterfest fair Dec. 5.

Winterfest will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., while the open house will be held from 10 a.m. to noon.

Those unable to attend but still interested in visiting are asked to call the admissions office at 301-774-7455, ext. 115.

Winterfest, which is free and open to the public, will feature food, music, breakfast with Frosty the Snowman, art and jewelry for sale and more.

For more information, visit www.ssfs.org.

School-closing

procedures outlined

It's getting to be the time of year when winter weather may disrupt school operations, forcing schools to close, dismiss early or delay opening.

Announcements of school closings or delays are made as early as possible, generally in time for news broadcasts that begin at 5 a.m. If schools are closing early, the announcements are made by 11 a.m.

There are several ways to get the latest information on closings or delays.

- MCPS QuickNotes e-mail news service will send emergency information to subscribers. To sign up visit www.mcpsquicknotes.org.

- MCPS home page

www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/ will display emergency announcements in bold red letters at the top of the page.

- ASK MCPS Telephone Information Center at 301-309-6277 has English- and Spanish-speaking operators available from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

- MCPS information line, 301-279-3673, has recorded information 24 hours a day.

- MCPS Cable channel 34 and local radio and TV stations will broadcast the information

-MCPS will Twitter at http://twitter.com/mcps.

- Schoolsout will text message your cell phone with school emergency information There is a fee for the service, but emergency information is available by e-mail without a fee at http://www.schoolsout.com/.

Education Notebook is compiled by Staff Writer Melissa J. Brachfeld. Items appropriate for this column should be sent to mbrachfeld@gazette.net, by fax to 301-670-7183, or by mail to Education Notebook, The Rockville/Aspen Hill Gazette, 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, MD 20877. Deadline is 5 p.m. Wednesday for consideration for the following week's paper. Items are used on a space-available basis.