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Members of the National Honor Society at Northwest High School will be selling children's books for the Reach Out and Read program through Dec. 4. NHS sponsor and Spanish teacher Rebecca Ahearn, said the students won't be selling directly to the buyers, but the books will be bought for a clinic serving children in need.

Ahearn said the program is a national nonprofit organization that promotes early literacy by giving new books to children and advice to parents about the importance of reading aloud to their children.

Each book sells for $3, Ahearn said, and she wants each of the 120 NHS members to sell at least 10 books each. Last year, students sent a check for more than $2,100 to Reach Out and Read to buy books.

For more information on how to buy books, contact Ahearn at 301-601-4641 or email her at Rebecca_B_Ahearn@mcpsmd.org.

PHS team brings

home the bucks

A team of students from Poolesville High School placed third at the sixth annual Digital Security Challenges hosted by the Polytechnic Institute of New York University in New York City earlier this month.

Students Pranav Gokhale, Joseph Pepper and Sheng Zhang and coach Mark Estep of Poolesville's hax4food team competed against 79 other teams from around the East Coast in the High School Cyber Forensics Challenge and won $750 for their school on Nov. 13. The students applied their hacking skills to a murder mystery.

Clemente food drive

The Roberto Clemente Middle School PTSA will hold a holiday food drive for the nonprofit Germantown Help through Dec. 11.

Non-perishable food items can be dropped off at a collection box in the main office of the Germantown school, 18808 Waring Station Road, or in students' first-period class. For more information, contact Rachael Couch at rcouch35@msn.com.

Drama at John Poole

The Drama Club at John Poole Middle School will perform William Shakespeare's classic "Romeo and Juliet" next month.

Performances start at 7 p.m. Dec. 4 and 5 in the All-Purpose Room at the Poolesville school, 17014 Tom Fox Ave. Tickets go on sale Monday and cost $3 for children and $5 for adults. For more information, call Dorald Turner at 301-349-5651.

Tutors needed

Gibbs and Clarksburg elementary schools are looking for high school students to tutor younger students who need a little extra help.

Tutors will earn Student Service Learning hours for their work. Interested Clarksburg High School students should see teacher Ed Dalton in Room 217 during lunch for details.

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.

Reading volunteers needed

Help second-graders at Cedar Grove, Germantown, Dr. Sally K. Ride, Stedwick, Summit Hall and Watkins Mill elementary schools improve their reading.

Three Montgomery County nonprofits, the George B. Thomas Learning Academy, Interages, and Passion for Learning, are seeking volunteer tutors for the Ruth Rales-Comcast Kids Reading Network Program.

The weekly tutoring session may take place before, during or after school. Training and ongoing support, plus tutoring materials and books will be provided. For details call, 301-279-3890 or

www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org

/readingnetwork.

Is school closed?

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, those announcements are made by 11 a.m.

There are several ways to get 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 (-MCPS) 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 They charge a fee for this service, but you can receive emergency information by e-mail without a fee. www.schoolsout.com/.

Send items to Melissa A. Chadwick at mchadwick@

gazette.net, fax at 301-670-7183 or 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, MD, 20877.