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Staring at the playground at Kensington's Academy of the Holy Cross during the past few years, gym teacher Stephanie Kolevar noticed that some students didn't take to the organized sports others were playing. In an effort to help those students still get some exercise, Kolevar launched a new program this September: the Mileage Club.
Students can spend their recess walking or running the perimeter of the Hold Cross recess field—about one-fifth of a mile—instead of just sitting on the sidelines of a game they might not want to play.
"Not everybody likes team things, so this is a way for an individual to still have a fun time during recess, and get some exercise," Kolevar said.
The teacher on duty during recess keeps track of the number of laps each student does, and for every 20 laps students complete, they receive a "toe token." The plastic trinkets can be attached to the students' shoes, as a way to show pride in their achievement, Kolevar said. In addition to the tokens the students also get their name on the bulletin board at school, with yellow paper feet indicating how far each student has walked or ran.
The number of students participating per day varies, Kolevar said, but so far they have totaled more than 550 miles.
Leadership fellows program applications available
Applications for the 2009 Lazarus Leadership Fellows Program are now being accepted. The program provides leadership training for 15 high school students in the area. Students will participate in nine leadership training sessions throughout February, March, April, and May. Over the summer, each student will design and implement a 200-hour community service project.
The Lazarus Leadership Fellows Program is open to all 10th and 11th grade students living in the Bethesda-Chevy Chase community. Each year, at least 12 of the 15 students are from Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School.
Applications will be available at the B-CC High School College and Career Center, or by writing to program founder Bruce Adams, at 7211 Exeter Road, Bethesda, MD 20814 or bruce@greaterwash.org. There will be an orientation session in the Choral Room at B-CC High School from 11 a.m. to 11:40 a.m., Friday. The application deadline is Jan. 5, 2009.
Free financial aid seminar offered at WJ
Have questions about financial aid for your college-bound son or daughter? Join other parents and Melissa Gregory, director of financial aid at Montgomery College, at 7 p.m., Monday, at Walter Johnson High School for a discussion about what you can do to help your child secure more money for college.
Information will be available about grants, loans, scholarships and work-study programs, and Gregory will be on hand to answer any questions. Parents and students are invited to attend this free workshop. Walter Johnson is located at 6430 Rock Spring Drive, Bethesda.
Teen library advocates
The Montgomery County Public Libraries' Teen Advisory Group has announced its membership roster and goals for the coming year.
The group consists of county teens between the ages of 14 and 18 who share a love of reading and writing. The members share their thoughts, surf the Web with a critical eye, produce podcasts or videos, promote the library among their peers and develop library programs, according to a statement from the county.
This year, the group will focus its goals on programming for teens in the library and marketing the library to teens, in addition to continuing to add to the online Teensite.
The following new and returning members will serve through May: Amrita Anand, Paint Branch High; Kate Campbell, Washington International School; Sanjay Chainani, Poolesville High; Deepa Chellappa, Blair High; Sarah Craig, Walt Whitman High; Rebecca Ehrenkranz, Jewish Day School; Emma Grossman, Col. Zadok Magruder High; Meg Kelly, Richard Montgomery High; Jonae Lloyd, Winston Churchill High; Kiah Mahy and Leon Mait, Blair High; Regina Morriss, John F. Kennedy High; Ben Patton, Poolesville High; Andrew Price, Col. Zadok Magruder High; Ilana Price, Bethesda-Chevy Chase High; Sneha Rao, Paint Branch High; Vanessa Sauter, Holton Arms; Will Shepherdson and Tasmin Swanson, Blair High; and Amanda Vane, Walter Johnson High.
For more information e-mail Kathie Weinberg at
Kathie.weinberg@
montgomerycountymd.gov.
School Notes is a weekly column during the school year. Send story ideas by 10 a.m. Thursdays to Bradford Pearson via e-mail at bpearson@gazette.net, by fax to 301-670-7183 or by mail to 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, MD 20877. Photos will also be considered.
