Fifth-graders from Washington Episcopal School wore the colors of the Honduran flag in their uniforms, bracelets and hair ribbons, and hair. The school's faculty raised $430 during a bake sale for Honduran 12-year-old Sandro Alverez, who almost lost his leg in an accident. Because he will not be able to earn a living doing hard labor in the future, Alverez needs an education, which comes with the expenses of tuition and room and board since he is not from La Ceiba. During a week of activities about Honduras, Washington Episcopal School students learned 10 Spanish words, wore blue and white — the colors of the Honduran flag — and dressed for beach day. Third-graders performed an informative play about how the relationship between the school and Holy Trinity School in La Ceiba, Honduras began. The WES Honduras Committee arranged this week of activities during January 14-18 to create a greater awareness among school community members about our partnership with Holy Trinity, set up through the Episcopal Diocese of Washington and the Episcopal Diocese of Honduras. During the past three years, many WES students, parents, faculty and board members have donated tools, books, clothing, time and money to Holy Trinity. Some parents and faculty have even had the opportunity to go to La Ceiba, and last year four teachers from Holy Trinity came to visit WES.
<hdr>School Notes
<lst>The Potomac Almanac welcomes school news and events, as well as notes on the accomplishments of local students. Mail to 10220 River Road, Potomac, MD 20854, fax to 703-917-0991, or e-mail at almanac@connectionnewspapers.com. Photos are encouraged.
<mh>Season for Transferring Schools
<bt>Montgomery County parents who wish to transfer their children from their regularly-assigned school may begin the process from Feb. 1 through April 1.
Students in Montgomery County Public Schools can apply for a transfer if there is a documented hardship situation; an older sibling in the requested school; or in cases involving continuation of a feeder pattern from elementary to middle school and middle school to high school, except when affected by boundary changes.
The transfer process begins in the home school, where parents may request an assignment change form and an information booklet that describes the process. The booklet will be available beginning the first week of February.
For more information parents should contact the principal of their home school. Non-English speaking parents may receive more information by calling the Spanish Hotline at 301-230-3073, the Asian Hotline at 301-230-5436 and the ESOL Parent Center at 301-230-0674.
<mh>Hoover's Science Symposium
<bt>Hoover Middle School, 8810 Postoak Road, is sponsoring the school's Third Annual Science Symposium on Feb. 6, starting at 6 p.m. The public is welcome.
Seventh and eighth-grade students, who have conducted science research and experimentation on a variety of experiments — such as the effects of weather on the school cafeteria noise level and the effects of olfactory stimulants on work performance — will share their work in the Hoover cafeteria on Feb. 6 at 6 p.m. for display board viewing. Oral presentations given by students will be given 6:30-9 p.m.
<mh>Parenting Class
<bt>"Parenting Teens," a guide to meeting the challenges of raising teenagers, will be held at the Ayrlawn YMCA Program Center on Thursdays, from Jan. 17-Feb. 21, from 7-8:30 p.m. The six-week program, sponsored by YMCA Bethesda Youth Services, costs $15 and includes materials. Call to register at 301-229-1347.
<mh>Parenting Youth with Learning Disabilities
<bt>Sally L. Smith, founder and director of The Lab School of Washington, will give a lecture for parents of children with learning disabilities and the professionals who work with them on Wednesday, Jan. 30 from 8-9:30 p.m. Her lecture, "I'm Not a Good Enough Parent, Chances Are You Are: How Difficult it is to Parent a Child With L.D., ADD and Other Related Disorders," is part of the Lab School/Kaiser Permanente's Lecture Discussion Series at the Lab School, 4759 Reservoir Road, N.W. Call 202-965-6600.
<mh>Scholarships Available
<bt> The Jewish Social Service Agency (JSSA) is offering $45,000 in college scholarships and loans for the 2002-2003 academic year. Only one application is necessary to be considered for grants that include graduate and undergraduate programs and Jewish communal service, either in the states or abroad.
Call Bobbie Raftery at JSSA at 301-816-2604 or visit www.jssa.org. The application deadline is March 1.
<mh>Special Needs Library
<bt>The main phone number at the county's Special Needs Library at Davis Library, 6400 Democracy Blvd., has been changed to 240-777-0960. The TTY number, 301-897-2217, for people with hearing impairments has not changed. The special needs library is open Monday and Tuesday from 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m. and Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
<mh>Camps and Playgrounds
<bt>Information on the 2002 schedule for camps and playgrounds in Montgomery County will be included in the spring issue of the "Guide to Recreation and Leisure," which will be available in mid-February. The guide will be available at all Montgomery County community centers, swim centers, senior centers, regional service centers and public libraries. Call 240-777-6930.
<mh>College Notes
<bt>Bucknell University students Jonathan L. Hanowell, of Potomac; Benjamin E. Fisher, of Rockville; Kristen L. Pomponio, of Bethesda; and Erin L. Rosenthal, of Bethesda, all earned a grade point average of 3.5 or higher to make the dean's list for outstanding academic achievement during the fall semester.
* Potomac's Andrew Shin, a sophomore majoring in political science and sociology, and Jaquelyn Jouvenal, a sophomore majoring in illustration, were both inducted into the Syracuse University chapter of the Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society recognizing academic excellence among first-year college students. Both students achieved a grade point average of 3.5 or higher.
Potomac's Aaron Brodsky, a senior in Syracuse University's school of management, was inducted into the university's chapter of the Golden Key National Honor Society, recognizing students who have a grade point average of 3.3 or higher and are in the top 15 percent of the junior or senior class.
Marcella Jones, majoring in psychology, was named to the 2001-2002 edition of Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and College.
* Potomac's Adam Cohen, Patrick Keeley, Tyler Lavin and Michael Reineck all are members of the class of 2005 at Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H. Lavin and Reineck both played football this past semester. Dartmouth, the ninth-oldest college in the U.S., was founded in 1769.
* Darren Higgins, son of Dr. and Mrs. John Higgins or Esworthy Place in North Potomac, made the dean's list at Hamilton College in the fall 2001 semester. Higgins is a senior majoring in art.
* Lorraine Carol Bonde Diering of Potomac earned her Post Master's Certificate in Nursing from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Scottsbluff, Neb. Commencement for students in the College of Nursing West Nebraska was held Dec. 22.
<mh>Host Families Needed
<bt>ASSE International Student Exchange Programs seeks host families for boys and girls, 15 to 18, from Europe, Asia, North and South America, Australia and New Zealand who are coming to the area for the upcoming school year. Students, who speak English, will arrive shortly before the school year and return at the end of the school year. ASSE also seeks local high school students, 15 to 18, to become exchange students in the countries listed above. Call 410-838-0470, 1-800-736-1760 or visit the web site at www.asse.com
* World Heritage seeks host families for the 2002-2003 academic school year. Students from Spain, Mexico, France, Germany, Great Britain, Japan or one of the former Soviet Union countries participate in the program. Families may select the student of their choice from student applications. Call Wyndy Fredrick at 703-435-8948 or Becky Watson at 1-800-785-9040.