Morrison Earns Scholarship
Margaret J. Morrison of Walt Whitman High School was one of six Montgomery County Public Schools students to win corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholarships. Morrison, whose intended career field is in economics, won an award sponsored by March and McLennan Companies. There were 20 statewide winners and 1,070 national winners of the corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholarships, which are financed by companies, foundations and other business organizations
New Principal for Wayside Elementary
Yong-Mi Kim was named principal for Wayside Elementary School by Montgomery County Public Schools last week. Kim, a principal intern at Greencastle Elementary in Silver Spring, succeeds Interim Principal Ken Snoots in July.
Kim was born in South Korea, and moved with her family to Lanham, Md. when she was 3 years old. She grew up in Lanham, and attended University of Maryland. Kim’s educational career brought her back to Korea to teach while her husband was stationed with the U.S. military. They later moved to Hawaii, where Kim taught in Oahu for six years.
Kim now lives with her husband and two sons in Bowie. In Montgomery County schools, Kim taught all grades from pre-kindergarten through eighth, except seventh grade. Her teaching experience includes work with the county’s special education and gifted and talented programs, as well as four years as an administrator.
“I look forward to being at Wayside,” Kim said. “They have a reputation for excellence, and I look forward to helping uphold that reputation.”
Snoots, former principal at Burning Tree Elementary, came out of retirement this year to succeed Suzette Chagnon, who went to Broad Acres Elementary in Silver Spring last October.
Wayside’s PTA will host a social reception for area parents to meet Kim at Wayside’s all-purpose room on Wednesday, May 18 at 7 p.m.
Churchill Music Program Honored
Winston Churchill High School was among 42 schools nationwide — and the only school in Maryland — selected as a Grammy Signature School. Churchill’s music program will receive $2,000 as part of the award. The Grammy Foundation mailed requests to more than 20,000 nationwide public schools for information about their music programs. Churchill and other finalist schools sent the foundation recordings of school concerts, and sample concert programs, which were reviewed by an independent screening committee.
“This award validates our music program and puts us at a equal standing with the best schools in the nation,” said Carlos Barillo, director of the chorus program at Winston Churchill High School. Barillo said Churchill’s music program has evolved in the past four years, “It's a spike of numbers, people who are serious as singers are coming out of the woodwork, there are more serious musicians, while as before people took music classes to get easy A's.”
— Eden Chen
Churchill Holds Spring Carnival
Churchill hosts its first annual Spring Carnival at the school football stadium at 11300 Gainsborough Rd. on Saturday, May 14, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Events include dunking booth, moon bounce, food, face painting, tattoos and crafts. Adult admission is $2, or $1 with a can of food. Students admission $1, or free with can of food. Free admission for children 12 and under.
Hoover To Perform ‘Patience’
Hoover Middle School performs Gilbert and Sullivan’s “Patience” at Hoover Middle School, 8810 Post Oak Road on May 19, 20 and 21 at 7:30 p.m. “Patience” satirizes the “aesthetic craze” of the 1870s and ‘80s, when the output of poets, composers, painters and designers was prolific — but, some argued, empty and self-indulgent. Tickets are $5 at the door, $4 during lunch presales at the school. Call 301-469-1010.