To have an item listed mail to 10220 River Road, Suite 303, Potomac, MD 20854, e-mail to almanac@connectionnewspapers.com, or fax to 703-917-0991. Deadline is Thursday at noon for the following week’s paper. Photos and artwork encouraged. Unless otherwise noted, all events are in Potomac. If you have any questions, call Rebecca Halik at 703-226-1653.
The 2006 Girl Power Summer Computer Camps, geared for girls in grades 6-8, are offered from July 17 to 28 at the Rockville campus. Girls in grades 7-9 who have experience using Windows and are on or above grade level in math are eligible to take the 2006 Computer Programming for Middle School Girls camp to be held from July 17 to 28 at the Germantown campus. All sessions are from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Total cost for each session is $450 and $675 for out of state residents. For more information about the camps and registration, call the Commission for Women at 240-777-8330 or visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/cfw.
School-aged children can participate in the annual Summer Reading Club offered by Montgomery County Public Libraries beginning in June. Children who sign up for the program will receive a “gameboard,” to keep track of the books they read and a suggested reading list. To fit this year’s mystery-related theme, “Clue into Reading,” the “gameboard” also includes a “secret formula” for making invisible ink, “forensic fun” on ways to lift fingerprints, a maze and some “codes to crack.” Throughout the summer, children will be able to receive various prizes and be able to purchase t-shirts with the “Clue into Reading” imprint for $5. Visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/library for more.
Giant Food LLC has given two area schools grant money to improve libraries, computer labs, fund field trips, school sports programs and other needed areas.
* Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, located in Rockville, received $10,939.18.
* Walt Whitman High School, located in Bethesda, received $7,925.65.
The Lutheran Church of the Cross, 12801 Falls Road, Potomac, offers a summer camp emphasizing prayer, faith, academics, creative activities and physical fitness for ages 6-12 from July 10 through Aug. 18. Call 301-762-7565.
The Franklin Schools of Rockville received one of 11 A's given out in Montgomery County for recycling. The grade was handed out by Montgomery County Government's Department of Public Works and Transportation.
The Montgomery County Board of Elections seeks 1,000 students in grades 6-12 to serve as Election Day student aides. Students and their guardians must attend mandatory training in July/August for students to serve on Election Day and receive Student Service Learning credits. Students will be placed according to home addresses into neighboring precincts. U.S. citizenship is not a pre-requisite to participate. Interested students should send the following information: student and guardian's full name and e-mail address, home address, phone numbers, school name and address, grade level (as of fall 2006), shift preference and language spoken (including sign language). Information should not be sent later than June 1 to gilberto.zelaya@montgomerycountymd.gov or fax to 240-777-8632.
Montgomery County Public Schools honored Kimberly C. Oliver, kindergarten teacher at Broad Acres Elementary School, at a "hometown reception" in the cafeteria of Springbrook High School. Oliver recently was named 2006 National Teacher of the Year. Broad Acres students and staff, parents, and community members greeted their teacher of the year, many of them for the first time since Oliver received the national recognition. Members of the Board of Education, Superintendent Jerry D. Weast and other officials also participated.
Rock View Elementary School is one of 25 schools in the nation selected as a finalist in the Seventh Annual National School Change Awards program, sponsored by the American Association of School Administrators, Pearson Education and the Fordham University Graduate School of Education. The award was created in 1999 to recognize formerly underperforming schools that have become exemplary. Rock View's school improvement efforts and status as an award finalist will be recognized at the national awards ceremony on Monday, July 10, at Fordham University's Lincoln Center Campus in New York City.
Washington Episcopal School (WES) in Bethesda welcomed a delegation of Polish and Ukrainian elementary students, school administrators and city officials to their school as part of a nine-day, three-city United States cultural exchange sponsored by UPS. This year visiting students from the small towns of Lipa and Sierakosce, Poland, and Nizankowice, Ukraine joined their American hosts in class, at lunchtime and outdoor games while the adults toured the facilities and learned about American education from school administrators. As a farewell, WES students treated the visitors to a concert of popular Broadway melodies, both instrumental and vocal.
Students in nine elementary schools have been working hard this year to stage performances of original operas. Each opera is a student creation from start to finish. Opera performances are scheduled at these elementary schools:
* Fox Chapel: "Once Upon a Genius," May 31, 1:30 and 7:30 p.m.; June 1, 9:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.
* Kensington Parkwood: "All Because of a Fishing Net," June 7 and 8, 7:30 p.m.
Montgomery County Public Schools 2006 graduates can apply for a summer program that involves getting a stipend, earning college credits for free, and preparing for a future career in the construction and building trades industry. The two-week program, offered June 19-30, provides opportunities for a diverse group of highly motivated high school graduates to continue their educations at local colleges. At the same time, they can prepare for careers in one of the 17 building and construction trades. Any graduating MCPS senior is eligible to apply. Participants who successfully complete the session receive academic credit from Montgomery College; training to qualify for OSHA safety certification; a stipend to defray participant cost; direct instruction in the areas of applied reading, writing and analytical skills needed for the range of career pathways offered and more. For more information and an application packet, contact Lisa Blevins, NLC Scholarship Coordinator, National Labor College Scholars Program, National Labor College, George Meany Campus, 10000 New Hampshire Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20903, 301-431-5402.
Quince Orchard High School won the Best of the Web Award as the best public high school Web site in Montgomery County on April 25 during the second annual Best of the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Web Awards ceremony. The site, www.qohs.org, is managed by computer science teacher Jason Leveille and a team of web development and design students.
Other winners include:
* Best Middle School Web Site: Roberto Clemente Middle School, www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/clementems/, webmaster Ron Poker, science teacher
* Best Elementary School Web Site: Harmony Hills Elementary School, www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/harmonyhillses/, webmaster Rosemary Hess, instructional assistant and paraeducator
* Best Office Web Site: Department of Materials Management,
www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/materials/, webmasters Cecilia Scott, Dawn Geisler and Paul McCabe
* Best Special Project or Initiative Web Site: Social Studies, www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/socialstd/, webmaster Robert Ferrante, social studies teacher.
The American Red Cross Greater Chesapeake and Potomac Blood Services Region is seeking youth to work as Volunteer Ambassadors at blood operations this summer. Teens 14 years or older can earn Service Learning credits and develop job skills by assisting the blood collections staff. The volunteers will welcome donors in the reception area, and help care for them in the refreshment area after the donation process. Specific responsibilities include greeting donors and providing them with essential reading materials, serving refreshments, and offering an hospitable atmosphere to donors. Training is provided. A commitment of 30 hours over the summer is required. Blood operations last 4–6 hours, and are held daily throughout the Potomac area. Training is held in late May and throughout June. To register for training, please call the American Red Cross Volunteer Office at 1-800-272-0094, Ext. 1, or e-mail karlofft@usa.redcross.org.