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 703-917-6476.
An "Open House for Explorer Post #1986" is Wednesday, Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. Membership is open to residents of Montgomery County ages 14-20 who are in good health, can pass a background investigation, and are enrolled in an educational program at middle or high school, college, or a continuing education program. Explorers, a program allowing young people to learn about public safety careers first-hand, assist in events such as the Montgomery County Fair, community day parades, child fingerprinting and more. Located at the Public Safety Training Academy located at 9710 Great Seneca Highway in Rockville. For more, call Officer Charles Carpenter, at 301-840-2697.
Jewish Social Service Agency offers "Educational Consultation and Support" for parents of children who have been identified with a learning, attention, or other disability that impacts academic performance. This program helps parents identify and implement the services a child needs to achieve academic success. Available to families in Montgomery County. Adjustable fees based on family income. Other services to children with learning, attention or other disabilities include social skills therapy groups, workshops on parenting challenging children, individual and family counseling, and support groups. JSSA is located at 6123 Montrose Road, Rockville. Call 301-816-2633 or 703-204-9100 for more.
Michael Beloff has been promoted to the top leadership ranks of the Air Force Junior ROTC detachment at Randolph-Macon Academy. He is the son of Stew and Annette Beloff of Potomac. He was awarded the position of Charlie Flight Commander, with the rank of cadet captain. The senior is active in varsity lacrosse and has been frequently named to the dean's list for his high grade point average.
Kyara Parker, the daughter of Adrienne Bright of Laurel and Abdul Khanu of Potomac, has been promoted to a top leadership position at Randolph-Macon Academy. She was awarded the position of Mike Flight Sergeant, with the rank of cadet technical sergeant. The junior is active in softball and is a member of the Academy's color guard.
Rockville High School is the most recent MCPS school to seek authorization for a two-year International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. It has 80 students enrolled in its pre-IB program. During the 2006–2007 school year, the 80 9th-grade students at Rockville High School will be enrolled in accelerated MCPS courses designed to prepare students for the full IB curriculum, which begins in the junior year. Pre-IB will be offered to 9th and 10th graders in the 2007–2008 school year. Rockville expects to have IB certification by the 2008–2009 school year. The class of 2010 will be Rockville’s first IB class to graduate.
Learn more about area preschools at the 9th annual Preschool Fair sponsored by the MOMS Club of Potomac on Wednesday, Oct. 25 from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Approximately 30 preschools from Potomac, Rockville, Bethesda, Chevy Chase and surrounding areas will be represented. The fair is at the Potomac Community Center, 11315 Falls Road. Free and children are welcome. For more information, call Carrie Lee 301-906-2377 or Julie Krieger 301-987-5917, or e-mail momspotomac@gmail.com.
Adventure Theatre introduces a new Book Club for Kids focusing on the best-selling children’s books that inspired each of its plays for the 2006-07 Season. Children experience the journey of reading the books at home to seeing the plays unfold before their eyes on stage at Adventure Theatre. Performances are followed by a “Talk About” session and a fun and creative activity related to the book and the play. Books are available at the Little Falls library. Registration is free. Go to www.adventuretheatre.org for more information about the many benefits members will receive. Special Book Club performances are Sundays at 1:30 p.m. on special dates. Discount tickets will only be given for the designated Book Club performance dates. No substitutions. Adventure Theatre is located at Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo.
Churchill High School Class of 1996 offers its 10-year reunion Saturday Nov., 25 at 6 p.m. at Union Jack's, 4915 St. Elmo, Bethesda. To receive the e-vite or for more information e-mail Marisa Leshinsky at Marisa_Leshinsky@hotmail.com.
Princeton Review offers an MCAT class at the John Hopkins University-Montgomery County Campus this fall. The MCAT course is on Mondays-Wednesdays 6:30-9:00 p.m. from Oct. 16-April 4, 2007 and some Saturdays from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. for practice tests. Cost of course is $1,699. To sign up for the course, visit www.PrincetonReview.com or call 1-800-2REVIEW
Matthew Vaveris of Potomac participated in the UVM/GIV (Governor's Institute of Vermont) Engineering Institute at the University of Vermont's College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences. He was part of the group that did an aeronautical prject pertaining to aeronautical sensor probes. He attends St. Andrew's Episcopal High School.
Ana Cunningham, a student at Winston Churchill High School, is attending the Cornell University Summer College program this summer.
Montgomery College offers an array of new, non-credit courses that were formerly offered by Montgomery County Public Schools. These courses, offered primarily during evenings or weekends in public schools and other convenient community locations, are in addition to hundreds of other non-credit courses available through the College’s Workforce Development and Continuing Education unit. A complete schedule of course offerings can be found online at www.montgomerycollege.edu/wdce. Also, printed copies of the fall non-credit course schedule can be found at libraries, community centers and other such locations around the county. For questions about continuing education courses or to request a copy call 301-279-5188, visit
www.montgomerycollege.edu/wdce/mcps/mcps.html.
Lucy Boyce Kennedy, a student in the Connelly School of the Holy Child's class of 2007, has been identified as a Maryland Distinguished Scholar in the achievement category. As a finalist, Lucy Boyce will be offered an annual scholarship of $3,000 to attend a Maryland college or university. Four other Holy Child seniors also received designation in the Distinguished Scholar program. Zeina Boustani and Erika Wright were given honorable mention in the achievement category, and Meredith Hickman and Abigail Holtz received honorable mention in the talent category.
Montgomery Blair, Richard Montgomery, and Walt Whitman high schools surpassed all other schools in the state in number of semifinalists in the 2007 National Merit Scholarship competition. The high schools and the number of semifinalists from each are:
* Montgomery Blair: 48
* Richard Montgomery: 36
* Walt Whitman: 24
* Winston Churchill: 11
* Thomas S. Wootton: 10
* Walter Johnson: 4
Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) is among several school districts across the United States featured in a new book describing successful approaches to early childhood education. "Building Blocks: Making Children Successful in the Early Years of School" describes the critical role of the primary grades as the foundation for later success. The author, Gene Maeroff, is director of the Hechinger Institute on Education and the Media at Columbia University’s Teachers College in New York. The book highlights the strategic approach embodied in the MCPS Early Success Performance Plan and the data that show that MCPS is closing the achievement gap by race, ethnicity and poverty by improving literacy skills at the very beginning of a child’s education.