2007-12-18 -- 11:06 am Kids Helping Kids: A positive experience  The students of Crofton Elementary School recently participated in the annual "Kids Helping Kids" food drive. Students brought in donations Oct. 22 through Nov. 9 with great excitement and generosity.
The drive was a huge success and far exceeded expectations. In the end, students donated a whopping 2,111 pounds of food to the Anne Arundel County Food & Resource Bank to benefit all those in need statewide.
This experience provided students at Crofton Elementary School with the genuine opportunity to show compassion and caring toward others, which was an opportunity they eagerly embraced. It was most definitely a positive experience for all involved. Way to go, Crofton Cubs!
-- Mrs. Aimee Brown, second grade classroom teacher; Mrs. Heather Webster, elementary guidance counselor 2007-12-18 -- 10:55 am Marilyn Hugg in Maryland Horse Shows Association Hall of Fame 
Congratulations to Marilyn Hugg who at the age of 78 was inducted into Maryland Horse Shows Association Hall of Fame on Nov. 25 at the Renaissance Harbor Place Hotel in Baltimore at the annual meeting and awards banquet.
This association was founded in 1932 and is one of the oldest, continuous horse show associations in the United States.
With her achievements, training and showing her horses and ponies in the hunter division in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware and New York, she showed her horses and ponies from 1945 to 1987.
Her greatest achievement was her small pony, "Pixie," who was grand champion of the Maryland Horse and Pony Show in 1964 at Maryland State Fairgrounds in Tinomium.
Rancho, her large pony, placed in the ribbons at Madison Square, Pa., National as well as Washington International.
Daniel Gray, her horse, was champion in the Working Hunter Division in Maryland and Virginia most of the time.
Many children that she taught to ride went on to show with their own horses and ponies. Marilyn retired after 42 years of showing in 1987.
-- Charles Hugg 2007-12-10 -- 3:12 pm Fun and fitness at Severna Park Elementary
Severna Park Elementary School recently hosted its third annual Family Fun and Fitness Night.
The event was held over two days last month, with kindergarten, first and second grades participating Nov. 6 and third, fourth and fifth grades participating the following evening.
The event was hosted by the Severna Park Elementary Physical Education Department and coordinated by physical education teacher Rich Wiles.
Students and their parents had the opportunity to come in to try out more than 35 activities from the school's physical education program. Stations included bowling, cup stacking, crab walking, and scarf juggling.
The goal of the evening was to get both the kids and the adults moving and to build active, healthy learners of all ages. More than 80 percent of the student body turned out with their parents to join in the fun. And, fun was most certainly had by all.
-- Alyson Figlioli, SPES PTA
2007-12-10 -- 2:30 pm Gettysburg comes alive for Rockbridge students  Rockbridge Academy sixth-graders charge across Oak Hill at Gettysburg National Military Park. Photo courtesy Michael Lent
Imagine you're a soldier charging toward a cannon only moments after it was fired, desperately trying to reach and stop it before the next blast. Sixth-graders from Rockbridge Academy in Millersville got just a little taste of that on a recent field trip to Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania.
After an early morning tour bus ride which featured doughnuts, juice and a talk on Civil War history, students stepped onto the battle site to the theme music from the Turner film "Gettsyburg." Their tour guide was Rockbridge's secondary school principal, Ralph Janikowsky. Mr. Janikowsky, a retired naval officer, is no rookie when it comes to teaching about soldiers and battles; he is formerly a professor of military history and strategy at National Defense University in Washington D.C. But the trip wasn?t all talk. Students were placed in columns of four and shown how the men would have marched into battle. They sampled hard tack prepared by one of the parents before setting out to follow the one-mile route of the infantry assault known as Pickett's Charge. They ate a picnic lunch at Devil's Den, terrain littered with piles of rocks and boulders, which was the site of fierce fighting and sniper activity during the war. And they stopped at the cemetery to listen to a reading of the famous address delivered by President Abraham Lincoln several months after the Union victory at Gettysburg. Teacher Christina Cawley noted a number of differences from last year's trip, including new peach trees and fencing, as the park attempts to replicate the way the site would have appeared in 1863. Students weren't the only ones to benefit from Mr. Janikowsky's enthusiasm and knowledge; nearly 20 parents came along to participate in the day's activities. Mr. Janikowsky believes that field trips such as the visit to Gettysburg are a great way to make the dates and names students learn in the classroom come alive. And, consistent with Rockbridge's method of classical education, it integrates many subjects including history, theology, literature, and government. The field trip may be over, but students will no doubt be eager to charge ahead, learning about the next era in U.S. history. ::: ... ... this is a shortened article. Read the entire article.2007-12-03 -- 6:51 am The Peace Conference: My Day A student's perspective
It's a little after five o'clock at night, and I'm walking beside the road. I'm cold, and hungry. The sidewalk is wet with rain, and there is a light fog. A mile or two ahead looms my destination: the Naval Academy stadium.That was how my night began on Nov. 26, 2007. The very next day was the Annapolis Peace Conference, to be held at the Naval Academy. And incredibly, I was going ... me, a 20-year-old student from St. John's College. The news magazine that I write for, The Epoch Journal, wanted to cover the meeting of Middle East leaders, and I volunteered to report it. As no one else from my school was going, I headed alone toward the stadium to get my press credentials. A seemingly mile-long line of reporters was queued to get theirs as well. Unfortunately, everyone needed a picture taken, and there was only one camera. So we waited in line. And waited. The White House Press Corp had gotten special permission to cut ahead of the other reporters (i.e. me) and get their press credentials.We were irritated by this fact, but bit our tongues. And then there was the Frenchman, a reporter from Le Monde, a short man with an explosive temper. Storming around the line, he shouted "How are we supposed to find ze truth, if we are not all treated as equals?" The Americans smirked at the man's attempted protest, and the Brits just rolled their eyes. Two-and-a-half hours later, I got my credentials, and went home. At nine in the morning, I boarded a shuttle with the other reporters and took the route to the Naval Academy. Walking through the imposing doors, I was ushered into the main hall, where hundreds of reporters with their laptops crowded the arena floor. President Bush was giving the opening remarks on a giant screen. Journalists from The New York Times, The Washington Post, and National Public Radio were cranking out their stories. Camera crews were rushing about. And there I was: a 20-year-old student with only a tape-recorder and no idea what to do. No microphone, no producer, no big name to get me attention. Just a press badge with a publication that no one had heard of, and a very confused look on my face. A bright light flashed from a camera, and I squinted to see a journalist interviewing someone who turned out to be a spokesman for the Israeli delegation. When the interview ended, I mustered my courage, and made my move. Tapping the man on his shoulder, I politely asked, "Sir, could I please have a word with you. I'm from my publication, The Epoch Journal." I flashed my press badge, and prepared for rejection. But the man quickly nodded his head, and proceeded to answer the couple of questions that I managed to sputter out. "What are your hopes for the conference today?" "Was there any discussion about dividing Jerusalem?" "Would you be willing to talk to Hamas?" I finished with the interview, totally amazed that he had been so receptive. My confidence grew. I began to actively seek out more interviews. I hurried over to a crowd of reporters clustered in a corner and was whisked along into a small room. Standing behind a table was a soft-spoken man, the ambassador from Saudi Arabia. He made a brief statement, and proceeded to take questions. I stretched my tape recorder as close to him as possible, hoping that it would pick up some of h... ... this is a shortened article. Read the entire article.
2007-11-26 -- 10:03 am St. John's president opens his home to students at Thanksgiving     Photos 1 and 2 - Students sing "America the Beautiful" outside of President Nelson's home before dinner.
Photo 3 - President Nelson with Katherine Armitage '09, Willis McCumber '08, Nick Callahan, Anne Frazier '10, Bradley Van Uden '10 and Michael Stokely '09.
Photo 4 - Thanksgiving buffet in the Nelsons' dining room. For over a decade St. John's College President Chris Nelson and his wife have welcomed St. John's students who are not traveling home over Thanksgiving for a festive gathering at their West Annapolis home. This year was no exception.
The more than 70 guests included approximately 50 national and international students as well as members of the faculty, a few friends, and many family members; many students, such as St. John's junior Sara Luell of Texas, brought along a sibling.
The Nelsons eagerly open their home on Thanksgiving. "My wife Joyce and I want to share our home with those who don't have a home over the holiday," says Nelson, "Thanksgiving is a time to share what we have."
Nelson along with students, tutors, family and friends, rolled up his shirt sleeves to chop walnuts for the Waldorf salad, peeled some 75 potatoes, and sliced mounds of apples for pies. Several students arrived early to carry wood, make a fire, and have fun lending a hand in the kitchen. "I'm getting my exercise," says Nelson who chopped a stack of wood.
Everyone gathered for a traditional, old-fashioned celebration - accompanied by inspiring readings and conversation rather than television. Along with the many turkeys and trimmings - most of which the Nelsons prepare themselves - guests savored readings that include excerpts from American authors who celebrate democracy, tradition, and food. By 3 p.m. dinner was served.
2007-11-26 -- 9:55 am      Photo 5 - (From left) Sara Luell '09, Elizabeth Burlington '08, Jason Ritzkie '11, and Christopher Goodness (College of Wooster, '08, he was a guest of Justin Lee '08) eating in the Nelsons' living room.
Photo 6 - (From left) Robert Stewart, Pauline Stacchini, and My Nguyen (all '09) in the Nelsons' living room.
Photo 7 - (From left) Justin Lee '08, Philip Mohr '10, Erica Stratton '08, and Paul Thompson '09 outside of the Nelson home before dinner.
Photo 8 - (From right foreground backward) Corinne Peters '08, Philip Mohr '10, Jason Ritzkie '11 listening to the Thanksgiving readings.
Photo 9 - Raphaela Cassandra and Bradley Van Uden (both '10) in the Nelsons' back yard. 2007-11-26 -- 6:39 am Bull Dogs 80 lb. rec team wins title  We did it!!!
Southern Bull Dogs won the Anne Arundel County Rec Team 80 lb. championship against undefeated GORC.
Final score: Southern 14 GORC 12
Here are some highlights:
Going into the playoffs, We (Southern) were 7 and 2. We played Maryland City who was 8 and 1. We won the playoffs with a score of 14 to 13. Very good, very competitive game. To win, we held Maryland City from getting an extra point.
Going into the playoffs GORC was 9 and 0.
Although GORC was able to score 2 touchdowns during the game, our defense held them (both times) from getting the extra point (at this league, they don?t kick, but run another play from the 5- or 10-yard line).
This may be the first championship that Southern has won since the organization was created.
Bottom line, our kids played hard and each one contributed to this win! As our coach always said - we lose as a team and we WIN as a team.
A good job to our head coach - Curtis Holland. He brought our team to the championship with excellent coaching, but also stressed the values of a good/solid family, always being the ?good? kid, and reminded the players that school comes first - yes, even before football. Coach Holland is a definite value to Anne Arundel County?s football organization.
? Proud parents
2007-11-18 -- 12:17 am World-renowned storyteller visits Glendale Elementary   Fifth-graders at Glendale Elementary School have been studying the book, Molly Bannaky by Alice McGill.
Molly Bannaky, winner of the 2000 IRA Picture Book Award and the 2000 Jane Addams Award, is the story of a former indentured servant who not only staked out land which eventually became a successful 100-acre farm but also married a former slave. Both feats were unheard of in 1683 Colonial America.
Alice McGill is an award-winning author and professional storyteller who also is the grandmother of a second-grade student at Glendale, Darryl Anderson. Darryl and his mother arranged for Mrs. McGill to pay a special visit to Glendale students on Nov. 7.
Storytelling is an art form. Storytellers become characters of the books as they act the story out and Alice McGill is extremely adept at that. At the assemblies, she entertained a total of 447 students with her stories and books. Not a student moved during the two one-hour assemblies!
- Elaine Hambly and Paula Itnyre 2007-11-17 -- 10:29 pm Boy Scout Troop 115 takes high adventure trek in New Mexico     Troop 115 Scouts on the trail at the Philmont Scout Ranch are, seated, from left, John Saunders, Mark Rose and Sam Durfee. Standing are Casey Shea, Jonathan Brown, Michael Anderson, Andy Johnston, Patrick Johnston and Tyler Wates. Twelve members of Boy Scout Troop 115, chartered by the Community United Methodist Church in Crofton, recently returned from a high adventure trek at the Philmont Scout Ranch, the Boy Scouts of America's premier high-adventure base located in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains near Cimarron, New Mexico.
Our crew spent nine days away from home - six of which were on the trails in the back country. We had nine Boy Scouts and three adult advisers on the trek. Jonathan Brown, a Life Scout and a senior at South River High School, served as our crew leader.
- Steve Rose
Scoutmaster, Troop 115
Monday, Aug. 13: Day 1 - Crofton to Philmont
Our journey began as we said goodbye to our loved ones in Crofton and were dropped off at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport at 6:30 a.m., which should have been plenty of time to make an 8 a.m. flight. But with the long lines at the airline check-in counter and security, we just barely made the plane. But make it we did, and we were soon winging our way westward. We landed in Denver, marveling at the circus tent-like roof on the airport terminal. After some wandering around and a few phone calls, we then caught our Ramblin Express bus for the five-hour ride to northeast New Mexico and Philmont. As we headed southward along Interstate 25, we began to see some of the spectacular scenery of the American West. There were mountain ranges that appeared to leap up out of nowhere, as well as major cities like Colorado Springs and Pueblo that contained all the usual malls, restaurants, and trappings of what we were used to seeing in the Baltimore-Washington-Annapolis corridor. After stops for food and gas, we arrived at Philmont right before dinner time, at which time we began the "hurry up and wait" process of making final preparations to go out on the trail. We got ourselves checked in, then began discovering how to deal with life... ... this is a shortened article. Read the entire article.2007-11-13 -- 3:12 pm Students learn leadership skills and charity in Raising For Reasons  How can you help out local charities, plus help provide leadership and philanthropic skills to local high school juniors and seniors?
Donate to Raising for Reasons, formally known as the Anne Arundel Youth Charitable Initiative Inc.
R4R is in its fourth year, and has donated more than $7,000 to local charities, including Food Link of Anne Arundel County, Partners in Care and the Organization of the Hispanic Latin Americans of Anne Arundel County.
Just as importantly, though, more than 100 Anne Arundel County students have been involved in the program, which essentially teaches them how to function as a board of directors, plus exposes them to fun, interactive ways to serve their community.
Officers for the new year are: Alison Rogers, Key School, president; Josh Mink, Arundel High School, vice president; Katherine Johnson, Meade High School, treasurer; and Michelle Austin, South River High School, secretary.
Other schools represented by members are Annapolis, Southern, Broadneck, St. Mary?s, Severn, Archbishop Spalding, Indian Creek and Mount de Sales.
Along with an Adult Board of Directors that oversees, a Youth Board of Directors meets monthly at the Anne Arundel County Board of Education in Annapolis. Each member joins a committee ? either fundraising, grant giving, membership or public relations ? on which we will serve for the entirety of the year. We spend the majority of the meetings with our committee trying to accomplish both short- and long-term goals. The students determine the membership and who receives the grants. We are responsible for all the fundraising, and soliciting for both members and grant applications. All these activities provide great opportunities to learn and exercise leadership.
The area of focus for 2006-2008 is People in Poverty.
Check out our Web site www.raising4reasons.org for more information!
? Public Relations Chairman Laura Bardman 2007-11-13 -- 3:07 pm  RIGHT: Jolie Furrow, with the AAMC Bloodmobile Program, takes a short health history from potential donor Kelly Mahr.
2007-11-13 -- 3:03 pm Give the gift of life this holiday season  AT RIGHT: Taking a break during the Spooktacular Halloween Blood Drive at the School of the Incarnation in Gambrills are, from left, organizer Maureen DeMar; Selma Otto, mobile coordinator with the Anne Arundel Medical Center Blood Donor Center; and organizer Christie Thibeault.Almost everyone gets into the spirit of giving during the holiday season. Unfortunately, many forget about one of the most important gifts of all ? the gift of life. "The winter season, November, December and January, is the most difficult nationwide for collecting blood,?? according to Selma S. Otto, mobile coordinator for the Blood Donor Center at Anne Arundel Medical Center. AAMC in July launched a Bloodmobile Program, hoping that convenience will help more people become blood donors. The bloodmobile will travel almost anywhere within the county. And unlike some other mobile programs, there is no quota. "Even five people make a big difference," Selma says. Schools, churches, communities and organizations are all good candidates for hosting a blood drive. Bringing the bloodmobile to your site is as easy as calling Selma at 443-481-4272. She?ll pencil in a date, depending on estimated size and preferred time. Most visits are scheduled Monday through Friday. Times are set based on what works best for the site. For example, businesses will set them during business hours to make it convenient for employees, but a community-sponsored drive might run from 4 to 7:30 p.m., because that?s when people are coming home for the evening. The bloodmobile is available only two weekends per month, so those are reserved for larger drives to maximize the return. After a tentative date and time have been set, a bloodmobile representative will visit the site, working with the coordinators regarding scheduling and logistics. Basically, the bloodmobile needs a place to park. Everything is done within the vehicle itself; the host site doesn?t have to do anything other than provide the donors. Selma does want to have a fairly accurate sense of the number of participants, so a workable schedule can be established. The mobile unit has stations for four donors at a time. "We don?t have a quota, but we do want to make sure we have the resources and time needed," Selma said. If you?ve got six willing donors, for example, the unit would be there for about an hour. Selma says that the weekend slots are already filled through January, but the schedule during the week is pretty open. The bloodmobile?s first drive was July 16; as of Oct. 30, it had collected 856 units. ??? To schedule a visit by AAMC?s bloodmobile, call Selma Otto at 443-481-4272 or 866-471-HERO (4376). For more detailed information about blood donation, visit the Web site at www.askaamc.org/services/blood.php.2007-11-13 -- 2:45 pm School of the Incarnation hosts blood drive  AAMC Bloodmobile Program makes it easy
AT RIGHT: Renate Reed, a donor technician with AAMC, prepares Kelly Mahr for the blood donation process. The donation phase takes around 15 minutes.There are many important lessons to be learned in school. But organizers of the Spooktacular Halloween Blood Drive at the School of the Incarnation in Gambrills hope everyone will learn just one lesson from their event: the importance of donating blood. Maureen DeMar initiated the effort, and nearly 40 people turned out. Maureen?s impetus was a strong desire to do "something to help" after the daughter of a good friend was diagnosed with a brain tumor. She coupled that with a strong belief in giving back to the community. When she found out that Anne Arundel Medical Center had started a Bloodmobile Program in July, the choice was obvious, she says. The important thing about donating to the AAMC Bloodmobile Program, according to Selma Otto, mobile coordinator, is that "One hundred percent of the blood that we collect comes back to the community through AAMC. ... It comes right back to our shelves and serves our patients. You are literally helping your friends and neighbors." SOTI Assistant Principal Emily Mehler donated blood for the first time at the drive. She said her oldest daughter gives blood, and she felt this was a wonderful opportunity to help out such a worthy cause and follow her daughter?s good example. She had shied away from donating in the past because of a general dislike of needles, she said, but with the convenience of the bloodmobile coming to the school, she thought she?d give it a try. Mrs. Mehler said she really felt good about what she did, and was impressed by the whole process. "I?d consider doing it again," she said with a smile. Christie Thibeault, who helped Maureen with the drive, said she?s never liked needles either. But the convenience of donating at her son?s school convinced her, "I can suffer a little bit to help other people." Selma says that?s her goal with the bloodmobile: great customer service and community satisfaction. "We really try to establish a relationship with the community, because the community has been so generous with us" at the Blood Donor Center at the Wayson Pavilion. With the addition of the mobile unit, AAMC is trying "to give people the convenience and the power" to help others through blood donation. "It really helps give people a sense of community and community service. It is so very important. Donors should be very proud of themselves." She said a blood drive really works to bring a community together. She cited the School of the Incarnation?s drive as an example: "The outpouring by parents and teachers has been unbelievable." Even though the students themselves couldn?t donate blood, seeing their parents take part can deliver a valuable lesson, Maureen says. Jennifer Samuels is a second-grade teacher at the school. When she heard about the blood drive, she says it was a natural thing for her to sign up. "When I was a kid, my parents donated blood all the ... ... this is a shortened article. Read the entire article. | | | |
