Garrison Forest School

Garrison Forest School in Owings Mills has broken ground for a $2.5 million lower school renovation and addition, paid for largely by one donor and dedicated to the headmaster's son, who drowned last year.The project will allow the all-girls school to increase its enrollment by about 50 percent in first through fifth grades, while continuing to keep classes small, said G. Peter O'Neill Jr., the school's head. When completed by September 1998, the lower school will have two classrooms per grade, rather than one as it has now, new science facilities and more space for special classes, such as art and music.

Margaret N. Jones, 90, teacher and nurseMargaret Newnham Jones, a teacher and nurse who arrived in the United States from her native England during World War I, died of natural causes at Carey House at Keswick Multi-Care Center in Baltimore Dec. 28. She was 90.Born Margaret Newnham in the village of Newnham in Kent, England, she left Britain by ship at the height of World War I with her mother and four sisters. The decision to leave had nothing to do with the war, according to her son, Weston A. Park of Baltimore.

OWINGS MILLS -- Having recently completed a successful $12 million capital campaign, Garrison Forest School is increasing its fund-raising goal to $17 million to continue expansion and renovations.The 550-student girls school will use the additional money to build a field house with a fitness area, add playing fields, expand its riding facilities, renovate and enlarge the kitchen and dining room and increase on-campus housing for faculty.The new goal includes a recent pledge of $1.5 million, the largest gift in the school's 86-year history, to be used for expansion of its lower school over 18 months.

Gilman School will build a $4.5 million lower school to replace its lower school, which was constructed in 1922 as the second building on the Roland Avenue campus, its headmaster said yesterday.Although the nearly 40,000-square-foot structure will provide an additional homeroom for each grade, the school will not increase its enrollment, but rather reduce class sizes in the early grades -- from about 25 to about 17 students per homeroom.The building is expected to open in September 1998 and will be named for Gilman's legendary leader, Henry H. Callard, who was a teacher there during the 1920s and headmaster from 1943 to 1963.

Religion is a touchy topic in any age group -- especially for teen-agers making their way in asecular world.But a group of 40 high school students who attended an interfaith forum at St. Mary's Seminary and University in Baltimore yesterday surprised themselves with the depth and enthusiasm they have for their respective faiths."

Lawrence P. Naylor, a civic leader who was a Rouse Co. vice president before becoming board chairman and chief executive officer of a chemical company, died Thursday at Johns Hopkins Hospital of complications after surgery.The Stevenson resident was 74.With Rouse from 1947 until 1975, he was general manager of Columbia in the late 1960s and early 1970s and remained a member of the board until 1990.Mathias J. DeVito, board chairman at Rouse, said, "Larry was a founder of the current Rouse Co., had a distinguished career with us and for many years was a very valued director."

A memorial service is to be held at 10 a.m. today for A. Kathleen Gran, who taught science for 31 years at Garrison Forest School in Owings Mills.Miss Gran, 97, died March 2 of renal failure at the Charlestown Care Center in Catonsville. She had lived at the Charlestown Retirement Community since 1991.Her long career at Garrison Forest began in 1940. She taught biology, chemistry and physical science before retiring as head of the science department in 1971. Earlier, she taught at the Buffalo (N.Y.

When moms ask teen-agers to tidy their rooms, they're likely to meet resistance. But 450 teens were happy to do some spring cleaning yesterday for Mother Nature."

Leroy F. GoonanTruck driverLeroy F. Goonan, a retired truck driver for National Brewing Co., died Thursday of a heart attack at North Arundel Hospital. The Pasadena resident was 66.He delivered National Premium and National Bohemian Beer for the Dillon Street brewer from 1950 until he retired in 1980. Earlier, he worked at Bethlehem Steel Corp.'s Key Highway shipyard.He also operated a crabbing business for 30 years near Love Point.He was born and reared in Baltimore and attended city schools.

When 215 eighth-graders from seven prestigious private schools gathered for a "race relations summit" at Friends School, one girl raised a basic question."