Hammond Elementary

The Savage librarians and participants in last month's Bike Rodeo would like to express appreciation to Gayle Miller and her staff at State Farm for their support.Joe Short of the Columbia State Farm office put in an appearance as the Good Neigh-Bear, wearing a plush suit for most of the afternoon.Tom Shaffer of Bowie Cycle and Henry Niverth and David Turnan of Bike Line of Laurel inspected bicycles to make sure they ran well.News from Forest RidgeForest Ridge Elementary announces that student Amanda Moore has received an honorable mention in the Human Rights Commission Fair Housing Poster Contest.

Reservoir High School, 11550 Scaggsville Road, Fulton, will present its first drama production, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, at 7:30 p.m. today and tomorrow. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets, available at the door, are $7; $5 for students with identification. Information: 410-888-8850. Hammond Elementary pupils performing tonight Schoolhouse Theater Arts and Hammond Elementary School will present Schoolhouse Rock Live, Jr., a performance of tunes from the cartoon Schoolhouse Rock by drama club pupils in grades two through five, at 7 p.m. today in the Hammond Middle School gymnasium, 8110 Aladdin Drive, North Laurel.

Patuxent Research Refuge will hold a Children's Fishing Day at the National Wildlife Visitor Center from noon to 4 p.m. June 12. The center is off Powder Mill Road, between Route 197 and the Baltimore Washington Parkway in Laurel. Children and young people up to age 17 will have a chance to learn fishing and safety techniques. Fishing poles and bait will be supplied; personal fishing gear will not be allowed. After checking in at the visitor center and participating in prefishing activities, the young people will be allowed to fish in one of two lakes.

Rosemarie Dennison, the former head of the school board's Community Advisory Council, hopes to apply years of experience in mediation and social work and an extensive knowledge of school policy to her new job as ombudsman for Howard County schools. "I have a strong background in working with people," Dennison said. "I feel that I have a good set of skills that will be useful for this position." Dennison, 52, fills a vacancy left by Robin Shell, who resigned in June after working for 2 1/2 years as the system's first ombudsman.

Redistricting plans for the new Forest Ridge Elementary School pit Scaggsville Road area parents against parents from Hunters Creek and Warfields Range subdivisions. At issue is whose children must leave Hammond Elementary to attend the new school.Both groups turned out in force at Thursday night's public hearing on school boundary line changes, and each urged the school board to send students from the other area to Forest Ridge on Gorman Road.The board is scheduled to adopt boundary lines for 1992-1993 at its March 26 meeting.

Savage Mill celebrates fall Colonial-styleA military encampment, including 18th-century medicine and music, scarecrow making, Colonial craft demonstrations and food will be part of the Historic Savage Mill's annual Fall Colonial Festival on Saturday and Sunday.The First Military Regiment will set up a military encampment circa 1779, consisting of men at arms, accompanied by music and camp followers demonstrating crafts and telling stories.Demonstrations of manual exercise and firings with audience participation will be at 10:30 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. each day. A scarecrow workshop will be conducted both days from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with a nominal fee charged.

Gov. Parris N. Glendening's generosity to Montgomery, Prince George's and Baltimore counties left Howard County with nothing but crumbs yesterday as he gave the county its smallest package of state school construction aid in five years.The $6 million in state money for Howard school construction -- announced by Glendening during a visit to Hammond Elementary School -- disappointed county educators, political leaders and legislators, some of whom blamed the politics behind securing legislative passage of the governor's aid package for Baltimore schools.

Can't get enough education news? Check out The Sun's newly launched education blog, Classroom Connections. The blog features contributions from all nine of the paper's education reporters. From local school issues to national higher education, the blog will give you a better look at the inner workings of the education world. The blog is also a chance for the public to interact with the paper's education team. The team will field questions, raise issues for discussion and update you with the latest trends and reports from school systems, think tanks and advocacy groups.

An interview with Rose Shefrin, a member of Hammond Elementary School Book Club. How did you get together? I am the co-chairman of the social committee at the school, and we were thinking of something else to do to bring the school together, something good for morale for the teachers. We put out a survey and people suggested a book club, along with other things. Who leads the club? There's no leader, we just get together when we're done and discuss how we feel about the book. We've gone to the Ram's Head after school to discuss the book over appetizers.

Four Howard County schools were given a surprise gift of money yesterday as part of the $2.75 million state effort to reward improved schools.Patapsco Middle School and Bryant Woods, Hammond and Pointers Run elementary schools were given School Performance Recognition Awards worth $18,682 to $29,262 by the state Education Department.The awards were based on schools' improved performance during the last two years.In an unexpected awards ceremony in Prince George's County, 14 other Howard schools were verbally honored -- but given no money -- for their improvements.