Jeffers Hill

PARENTS OF STUDENTS at Columbia's Jeffers Hill Elementary School ask a legitimate question: Is the 23-year-old building making their children sick?Students and staff have complained about headaches, fatigue, stomachaches, blurred vision and an inability to concentrate. Parents suspect that the building is responsible for the problems, although the evidence to date is far from conclusive.This creates a dilemma for parents such as Margie Wiedel, who has two children at the school. "I go back and forth between feeling like I'm being an overreactive parent to wondering, 'Am I doing my kids a disservice every day by letting them go in there and come home with headaches?

Maintenance crews inspected and repaired ventilation systems and fixed ceiling leaks yesterday in a Columbia elementary school building that parents fear is making their children sick.Howard County school officials, who visited Jeffers Hill Elementary yesterday, said that long-planned renovations on the building will start in the spring -- but no air quality tests are planned."This project has the highest priority of any new system renovation," said Sydney L. Cousin, associate superintendent.

Children and staff at an aging Columbia elementary school say the building is making them sick, and Howard County health and safety officials went there yesterday looking for explanations.Headaches, fatigue, stomach aches, blurred vision and an inability to concentrate are among the complaints by children, staff members and volunteers at Jeffers Hill Elementary.Some parents say a lack of ventilation, combined with possible mold and asbestos contamination, have created unhealthy air -- and unhealthy working conditions.

Antiquated heating and ventilation, too few classrooms and outdated buildings are among the problems that need to be addressed in Howard County schools, parents and students told school officials last night."

CONGRATULATIONS to Jeffers Hill Elementary School.Parent Margaret Hunt reports that the school's Parent Teacher Association will begin the 1997-1998 academic year with a complete slate of PTA officers and committee chairs.Parent involvement is vital to a successful year for everyone -- students, parents and school -- and the new officers anticipate a rewarding year.Debbie Stanley is president; June Cofield is vice president; ways and means chairwoman Margaret Hunt is secretary; and Jill Rennenkampf is treasurer and budget chairwoman.

JEFFERS HILL Elementary School's PTA is co-sponsoring "Family Technology Night" at 7 p.m. today.Parents, students and teachers will have the opportunity to explore Microsoft Windows and the Internet, with hands-on computer time, during the evening.Joan Berger, northeast region coordinator/team leader for Microsoft, said, "We hope this workshop will help the parents and students realize the educational benefits of computers at school and home."Everyone attending will have an opportunity to win free software.

New principal, assistant principals announcedNancy Esmond, assistant principal at Thunder Hill Elementary School, will become the principal of Bushy Park Elementary School next month, Howard County schools Superintendent Michael E. Hickey has announced.Esmond will replace Philip Arbaugh, who is to retire at the end of this month.Hickey also announced two other administrative changes last week. They include:Diane Martin, a teacher at Jeffers Hill Elementary School, will become assistant principal at Thunder Hill.

CHRISSIE ROCHESTER was invited to play her original composition "Emotion" at a recent meeting of the Maryland State Music Teachers Association held at Catholic University.Miss Rochester, a sophomore at Oakland Mills High School, has played the piano since she was in third grade. She started composing in eighth grade.Encouraged by her teacher, Deborah White-Bondhus, the teen-ager also entered her music in the recent "Reflections" art competition sponsored by the National Parent Teachers Association, where she won first place in Howard County and Maryland.

MANY PHELPS LUCK Elementary School students began 1996 focusing attention on the Howard County "Reflections" arts program.Kindergarten through second-graders who entered the visual arts division are Samantha Esposito, Rebecca Perbetsky, Max Pettis and Laura Swann. The third- through fifth-grade visual artists are Sarah Brown, Jaime Fields, Katie Connelly and Rebecca Switzer. Lykara Charters entered the music competition.Photography was popular with students in all grades, including Kenny Bahr, Kiarra Graves, Jacqueline Snyder, Sarah Ward, Amanda Brady, April Douville and Autumn Goad.

HOLIDAYS ARE for sharing, and students at Stevens Forest Elementary School happily shared their talents with adult care seniors at Owen Brown Place in Owen Brown village.The children had planned to present gifts of holiday place mats and decorations last week, but due to a sudden drop in temperature, it was decided that the students should not walk from Oakland Mills Village to Owen Brown.Instead, the gifts were delivered by volunteers to the boys' and girls' "seasonal grandparents."Jeffers Hill projectsJeffers Hill Elementary School's third-grade students have guests today.