Manor Woods

The annual rite of Howard County parents fretting over their children moving to a different school has begun as the school system unveiled to the public last night a redistricting plan to fill a new elementary school in Dayton and relieve crowding at neighboring schools in the west. The preliminary redistricting proposal not only takes into account the opening of the 788-seat elementary school in August 2006, it also considers a new Ellicott City elementary school in 2007 and several other elementary school projects in the county's western region.

THE HOWARD County school system is making a last attempt to acquire a small parcel of land vital to the construction of a northeastern elementary school in Ellicott City. The Board of Education had on its agenda last week a resolution to begin condemnation proceedings on 1.3 acres across from the Long Gate Shopping Center. The land is needed for access to the school site, school officials said. But the item was taken off the agenda to give the school system one more chance to acquire the land without beginning the condemnation process in court, which can take more than a year.

An elementary school redistricting plan recommended by Howard County Superintendent Sydney L. Cousin offers no significant changes to an earlier proposal drafted by the school system's planning office. Cousin's recommendations for filling a new elementary school in Dayton, opening in August, and relieving crowding at neighboring schools follow the boundary adjustments suggested by David C. Drown, the school system's manager of school planning, and a citizens advisory committee. Cousin's proposal was to be unveiled at a school board meeting last night.

Howard County police are warning parents of Manor Woods Elementary School students to watch out for a man who has tried to entice children to his car with candy.At least three children between ages 7 and 10 have been approached and offered candy this month, but all of them have refused and run away, said Howard County police Sgt. Steven Keller.Two of the incidents occurred on Dec. 8 and Dec. 11 in the area of Tuscany Road near Lombardi Drive in Ellicott City. Another occurred Dec. 14 in West Friendship on Evergreen Way near Triadelphia Road.

Fifty-two Howard County schools have been recognized by the state for doing well on this year's Maryland School Assessment. The state's School Performance Recognition Program honors schools that have achieved high overall scores or improved their scores among student subgroups, including those with limited English proficiency and special education needs. The schools received certificates during yesterday's school board meeting. Title 1 elementary and middle schools, which have large percentages of needy students, also will receive modest cash prizes.

"I think 'The Hundred Penny Box' by Sharon Bell Mathis is an interesting book because it is about a 100-year-old lady named Aunt Dew who loves her box with 100 pennies. Every year she puts a penny in her 100-year-old box. You have to use your imagination at the end to see if she dies or not."Karen LachelleElmwood Elementary"My favorite mystery in the Sweet Valley Twins and Friends series by Francine Pascal is 'Ghost in the Graveyard!' It is about two twins who are detectives. Jessica and her sister Elizabeth capture a jewel thief."

Sisters Ada and Jocelyn Truong , of Clarksville, both won first place in their age categories in the Howard County Bird Club's 2011 student art contest. Ada, 10, a fourth-grader at Centennial Lane Elementary School, drew an Overbird using pastels. Jocelyn, 11, a sixth-grader at Burleigh Manor Middle School, drew a Yellow Warbler, also in pastels. The two received backpacks with binoculars and field guides. Other winners in the third and fourth grade category were Alan Wang (second place)

The Lazarus Foundation, a Columbia-based nonprofit organization that refurbishes computers and promotes computer recycling, distributed awards Thursday at Atholton High School to winners of its CyberSafety-CyberEthics Art Poster Contest. The foundation, which holds workshops at Atholton and at the Applications and Research Laboratory, launched the poster contest to encourage families to discuss safe practices and responsibilities for children when they are online. One hundred sixty-seven students from 23 schools submitted 155 posters.

John L.V. Murphy III, founder and co-owner of a contracting company, died of a heart attack Saturday at Upper Chesapeake Medical Center in Bel Air after collapsing at his Monkton home. He was 51. Mr. Murphy was born in Baltimore and raised in Roland Park. He was a 1970 graduate of Boys' Latin School and attended Loyola College. Mr. Murphy had sold dental instruments and homeowner warranty insurance for HMS Insurance of Potomac before establishing Manor Woods LLC, a commercial and residential contracting company, in 1992.

THE RIVER Hill High School chapter of the Maryland Technology Honor Society has been visiting middle schools to tell the future high school students about the Technology Magnet program. Senior Aneesha Griffin is leading a committee of society members whose mission is to inform students about the program. Howard County's Technology Magnet Program offers a combination of regular high school studies and technology courses. Students take a normal program and participate in school activities at Long Reach or River Hill high schools.