Pupils

MURRAY HILL Middle School is busy winding down its first year. Apart from the awkwardness of functioning in a new school -- with new staff, pupils and PTA -- the school community has had to deal with the unfinished facility and outdoor area. In spite of the difficulties inherent in new beginnings, pupils, staff and parents created a lively learning environment. For example, Murray Hill was well represented at the exhibition in celebration of Youth Art Month, "Informed by the Combination of Image and Text," at the Howard County Center for the Arts in Ellicott City.

The latest explosion of high school violence occurred in California thousands of miles away, but last month's shootings at a school near San Diego brought fear to students in Howard County, just the same. Harper's Choice Middle School pupils talked last night about the violence and their fears that it could happen here in an extraordinary dialogue with adults, including educators, politicians, parents and other members of the community. "We hope to try to avoid violence in Howard County schools and come up with programs to help schools discuss school violence," seventh-grader Kamille Guinn, one of the forum's student organizers, said this week.

CELEBRATE SUCCESS with the North Middle School pupils of Team 1 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. today at the school media center. About 150 sixth-graders make up Team 1, taught by Deborah Calhoun, language arts; Keith Purcaro, social studies; Carla Bell, reading; Tricia Nyland, science; and Willie DiLaura, math. This evening, team leader Calhoun will present certificates for exceptional attendance, grade averages and more. The pupils will play a major role in the evening's events, for they display and talk about what they enjoy beyond the classroom.

HOPING TO raise middle school scores on state tests, County Council Chairwoman Shirley Murphy and a panel of local businesses have devised a motivational contest open to children at three middle schools in this area - Chesapeake Bay, George Fox and Marley - to reward improved report card grades during the next two months. To qualify, pupils must raise scores in three out of four academic subjects by one grade during the third marking period, which runs to April 6. Also, pupils must not have any grade lower than a C during the period.

MORE THAN 150 sixth-graders from Northwest Middle School spent a hot day last week pulling weeds and picking up trash at two Taneytown parks as part of an environmental project for school. "This evolved in a funny way," said Emily Kissner, a language arts and reading teacher who proposed the idea. Kissner said she and fellow reading teacher Gayle Sands looked at how they could involve the community in their reading projects. Sands conducted a service project in which her pupils collected clothes for Baltimore foster children.

THE MAKESHIFT memorial in Philip Taylor's office at Cockeysville Middle School -- complete with a small mock deer with antlers -- reads "You're a DEER principal." Taylor's fellow staff members at Cockeysville made the gesture to honor their principal for the time he wrestled a deer that had broken into the school. The memorial does not indicate how many takedowns and near-falls Taylor scored against the critter, or whether he won by decision or pin. And it's just as well. Sitting in his office Monday, Taylor talked about something he felt was far more important: those 813 Cockeysville Middle School pupils who raised 21,000 pounds of food for the 2003 Harvest for the Hungry's Kids Helping Kids Campaign.

FOR THE FIFTH YEAR in a row, Talbott Springs Elementary School pupils have raised money to help the National Zoological Society in its efforts to save threatened animals.Under the direction of Gifted and Talented Program resource teacher Carrye Jones, the pupils sold art and crafts on the theme of endangered animals at an Endangered Species Bazaar at Chatham Mall in March.Sales of items such as tote bags with hand-painted gorillas, emperor penguin hand puppets, Indiana bat bookmarks and an Atlantic green turtle tea set brought in more than $2,000.

TANEYTOWN ELEMENTARY School's Family Reading Night drew a large crowd of parents and pupils last week and featured the school's three county-level winners of the State of Maryland International Reading Association's Young Authors Contest. The young authors, second-grader Molly Devilbiss and third-graders Rebecca Haines and Jessica Stonesifer, read their work at this family event. The program started with several educators explaining strategies used in reading, then included the young authors reading their work.

COMMUNITY SERVICE has become a part of school life at Triadelphia Ridge Elementary.The school has coined a name for its community outreach efforts: Retriever Reach Out -- named after the school mascot.This month, 25 third- and fourth-graders spent a lunch period making bag lunches for children who might otherwise not have had a meal.The 52 lunches were delivered to Our Daily Bread in Baltimore for distribution to needy children.The pupils decorated the bags and filled each with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, carrots, an apple, a Valentine cookie, chocolate candy and a small toy.Erinn Hesse, 8, said she felt good about helping someone else.

Pupils from Waverly Elementary School near Ellicott City will compete against others from across the country today in an Internet treasure hunt.Six pupils will make up two teams in the demonstration, sponsored by the National Cable Television Association and the American Library Association.Three members of one team will use a computer with a high-speed cable modem while the other three-pupil team will use a phone-line Internet connection. Comcast Cable will broadcast the event live on Channel 69 from 11 a.m. to noon in Baltimore, Howard and Harford counties.