School Community

Wearing just their T-shirts and underwear, Christina Means and her family escaped from a house fire that struck in the middle of the night. They watched the Rosedale house burn in the cold December air and waited for the firetrucks, wrapped in the one blanket Means had grabbed when the smoke detectors had sounded and her boyfriend had shouted that he saw flames out the window. "We were so scared, we just ran out," Means said. "No shoes, no socks. " In the next 48 hours one thing became clear: All their possessions were burned or water-damaged, and a lapsed renters' insurance policy meant they were going to have to start over.

An Anne Arundel County parent whose gentle spirit is said to have built bridges between cultures at her sons' elementary school was named the Maryland Parent Involvement Matters Award winner Friday night. Ambareen Jafri, a 35-year-old Crofton mother of three boys, began her volunteer work four years ago when a Nantucket Elementary School teacher put out a request for someone who spoke Urdu to be a translator for Indian and Pakistani families. "Sometimes, you just [say], 'OK, this is my opportunity to help the community.

A consulting firm hired by Anne Arundel County schools to test air quality at Edgewater Elementary School will meet with the school community on Tuesday. Ed Light, president of Ashton-based Building Dynamics LLC, said Friday that the company is conducting comprehensive evaluations and reviewing parents' and staff concerns. He said Building Dynamics will meet with the Edgewater community at 7 p.m. Tuesday and that a report would be issued when the firm's study is complete. Two weeks ago, a group of Edgewater parents, teachers, staff and students gathered at a school board public hearing and implored Anne Arundel school officials to prioritize improvements to the school's aging structure, which they say is fraught with health concerns.

On April 20 my husband and I attended the Spring Music Festival of the Kindergarten at Ilchester Elementary School. Our grandson participated in this, and he is the second of our grandchildren to go through Ilchester. After the program, we were able to observe several activities in his classroom and other parts of the school. We both came away from this with so much gratitude and pride. This school building is beautiful with permanent and temporary art displays. It is well-equipped, clean, and inviting, but that is not the best part of this school community.

An Anne Arundel County parent whose gentle spirit is said to have built bridges between cultures at her sons' elementary school was named the Maryland Parent Involvement Matters Award winner Friday night. Ambareen Jafri, a 35-year-old Crofton mother of three boys, began her volunteer work four years ago when a Nantucket Elementary School teacher put out a request for someone who spoke Urdu to be a translator for Indian and Pakistani families. "Sometimes, you just [say], 'OK, this is my opportunity to help the community.

An Anne Arundel County elementary school principal has asked for a transfer to another school after district officials began investigating concerns that she did not respond to complaints about a student before he ended up threatening a teacher. In a letter to the school community this week, Crofton Elementary School principal Shauna Kauffman said Superintendent Kevin Maxwell had approved her request for a transfer to another school. She will be moved at the end of the school year.

On April 20 my husband and I attended the Spring Music Festival of the Kindergarten at Ilchester Elementary School. Our grandson participated in this, and he is the second of our grandchildren to go through Ilchester. After the program, we were able to observe several activities in his classroom and other parts of the school. We both came away from this with so much gratitude and pride. This school building is beautiful with permanent and temporary art displays. It is well-equipped, clean, and inviting, but that is not the best part of this school community.

In just a few months, I will take the helm of Baltimore County Public Schools, a district with the unshakable belief that all students can learn at the highest levels. For the past 12 years, Superintendent Joe Hairston's vision, passion and drive in leading a team of outstanding individuals have resulted in phenomenal gains in student achievement. I am humbled that the Baltimore County Board of Education has selected me to build on his legacy. These are challenging but exciting times for public education.

A 22-year-old substitute teacher left her assignment Wednesday at Magothy River Middle School and hanged herself from a tree in the woods behind the school. Laura Kristine Fitzgerald was found dead before 1:30 p.m. by her mother, the Arnold school's assistant principal, who noticed she was missing and went to look for her. The mother followed footsteps in the snow to where her daughter had tied a rope to a tree branch and killed herself, Anne Arundel County Police Lt. Joseph Jordan said yesterday.

Before she took over as principal of Atholton High School four years ago, Marcy Leonard knew Caryn Lasser's reputation as a hardworking, dedicated parent. Since that time, Lasser, a second-year PTSA president at the school, has exceeded that reputation. "She is the epitome of creating a parent organization that supports the mission of the school," Leonard said. Now others are recognizing Lasser's contributions as well. On April 16, Lasser received the Friends of Education Award, awarded annually by the county school board.

An Anne Arundel County elementary school principal has asked for a transfer to another school after district officials began investigating concerns that she did not respond to complaints about a student before he ended up threatening a teacher. In a letter to the school community this week, Crofton Elementary School principal Shauna Kauffman said Superintendent Kevin Maxwell had approved her request for a transfer to another school. She will be moved at the end of the school year.

In just a few months, I will take the helm of Baltimore County Public Schools, a district with the unshakable belief that all students can learn at the highest levels. For the past 12 years, Superintendent Joe Hairston's vision, passion and drive in leading a team of outstanding individuals have resulted in phenomenal gains in student achievement. I am humbled that the Baltimore County Board of Education has selected me to build on his legacy. These are challenging but exciting times for public education.

The creators of the language-learning software Rosetta Stone have made it simple to grasp the complexities of Spanish. But can they back it up and Dougie? " Usted and ustedes if you're talking to a group. Start with the ' yo ' form and throw it for a loop!" says "E Rap de Mandatos," a Spanish-learning tune by South River High School foreign language teacher Jodie Hogan, who rewrote the lyrics to the popular song "Teach Me How to Dougie," by Cali Swag District. Hogan has created a book of songs that break down Spanish language concepts into catchy, rhythmic verses that are sung to such melodies as Ricky Martin's "La Copa de la Vida," the "Oompa Loompa Song" from "Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," and the theme from "Gilligan's Island.

Faced with opposition from Mays Chapel residents, the Baltimore County school board postponed a final vote Tuesday night on whether to build an elementary school on 20 acres there to relieve overcrowding. The board, however, gave preliminary approval to the site and said it will hold a public hearing to further discuss the issue March 19. The board is scheduled to vote the next day. About 120 Mays Chapel residents attended the board meeting, brandishing small yellow sheets that said, "Save Mays Chapel Park.

Wearing just their T-shirts and underwear, Christina Means and her family escaped from a house fire that struck in the middle of the night. They watched the Rosedale house burn in the cold December air and waited for the firetrucks, wrapped in the one blanket Means had grabbed when the smoke detectors had sounded and her boyfriend had shouted that he saw flames out the window. "We were so scared, we just ran out," Means said. "No shoes, no socks. " In the next 48 hours one thing became clear: All their possessions were burned or water-damaged, and a lapsed renters' insurance policy meant they were going to have to start over.

A consulting firm hired by Anne Arundel County schools to test air quality at Edgewater Elementary School will meet with the school community on Tuesday. Ed Light, president of Ashton-based Building Dynamics LLC, said Friday that the company is conducting comprehensive evaluations and reviewing parents' and staff concerns. He said Building Dynamics will meet with the Edgewater community at 7 p.m. Tuesday and that a report would be issued when the firm's study is complete. Two weeks ago, a group of Edgewater parents, teachers, staff and students gathered at a school board public hearing and implored Anne Arundel school officials to prioritize improvements to the school's aging structure, which they say is fraught with health concerns.

Reacting to public outrage, a Southeast Baltimore car dealer renewed its offer yesterday to give $8,400 in college scholarships to four Patterson High School students, but the school's principal turned the money down. Principal Laura D'Anna said she received dozens of phone calls and e-mails yesterday from people willing to donate money for student college scholarships. She said she will be able to give the four students twice what Castle Toyota/Scion had initially promised them and give money to some of their classmates as well.

Authorities were trying to determine Friday how an 8-year-old boy obtained a loaded handgun that was found in his backpack by school police after he made threats toward a classmate. The third-grader at Sharp-Leadenhall Elementary School, a small Baltimore City school for special-needs children, was arrested Thursday afternoon and charged as a juvenile with handgun possession. School officials said the boy was "acting suspiciously" and staff began closely monitoring his behavior, which led to a search of his backpack and the discovery of a .380-caliber handgun.

Prince George's County Public Schools will hold its first budget forum of the year in Laurel. The community budget forum will be held Wednesday, Jan. 11 at 6:30 p.m. at Laurel High, 8000 Cherry Lane. Other community budget forums scheduled for January include one on Tuesday, Jan. 17 at 6:30 p.m. at Gwynn Park Middle School, 8000 Dyson Road, Brandywine; and Wednesday, Jan. 25 at 6:30 p.m. at Cora L. Rice Elementary School, 950 Nalley Road, Landover. For information, go to http://www.pgcps.org .

When Luke Fisher of Westminster graduated from high school five years ago, he had doubts that he could excel at a four-year school. He turned down an offer to attend Towson University and opted instead for Carroll Community College. Fisher would become editor of the campus newspaper and a peer mentor for first-year college students. He is set to graduate this spring with an associate's degree, and plans now to pursue his bachelor's degree. He's found a couple of area schools - including the University of Maryland and Hood College - that appear particularly eager to have him. "Their transfer advisers went above and beyond trying to get me to visit their campuses," said Fisher.