School Mascot

MANOR WOODS Elementary School's media specialist, Crystal Marshall, put her creativity to use in designing "Travel Buddies" -- a foreign exchange program for third-graders.Australian students are paired with children from Manor Woods school. Then, each class sends a stuffed school mascot -- as a stand-in for a "real" exchange student -- to its exchange school.The mascot carries a diary for children in the other school to record their activities and various souvenirs of its hometown.The Manor Woods mascot, "Frederick," headed down under March 1 with Maryland maps, Baltimore Orioles memorabilia and a hollow crab shell.

Christopher McKenna, an aspiring young artist, packs talent into a creative window painting of the school mascot, a ram. The 13-year-old Edgewood Middle School student, originally from Alabama, moved to Edgewood when he was 9. He lives with his mother, Colleen McKenna, and three siblings who also attend Edgewood Middle and Edgewood High. Christopher is considering becoming an artist one day. He plans to paint a larger ram image on the front window of Edgewood Middle School for all visitors to see as they enter.

In two years, Sky Flyer has gone from facing anonymous death by starvation to fame and food in plenty.The mature peregrine falcon was found on the Eastern Shore in 1992, grounded and unable to catch prey because she had four talons missing.Now healthy and living at the Baltimore Zoo, the bird has been adopted as the mascot of Mount View Middle School in Marriottsville, western Howard County's newest school, which opened this school year.As mascot, the bird has been captured in a wood sculpture that will be displayed in the school, and by numerous student-painted banners that hang in the gymnasium.

To a building, the high schools in Harford County that have been built, rebuilt or wholly refurbished over the past several years are fine examples of modern institutions of learning. Though the various construction projects were accomplished with varying degrees of difficulty, some self-inflicted and some unforeseen, the results have been commendable. The new Bel Air High School is as nice as any of the new schools, and a lot more flashy than most schools anywhere in the region, a reality belied by the spartan sign for the school at its main entrance.

Christopher McKenna, an aspiring young artist, packs talent into a creative window painting of the school mascot, a ram. The 13-year-old Edgewood Middle School student, originally from Alabama, moved to Edgewood when he was 9. He lives with his mother, Colleen McKenna, and three siblings who also attend Edgewood Middle and Edgewood High. Christopher is considering becoming an artist one day. He plans to paint a larger ram image on the front window of Edgewood Middle School for all visitors to see as they enter.

Seventh-graders at Oakland Mills Middle School donated teddy bears to Howard County General Hospital yesterday and dedicated a flag to promote the new identity of their school.The 23 teddy bears were made by the students to help fulfill their service learning requirement and will be given to children who are in the hospital."I'm glad we'll able to help the kids and make them feel better when they're sick," said Ashley Hardester, 12, one of the two students who led the project.Before presenting the bears to hospital President Victor A. Broccolino, the students unveiled their flag -- a red falcon with yellow and orange around its wings that includes the school's name, the words "Falcons Achieve" and the opening date of the school, 1972.

Nancy Fink handed out congratulations and certificates to 335 eighth-graders Friday as she officiated at her last farewell assembly. The longtime Baltimore County educator is retiring this month after 41 years in education, the last 26 at Dumbarton Middle School in Rodgers Forge. Nancy Fink handed out congratulations and certificates to 335 eighth-graders Friday as she officiated at her last farewell assembly. The longtime Baltimore County educator is retiring this month after 41 years in education, the last 26 at Dumbarton Middle School in Rodgers Forge.

Maryland's top panel on minority student achievement called on the state school board yesterday to stop the use of American Indian mascot names in public schools. The recommendation will likely carry weight with the state board and represents a major step forward for the Maryland Commission on Indian Affairs, which has been trying to end the use of Indian names as mascots in schools and athletic leagues. "We think this kind of support will be a big help," said Dixie Henry, the commission's administrator.

Friday morning, light rail cars will be filled with 3- and 4-year-old children from St. John's Co-Operative Nursery School, their brothers, sisters, parents and teachers for a trip to see the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus at the Arena in downtown Baltimore.The children are getting pretty excited about this ride, according to Jane Soverns, the school's director. They plan to wear their nursery school T-shirts and are busy making silly circus hats, just for fun.Soverns said that the circus is sending a clown to meet the children as they board the train at Cromwell Station at 9:15 a.m. He will ride with them, escort them to the Arena and lead them to their seats.

Name: Natalie Mouyal, of Edgewater.School: South River High School.Accomplishments/Interests: Natalie, a senior with a 3.94 grade point average, is a vice president of the Student Council and secretary of the National Honor Society.She is one of two student representatives on the school's Improvement Team, where she acts as a link between students and school department heads and administrators, offering suggestions and ideas on school policies and curriculum.Natalie has participated in tutoring programs at the Edgewater Elementary and Central Middle schools for the past two years.

Nancy Fink handed out congratulations and certificates to 335 eighth-graders Friday as she officiated at her last farewell assembly. The longtime Baltimore County educator is retiring this month after 41 years in education, the last 26 at Dumbarton Middle School in Rodgers Forge. Nancy Fink handed out congratulations and certificates to 335 eighth-graders Friday as she officiated at her last farewell assembly. The longtime Baltimore County educator is retiring this month after 41 years in education, the last 26 at Dumbarton Middle School in Rodgers Forge.

RESERVOIR HIGH School opened Aug. 26 with 91 staff members and about 600 ninth- and 10th-grade students. The county's newest school is a three story, 241,000-square- foot labyrinth of classrooms, laboratories, gymnasiums and offices. Color-coded stairways and a map are navigational necessities for anyone entering the Fulton school for the first time. Making everyone feel welcome is a priority for the school's administration. "Getting lost - it's probably one of the greatest fears of a student coming to a new school," said guidance counselor Mindy Hirsch.

BGE enriches itself at the expense of state's consumers So, the grinch who stole our power plants and, with surprising sleight of hand, transferred them from one corporate pocket to another; left us with $528 million in "stranded costs" to be paid by us customers; structured gas and electric rates so there is no retail competition in sight; slashed the traditional dividend grandma used to live on, as well as its stock value; pulled the wool over the...

The panel considering the fate of Havre de Grace High School's Warrior mascot will meet Oct. 4 at the school to hear from members of the Maryland Commission on Indian Affairs, Principal Stephen R. Williams said last week. Community members who would like to comment may do so by writing a letter, sending an e-mail or testifying before the panel, Williams said. Those who appear before the panel must represent a constituency, he said, such as the PTA or a graduating class. Richard Regan, a member of the Indian affairs commission, filed a letter of complaint last week with the Harford County public schools over the use of American Indian mascots at Havre de Grace elementary, middle and high schools.

Responding to pressure from advocates for Native Americans, the head of Maryland's biggest school system is proposing eliminating school team names, mascots and logos that bear Indian themes. Noting that some find such names and symbols offensive, Montgomery County School Superintendent Jerry D. Weast has asked the school board to consider adopting a policy prohibiting their use in the schools. Montgomery is the first school system in Maryland to react to an effort by advocates for Native Americans to get schools to drop Indian team names, mascots and symbols.

For more than half a century, Havre de Grace High School has been home to the Warriors, its symbol an Indian chieftain wearing a headdress. But if the State Board of Education has its way, the Warriors soon will fall by the wayside, along with other American Indian names for teams and mascots, such as Indians, Braves and Redskins. The board voted Tuesday to urge schools to drop the names, which some people find offensive. In Havre de Grace, where a bronze bust of a Indian chieftain sits in the high school lobby and the name Warriors adorns everything from sports jerseys to key chains to bumper stickers, most residents don't see much reason for a change.

When Cecil Bray, the deputy county administrator, was told last week that the candidates for the county employee slot on the county personnel board were ripping down each other's campaign signs, he decided to do nothing.But if it continues, Bray says he will tell the candidates to act like adults.For most employees, the election next week is of passing interest. But for the candidates themselves, it is big doings. And very serious doings at that."The election of myself . . . promises to be a wonderful experience for the employees of Howard County," Deborah J. Galinsky writes in a pre-election flier sent to all county personnel.

BGE enriches itself at the expense of state's consumers So, the grinch who stole our power plants and, with surprising sleight of hand, transferred them from one corporate pocket to another; left us with $528 million in "stranded costs" to be paid by us customers; structured gas and electric rates so there is no retail competition in sight; slashed the traditional dividend grandma used to live on, as well as its stock value; pulled the wool over the...

Maryland's top panel on minority student achievement called on the state school board yesterday to stop the use of American Indian mascot names in public schools. The recommendation will likely carry weight with the state board and represents a major step forward for the Maryland Commission on Indian Affairs, which has been trying to end the use of Indian names as mascots in schools and athletic leagues. "We think this kind of support will be a big help," said Dixie Henry, the commission's administrator.

"Staying on the green" is a big topic at Dasher Green Elementary School. But don't grab your clubs for a quick game of golf quite yet. "Staying on the green" simply means behaving yourself. The phrase is a motto of the Beary Good Club, a new school-wide behavior program at Dasher Green. Named for the school mascot - the bear - the program uses the colors of the traffic light to rank behavior. Green stands for good behavior, yellow, for an infraction of the rules and red means serious trouble.