South Carroll High

In response to parents' concern that they did not move quickly enough with an investigation into a student who allegedly threatened the lives of his classmates, Carroll County school officials said yesterday that they will involve police more quickly -- and more often -- on such cases in the future. "We handle these things administratively if that's the way we believe it should be handled, but from now on, I probably will involve the police in every single incident because of this one," said Larry Faries, the school system's coordinator of security.

McDaniel College has chosen Sandra Lagana, a Sykesville native and South Carroll High School valedictorian, as the school's next women's soccer head coach. Lagana, a 2000 graduate from South Carroll, was announced at the Green Terror's new coach on March 7 by Director of Athletics Paul Moyer. "Sandy is not only an outstanding coach but also someone we wanted running our women's soccer program," said Moyer in a statement on the hiring. "She has outstanding character, is bright, hard working and has been successful as both a player and coach, and we know she will be able to take our program to next level," he said.

South Carroll High School senior Janice Geldmacher and sophomore Keith Long were selected as Students of the Month for October.Janice is the daughter of Robert and Monica Geldmacher of Mount Airy. She is president of the National Honor Society and has a 4.0 grade point average. She was a semifinalist in the Maryland Distinguished Scholar competition.She plays soccer, runs track, is treasurer of the Varsity Club and has been involved in the school's music program. Janice plans to major in engineering in college.

The graduation ceremony for South Carroll High School was held June 3 at McDaniel College. The following are members of the school's Class of 2011: Daniel Joseph Adams Rachel Lee Adams Matthew Willis Adcock Amy Elizabeth Ader Caitlin Marie Alexander Lakisha Marie Allen Scott Christopher Andrews William Joseph Atwell Jr. Nicholas Ramsey Azat Amanda Marie Babylon Matthew Corey Bahnsen Brittney...

SOUTH CARROLL High School will celebrate "Thirty Years of Excellence" at its 30th-anniversary reception Nov. 14 at the high school in Winfield.School officials are inviting former and current students, staff and the community to the reception. A short program will highlight the school's history and will include musical presentations by the band and chorus, service awards to staff, and refreshments. Building tours will begin at 7 p.m.South Carroll opened in September 1967. Chester Elder was the principal, a position he held until his retirement in 1990.

South Carroll High School German students and German Club members will present their 10th annual Fruhlingsfest - German Spring Festival - at 7 p.m. May 11 in the school cafeteria. The event includes German desserts, music and dancing. All are welcome. Tickets are $3 at the door. The school is at 1300 W. Old Liberty Road, Winfield. Information: 410-751-3575. Chevy club to hold car, truck show, drag racing Heart of Maryland Classic Chevy Club will hold a Supreme Chevy & All GM Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 27 at 75/80 Dragway in Monrovia.

Four years of school were condensed into an hour and a half of memories for the 314 members of the 26th graduating class of South Carroll High School.The young and the old, the casual and the designer-dressed, gathered in a force 4,500 strong to witness the culmination of years of effort. Outside the building were cars decorated with balloons and banners reading "Congratulations!"The earnest notes of "Pomp and Circumstance" hung in the air as the class, in robes and mortarboards, marched in pairs to their seats in a central square of the Western Maryland College gymnasium Saturday night.

All five Carroll County high schools will strut their stuff tomorrow, along with 18 other high schools from Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, at the annual Chapter XIII Tournament of Bands championships at South Carroll High School.The event will open at 2:45 p.m. with the playing of the national anthem. Competition begins at 3 p.m."This is the first time the chapters have been in the county since 1990, when Westminster [High School] had them," said Diana Hall, publicity chairwoman for the South Carroll High Cavaliers Band Boosters.

A mercury spill from a barometer in the science teachers' office at South Carroll High School has officials pushing to make sure the school is safe for students returning next week. An inspector from the Maryland Department of the Environment, which has been monitoring cleanup efforts since late last week, was expected last night to conduct additional testing to determine whether the area can be safely occupied. Principal George Phillips expressed cautious optimism. "I anticipate things will be good to go" by this morning, Phillips said yesterday.

A bunch of whiz kids from South Carroll High School built a better mousetrap-powered car; now they're beating a path to Laurel. With a Rube Goldberg minicar sporting wheels of gray weather stripping, the team of South Carroll ninth-graders edged out groups from five other high schools to win the county championship and a spot at the Maryland Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement contest this month. South Carroll earned a top-three finish in five of six categories among the six high schools that competed in the MESA county contest Friday at Westminster High School.

Some Mount Airy parents would like to see their local middle and high schools on the school system's newly proposed capital improvement plan, which the Board of Education is expected to vote on Wednesday. Both buildings are in need of modernization, parents say. "We moved to Carroll County on the assumption that our children would have the same opportunities as those in neighboring counties and the same opportunities as those within the same county," wrote Jennifer Seidel, who has a child at Parr's Ridge Elementary, in a letter to Carroll Superintendent Charles I. Ecker, the school board and the county commissioners.

The last thing South Carroll High School teacher Mary Lou Hanley had expected to see on the paper-plate platter painted silver was a papier-mache roasted pig with the head of junior Michael Naugle, an apple stuffed in his mouth. So, naturally, she shrieked. "Oh, you totally freaked me out," Hanley said, to the delight of Naugle and fellow students Vincent Frasco, Tommy Michie and Ian Rhoades, who sat with her at a small table, complete with place setting, salt and pepper shakers and a candle with a paper flame.

Dressed in a black skirt and pinstriped jacket, Courtney Gladhill shook hands with Andrew York, an electrical engineering manager at Northrop Grumman. Gladhill sat down and talked about how she wanted to be a nurse. Her brother was a hemophiliac, she said, and she sometimes helped her ailing grandmother. "I like to help people," Gladhill said, waiting for York's response. "You did a great job with your initial pitch," York said. "Your introduction was great. It gave us a snapshot of how you perceive yourself and how that matches up with a career."

When Luke Finch spotted the 1980 Chevy El Camino SS for sale off Route 27 on the road to Mount Airy, he knew he'd found his car. The South Carroll High School sophomore cleaned out his savings last year to buy the $1,800 set of wheels, but knew he had his work cut out for him: His new ride had rips in its interior and rust along its bottom. It needed a paint job, tires and rims, and, of course, a sound system with subwoofer to pound out heavy-metal favorites Pantera and Metallica. And now he's hoping that, after winning a school contest called "Trick My Ride," his El Camino will be resurrected to its glory days in a matter of months.

A new face will join the dais where the Carroll County Board of Education sits for public meetings Wednesday. For the first time, Barbara Shreeve, the board's newest member, will vote on budget adjustments and contracts, construction policies and bid awards. Shreeve may be sitting in a more prominent seat, but she said she's not nervous about her role. "Because I've been so involved, I don't feel like a new person," said Shreeve, who substitute teaches, volunteers and has served as the PTA president.

Carroll County officials have decided to delay presenting their six-year community investment plan to the county planning commission until February to offer a more finalized list of the buildings, roads and schools the county hopes to fund. In past years, the commission reviewed the plan in November. "My hope is that it will take some of the pressure off the commission, giving them a little more time to think things through," said county Planning Director Steven C. Horn. County agencies send the county capital requests Sept.

Despite receiving a national character education award yesterday, students and faculty at South Carroll High School aren't celebrating. "We announced it to the students and congratulated them because this award is theirs. But we've tried not to make too big a deal of it because it's the behavior we expect and the behavior we feel the students expect for themselves," Assistant Principal John Seaman said. "We shouldn't get too excited about doing the right thing, but at the same time, it's nice to have it recognized by someone else."

Illuminated by a bright spotlight, Kylie Cooley tap-danced across South Carroll High School's auditorium stage. She smiled and winked at the audience as she performed her song-and-dance routine. "Mom says I have Broadway on the brain ... I was born to entertain," Kylie belted out loudly. The lyrics were fitting for the 7-year-old Winfield Elementary pupil, who was rehearsing her performance for a talent show scheduled to be held at the high school Friday. Elementary, middle and high school students from across Carroll County will participate.

Ecker conference to air on CETV Cable TV Channel 21, CETV, will air the news conference that Carroll County Public School Superintendent Charles I. Ecker held Tuesday regarding the embezzlement of school funds by a former employee. A financial secretary at South Carroll High School allegedly took more than $200,000 from South Carroll High School, Ecker announced. His statement on the school system's response will air at 5 p.m. today, 8 p.m. tomorrow and 10 a.m. Tuesday. Information: 410-751-3020.

A former Carroll County school financial secretary is facing charges of embezzling more than $200,000 during the past seven years from South Carroll High in what school officials and prosecutors described yesterday as an elaborate scheme that involved doctoring deposit receipts. Wendy Sue Bowers, 39, of the 3800 block of Walnut Grove Road in Taneytown, has been charged in eight felony counts with scheming to steal $206,564 since the 1999-2000 school year. Each count carries a possible 15-year sentence and $25,000 fine.