30 International Night– 6:30pm

31 NO SCHOOL: Professional Day

April

4 PTSA Mtg. @ Stone Mill_7:15 PM

10_17 NO SCHOOL: Spring Break

19 Report Card Distribution

27 Take Your Child to Work Day

Shakespeare performance CJMS 7^th grade

May

9 PTSA Mtg. _ 7:15 PM

11 Pizza Party Plus _ 6:00 PM

18_19 Spring Play

23 HSA_Algebra

Chorus Concert @ CHS – 7:00 PM

24 HSA Geometry

25 Band Concert @ CHS – 7:00 PM

29 NO SCHOOL: Holiday _ Memorial Day

June

1 Orch. Concert @ CHS – 7:00 PM

8_13 Final Exams

9 8th Grade Dance

14 Early Release 12:10 PM Last Day

8th Gr. Attends High School

End of 4th Marking Period

23 Report Cards

Be sure to check the Cabin John PTSA web site regularly for important information at cabinjohnptsa.org. To receive email without having it being diverted as "spam," add cjmspta@yahoo.com to your address book!

From Rhona Arbit, CJMS PTSA President: The always fabulous Cabin John Middle School International Night will be held on Thursday, March 30th from 6:30 _ 8:30pm in the gym and cafeteria. Come see the displays from many different countries, watch and listen to great performances from Cabin John students, enjoy delicious food and win wonderful prizes in the raffle! Tickets for the raffle will cost $1.00 each. Help support the Manna Food Center by donating non_perishable food, especially peanut butter and boxes of cereal.

The next PTSA meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 4th at 7:30pm at Stone Mill Elementary School. We will be sharing suggestions with parents of 5th graders about how to make an easier transition to middle school. Is there anything you or your child wish you had known before middle school started? Please help us by emailing your tips and advice to me at rsarbit@aol.com before April 4th. Thank you.

MCPS re_examines sex ed panel makeup, Administrators are seeking opinion on whether panel needs a health department representative, Wednesday, March 29, 2006, by Sean R. Sedam, Gazette Staff Writer

The group that sued last year to block new sex education lessons in county schools says the committee reviewing the latest proposed curriculum has violated state law, and school administrators agree there may be a problem. Michelle Turner, president of Citizens for a Responsible Curriculum, said her group is concerned that the school system has run afoul of state law by not including a member of the county’s Health and Human Services Department on the committee. ‘‘When was the last time the HIV/AIDS prevention curriculum was reviewed by a MCPS citizens committee that had a representative from the local health department?" Turner asked the county school board during testimony on March 14. ‘‘[State law] indicates that the Citizens Advisory Committee can be used for the purpose of reviewing materials, but only if the committee has a representative from the local health department."

School officials are asking the state Department of Education, state school board and state Attorney General’s Office to clarify the law. In a memo Monday to Superintendent Jerry D. Weast, Deputy Superintendent Frieda K. Lacey cited a state Department of Education Web site brought to her attention by Turner. ‘‘The Web site cited by Ms. Turner ... does appear to contradict our understanding of the requirement," Lacey wrote. ‘‘The Web site itself is somewhat confusing and inconsistent, but there is enough ambiguity to warrant seeking further clarification."

State law requires that school systems have an advisory committee to review family life and human development curriculum. That committee also may review HIV/AIDS prevention curriculum, or the school system may establish a separate committee to do so. Legal interpretations of the state law are hard to find. The state Department of Education did not have anyone who could comment. There is no case law on the question and the Attorney General’s Office has not begun investigating how other school systems address the issue, said Kevin J. Enright, a spokesman for the Attorney General's Office.

The Citizens Advisory Committee on Family Life and Human Development is reviewing HIV/AIDS prevention curriculum as part of its review of sex education curriculum and materials used in county schools. After consulting with an attorney, school administrators earlier concluded that the state law requires school systems to include a health department representative only when appointing a new committee. The Citizens Advisory Committee should not be considered a new committee because it existed before the state required a review of HIV/AIDS prevention curriculum, administrators said. Turner does not consider the panel to be a pre_existing committee because after settling the federal lawsuit brought by CRC and Parents and Friends of Ex_gays and Gays last year, the school board replaced the entire committee with new members.

‘‘This committee was just appointed, so if they’re not going to have a local health official, they’re going to have to appoint a new committee," Turner said, adding that CRC has no immediate plans to raise a legal challenge. For now, Turner said, her group’s role is that of a watchdog. ‘‘I wouldn’t go so far as saying a lawsuit is anywhere near in the future," she said. ‘‘.. Our only plan right now is to make sure that the system is aware that we know what the laws are, what the guidelines are and to make sure that it is made a public issue whenever necessary, whenever state law is not being followed." Turner said the group would wait until the recommendations for new curriculum are made to see if they were developed in accordance with the state law. ‘‘If there’s a discrepancy, then we’ll throw the red flag," she said.

Meanwhile, Ruth M. Jacobs, an infectious disease specialist representing CRC on the panel, said committee members are not being given information they are requesting from school administrators. Jacobs said it has been a month since she asked to see three resources that pediatricians consulting for the school system recommended for use in developing the curriculum on sexual orientation and sexually transmitted infections. ‘‘Why would they not want us to have the references recommended by the pediatricians?" she asked. ‘‘Is there something there they don’t want us to know?" Schools spokesman Brian K. Edwards said Monday that the committee should be patient. ‘‘This is on the 10_step process, step one," he said. On Monday, the committee began reviewing the framework for the new curriculum. The framework will provide the basis for more detailed curriculum, which the committee will review before the board votes on it in June. The committee will forward any guidance on the framework to Weast by April 7. He will recommend the framework to the board on April 20.

Options increase for Seven Locks, County Council does not support building elementary school on Kendale Road site, Wednesday, March 29, 2006, by Sean R. Sedam, Gazette Staff Writer

The County Council wants to vote on where to build a new Seven Locks Elementary by the end of May but will not support building it on Kendale Road in Potomac. Tuesday’s vote was unanimous. The waters could be muddied, however, if the county school board decides it wants to stick to its original plan of a new building on Kendale Road. In May 2004, the council approved $14.4 million to do that. Councilman Michael L. Subin said Tuesday that he wants to work with attorneys for the council and the board to determine if the council has the authority to take that money back.

Council sets hearing

At 7:30 p.m. on May 2 in the County Council Office Building at 100 Maryland Ave. in Rockville. Call 240_777_7900. ‘‘We’ve always operated under the assumption that once it’s appropriated to the school system, it’s gone," Subin (D_At large) of Gaithersburg said last week. ‘‘I believe, theoretically, they could take the $14 million, stay at Kendale and do a smaller project. ‘‘From an institutional standpoint," he said, ‘‘that’s a difficult thing to do. You never know how individual members of the council as a whole would react to that." If the school system recommends building at the Kendale site, ‘‘it will be done with the knowledge that the votes [on the council] are not there to do it and you get a $14.4 million solution rather than a $17.7 million solution and you get the wrath of the community," Subin said.

Awarding the $14.4 million construction contract to build on Kendale Road is contingent on the council approving $3.3 million more for material cost increases on the project. That approval is on hold as a task force of council staff and school planners considers eight options for the project. The task force is expected to make its recommendation to the school board next month. The board will hold a public hearing and recommend one of the options to the council, which will approve one in time for final approval of the county’s fiscal 2007_2012 construction budget at the end of May. The goal of the task force is to find common ground between the board and the council, County Council President George L. Leventhal said. ‘‘It will be an unhappy circumstance if we go back to a place where the two bodies are arguing whose prerogative is what," said Leventhal (D_At large) of Takoma Park. The council’s support for building on Kendale Road dissolved after 60 speakers at two public hearings this month said they did not favor building there, Subin said. The council also decided Tuesday that an option to balance enrollment at other schools near Seven Locks, if approved, should be limited to schools in the Churchill cluster. The council cannot tell the school board what it can or cannot consider, Councilman Howard A. Denis said. But the council’s vote sends the message to the board that building on the Kendale site is a ‘‘nonstarter," he said.

Last month, Denis (R_Dist. 1) of Chevy Chase introduced a budget amendment that would rebuild the school on its current site on Seven Locks Road. If the board, after considering all options, still recommends building on Kendale Road, ‘‘my [budget] amendment is still on the table," Denis said Tuesday. The council and the school board decided to form the task force to look at all options for the project following a Feb. 15 report from the county’s Inspector General. That report said school planners did not consider less costly options than building on Kendale Road. School officials have said planning decisions are not simply a matter of cost.

On Thursday, school board President Charles Haughey (At large) of Rockville said he had no idea where the board now stands on the Kendale Road option. Board leaders, during discussions of the inspector general’s report, stood firmly by the decision to build on Kendale. Monday night’s school board meeting showed signs of lingering tension between the board and the council. Board member Stephen N. Abrams blasted Denis, saying Denis called for the council to consider all options, then used Thursday’s Education Committee meeting to take the Kendale Road option off the table.‘‘I have no idea what he had for breakfast to make him do an 180_degree turn ...," said Abrams (Dist. 2) of Rockville. ‘‘I am more convinced than ever that the inspector general, rather than being an independent body, was set up to make his study and that he was duped by the very people who set him up."

National PTA: The PTA Parent__March 28, 2006 Parents a Key to Internet Safety

The media has recently paid a lot of attention to the alarming stories of children who have been seriously harmed by predators they first encountered through online activity, sometimes through the creation of a personal website. While such sites can be an incredible outlet for creativity and personal expression, they can also present serious risks if they are not critically monitored by responsible adults. You need to educate yourself about the potential dangers this access can pose and talk with your child about using the Internet safely. Children who have their own websites need to understand how an outsider might view the information they post. Ask them to consider what a stranger would learn about them from the information they posted and how that information could be used to harm them.

You should periodically type all family members’ names into a commonly used search engine to find out what types of information is posted about them . If you find that your child has created a website that you weren’t aware of, take a look. You should let your child know that you are aware of the site, and that you will be monitoring it. If your child has posted personal or inappropriate information, you should have a serious and open discussion about it.

Your child needs to know what the rules are, why they exist, and what the consequences will be if they are broken. Above all, you need to reassure your child that if anything online makes him or her feel uncomfortable, you are the safest person to turn to for help and advice.

National PTA is a member of the Internet Keep Safe Coalition, which is a valuable resource for parents who want to learn more about Internet Safety. They are creating an Online Parent Resource Center, and they would like input on its design!

Teenage Drinking: A Preventable Problem

Proms and school dances are on the calendar, graduation parties may be in the works, pool parties are fast approaching—and underage drinking may be on the guest list. According to a 2002 report by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, underage drinkers account for 11 percent of all the alcohol consumed in the United States. Among the influences on teen choices to drink is alcohol marketing through popular TV shows and in magazines. (See "Drinking It All In: Alcohol Advertising and Youth" for more information.) So are your teen’s peers. The article "Teens and Alcohol: Preventing that Lethal Combination" has information about peer pressure, provides tips to help kids say "no" to alcohol, and offers guidelines parents may wish to consider for parties and other social events. A wealth of information about alcohol and other substance abuse can be found at the American Medical Association website. In addition, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has made its booklet Make a Difference: Talk to Your Child about Alcohol available online.

Be sure to visit the Parent Resources area of National PTA’s website, www.pta.org for articles on drugs and alcohol and other topics to keep your family safe and healthy.

The Buzz On Parents, You Thought the Kids Were Mean and Cliquish. Meet The Adults of the Species, By Sandra G. Boodman, Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, March 28, 2006; Page HE01

The silent treatment. Whispered gossip. Cliques. For those who thought they'd left such torments behind in adolescence, becoming a parent can mean enduring them again.

Rosalind Wiseman, a 36_year_old Washington educator whose 2002 bestseller "Queen Bees and Wannabees" deconstructed the minefield that is middle school, has written "Queen Bee Moms and Kingpin Dads" (Crown, $25), a field guide for adults. The book, published this month, explores the treacherous terrain of what she calls Perfect Parent World. It proposes techniques parents can use to navigate relationships with each other and with the teachers, coaches and counselors who, the book's ominous subtitle notes, "can make __ or break __ your child's future." Meet the intrusive "Hovercraft Mom" and the "Starbucks and Sympathy" type whose solicitousness masks her true goal: intelligence_gathering. Fathers do not escape, particularly the Kingpin Dad, who's used to calling the shots. Wiseman translates coded messages parents use __ like the fatuous "My biggest priority is my children" __ and provides useful scripts for handling common problems: the control freaks who have commandeered the PTA, the bullying coach who refuses to play your child, the one_upping parent who asks what you're doing to secure a place for your child in the gifted and talented program __ or at Harvard. Following are excerpts from a recent question_and_answer session with the author:

What is Perfect Parent World?

Although many adults don't realize it, peer pressure is just as pervasive for parents as it is for kids. Perfect Parent World is a set of behaviors, a construct, about things you have to be and how you conduct yourself, that symbolizes that you are a good parent, that you belong to the group and that your opinion matters. Sometimes being part of Perfect Parent World, especially in Washington, is having a powerful job. But what you see in communities outside of Washington or Boston or Chicago is that there's this whole thing about women who don't have to work. Then the hierarchy is that the woman who works is lower than the woman who doesn't. Some things are the same in Perfect Parent World. You have to be thin, no matter how many pregnancies you have. And you have to have the right kind of car.

Who joins a mom clique and why?

This is not about mean girls growing up to be mean moms, but rather about how all of us are inevitably going to get into conflict with other adults and how things like groups influence whether we go through problems well or badly. What I see with mom cliques is that they are most prevalent with women who used to work and went home because they wanted to make this sacrifice for their children. I think many of them feel that they lost their public voice when they left their work, and our culture doesn't respect women's voices when they are at home as much as when they are at work. So they miss those feelings of respect, of confidence, the feeling that their voice matters. And when they're in a fight with a teacher or a coach or another parent, they are fighting for a sense of being a competent person. I went up against some of those moms and it was scary __ it was one of the few times I didn't want to continue my work. Dads are very much in groups, but they are less likely because of work to be in a clique.

What is the Washington version of the Queen Bee Mom and the Kingpin Dad?

The Queen Bee Mom is highly socially and academically intelligent. You throw in the Southern thing and she can make you do things and you don't even know that she's done it because it's so subtle __ often in the guise of being complimentary. She's appropriately dressed, often in the conservative Washington style, but not dowdy. She's effortlessly perfect. Queen Bees can be amazing leaders, but they always have to be in control of everything. A Kingpin Dad does not come to things at the school unless he is mad about something or it's a politically advantageous thing for him to do, like the school auction. He takes up room. If he's a lawyer, he thinks that threatening a lawsuit is an excellent way to resolve conflict.

How do baby boomer parents differ from Generation X parents in their attitudes toward conflict?

Boomer parents want a feel_good answer that solves the problem with no messiness. They don't want their kid to experience pain. Their issues are more about not wanting to say no to their children. Gen X parents have a herd mentality which you really see when it comes to technology. They don't ever question why you shouldn't have it or whether it's a good thing for their kid to be using, like a cellphone. The one thing about Gen X people is that they feel like they can become experts on any subject if they read it on the computer. They go into the school and they have become an expert on anything. Their attitude is, "I read it, therefore it's true, and I now know more than you do even though you've been working with kids for 15 years."

What factors make it hard for parents to communicate with each other?

In Washington, the issues of race and social class are really complex and very alive, but no one talks about it. Religion can be a filter. Even these humongous houses people live in can be a filter. From my conversations with parents, what emerges is that there's a really unspoken thing going on between white parents and black parents, and parents from other countries. There's an assessment by a lot of [nonwhite] people I've heard which is, "I don't trust white parents because they don't know how to get their kids under control." White parents often think black parents are too hard on their own kids.

Too often these differences are never discussed, or even acknowledged.

What are the biggest mistakes parents make in dealing with other adults, such as teachers and coaches?

Parents should not act like everything is a life_and_death problem __ from a bad grade to not playing on the team to not getting a part in the play. If somebody is going to die in the next five minutes, then you move. If not, then you sit down and you figure out what you are going to do. Teachers often feel like parents do not respect their professionalism. That makes them feel mad and unsafe. They do not like parents who threaten them with a lawsuit, who fight the fights for their kid, or who think that whatever has happened to their child trumps everything else.

When should parents confront each other?

I get that it's important to pick your battles, but at a certain point you do have to pick a battle. The thing is that you really must demand of yourself and other people that they treat each other civilly. Parents should not be allowed to be in a parent meeting and get away with treating other people badly. You need to strategize about when and where you speak to the person, because that's just as important as the content of your words. The process involves breaking down how you articulate when things are going wrong for you, what you don't like, what you need, and then actually doing it. If you don't speak up, then the parent who is being rude or uncivil sets the agenda for the school, because your voice is not there demanding civility. If we want our kids to stand up, we've got to do it ourselves. ·

Committee sends parking resolution to full council,If approved, policy could offer free parking to all county library patrons, Wednesday, March 29, 2006, by Warren Parish, Gazette Staff Writer

A resolution establishing a free_parking policy for all Montgomery County libraries left the County Council’s Health and Human Services Committee on Monday with a recommendation that the full council consider the proposal. The 2_1 endorsement sets the stage for a County Council vote that could bring free parking to patrons of the new Rockville library and other county facilities slated for metered systems. Co_sponsored by six council members, the resolution came after public pressure for free parking at the new Rockville Library took the spotlight in February. Since County Councilman Philip M. Andrews (D_Dist. 3) held a press conference that month to urge the county to offer free parking to library patrons there, politicians have debated who would pay for it — the county, the city, which will operate three parking garages in the Town Square redevelopment project where the library is under construction, or the patrons.

If the full council endorses the resolution, free parking would be implemented for the Bethesda Library, currently the only full_service branch in the county with metered spaces. Plans for paid parking at the proposed Silver Spring and Shady Grove branches would be changed. All other county libraries offer free parking to patrons.

How the county would pay for parking in Rockville’s garages, where most patrons are expected to park, and how to assure only patrons get a free pass remain unresolved. With implementation still being studied, the county should create a non_departmental account to pay for the cost, said Andrews, of Gaithersburg, who authored the resolution. ‘‘This is a little bit like budgeting for snow removal," he said. ‘‘We don’t know exactly how much it’s going to cost, but we know we’re going to do it. We commit to doing it, then we get a bill and then we pay it." Councilman Steven A. Silverman (D_At large) of Silver Spring suggested the County Council could insert ‘‘a place holder" in the upcoming operating budget and then adjust the funding to meet the financial reality.

County staff estimates it would cost $15,000 to establish a validation system and between $425,000 and $525,000 in annual costs. Parker Hamilton, director of Montgomery County Public Libraries, cautioned Silverman that the preliminary estimates were very rushed. Health and Human Services Committee Chairman George L. Leventhal (D_At large) of Takoma Park opposed the resolution. ‘‘I think it’s unwise to provide an incentive to drive to a library in an urban area," he said. A countywide policy would mean removing parking meters in Bethesda that prevent commuter use of patron parking spaces, he said. Leventhal asked about transportation subsidies for non_driving patrons, financial support some residents have requested. ‘‘Or is this policy only rewarding automobile use," he asked, before adding he did not know how to implement such an idea. Andrews said the county already has subsidized inexpensive Ride On bus passes, which in one package offer unlimited ridership during a two_week period.

The Rockville City Council agreed earlier this month to use an open_access, multi_space meter system with units capable of accepting cash, credit, debit or ‘‘smart cards" as payment. Bids for the prepay system are expected to be received within eight weeks. Councilman Thomas E. Perez (D_Dist. 5) of Takoma Park, also a member of the Health and Human Services Committee, voted in favor of sending the resolution to the full council.

SoccerPlex wants more capacity, flexibility, Doing away with restrictions lets facility expand operations, executive says, Wednesday, March 29, 2006, by Melissa A. Chadwick, Gazette Staff Writer

Operating restrictions on the Maryland SoccerPlex are making it hard for the facility to be financially viable, its operators say, and they are asking for some changes. SoccerPlex officials have also asked for county approval to install artificial_turf fields and more than double the amount of seating at the stadium field among a number of other facility improvements discussed during Thursday’s Planning Board meeting. The officials cite the need to add capacity and revenue at the Boyds facility, which has had financial struggles in the past. They also asked the county to forego the $40,000 annual rent it charges the SoccerPlex for office and storage space. As structured, that fee increases by 5 percent per year. The SoccerPlex is a public_private facility that operates on land leased from the county.

The Planning Board and the Maryland Soccer Foundation are renegotiating lease terms for the five_year_old facility. A new lease, which needs approval from the board and then the County Council, is expected to be finalized early this summer. A public hearing on the proposals, including more lighted fields, will be scheduled. ‘‘These lease amendments will help us to streamline our operations, increase our revenue and create more opportunities for young people to play," said MSF Executive Director Trish Heffelfinger. MSF will share a new 10_year business plan with county planning staff in the next two months. ‘‘The goal is to add capacity and add revenue," Heffelfinger said in an interview Monday. ‘‘We want to eventually be able to hold the fees stable, but our first goal would be to add funds to the capital reserve and debt reduction." Heffelfinger told Planning Board members that removing field restrictions — including those that require 25 percent of the fields be rested on weekends and that the facility be restricted to hosting 10 tournaments per year — would mean $569,000 in additional revenue each year.

Increasing seating at the stadium from the current 3,200 to 7,000 would enable the facility, which is bidding on the Atlantic Coast Conference men’s soccer championships, to attract larger sporting events. ‘‘You have to wonder if we didn’t have some of those restrictions, what would the financial impact be," Heffelfinger said Monday. ‘‘Now with all of the development in the park and surrounding the park, that has to be taken into account. You can’t just say the SoccerPlex is generating all that traffic." Bill Mooney, deputy director of park and planning, said that growth of the South Germantown Recreational Park –– which now has the Germantown Indoor Swim Center, golf driving range, a splash playground and miniature golf course –– means that planners need to assess parking and road capacity for the entire park, not just SoccerPlex. ‘‘The soccer facilities are being held to a different standard than the other facilities at the park," he said. ‘‘We’re looking at this if we can expand the facility without impacting traffic." He added that current limitations on SoccerPlex activities do not provide for maximum usage of the facility. When the original lease was signed, planners sought to minimize the traffic impact and approved field use based on what would have the lowest impact on traffic, he said.

The SoccerPlex has struggled financially since opening its 19 premiere fields five years ago. Its financial viability was thrown into the spotlight in late 2005 when six of the county’s eight soccer clubs initially refused to sign contracts for play there during the fall season, citing high game fees among other concerns. They eventually played partial seasons there. A $3 million gift from the John and Maureen Hendricks Charitable Foundation and a $3 million personal gift from the Hendrickses helped boost MSF and allowed it to reduce field fees. By early March, nine clubs had signed five_year agreements to play at the SoccerPlex, Heffelfinger said. Of the charitable foundation’s donation, $1 million is allocated for the newly_created Soccer Association of Montgomery, or SAM, to fund its staff, field fees, coaches, referees, uniforms and other necessities. The club currently has 120 members playing in the spring classic league. ‘‘SAM will grow primarily from our Soccer Tots program," Heffelfinger told Planning Board members. ‘‘SAM will primarily, if not totally, be a Germantown_based soccer club."

In the fall, the Germantown_based Seneca Sports Association will merge with SAM, bringing with it 1,300 members, she said. Heffelfinger doesn’t anticipate any other clubs merging with SAM. Planning Board members asked to be made aware of who is using the fields. ‘‘The issue of field usage is who is using the fields and what is the public input into who is using the fields. What is the public role in who uses the fields," Commissioner Meredith Wellington asked, specifically questioning the games played by Montgomery County clubs versus clubs from other areas. She asked if it would be appropriate to have MSF report on how the games were allocated the previous year. Heffelfinger noted that earlier this month, the MSF board of directors adopted guidelines for permitting SoccerPlex fields, which include giving preference to organizations that support children from Maryland with a majority of games allocated to Montgomery County, specifically those upcounty. Heffelfinger also supports the revamping of the now_defunct advisory committee that was established in 1999 to provide input on SoccerPlex operations. Now that there are many other recreational activities offered at the site, she suggested that a South Germantown Advisory Council be established with representatives from each facility and be chaired by the park manager.

MCPS: Board of Education Appoints Eleven Principals, March 28, 2006

The Board of Education met on Monday, March 27, and, among other items, tentatively approved a revised policy on the education of students with disabilities. The Board approved secondary non_core curriculum courses and a feasibility study for an addition to East Silver Spring Elementary School. The Board discussed items of legislation before the Maryland General Assembly and named an elementary school. The Board also marked the observance of the Month of the Young Child, Arab American Heritage Month, Autism Awareness Month, and National Student Leadership Week.

Tentative Action on Policy IOB, Education of Students with Disabilities

The Board took tentative action on revised Policy IOB, Education of Students with Disabilities. The policy affirms the Board’s commitment to the principles articulated in federal and state law regarding the provision of a free and appropriate public education, the protection of the rights of all eligible students with disabilities, and the principle that every child can learn and succeed. It promotes opportunities for all students to achieve at the highest possible levels. The policy will be sent out for public comment before final approval by the Board.

Secondary Course Proposals

The Board approved nearly 50 non_core curriculum courses for use in middle school magnet programs and high school signature, academy magnet, career and technology, and elective programs. The approval is in accordance with procedures established in Regulation IFA_RA, Curriculum, which allows externally developed curriculum and instructional programs to be used in place of MCPS curriculum following the review and approval process.

CIP Amendments/East Silver Spring Reorganization

The Board approved an amendment to the Capital Improvements Program that will provide funds to conduct a feasibility study in summer 2006 for an addition at East Silver Spring Elementary School. It replaces a feasibility study for an addition to Sligo Creek Elementary School that was requested in the FY 2007_2012 Capital Improvements Program. The change followed a report on East Silver Spring reorganization issues by a Roundtable Discussion Group comprising representatives from East Silver Spring, Piney Branch, Sligo Creek, and Takoma Park elementary schools. The Board also approved the reorganization of East Silver Spring Elementary School from a pre_k to grade 2 school to a pre_k to grade 5 school.

Appointments

The Board approved the following administrative appointments:

• Louise Worthington, currently acting principal, John T. Baker Middle School, as principal, John T. Baker Middle School

• Kimberly Johnson, currently acting principal, Briggs Chaney Middle School, as principal, Briggs Chaney Middle School

• Susan D. Thompson, currently acting principal, Carderock Springs Elementary School, as principal, Carderock Springs Elementary School

• Albert P. DuPont, currently acting principal, College Gardens Elementary School, as principal, College Gardens Elementary School

• Rebecca A. Jones, currently acting principal, Damascus Elementary School, as principal, Damascus Elementary School

• Gail Scott_Parizer, currently acting principal, Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary School, as principal, Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary School

• Teri Johnson, currently acting principal, Lake Seneca Elementary School, as principal, Lake Seneca Elementary School

• Deann M. Collins, currently acting principal, Montgomery Knolls Elementary School, as principal, Montgomery Knolls Elementary School

• James A. Sweeney, currently acting principal, Rosemont Elementary School, as principal, Rosemont Elementary School

• Robert W. Dodd, currently acting principal, Strathmore Elementary School, as principal, Strathmore Elementary School

• Mary R. Sherburne, currently acting principal, Wood Acres Elementary School, as principal, Wood Acres Elementary School

Naming of Downcounty Consortium ES #27

The Board approved the name R. Sargent Shriver Elementary School for Downcounty Consortium Elementary School #27.

Items of Legislation

The Board discussed the status of items of legislation before the Maryland General Assembly relating to education.

Month of the Young Child

The Board recognized the observance of the Month of the Young Child during April in Montgomery County. The theme of the month_long celebration is "Building Brighter Futures for Children."

Arab American Heritage Month

The Board declared the observance of Arab American Heritage Month in April in recognition of the contributions of Arab Americans to the success of the nation, county, and school system.

Autism Awareness Month

The Board recognized April as National Autism Awareness Month, expressing appreciation to all who teach and work in support of individuals and families whose daily lives are affected by autism. Autism is the fastest_growing developmental disability in the United States. MCPS is currently responsible for the education of 943 students with autism.

National Student Leadership Week

The Board commended student leaders for their efforts and achievements and recognized April 16_22 as National Student Leadership Week in MCPS.