CJMS will have tryouts for the 7th and 8th grade Boys and Girls Basketball Teams starting Tuesday, November 28th. To tryout students must have a Health Evaluation (signed by a doctor and parent or have one already on file at CJMS), a parent permission slip (signed by a parent) and a medical card (signed by a parent). These three forms can be accessed on CJMS's website or obtained in the lockerroom at CJMS. Jeff Fritz, CJMS Health and Physical Education Teacher, Athletic Coordinator

CJMS web: Cabin John is pleased to offer Edline, an online classroom_to_home communication tool that allows parents/guardians and students to monitor students’ classroom performance, and to communicate with teachers. A parent activation code was mailed to each family. Parents, please activate your account and login to your account here. Please click on "Click here if you have a new activation code". Parents, please provide an email address under Manage Account. This is the single best method to personally manage your account and allow for communication with your child's teachers.

Three Teens Injured In Rockville Crash Car Rolls Over, Hits Pole, nbc4.com November 14, 2006

ROCKVILLE, Md. __ Montgomery County police are investigating a serious crash that sent three teens to area hospitals Tuesday afternoon. Authorities said they were called to the intersection of Darnestown Road and Great Seneca Highway in Rockville just after 2:30 p.m. after a 17_year_old driver lost control of a car, which rolled over, hit a curb and hit a pole.

Montgomery County fire and rescue spokesman Pete Piringer said two teens suffered serious injuries and the other teen suffered critical injuries and had to be flown from the scene to an area hospital. One of them was ejected from the car.

Authorities said the car may have been traveling at high speed. The injured are two 17_year_olds and an 18_year_old. All three attend Wootton High School, and according to Wootton's principal, two of them are seniors and one is a junior. Continues

http://www.nbc4.com/news/10318828/detail.html

Full slate of school issues for new board, council, New members have to hit the ground running as contract negotiations, budgets and Ervin’s successor head their agenda, Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2006, by Sean R. Sedam, Gazette Staff Writer

Three new members will bring a new look to the county school board as it prepares for an eventful year. The first item of business for the new board will be to appoint a successor to Valerie Ervin (Dist. 4) of Silver Spring, who won election to the County Council last week. Completing contract negotiations with employee unions and a new contract for schools Superintendent Jerry D. Weast are on the agenda for 2007. And the board will have to build new relationships with an all_Democratic County Council that will be without several longtime supporters of the school system, including Howard A. Denis (R_Dist. 1) of Chevy Chase and Michael L. Subin (D_At large) of Gaithersburg, who comprise two_thirds of the council’s Education Committee.

Mark Adelman, chairman of the Montgomery County Civic Federation’s Education Committee, called the loss of Ervin and the election of PTA advocate and lawyer Shirley Brandman of Bethesda and former principal Judith R. Docca of Montgomery Village ‘‘a net gain" for the school board. Brandman, Docca and board member Nancy Navarro, who won election for the first time after being appointed to fill a vacancy in December 2002, bring a sense of civic activism that is responsive to the community, he said. Adelman and others have criticized the current board for what some see as a prickly attitude toward public comment and criticism. Brandman has a strong experience as a recent vice president for educational issues with the county’s council of PTAs, but also has used her legal background to advocate for children, Adelman said. Docca ‘‘has had to work with teachers, she’s had to work with support staff, she’s had to work with parents, on a day_to_day basis," Adelman said.

Board member Patricia B. O’Neill, who ran unopposed and won a third term last week, agreed that Brandman’s and Docca’s experience will benefit the board. ‘‘Judy Docca will be a great asset to the board, having been a principal, because I believe she will be a reality check on the system," said O’Neill (Dist. 3) of Bethesda. Adelman said losing Ervin from the board is a gain for the County Council, where Michael J. Knapp (D_Dist. 2) of Germantown is likely to take the chairmanship of the Education Committee as its sole returning member. Ervin and council member_elect Marc Elrich (D_At large), a teacher at Rolling Terrace Elementary School in Takoma Park, where he has served 10 terms on the city council, are seen as likely candidates to round_out the committee. Ervin’s move gives the board a strong and knowledgeable ally on the council, where she previously served as confidential aide to council President George L. Leventhal (At large) of Takoma Park. ‘‘[Elrich and Ervin] would make a strong liaison between the Board of Education and the council," Adelman said.

With the board negotiating contracts with the three organizations that represent the school system’s 20,000 employees, those liaisons will be needed, predicted the Education Committee’s outgoing chairman. ‘‘I think those contracts could be an issue," Subin said. ‘‘The budget could be an issue on how it impacts on all of that. It’s going to be a lot happening at one time. You’ll have a new group in there, so you’ve got relational issues. I mean that may be good, it may be bad, but it’s something where the dust needs to settle. You’ve got budgetary weaknesses. You’ve got shifting needs. It’s not going to be easy." Salaries and benefits make up 89 percent of the system’s operating budget, which accounts for about half of the county’s almost $4 billion budget.

Subin, a five_term councilman who has seen the school system through two decades of peaks and valleys in enrollment and budget funding and changing demographics, knows the schools part of the budget well, observers said.

Many see Subin as Weast’s greatest champion on the council. His departure could change the dynamics there and allow others some say in a budget process that some considered too closely guarded by the Education Committee chairman. ‘‘I believe Mike Subin did a great job," O’Neill said. ‘‘But one of the criticisms was Mike controlled things and other council members weren’t allowed to have that relationship with the board, the superintendent and the school system." Board members will have to build new relationships with new council members. And they will have to hit the ground running. They will have to grapple with what is expected to be a $2 billion operating budget that will be unveiled on Dec. 13, just one day after the board is expected to appoint Ervin’s successor.

Once they settle in, board members must focus on middle school curriculum reform efforts and preparing students for the state High School Assessments, which students will be required to pass in order to receive a diploma beginning in 2009, O’Neill said. The school system has done much to push for advanced classes for all students, she said. But it must do more to address average students, those African_ American and Hispanic students who lag behind their classmates on test scores and students with limited English, many of whom arrive in county schools late in their education. ‘‘About a quarter of our kids haven’t been through the Montgomery County system until they arrive in ninth grade," O’Neill said. ‘‘They have not benefited from our reforms."

Use of ‘N word’ in lesson draws ire, School officials investigating English class meant to introduce ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’, Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2006, by Sean R. Sedam, Gazette Staff Writer

A lesson on racially charged language deeply offended Maya Jean_Baptiste, and it showed in the tears in her eyes as the Quince Orchard High School ninth_grader told the county school board on Tuesday about the embarrassment she felt as her English class discussed ‘‘the N word." The lesson, part of a unit on ‘‘Linking Literature to History," was in preparation for reading the novel ‘‘To Kill A Mockingbird." Like other classic works of American literature, the Pulitzer Prize_winning coming_of_age novel about race by Harper Lee, set in a small Alabama town during the Great Depression, uses the racial epithet in its dialogue. The English teacher, who Jean_Baptiste said is white and identified only as Ms. Joseph, taught the lesson last week. Jean_Baptiste is black, but she said she was not the only student who felt uncomfortable in the classroom of white, black and Hispanic students at the Gaithersburg school. ‘‘It wasn’t just one race," Jean_Baptiste said after she testified. ‘‘It was everybody who didn’t feel comfortable."

What Jean_Baptiste — and her aunt Sharon Simmons and Crystal DeVance_Wilson, who chairs the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s Parents’ Council — wants the school board to do is not to ban the book, but get rid of the preparatory lesson. ‘‘Having a special lesson to teach about the N word before you read it isn’t necessary," DeVance_Wilson said. The lesson, called ‘‘Questionable Words," requires the class to compare ‘‘The Meanings of the Word," an essay by Gloria Naylor, and ‘‘Incident," a poem by Countee Cullen, a Harlem Renaissance writer. Naylor’s essay, which appeared in The New York Times in 1986, describes her first exposure to the epithet. She argues that the use of the word depends on who uses it and how they use it. The teacher handed out the two readings and told students to underline the word ‘‘n——_" wherever it appeared, Jean_Baptiste told the board. Then she began to read the Naylor essay aloud, the student said. Naylor wrote that the word ‘‘became a description of some group within the community that had overstepped the bounds of decency as my family defined it. Parents who neglected their children, a drunken couple who fought in public, people who simply refused to look for work, those with excessively dirty mouths or unkempt households were all ‘trifling n——_.’" ‘‘When [the teacher] came to the part where it says ‘trifling n——_,’ she gave her own example about how some people don’t keep their houses clean," Jean_Baptiste told the board. ‘‘She also imitated the stereotypical way that black people sometimes talk to each other by moving her neck and pointing her finger as she said it. This really made me angry and several other students also became agitated." The teacher could not be reached for comment.

DeVance_Wilson linked the incident more to the failure of the lesson than to the teacher. ‘‘She probably was acting the way that she was asked to with the curriculum," she said. ‘‘As far as her ad_libbing or her own interpretation of the poem or the literature, that’s what you do when you leave it up to somebody who may or may not have an understanding enough. Or maybe they do [have an understanding]. These things are subjective."

School officials are investigating.

‘‘Part of the purpose of this introductory lesson is to help students understand the historical context that that word is used as they read ‘To Kill A Mockingbird,’" Donald H. Kress, the school system’s chief school performance officer, said during a recess in Tuesday’s board meeting. Students are asked to discuss and write a brief constructed response about the Cullen poem and the Naylor essay ‘‘to sensitize students to the cultural context of that word as they encounter it in ‘To Kill A Mockingbird,’" he said. The English teacher has been on leave for an ‘‘unrelated personal matter" since the Nov. 6 incident, Kress said. LaVerne S. Kimball, the community superintendent for the Northwest, Poolesville, Quince Orchard and Seneca Valley clusters, said she telephoned the teacher on Monday night. ‘‘We discussed the intent of the lesson," said Kimball, who would not elaborate on the discussion, but said she plans to meet with students in Jean_Baptiste’s class as early as today. Board member Valerie Ervin (Dist. 4) of Silver Spring said Jean_Baptiste’s testimony led her to recall the first time someone used the word in reference to her. Race is the ‘‘invisible elephant" students of color encounter when they enter the school building, she said. ‘‘To have a teacher perpetuate it gives me such great pain," Ervin said. Critics say the preparatory lesson is unnecessary.

The ‘‘Questionable Words" lesson has been taught since 2003. Before adopting the lesson, the school system heard from students, parents and teachers that the literature unit needed historical context, said Betsy R. Brown, the school system’s curriculum and instruction director. ‘‘It’s not just an issue related to African_American social issues," she said. Students discuss words that are offensive to religious, ethnic or cultural groups ‘‘when needed to set context" to literature they read in class, Brown said. Lessons like the one in question try ‘‘to facilitate more understanding," said board member Stephen N. Abrams (At large) of Rockville. Everyone brings their own biases when controversial subjects are discussed, he said. ‘‘Not everybody has the same competency as a teacher," Abrams said. ‘‘Not every students hears the same way things are being used." Teachers are required to take a full day of training the summer before they teach ‘‘Questionable Words" for the first time, Brown said. For students, it might be a question of maturity, said Sarah Horvitz, the student member of the board whose Advanced Placement class read Naylor’s essay last year. She was in 11th grade at the time.

‘‘Therefore, there was a deeper understanding," said Horvitz, a senior at Springbrook High School in Silver Spring. Ervin said she does not want to do away with ‘‘To Kill a Mockingbird," which she said was one of her favorite books when she was a student. ‘‘There’s a way to teach the literature without focusing on the N word as the big thing," she said.

Two High School Students Suspected In Burglary Spree, Teenagers Charged As Juveniles, Released To Relatives , nbc3.com November 15, 2006

POTOMAC, Md. __ Two 16_year_old students from Winston Churchill High School have been charged in a series of burglaries in Potomac, Md.

Police said the boys forged notes to get out of class and then broke into nine homes between Oct. 10 and Oct. 26. The boys allegedly either kicked down doors or broke windows to gain entry into the homes, police said. Once inside, investigators said the boys allegedly took cash or easy to grab items such as cameras, electronic equipment and jewelry.

Continues http://www.nbc4.com/news/10320940/detail.html

WTOPnews.com Below are resources to help you prepare for an emergency: http://www.wtop.com/?sid=629152&nid=251

FEMA's Guide to Emergencies The Federal Emergency Management Agency's "Are You Ready? A Guide to Citizen Preparedness" includes facts on disaster survival techniques, disaster_specific information, and how to prepare for and respond to both natural and man_made disasters. • National Response Plan • Tornado Preparedness Tips • Frequently Asked Questions

Red Cross Guide to Preparing for Emergencies Being prepared for emergencies is crucial at home, school, work and in your community. Disaster can strike quickly and without warning. It can force you to evacuate your neighborhood, workplace or school or can confine you to your home. • Prepared at Home • Prepared at Work • Prepared at School

District of Columbia Be informed. Be prepared. In an emergency, this site will provide real_time instructions to District residents and visitors. • Get Emergency Alerts • Evacuation Routes

Montgomery County The County, in collaboration with state and federal health and public safety agencies, is actively engaged in terrorism surveillance, detection and other safety activities on a 24_hour, seven_day_a_week basis. • Get Alerts • Emergency Checklist • Make a Plan

MCPS: Student Wins Entrepreneurship Award November 13, 2006

Fine Foto, a successful photography business, won Montgomery Blair High School senior Thomas Dant second place and a $5,000 award in the first annual Smith Barney/NFTE National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge. The first_of_its_kind national youth business plan competition was held October 26 in New York City. Blair junior Aaron Sacks advanced to the semifinals in the national competition. The two were among four in the metropolitan Washington, D.C., area and 28 students in the nation who competed in the event. The regional winners took part in the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) class at their high schools last year.

Dant is owner of Fine Foto, a service business providing fine photography. During the spring semifinals, Dant showcased photos he shot of firefighters working in Montgomery County. Student Aaron Sacks is owner of You’re On Deck, a start_up business that provides customized playing cards featuring the names and/or logos of businesses on the back of each card. Sacks sold 1,000 decks of his customized playing cards in his first few months in business. Derek Sontz is the students’ technology education teacher at Blair. In New York participants presented their business plans to a panel of distinguished judges, including William Donaldson, former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Later that evening, semifinalists presented their plans to another panel of judges before the winners were

Show About Mobsters Can Go On, wtopnews.com Nov 15^th By DON BABWIN Associated Press Writer

CHICAGO (AP) _ Stop middle_schoolers from portraying a bunch of mobsters on stage? Fuggedaboutit! Italian_Americans upset over a suburban school play titled "Fuggedaboutit _ A Little Mobster Comedy," performed by "the Bada Bing Players," lost their federal court bid Wednesday to halt this weekend's production. The decision came a day after a mother and son filed a civil rights lawsuit claiming that the play, written by a teacher, promoted hurtful stereotypes in its portrayal of old mobsters who look and sound like characters from "The Sopranos." (In fact, the Bada Bing is the name of a topless club in the TV series.)

But a judge ruled that the show _ scheduled for Friday and Saturday at Rotolo Middle School in Batavia _ can go on. "Public interest cries out for free expression in our schools," said U.S. District Judge John Grady, who ruled against Marina Amoroso_Levato and her 12_year_old son, a student at the school. The controversy began several weeks ago when Amoroso_Levato's son brought a copy of the play home. When she read it, she was outraged by the portrayal of Italian_Americans in a script that, she said, included the word "greaseball."...

The play was written by drama teacher Matt Meyers, who is not Italian. The school said he was not available for comment. "The discussions have helped all of those involved in acquiring a broader understanding of racial and ethnic issues in Batavia, as well as state and national issues of Italian_Americans," Batavia Public Schools Superintendent Jack Barshinger said in a statement. ...continues

MCPS: Board Approves Platform on Priority Issues

The Board of Education met on Tuesday, November 14, 2006, and, among other items, approved a legislative platform and tentatively approved an amendment to Policy JFA, Student Rights and Responsibilities. The Board also approved secondary_level pilot courses and an administrative appointment. The Board discussed feedback on the strategic plan and operating budget process and approved preliminary plans for additions to three elementary schools. American Education Week and recognition of veterans of the armed forces also were approved. The Board deferred action on a process for external audits.

Legislative Platform

The Board approved a legislative platform for the 2007 session of the Maryland General Assembly. The platform summarizes the Board’s positions on priority issues without precluding consideration of additional legislative and budget issues that arise during the legislative session. The document is distributed to members of the General Assembly and the community and is posted on the Board of Education’s Web site at www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/boe.

Policy JFA, Student Rights and Responsibilities

The Board tentatively adopted a change to Policy JFA, Student Rights and Responsibilities, stipulating that a student’s conduct prior to election or appointment to a leadership position meet a "higher standard" in order for the student to be eligible to attain, or retain, such leadership positions. The amended policy will be sent out for public comment.

Appointment

The Board approved the following administrative appointment:

Lauree C. Hemke, currently field office specialist in the Metro Park Field Office, as supervisor of Alternative Programs, Department of Student Services

Secondary Pilot Courses

The Board approved a number of pilot courses for secondary schools designed to support and extend middle school magnet programs and high school signature, academy, career and technology, and elective courses. Regulation IFA_RA allows externally developed curricula and instructional programs to be used in place of MCPS curricula after appropriate review and approval.

Report on Public Engagement Efforts for Strategic Planning and the Operating Budget

The Board discussed a summary of feedback received from the community on strategic planning and the operating budget. Outreach efforts included a community forum, a meeting of staff and the Board of Education with community leaders, and feedback online. In addition, postage_paid cards in multiple languages have been disseminated at forums, to all schools, to parent and community organizations, and to Board members and MCPS staff for use in meetings. The information will be used in preparation for the next update of the strategic plan and as part of the superintendent’s presentation of the operating budget request for Fiscal Year 2008.

Approval of Preliminary Plans

The Board approved preliminary plans for additions to Ashburton Elementary School, Luxmanor Elementary School, and Stedwick Elementary School.

Process for Board of Education Approval of External Audits

The Board deferred action on a process for external agencies and other interested parties to audit financial and performance data.

In Honor of Veterans

The Board recognized the month of November as a special time to remember and acknowledge the men and women who have served in the armed forces of the United States.

American Education Week

The Board declared November 12 through 18, 2006, as American Education Week in Montgomery County Public Schools and called on everyone in the community to strengthen efforts to build and maintain a world_class public school system.