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Latest Additions

MCPS Teacher of the Year
Mr. Chris Orlando, B-CC Math teacher

Newton Mathematics Competition, George Washington University, First Place
David Sangillo and Nathaniel Weinman, along with two members of the Whitman math team, tied for first place with Langley High School in the team component of the Newton Mathematics Competition at George Washington University on April 5. B-CC math teacher, Mr. Richard Smith, is the team's sponsor.

Arena Stage Student Playwrights Project Ten-Minute Play Competition
Winner
Anthony Pape-Calabrese
Honorable Mention
Lizzie Parmenter
Sophomore Anthony Pape-Calabrese is one of ten winning entries among the nearly 700 original works submitted from students in 67 middle and high schools in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area this year. His ten-minute play, Off the Hinges, will be performed May 21 and 22, 2008 at 7:30pm, together with the other nine winning plays. Junior Lizzie Parmenter received an Honorable Mention for her play, The Best Man.

MCPS Environmental Film Fest, third place winner
"A Green Life", a short film by Jeremiah Banks, Johane Joly, Matt Kaplun, Drew Kochman, Dometric Robinson, Lydia Schneider and Dr. Melanie Vacchio, sponsor
Each student won a $100 scholarship to attend the American University School of Communication Summer Program.

2008 Dr. Marian Greenblatt Excellence in Teaching Award
Chris Orlando, B-CC Math Teacher
Mr. Orlando is among three MCPS teachers recognized this year as a Master Teacher who inspires their students to achieve and who encourages younger teachers to be the best they can be. One of these teachers will be chosen as MCPS Teacher of the Year.

Washington Post Coach of the Year - Girls Track
Chad Young, B-CC Math Teacher and Track Coach
Young worked with a group of four young distance runners who performed beyond expectations all the way to the Maryland 3A title. (Washington Post 2008 All Mets)

Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Medalist Certificate
Chips
B-CC's literary arts magazine, Chips, has been awarded the 2007 Gold Medalist Certificate by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. It earned a total of 970 points out of 1000.

2006-2007

Students

Princeton University 10-Minute Play Competition 1st Place
Amanda Bestor-Siegal, IB theater student, took first place in the Princeton University 10-Minute Play Competition, winning $500 and high praise from contest judges. Her play, "Green Eyes," explores the turbulent relationship between a brother and his blind sister. Information on the contest is available at: www.princeton.edu/~visarts/tenminply.htm

Montgomery County Schools Media Festival
Persuasive Live Action Video, First Place
IB film students Drew Baron, Alexandra Gencheva and Taylor Rainford
Their film, "Like Sands Through the Hourglass," originally produced as an IB Film 1 class project, received top honors in the Persuasive Live Action Video category for high school students. Their project can be seen at: www.mcps.k12.md.us/departments/mediafestival/winners/2007/liveaction07.htm

2007 Newton Math Competition Second Place Winner
The B-CC Math Team
The B-CC Math Team came in second in the 2007 Newton Math Competition held at George Washington University. The competition was open to teams from Virginia, DC and Maryland. Team members were: Linh Vu, Elizabeth Jung, Soren Scott and Nathaniel Weinman. In addition to the team honors, Soren Scott placed 6th and Linh Vu placed 10th in the individual competition.

2007 National Merit Scholars
Eli Hager, Joseph Hiatt, and Thomas Kramer
Each will receive a $2500 National Merit Scholarship from the National Merit Scholarships Program. Nationally 2500 winners were chosen among the finalists judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies.

2006-2007 Presidential Scholars Awards Candidates
Beatrice Parker and Adam Shamma
The Presidential Scholars awards are one of the highest honors given to high school seniors in the US. About 2600 students nationwide were named candidates for their exceptionally high scores on the SAT or ACT assessments.

B-CC science students walked away
with 43 awards at the 2007
Montgomery County Science Fair.
Senior Beebe Parker, a grand prize
winner for her project titled
"Determining a Value for Gravity with
an Accuracy of Ten Parts-per-billion for
the Electronic Kilogram Experiment,"
won the honor of entering the
prestigious INTEL International
Science and Engineering Fair with an
expense-paid trip to Albuquerque, New
Mexico on May 14-18. This is Beebe's
third year in a row to capture the grand
prize.
Over 30 students from grades 9
through 12 entered this year's
competition. A majority of the students
are in B-CC's Academy of Technology,
Mathematics and Science (ATMS).
They competed in one of the following
categories: Behavioral and Social
Sciences; Biochemistry; Botany;
Chemistry; Computer Science; Earth
and Space Science; Engineering;
Environmental Science; Mathematics;
Physics; and Zoology.
Student winners this year are:
Leila Alapour, Nicky Arya, Leah Bowie,
Abraham Chaibi, Greg Daines, Paul
Ervin, Ted Glickman, Will Hazzard,
Frances Jaffe, Abby Klein, Nick
Latourette, George Michopolous,
Beebe Parker, James Roach, Max
Valenstein
Winning teams are:
Jack Latourette and Joe Levy, Andrea
Vaught and Om'anand Tiwari, Lexi
Williams, Jessica Malloy and Richa
Kalsi.

Brian Cabe Award: Spirit of the Festival prize
B-CC Shakespeare Club
The B-CC Shakespeare Club won the Brian Cabe Award: Spirit of the Festival prize at the 27th Annual Secondary School Shakespeare Festival at the Folger Theater this Tuesday, February 6, 2007. for a piece from "Twelfth Night".

Third Annual B-CC High School Writing Contest
Poetry:
First Place: Justin Demmerle, grade 12, "Ramona"
Second Place: Anna Kamerow, grade 12, "17"
Essay:
First Place: Justin Demmerle, grade 12, "Priorities"
Second Place: Madeleine Weisman, grade 11, "My Love Affair with Fireworks"
Honorable Mention: Zachary Kohn, grade 12, "Never Again"
Short Story:
First Place: Amanda Bestor-Siegal, grade 11, "Parched"
Second Place: Jake Stevens, grade 11, "Delicacy"
Drama-One-Act Play:
First Place: Anthony Pape-Calabrese, grade 9, "I Am My Mind"

2007 National Council of Teachers of English Achievement Awards in Writing Program
Lamia Abdeslem, Laura Keeling, and Ryan McClafferty, grade 11, have been nominated to represent B-CC High School in the competition. These students will submit a portfolio of their best writing and writing an expository response to an impromptu topic in a timed setting

Fitzgerald Scholar
Rebecca Zweig, grade 10
Representined B-CC at the F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Conference and Workshops.

Mark Curtis Scholars in the Humanities
Lauren Godles (gr. 12), Abigail FitzSimons (gr. 11), Bernard Koch (gr. 11), and Madeleine Weisman (gr. 11) were recognized for their outstanding achievements in the humanities by the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County.

2006 Achievement Award in Writing, the National Council of Teachers of English
Alexander Levy, grade 12
Excellence in expository writing and in responding to an impromptu topic in a timed setting

The National Council of Teachers of English Achievement Awards Program for 2006 Commendation
B-CC High School's English Department
The department was commended for the outstanding writing preparation and guidance it provides for students through the National Council of Teachers of English Achievement Awards Program for 2006.

January Students of the Month
Priscilla Aguilar, Campbell Burr, Matt Davey-Karlson, Rebecca Hansen, Marcel Klimo, Tyler Lindsay, Nicholas Mejac, James (Raivis) Ordway, Monica Pate, Caitlin Ratino, Staling Santana, Simone Wymbs-Stevens.

Second place, Step for Scholarships Competition
The B-CC Top Notch Steppers
The B-CC Top Notch Steppers took second place at the Step for Scholarships Competition on Saturday, February 3, 2007. The team, started last year, faced stiff competition from nine other schools (Blake, Blair, Centennial, Kennedy, Laurel, Paint Branch, Roosevelt, Watkins Mill) and came in second after Roosevelt. Congratulations to team members Dana Atkinson (Captain), Marcella Afro-Manu, Kia Braganza, Jocelyn Bynes, Blair Crosby, Blake Crosby, Briana Davis, Antonia Forbin, Salam Kassa, Sydney Myers, and Breeana Tribble; coach Ashanta McGhee; business manager Vanessa Njitchoum; and sponsor Cherisse Milliner.

Superior Ratings
B-CC Jazz Band
At the County Jazz Festival on Dec. 9, 2006, the B-CC Jazz Band earned superior ratings (1) from all the performance adjudicators and from the sightreading judge. The ensemble played Doxy by Sonny Rollins, Over The Rainbow by Harold Arlen, with Naomi Roochnik as the vocal soloist, and Salsa Caliente by Chris Sharp. Congratulations to our band students and band director Mr. White!

November Students of the Month
Mitchell Crispell, Claire Mueller, Amanda Stoltz, Jephte Jean Charles, Kazi Shams, Sarah Whitehead, Noah Schoenholtz, Jamilah Johnson, Jules Bodie, Alex Kovach

American Scholastic Press Association (ASPA) First Place Award
Columbia Scholastic Press Association’s Gold Medal award
Chips
Congratulations to the Chips' staff and its faculty sponsor, Ms. Gold!

National Chess Championship
High School Blitz Division - Champion
High School Bughouse Division - Runner-up
Nikolas Theiss

October Students of the Month
Biruk Kifle, Chris Ferguson, Helen Thomas, Lauren Godles, Hannah Rubashkin, Linh Vu, Scarleth Bernabe, Anna Stewart, Jay Swift, Erik Klontz, Aida Aguilar.

2005-2006

Students

2006 National Merit Scholarship Program Finalists
Matthew Barr, Sarah Brody, Sean Cunningham, Brian Go, Maura Goldstein, Miriam Johnston, Caroline Kolar, Patrick McAnaney, and Derek Roberts

2005-2006 Presidential Scholars Candidates
Colin F. Cunningham, Brian D. Go, Patrick T. McAnaney, Tyle C. Stelzig
The four B-CC seniors are among the 20 students from MCPS and the 57 students from the state of Maryland selected as candidates for the 2005-2006 Presidential Scholars awards, one of the highest honors given to high school seniors in the United States. Nationwide, about 2600 high school seniors have been chosen for this honor, based on their exceptionally high scores on the SAT or ACT assessment. 500 of these will be selected as semifinalists on the basis of academic achievement, personal characteristics, leadership and service activities and essays. In April, the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars will name the 121 academic scholars and 20 arts scholars.

Mark Curtis Scholars
Senior Sarah Ostrach and juniors Lauren Godles, Valerie Klavans, and Alexander Levy were among 20 high school seniors and 62 juniors recognized this year for their outstanding achievements in the humanities by the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County. (More on the Mark Curtis Awards)

2006 Newton Mathematics Competition, George Washington University, Dept. of Mathematics
Individual Entry Top 11 scorers - Linh Vu
Team Competition
5th place - Team B (Brian Go, Tracy Li, Avishek Panth, and Linh Vu)
Honorable Mention - Team A (Hsieyun Butler-Yang, David Sangillo, William Sinclair, and Nathaniel Weinman)

2006 American Mathematics Competitions Part I High Scorers
Tracy Li (12), Kenny O'Conner (12), David Sangillo (10), Beebe Parker (11), Matt Barr (12), Colin Cunningham (12), Nathaniel Weinman (10), and Soren Scott (9).
These students excelled on part one and qualified for part two of the American Mathematics Competitions. This was a very difficult test and is the first step in choosing the US Mathematics Olympic team. Congratulations to all!

Maryland Regional Junior Science and Humanities Symposium 3rd Place Winner
Junior Beebe Parker won 3rd place and a $1000 scholarship for Outstanding Research Paper for her paper "The Effect of Nicotine on Growth and Development in Larval Zebrafish." She will compete in the National JSHS Symposium in Albuquerque in late April.

Nominated to represent B-CC HS in the 2006 National Council of Teachers of English Achievement Awards in Writing
Eli Hager, Anna Kamerow, and Alexander Levy.

Nominated to represent B-CC in the 2006 Herbert H. Denton Memorial Scholarship Program
Akua Nketia, Ruifeng Pu, and Qian (Sheila) Shen

The Folger Shakespeare Festival Awards
B-CC's Shakespeare Club
The Club won 2 awards at the Folger Shakespeare Festival on March 12, 2006. One award was for most daring/difficult script and the other for most malicious murderers.

Maryland Scholastic Team Chess Championship, High School Division
B-CC Chess Team - Kevin Barr (11th), Nick Latourette (10th), Peter Sebrechts (10th), and Nikolas Theiss (9th), coached by BCC math teacher Michael Costello.

American Scholastic Press Association (ASPA) First Place Award
National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Highest Award
The Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Medalist Award
The Maryland District of Columbia Scholastic Press Association First Tier Award
Chips
Chips, B-CC High School's student-run literary magazine, has won four first place awards in the annual critiques for 2005. Chips' faculty advisor is Ms. Gold and its editors are: Brandon Conradis (Senior Editor), Becca Conley (Fundraising Head), Teddy Blumenthal (Technology Editor), Lauren Padgett and Laura Cohen (Art Editors), Eric Lewis (Writing Editor), Nikki Dubowitz and Hannah Marqusee (Creative Writing Editors), Alice Kamenar and Julia Jurgovan (Music Editors), Leslie Rothenberg and Laura Depalma (Business Editors), Jane Williams, Jordan Hardy, and Gina Davenport (Layout Editors).

Science Awards

2006 National Science Bowl Maryland/Delaware region Third Place winner
B-CC Science Bowl team - Captain Brian Go and team members Matt Barr, Nick Drake, Josh Klontz, and Tracy Li.
The team turned in its best-ever performance in its final National Science Bowl competition on Sat., Feb. 25, and took third place for the Maryland/Delaware region. The competition was intense from its 10 a.m. start to its 6 p.m. finish, and the level of knowledge that they had to have to get so far is amazing.

2006 Montgomery County Science Fair Winners:
Category Awards:
Walter Beller-Morales, Peter Sebrechts, Sam Wagner, "Distal and Proximal Search Strategies for Robotic Path Recovery"
· Grand Intel ISEF, 1st place Engineering
Beebe Parker, "Examination of Long-term Memory in Heterozygous Mindbomb Mutant Zebrafish"
· Grand Intel ISEF, 1st place Zoology
Nick Latourette, "Solving Sudoku with Java Programing"
· Computer Science, Honorable Mention
Bryant Renaud, "Economical Solar Water Distillation System"
· Environmental Science, 2nd place
Tom Swartz, "Removing Arsenic from Drinking Water"
· Environmental Science, 3rd place
Avishek Panth, "A Sociological Analysis of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Using Statistical Modeling"
· Math, 3rd place
Alex Bernstein, "Electro-Sterilization Techniques"
· Microbiology, 1st place
Alex Vaskov, "Effects of an Electromagnetic Field on Algae"
· Microbiology, 2nd place:
Abby Fitzsimmons, "Culturing Microorganisms From Kefir"
· Microbiology, 3rd place
Erin Wolpert, "Microwaves: Transmission of a Wireless Network Signal via Unidirectional"
· Physics, 2nd place

Special Awards (come with certificates and/or cash awards and other prizes):
Walter Beller-Morales, Peter Sebrechts, Sam Wagner, "Distal and Proximal Search Strategies for Robotic Path Recovery"
· American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 3rd place
· GWU Engineering Alumni Assoc.
· Herbert Hoover Young Engineer Award
· National Society for Professional Engineers
· U.S. NRC
Adam Evans, "Effect of Fire Whirls on Fuel Consumption"
· American Society of Mechanical Engineers, honorable mention
· Northrop Grumman
Abby Fitzsimons, "Culturing Microorganisms From Kefir"
· U.S. Army Research Office
Darya Gakh, "Do Different Shaped Levees have Destruction Times?"
· National Society for Professional Engineers
Meghan Hughes, "Effect of Vernalization on Hyacinth Bulbs"
· Towson University
Carlton Klein, "Hibernation Induced Hypoxia Resistance in C8 Cells"
· U.S. Army Research Office
Erik Klontz, "Do Asthmatics of Different Ages Respond Differently to Weather and Air Quality?"
· American Meterological Society
· Energy & Air Quality Advisory Committee of Montgomery County, 1st place
· U.S. Army
Nick Latourette, “Solving Sudoku with Java Programing”
· Association for Computing Machinery
Liam McMahon and Gordon Sommers, "Aluminum Content of Soy Products"
· Sigma Xi, FDA Chapter
Avishek Panth, "A Sociological Analysis of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Using Statistical Modeling"
· Central Intelligence Agency
· U.S. Army
Beebe Parker, "Examination of Long-term Memory in Heterozygous Mindbomb Mutant Zebrafish"
· MdBio
· U.S. Army Research Office
Bryant Renaud, "Economical Solar Water Distillation System"
· American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 1st place
· American Society of Naval Engineers
· Northrop Grumman
Stephany Salazar, "Can Katrina Happen Again?"
· Sigma Delta Epsilon Graduate Women in Science
Tom Swartz, "Removing Arsenic from Drinking Water"
· American Industrial Hygiene Assoc., 3rd place
· Federal Water Quality Association, 3rd place
· U.S. Army
· U.S. Public Health Service
David White and Jonathan Krynitsky, "The Effects of Oil on Algae"
· Federal Water Quality Association, Honorable Mention
Marisol Williams, "To Eat or Not To Eat"
· Sigma Delta Epsilon Graduate Women in Science
Erin Wolpert, "Microwaves: Transmission of a Wireless Network Signal via Unidirectional"
· Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, 3rd place
· Optical Society of America, National Capital Section

* B-CC brought home two of the four Grand Intel ISEF Awards at the Montgomery County Science Fair. As part of this award, junior Beebe Parker (for her second year in a row) and the team of Academy of Math, Technology, & Science (ATMS) students Walter Beller-Morales, Peter Sebrechts, and Sam Wagner will go on to the International Intel Science & Engineering Fair in May as representatives of Montgomery County.
Congratulations to all B-CC's Science Fair entrants!

Music Awards

Maryland All-State Senior Band
Stephen White, bass clarinet

Maryland All-State Senior Orchestra
Lucy Voorhees, viola

Maryland All-State Jazz Band
Colin Asher, tenor sax

Junior All-State Band
Matthew Curtis, clarinet, Alex Paster, clarinet

Junior All-State Orchestra
Brayden Downing, violin, Leah Loversky, cello

Senior All-County Band
Stephen White, bass clarinet, Reid Lawrence, bass clarinet, Jeremy Tourish, trumpet

Senior All-County Orchestra
J. C. Wan, violin

Junior All-County Band
Matthew Curtis, clarinet, Alex Pastor, clarinet, John Koenig, baritone

Junior All-County Orchestra
Brayden Downing, violin, Leah Loversky, cello

Superior Ratings, County Jazz Festival
B-CC Jazz Band
At the 2005 County Jazz Festival on Dec. 10, the Jazz Band earned superior ratings in both sight reading and performance. Anna Stewart sang "The Nearness of You" by Hoagie Charmichael; other songs were "Cooke's Delight" by Les Sabina and "I Wanna be Like You" from the Jungle Book, by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman. Congratulations to our students and music director, Mr. White!

Theater Awards

Recognition at state-wide High School Theater Festival
Song Fest: Audra Shapiro
Improv Fest: Dan Milliken, Liz Hagerty, Lauren Padgett, Bryant Renaud
Outstanding Acting: Saul Leiken, Audra Shapiro, Dan Millken
All State: Ethan Joseph (One of approximately 20 students selected for overall excellence in theater from a pool of roughly 70 applicants from the entire state of Maryland.)

Students of the Month

March Students of the Month
Chance Doyle, Kandy Gonzlez-Michel, Gabriel Calderon, Mia Walker, Margaret Lough, Juan Balcazar, Helen Strom, Brian Go, Matt Barr, Nick Drake, Josh Klontz, Tracy Li, Laura Swartz, Joseph Powers, Soraya Shehata, Yenia Cardozo, Maddy Peckham, Abigail Klaus, Sarah Cornwell and Zach Jacobson.

February Students of the Month
Beebe Parker, Yeslie Fuentes, James Stowe, Julie Edmonds, Josh Klontz, Sam Rutledge, Angelica Viloria, Dania Straughan, Eric Jaffe, Emily Kovacic, Arielle Helffrich, Florence Lung, Richa Kalsi, and Courtney Williams.

January Students of the Month
Victoria Gregg, Alexander Nordan, Michelle Kumi, Jane Williams, Aisatta Sall, Filippo Civitelli, Andrea Vaught, Valerie Klavans, Sara Pickerell, Aleah Bowie and Sean Vaskov.

November Students of the Month
Monica Pate, Margarita Lemus Portillo, Reuben Karchem, Beatrice "Beebe" Parker, Alex Ameli, Andrea Vaught, Michael Agyemang, Rose Jaffe and Elias Tousley. Congratulations to all of these outstanding students!

October Students of the Month
Parnia Salehy, Jacob Levin, Gaelan Connell, Suman Phuyal, Eniko Horvath, Ben Davis, Yeslie Fuentes, Marielle Briones, Tyler Fitzgerald, Assata Williams and Eric Lewis were selected as October's "Students of the Month" by their teachers for their positive attitudes, leadership abilities, academic diligence, willingness to help others, contagious enthusiasm, and pride in their work.

2004-2005

Staff

Washington Post/Embassy of Spain Scholarship
Beth Groeneman, B-CC Spanish teacher. The scholarship is one of 12 awarded by the Washington Post under the auspices of the Embassy of Spain to outstanding Spanish teachers in the metro area. She will be studying in Madrid from July 2-22.

Advisor of the Year, Montgomery County Region of the Maryland Association of Student Councils
Mr. Paul Soboslay

2005 MCPS ESOL Teacher of the Year
Ms. Ann Hengerer, B-CC ESOL resource teacher

29th on Newsweek's list of top public high schools in the U.S.
B-CC High School
Newsweek ranked the 27,468 public high schools in the U.S. using Jay Matthews' Challenge Index — "the number of Advanced Placement (AP) and/or International Baccalaureate (IB) tests taken by all students at a school in 2004, divided by the number of graduating seniors." ... >> more

2004 School Performance Recognition Program Awards
B-CC High School
B-CC High School was one of nine MCPS high schools to receive awards in the 2004 School Performance Recognition Program. B-CC was recognized for its overall achievement on the 2004 Maryland School Assessment (MSA) administered to Grade 10 students.

Washington Post Top Ten
B-CC is the only school in the metro area to finish the fall season with three teams ranked in Washington Post Top Ten: Girls' Field Hockey (#1), Girls'Soccer (#2), and Boys' Soccer (#6).

GRAMMY Foundation's Grammy Signature School
B-CC High School, one of 41 public high schools across the country this year to receive this recognition for outstanding commitment to their music education programs, and a $1,000 grant to benefit its music program.

Grammy on the Hill Heroes Award
B-CC High School Music Department. The GRAMMYs on the Hill Heroes Award, by the D.C. Chapter of the GRAMMY Recording Foundation, “recognizes those who improve the lives of music makers, and those who use the power of music to improve the lives of us all.”

B-CC Recorded Highest SAT Scores Ever
The SAT mean scores for B-CC Class of 2004 are 1161 (total), 576 (verbal), and 585 (math), all are the highest ever scores for the school. Comparable scores for MCPS are 1102, 541, and 561, and for the nation, 1026, 508 and 518. B-CC's participation rate in 2004 is 82.6%. For more details, go to MCPS publication, "An Examination of the SAT Results for the Class of 2004"
http://www.mcps.k12.md.us/info/pdf/2004SATReport.pdf
B-CC data is on Page 33 of the report (the 44th page of the pdf).

100% Passing Rate
100% of Class of 2004 full-diploma IB candidates earned their diplomas. No other MCPS IB program has a 100% passing rate. The international passing rate is 75%.

Students

2004 National Council of Teachers of English Achievement Award in Writing
Emily Smith

2005 National Merit Scholarship Program Semifinalists
Ian W. Axelrod, Emily S. Bartlett, Martin O. Koenig,
Sophia Koessel, Andrew S. Lebovich, Daniel M. Levine,
Joshua A. Rosenthal, Martha J. Ruch, Michael A. Solomon
Mary G. Swartz

2004 Advanced Placement Scholars
166 B-CC students received recognition from the College Board for their outstanding performance on the 2004 AP exams. B-CC has 76 AP scholars (grades of 3 or higher on three or more AP exams), 40 Scholars with Honors (average grade of at least 3.5 on all AP exams taken and grades of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams), and 50 Scholars with Distinction (average grade of at least 3.5 on all AP exams taken and grades of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams).

2004 Maryland Distinguished Scholar Program
B-CC has 8 finalists, 4 semifinalists, amd 38 honorable mentions (5 in arts)

Music Awards

Festival Sweepstakes Award
The B-CC Music Department, for best overall representation of its music department at a national high school music festival in New York City on April 29, 2005.
Trophies:
Outstanding Band group with highest score - Jazz Band
Outstanding Orchestra group with highest score - Symphonic Orchestra
Adjudicator's Award - best overall band - Jazz Band
Adjudicator's Award - best overall orchestra - Symphonic Orchestra
Sweepstakes Award - best overall instrumental ensemble - Jazz Band
Plaques:
Concert Choir - Silver, 3rd
Madrigals - Silver, 2nd
Concert Orchestra - Silver, 1st
Symphonic Orchestra - Gold rating, no place (only one in category)
Concert Band - Silver, 1st
Symphonic Band - Gold, 2nd
Jazz Band - Gold rating, no place

The Symphonic Orchestra and Band also were invited to participate in an invitation-only national festival in Boston in 2006.

Superior Rating
B-CC Jazz Band at County Jazz Festival on Dec. 11. The band played three numbers on stage: Crescent City Stomp, When Sunny Gets Blue, with Anna Stewart as soloist, and El Centro.

Superior Ratings
B-CC Madrigals earned four out of four possible "superior" ratings at the MCPS Chamber Choir Festival on March 23 and qualify for the state choral festival which B-CC will host in April. MCPS festivals provide renowned adjudicators the opportunity to gage student performance against an "ideal" performance. B-CC Madrigals have earned ones and qualified for the state finals for the sixth year in a row - yet another dynasty that the B-CC community can be proud of.

Maryland All-State Senior Orchestra
Anna Ernst, violin, Lucy Voorhees, viola

Maryland All-State Senior Mixed Chorus
Tali Friedman, Soprano

Maryland All-State Junior Band
Reid Lawrence, Alternate on Bass Clarinet

Montgomery County Senior Honors Band
Sara Rothenberg, Flute, Madeleine Stone, Clarinet, Stephen White, Bass Clarinet

Montgomery County Junior Honors Band
Lawrence Reid, Bass Clarinet, Beck Friedman, Alto Sax, Bernard Koch, trombone alternate

Montgomery County Junior Honors Orchestra
Poncie Rutsch, Viola, Kyle Short, Alternate for Bass

Science Fair Winners

2005 Montgomery County Science Fair Winners:
Angie Baker & Maddie Stone, “The Super Preservative”
· U.S. Army Research Office Certificate of Achievement

Robert Coe and Nick Latourette, “Infrared Detection”
· B-CC Certificate of Achievement

David Damtoft, “The Application of Regression Equations to CO2 Levels in the Atmosphere”
· Honorable Mention, Environmental Science (Life)
· Ricoh Corporation special award
· U.S. Army Research Office Certificate

Ben Frable and Alex Mariuzza, “Small Polyped Scleratinian Coral Growth Affected by Aquarium Enviornmental Change”
· 1st place, Team Life Sciences
· U.S. Army Research Office Certificate of Achievement

Darya Gakh, “Is the Size of the Nucleus Proportional to the Size of the Cell?”
· B-CC Certificate of Achievement

Brian Go and Josh Klontz, “A Comprehensive Empirical Model for Determining the Axial Force Coefficient of a Rocket Traveling at Submach Speeds”
· 1st place, Team Physical Sciences
· 1st Place, AIAA (includes week at Space Camp)
· 1st place, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, certificate and $75 award
· 1st place, National Space Club ($500 cash award)
· Northrop Grumman Special Award ($200 savings bond)

Megan Hughes, “Effect of Nitrate Fertilizer on the Rhizobium Development on Bean Roots”
· Honorable Mention, Botany

Joe Levy, “Physical Principles: Hovercraft Test Lab”
· Capital PC Users Group ($50 savings bond)

Andy McCarron and Messai Belayneh, “Inherited Guppy Tail Designs and Reproductive Success”
· 2nd place, Team Life Sciences

Liam McMahon, “In Vitro Efficacy of Alternative Versus Conventional Treatments for Pediculosis capitis”
· 3rd place, Medicine & Health
· National Association of Biology Teachers Certificate of Honor

Drew Melmed, “The Effects Of Caffine On Wheat Rust: Can It Help Save Our Plants”
· 1st place, Botany
· U.S. Army Research Office Framed Certificate of Achievement (& Polo Shirt)

Beatrice (Beebe) Parker, “The Effect of Nicotine Levels on Zebrafish Growth and Development”
· Grand Award Life Science, Senior Division, Intel ISEF Finalist
· 1st place, Zoology
· Commissioned Officers Assoc. of the U.S. Public Health Service, Surgeon General Outstanding Student Award Certificate
· Sigma Delta Epsilon Graduate Women in Science Certificate of Recognition

Nastasia Paul-Gera, “Does Light Affect a Plant's Ability to Make Photographs”
· B-CC Certificate of Achievement

Stephany Salazar, “What a Plant Needs!”
· B-CC Certificate of Achievement

Peter Sebrechts and Walter Beller-Morales, “Dodging Obstacles with Infrared Sensors”
· Honorable Mention, Team Physical Sciences
· AIAA Honorable Mention

Tom Swartz, “Smoke Movement in Tunnel Fires”
· Honorable Mention, Engineering
· American Society of Engineers of Indian Origin, certificate and $50 gift card
· U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Certificate
· 1st place (cash award and certificate), American Industrial Hygeine Association

Sylvia Tsakos, “Sensitivity of Various Bacterial Strains to Ultraviolet Light”
· Honorable Mention, Microbiology
· 1st place, American Water Works Association ($200 savings bond)

Marisol Williams, “The Effects of Caffeine on Bean Plants”
· Honorable Mention, Botany

Erin Wolpert , “Simple Coupled Pendulums”
· GWU Engineering Alumni Assoc. (gift and invitation to Dean’s Reception)
· Sigma Delta Epsilon Graduate Women in Science Certificate of Recognition

Sebastian Wood, “Collecting Information on Colorado Vegetation Using TERRA ASTER Satellite Imagery”
· AIAA Honorable Mention
· Central Intelligence Agency special award (invitation to awards ceremony & tour of HQ)

2003-2004

Staff

2003 Washington Post Distinguished Educational Leadership Award
Principal Katy Harvey >>more

Certificate of Recognition
B-CC High School
B-CC High School has been awarded a certificate of recognition from the Maryland State Department of Education for its achievement on the 2003 Maryland School Assessment (MSA). The Maryland State Board of Education selected the schools based on the results of the 2003 Maryland School Performance Program.

GRAMMY Recording Foundation Signature School
Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School
Just as the GRAMMY Award recognizes excellence in recording, the GRAMMY Foundation Signature Schools Program recognizes the top 41 public high schools in the country for outstanding commitment to their music education programs. Determined on the basis of a scoring system applied and critiqued by top music educators and professionals, B-CC HS is one of 41 public high schools across the country to receive a certificate of recognition based on its high level of commitment to music education, and a $1,000 grant to benefit its music program.

Students

2004 National Achievement Scholarship Program Scholar
Gregory A. Joice

The National Merit Scholarship Program Semifinalists
Lisa Benson
Adam Bookman
William Kenety
Alexander Ruda
Mark Stewart

The National Achievement Scholarship Program Semifinalists
Brittany Fraser
Gregory Joice

The National Merit Scholarship Program Commended Students

From the Maryland Higher Education Commission 2003 Distinguished Scholar Program:

The Distinguished Scholar Finalists for Academic Achievement
Adam Bookman
Alexander Ruda
Nathaniel Stokoe

The Distinguished Scholar Semifinalists for Academic Achievement
Lisa Benson
Brittany Fraser
Benjamin Merewitz
Jacob Spinner

The Distinguished Scholar Finalists for Talent in the Arts
David Brand -- instrumental music
Rosalie Gilbert -- instrumental music
Rebecca Webber -- drama

The Distinguished Scholar Honorable Mentions for Talent in the Arts
Mario D'Ambrosio -- saxophone

National Council of Teachers of English Writing Award
Lisa Benson

Prudential Community Awards Distinguished Finalist
Nathaniel Hollis
Senior Nathaniel Hollis volunteers as a certified Emergency Medical Technician and Firefighter for the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad. Nathaniel took over 250 hours of certification classes and firefighter training to qualify as a primary patient care attendant (EMT) and member of a heavy rescue truck team.

23rd Annual Congressional Art Competition
Kelly Murphey
Junior Kelly Murphey won second place in the 23rd Annual Congressional Art Competition sponsored by Congressman Van Hollen for all high school students in his district. As an award winner, Kelly's painting will be hung in Congressman Van Hollen's office for the coming year.

Mark Curtis Award
Tiffany Anderson and Adam Curtis
Senior Tiffany Anderson and junior Adam Curtis received the 2003 Mark Curtis Award given annually by the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County. The award commemorates Dr. Mark Curtis, a distinguished historian and academic, through recognition of county students with outstanding achievements in the humanities.

Woman's Club of Chevy Chase Scholarships
Jacqueline Akya and Josue Sigaran
Seniors Jacqueline Akya and Josue Sigaran were presented a $1,000 academic scholarship each by the Woman's Club of Chevy Chase at their spring luncheon on April 21, 2004.

Gold Award
B-CC's Chips
For the third year in a row, Chips, B-CC's literary publication, has been awarded the highest rating for publications of its kind. Congratulations to Ms. Parker and the Chips staff!

Spirit Trophy
B-CC Cheerleaders
The Cheerleaders won the School Spirit award at the MCPS Cheerleading Competition on November 22. This is the first cheerleading team in B-CC's history to enter a cheerleading competition!

Science Fair Winners

2004 Montgomery County Science Fair winners:
Joshua Klontz and Brian Go, "Programming a Model Rocket Flight Simulator"
· 1st place Grand Prize in the Physical Sciences
· 1st place in the Team Awards - Physical Sciences
· American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronauts special award
· American Nuclear Society special award
· Capitol PC Users Group Special Award
· National Space Club special award
· Northrup Grumman special award, and
· US Army Research Office Special Award.
· The students will compete in the National Intel Science Fair in Portland Oregon representing B-CC and Montgomery County.

Dara Scher, "Too Much of a Good Thing Is Not Always Wonderful: Nitrogen Fertilizers and Plant Growth"
· 1st place Botany
· US Army Research Office Special Award;

Stephen McInerney, Peter McCarron Benjamin Schneider, "How Impulse and Materials Affect Armpad Protection"
· American Industrial Hygiene Association Special Award
· US Army Research Office Special Award

Annie Norton and Matt Mirsky, "The Effects of Nitrate on Zebrafish Growth"
· Second Place Team Projects - Life Sciences
· US Army Research Office Special Award

Laura Swartz & Eniko Horvath, "The Effects of Habitat Destruction on Squirrel Behavior"
· Honorable Mention Team Projects - Life Sciences
· US Nuclear Regulatory Commission Special Award

Carlton Klein, "The Effect of Overcrowding on Tenebrio Reproduction and Morphogenesis"
· Second Place Zoology

Andrew McCarron, "Effect of Nitrate Levels on the Growth and Development of Young and Old Xenopus Tadpoles"
· Third Place Zoology

Britta Glennon, Lauren Robinson, Jennifer Slesinger, "Viscosity Related to Medicine Dosage"
· Second Place in Team Projects- Physical Sciences

Julia Burton, Julia Heynen, Jessica Lennon, "Reaction Time in Teenagers"
· Honorable Mention in Team Projects - Life Sciences

Nathaniel Stokoe, Alex Ruda, David Horn, "Force and Wheelchairs"
· Participation Award

Jeffrey Taylor, Asaf Korkut, Mark Stewart, "Relationship Between Impact and Volume Change of an Airbag"
· Participation Award

Music Honors:

2004 New Orleans Heritage Music Festival awards:
Orchestra: GOLD rating, 1st place in their division, Outstanding Ensemble Award for best instrumental group in the entire festival;
Concert Band: GOLD rating, 1st place in their division;
Jazz Ensemble: GOLD rating, 2nd place in their division, Judges' Choice award for the entire festival;
Madrigals: GOLD rating, 2nd place in their division;
Choir, SILVER rating, 3rd place in their division.
Both band and orchestra were so impressive that they have been invited to attend an "invitation only" festival!

Superior Ratings
B-CC Orchestra
B-CC's orchestra students earned all superior ratings, including a perfect score from one of the three judges, at the State Festival at Winter Mills High School in Carroll County on April 27. The orchestra was judged on performance and sight-reading. Congratulations, Mr. White and orchestra students!!

Superior Ratings
B-CC Orchestra
The B-CC Orchestra, led by Mr. White, earned all Superior or "1" ratings at the county-wide Orchestra Festival Adjudication on March 11. The students played "On the Bridge at Clash" by Arthur Duff, "Allegro from Brandenburg Concerto #3" by Bach and "Capriol Suite" by Peter Warlock. They also had to sightread a piece of music.

Superior Ratings:
B-CC Concert Band
The B-CC Concert Band received all superior ratings at the Montgomery County Band Festival on April 21, 2004, for performance pieces and for sight reading. The students played Donegal Moors by O'Laughlin and Of Pride and Celebration by Swearingen.

Superior Ratings
B-CC Jazz Ensemble
The Jazz Ensemble, led by Mr. White, earned all superior or "1" ratings at the Montgomery County Jazz Festival on Saturday, Dec. 13. The students performed three contrasting selections and featured Rebecca Herring as a vocal soloist on "When I Fall in Love".

Highest Ratings
B-CC Madrigal
B-CC's Madrigal singers earned straight "1s" -- the highest possible score -- for each component of their competition at the Maryland State High School Music Festival on April 29, 2004 in Westminster, MD. Congratulations to Mr. Hartman and the Madrigal students!

Superior Ratings
B-CC Madrigals
The B-CC Madrigals, led by Mr. Hartman, earned straight “1’s” at the MCPS Chamber Choir Festival on March 25 and qualified for the Maryland State Festival. The Countywide annual Festival gives every high school in the County the opportunity to have their performance judged against a hypothetical“ideal” performance.

2004 Maryland All-State Senior Choruses
Rebecca Herring, alternate

2004 Maryland All-State Senior Mixed Chorus
Jessica Lennon, soprano participant

2004 Senior All-State Women’s Chorus
Tali Friedman, alto participant

Maryland Junior All-State Chorus
Lucy Bascom, soprano, and Dan Milliken, Bass

Maryland Senior All State Orchestra
Rose Haag, Lucy Voorhees and Rose Gilbert

Maryland Junior All-State Orchestra
Justin Demmerle

Montgomery County Senior Honors Orchestra
Laura DePalma

Montgomery County Juniors Honors Band and Maryland All State Band
Jeremy Tourish

Montgomery County Honors Band
Geoff Turley

2002-2003

Staff

Principal Katy Harvey was awarded one of the six 2003 Italian Culture & Language Fellowships sponsored by The Washington Post, the Embassy of Italy, and The National Italian American Foundation in cooperation with the Istituto Italiano di Cultura and Regione Lombardia. She will be spending two weeks in Italy this summer with the other fellowship recipients in a cultural and educational program that includes attending classes at several of Italy's leading educational institutions. The goal of the program is to help these exceptional educators broaden their knowledge about the Italian education system while immersing themselves in the Italian culture.

Jennifer Hoover and Matt Boswell, English Department, have been selected as NEH Fellows to attend the NEH Shakespeare Institute at Ashland in Oregon this summer -- the first time B-CC has two teachers selected for the same NEH institute.

Diane Kirtley, English Department, has been named as an outstanding teacher in this year's McDonald's 2003 Ray Kroc Scholarship Program. B-CC senior Safa Saidgh-Mostowfi, a $1,000 scholarship recipient in the program, wrote about Ms. Kirtley as his outstanding teacher.

Jon Virden, English Department, has been selected to attend the NEH Seminar entitled "John Milton and the Contemporary Reader" at Duquesne University this summer. He will be studying Paradise Lost and other works by Milton.

Bruce Snyder, Science Department, will be a Fulbright Exchange teacher in Argentina. He will visit Cordoba, Argentina for four weeks to study their educational system.

Students

National Merit Finalists:
Samuel J. Edwards, Henry A. Fitch, Sarah H. Fitch, Elizabeth S. Greenberg, Jeremy F. Hartman, Christopher R. Hoagland, and Benjamin A. Simon

The following students are in the top 5th of the Senior Class:
Evan Adelman, Elizabeth Catherwood, Sarah Corwin, Samuel Edwards, Lee Evans, Jeremy Hartman, Jennifer Heintz, Nora Jabbour, Barbara Jones, Cara McAnaney, Lillian Ostrach, Jessica Roberts, Barry Rosenberg, Benjamin Simon, Jonathan Tucker, and Yi Zhang.

The 2003 Lazarus Leadership Fellows:
Juniors Jackie Akyea, David Brand, Andrew Coe, Linn Lung, Peter McCarron, Ben Merewitz, Betty Nkansah, Shrikana Puri, and sophomores Emily Adams, Jocylen Guillen, Sophia Kossel, Elizabeth Magnusson, Asenath Mba, Shari Rosenburg, and Mike Yoler have been selected for the 2003 Lazarus Leadership Fellows Program. The fellows will attend leadership training seminars and will spend a minimum of 200 hours on community service programs that they design themselves.

Neil Roy, a senior in the IB program, was named a simifinalist in the Westinghouse Science Competition, a first at B-CC, and one of only four students in the state of Maryland who was recognized by the Westinghouse this year. The title of his project was “Evidence for Shikimate Pathway Genes in the Malaria Parasite, Plasmodium falciparum.” Neil has been working in the Experimental Therapeutics laboratories at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research under the guidance of Captain Lyndal Emerson, studying the molecular biology of the agent which causes malaria, Plasmodium. He plans to attend a university with a combined undergraduate- medicine program.

Senior Sarah Fitch was one of 16 outstanding student writers throughout Maryland recognized by Maryland Lieutenant Governor Michael S. Steele, State Superintendent of Schools Nancy S. Grasmick, and members of the Maryland State Board of Education for receiving the 2002 Achievement Award in Writing from the National Council of Teachers of English. Lieutenant Governor Steele presented a citation from the Governor to each student, and the State Board of Education presented certificates of recognition.

Senior Robert Kelly was the winner of the Strathmore 2003 J.B. & Maurice C. Shapiro Youth Arts Award in the visual arts. Based on his photography portfolio, Robert won this scholarship award which is based on ability, dedication to the art form and a demonstration of future promise in the pursuit of artistic education in the field.

Seniors Curtis Marshall and Latisa Tanner were inducted into The National Vocational-Technical Honor Society at Thomas Edison High School on May 9, 2003.

Senior Safa Saidgh-Mostowfi received a $1,000 scholarship in the McDonald's 2003 Ray Kroc Scholarship Program.

Sophomore John Albanes placed 5th in the Maryland Brain Bee at the University of Maryland at Baltimore.

Freshmen Drew Melmed, Charlie Halsted, Isaac Apreku, and Alex Soumbadze received an Honorable Mention from a field of over 5000 entries in the NSTA-Toshiba “Exploravisions” competition for their entry, ‘BioMeat,’ a genetically engineered, safe and healthy food.

Senior Katelyn Kiyonaga was selected to participate in a three-week internship at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. this spring.

Junior Eric Padron took 3rd place in the 2002 Hispanic Heritage Essay Contest. The contest, sponsored by Telemundo and NBC4, invited high school students of Hispanic origin to respond to the essay title of "Being Latino in the US is the Best of Both Worlds."

Six students from B-CC qualified for the Montgomery County Debate League final tournament: Brittany Brewer, Eniko Horvatz, Tracy Li, Mike Petrick, Matt Barr, and Mara Botman.

Seniors Sarah Fitch and Suze Kraft, juniors Jonathan Bruser and Beck Levy, and sophomore Ebie Bialek were selected to attend the F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Conference in October to participate in poetry and fiction workshops and to hear John Updike speak.

Winners in the 2003 Montgomery Area Science Fair:
Senior Carla Ferguson, “Determination of How Prey Availability Influences Zebrafish Growth” — grand prize of the life sciences division, first place, zoology category
Freshmen Brian Go and Josh Klontz, “The Effects of Rocket Fin Sweep Angle on Altitude” — first place, team physical sciences; special awards: Air Force Research Laboratory Century of Flight Award 2003, American Astronautical Society Award, American Institute of Aeronatuics and Astronautics Award, National Space Club Award, and the Northrop Grumman Award
Senior Neil Roy, “Identification of Skikimate Metabolic Pathway Genes in Plasmodium falciparum for Potential Treatment of Malaria” — second place, Medicine & Health category; special awards: 1st place from U.S. Public Health Service; 1st place from the U.S. Army Research Office
Sophomore Michael Blumenthal,”Prolonged Exposure to Sub-Optimal Temperatures Alters Anatomy in Zebrafish” — 2nd place, zoology category; Washington Statistical Society award.
Sophomore Hannan Braun, “Growth Characteristics of Ankistrodesmus, A Common Tank and Pond Contaminant” — 3rd place, environmental sciences category
Freshmen Laura Swartz and Eniko Horvath, “Squirrel Search: Demographics of Squirrel Health in Kensington, Md” — honorable mention, team life sciences category
Sophomore Brittany Brewer, “Quantitative Analysis of Bacteria on Retail Packaged Chicken” — Institute of Food Technologists Award
Junior Joshua Cohn, “A Computer Simulation of a Disease Outbreak” — U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research award, Yale Science & Engineering Award
Junior Peter McCarron, “Determination of Solar Energy Efficiencies Using a Model Car” — Armed Forces Communications and Electronic Association Award
Senior Jason Wendt, “Chemokine and Cytokine Levels in Decompression Sickness” — Participation Award

Music:
The Madrigals received “1’s” (highest marks) at the County level and will be competing at the State Choral Festival.
The Concert Choir earned superior (1) and excellent (2) ratings in the County level competition.
The Orchestra received superior ratings of “1’s” at the County Orchestra Festival.
The Symphonic Band was awarded superior (1) and excellent (2) ratings for its County-level performance.
The Concert Band received an “Excellent Rating” in the County Festival.
The Jazz Ensemble earned all "1's" in its performance at the County Jazz Festival.

The following students auditioned and were selected to participate in the county and state groups as noted:
Maryland All-State Senior Chorus: Jessica Babbitz, Melissa Dutcher, Becky Herring, Katie Maguire, Sara Maguire, and Becky Webber.
Maryland All-State Junior Chorus: Ben Davis and Emma Vawter.
Maryland Senior All-State Band: Diego Vasquez, clarinet.
Maryland Senior All-State Orchestra: Zachary Freeman, cello; Rosie Gilbert, alternate, harp.
Maryland Junior All-State Band: Stephen White, bass clarinet.
Maryland Junior All-State orchestra: Rose Haag, Anna Ernst, and Lucy Vorhees, violin.
Senior All-County Honors Orchestra: Elizabeth Greenberg, violin.
Senior All-County Honors Band: Diego Vasquez, clarinet.
Junior All-County Honors Band: Maddie Stone, clarinet; Stephen White, bass clarinet; Rebecca Hughes, oboe; Colin Asher, alternate, clarinet