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Principal's Summer Newsletter
July 2003

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Memories from

Top Scholars Banquet and Junior/Senior Prom

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STUDENTS HONORED AT
ACADEMIC AWARDS CEREMONY
May 22, 2003

Scholarships

Maryland Senatorial District 20 Scholarship
Quang Luu
Preethi Soman

Alpha Kappa Alpha Scholarship Award
Jasmin Miller

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Scholarship Award
David Oluwatimilehin

Bobby Deane Memorial Scholarship
Patricia Pressley

Burtonsville Lion's Club Scholarship Awards
Jamie Lee
Tanya James

Comcast Student Achievement Scholarship Award
Kellie O'Neal

Eric Covington Memorial Award
Jamie Lee
Rohey Jobe

Florida A&M Alumni Association Scholarship Awards
Jasmin Miller

Fred Lowenbach Award
Shannon Long

Donald Henyon College Assistance Fund Award
Justin Holden

Joseph Edwards Scholarship
Andreas Senai-Alemou

Montgomery College Board of Trustees Academic Potential Scholarship
Kavita Sethi

Nancy Peckerar Outstanding Internship Award
Joshua Silverstein

Sandy Spring Friends Lee Stern Pacemaker Award
Jacqueline Russell

Awards & Recognition

Dartmouth College Book Award
Oluwatoni Aluko

Mount Holyoke Book Award
Hasina Jamal

Wellesley College Book Award
Patricia Taylor

Worchester Polytechnic Institute Book Award
Zhigang Pan

Marian Greenblatt Award for Excellence in Social Studies
Anne Chlebowski

Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) Outstanding Citizenship Award
Hilary Scherer

University of Rochester Humanities and Social Science Awards
Oluwatoni Aluko

Bausch and Lomb Science Award
Andrew Huang

George Washington University Engineering Award
Isha Gupta

Rensselaer Medal for Science and Engineering
Zhigang Pan

President's Awards - Educational Excellence

 

Student's receiving this award have earned at least a 3.5 GPA and scored at least a 1300 or better on the SAT.

Amandeep Bakshi
Shannon Bean
Sara Berberich
Christopher Chew
Jina Chung
Daniel Grosberg
Willene Hare
Joshua Kahn
Peter Kang
Aparna Kothary
Jilna Kothary
Prasad Kutty
Jamie Lee
Erin Margolis
Daniel Mendelsohn
Alena Naumova
Christine Pettit
Carlita Phillip
Joshua Silverstein
Brian Smith
Jennifer Twigg
Caitlin Vandevander

President's Award Educational Achievement
Student' s receiving this award have shown outstanding academic achievement during their high school career.

Aman Abdissa
Tesfay Berhanu
Brooke Collins
Erica Davis
Regina Divya
George Dominguez
MacKenlov Dorival
Shaquanda Dunn
Kamar Duval
Gregorio Ford Jr
Dock Graham
Jennifer Harris
Antionette Haynes
Rohey Jobe
Bassirou Kante
Leemu Kolleh
Diana Krolikowski
Lawan Lanier
Quang Luu
Marcia Nott
Marggie Ortiz
Taylor (Pi) Overton
Patricia Pressley
Yonatan Sertsu
James Turner
Andre Watson
Amy Wood
Sandeep Yentrapati

National Achievement Scholarship & Maryland Governor's Merit Scholarship Awards
This award goes to students in the top 5% in the state of Maryland

Chalita Atallah
Sara Berberich
Christopher Chew
Jina Chung
Shelley Greenberg
Alex Hamidi
Aparna Kothary
Jilna Kothary
Prasad Kutty
Jamie Lee
Daniel Mendelsohn
Alena Naumova
Daniel Paek
Ifdaias Perez
Brian Smith
John Speares
Jennifer Twigg
Caitlin Vandevander

All-Around Achiever Awards (PTSA)

Jennifer Twigg
Brooke Mead
Daniel Grosberg
Stefanie C. King
Joshua Kahn
Jeremy Daquioag Esperon
Rebecca Thompson
Tae Mo Kwon
Sara Berberich
Austin Bogus
Theresa Edwards

Academic Excellence, Cumulative 4.0 GPA
Straight A's for their entire high school career

Seniors

Sara Berberich
Christopher Chew
John Speares

Juniors

Anne Chlebowski
Theresa Edwards
Brooke Meade
Zhigang Pan

Sophomores

Jennifer Axe
Joshua Craddock
Amy Kaylor
Grace Koo
William Marchica
Kristen Markham
Andrew Paek
Kelly Pernia
Sahar Rasolee
Chandni Shah
Sandeep Soman
Ali Syed
Jonathan Zepp

Freshmen

Sukhdeep Aneja
Krishna Bhamidipati
Rachel Blair
Andrew Brimmer
Hoang Bui
Jamie Cox
Erin Harper
Justin Jacob
Andrea Rose Jimenez
Brian Kuhn
Stephanie Lidd
Palak Patel
Noorulain Siddiqi
Christopher Tabisz
Molly Tannen
Rebecca Yu

Departmental Awards for Outstanding Achievement

 Art

Lawan Lanier                     Plaque                                     Ceramics

Matthew Silva                     Plaque                                     Ceramics

Oluwatoni Aluko                                  Certificate           Ceramics

Sarah Grinberg                                    Certificate           Ceramics

Jennifer Ferretti                Plaque                                     Photography

Jacqueline Russell            Plaque                                     Photography

Justin Mein                       Plaque                                     Photography

Lauren Kasmir                                     Certificate           Photography

Adam Golfer                    Plaque                                     Studio Art

Erin Margolis                     Plaque                                     Studio Art

Susanna Oresky                Plaque                                     Studio Art

Amy Dodd                                               Certificate           Studio Art

Jonathan Petska                                  Certificate            Studio Art

April Stovall                                         Certificate            Studio Art

Katherine Waterworth                       Certificate            Studio Art

Krista White                                        Certificate            Studio Art

 

Business Education & Computer Science

Stephen Jolles                   Plaque                                     Business Education

Peter Kang                         Plaque                                     Business Education

Cole  Mangum                   Plaque                                     Business Education

Matthew Silva                    Plaque                                     Business Education

Matthew Lidd                                       Certificate            Business Education

Amandeep Bakshi           Plaque                                      Computer Science

Ryan Budd                        Plaque                                      Computer Science

Matthew Morrison          Plaque                                      Computer Science

Aktta Patel                         Plaque                                    Computer Science

George Anderson                                Certificate          Computer Science

Leonard Goff                                        Certificate           Computer Science

Solomon Mikael                                  Certificate           Computer Science

Kelvin Powell, Jr.                                Certificate           Computer Science

Prateek Sharma                                  Certificate           Computer Science

Career and Technology Education

Quang Luu                        Plaque                                     Career & Technology Education

Derrick Miller                                      Certificate         Career & Technology Education

Tyrus Farrow, Jr.             Plaque                                     Cooperative Work Experience (CWE)

ColeMangum                     Plaque                                     Cooperative Work Experience (CWE)

Lindsay Proctor                Plaque                                     Cooperative Work Experience (CWE)

Samantha Schultz             Plaque                                     Cooperative Work Experience (CWE)

Carly Turner                                        Certificate           Cooperative Work Experience (CWE)

Latoya Carlyle                    Plaque                                     Family & Consumer Science

Jennifer Harris                  Plaque                                     Family & Consumer Science

Alyssa Thorsen                  Plaque                                     Family & Consumer Science

Linda Abbey                                        Certificate              Family & Consumer Science

Austin Ginsberg                                  Certificate              Family & Consumer Science

Katherine Laudwein                            Certificate              Family & Consumer Science

Megan Sterling                                    Certificate              Family & Consumer Science

Jennifer Talbot                                    Certificate              Family & Consumer Science

Azariah Conerly                 Plaque                                     Technology Innovations

Shaquanda Dunn                 Plaque                                     Technology Innovations

Woong Shik (Kevin) Choi                 Certificate              Technology Innovations

Mark De Leon                                      Certificate              Technology Innovations

Ashley Fauntleroy                               Certificate              Technology Innovations

Stacie Leith                                          Certificate              Technology Innovations

Kelvin Powell, Jr.                                Certificate              Technology Innovations

Dustin Richardson                              Certificate              Technology Innovations

Barbara Sembrot                                 Certificate              Technology Innovations

Shawn Venable                                    Certificate              Technology Innovations

English

Chalita Atallah                    Plaque                                      

Sunmit Chadha                   Plaque                                      

Daniel Gonzalez                 Plaque                                      

Shelley Greenberg            Plaque                                      

Daniel Grosberg                Plaque                                      

Aparna Kothary                 Plaque                                      

Jacqueline Russell           Plaque                                      

Jennifer Twigg                  Plaque                                      

Esther Adetunji                                    Certificate             

Oluwatoni Aluko                                  Certificate             

Rebecca Dreifuss                                 Certificate             

Hasina Jamal                                        Certificate               

Nisa Natrakul                                       Certificate             

Hafsa Siddiqi                                         Certificate             

Maxine Tang                                         Certificate             

 

Foreign Language

Shannon Bean                  Plaque                                      

Jean Lo                           Plaque                                    

Alena Naumova                Plaque                                    

Samantha Schultz           Plaque                                    

Wilfried Yepseu              Plaque                                    

Esther Adetunji                                    Certificate             

Anne Chlebowski                                Certificate             

Jeremy Esperon                                   Certificate             

Syrena Johnson                                   Certificate             

Mandy Lethbridge                               Certificate             

Daniel Perret                                       Certificate             

Nikitha Velpula                                   Certificate 

            

Internships

Christopher Chew               Plaque                                    

Kimberly Cunningham      Plaque                                    

Rydhwana Hossain             Plaque                                    

Joshua White                      Plaque                                    

William Dahl                                        Certificate

Yomaira Zamora                                  Certificate

Mathematics

Sara Berberich               Plaque        

Jina Chung                      Plaque        

Valerie Gatewood           Plaque        

Aparna Kothary             Plaque        

Prasad Kutty                   Plaque        

Daniel Mendelsohn        Plaque        

Daniel Paek                       Plaque        

Hilary Scherer                   Plaque        

John Speares                    Plaque        

Theresa Edwards                                 Certificate

Fitzgerald Elliott                                  Certificate

Jason Harper                                       Certificate

Janghyun Kim                                    Certificate

Elizabeth Koenig                                 Certificate

Christopher Lesesne                           Certificate

Dennis Nguyen                                   Certificate

Zhigang Pan                                        Certificate

Maxine Tang                                        Certificate

Medical Careers

Monique Anderson            Plaque                                     Medical Careers

Kristin Willoughby            Plaque                                     Medical Careers

Vandana Vangimalla                           Certificate              Medical Careers

Music

Christian Bolton              Plaque                                     Instrumental Music

Christopher Carter          Plaque                                     Instrumental Music

James Curtice                   Plaque                                     Instrumental Music

Anoop Thomas              Plaque                                     Instrumental Music

Craig Binder                                         Certificate              Music

Christina Coleman                               Certificate              Music

Nicholas Gann                                     Certificate              Music

Steven Laycock                                   Certificate              Music

Daniel Perret                                        Certificate              Music

Jean-Jacques Point-Du-Jour             Certificate         Music

Daniel Ricci                                          Certificate              Music

Mark Taylor                                         Certificate              Music

Kristen Collins                  Plaque                                     Vocal Music

Shelley Greenberg            Plaque                                     Vocal Music

Daniel Grosberg               Plaque                                     Vocal Music

Physical Education

Kenneth Baron                Plaque

Stephen Jolles                 Plaque

David Oluwatimilehin     Plaque

Lawrence Prempeh          Plaque

Arthur Queen                   Plaque

Jeannette Smith               Plaque

Science

Christopher Chew             Plaque        

Jina Chung                        Plaque        

Erin Margolis                    Plaque        

Daniel Mendelsohn         Plaque        

Alena Naumova               Plaque        

Daniel Paek                       Plaque        

Carlita Phillip                    Plaque        

Brian Smith                       Plaque        

Leonard Goff                                        Certificate

Jason Harper                                        Certificate

Hasina Jamal                                         Certificate

Christopher Lesesne                           Certificate

Cathy Lin                                              Certificate

Brooke Meade                                     Certificate

Kelly Nesseler                                      Certificate

Sidney Wun                                         Certificate                                                  

Social Studies

Joycee Awojoodu                Plaque        

Stephen Jolles                    Plaque        

Diana Kim                           Plaque        

Ifdaias Perez                       Plaque        

Hilary Scherer                   Plaque        

John Speares                      Plaque        

Jay Templin                        Plaque        

Caitlin Vandevander          Plaque        

Ayesha Adil                                          Certificate

Tinashe Batia                                       Certificate

Kyle Carson                                          Certificate

Theresa Edwards                                  Certificate

Sarah Grinberg                                    Certificate

Cathy Lin                                               Certificate

Nikitha Velpula                                    Certificate

Rachel Whidden                                   Certificate

 

Certificate of Meritorious Service

All students are required to volunteer 60 hours of their time in order to graduate. Currently, the Paint Branch Student Body has accumulated over 58,000 hours of service. The students we are honoring tonight have volunteered 260 hours or more of their time and will be receiving the Certificate of Meritorious Service. These students have volunteered time locally in childcare centers, schools, and hospitals. They have also volunteered time in other states and countries! Service has included everything from helping to improve the environment by picking up trash to traveling to third world countries working to bring solar power to communities!

These sixty students are truly outstanding, and deserve to be recognized for their service!

Monique Anderson
Krystal Au
Shelley Au
Joycee Awojoodu
Mahlet Ayalew
Joseph Bernstein
Arjoo Bhandari
Ryan Budd
Sunmit Chadha
Jina Chung
Jennifer Claus
Kristen Collins
Andre Cross
Austria Davis
MacKenlov Dorival
Quinn Douglas
Keshia Ellison-Olden
Desiree Francis
Dimple Gill
Shelley Greenberg
Daniel Grosberg
Rydhwana Hossain
Farhana Huq
Tania James
Joshua Kahn
Peter Kang
Aabda Khan
Stefanie King
Jilna Kothary
Jamie Lee
Christine Liang
Jean Lo
Erin Margolis
Justin Mein
Virdina Milfort
Susana Nava
Christina Newman
Tambetta Ojong
Vivian Oriaku
Kevin Park
Christine Pettit
Carlita Phillip
Emily Quinn
Jacqueline Russell
Hamzat Sani
Rebecca Serey
Kavita Sethi
Matthew Silva
John Speares
Christina Suh
Rebecca Thompson
Alyssa Thorsen
Anh Tran
Nghia Tran
Jennifer Twigg
Caitlin Vandevander
Taisha Warren
Joshua White
Connie Yeh

Scholarship Award Announcements

Paint Branch Principal's Leadership Award
Aparna Kothary

It's Academic Awards
Hamzat Sani
Jason Tse
Hasina Jamal

Future Educators of America Award
Seema Juneja
Cara Smith

Teachers in Psychology in Secondary Schools (TOPSS) Award
Scott Templin
Isha Gupta
Amir Khan
Alena Noumova
Christopher Hughes

Phil Campbell Award for Community Action & Racial Harmony
Massiel Cruz

Thomas Edison Awards for Excellence

Cosmetology Award
Stephanie Leith
Emergency Medical Services Award
Emily Quinn
Web Technology & Project Excellence
Austria Davis

Business Advisory Council for Excellence In Education Award
Ms. Rebecca Baber

Click here for a list of past winners

Paint Branch High School Hall of Fame Award
Mr. Jack McKeon
Click here for a list of past winners

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Paint Branch Seniors Honored at Top Scholars Banquet
Click here to see pictures from the event

Paint Branch High School celebrated academic excellence by honoring the top 5% of the graduating class of 2003 at the first ever Top Scholars Dinner, which was held at Patuxent Greens Country Club on May 16th, 2003. Students were given plaques to commemorate their achievement and had the opportunity to select and invite to dinner the staff member at Paint Branch who was most influential in their high school career.

In her remarks, Ms. Dixon praised the students on their accomplishment. She also addressed the student's parents stating ". . . I want to say a few words to our parents. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! While Paint Branch has had an impact, your children are successful because of you. You will always be your child's most influential teacher because of the bond you share and the values you model every day. You have given your children the kind of strength that will enable them to do anything they set their mind to do. For all that you have given and will continue to give we salute you."

The students honored and the most influential staff members are listed below:

Student	Most Influential Staff Member
Chalita C. Atallah	Mrs. Ellen Brinsko
Sara M. Berberich	Ms. Kate Ulicny
Christopher M. Chew	Mr. David Zaleski
Jina Chung	Mrs. Julie Dean
Alex W. Hamidi	Ms. Jamie Paoloni
Shelley L. Greenberg	Ms. Kathy Pettigrew
Aparna Kothary	Mr. David Ritzer
Jilna Kothary	Ms. Dina Beatty
Prasad Kutty	Mr. Greg Cornnor
Jamie Lee	Mrs. Sandra Morse
Daniel R. Mendelsohn	Mrs. Nancy Hebdon
Alena D. Naumova	Mrs. Pamela Leffler
Daniel C. Paek	Ms. Terri Fromme
Ifaias Perez	Mr. Michael Hunt
Brian F. Smith	Mr. Andy Cottrell
John B. Speares	Mrs. Diane Speares
Jennifer M. Twigg	Mr. David Ritzer
Caitlin Q. Vandevander	Ms. Kathy Pettigrew

 

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Paint Branch Student wins at the Maryland History Fair

Kholla Ahmad, a Paint Branch freshman and Gilder-Lehrman scholar was awarded 2nd place at the Maryland History Fair in the category of "Senior Individual Exhibits" for her project titled "Japanese - American Internment Camps."

Kholla Ahman will now advance to the National Competition in June at the University of Maryland! Awards at the national competition include a yearly scholarship of $4500.00 to University of Maryland!

Kholla Ahmad is a Gilder-Lehrman scholar in Bonnie Jones' Gilder-Lehrman class, and is an honor student in Bryan Walker's Honors United States History class. According to Ms. Jones, "I am so proud of her! This is quite an achievement for any student, but is truly exceptional in that Kholla is a freshman competing against seniors."

 

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C-Span and Comcast Cable
Visit Paint Branch

On Thursday, May 1, 2003, Paint Branch hosted the C-Span School Bus, a mobile television studio. The visit was part of the Students and Leaders Program sponsored by Comcast Cable and C-Span, a program where 40 schools are visited by 40 various leaders of society over a period of 20 days.

Students were given the opportunity to tour the bus in the morning and learn about broadcast journalism and then participated in a live television broadcast later in the day. Students from the Television Production classes, National State and Local Government (NSL) classes, AP NSL class and Gilder Lehrman program all participated in the broadcast.

Joe Madison from WOL radio was the guest of the broadcast. He is a long time civil rights leader, television commentator, labor and corporate spokesman, columnist and lecturer. "He is an ordinary citizen of the world with an extraordinary commitment to the principles of human decency."

Click here for more information about the Comcast and C-Span Students and Leaders Program

Click here to view the broadcast

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World War II Pictorial Exhibit at Paint Branch High School
April 9 - 11, 2003

A World War II Pictorial Exhibit of Walter and Eda Teague's was on display at Paint Branch High School from April 9 through April 11, 2003 in the Media Center. The photographs were taken on the island of Leyte in the Philippines in 1944.

Walter Teague was assigned as an administrator in the U.S. Army's 44th General Hospital in Burauen in 1944-45. Eda, his wife, was one of 92 nurses in the hospital. The exhibit contains a portion of the 1,500 photographs they took while stationed in the Philippines.

Walter and Eda Teague spoke to the U.S. History students about the history of the photographs as well as their experiences in WWII.

 

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Paint Branch Students win in Montgomery County National History Day Competition

This past weekend, March 22-23, 2003, six Paint Branch students won in the Montgomery County National History Day Competition. The theme for this year's competition is "Rights and Responsibilities."

The students will be competing state wide on April 26, 2003 at Montgomery College in Rockville Maryland.

The following students won in the county wide competition for the National History Day projects:

Category: Paper
Student: Benjamin Granata, Freshman, Gilder Lehrman American History Scholar
Topic: Evan Thomas, a Colesville Quaker Dissenter in the Revolution
Teacher: Bonnie Jones

Category: Documentary
Students: Jonathan Ridguard and Sonali Moses, both Juniors, Modern World History Students
Topic: The Rights of the Prisoners of War
Teacher: Emma Melgarejo
This documentary included a media power point presentation.

Category: Exhibits
Student: Kholla Ahmad, Freshman, Gilder Lehrman American History Scholar
Topic: Japanese Internment
Teacher: Bonnie Jones

Category: Exhibits
Students: Sam Davies and Andres Alvarez, both Juniors, Modern World History Students
Topic: The Rights of the Hungry People
Teacher: Emma Melgarejo
This exhibit included a media power point presentation.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE STUDENTS WHO PARTICIPATED COUNTY WIDE AND TO ALL THEIR TEACHERS.

 

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Teaching Physics First Ignites Debate

Some Educators Say Switching Science Subject Order Could Help Boost Students' Interest, Test Scores

By Jay Mathews
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, January 28, 2003; Page A08

As he assesses the small but growing effort to reverse the traditional order of high school science courses, Jay Labov, deputy director of the National Research Council's Center for Education, recalls a moment he had with his daughter.

He was helping her prepare for a ninth-grade biology final. She is a good student and was well versed in the details of DNA structure. "But . . . it became clear to me that she really didn't understand even fundamental ideas like the properties of and differences between atoms and molecules," Labov said.

David Zaleski, who teaches physics at Paint Branch High School, one of six Montgomery County schools leading the physics-first movement, says, "If you want kids to get excited about science, teach physics first." (Ricky Carioti -- The Washington Post)

She didn't have to know those things, Labov knew, because she would learn them in chemistry and then physics later in high school. For Labov and many other scientists and teachers concerned about low science test scores among U.S. students, that is exactly the problem. They say physics should come first -- because it introduces the basic principles of force and matter -- followed by chemistry and then the most complicated and perhaps economically important modern science, biology.
"If you want kids to get excited about science, teach physics first," said David Zaleski, a physics teacher at Paint Branch High School in Burtonsville, one of six Montgomery County schools leading the movement to turn the science layer cake upside down. "How do planes fly? Physics. How does a cell phone work? Physics."
The traditional order of teaching the sciences dates to at least 1893. Nineteenth-century educators might not have put it this way, experts say, but their decision to start with biology can be blamed on sex. They believed, as many teachers still do, that adolescents could be lured into a science course that would explain their hormonal urges, while chemistry and physics were harder sells.
Physics came last because it was, then and now, considered the hardest of the three. Some top students say it is the only high school course they can't conquer with just a good memory.
Many teachers still prefer the traditional order. A ninth-grade physics course, "if I may put it less politely, is a watered-down physics course," said Bob Goodman, science department chairman at North Shore Hebrew Academy High School in Great Neck, N.Y. "Biology provides an easier medium to use in exciting kids and turning them on to science."
The problem is that ninth-graders usually have completed no more than first-year algebra, and many teachers say that is not enough to grasp the concepts. Putting physics first is well intended but still "immensely foolish," said Jim Jarvis, chairman of the science department at Westfield High School in Fairfax County. "Inevitably, such proposals are put forward by people who themselves have mastered the rigors of physics with a quality math background, then claim the concepts can be learned without the math."
Many veteran teachers disagree vigorously, saying they have produced more and better science students by giving them physics first. Susan H. Schwartz, head of the science department at Paint Branch High until she became a physics specialist for the Maryland State Department of Education, said, "The basic physics that you teach at any level in the first-year course really involves only Algebra I skills."
She found that two days of trigonometry filled the remaining math gaps. When she studied the results, Schwartz found that her ninth-graders' physics test scores were about 10 percent below her honors 11th- and 12th-grade physics students at the beginning of the year, but by year's end, they were 10 percent above those of the supposedly more mathematically prepared upperclassmen.
Judith L. Anderson, a science instructor at Ursuline Academy in Kirkwood, Mo., said that when her school put physics first, "we really had a problem with some of the parents thinking we were crazy." But she found it was an advantage that ninth-graders had not yet picked up the general fear of the subject. "It's just a course they take freshman year," she said.
Leon M. Lederman, the Nobel laureate who leads the physics-first movement with his American Renaissance in Science Education (ARISE) organization, said he realized the importance of teaching physics earlier when national and international tests showed U.S. students doing miserably in the subject. Only a quarter of them had even tried physics. "The existing situation is pedagogically dumb," he said.
Tim Meyer, a program associate with the National Research Council's Board on Physics and Astronomy, said he benefited greatly from taking physics and chemistry before biology at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, a public boarding school in Aurora. "I learned about the building blocks of matter, the forces holding them together," he said.
Some recent high school graduates, however, remain skeptical. Chris Sharp, who graduated from Alexandria's T.C. Williams High in 1998 and majored in chemistry at Princeton University, said he thinks taking physics first "is a terrible idea." He said ninth-graders can handle such courses only if "the fabric of physics is compromised and the course is taught with no emphasis on mathematics, which I see as a terrible path to take."
Tom Pratuch, the science chairman at Annandale High School in Fairfax County, said that even if the math problem were solved, he does not think physics first would get very far because of the shortage of trained faculty. "Nationwide, we already have problems getting sufficient physics-certified teachers," he said.
Lederman said about 200 schools are offering physics first. That is less than 1 percent of U.S. high schools, but the number is growing. Schwartz said she expects Montgomery County to double the number of its schools in the program. The San Diego school system recently adopted it for all of its high schools, with 10,000 ninth-graders taking physics this year.
Other Washington area schools are experimenting with science sequences. Students at George Mason High School in Falls Church can take science courses in any order they like, said International Baccalaureate coordinator Brian Dickson.
To some experts, physics first is a step toward the European system of teaching all three sciences at once and building more complexity each year. "It is the concurrency of studying the sciences and other subjects together that bring rewards in learning flexibility and appreciation of the relationships between subjects that I doubt could ever be gained by the 'let's knock 'em off one at a time' approach," said Jeff Thompson, academic director of the International Baccalaureate Organization and an education professor at the University of Bath in England.
Lederman, 80, said he sees good progress in the United States as well as many obstacles. "I think it will spread, but slowly," he said. "The resistance of our school systems to change is awesome and the shortage of physics teachers a major handicap."

 

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Ms. Dixon and Ms. Lambert's Radio Interview With WCTN (AM 950) 

WCTN Interview Part 1

WCTN Interview Part 2

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Pi Day is this Friday at
Paint Branch High School
3.14

Pi Day will again be celebrated at Paint Branch High School this Friday, March 14, 2003.

Just what is Pi Day? Pi Day is a celebration of Pi, the irrational number that begins with 3.14 and determines the date of the holiday. Every March 14th, students around the country celebrate by playing Math games, engaging in math competitions, and celebrating by breaking pi(e) with each other.

It is an ancient tradition begun by the Greeks and continues today by mathematicians across the world. It is for all who love math, because in the words of our math teachers, "Math is Love!"

Paint Branch teachers have competitive events to add to the fun. Each student will get a card with a digit of pi on one side and a math problem on the other. The answer to the problem will tell the student the position of the digit they have. They should then stand in order. The first class each period to stand in the correct order will be the winner.

After the game, participants will hold hands in a circle and sing pi songs and discuss the underlining principles of the holiday.

Teachers and students will retire to the classroom to eat pi(e). Those pies not eaten will be donated to Martha's Table, a homeless shelter, after school Friday afternoon.

New this year is the Pi Day Pie Throwing Event sponsored by the Key Club. During students' lunches, students and staff may buy tickets to throw cream pies at volunteer staff members. Many staff members have already agreed to be part of the "Pi In Your Eye" gang. All proceeds will go to the Children's Miracle Network, which helps very ill children across the country.

Be sure to celebrate Pi Day in your own way, and if the holiday is new to you, feel free to stop by Paint Branch and visit a Math class to partake in the Pi(e) Day festivities.

Pictures to last year's Pi Day

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Welcome to Paint Branch

Bienvenue a Jerome, Lilianne, Olivier, Maud, Andrew, Tiffanie, Olivier, Thomas, Marine, Diane, William, Camille, Paul, Sarah, Nicolas, Aimee, Emilie and Emily!!!!

Eighteen students and three adult chaperones from France are visiting American families and are attending classes at Paint Branch High School from March 20-29, 2003. The students visiting Paint Branch High School are bilingual in French and English and are taking courses which will eventually lead to the International Baccalaureate. Madame Barbara Whitney, a Paint Branch French Teacher, is coordinating the trip with Twla Verge, an American who teaches in France and coordinated the French part of the trip.

The visiting students have strong ties to the United States and/or Great Britain. They will see the sights, go shopping and have fun with their host families on the weekend and will attend classes and tour Williamsburg and Jamestown during the week. On Friday, March 28, during 5th period, they will be given a "hands-on" lesson in the all-American game of baseball by their Paint Branch hosts.

The students are from Bordeaux, in the south western part of France, also known as Aquitaine, and they are students at College Cheverus, located in downtown Bordeaux. Bordeaux was originally a Roman settlement and then became a busy port in the 18th century. The region is known chiefly for its wonderful wines and picturesque countryside.

The chaperones are Twla Verge, the trip organizer, Nelly Perrier and Thierry Rouillard. Ms. Verge is an American who lives and teaches in France and is married to a Frenchman. The American hosts will not travel to France as a group because of the political situation, but hopefully some students will visit their French counterparts during the summer.

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Student video takes top honors
By CAITLYN KELLEHER
Journal staff writer

     A group of Paint Branch High School students used 1,800 drawings they created to put together an award-winning animated video that was just three minutes long.
    ``Move Over, Moon" received the Golden Eagle Award in the preprofessional animated division from the Council for International Non-theatrical Events in January.
    A series of drawings of different visual images of the moon created the short video.
    ``I always tell the students in my classes that the purpose of animation is to make things happen that couldn't possibly happen in real life," said Leila Cabib, the artist who led the project.
    The creativity the students said they experienced was creating the movement between images and the focus on the details.
    ``I liked trying to morph the image you had created with what the next person in the cartoon has created," said Rebecca Kadushin, 19, of College Park. She is a freshman at the University of Maryland and worked on the project last year as a senior in high school. Making the video was part of a weeklong, in-school workshop with Cabib. Cabib of Potomac is a free-lance illustrator.
    ``I think it's pretty cool that we got an award for that project," said April Stovall, 16, of Burtonsville. April worked on the project after her teacher selected her from an Advanced Placement Studio Art class she took as a freshman. Twenty-one other students participated in the program.
    CINE holds semi-annual competitions to honor the highest quality film and video productions of non-theatrical mediums. The Golden Eagle Award is given to professionals and pre-professionals.
    The video was created for entry in the International Animation Festival, held in August 2002 in Hiroshima, Japan. The theme of the festival was the ``Images of the Moon.''
    ``[The festival] was a nice way to give the students a focus,'' said Brian Eichenlaub, the Signature Coordinator at Paint Branch High School.
    The students were members of the school's art classes. They were divided into three groups, which each worked with Cabib for an hour a day for a week. Cabib said the students worked hard during a brief amount of time.
    ``We wanted to introduce them to animation as an art form," Eichenlaub said.
    The video was premiered for the art classes last May and has been shown at festivals with other student-made animated videos in Portugal and France, and will be shown in Croatia.
    ``It was hard work through the [project] because it took patience, but seeing our things come to life, it was worth it," said Andrew Tsai, 15, . ``I didn't think that something our students worked on would have that much potential."
    The funding for the supplies, the equipment and Cabib were provided by the signature program at the school and a grant from the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County. The Signature program allows students the choice of a school with a large variety and upper level courses in a certain field.
    Winning the Golden Eagle award made the video eligible for the Special Jury Award, which will be announced at an award ceremony Feb. 27, 2003. The ceremony is at the Grosvenor Auditorium of the National Geographic Society in Washington, D.C.

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Animation Video Wins National CINE Golden Eagle Award

"Move Over, Moon," an animated video created by 22 Paint Branch High School Students in Burtonsville, Maryland, has garnered a national CINE Golden Eagle Award. The prestigious award recognizes the excellence of the production, and makes the video eligible for a Special Jury Award, to be announced at the 44th Annual CINE Awards Event on February 27, 2003, in Washington, D.C.

The three-minute video was created during a five-day animation workshop taught by visiting artist Leila Cabib, funded by Paint Branch's Signature Program of Science and Media and by an Arts in Schools Grant from the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County. It has been broadcast on Montgomery County Cable Channel 21, on Montgomery County Public Schools Instructional TV, and was screened at the Hiroshima 2002 International Animation Festival in August 2002.

CINE, (Council for International Non-theatrical Events), a Washington D.C. -based non-profit organization, has recognized the work of outstanding filmmakers, video producers, directors and other craftspeople in the film and video industry since 1957. Both professional and pre-professional productions are judged for such criteria as creativity, visuals, and effective communication to the intended audience.

The student animators who created the video were: Kathrina Aben, Hasnat Ali, Nehemiah Bernal, David Cruz, George Dominguez, Michael Evans, Adam Golfer, Rosa Gomez, Derrick Jones, Rebecca Kadushin, Byron Livingston, Chauncy Manguel, Susanna Oresky, Kristine Park, April Stovall, Nghia Tran, Andrew Tsai, John Warner, Katie Waterworth, Garnell Wood, Dru Wooten and Robert Young.

 

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Wonders of the Watershed
By Amy Kaylor

My Biology class and Ms. Wells, my teacher, took a canoe trip to the Chesapeake Bay watershed on October 11, 2002. We started our journey by learning a little bit about the watershed and its many contributions to our environment. It was here where we found out that our beloved watershed was in danger. If we do not stop it from becoming polluted with run-off and destroyed by erosion, then the many things that come from the water and the things we do with water would not be available anymore.

From here we ventured out in our canoes to explore the open waters. We looked at the local species of birds, including the beautiful blue heron, which glides gracefully over the water. At one point a fish even jumped into one of the canoes! This was very funny to watch but eventually the fish got returned safely to the water. We also took a minute to just stand still and listen to the sounds around us such as the calls of the birds, the water moving, the rain, and the highways. The sounds of the highway was the most concerning since this meant that oil and other such things were running off into the waters.

The class learned a lot of new things about the water and its environment. Some of the most interesting things were how fish camouflage themselves in the water. Their under-sides are light colored since it is light when you look up from under the water. They are dark colored on the top since looking down in the water is dark and murky. We went fishing with nets on our trip, which is where we examined the different kinds of the fish. The most abundant kind of fish was small sunfish called pumpkin seeds, named that because of their pumpkin seed-like distinguishing mark. We also learned that the best kind of filter for these waterways is the marshlands. This is because of all the roots from the marsh plants and mud they grow in. The water must pass through the roots, which are very thick, and in turn filter out everything unwanted. These marshes are also in danger. Various types of plants are taking over the coasts of these marshes and are making them unable to filter the water.

A few fun activities we did on this trip were playing games such as predator-prey. These helped to teach us while keeping us involved. In this game, we had to hide in the marsh grasses. One very important piece of advice – do not wear shorts in these grasses. They will scratch up your legs worse than a puppy. We also ate lunch outside on our canoes. It happened to be raining that day so we ate our lunch in the pouring down rain. Let me tell you, "Lunchables" are not easy to eat in those conditions.

This was a very fun and educational trip. It made us more conscious of what the watershed does for us and what we have to do to help save it. I hope to learn more about the watershed in the future and I hope we can all do our part to keep these precious waters clean.

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Local teen discovers life in the 'Land of Midnight Sun'

by Brooke Stanley
Staff Writer

The Gazette Newspaper
Sep. 11, 2002

Dan Gross/The Gazette Paint Branch High School student Aparna Kothary recently completed a study-abroad program in Finland after receiving a scholarship from Youth for Understanding USA.

Aparna Kothary, a senior at Paint Branch High School, recently returned from an eight-week summer program in Finland where she didn't go to class or build homes for the less fortunate. Her only assignment was to live life like a typical Finnish teenager.

Kothary spent most of her time in Finland living with a host family, which included a 16-year-old girl, a 14-year-old boy and a 12-year-old boy and their parents in their small town of Pirkkala, three hours north of Helsinki.

The program, called the Finland-U.S. Senate Scholarship Program, is run by Youth for Understanding USA, an organization that runs exchange programs for high school students to prepare them for life in the "changing, interdependent world."

Living with the family, Kothary said, gave her the opportunity to understand the culture in a way that she never could as a tourist.

"When you're with a host family, you learn a lot about their everyday life," she said.

Kothary accompanied the family on a trip to the northern part of the country, called Lapland, and experienced the full effect of the "Land of the Midnight Sun," where the skies stay light even during nighttime hours in the summer months. That took some getting used to.

"It was so strange for us because it's kind of hard to sleep when it's not dark outside," Kothary said.

She also visited Santa Park, where people dress up like Santa Claus and elves and create a realistic Arctic Circle, or what Americans would call a North Pole.

Kothary said she ate typical Finnish summer meals, which consisted most often of vegetables, potatoes and berries (Finns usually eat heavy foods such as meat only in the winter) and bread, which was served with every meal.

One of the most striking things about the Finnish culture, Kothary said, was the reserved nature of the people. Most of the time they do not make eye contact if walking by and do not start up a conversation with a stranger, she said.

"They didn't really understand why we were so outgoing," she said.

"It was really interesting to see such an opposing view on such a simple thing as making conversation."

The people also lived life at a slower pace and seemed to value happiness and time with loved ones more than achieving success, she said.

"Here, when I come back, it's so hectic and I always have something to do," Kothary said, adding that she thinks something is wrong if she just sits idle for a while.

But in Finland, she said she would spend hours just talking to people or reading.

"It was such a small town that I really had to think of ways to entertain myself," she said.

Kothary said what awaited her in Finland was a mystery until she went through the orientation process.

"I didn't know anything about it until before I was leaving."

Kothary went to Japan last summer for a Youth for Understanding program and said this time she wanted to go for something new.

"We don't really learn anything about Finland in school," she said.

Katie Riley, scholarship coordinator for Youth For Understanding USA, said the program is aimed at promoting the culture, people and lifestyle in Finland.

"It's sort of a forgotten place," Riley said.

The organization, founded in 1951 to promote a better understanding after World War II between American and German youths, is now headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has partner countries around the world.

The program is designed for students who will be seniors in high school in hopes that they will go back to their school and share their experiences with other students their senior year, Riley said.

Kothary was one of only 14 high school students chosen. The participants, from all over the country, convened in Washington, D.C. for a few days before departing. They attended a language and cultural orientation, a briefing at the Finnish Embassy on U.S.-Finland relations and a reception hosted by the Finnish Ambassador to the U.S.

Getting to know the other students in the program was a highlight of the trip, Kothary said. Although all of the students had earned the same scholarship, they had tremendous differences in their college choices, planned career paths, school systems and even in their accents.

Kothary and the other participants also did some sightseeing and met with dignitaries in Finland.

Shaileshi Kothary, Aparna's mother, said she recognized differences in her daughter when she returned.

"She's more mature, I think, more positive," she said.

"I think she has a broader outlook on personalities and life."

Shaileshi said, however, that she and her husband did think about the dangers of traveling overseas in these turbulent times.

"Initially, we were nervous," she said.

Shaileshi said, however, that Finland is in a more neutral part of the world, which eased her worries.

Kothary said the program, as a whole, helped her gain a better understanding of the world around her.

"Even though there are differences, there are still many similarities," she said.

Riley said this is precisely what the program tries to teach kids.

"What we hope they come away with is that people all over the world are just like them," she said.

"We hope to tear down some walls with our programs."

Riley also said that the more understanding there is between citizens in two countries, the more likely it is to be peaceful between them.

"In this time, especially, it's so important for our youth to get to know each other and understand each other," Riley said.

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Grant to fund history program at Paint Branch High School
By KARL HILLE
Journal staff writer

    

   How well does Hollywood portray American history?
    The 450-plus freshmen coming to Paint Branch High School this fall will get a chance to debate that question if they enroll in the school's new program, American History Scholars.
    Made possible with a four-year, $15,000 grant from the New York-based Gilder Lehrman Institute, the program allows students to take an additional American history course each year with a unique focus, such as the Hollywood course being offered next year.
    ``This is an exciting thing for our students," said Principal Jeanette Dixon. ``It will be another one of our career pathways."
    Paint Branch already offers science and media programs and is part of the county's Northeast Consortium. The consortium is a group of three high school clusters that offer incoming freshmen a choice of high schools within the consortium - and each high school has different programs geared toward career paths.
    Brian Eichenlaub coordinates the programs, known as signatures, at Paint Branch. He said he's always on the lookout for new programs - and next year, the school will try to develop a finance program as well.
    ``Any chance you have to improve the academics of the school, you should pursue," he said.
    He learned about the Gilder Lehrman Institute at a University of Maryland, College Park, seminar in December, and Paint Branch is the first school in the state to receive such a grant.
    The institute was established by two New York City millionaires, who felt American public school students should have more opportunities to learn about their national history.
    Paint Branch will use the grant to help buy new instructional technology and provide field trips to some of the many historically significant sites in the Washington region.
    The school also will work with University of Maryland to help develop new classes and curriculum to round out the program. Eventually, Eichenlaub hopes the grant money will help wire a history classroom to receive lectures from Maryland to enhance courses at Paint Branch.
    Dixon said opening a new signature program always means more work from her, but it's worth it. Her background as a history and government teacher makes this program especially important to her.
    ``I will do anything for the instructional program," she said. ``Because I think it's the first and foremost."

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