• Summer Beautification
• HONOR ROLL - 4^th Grading Period – June 2004
• 2004 Academic Awards Ceremony
• Media Technology and Restaurant Management Programs Win Career and Technology Awards
• Paint Branch Choral Groups Take 1st and 2nd Place in Music Festival
• Senior Jeremy Arias Wins Prestigious Scholarship
• Paint Branch Students to Participate in Brown vs. Board of Education Film Screening and Forum at Smithsonian
• Class of 2004 Top Scholars to be Honored At Banquet at Indian Spring County Club May 20, 2004
• Summer Programs at Paint Branch
• After-Prom Information - Things all students and parents should know about AFTER - PROM!
• Charted Buses Scheduled for Graduation Ceremony
• HONOR ROLL - 3^rd Grading Period – April 2004
• Paint Branch High School's 5KRun/Walk
• Relay For Life - Silver Spring
• Panther Pride - March Honors
• Changes in High School Transcripts and Weighted Grade Point Averages
• Panther Pride - February Honors
• HONOR ROLL - 2^nd Grading Period – February 2004
• Panther Pride - December Honors
• Ms. Dixon and Ms. Lambert Visit Columbia Horse Center
• Cold Season Advice
• Principal's Letter Concerning Weather Related School Closings
• "Move Over, Moon"Part of the Museum of Television and Radio's International Children's Television Festival
• 56 Students Earn AP SCHOLAR AWARDS
• COMMENDED STUDENTS IN THE 2004 NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
• Seniors Recognized as Maryland Distinguished Scholars for Academic Excellence
• Small Screen, Big Ideas, New York Times Article
• Panther Pride - November Honors
• HONOR ROLL - 1^st Grading Period – November 2003
• 45 Student Inducted into the Math Honor Society
• More AP Honors
• National Honor Society Fall Inductees
• Panther Pride - October Honors
• Molecular Expressions^TM -- Science, Optics & You -- Powers of Ten
• Panther Pride - September Honors
• Spirit Lands On Mars and Sends Postcards
• More Mars News
• The Red Planet Gets Closer to Earth Than Ever -- a Mere 34,646,418 Miles Away -- August 28, 2003

Summer Beautification

Paint Branch grounds have been spruced up this summer! A special thanks to David Lee and DEL Grounds, Landscaping and Lawn Maintenance for making us more beautiful.

Paint Branch High School
HONOR ROLL
4th Grading Period – June 2004

* Indicates student earned all grades of “A”

2004 ACADEMIC AWARDS CEREMONY

May 19, 2004
7:00 pm

SCHOLARSHIPS

AFS Award for Excellence Merit Scholarship
Ja Huh

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Scholarship Award
In 2003, this award was given for the first time at awards night. 

The Paint Branch senior who is to receive the $1,500.00 scholarship is:
Kelvin Powell, Jr.

John J. Barcklow Foundation - Washington Capital Region Essay Competition for Medical Careers
Marian Elbert
Florence Nwanety

Bobby Deane Memorial Scholarship Award
Bobby Deane (Against all Odds) Memorial Scholarship is in memory of a former Paint Branch High School student, Bobby Deane, who was killed on June 25, 1991 at the age of 19 while serving in the US Marine Corps. The scholarship recipient is the students interest, attitude, and spirit in overcoming obstacles or as the award says ‘Against all Odds’ and moving forward to continue personal and academic growth. Mrs. Badger, Bobby’s mother, sends her congratulations to the award recipient.  

The certificate and $500.00 award is given to:
Norma Torres

Margaret “Peggie” Dodson Memorial Scholarship Award
Yomaira Zamora

Karen Sue Junghans Foundation Scholarship Award
Shanila Raghubir

Montgomery College Board of Trustees Academic Potential Scholarship
Elinor Hoang Le

Nancy Peckerar Outstanding Internship Award
Leonard Goff

Sandy Spring Friends Lee Stern Peacemaker Award
The Lee Stern Peacemaker Award is presented to a Paint Branch student by the Sandy Spring Friends Meeting Peace Committee in recognition of contributions made towards building peaceful schools, communities, and a peaceful world. In addition to the certificate there is a small scholarship.

This year's recipient is:
Hasina Jamal

Washington Post Scholarship Award

The Washington Post’s Young Journalists Development Program awards two students a four year, $10,000.00 scholarship on the basis of a story produced in the annual High School Writing Seminar and Scholarship Program, and interest in pursuing a journalism career. Professional journalists judged the stories and selected the two scholarship winners.

This year's winner of the $10,000.00 college scholarship is:
Jeremy Arias

George Washington University Engineering Scholarship Award
Ali Syed

United States Naval Academy Scholarship Award
Daniel Perret

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

All-Met Scholar Finalist
Gelela Daba
Stephen Morrison

Bausch and Lomb Honorary Science Award
Anthony Awojoodu

Marion Greenblatt Award for Excellence in Social Studies
Erin Mills

Maryland Reserve Officers Association League Certificate & Award
Cadet Lieutenant Junior Grade Justin Sayre

Department of Maryland Reserve Officers Association Medal & Certificate
Cadet Lieutenant Commander Mark Taylor

Military Order of the World Wars Medal and Certificate
Cadet Lieutenant Junior Grade Jonathan Petska

Sons of the American Revolution Outstanding Citizenship Award
Jorge Gonzalez

Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. African American Book Award
Anthony Awojoodu
 

Burtonsville Lions Foundation, Inc. Roy R. Hunt Memorial Scholarship
Presented to a graduating senior from Paint Branch High school who will be continuing their education
This scholarship is based primarily on community service involvement and academic scholarship.

This year's recipient is:
Neal Desai

Comcast Student Achievement Scholarship Award

The Comcast Students Achievement Scholarship Award is a $1,000.00 scholarship for a graduating senior who will be attending college in fall and demonstrates the most academic improvement and personal growth over his/her high school career.

This year's scholarship is awarded to:
Latosha Jackson

Dartmouth Club of Washington Book Award
Each year the Dartmouth Club of Washington, D.C. sponsors a program of book awards to outstanding students in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. This award is for a student in the junior class who ranks in the top ten percent of the class and  demonstrates both intellectual leadership and make a positive contribution to the extracurricular life of his or her school.

The award winner is:
Jennifer Wright

Washington Wellesley College Book Award
Yearly, the Washington Wellesley Club invites Paint Branch High School to participate in its Book Award Program. The award is for a young lady in the junior class whose academic record and character are exceptional and who has also made significant personal contributions to her school or community.

This year's recipient is:
Nicole Slatkin

Worchester Polytechnical Institute Book Award for Leadership and Innovation in Math and Science
Annually Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts invites Paint Branch High School to participate in the WPI Book Award program. The award is for a student in the junior class who excels in science or math, places in the top 10% of the class, and has taken initiative outside of the classroom by participating in activities such as science projects or math competitions.

This year's winner is:
Kristen Markham

PRESIDENTIAL ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AWARD
Student’s receiving this award have earned at least a 3.5 GPA and scored at least a 1300 or better on the SAT.

Ayesha Adil Usman Ahmed Austin Bogus Catherine Chao Anne Chlebowski Peter Cowgill Jeremy Esperon Michael Glaser Leonard Goff Cheri Grigg Sarah Grinberg Isha Gupta Anh Hoang Deonna Hodges Andrew Huang Hasina Jamal

Eun Sun Lee Christopher Lesesne Mandy Lethbridge Cathy Lin Jillian McCoy Zhigang Pan Daniel Perret Kelvin Powelljr Jeanne Sun Maxine Tang Patricia Taylor Brian Tran Vandana Vangimalla Sidney Wun Wei Xiao Albert Yeh

PRESIDENTIAL ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Student’s receiving this award have shown outstanding academic achievement during their high school career.
 

Patience Chea Susan Cherian Elise Conway Massiel Cruz Crystal Davis Bryson Devan Swati Divakarla Eva Escobar Robert Estrada Nathaniel Foster Nicholas Gann Jadesola George Justin Germany Christian Gordon Kishon Hackett Posey Hawkins, Jr. Jeannine Jackson Marjorie Jean

Sabina Khandagle Peter Khrizman Eugene Kim Eitel Kingue Katherine Laudwein Steven Laycock Derrick Miller Elaine Nesbitt Dennis Nguyen Christopher O John Quarless Kyra Richardson Robert Spence Norma Torres Kaosy Umeh Erica Vample Manisha Vasudeva Yomaira Zamora

MARYLAND GOVERNOR’S  MERIT SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS
This award goes to students who rank in the top 5% in the state of Maryland.

Austin Bogus Catherine Chao Anne Chlebowski Neal Desai Theresa Edwards Leonard Goff Cheri Grigg Isha Gupta Jason Harper Anh Hoang Sarah Kannanaikkel

Elizabeth Koenig Eun Sun Lee Christopher Lesesne Mandy Lethbridge Cathy Lin Brooke Meade Zhigang Pan Maxine Tang Patricia Taylor Brian Tran Rajiv Yaunan

PTSA ALL AROUND ACHIEVER AWARDS (AAA AWARD)
The AAA Award is for those students that have shown outstanding involvement in our community and our school. To be eligible, the candidate must be a junior or a senior, and have a minimum GPA of 2.5. Students may only win once during their time at Paint Branch High School. Winners receive a certificate and a monetary award.

Allison Carey Inwoo Chung Hasina Jamal Kristen Markham Kelly Pernia

Daniel Perret Justin Sayre Ryan Scully Ali Syed Jessica Thompson

Click here for a list of past winners of the PTSA AAA Awards

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE CUMULATIVE 4.0 GPA
This award goes to students who have earned all A’s on their report cards for their entire high school career. Additionally, a $100.00 check from the principal will be presented to each senior who receives this award.
 

UNDERCLASS STUDENT RECIPIENTS

Renesha Alphonso Sukhdeep Aneja Anthony Awojoodu Rachel Blair Andrew Brimmer Joshua Craddock Emily Dematatis Erin Harper Anting Hsiung Justin Jacob Andrea Rose Jimenez Amy Kaylor Grace Koo Prasad Krishnakurup Stephanie Lidd

Monica MacKova Philipp Mager Jennifer Mai Emerson Maniwang Kristen Markham Stacey Markham Peter McGrath Hector Neira Palak Patel Kelly Pernia Saumil Sheth Sandeep Soman Ali Syed Rebecca Yu Angeli Yutuc

SENIOR RECIPIENTS

Anne Chlebowski
Theresa Edwards
Isha Gupta
Brooke Meade

DEPARTMENT AWARDS FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
Student’s receiving these awards have shown outstanding achievement in a particular subject area.

ART

Certificate	Plaque
Megan Hancock, Ceramics Carelys Tovar, Ceramics Kellie Hancock, Photography Rebecca Tuttle, Photography Kathrina Aben AP- Studio Art Amy Dodd AP- Studio Art Dennis Johnson Studio Art Sandy Mac AP- Studio Art Katherine Waterworth AP- Studio Art	Caryn Albert, Ceramics Elise Conway, Ceramics Hasina Jamal, Commercial Art Ashley Fauntleroy, Photography Lauren Kasmir, AP-Photography Mandy Lethbridge, Photography Dennis Nguyen, AP- Studio Art April Stovall, AP- Studio Art

 

BUSINESS EDUCATION & COMPUTER SCIENCE

Certificate	Plaque
Danielle Cheung, Business Education Daniel Jolles, Business Education Jae Kim, Business Education Ingrid Leon, Business Education Linh Nguyen, Business Education Rineet Rajan, Business Education Anh Vu, Business Education Daniel Bennett, Computer Science Derek Dahmer, Computer Science Gregory Schneider, Computer Science Akshay Shah, Computer Science	Matthew Lidd, Business Education Dipen Mistry, Business Education Leonard Goff, Computer Science Jason Harper, Computer Science Dipen Mistry, Computer Science Stephen Morrison, Computer Science Prateek Sharma, Computer Science

CAREER AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION
 

Certificate

Plaque

Sara Davis, Family & Consumer Science Dominique Fontaine, Family & Consumer Science Sean Kelley, Family & Consumer Science Michael Butler, Technology Innovations Timothy Jee, Technology Innovations Ernest Kimbi, Technology Innovations Dustin Richardson, Technology Innovations

Marie-Carine Abega, Cooperative Work Experience (CWE) Christopher Alt, Cooperative Work Experience (CWE) Patience Chea, Cooperative Work Experience (CWE) Lee Demma, Cooperative Work Experience (CWE) Jennifer Poole, Cooperative Work Experience (CWE) Steven Radnor, Cooperative Work Experience (CWE) Manisha Vasudeva, Cooperative Work Experience (CWE) Linda Abbey, Family & Consumer Science Andrew Cox, Family & Consumer Science Austin Ginsberg, Family & Consumer Science Kishon Hackett, Family & Consumer Science Katherine Kessinger, Family & Consumer Science Katherine Laudwein, Family & Consumer Science Marvina Naulls, Family & Consumer Science Jennifer Talbot, Family & Consumer Science Kelvin Powell Jr., Technology Innovations

 

ENGLISH

Certificate	Plaque
Kathrina Aben, English Joshua Craddock, English Angela Harders, English Laura Hoffmaster, English William Marchica, English Erin Mills, English Sandeep Soman, English Rebecca Tuttle, English Katherine Waterworth, English	Esther Adetunji, English Oluwatoni Aluko, English Anne Chlebowski, English Cheri Grigg, English Sarah Grinberg, English Hasina Jamal, English Nisa Natrakul, English Patricia Taylor, English

 

FOREIGN LANGUAGE

Certificate	Plaque
Amber Hill, Foreign Language Kristen Markham, Foreign Language Erin Mills, Foreign Language Florence Nwanety, Foreign Language Allison Smith, Foreign Language Jennifer Wright, Foreign Language Jonathan Zepp, Foreign Language	Jeremy Esperon, Foreign Language Syrena Johnson, Foreign Language Mandy Lethbridge, Foreign Language Ryan Scully, Foreign Language Kaosy Umeh, Foreign Language

HEALTH & PHYSICAL EDUCATION
 

Certificate	Plaque
Brittney Davis, Health & Physical Education Michael Definis, Health & Physical Education Kamar Duval, Health & Physical Education Frederick Lymas, Health & Physical Education Eric Schell, Health & Physical Education Anthony Shanks Jr., Health & Physical Education Katherine Waterworth, Health & Physical Education	Olayinka Adegbesokun, Health & Physical Education Sonia Bajwa, Health & Physical Education Alphonso Bell, Health & Physical Education Shane Crowl, Health & Physical Education Justin Germany, Health & Physical Education Shanila Raghubir, Health & Physical Education Oluwatoyos Shittabey, Health & Physical Education Anthony Tran, Health & Physical Education

INTERNSHIPS

Plaque
Myron Aldridge, Internships
Elizabeth Koenig, Internships
Nisa Natrakul, Internships
Zhigang Pan, Internships
Velma Paris, Internships
Jacqueline Shelton, Internships
Ruby Singh, Internships

MATH

Certificate	Plaque
Kathryn Anderson, Mathematics Anthony Awojoodu, Mathematics Megan Hancock, Mathematics Grace Koo, Mathematics Andrew Paek, Mathematics Rajib Quabili, Mathematics Sandeep Soman, Mathematics Ali Syed, Mathematics Alan Uy, Mathematics	Austin Bogus, Mathematics Theresa Edwards, Mathematics Leonard Goff, Mathematics Isha Gupta, Mathematics Jason Harper, Mathematics Janghyun Kim, Mathematics Zhigang Pan, Mathematics Maxine Tang, Mathematics

MEDICAL CAREERS

Plaque
Shane Crowl, Medical Careers
Vandana Vangimalla, Medical Careers

MUSIC

Certificate	Plaque
Andrew Brimmer, Music Grace Cho, Music Rosmy Darisme, Music Xiaolu He, Music Robert Hoffmaster, Music Erica Jean-Baptiste, Music Cynthia Jean-Philippe, Music Peter McGrath, Music	Kyle Carson, Music Christina Coleman, Music Nicholas Gann, Music Marie Klem, Music Elizabeth Koenig, Music Steven Laycock, Music Zhigang Pan, Music Jean-Jacques Point-Du-Jour, Music

NJROTC

Certificate	Plaque
Corey Briscoe, NJROTC Michelle Carey, NJROTC Katie Kaiser, NJROTC Christopher McGrath, NJROTC Daniel Michnewich, NJROTC Bonny Neibauer, NJROTC Jonathan Petska, NJROTC Paul Sotak, NJROTC	Jorge Gonzalez, NJROTC Christopher O, NJROTC Mark Taylor, NJROTC

SCIENCE

Certificate	Plaque
Jennifer Axe, Science Ruben Lachica, Science William Marchica, Science Erin Mills, Science Diana Ngo, Science Kelly Pernia, Science Juliana Ssemanda, Science Alan Uy, Science	Catherine Chao, Science Swati Divakarla, Science Leonard Goff, Science Cheri Grigg, Science Isha Gupta, Science Jason Harper, Science Brooke Meade, Science Rajiv Yaunan, Science

SOCIAL STUDIES

Certificate	Plaque
Kathrina Aben, Social Studies Inwoo Chung, Social Studies Joshua Craddock, Social Studies Ruben Lachica, Social Studies Kelly Pernia, Social Studies Kelvin Ramos, Social Studies Sandeep Soman, Social Studies Lauren Straub, Social Studies	Austin Bogus, Social Studies Kyle Carson, Social Studies Jeremy Esperon, Social Studies Nhu Huynh, Social Studies Elizabeth Koenig, Social Studies Kelly Nesseler, Social Studies Hafsa Siddiqi, Social Studies Patricia Taylor, Social Studies

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-nine students are truly outstanding, and deserve to be recognized for their service!

 

SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY AWARDS

Career & Technology Education Awards for Excellence in:

Medical Careers

• Shane Crowl

Child Development

• Katherine Laudwein

Excellence in Business Management and Finance

• Dipen Mistry

Excellence in Cooperative Work Experience (CWE)

• Jennifer Poole

Masonry Technology

• Demarquis Parks

Design, Illustrating, & Drafting Technology

• Robert Spence

Phil Campbell Award for Community Action & Racial Harmony

• Oluwatoni Aluko

Prudential Spirit of Community Action and Racial Harmony

• Hasina Jamal

Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools (TOPSS) Award

• Nicholas Gann
• Nisa Natrakul
• Lauren Straub

Citizenship Award

• Allison Desmond

Paint Branch High School Yearbook Awards

• Outstanding Talent in Design – Nhu Huynh
• Outstanding Leadership – Esther Adetunji

Principal’s Service Leadership Award

• Oluwatoni Aluko

Business and Community Advisory Council for Excellence in Education Award
The Business and Community Advisory Council would like to recognize excellence in the field of education at Paint Branch High School. To be eligible, outstanding staff members must meet the following three criteria:

• The teacher fosters cooperative relationships with parents and with the community
• The teacher demonstrates a thorough knowledge of subject matter and the ability to share it effectively with students
• The teacher goes above and beyond expectations and provides inspiration and guidance to his/her students

This year's BCAC award winner and recipient of a $200.00 prize is:

• Catherine Ulicny
  Click here for a list of past winners

Paint Branch High School Hall of Fame

• Betsy Brown
  Click here for a list of past winners

Media Technology and Restaurant Management Programs Win
Career and Technology Awards

Paint Branch High School Media Technician program and Restaurant Management program, received Career and Technology Education Awards for best exemplary programs in Montgomery County.

The two awards are presented to Career and Technology Education (CTE) programs that exemplify excellence in career and technology education. The Media Technician program received the 2004 CTE Program Award of Excellence in the Arts, Humanities, Media, and Communication Career Cluster and the Restaurant Management program received the 2004 CTE Program Award of Excellence in the Human and Consumer Services, Hospitality, and Tourism Career Cluster.

The Media Technician program is taught by Robert Mostow, a twenty-five year Paint Branch teacher and founder of the Television Production program since its inception in 1989. Mr. Mostow teaches Television Production and Advanced Television Production as part of the Media Signature.

The Television Production program produces a daily newscast for the school community as well as producing a weekly news program composed of student produced news stories about events in Paint Branch and the Burtonsville area. Last year, Paint Branch was the only school given a one on one interview with Police Chief Charles Moose in the midst of the sniper crises. Other notable news events include pieces produced with Comcast for the HBO special Band of Brothers and the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) news piece on an post 9/11 American Thanksgiving.

Former students of the Television Production Program have gone on to television production and film classes at the University of Southern California, Penn State University, New York University, Ithaca College and Howard University. Alumni of the program are well represented in the broadcast industry locally and nationally including, WJLA (Channel 7), WRC (Channel 4), Comcast, and Discovery Communications.

The Restaurant Management program is headed by Bobbie Russell, a Paint Branch teacher for six years, the last two as head of the Restaurant Management Program. The Restaurant Management award is particularly impressive due to the fact that Ms. Russell just took over the program last year. Ms. Russell has plenty of restaurant experience since she owned her own catering company before going into teaching.

The Restaurant Management Program is an intensive program for students who are serious about cooking, and operating a successful food services operation. The program has articulation agreements with Johnson and Wales Culinary School, Montgomery College, and others, where students who pass a test after completing the program will receive college credit in those colleges. The program currently has fifty-five students enrolled and graduates have gone on to schools as the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), Johnson and Wales, and Drexel University in Philadelphia, where a recent graduate won a four year scholarship in culinary arts.

The student run restaurant is open two days a week and also does private catering jobs. Most recently, they catered the Best Buddies Gala on April 24, 2004 for over 300 people and have catered various county events such as the Reach Lunch for area principals.

Paint Branch Choral Groups
Take 1st and 2nd Place in Music Festival
 

Paint Branch High School Jazz Singers earned a first place gold award in the Show Choir Division and the Chamber Singers earned a second place silver award in the Chamber Choir Division at the Heritage Music Festival in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

The Paint Branch singing groups also took home the “Sweepstakes Trophy” which is awarded to the school with the highest combined scores. The Jazz Singers capped off the competition by wowing the audience and was awarded the top honor of the night – the “Most Outstanding Vocal Performing Group Trophy.” According to Chris Mitchell, the Choral teacher at Paint Branch, the group “performed extremely well and when we were presented the Most Outstanding Vocal Group Award, I couldn’t have been prouder of our students and all the hard work they put in this year. This is a tremendous group of kids!”

Mrs. Mitchell has taught at Paint Branch since 1988 and is a graduate of the first graduating class thirty-five years ago. During her tenure while teaching at Paint Branch, the Jazz Singers have been invited and performed at the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, the International Music Festival in Toronto, Canada, Cypress Gardens, Universal Studios and Walt Disney World in Florida. Competitions that the Jazz Singers have participated in include various county festivals and invitations and they have participated in the Mid Atlantic Show Choir Competitions three times over the years. The Jazz Singers performs locally for community businesses and organizations, recently hosting a Coffee House at Paint Branch one spring evening. The group has had financial sponsorship from Long and Foster Reality of Burtonsville Maryland.

Former students of this outstanding program are employed in various musically related fields such as recording artists, Broadway singers and dancers, professional bands, singers in the Army chorus, and one graduate is in management at MTV. Several former students are also majoring in music at the University of Maryland, Salisbury State University and the Curtis Institute of Music.

Paint Branch Senior Wins Prestigious Scholarship

Jeremy Arias, a Paint Branch High School Senior, has been awarded a $10,000.00 four-year college scholarship ($2,500.00 annually) from The Washington Post’s Young Journalists Development Program. He earned one of the two scholarships awarded by the Washington Post.

Mr. Arias was selected for this award on the basis of his story he produced in the fifth annual High School Writing Seminar and Scholarship Program, his interest in pursuing a journalism career and his attendance and participation in all four seminars.
The four-Saturday seminars that Mr. Arias attended were designed to help high school students who are interested in journalism careers build their writing skills. Washington Post reporters and editors served as instructors and each participant produced a newspaper or magazine story by the end of the seminar. Professional journalists judged the stories and selected the two scholarship winners.

Mr. Arias is a staff writer for the Mainstream, the Paint Branch school newspaper. He has been part of the journalism program for the past year and will be attending the University of Maryland at College Park in the fall.

Mr. Arias also received the Peace and Justice Award this past week from Maryland United and will be presenting his winning essay at their annual conference on May 1, 2004. He will receive the Peace and Justice Award along with a check for $150.00

Paint Branch Students to Participate in Brown vs. Board of Education
Film Screening and Forum at Smithsonian

On Thursday, May 13, 2004, approximately 100 Paint Branch students will be attending the screening of the teen documentary, I Sit Where I Want: The Legacy of Brown v. Board of Education, an hour-long documentary that examines the state of race relations and social integration in 2004. The screening is hosted by The N, the nighttime network for teens, and is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education. The film is produced and directed by Peabody Award winning filmmakers Whitney Dow and Marco Williams (Two Towns of Jasper) and executive produced by Tony Lewis Lee.

The Smithsonian National Museum of American History and The N will present a premiere screening of I Sit Where I Want: The Legacy of Brown v. Board of Education followed by a discussion with the filmmakers and a special preview of the Smithsonian exhibition “Separate Is Not Equal: Brown v. Board of Education.”  The screening will be in the Carmichael Auditorium, Smithsonian National Museum of American History, Fourteenth Street & Constitution Avenue, NW at 10:00 am.

I Sit Where I Want: The Legacy of Brown v. Board of Education will premiere on Monday, May 17 at 9:00 p.m. (ET) only on The N. The N is available locally on Comcast Digital Cable on channel 131.

I Sit Where I Want: The Legacy of Brown v. Board of Education was shot on location at the Buffalo Academy for Visual & Performing Arts, a magnate high school in Buffalo, NY. The film follows a group of students as they develop and participate in a frank and often uncomfortable experiment designed to question the current state of race relations in their school and community -- and by association, the US as a whole. The results are thought-provoking, to say the least.

The N, the nighttime network for teens, is a programming arm of MTV Networks and is currently available in 40 million households via cable, digital cable and satellite television. The N’s mission is to be the authentic voice for teens and teens and help them figure out their lives with relevant, topical programming both on-air and online at the network’s web site www.the-n.com. The N airs everyday from 6:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. (ET).

Class of 2004 Top Scholars to be Honored
At Banquet at Indian Spring County Club
May 20, 2004

Click here to see pictures from event

Paint Branch High School will be celebrating academic excellence by honoring twenty-two seniors representing the top 5% of the graduating class of 2004 at the Top Scholars Dinner, to be held at Indian Springs Country Club on May 20, 2004. The honored students will given plaques to commemorate their achievement.  Students also selected and invited to dinner the staff member at Paint Branch who was most influential in their high school career.   The students and teachers are:

Paint Branch High School is pleased to offer its
Summer Programs
Through the Paint Branch High School Signature Program

Paint Branch is offering three different programs this summer. They are:

Summer Institute Science and Media Classes - for students currently in Grades 8 – 10 who will be attending Paint Branch High School in the Fall of 2004, as well as any Northeast Consortium student in the 7th grade about to enter the Preferred Choice process. The Summer Institute is an excellent opportunity for students to explore Paint Branch’s signature programs of Science and Media.

Summer Institute Enrichment Courses - for current Paint Branch students currently in grades 9 – 11 looking to explore various academic areas of interest or reinforce skills they want to strengthen for the future.

Accelerated For - Credit Courses - for current Paint Branch students in grades 9 - 12 who would like to earn credit or who need to complete these courses for graduation.

Click on the various links below for a brochure (pdf) to find more information about the courses, application process, and costs, as well as the application form (in a pdf).

• Summer Institute and Summer Courses Brochure (pdf)
• Summer Institute Registration Form
• For Credit Course Registration Form (Including Health)
• Pictures from past Summer Institutes
• MCPS Summer School Information

2004-2005 Summer Reading Program for
Paint Branch High School

Grade 9 | Grade 10 | Grade 11 | Grade 12 | Advanced Placement Language and Composition | All Lists

All reading lists in Adobe Acrobat (pdf)
Get Adobe Acrobat Reader

Many studies have shown that reading promotes students' mental growth, capacity to process information, and ability to understand themselves and the world around them. Good readers become good thinkers and good writers. Success in school and in the workplace depends heavily on the ability to read. In high school classes, students are required to read complex passages and decipher their meanings as part of instruction and assessments. The High School Assessments and county-wide finals require students to understand complex questions and highlight the important information contained within a question. Students who take the SAT and Advanced Placement examinations will encounter tests similarly designed to evaluate their critical reading ability, understanding of a variety of vocabulary, and writing skills. In the workplace, employees are expected to understand their tasks based on written information. Therefore, it is important to expect all students to read during the summer. Research strongly suggests that reading, like most skills, improves with practice. Summer reading serves as one measure for determining proficiency of the following MCPS indicator and objective:

Indicator: Refine and extend comprehension skills through exposure to a variety of texts, including traditional print and electronic devices.
Objective: Read a minimum of 25 self-selected and/or assigned books or book equivalents representing various genre per year.

In order to prepare our students for these challenges both in high school and beyond, a committee of staff members has selected books and created cross-curricular assignments to provide a variety of summer reading opportunities for each student.

Students will be evaluated on the thoughtfulness of the questions, terms, and/or responses, exhibited understanding of the book, use of specific examples from the book to support the student’s ideas, clarity of expression, correct format, completeness, and neatness. An example of the grading rubric is on the following page.

All students are expected to complete the summer reading assignment for their grade level in the time allotted. Students transferring into Paint Branch High School may complete the assignments for their grade levels on the required reading from their previous schools and submit the assignments to the appropriate teacher on the second day of school.

In addition to reading assignments, students taking Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Geometry, Pre-Calculus, and AP Calculus are required to complete math review packets due on the first day of school to math teachers. These packets will be distributed in math classes at the end of the previous year.

Copies of all reading assignments are available at the links below (pdf) and will also be available in the guidance office and in the main office. Any questions concerning summer reading assignments or lists should be brought to the student’s counselor.

Grade 9 | Grade 10 | Grade 11 | Grade 12 | Advanced Placement Language and Composition | All Lists

All reading lists in Adobe Acrobat (pdf)
Get Adobe Acrobat Reader

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Science Education (OSE) is pleased to announced a new venue for its long successful public science education program, Science in the Cinema. In partnership with the American Film Institute (AFI) Silver Theatre and Cultural Center, OSE is sponsoring Science in the Cinema from May through July at the historic Silver Theatre located in downtown Silver Spring. Science in the Cinema is open to the general public and is intended for a broad range of individuals who enjoy the cinema and have an interest in science and medicine. The NIH and AFI Silver film series will touch on a variety of medical science topics, including depression, cancer, history of medicine, and medical research ethics. Science in the Cinema is a FREE film festival. Every second Tuesday during May, June and July, a film with a medical science-related theme will be shown in its entirety beginning at 7:00 p.m. Following each film, a guest speaker with expertise in the film's subject area will comment on the science depicted in the film and take questions from the audience. Tickets are free and are available on a first-come, first-served basis through the AFI Silver box office, day of show only. Seating is limited to the first 400 individuals. All films will be shown with captions. American sign language interpreters will be available for the post-film discussions. If you require other reasonable accommodations to participate in this activity, please contact OSE at least 5 days prior to the event at (E-mail) moorec@mail.nih.gov, (Voice) 301-402-2470, or (TTY) 301-496-9706. For information about the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center, visit AFI Silver’s Web site at http://afi.com/silver or call 301-495-6720. Previous Science in the Cinema Programs: 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994

Summer 2004 Film Schedule 2004 Film Schedule - printer friendly format   Sylvia May 11 Dark Victory June 8 Miss Evers' Boys July 13

After-Prom Information

Things all students and parents should know about AFTER - PROM!

Juniors & Seniors and their prom dates are invited to journey into a "Midnight Safari" following the prom. The evening will be packed with exciting activities, games, prizes, casino, photo booth, great food, music, dancing, and memories to last a lifetime!

Where: Our nineteenth all-night alcohol and drug-free event will be held at Resurrection Church, 3315 Greencastle Road, Burtonsville (corner of Old Columbia Pike & Greencastle Rd)

When: Midnight to 4:00am, May 28, 2004

Who: All Paint Branch juniors and seniors are invited to attend even if they do not attended the prom. Your prom date may also attend. (No outside guests other than prom dates.)

Attire: Casual

Tickets: After-Prom Ticket can be picked up in the Auditorium during lunch (LAP) beginning May 18-29. This event is FREE to students! Students must bring their ticket and school Photo ID!

Prizes: The evening will feature great door, cash, & casino prizes to lucky winners! You must be present to enter and win. Grand Prize drawings will take place at 1:00 am, 2:00 am, 3:00 am, & 3:30 am. A Photo ID is needed to claim Grand
Prizes.

What you need to know about "getting in" to the After Prom

• Arrive no later than 1:30 am to get into the After-Prom
• Sign-in & Sign-out is required.
• Photo ID & Ticket (preferably your PBHS photo ID) are needed to sign-in & win prizes
• Re-admission in not allowed. (Once you leave, you cannot re-enter.)
• No bags, backpacks, containers, beverages of any kind can be brought into the facility.

Questions: Contact Nancy Murray, Nancm526@aol.com

First NJROTC Change of Command Ceremony

Thursday, May 20th, at 1100hours

Main Gymnasium

The first Change of Command Ceremony of Paint Branch's NJROTC Unit, will be held on Thursday, May 20th, at 1100 hours in the main gymnasium in which Cadet Lieutenant Commander Mark Taylor will be relieved by Cadet Lieutenant Junior Grade Ryan Rager. The ceremony will include the formation of cadets, the National Anthem,  background information on command and the change of command ceremony, the actual ceremony, brief speeches by the outgoing and incoming Commanding Officer, an exhibition by the Armed Drill Team, and retirement of the Colors. All are welcome to attend.

Charted Buses Scheduled for Graduation Ceremony

Paint Branch has charted buses to transport guest to and from the graduation ceremony on June 2, 2004.  The buses will leave the school at 12:00 noon for the 2:30 pm graduation start time.  The cost of the tickets is $10.00 per person.  Tickets will be sold on a first come, first served basis in Room B116 beginning Thursday, May 20, 2004.  Tickets will be sold before school, during LAP (10:50 am) and after school.  If you have any questions, please see Mrs. Shanefelter or Mrs. Saul in the Business Office.

---

Panther Pride - April Honors

Congratulations to Marian Elbert, winner of the 2003-2004 High School Heart Mentorship 8 week internship at a medical research lab. This internship also comes with a $1000.00 stipend. Way to go Marian!

Kudos to Gautami Inamdar who has been selected to intern this summer in the Science and Engineering Apprentice Program sponsored by George Washington University and the Dept. of Defense.

The following students will be performing at the Maryland Music Educators Association State Solo and Ensemble Festivals in May:
Grace Cho, Jonathan Shyu, Peter McGrath, Nick Gann, Allison Smith, Christina Coleman, Krishna Bhamidipati, and Navarone Frank. These students all received superior ratings at the MCPS Solo and Ensemble Festival in March. Thank you to their teacher Bill Phalen for his work with our musicians.

We are proud of Sandeep Soman who has been selected to attend J Camp 2004. This is a very prestigious program that trains and develops the next generation of journalists of color. It will be held during the summer at George Washington University.

The future Tim Russert, Jeremy Arias has been awarded a $10,000 four year college scholarship from the Washington Post's Young Journalists Development Program. Jeremy was selected on the basis of his story which was produced in the 5th Annual High School Writing Seminar and Scholarship Program. Jeremy is also the winner of the Maryland United for Peace and Justice's 10th Annual Fred Benjamin High School Peace Award. Jeremy wrote on the theme "How can we balance freedom and security?" and will be reading his essay at their conference on May 1st. Congratulations Jeremy!.

Congratulations to Tony Awojoodu, Sabrina Heman-Ackah and Erika Kiah who have been designated as high performers in the National Achievement Scholarship Program based on their 2003 PSATs. Well done!

We are very proud of Cheri Grigg and Hasina Jamal who were awarded $1000.00 scholarships by the NAACP at their annual Freedom Fund Dinner on April 25th. Hasina won the Meyerhoff Scholarship at UMBC which is a 4 year all expenses paid scholarship, and she was selected as one of the best It's Academic team captains in the county. Additionally she participated in the Quizmaster Allstars game on Tuesday of this week.

Kudos to Craig Binder and the TV Production crew for their video " Life of a Freshman" which won 3rd prize at the Montgomery County Schools Media Festival. Congratulations are also in order for all of the animators who worked on the "Take A Walk" video last spring and the students who produced the Summer Institute Animation Video during the Summer Institute. Both animations won first place at the festival. Way to go!

Congratulations to Commander Decavage, Chief Williams and Paint Branch's NJROTC Academic Team, Drill Team, Color Guard and Athletic Team who participated in the Northern Area FIVE Regional Meet competing against 15 area high schools. Our teams performed very well and received higher combined scores than several other schools with well established programs. Cadet Chief Petty Officer Michelle Carey distinguished herself by receiving a medal in an "armed drill competition" that involved over 280 cadets. She was also singled out for her military bearing, attention to detail and drill rifle skills. Good work Michelle!

Finally, congratulations to three outstanding teachers at Paint Branch - Bobbie Russell, Bob Mostow and Kevin Daney. Mrs. Russell and Mr. Mostow have won the Career and Technology Education Teacher and Program Awards of Excellence for their respective programs in restaurant management and media production. Mr. Daney and the engineers of Paint Branch's Tech Ed department sent 4 teams to the county Tech Challenge.  Dustin Richardson, Nicole Poole and Ernest Kimbi placed second in the robotic arm competition, Kelvin Powell and Ashley Fauntleroy placed 3rd and Greg Berger and Chris Epps placed 4th. Ernest, Nicole and Dustin also placed third in the automated car hill climbing competition.

---

Environmental Club to Celebrate Earth Day 2004

Thursday, April 22, 2004

The Earth Day Stamp is part of the "Celebrate the Century - 1970's" U.S. Stamp Collection

The Paint Branch Environmental Club hoping to promote a fun-filled and educational Earth Day experience for students around the school, and your help in creating this day would be extremely appreciated.  Thank you for your consideration and time, and we hope you have a wonderful Earth Day!  Any questions, comments, or concerns that you may have can be fielded to Mrs. Blair in room D112 or the Science Office.

Earth Day activities for science will be:

1. Buy an Earth Day shirt for $10.00.  Money goes to buy plants for beautification of the courtyards. See Mrs. Randy Blair.
2. Recycle poster contest entries due on April 22, 2004. First place $40.00, second place $20.00, and third place $10.00 along with $100.00 donated to PBHS. Rules distributed by Ms. Bethany Petr.
3. Tank design (fish or otherwise) in Room D112
4. Discuss lead testing of water in chemistry.
5. Physics - toolkit to test energy usage
6. Stream study
7. Science World environmental issue April 5, 2004
8. LAP school wide clean up and courtyard planting
9. Environmental films

Join us in the celebration of our Earth!

Some Related Earth Day websites:

Official Site of International Earth Day

 

      Click Here For Paint Branch Schedule of Events

 

---

 

Gilder Lehrman American History Scholars Visit New York City

Paint Branch High School Gilder Lehrman American History Scholars took a field trip to New York City on January 29, 2004 through February 1, 2004.

The purpose of the trip was to enhance the objectives of the Gilder-Lehrman course “American History through Popular Movies and Documents.”
The students visited the Museum of the Moving Image, a highly interactive museum housed in an authentic early 20th century movie studio. This visit allowed students to study the development of the American movie making industry.

The remainder of the tour focused on New York as the center for early 20th Century immigration and cultural change. Students visited the Tenement Museum in the Lower East Side of Manhattan and took a walking tour of this famous ethnic neighborhood with Big Onion Tours.  Students also toured South Street Seaport Museum, Wall Street, and Ground Zero.  The trip will ended with a ferry trip to Liberty and Ellis Islands, both important landmarks for America’s immigrants.

“There is no place more appropriate to visit for our students than New York City,” commented Bonnie Jones, the teacher coordinating the trip. “Many historical trends and new ideas originate in New York. A large number of this country’s immigrants’ first experience of the United States took place in New York City. It’s such a vibrant city!”

Half of the cost of the field trip (including meals and accommodations) was sponsored by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of New York, one of Paint Branch’s educational partners.
 
The American History Scholars Program, is part of the Paint Branch Media Signature, the Social Studies department, and in partnership with the Gilder Lehrman Institute and the University of Maryland. This was the first such program in the state of Maryland, in which students enrolled in this rigorous academic program take a second history course each year to complement the three required history courses. At the end of a student's senior year, the student would have completed seven history credits. The extra courses all have a media connection which examines the media’s role in documenting historical events in American history. This is the second year for the program.

Click here to view more pictures of the trip

---

 

Paint Branch High students take a short 'Walk' to the top Animation project wins award from nonprofit arts organization Click here to see video by Matt Boyd, Staff Writer Burtonsville Gazette Jan. 28, 2004
For former Paint Branch High School student Ryan Scherer, now a freshman at Towson University, "Take a Walk" was his first attempt at animation. Scherer also provided the soundtrack to the short.	Teaching an animation workshop at Paint Branch High School is a lot like organized chaos, according to Leila Cabib. The workshop lasts five days, one hour a day. Students have to produce dozens and dozens of drawings just to produce a few seconds of animation. Each of the hundreds of total drawings must be carefully sequenced to be only slightly different from the one before and after. Students come after school and during lunch to work. "I am always amazed with the amount of work they do in such a brief time," Cabib said. In those five days last March, Cabib and a team of Paint Branch students produced "Take a Walk," a public service announcement that won an award from the Council for International Non-theatrical Events, a nonprofit arts organization based in Washington, D.C. Cabib is mainly an illustrator and cartoonist, but has some animation experience. She was invited to Paint Branch in 2001 to teach animation as part of the school's science and media signature program.
The school has been running animation classes since the start of the signature program six years ago. Classes were held during lunch and art periods. This year's animation short was made to promote walking. A series of characters are shown walking while a voiceover explains the health benefits of the activity. "I was thinking, too, about how one of the big health problems now is obesity and how people are not exercising as much as they should," Cabib said. However, there was also another practical reason for doing an animation about walking. Making a continuous loop, like a walking animation, prolongs the animation, and anything that saves time helps when it comes to the craft, she said. What the students did is a classic exercise. "The walking cycle is something that all animators have to learn," Cabib said. Each student who created a character took it through a walking cycle. Students could draw what they wanted. One student drew a penguin, while another had a woman being pulled along by a dog out of the frame, Cabib said. The drawing was actually a self-portrait, said student Katie Waterworth. She got involved with the class the year before, and was excited to do it again. Waterworth, who wants to be a fashion designer, said working with animation was a good experience to broaden her artistic range. "Basically the animation thing is for the breadth section of my portfolio," she said. For Hasnat Ali, the class wasn't necessarily related to his career choice. Ali is planning to go into engineering but was taking advanced placement studio art at the time. "It was a side thing, but when I was a kid, I always liked drawing cartoons," he said. While animating their walk cycles, the class worked with holders that kept the paper in place. That way, the artist could see through to the last frame of animation that had been drawn, Ali said. Each cycle took 30 to 40 drawings. A frame-grabber, or the "lunchbox," captured the images to film. The class was an eye-opening experience into how much work goes into professional animation, Ali said. A show like "The Simpsons" could take up to 50 drawings for 10 seconds of air time. This wasn't Ali's first time with the class. He and Watersworth had been part of the previous year's class, which had produced another animation short titled, "Move Over, Moon." That short also won the CINE Golden Eagle Award, which honors both amateur and professional productions. It was, however, the first time for Ryan Scherer. Scherer, in addition to animating a walk cycle, provided the soundtrack to "Take a Walk," a self-made composition he called "Triphop" after the genre it resembled. Scherer said he thought the short turned out great. He draws and paints, but this is the first time he has animated anything. Now that he is a freshman at Towson University, he is thinking of taking on another animation project. "I've been thinking about doing claymation, which is kind of like the same thing," he said, though he added he doesn't have a specific idea of what he would like to produce. "Take a Walk" will be broadcast on Montgomery Community Television's Cable Channel 21 and on Montgomery County Schools Instructional TV. Air dates have not been determined.

 

---

Paint Branch Students Win Prestigious
Second CINE Golden Eagle Award

Click here to see video

Paint Branch High School is pleased to announce that "Take a Walk," a film produced by   Paint Branch Animation Students in an Artist In Residence program conducted by Animation Artist, Leila Cabib, as part of the Media Signature Program has won a prestigious CINE, (Council for International Non-theatrical Events) Golden Eagle Award. The CINE Golden Eagle awards, distinguishing excellence in professional and amateur works, are recognized internationally as symbols of the highest production standards in filmmaking and videography. CINE has, since its founding in 1957, been dedicated to discovering, rewarding, educating, and supporting established and emerging talent in film and video. Among great talents whose first major awards included the CINE Golden Eagle, are Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and such great documentaries as Charles Guggenheim and Frederick Wiseman.

In the Fall 2003 Competition, over 300 judges viewed and evaluated hundreds of distinguished entries. Experienced professionals in the field of film and video production, as well as subject matter experts, serve in a volunteer capacity. They judge the entries using standards of overall excellence, evaluating such criteria as writing, sound, editing, creativity, visuals, insights, and extent to which the film meets its stated goals and communicates with its intended audience. CINE conducts two competitions each year, the next to begin in February 2004. In addition to the Golden Eagle awards, CINE has established two levels of competitive awards. The Special Jury Award recognizes the best films in the 26 CINE Golden Eagle categories. The CINE Masters Series Awards (for the Professional Division winners), and the CINE Award of Excellence (for the Student and Adult Amateur Division winner recognize the best of the best in the CINE competitions. All of the competitive award winners will be announced at the Annual CINE Awards Ceremony, to be held in Washington, DC in April 2004. Prizes and awards worth over $25,000 are associated with these awards. 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. ANIMATORS: Hasnat Ali Julian Artunduaga Nehemiah Bemal Chris Bope Khellie Braxton Kelvin Ford Soheib Hamid Dennis Johnson Derrick Jones Amee Kothary Mike Kwon Hector Neira Mike Nelson Dennis Nguyen Nenita Rollakanty Ryan Scherer Geneah Scott Devin Swanson Katie Waterworth Dru Wooton NARRATOR: Caryn Albert EDITOR: Liz Page MUSIC: Music composed & performed by Ryan Scherer ANIMATION ARTIST AND TEACHER: Leila Cabib SIGNATURE COORDINATOR: Brian Eichenalub

---

PAINT BRANCH LITERARY MAGAZINE TAKES TOP HONORS IN AMERICAN SCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION ANNUAL COMPETITIONS

The Paint Branch Literary Magazine, Crossroads, won a First Place award in the American Scholastic Press Associations Annual yearbook competition. 

In the notification letter, Crossroads was praised for the “tremendous amount of time, energy and talent by writers, artists, editors, photographers, copy editors, layout designers and advisor.  We congratulate all on your First Place award!”  It continues by saying “‘Case Files’ [a new addition to the magazine] was a very creative idea!”  The magazine was chosen from thousands of submissions from around the country.

Crossroads also won a Silver Medal from Columbia University’s School of Journalism CSPA Award.

The theme of the 2003 literary magazine was “Aaperire,” meaning to uncover, open, disclose.  Ms. Dina Beatty was the Advisor for the literary magazine and Jackie Russell, the Editor.  Ms. Russell is now at the University of Maryland, College Park in the Scholars Program.

http://www.asan.com/asa/aspa1.htm

---

PAINT BRANCH YEARBOOK TAKES TOP HONORS IN
AMERICAN SCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION ANNUAL COMPETITION

The Paint Branch Yearbook, Felidae, won a First Place award in the American Scholastic Press Association’s Annual yearbook competition. 

Felidae was commended for its “excellence in the fields of writing, photography and page design, publication structure and creativity.”  It was chosen from thousands of submissions from around the country.

The Paint Branch Yearbook, Felidae, also won a second place rating from the Maryland Scholastic Press Association for Yearbooks of more than 200 pages and won a Silver Medal from Columbia University’s School of Journalism CSPA Award.

The theme of the 2003 yearbook was “Priceless.”    Ms. Lori Leonard is the Advisor for the yearbook and Mahlet Ayalew, Editor, now a freshman at the University of Maryland, College Park.

http://www.asan.com/asa/aspa1.htm

---

FAYE JOHNSON
 RECIPIENT OF ADVANCED PLACEMENT RECOGNITION AWARD

Faye Johnson, a teacher of AP Psychology at Paint Branch High School, in Burtonsville, Maryland has been selected to receive an Advanced Placement Recognition Award by the Middle States Regional Assembly of the College Board.

Each year the Middle States Regional Assembly of the College Board honors a group of outstanding professional educators who have been selected by a review panel of previous honorees and College Board Staff for the Advanced Placement Recognition Awards.  Candidates considered for this honor are nominated by administrators, counselors, and teachers in response to a call for nominations sent out to membership in the fall of the year.  The 2004 awardees represent the 17^th group of professionals to receive this honor.

Thirteen (13) AP teachers were selected this year from an impressive group of forty-five (45) candidates.  Recipients were selected for their demonstrated leadership in expanding and increasing the quality of the AP Programs in their schools.  Special attention is given to candidates’ ability to provide leadership to others in the school setting.  Other criteria used in the selection process are:

a)     Minimum of three years of successful teaching in the AP Program;

b)     Evidence of a continued pattern of growth in the numbers of AP Students taking the examinations and scoring a 3 or better on the examinations.

c)     Demonstrated commitment to AP Program participation and success for a diverse population of students in their school setting; and

d)     Demonstrated willingness to help students improve their academic performance in AP courses.

Recipients of the 2004 awards will be honored at the annual Recognition Luncheon of the Middle States Regional Assembly, February 19, 2004 at the Wyndham Philadelphia at Franklin Plaza Hotel, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Click here to see the AP Psychology test results

---

Paint Branch High School
HONOR ROLL
3rd Grading Period – April 2004

* Indicates student earned all grades of “A”

Paint Branch High School's 5KRun/Walk

Explore Burtonsville's Neighborhoods

 Click here to print a registration form to fill out and mail in.

On Saturday, May 22, 2004, 8:30 am, Paint Branch High School's PTSA will hold a 5K Run/Walk to raise money for school and community activities.  The race begins in front of Paint Branch High School, 14121 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville and winds through hilly streets of nearby neighborhoods, and ends back at the school.

• Early Registration: $15.00, postmarked by April 30, 2004
• Late Registration: $20.00, at Paint Branch High School, Friday May 21, 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm; Race day, 7:00 am Paint Branch High School;
• Packet pick-up: Paint Branch High School, Friday May 21, 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm; Race day, 7:00 am -  8:00 am.
• Awards: to first three male and first three female runners in the following age groups:
  • 8 and under
  • 9-10
  • 11-14
  • 15-19
  • 20-29
  • 30-39
  • 40-49
  • 50-59
  • 60 and up
• Refreshments, door prizes after the race! 

Race held rain or shine.  Sorry, no refunds of entry fees.  Click here to print a registration form to fill out and mail in. Registration forms also available at Paint Branch High School Main Office, and at the race website www.freewebz.com/pbhs5k, or by contacting Dianne Thorington, 301-879-7644, or email cthorng@yahoo.com .

Volunteers Wanted: Relay For Life
Silver Spring

Looking for a way to get involved in your community and have fun doing it? The American Cancer Society's 4th Annual Relay For Life-Silver Spring is a great opportunity to do just that! Relay For Life is the largest fundraising event for the American Cancer Society. Communities across the nation participate each year and raise millions of dollars for cancer research and to support public outreach in their area. Relay not only raises money; it also brings people of all backgrounds together to celebrate cancer survivorship and to remember those people who lost their battle with cancer.

We are looking for teams of 8-15 people join us June 12-13, 2004 at John F. Kennedy High School in Silver Spring. For more information, please visit our website at Relay For Life - Silver Spring or contact Kate Allen of the American Cancer Society at 301- 933-9350 or at kallen@cancer.org.

Panther Pride - March Honors

• Congratulations to Ja Huh who was selected as one of 121 students to win the prestigious AFS merit scholarship which is based on outstanding academic achievement, community involvement and leadership activities.
   
• We are very proud of all of our students who participated in Montgomery County History Day as a part of the Gilder-Lehrman American History Scholars Program. Several students advanced to the State History Day competition in various categories:
  • Senior Paper category:  Stacey Markham and Ben Granata
  • Senior Individual Exhibit:  Amy Ferguson
  • Senior Group Exhibit: Erin Jordan and Emily Dematatis, Michael Barnes, Chris Wright and Brent Stewart
  •  Senior Individual Documentary: Hirdesh Matta.
  • A special award was given to Kholla Ahmad from the National Council of Negro Women for her paper on Briggs v. Elliott

   Good luck at the state contest on April 24, 2004. Special thanks to Social Studies Teacher Bonnie Jones for her work with our students.
   

• Adubofour Adadey has been selected to attend the 18th Annual Symposium on Career Opportunities in Biomedical Sciences in Atlanta, Georgia, April 7-10th. This is a wonderful opportunity for Adubofour and  we know he will represent Paint Branch well.

Changes in High School Transcripts and Weighted Grade Point Averages
This letter was sent home with student report cards on February 5, 2004

February 3, 2004

Dear Parents and Guardians:

This is the time of year when students going to middle or high school select courses for the next school year. It also is the time of year when high school students may be bringing their transcripts home to look over with you. In either case, there are some changes you need to know about that may affect your student’s high school transcript or decisions about registering for courses.

College admissions offices receive copies of students’ transcripts when students apply to colleges in their senior year of high school. The transcript shows credits students have earned in high school courses, cumulative grade point average, and weighted grade point average. Grade point averages are calculated on a four-point scale, awarding four points for A, three points for B, two points for C, 1 point for D, and 0 points for E, using the final semester grade for each course. A quality, or extra point, is awarded for honors, Advanced Placement, and advanced level classes for some final grades.

Starting with the 2003-2004 school year, grades of A, B, and C in honors courses taken this year and in the future will earn a quality point toward a student’s weighted grade point average. The quality point for a grade of C in an honors course is not retroactive – it will not be awarded in courses completed before this school year. You will see language on your student’s transcript reflecting this change.

Starting this school year, credit and grades for students taking high school courses in middle school will be recorded automatically on the high school transcript, once a student has entered high school. Students who took high school courses in middle school this year or earlier will have until June 30, 2005, to request that grades and credits for these courses be removed from their transcripts. Information about how to make this request will be sent to you later this spring.

For students who pre-register this year for a high school course to be taken in middle school during school year 2004-2005, credit will be awarded and the grade recorded automatically on their transcripts, once students enter high school. Students will not have an opportunity to remove the credit or grade from their transcripts. Students may retake the course and receive the higher grade.

Your student’s counselor has details about these changes. If you have questions, please contact the guidance office. Thank you for being an active partner with us in your student’s education.

Sincerely,
Jeanette Dixon
Principal

Panther Pride - February Honors

• Congratulations to Junior Cheri Grigg who received a full four year scholarship to North Carolina A &T. The scholarship is from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture and is a BIG honor! Cheri is also guaranteed employment with the department when she graduates from college. We are proud of you Cheri.
   
• Jennifer Kramer, Ben Lachica and Rachel Blair have been selected to intern this summer at the National Aquarium in Baltimore. This is the first time we have had all three of our nominees chosen. Special thanks to the science teachers who wrote their recommendations.
   
• We are also proud of our Master Science teacher Mrs. Kate Ulicny who will present at the National Science Teachers Convention in Atlanta, Georgia, March 31-April 4, 2004. Mrs. Uliciny will share the work going on in Montgomery County to increase student achievement in science. This is a convention for science teachers from all over our country. Way to go Mrs. Ulicny!
   
• More good news from Science: Julianna Ssemanda and Ali Syed were accepted as Howard Hughes interns for the 2004-2005 school year. They will start their internship this summer and present their research in May of 2005. This is a very prestigious internship as only 20 students are chosen for the program from Montgomery County and we have two of them.
   
• Kudos to Sofia Navard who was selected as a semi-finalist in the International Open Poetry Contest. Her poem is entitled, "What Courage Means to Me."  An excerpt:

When fear is nothing but a word
When you get past all the trash you've heard
When you fall down and get back up
you try again and won't give up
When you transcend all hell on earth
but keep in mind how much you're worth
While overcoming all your fears
you never cry or shed a tear
and in the end your soul's set free
Yes that's what courage means to me

• Congratulations to Jeannine Jackson and Justin Sayre who were selected to participate in the National Youth Leadership Forum on Defense, Intelligence and Diplomacy that was recently held in Washington D.C.
   
• Kudos to Jeremy Arias who was selected for the Washington Post Student Journalist Program. This is a great honor and well deserved as Jeremy does a fine job writing for "The Mainstream." Tim Russert, watch out!!!
  
  
• Congratulations to the It's Academic Team captain Hasina Jamal, Daniel Bennett, Matt Graves and Rajib Quabili. They defeated Blake and Sherwood in a competition and have qualified for the quarterfinal playoffs for the Quizmaster competition.
   
• Finally, I want to say a few words about an outstanding member of our coaching staff -- Coach Heather Podosek. Coach Podosek and the Basketball Lady Panthers showed their greatness on Tuesday night in their come-from-behind victory over Springbrook. The team spotted Springbrook 13 points and came from behind to close to one point at half-time. They fell behind again in the third quarter by 13 points and came from behind again to take the lead with seconds remaining. The outstanding coaching of Coach Podosek led to a one point victory as the Lady Panther fouled Springbrook and made them re-set-up. In addition to knowing all of the fundamentals of coaching basketball, Coach Podosek is an outstanding role model for the Lady Panthers, and young women in general in that she demonstrates the importance of working hard, never giving up and winning. She is devoted to her players, her students and to Paint Branch. She loves her truck and her boat and her dogs Will and Grace. You will be interested to know that last October I acquired another yellow lab. Before I brought her home it occurred to me that I should call my daughter to tell her that I had gotten another puppy and it was a female to join our other lab puppy Bailey, and that she should think about a name for her. When I walked through the door with the puppy my daughter told me she thought we should call her Heather. I told her I had a teacher named Heather. Her question was, “Do you like her?” I said, “Yes, very much.” So Heather it is. The name, Heather, I have since found out refers to a flower from Scotland. Flower used as a verb means a state of blooming or flourishing and that is certainly what has happened to our Lady Panthers basketball team. I hope you will come out on Monday night March 1st for a great night of basketball as the Lady Panthers led by their great coach take on Urbana right here at home. Heather --you go girl!

Paint Branch High School
HONOR ROLL
2nd Grading Period – February 2004

* Indicates student earned all grades of “A”

Ms. Dixon and Ms. Lambert Visit Columbia Horse Center

Ms. Jeanette Dixon, Principal, and Ms. Michelle Lambert, On the Job Training (OJT) Teacher, visited Jennifer Poole, a Paint Branch Senior, at the Columbia Horse Center, in Laurel Maryland, Ms. Poole's OJT site this past Thursday, December 4, 2003.

Ms. Poole, a student in the On the Job Training program reports to the job every day after school.  Some her responsibilities include:  grooming and tacking horses for lessons, untacking and organizing everything at the end of the day, helping with medications, and haying and graining of the horses.

This is not the only place that Ms. Poole has worked with horses.  She also works at Belle Cote Farm in Burtonsville, Maryland where she helps train horses for  sale, gives horse riding lessons to pre-teens, and trains and shows her own horses.  Ms. Poole also volunteers at Waters Gift of Burtonsville, Maryland.

• Congratulations to Stacie Leith who has excelled at national gymnastics and trampoline competition.  Check out the article in the August 27th issue of the Burtonsville Gazette.
   

• Our awesome yearbook staff did very well at Yearbook camp at Gettysburg College.  Esther Adetunji won the GYE DA Award (ask Esther what that stands for), Anita Isama won the Eye for Design Award, Nhu Hunyh won the Design Focus I Color Queen Award and Paint Branch won the Excellence in Theme Development Award.  Thank you yearbook staff.
   

• We are very proud of Solomon Mikael and Daniel Bennett who were recognized this summer by the Johns Hopkins University Whiting School of Engineering for their participation in the Hopkins Engineering Advanced Summer University Program.
   

• Congratulations to Christina Coleman our talented trumpet player who was selected to participate in the National Symphony Orchestra Youth Fellowship Program for the second year.  Participants in the program receive private lessons with a National Symphony Orchestra musician, attend rehearsals and concerts, and perform in master classes and recitals at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.  Way to go Christina!
   

• We have received word that Anoop Thomas participated in Howard University's Energy Expert System Institute where he did research about the power industry for two months during the summer.  Congratulations to Anoop.