 Parents, teachers, and administrators working together 
Monday, May 5, 2014
Administration
Springbrook High School is pleased to announce several recent achievements by our
students.
First, once again Springbrook has been ranked as one of the best
high schools in the country by the Washington Post 2014 High School
Challenge Index. We received the highest ranking among the NEC
high schools. We are also ranked 28th among
all high schools in the state of Maryland by
U.S. News & World Report.
In addition, several Springbrook students have won very prestigious scholarships.
Seniors Donald Ogochukwu Anyanwu and Samiza Palmer were selected as
Millennium Scholars for 2014. Both students were selected for their strong
leadership, community service and academic achievements. More than 52,000
students applied, making this year one of the most competitive candidate groups in
the program’s history. (See story p.18.) Also, senior Christine Yang was chosen to
receive the prestigious Generation Google Scholarship. (See story p.19.)
Springbrook students also received top honors in several competitions. Senior Isaac
Stevens placed second at the National Math Competition. (See story p.11.)
Furthermore, Springbrook students also medaled at the
NAACP-sponsored African American Cultural and
Technological Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) in the
following categories: Feyikemi Ajayi for Original Essay
(Gold), Nicole Kalitsi for Short Story (Silver), Damali Rollins
for Poetry (Silver), Liwam Ellis for Sculpture (Bronze), and
Beatrice Sesay for Vocal Contemporary (Bronze).
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Moreover, our Law and Administration of Justice Program Received Top Honors at
the Civics and Law Academy held at Northwood High School. Our team of Jeneil
D’Aguilar, David Mejia, Sydney Olson, and Ashia Thompson placed 2nd in the
competition. (See story p.10.)
Finally, to date, the Senior Class of the International Baccalaureate
Diploma Program has accumulated $3,263,704 in college
scholarships!
We are very proud of our students because these achievements are
evidence that more and more of them are answering our call to
challenge themselves in rigorous courses, which in turn will help them
succeed in college and beyond. Please join us in congratulating all of
our students for their achievements.
Calendar
Friday, May 2
o Physics Six Flags Field trip – All Day
o Personal Finance NYC Field Trip – All Day
Saturday, May 3
o Athletic Boosters’ Mulch Sale – White Oak Middle School
Parking Lot – 9 am - Noon
Saturday, May 3
o SAT Testing
Monday, May 5 to
Friday, May 23
o AP and IB Exams (click for AP and IB testing schedules)
Tuesday, May 6
o Music Boosters – 7 pm in the Band Room (D-108)
Wednesday, May 7
o Athletics Booster Club – 7 pm in the cafeteria
Thursday, May 8
o Awards Program – 7pm in Auditorium
Friday, May 9
o Prom – Hilton Hotel, 1750 Rockville Pike - 8 pm to Midnight
Saturday, May 10
o After-Prom – White Oak Recreation Center, 1700 April Lane –
12:30 am to 5 am
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Monday, May 12
o Information meeting – possible Amazon research expedition
2015 – 7 pm Rm G-105
Tuesday, May 13
o Women in STEM Careers Workshop – 1 – 4 pm (beginning 7th
period in Auditorium)
Wednesday, May 14
o Music Department Picnic – 4 pm Band Room
Thursday, May 15
o Middle Years Programme – NYC Trip – All Day
o Senior Exam Review Day
Monday, May 19
o HSA Testing – Government
o Senior Exams
Tuesday, May 20
o HSA Testing – Biology
o Senior Exams
Wednesday, May 21
o HSA Testing – Algebra
o Senior Exams
o Distinguished Scholars Banquet – Riderwood - 6 pm
Thursday, May 22
o HSA Testing – English
o Senior Makeup Exams
o Senior Locker Clean Out
o Music Awards Program – 7pm Cafeteria
Friday, May 23
o Last Day of School for Seniors
Monday, May 26
o No School – Memorial Day
Monday, June 2
o Graduation – DAR Constitution Hall – 10 am
Monday, June 9
o Summer School registration deadline – Session 1
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News from the PTSA
MANY MORE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR AFTER PROM!
PLEASE sign-up to help out at this year's
After-Prom event. We
are desperately short on volunteers to
work at the actual event, which is just
around the corner on Friday night, May 9th
(actually the wee hours of that Saturday
morning, 12:30 am to 5:00 am.) No
experience necessary. Parents of
students in all grades are welcome. Older
siblings (21 and older) are also welcome to
sign-up. Just click here to sign up.
Without adequate numbers of parent volunteers, we will not be able to have all of
the events that we are planning. Please help us to have a successful event. Help
us to achieve the goal of After-Prom which is to "keep our kids safe and off the
road on prom night."
So please, CLICK HERE and sign up to help! If you
cannot volunteer to be at the event, how about
contributing some food or small value gift cards?
Your support is greatly appreciated!
Questions, contact Eileen Hollander at [email protected]
SEEKING CANDIDATES TO FILL STILL “OPEN” POSITIONS
Officer Positions:
We are still seeking nominees for:
 President
 Vice President
 Secretary
We encourage anyone interested in running for these positions to contact a
Nominating Committee member. Not sure what the job entails? Click for JOB
DESCRIPTIONS.
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The deadline to submit a name is May 10th.
New officers will assume their positions on July 1, 2014.
Elections will be held at the May 20th PTSA meeting.
We will also take additional nominations made from the floor May 20th.
A number of people in outgoing positions will still be here next year, so you will have
lots of support. Please consider volunteering!
Please contact Nominating Committee members: Margaret Smith
([email protected]), Reva Gambrell ([email protected]), or Evette
Moore ([email protected]), if you are interested or have questions.
Committee Co-Chair Positions “Open”:
We are looking for a team of parents to fill some key Committee Co-Chair positions
for the upcoming year. These committees already have Co-Chairs, and are just
looking for partners to share the job!

Communications Committee Co-Chair (already has one Co-Chair)
 Membership and Outreach Co-Chair (already has one Co-Chair)
 Staff Appreciation Co-Chair (already has one Co-Chair)
Not sure what the job entails? Click for JOB
DESCRIPTIONS.
Please contact Nominating Committee member
(above), if you are interested or have questions.
NEXT PTSA MEETING – May 20 at 7:00 pm, Media Center
TOPIC: Year-End Review, Elections,
Volunteer Recognition
Join us for our final PTSA meeting of the school year. Mr.
Rivera will present a year-end review of several key
school improvement initiatives. Chief School
Improvement Officer, Rebecca Thessin, will also attend to
address any other questions you may have about central
office’s support of school improvement work at Springbrook.
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Moreover, we will conduct an election of next year’s PTSA officers. And last, but
certainly not least, we will celebrate the work of our wonderful PTSA volunteers. All
are welcome!
Help Bring the “SPRING” to Springbrook
On Wednesday, May 7th at 2:30 pm, Mr. Decker and his horticulture students will
begin work on beautifying the Springbrook grounds. If you're free
between 2:30 pm and 4 pm, come hear their vision for Springbrook.
Or better yet, bring your gardening gloves and come lend a hand!
For more information, contact Mr. Decker at
[email protected].
Counseling Department
SENIORS
Counselors have sent out letters to parents for any senior at risk of
not fulfilling all requirements for graduation. If you have any
questions regarding this, please contact your child’s counselor.
(Click HERE for counselors’ contact information.)
SUMMER SCHOOL INFORMATION
This message is from the Montgomery County Public Schools’ Regional Summer
School office for the parents of students in Grades 9 through 12.

Regional High School Summer School registration is
now open for parents of students in Gr. 9 -12

The deadline to register for the first session is Monday,
June 9th.

Students interested in attending summer school should
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schedule an appointment with their counselor to register and make
payments.

Parents wishing to pay with a credit or debit card will be able to pay online
after 6:00 pm on the day that the school counselor has registered your
student.
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Student is not considered registered until payment is received.

Visit the MCPS Regional Summer School website for more information at
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/extendedhours/sum
merschool/.
INFORMATION FROM THE COLLEGE AND CAREER CENTER
Scholarship Opportunities:

Montgomery College Scholarships:
The Herb Block Foundations, www.Herbblockfoundation.org
Deadline: July 7, 2014

The Will Group Foundation Scholarship
www.thewillgroup.org
Scholarship applications can be mailed to 8421
Aynsley Court, Frederick, MD 21702 or faxed to
240.580.1899 to the attention of The Will Group.
Deadline: May 6, 2014
Please visit the Career Center for scholarship information.
 Maryland Hispanic Achievement Scholarship
Attention Latino Seniors! Help spread the word about
this scholarship opportunity!
Deadline: May 30, 2014
The scholarship is presented during the 2014 Montgomery County
Executive Hispanic Gala on Thursday, September 18, 2014 at The
Fillmore Silver Spring. www.montgomeryhispanicgala.org
Click here for application.
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Career Center Workshops:
 Accuplacer Test Workshop
June 17, 2014 from 9:00 am – 11:00 am
Computer Lab E115, Springbrook Career Center
Prepares students for placement/assessment test for Montgomery
College and other colleges. Goal is to avoid the need to take remedial
courses in colleges.
Guest: Montgomery College
 College Essay Workshop
June 24, 2014 from 8:30 am – 10:30 am
Computer Lab E115, Springbrook Career
Center
Students will get a jump start on essay
writing for college and scholarship applications.
Guest: University of Maryland College Park
 Interview/Resume Workshop
June 27, 2014 from 9:00 am - 11:30 am
Computer Lab E115, Springbrook Career Center
Target Audience: All grade levels.
Sponsored by Riderwood Human Resource
Department
Other Workshops:
 Stevenson Summer Writer’s Workshop
July 7 – 18, 2014 from 9:00 am – 12:30 pm
Stevenson University, Greenspring
Campus
Target Audience: Rising 8th – 12th grade
students
For more information, click here.
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College Fair:
 College Success/Preparation and
Scholarship Fair
May 10, 2014 from 1:00 pm - 4pm
The Universities at Shady Grove
Target Audience: 9th & 10th Grade Students
Additional Opportunities:
 McDaniel College Summer Science Academy Camps
Did you know that students can spend a week (or more!) at McDaniel
College this summer actively exploring one of
these hot science topics AND receive a
GUARANTEED $40,000 SCHOLARSHIP to
McDaniel if they are admitted and enroll at
McDaniel?
Registration deadline is May 30, 2014.
Students will be accepted on a first come first
served basis.
2014 Summer Science Academy Camps include (not all camps are
offered during each session):
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Forensic Science
The Final Frontier - Space and Rocketry
Robotics
Real World Physical Science
Engineering Lab: The Science of Building Things
For camp descriptions, available dates, and to apply, please visit the
Summer Science Academy page.
Don't miss this chance to be a part of one of these amazing camps and
to automatically qualify for the Summer Science Academy Scholarship!
Eileen D. Lisker, Resource Counselor
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The International Baccalaureate Diploma
Programme (IBDP)
IB MYP PROGRAMME CONTINUES TO THRIVE
The second IB MYP Progress Report will be coming out at
the end of the year. Teachers are engaged in assessing the
students against the IB criteria.
In addition, many students and parents joined us for our IB Expo on April 10th. We
had over 70 students displaying their IB MYP Personal Projects in the Media
Center! We had projects ranging from a hand built guitar,
to fundraising for charities, to the creation of our Black
Student Union. We had one student create and organize
our first STEM Fair.
Congratulations to all the students on their hard work!
John Weinshel, IB MYP Coordinator
Academy of Information Technology
AWARD FOR LAW AND ADMINISTRATION of JUSTICE STUDENTS
Students in the “Law and Administration of Justice” (LAJ) classes attended the
“Civics and Law Academy” held at Northwood High School on April 9th. This event
was the culmination of our yearlong partnership with the Montgomery County Bar
Association.
During the first semester, students in the “Justice, Law, and
Society” (JLS) classes and LAJ classes examined the selfdefense laws in both Florida and Maryland, in light of the Trayvon
Martin case (State of Florida v George Zimmerman). Guest
speakers included prosecuting and defense attorneys, a homicide
detective, police officer, crime scene technician, and a member of
the media. Then the LAJ students, in small groups, first had to write an extensive
essay describing the pros and cons of the two state laws, then had to write a bill in
reference to self-defense.
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Three schools, Springbrook, Northwood, and Blair participated in this
program. Each school submitted their top five (5) essays that were judged
by members of the Montgomery County Bar Association. We are pleased
to announce that the team of Jeneil D’Aguilar, David Mejia, Sydney
Olson, and Ashia Thompson placed 2nd in the competition. Along with
a beautiful plaque, the JLS program was awarded a check.
Journalism Department
HAVE YOU RESERVED YOUR YEARBOOK YET?
Parents, our yearbooks will be delivered next week! There is
still time to reserve a copy before they are all sold. It’s so
simple. Just click HERE to reserve your copy today!
Timothy Hibberd, Springbrook HS Journalism Adviser
www.theblueprintnewspaper.com and www.jostensyearbooks.com
Math Department
Congratulations to Isaac Stevens
Senior Isaac Stevens won $500 from the AMS (American
Mathematical Society) and a TI-Nspire CX from Texas
Instruments by playing ‘Who Wants to Be a
Mathematician’ at the 2014 USA Science and
Engineering Festival (USASEF) in Washington, DC on
April 25. Isaac was one of eight public and private school
students from DC, MD, VA, and NC who
participated in the game in front of about
150 people. Clearly, we have some very
talented math students at the Brook!
Congratulations Isaac!
Read more at the AMS website:
http://www.ams.org/programs/students/wwtbam/usasef-2014
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Science Department
Interested in joining a research expedition to
the Amazon in the summer of 2015?
Information meeting at Springbrook High
School for students and parents on Monday,
May 12, 2014 at 7:00 pm in Room G105
Stay aboard a research vessel on the Amazon
River!
 Survey for macaws

Estimate populations of tapirs, river
dolphins, and game birds

Describe fish communities by
completing fishery surveys

Spotlight and noose three species of
caimans
WHO: Springbrook High School students currently enrolled in grades 9-11 who are
interested in conservation of biodiversity
WHAT: Potential research expedition to the Amazon rain forest
WHERE: Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, Peru
WHEN: Two weeks, beginning June 28, 2015
INTERESTED? To view a video clip and other information, use the group code f27njc
to join our interest group on edmodo.com OR go directly to the website
(http://opwall.com/sixth-form-high-school/locations/peru-school-expeditions/ )
QUESTIONS? See one of the teachers listed below:
Teacher
Room number
Best times to find
Dr. Folsom
G105
Before school, lunch
Ms. Van Gavree
G101
Before school, after school
Mrs. Moore
G209
Before school, lunch, after school
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TO RESERVE A SPACE: Sign up with one of the teachers listed above. We will need
your name, email address, parent’s name and email address, and parent’s phone
number.
You also need to have your science teacher complete a recommendation form. Your
teacher will give the form directly to us.
ATTEND WITH PARENT: Information meeting on Monday, May 12 at 7:00 pm in
Room G105.
COST: $1900 tuition plus airfare. Operation Wallacea will provide professional fundraising support. Our goal will be to raise funds to cover tuition and airfare for all
students attending.
WOMEN IN STEM CAREERS
WORKSHOP
for Springbrook Girls
Come Learn why a STEM Career
could be for you!
STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and
Mathematics
Meet Women Professionals in STEM Careers and
find out about their exciting careers, how they got
where they are, and what you can do to work
towards a similar career.
When:
Tuesday, May 13th, 1 - 4pm (beginning 7th Period)
Where: Springbrook Auditorium to start, then second floor classrooms for
breakout sessions
How to: Must register in advance. Pick up form from Mrs. Villegas, Room F108.
NOTE: PASS ONLY ADMITTANCE
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Additional Speakers Needed!
Women Professionals in STEM Careers who are interested and available, please
contact Catie Spencer: [email protected]
Music Department / Music Boosters
Musical Performances
A small jazz combo played the accompaniment for the spring musical, “Little Shop
of Horrors”. Their musical talents added to the success of this terrific show.
The String Orchestra was chosen to work with the Baltimore
Symphony Orchestra’s (BSO’s) “OrchLab” again this year, a
program that works to enrich the instrumental music
curriculum and enhance student performance skills at
chosen schools. As a culminating experience,
Springbrook was selected from among the other schools
working with the BSO, to perform before a packed crowd
in the lobby of the Strathmore just prior to the BSO’s
evening performance on May 3rd.
Thanks
Swing into Spring on April 5, 2014 was a great success. As people entered the
building, “Preventative Measures”, a jazz quintet, welcomed everyone with their
sounds. The students seated us with poise and served our dining needs. The
String Orchestra entertained us with beautiful music as we dined. The Jazz Band
got us on our feet and dancing. Preventative Measures played again when the
Jazz Band took a break. The silent auction was also a hit.
Thanks to all who supported the Instrumental Music Program at this wonderful
annual event! Please come again next year!
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Awards Won!
Our award-winning Instrumental Music Program came back
from their trip to New York City with only 1st and 2nd
Place trophies in the music festival and competition. They
earned high ranks in all performance areas as well. As
always, the students represented Springbrook very well on
this trip.
Awards Won at the Fiesta Val:
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Choir: First Place with an Excellent Rating
Symphonic Band: Second Place with an
Excellent Rating
Orchestra: First Place with a Superior Rating
Jazz Band: First Place with a Superior Rating
Individual Awards Won:
In addition to group awards, several students earned awards for their
outstanding individual performances.

Jeremiah Olabosipo for his Outstanding Piano
Accompaniment during the Choir Performance

Ellen Martinez for her Outstanding Violin Solo
during the Orchestra Performance

Dominic Ellis for his Outstanding Saxophone
Solo during the Jazz Performance
Springbrook HS
Upcoming Events:
Band Picnic: May 14, 2014 at 4:00 pm
Instrumental Music Awards: May 22, 2014 at 7:00 pm
Jazz and Orchestra Camp: June 23 - 27, 2014 from 8:30 am to 12:00 pm in
D-108 (Band Room). Open to all
instrumental music students in grades 612, for all instrument types and musical
abilities. Students learn from
professionals. Click for registration
brochure.
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For more information, call Music Director Wyman Jones at 301-989-6062,
or email him at [email protected]
Volunteering and Information:
The Music Boosters holds its monthly meetings on the first Tuesday of the month
at 7:00 pm in the Band Room (D-108). Please join us. We would love to see
more supporters of the program. Next meeting is Tuesday, May 6th, 7:00 pm.
We are looking for someone to fill the position of
SECRETARY on the Booster’s Board (our current
Secretary is a senior parent). If you are interested, or just
want more information, please email:
[email protected]
Look out for information about future music events and fundraisers which will be
sent through this forum. You can also find us on Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/SpringbrookHsMusic or contact us by email at:
[email protected]
Athletic Department /Athletic Boosters
KUDOS TO OUR ATHLETES!
 Congratulations to senior basketball players Andrew and
Aaron Robinson for making the All=Sentinel basketball
team and for being selected to play in the Capital Classic
All-Star game!
 Andrew Robinson was also selected to the Gazette AllCounty team. Isaiah Eisendorf and Aaron Robinson
were named honorable mention.
 Sophomore swimming sensation Catherine Johnson was
named 2nd team All-County by the Montgomery County
Gazette.
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 Senior wrestler Quy Tran was named honorable mention All-County by the
Gazette.
 Division Champions! The boys AND girls varsity
lacrosse teams won the division championships this
spring. Congratulations to Coach Darren Murray and
Coach Adam Bahr and their respective teams for a great
accomplishment.
IMPORTANT DATES
 Spring playoffs are starting! Playoff pairings will be announced soon!
Let’s go Devils!
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
 The Athletic Booster Club is in dire need of
new members to make next year a success!
It’s a great and easy way to support your
child’s athletic talents!
We meet on the first Wednesday of each
month in the cafeteria. Our next meeting is
Wednesday, May 7th. See you there!
Follow us on twitter @Brooksports!
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Student Achievements
OUTSTANDING Achievement for two Springbrook students!
Congratulations to Springbrook Seniors Donald Ogochukwu Anyanwu and
Samiza Palmer on their selection as one of the 1,000 Gates Millennium Scholars
for 2014. Both were selected on their strong leadership, community service and
academic achievements.
More than 52,000 students applied, making this year one of the most competitive
candidate groups in the program’s history. Over $800 million has been awarded
since the year 2000.
As a Gates Millennium Scholar, GMS funds are available to
attend any U.S. located, accredited college or university with
a renewable scholarship based on the GMS Program
guidelines. They are also eligible for GMS fellowship funding
for education through the master’s and doctoral levels.
The Gates Millennium Scholars Program, established in
1999, was initially funded by a $1 billion grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation. GMS selects 1,000 talented students each year to receive a goodthrough-graduation scholarship to use at any college or university of their choice.
They provide personal and professional development through leadership
programs, along with academic support throughout their college career.
Congratulations Samiza and Donald!
For more information about the program, click here.
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Springbrook AOIT Student wins GOOGLE Scholarship!
Congratulations to Christine Yang! A senior in Springbrook’s
Academy of Information Technology program (AOIT), Christine
was selected as a recipient of the Generation Google
Scholarship.
In addition to the $10,000 scholarship, she will be also be
attending an all-expenses paid trip to the Google Computer Science Summer
Institute in Seattle, WA. Congratulations, Christina!
Community Tidbits
EAST COUNTY CITIZENS ADVISORY BOARD
Sponsors
A Community Informational Meeting/Presentation:
THE PERFORMANCE OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY PUBLIC
SCHOOLS’ HIGH SCHOOLS, A FY 2014 UPDATE
Montgomery County Council Office of Legislative Oversight (OLO) Report
DATE:
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
TIME:
7:00 pm
LOCATION: East County Regional Services Center,
3300 Briggs Chaney Road, Silver Spring, MD 20904
THIS MEETING IS OPEN TO THE COMMUNITY
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Report Highlights:
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Changes in Student Demographics
Changes in Student Performance
Achievement Gap Among High Schools
Consortia & Consortia – Like High Schools/Non Consortia High Schools
Findings & Recommended Discussion Issues
AFS Host Families Needed
AFS International Student Exchange has opportunities for about 12 Montgomery
County families to host international high school exchange students for the 2014 2015 year. Won't you consider it?
These are great, carefully screened kids.
They come from over 90 different countries,
and are eager to learn about America and
take part in the activities of the host family
and local high school.
When you welcome a student from another
country into your home, your children and
family learn about the world, your AFS
student takes home a part of America, and you make a personal contribution to world
peace and understanding. Two and single parent households, with or without kids,
are eligible. The family provides a place to sleep (not necessarily a private room) and
provides meals. Students bring their own spending money and have excellent health
insurance.
Now is the time to start making the arrangements. Working with an AFS volunteer,
you’ll select your student from several who are a good match for the family’s interests
and lifestyle. All AFS students are above average scholastically and speak English.
To learn more, contact AFS volunteer Bob Rushing at 301-236-6809
([email protected]), or visit the AFS website.
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News from the Brook - Upcoming Publication Schedule
Publication Date
Deadline for Submission
Friday, May 16
Monday, May 12
Friday, May 30
Tuesday, May 27
News from the Brook, point of contact: [email protected]
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