 Parents, teachers, and administrators working together 
Friday, September 12, 2014
Administration
Dear SHS Community:
Welcome to the first issue of News from the Brook (NFTB) for the 2014-2015 school
year - a twice monthly publication. It is brought to you by SHS PTSA’s Communication
Committee whose members include: Ann Coletti, Leila Collins, Garland DeMarco and
Cathy Futrowsky.
We’ve had a great opening to the school year and we are excited about being back.
We believe Springbrook High School will continue to experience great success this
upcoming year. The new staff members have brought with them a wealth of knowledge
and experience which will enhance our instructional program. We have new initiatives
and programs as well: academic support classes, IB MYP Cohorts for 9th and 10th
grades, and a college preparatory program called Focus. Springbrook High School,
along with MCPS, is also confirming its commitment to environmental sustainability by
replacing polystyrene lunch trays with paper ones.
In addition, we are implementing an advisory program. It is a 25 minute period that will
occur every Wednesday after third period. The purpose behind Advisory is to build a
sense of community, foster relationships, and allow college and career readiness
conversations with our students. Every class has a set curriculum that fits their grade
level. Some of the topics that will be covered in Advisory include Goal Setting, Time
Management, Test Preparation, Graduation check lists, etc. We are confident that
Advisory will be beneficial to all our students.
We hope you find NFTB informational and enjoyable.
Daniel E. Garcia, Assistant Principal
Calendar
Friday, September 19
o Hall of Fame Football Game – 6:30pm
o Middle School Band Night
o Progress Reports
Saturday, September 20
o Hall of Fame Banquet
o Color Run
Wednesday, Sept. 24
o Early Release Day
o Rosh Hashanah Begins at Sundown
Thursday, Sept. 25
o No School – Rosh Hashanah
Monday, September 29
o Senior Portrait Make-ups
Tuesday, September 30
o Senior Portrait Make-ups
o Underclass Portrait Make-ups
Wednesday, October 1
o Athletic Boosters Meeting – 7pm
Friday, October 3
o Senior Class Photo
o Progress Reports
o Yom Kippur Begins at Sundown
Saturday, October 4
o Yom Kippur
Monday, October 6
o HSA Testing – Government (by invitation)
Tuesday, October 7
o HSA Testing – English (by invitation)
o College Financial Aid Meeting – 6:30pm in the
Auditorium
o Music Boosters Meeting – 7pm
Wednesday, October 8
o HSA Testing – Biology (by invitation)
o 2nd Annual Powder Puff Football Game – 6 pm
Thursday, October 9
o HSA Testing – Algebra (by invitation)
o Friends of the Arts Meeting – 7pm – Room D107
Friday, October 10
o HSA Make-ups (all contents)
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News from the PTSA
The Springbrook Parent-Teacher-Student Association provides a way for parents
to partner with school staff to create an environment where students can thrive
academically, socially, and emotionally.
These are but a few of the ways Springbrook PTSA made a difference last school year:
 Awarded a $1,000 scholarships to a student entering the University of Maryland.
 Awarded $2500 in education mini- grant money to programs in art, science,
journalism, music and leadership development.
 Hosted an outstanding and successful After Prom party to keep our students safe
on Prom Night.
 Hosted staff appreciation events, such as a welcome back breakfast and a back
to school night dinner.
 Advocated for Springbrook in Montgomery County, such as delivering budget
testimony to emphasize Springbrook’s capital improvement and operating
program needs.
 Provided a forum for parents to stay informed and give feedback about
Springbrook issues, such as the launch of the school’s newsletter, News from
the Brook and publishing of the school directory.
JOIN US for our FIRST PTSA MEETING of the school year, September 16, 2014,
7pm, Cafeteria:
 An opportunity to meet the new PTSA board leadership
 Discuss the new school initiatives
All are welcome!
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“Open” Committee Positions:
We are still looking for a team of parents to fill some key Committee positions for the
upcoming year.
Shopping Rebates Chair
Staff Appreciation Co-Chair (already has one Co-Chair and looking for a partner to
share the job)
Not sure what the job entails? Click for job descriptions.
Please contact Nominating Committee members: Reva Gambrell
([email protected]), or Evette Moore ([email protected]), if you are interested
or have questions.
Cluster Coordinators needed:
What is a Cluster Coordinator?
They serve as liaisons to MCCPTA and MCPS for the schools in their cluster, which
include their high school and all of its feeder schools.
Hierarchically, they are the next level up from the local PTA President and are
members of the Board of Directors of the MCCPTA.
They work closely with the Area Vice President. (The Northeast Consortium AVP
coordinates the Springbrook, Paint Branch, Blake and Sherwood clusters.)
Most importantly, CCs advocate for the schools in their cluster by testifying before the
Board of Education and the County Council several times per year.
Please contact Ann Coletti with any questions. She has served as a cluster coordinator
for Springbrook for the last two years. Ann is available to support you throughout the
year. [email protected].
Please visit the Springbrook High School PTSA page for more information on our PTSA
and to view our newsletter archives.
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Backpack Thank You from the MCPS Office of Community Engagement and
Partnerships
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After-Prom: Mums & Pansies for Sale!
The Springbrook PTSA is selling beautiful MUMS and colorful PANSIES to benefit
Springbrook's AFTER-PROM. If you're not familiar with it, the After-Prom is a safe, drug
and alcohol free celebration immediately following Prom. It keeps our students safe
during those often dangerous hours between midnight and 5am.
The Mums are only $7.00 each or $6.50 each if ordering 5 or more; same prices as last
year! Pansy plants are only $3.00 each or $2.50 each if ordering 5 or more. Flowers
are from Behnke’s and are available in a variety of colors such as red, white, yellow,
etc. Mums measure 12" - 16" in diameter, and pansy plants are in 4” inch pots. Order
deadline is FRIDAY, September 19 at 8am. Pick-up of mums and pansies from
Springbrook is scheduled for FRIDAY, September 26 from 3:00-6:00 pm. See attached
order form for details on ordering.
Point of Contact: Carolyn Koudry, [email protected]
Thank You So Much for Supporting This Year's AFTER-PROM!
Counseling Department
Counselors spent the summer and the start of school enrolling new students, creating
new schedules and correcting scheduling conflicts. This year we have a new
scheduling system whereby we sent the course request information to parents and
students in April for feedback and we were then able to uphold our policy of not making
scheduling changes for students unless there was an error on the schedule. This has
enabled us to have more consistent class sizes in each of our subject areas since we
build our course sections based on the number of students who have signed up for
each class.
Counselors are beginning to work on college recommendation letters for our 12th grade
students. It is important that students bring in the following to the counseling
department at least 1 month prior to the due date for their application: signed release of
information form, brag sheet and a completed transcript request form accompanied by
the $5.00 transcript fee.
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Counselors are also making plans to visit 9th grade classes to make introductions and to
complete a classroom guidance lesson. We also hope to administer a needs
assessment to our students in our new advisory period so that we can create our
counseling programs based on the needs of our students.
Counselors remain available to answer any questions you may have via telephone or
email. We also hope to see you at Back to School Night as this is an important night for
you to learn about the expectations of your child’s teachers. If you would like to meet
with your child’s counselor, please make sure to schedule an appointment so that we
can make sure your child’s counselor is available when you arrive. We look forward to
working with you and your child throughout this school year.
SSL Hours Forms Deadline: the deadline to submit student service learning (SSL)
hours performed over the summer is Friday, September 26. SSL forms need to be
submitted to Ms. Brown-Miles in the Counseling Office. SSL online forms are available
here: http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/forms/pdf/560-51.pdf
College Readiness:
Parents of seniors: Please encourage your children to visit the College & Career
Center for information regarding scholarship opportunities as well as hearing
presentations from various college and university representatives. There are also many
opportunities throughout this semester for on-the-spot admission interviews. Here are
some upcoming events and notable information from the College & Career Center for
September and October:
College Visits Hosted in the Career Center
Salisbury University: Monday, September 8, 10:00am
University of Maryland College Park: Wednesday, September 17, 7:45am
Study Skills Workshop 9th Graders
Thursday, September 11, 11:15am
Accuplacer Workshop 12th Graders
Friday, September 12. 11:15am
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Study Skills Workshop 10th Graders
Thursday, September 18, 11:15am
Finding Your Best Fit for College Workshop
Wednesday, September 24 during 1st and 2nd periods
Parent/Student Financial Night
Tuesday, October 7, 6:30pm – 8:30pm
General Presentation in the Auditorium and Spanish presentation available in the
Career Center
College University Onsite Interviews
UMES : Thursday, October 19, 9:00am
Lincoln University: Tuesday, October 21, 9:00am
Norfolk State University: Thursday, October 30, 8:30am
Writing Smart Workshop
Wednesday, October 22, 11:30am, Career Center
Hispanic College Fair (Free)
Permission slips are available in the Career Center.
Wednesday, October 29, 9:30am – 1:30pm
ASVAB Career Test
Permission Slips are available in the Career Center.
November 13, 7:30am – 10:00am, Team Room 2
Testing Information:
Free SAT/ACT Preparation Workshop
Monday, September 29th at 11:30am – 12:30pm Career Center
ACT Test September 13
SAT Test October 11
Point of Contact: Eileen Lisker, [email protected]
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The International Baccalaureate Diploma
Programme (IBDP)
Fifty Springbrook Juniors Pursuing the IB Diploma
Fifty Springbrook 11th grade students have started their first year as Anticipated
Candidates in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB DP).
Anticipated Candidates are juniors who have declared that they will pursue the
prestigious IB Diploma.
The IB DP is a rigorous college preparatory program of studies based on curricula
developed using international standards. The students pursuing the IB Diploma must
study 6 subjects covering at least 5 disciplines over the next 2 years. Students must
also complete what is known as the Core – central learnings beyond the classroom –
that include Theory of knowledge, the study of what we claim to know and how we
come to know (epistemology); Creativity, Action, Service (CAS), which asks students to
reflect upon activities in which they engage outside of the classroom; and the Extended
Essay, a guided expedition in the process of researching a topic of interest that
culminates in a maximum 4,000 word essay or analysis of an original experiment.
A meeting for parents of Anticipated Candidates was held in the auditorium on August
20, 2014 to inform them about elements of the program, what to expect, and how they
can help. If you are a parent of an Anticipated Candidate and missed the meeting,
please contact Mr. Griffiths to answer any questions or concerns you might have.
Point of Contact: Mark Griffiths, [email protected]
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Academy of Information Technology
3-D Printing
Did you know that Springbrook now has a total of 3 3-D printers? Students in the
Introduction to Engineering classes learn CAD (Computer Aided Design). They will be
able to print some of their designs on our 3-D printers. It’s very exciting to see their
designs come to life. We are proud to offer our students the latest in technology used in
industry today. If you would like more information please contact Mr. Hugo Harrison.
Point of Contact: Hugo Harrison, [email protected]
Computer Science
What is Exploring Computer Science?
Computing is involved in nearly every field of study, career and industry today. This
year we are offering a new course entitled Exploring Computer Science (ECS) which
provides students with an introduction to the world of computer science. Students
become “computational thinkers” by applying a variety of problem-solving techniques as
they create solutions to problems in a variety of contexts. The units include
programming, robotics, web design and data analysis. The class is taught by Mrs. Lynn
Nelson, Resource Teacher for Computer Science, and you can contact her at
[email protected] or 301-989-5791 for more information.
Point of Contact: Lynn Nelson, [email protected]
Journalism Department
The Bazaar is Back!
Mark your calendars for the second annual “Springbrook High School Holiday Bazaar”.
This year the bazaar will take place on Saturday, November 22 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00
p.m. in our cafeteria. Vendor tables are only $20 each. Proceeds from the event help
defray the costs of our student newspaper, The Blueprint. Email journalism adviser Tim
Hibberd at [email protected] for more information. News content may
also be found at www.theblueprintnewspaper.com.
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Yearbooks are Now on Sale
Parents, now is the best time to reserve a copy of the 2014-15 Trident, our school’s
yearbook. The price of the yearbook will not be lower, so order ASAP by going to
www.jostensyearbooks.com. All students, but especially seniors, love getting their own
copy of the book for their friends to sign. We all know how expensive senior year is, so
it just makes sense to buy now before the rush of AP test, prom and graduation fees.
Point of Contact: Tim Hibberd, [email protected]
Science Department
IAPS Boat Race
On November 12 from 11am-1pm we will be at MLK Aquatics Center to race cardboard
boats. The students will have 10 days to build the boats. These boats will hold 2
students each and they will be racing the boats.
Music Department / Music Boosters
Welcome to the 2014-2015 School Year!
Hello and welcome to the 2014-2015 school year! The Music Program/Boosters are
already hard at work performing for Springbrook High School and community and
preparing for the upcoming events. Every student participating in the music program
has many activities throughout the year to enrich their musical experience.
To all parents of the Music Program, please contact us using the email above. We are
working to prepare for all the events throughout this school year. Also, please plan to
attend the Music Boosters meetings on the 1st Tuesday of every month at 7pm (next
one is October 7). We really could use your support.
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You may have seen some of the music program students selling items for their 1 st
fundraiser this year. The Claire’s Gourmet campaign is being conducted to help support
the student’s spring trip. If you would like to support your music program either find one
of the music students or contact us by using the contact information above.
Our current September schedule of events is:
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Friday 12th – Marching Band music support during the Home Football
game vs Clarksburg.
Friday 19th – Marching Band music support during the Home Football
game and Middle School Band Night.
Saturday 20th – Bowie State University marching band competition at
Bowie State University.
Friday 26th - Marching Band music support during the Away Football
game vs Blair.
Saturday 27th – Burtonsville Day Parade.
Note – Come see us at our table during the home games. Show your support and
purchase Booster T-Shirt or a re-usable Music Program water bottle.
Point of Contact:
Email us @: [email protected]
See us on Facebook:
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https://www.facebook.com/SpringbrookHsMusic
Follow us on Twitter:
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https://twitter.com/SHSMusicBooster @SHSMusicBooster
Athletic Department /Athletic Boosters
Athletic Boosters Club Wants You!
Welcome all incoming freshman parents as well as our current parents to the new
school year!
The Springbrook Athletic Booster Club is seeking your help. The Boosters Club raises
funds through concession stand sales, spirit wear sales and other fundraisers, all of
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which go directly to our students' high school teams. Springbrook's girls and boys junior
varsity and varsity sports teams equally benefit from our fundraising. Past Booster
fundraisers have enabled our school to purchase lights for the field, allowing us to host
night games, and video equipment for all teams. We have several ambitious yet
attainable goals for the 2014-2015 school-year provided we can count on the support of
our parents.
There are several easy ways you can help:

Click on the Sign-up Genius concessions link
www.SignUpGenius.com/go/10C0C44A8A62DA75-varsity/ or on the spirit wear
link www.SignUpGenius.com/go/10C0C44A8A62DA75-sell/ to help with either
concessions or spirit wear sales during one of the fall home games. The link also
appears on the school's homepage. The concession stand helps raise money
AND presents Springbrook to the larger community as the welcoming and
wonderful school that it is.
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Purchase spirit wear for your students and for yourself. Doing so will promote
team spirit, help with fundraising, and increase our presence in the community!
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Attend our meetings and offer to help with a specific role. Meetings are held the
first Wednesday of every month. The next meeting is October 1 at 7:00 p.m. in
the school cafeteria.
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Sign up for one of the open volunteer positions by going to the Springbrook home
page and clicking on "athletics," then "boosters." We are currently seeking a
secretary and treasurer, but we also have several other small non-officer roles
where your talents will be put to good use.

Don't have time to volunteer? Make a donation instead! Checks can be made
payable to the Springbrook High School Athletic Boosters Club.
Questions? Contact co-presidents Rachel Spangenberg, at [email protected]
or Tina Errigo at [email protected].
GO BLUE DEVILS!!!
Point of Contact: Sarah Kestner, [email protected]
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Athletic Hall of Fame
Springbrook will hold its first induction into the Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday,
September 20 at Riderwood Senior Center. The inductees will be first recognized at
halftime the varsity football game on Friday.
The inductees are:
Cindy Baruch, Bob Parry, Cathy Fox, John Bunting, Ed Peterson, Tom Brosius, Joe
Behrmann, Loren Danielson, Jeri Ingram, Bob Milloy, Mike Strittmatter and Terry
Wolfram.
For more information, please go to the Springbrook Athletic Website,
http://springbrookathletics.org/.
Student Achievements
We are happy to report that Senior Patrick J. Regan Fanelli has been named as a 20142015 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist! Patrick was selected from among high
school juniors who were top scorers on the 2013 PSAT/National Merit Scholarship
Qualifying Test. Approximately 16,000 semifinalists across the nation will be
considered for advancement to the finalist stage of the competition.
Finalists will be considered for $2,500 National Merit scholarships, plus additional
corporate-sponsored and college/university-sponsored scholarships. That will be
announced later in the school year.
Congratulations Patrick!
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Community Tidbits
The White Oak Library is looking for high school students to work with elementary
students who attend our weekly "Homework Help" sessions, held 4:00-6:00pm each
Wednesday that MCPS is in session. Volunteers should have a good academic record
as well as like younger children, have patience and good communication skills. SSL
hours are available.
The White Oak Library is located at 11701 New Hampshire Ave., Silver Spring. For
more information and to apply, please contact either Carolyn Maddox or Judy
Ehrenstein at 240-773-9555.
Thanks!
Judy Ehrenstein, Children's Librarian
White Oak Library
11701 New Hampshire Ave.
Silver Spring, MD 20904
(240)773-9565
[email protected]
News from the Brook - Upcoming Publication Schedule
Publication Date
Submission Due Date/
Deadline for Submission
Friday, September 26
Friday, September 19/
Monday, September 22
Friday, October 10
Friday, October 3/
Monday, October 6
Friday, October 24
Thursday, October 16/
Monday, October 20
News from the Brook, point of contact: [email protected]
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