Congratulations to fifth-grader Rachel Placek for winning four football tickets to the Maryland Terrapins' season opener Aug. 30 when they host the University of Delaware at Byrd Stadium. Rachel won her tickets at the highly successful Hammond Elementary School Carnival Cake Walk.

The Giant Bonus Bucks Program at Hammond Elementary School raised $749.08 for the school through the 2007-2008 year.

Congratulations to the incoming PTA Executive Board at Hammond Elementary School: Jim Armstrong, president; Judy Whalen, first vice president; Chris Armstrong, second vice president; Shari Obler, treasurer; Kyri Jacobs, recording secretary, Beth Weith, corresponding secretary; Albert Jackson, delegate 1; and Amy Shugar, delegate 2.

Three weeks after the copper was stolen from their air conditioner employees of the North Laurel-Savage Multiservice Center continued to swelter.

The center, at 9105 All Saints Road, under the direction of Quinton Askew, offers services including counseling and assistance to prevent utility cut-off or eviction.

Two major areas of counseling activity are working with school guidance counselors at elementary and middle schools and providing group therapy and counseling at the center.

Stephanie McBee, a counselor at the center, helps students develop social skills such as the use of an effective tone of voice in a conversation, ways to ask for something, how to solve problems and withhold hostile reactions. The use of music, dance, art and exercise are explored.

McBee also works with anger management groups, school study groups and organization groups. Methods to deal with not getting your way and managing feelings are discussed.

One of McBee's more enjoyable experiences was working with a group of eighth-grade girls at Murray Hill Middle School preparing for high school. The group used role-playing techniques to recall feelings of anxiety or fear and how they were dealt with when the girls changed schools in the past.

One of the topics covered in anger management is handling a bully. An assertive response is emphasized rather than an aggressive or passive response. Also covered are ways to manage feelings, particularly when a student does not get their own way.

The center also offers individual and family therapy for children, adolescents and adults with ages 12-17 as the largest group. Today's children are dealing with a host of problems such as the effects of divorce, attention and hyperactivity disorder and peer pressure.

According to McBee, it is important to involve the family and parents when working with children. Along with counseling, the center can make specific referrals if financial, medical or other aid is needed.

Before joining the center in October 2007, McBee was a social worker at The Children's Guild, in Annapolis, and the Eastern Point Group Home.

She received a master's degree from New York University and has licensed certified social worker-clinical status. A master's degree and two years work of supervised clinical social work including the assessment, formulation of diagnostic impressions, and treatment of mental disorders are needed for this certification.

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