Members of the Bushy Park Elementary School Fifth Grade Chorus and Strings recently spread a little bit of holiday cheer. Chorus students, traveled to the Ellicott City Senior Center where they performed seasonal songs to a very enthusiastic audience. What a great way for group of talented young students to provide entertainment to the elderly in our community.

Kendall Morton, science instructional team leader at Glenelg High School, is looking for a bit of community help. Each year, the Gifted and Talented science students are required to complete a science fair project. Students have been working on their projects since the beginning of the school year.

The culmination of this project is the presentation to judges at the Glenelg Science Fair Jan. 27. This year there are more than 140 projects that need to be judged between 8 a.m. and noon on Science Fair day.

To this end, Morton is looking for some help. The science department is looking for 25 judges to accomplish the evaluation of all these science fair projects.

If you have an engineering, math, or science background (including related fields such as nursing, medicine, agriculture), please consider being a judge for the Glenelg High School Science Fair during one or both of the two-hour judging time slots: 8-10 a.m. and 10 a.m.-noon.

During that time judges will be given an orientation and will then judge between 10 and 15 projects using the guidelines provided by the Glenelg High School Science Department. Judges often enjoy the opportunity to interact with the students about their projects.

If you are able to assist, e-mail Cynthia_Dymond@hcpss.org, or call Glenelg at 410-313-5528 and ask for the science department. Please be sure to provide name and contact information and time available, as well as which area you feel most comfortable judging: physics, chemistry, environmental science, behavioral science, animal biology, earth and space science, plant biology, microbiology or engineering/technology.

If you plan to assist with the judging, contact the school no later then Jan. 13. The Science Department thanks the community in advance for their support.

Students at Glenwood Middle School are doing a special electronics recycling fundraisier to benefit the Howard County Animal Shelter. The Ecophones Recycling Group allows the community donate old electronic items (broken or not), including ink jet cartridges, cell phones, iPods, mp3 players, laptops, cameras, video cameras and video game consoles.

For additional information about items that can be donated, go to www.Ecophones.com. You can find collection boxes at various places around town, including the Glenwood Middle School Front Office, Glenwood Community Center and the Glenwood Branch Library.

Looking for a way to make a difference in the community during the new year? The end of the year is traditionally a time of both reflecting on the year nearly past, and resolving to make meaningful changes in our lives during the coming year. Consistently included on lists of top ten resolutions is a commitment to reach out to others by volunteering in the community.

If, like so many others, you've resolved to reach out and make a difference in your community in 2010, consider Neighbor Ride, a volunteer-based transportation service committed to decreasing isolation and improving the quality of life for Howard County's older residents.

Recently voted Best of Howard County - Charity/Nonprofit for the second consecutive year, Neighbor Ride and its dedicated volunteers help seniors remain active and independent by providing rides for medical appointments, shopping, social outings, personal care and business appointments, religious services, volunteer and job commitments and other day-to-day activities.

In the words of a passenger, "It is truly a blessing to have such a service in the county. The volunteers are all very nice. I wouldn't be able to get around if it weren't for Neighbor Ride. Thank you so much!"

Flexible and rewarding daytime, evening and weekend volunteer opportunities are available. Volunteer drivers may choose to provide rides that both fit their schedules and are convenient to their homes and daily routines. Parent volunteers are welcome to bring their children along for a wonderful intergenerational experience.

Call Rosemary Noble at 410-884-RIDE or e-mail volunteer@neighborride.org for more information about volunteering.

user comments (0)