Fallen Angels an 11th Grade Novel

Roger Robinette, Springbrook's media services technician, was stationed in Vietnam in the 1970's. He spoke candidly to a group of students in Mr. Forbes' seventh period class about his experiences. The students are reading Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers. Many students asked questions, and the discussions were thought-provoking.

Alberto Avendano, the Editor-in-Chief of El Tiempo Latino

Mr. Alberto Avendaño, Associate Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of El Tiempo Latino was a special guest speaker in Ms. Middlebrook's Spanish classes. He is the husband of Senora Garro, a member of Springbrook's foreign language department. During his presentation, he talked about the Spanish Diaspora and how Latinos should have pride in their rich language and culture. He made students understand that Latino culture is a part of the American fabric of society.


Founded in Washington DC, in 1991, El Tiempo Latino, the premier Hispanic weekly in the Washington DC Metropolitan area has a large audience. Mr. Avendano started with the paper in 2000, since then El Tiempo has grown, developed and received the most important print awards in the nation. In 2004 El Tiempo Latino was purchased by the Post Company becaming a Washington Post publication. Current circulation is 55,000 every Friday. In March El Tiempo received the Jose Marti award as the best Hispanic Weekly in the nation.

Sebastien Robasson is Student of the Year!

Sebastien Robasson, a native of Guyana, South America, is "Student of the Year" in plumbing at the Edison School of Technology. Sebastien is an eleventh grader who takes academic courses at Springbrook in the morning and learns a trade at Edison in the afternoon. We are proud of him. (In the photo, Sebastien appears with Ms. Koch, our Vice Principal)

Famous Latino Author Mario Bencastro Visits Springbrook

Mario Bencastro, born in Ahuachapán, El Salvador, in 1949, is the author of award-winning works that explore the drama of the Salvadoran civil war, the Diaspora of millions of Latin American emigrants, and the difficulties of the bicultural and bilingual life of many young Latinos in the United States. The author's first novel, A Shot in the Cathedral, was chosen from among 204 works as a Finalist in the "Novedades y Diana International Literary Prize 1989" in Mexico, and was published by Editorial Diana in January, 1990.
***** In 1988 he wrote and directed Crossroad, performed by the Hispanic Cultural Society Theater Group at Thomas Jefferson Theater in Arlington, Virginia in October of that year. This play was chosen for the "Bicentennial Festival for the Performing Arts" of Georgetown University in April of 1989.
***** Between 1979 and 1990, Mario Bencastro wrote the collection of short stories The Tree of Life: Stories of Civil War, which was published in El Salvador in 1993 by Clásicos Roxsil. Several of these stories have been included in international anthologies. Two of them, Photographer of Death and Clown's Story, have been adapted for the stage.
***** The author directs ArteNet, International Service of Cultural Information (in Spanish), which he founded in 1999. He has presented his work in more than one hundred readings and conferences at public schools and libraries, universities and community organizations in El Salvador, Guatemala, Spain, Italy, Venezuela and the United States.
***** Arte Público Press has published in the United States, in English and Spanish, Mario Bencastro's A Shot in the Cathedral, Tree of Life: Stories of Civil War, Odyssey to the North, and A Promise to Keep. Odyssey to the North was a Finalist in the 1999 Independent Publisher Books Awards of the United States.

Congratulations "Green Team"

The Green Team at Springbrook High School, sponsored by Ms. Diane Niedzialkowski, has won first place in the 2007-2008 Green Schools Conservation Conversations (COCO) Challenge! Ten high schools submitted entries for this competition, which was judged by a panel from Central Office and Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection.

The judges were particularly impressed that at Springbrook HS, life skills and ESOL students were active participants in educating staff, along with members of the National Honor Society. They also liked the fact that student data was turned into action by building service and the administration in making operational decisions to save energy in the building.

The first place award is for $1,000. It will be presented at the End-of-Year GS Celebration on May 27 from 6 pm to 8 pm at the Smith Center.

The Desi Club Raises Awareness

Springbrook’s Desi Club, sponsored by Mrs. Luthra of the Science Department, is a cultural organization that participates in events while attempting to teach others about their rich, South Asian culture. The mission as an organization is to support students - culturally, socially, and academically while promoting awareness and appreciation of the South Asian culture[s] through the active participation of members. The Desi Club discovered that millions of civilians in India have lost their lives or are suffering in great poverty as a result of HIV/AIDS. Astonishingly, it is not uncommon to find people in India who still believe that touching a person or seeing a person who suffers from HIV / AIDS can get one infected. Hence, as an organization, we tried to ponder upon a solution. As an organization, The Desi Club assembled a series of fundraising events to help raise awareness about HIV / AIDS in India since it is such an epidemic. The group has sponsored the following activities: · Fundraised during lunch period[s] by the means of collecting student [and faculty] donations. · Held a movie event. Two were held after school on Tuesday, April 29th and Thursday, May 1st in order to promote the Desi [South Asian] culture so that individuals were further encouraged to engage in the events. Fanaa was the movie selected. · Culminated with a wrap-up session of the awareness week – a representative, Ms. Caroline Glendenning was asked to speak on behalf of SPW – Student Partnership Worldwide – [to educate students and staff, those who wish to attend the event] about the epidemic occurring in India During both movie events after school, refreshments were served (samosas sold out both days).The Desi Club found success in all aspects. They were able to raise over $550, illustrating that sufficient number of individuals understood the intensity of the problem in India. The turn out to the movie events and the presentation, were amazing. Culturally and socially, The Desi Club was able to reach their goals by reaching students and heightening awareness.