Oklahoma Comes to Springbrook

Come and see the bright golden haze on Springbrook’s meadow when our phenomenal cast and crew present Rodger and Hammerstein’s classic treasure, OKLAHOMA on May 3, 4, and 5 at 7:00 pm. Tickets will be on sale all next week at the school bank and are only $5 for students and $7 for adults.

School Community Based Class Race

The School Community Based Class, students at Springbroook with severe disabilities, took part in a race at Springbrook High School on Friday April 20th with the support of the Springbrook and Wooten High School Track Teams. Springbrook Special Education educator, Larry Rumford describe the event as follows:

Mr. Frace [the track coach] approached me with the invitation to have a race in the Wooten/Springbrook Track Meet. There were 6 School Community Based (Students with severe disabilities) that came to race and learn about track meets and the various events. Coach Brown instructed them on warming up and how to run.

One of the students, Stephon Stewart, challenged Coach Brown to a race against him. (This was the only way we found to entice him into the event – some of our students hesitate doing new activities.) At the starting call, “Go”, Stephon left everyone behind in a blur. Both teams lined the sidelines and cheered the SCB class on. Everyone in the class, even the last in the race felt like they had performed something heroic. After the race, all the other people from the two teams surrounded the class and praised them and gave them high 5’s. Our students felt like students among other students, one race among many, part of the team.

This kind of experience gives our students a chance to feel truly included in the general populace. It also allows many of the general ed. students to experience how truly cool and what good people our students are and how we are all more alike than different. I’m sure that for the rest of the year that many of these same athletes are and will be saying “Hi.” To our students in the halls.

~ Larry Rumford

Thank you to everyone for participating and supporting the race!

The Blood Drive was a Success!

Many staff members and students attempted to save many lives at the Annual Blood Drive. There are hosts of people who depend on this valuable life source every minute of the day. The SGA would like to thank the staff members who made time in their busy schedules to add to the success of this event. 85 pints were collected.

Triumph for the Track Team!

Congratulations to the coaches and members of the Springbrook Track and Field Team. For first time in 15 years, the boy’s team has captured the division title. Good luck Blue Devils the rest of the season.

Springbrook Students Participate in Java Contest!

Rockville, Md., April 13, 2007 – The Montgomery College (Rockville Campus) Computer Science Department sponsored its first annual Java Programming Contest. Students from Montgomery Blair, Northwest, Sherwood, and Springbrook faced challenging programming problems in groups of two or three at either the beginner/intermediate or intermediate/advanced level. Students were tasked with writing programs to encrypt 4-digit passwords, convert Celsius to Fahrenheit, check if words are palindromes, and even determine what a contestant should wager in the final round of Final Jeopardy. The big success of the competition was Springbrook’s level of representation at the contest as 36 of the 50 participants hailed from Mr. Pat Yongpradit’s three levels of Computer Programming. The large number of Springbrook students attending the competition was only possible because of the involvement of the students’ parents who car-pooled the students to the competition from school and then dropped them off at their houses later. The contest lasted just over two hours and as parents and students waited for the results, they were treated to more refreshments and a door prize raffle of hats, shirts, books, and USB flash drives. Thunderous applause erupted as team after team from Springbrook came up to receive their medals and prizes.
The Springbrook results were:

Beginner/Intermediate:
2nd Springbrook (tie): Landry Horimbere, Joel Wang, Peter Liu
Springbrook: Nilesh Mistry, Eric Schweiger, Kyle Lewis
3rd Springbrook (tie): Branford Hubbard, Nima Farschi, John Yoon

Intermediate/Advanced:
1st Springbrook: Peter Myers, David Sweigart, Wesley Ripley

Congratulations Mrs. Strong!

During the School Library Media Program's (SLMP) Spring Meeting this past Friday, our very own Media Specialist, Cynthia Strong, was recognized for going "above and beyond the call of duty". Cynthia, one of only two recipients, was presented with a plaque from the SLMP administrative team. Congratulations Cynthia!

Julie J. Simon
Media Specialist
Springbrook High School

Student Named Semi-Finalist

Benjamin L. Singer Howard, a graduating senior at Springbrook, has been named one of approximately 550 semi-finalists in the 2007 Presidential Scholars Program. The semi-finalists were selected from more than 2,700 candidates on the basis of superior achievements, leadership qualities, personal character, and involvement in community and school activities.

Students Fast for Genocide Awarness in Dafur

At Springbrook High School, an estimated 80 participants, students and faculty alike, are engaging in efforts to raise awareness of the genocide in Darfur, Sudan. We are planning a 30-hour fast to take place on April 19th and 20th. Participants will be fasting from breakfast, lunch and dinner on Thursday, then breakfast Friday morning. After school, Friday, we will gather together over some well-deserved food with guest speakers from Sudanese organizations like Kush World and the South Sudan’s Woman Empowerment Network. For every hour fasted each individual has asked for donations which will be given to World Vision, humanitarian aid organization, to administer food for the benefit of people in Darfur. The goal is for participants to raise about $30 each (of course greater amounts are welcome). We have also sold t-shirts to wear the day of the fast in hopes to raise further awareness. With 300,000 people dying in Darfur and many more starving we hope our efforts are not in vain.



Beulah Erhiawarien (student)
Project Manager
Springbrook’s Fast For Darfur

Wynton Marsalis Visits Springbrook

On Friday, April 13th, Wynton Marsalis, the famous jazz trumpet musician, held a "jam session" with Springbrook's jazz band. He conducted a music workshop on techniques of keeping time and playing with emotion.

He critiqued students and gave positive feedback on their performance. He said, "If you play an instrument, play it because you want to, and take it seriously."

We would like to thank Stephanie Valentine for organizing this visit. This session was a memorable event in the lives of the students who were involved.

Cedric Jacobsen: Dancer, Choreographer, Student

Cedric Jacobsen is a senior at Springbrook High School who has been accepted to the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where he will receive a $14,000 scholarship. Cedric has displayed towering achievements in the performing arts, dance in particular.

Performing arts is in his blood. Born in Abidjan, the capital of what is known as the Ivory Coast, in West Africa, his first dance teacher was his mother who taught him and his sister traditional dances of that region. His maternal grandmother owned an African dance studio where she offered dance lessons to many. His father, a European American, is a professional trumpet player and artist. His aunt is also a professional musician who plays four instruments and started the music program at the National Cathedral in the District of Columbia. Several years ago, his paternal grandfather was a Vaudeville performer in New York.

Cedric was born with the gift of dance. He is a performer who has received very little formal dance training, but that has not stopped him from being successful. He has been a dance teacher since he was in the eighth grade. The first classes he ever taught were for students at Hollywood Elementary School in College Park, Maryland. He taught Modern Dance, Ballet, Jazz, Hip-Hop, and African Dance. His skills are so amazing that he was asked to instruct classes at Arthur Murray Dance Studio in Silver Spring, Maryland. His courses include: Swing, Cha Cha, Rumba, Tango, Salsa, Mambo, Fox-Trot, Waltz, Viennese Waltz, Quick Step, Hustle, Samba, Bolero, and more.

In a few months, Cedric will leave this area to broaden his horizons and perfect his talent in dance. He is truly a gifted Blue Devil.