Local students honored as National Merit semifinalists

Twenty-two Baltimore County Public Schools students from seven high schools have been named semifinalists in the 57th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Local students include:

Dulaney High School — Jungbin Choi, Christopher Flower, Daniel Iachan, He Liu, Arjun Rao, Michael Roy, Yuchao Sun and Liangcheng Tao.

George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology — Helen Zhao.

Loch Raven High School — Olivia Cypull and Emily Ruppel.

Towson High School — Matthew Bender, Morgana Jenkins-Houk, Emma McDonald, Jonathan Peake, Timothy Riley and Benjamin Weksberg.

Other students from around the county includes Christopher Blair and James Warshaw of Catonsville High; Cody Lieu of Perry Hall High; and Ruth Hirsch and Joshua Polikov of Pikesville High

Trio of graduates honored at African American Cultural Festival

Ugonnaya Obineme, a graduate of Loch Raven High School, is one of three former Baltimore County Public Schools students who received scholarships at the county's African American Cultural Festival, held Sept. 10 in Towson.

Obineme, a 2011 graduate, is now majoring in chemistry atUniversity of Maryland, Baltimore County.

BCPS Superintendent Joe Hairston attended the festival and extend congratulations to the three BCPS graduates — Obineme; Dorian Issac, a graduate of Milford Mill Academy; and Amala Edwards, a graduate of Western School of Technology and Environmental Science — who will receive scholarships at the festival. The three will receive scholarships of $1,500 each.

Rodgers Forge hosts cake walk and ice cream social

Rodgers Forge Elementary School, 250 Dumbarton Road, will host its ice cream social event and cake walk on Friday, Sept. 23, from 5 to 7 p.m. Teachers and administrators will donate cakes to be sold to raise money for thePTA.

For details, contact Sophie Fineran or Sue Deise, at 410-887-3582

Expo features insight on county magnet school programs

Parents and students interested in Baltimore County Public Schools' magnet school offerings are invited to attend the Magnet Expo, Saturday, Sept. 24, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 2004 Greenspring Drive,Timonium.

The expo is an exhibition of magnet programs available to BCPS students from kindergarten to grade 12. Magnet programs provide students with in-depth experiences in specialized areas of interest.

BCPS has more than 70 elementary, middle and high school magnet programs in 29 schools across the county. For more details, call 410-887-4127.

St. Paul's Schools plan for Oct. 14-15 fall festival

The St. Paul's Schools in Brooklandville will host the annual Fall Festival on Friday, Oct. 14, from 5:30 to 10 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 15, from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

St. Paul's will play Annapolis Area Christian School in football under the lights on Friday.

On Saturday, from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., the carnival will be full swing with rides, food, crafts and a DJ.

Admission is free. Advance ticket/bracelet sales for rides benefit the schools' parents' associations. Advance prices are $20 for a one-day bracelet and $35 for a two-day bracelet. Visit http://www.spsfg.org or http://www.stpaulsschool.org for advance tickets The price for a bracelet on the day of the event is $30.

The St. Paul's Schools provide a smoke-free campus. Alcoholic beverages are not allowed.

For more information, contact: Beth Smith, director of communication, St. Paul's School for Girls, 443-632-1028, bsmith@spsfg.org or Jamie Smith, St. Paul's School, 410-825-4400, jsmith@stpaulsschool.org.

Dance students attend Ailey showcase at Towson

Some 340 Baltimore County Public Schools dance students attended a special matinee of the Ailey II Dance Company last week at Towson University Dance Department.

The event, Sept. 16, was hosted by the TU Dance Department. Students who were invited represented eight BCPS schools that offer fine arts dance programs — Dulaney High School, George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology, Lansdowne High, New Town High, Patapsco High and Center for the Arts, Southwest Academy, Sudbrook Magnet Middle School and Windsor Mill Middle.

Towson University offered BCPS students free seating for the matinee performance.

Under the artistic direction of Sylvia Waters, Ailey II has become one of the most popular dance companies in the country.

School system's online survey seeks community input

Baltimore County Public Schools is inviting the public to participate in an online "Stakeholder Satisfaction Survey," designed to allow students, parents and community members throughout the county to provide feedback to the school system on various topics.

The survey is available online only, through Oct. 14. It may be accessed at http://www.bcps.org. Those needing assistance accessing the Internet may do so via computers in BCPS schools and at county public libraries.