Blake students make food for the homeless

The high school is located at 300 Norwood Road in Cloverly. Call Ethan Soodak at 301-989-9565 or e-mail ethanms@comcast.net for more information about the effort. Visit www.dccentralkitchen.org⁄ for more information about the nonprofit.

Paint Branch teamslauded for sportsmanship

Four Paint Branch High School varsity teams won the Montgomery County Sportsmanship Award for the fall season.

The award-winning teams are: the field hockey team, coached by Dan Feher; the football team, coached by Mike Nesmith; the girls soccer team, coached by Danielle Prietz; and the girls volleyball team, coached by Nicole Shields.

The teams earned the award for the school’s effort in promoting sportsmanship and showing support and courtesy towards officials. Sports officials, school administrators, athletic directors and assistant athletic directors vote on each of three areas: the play and conduct of the school’s athletes, the coach’s sportsmanship and fans’ behavior during games.

‘‘Our student-athletes did a tremendous job this fall not only in playing the game, but setting an example and tone of sportsmanship for the entire school year, Jeff Sullivan, Paint Branch athletic director, said in a press release.

College Gardens Chinese program to hold open house

The Chinese Immersion Program at College Gardens Elementary School in Rockville will hold an open house for students in kindergarten through fourth grade 10-11 a.m. Feb. 15.

The event will feature an information session followed by a school tour.

In the event of inclement weather, the open house will be held at 10 a.m. Feb. 19. For more information, call Kuang-Tzu Gretz, Chinese Immersion Program coordinator, at 301-279-8470.

Get readyfor the science fair

Montgomery County students in grades 6-12 can register for the county science fair, which will be held March 14-16 in the Reckord Armory Building at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Students can participate individually or in groups. Students must register for the fair online by 9 p.m. Feb. 8. Required registration forms can be found on www.ScienceMONTGOMERY.org.

Send the forms, along with a nonrefundable $10 entry fee per student, to ScienceMONTGOMERY, 4117 Barnsley Lane, Olney, MD 20832, or through the internal MCPS mail service to New Hampshire Estates Elementary School in Silver Spring.

The awards ceremony will be held 2-4 p.m. March 16 in the Gaithersburg High School auditorium. For questions,e-mail scimont@aol.com or visit www.ScienceMONTGOMERY.org.

Black History Monthessay contest

Giant Food will celebrate Black History Month and Martin Luther King Jr. Day by sponsoring its second annual Martin Luther King Jr. Essay Contest, which will be open to all students in grades six to nine.

The contest invites students to address the question, ‘‘How can service to others make you great?” Each essay submission will be judged on the basis of originality, creativity and adherence to the essay topic.

One winner will be selected from every grade level and each winner will be awarded a $250 savings bond. Entry forms are available at all Giant stores and on its Web site. Entry forms and essays must be postmarked or received via e-mail by Feb. 15.

For additional information, visit any Giant or the company Web site at www.giantfood.com.

Items appropriate for this column may be sent to Judith Hruz, Editor, The Olney Gazette, 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, MD 20877; faxed to 301-670-7183; or e-mailed to jhruz@gazette.net. Deadline is 5 p.m. Wednesday. All items are subject to space availability and editing.