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Families are invited to learn more about programs and services offered by Montgomery County Public Schools during a "coffee and conversation" time from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday at Carver Educational Services Center, 850-Hungerford Drive, Rockville.

MCPS staff will be available to answer questions and offer tips for parents on how to help their children succeed in school. Childcare will be provided. Call 301-279-3853 for more information. A second coffee and conversation time will be held on Saturday, April 17 also from 10 a.m. to noon at Carver educational Services Center.

Taking to the ice

Potomac Elementary School students and their families will have a chance to try their Olympic moves or just try to make it around the rink at the school's annual Ice Skating Social on Saturday from 6 to 8 p.m. at Cabin John Ice Rink, 10610 Westlake Drive, Bethesda. The PTA has rented the NHL rink, which can hold up to 450 skaters, for the exclusive use of Potomac elementary skaters. Tickets are $6.20 at the door, $5.50 if purchased in advance at school. Bring your own skates or rent them for $3.25. For more information, call 240-246-7781.

Oldies but goodies

The second of three student-run Car and Computer Sales will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday at Damascus High School, 25921 Ridge Road, Damascus.

Students in the Montgomery County Students Automotive Trades and Information Technology Foundations programs at Thomas Edison High School of Technology in Wheaton will sell cars and computers they refurbished as part of their classes.

All cars are Maryland inspected and ready for licensing on the day of the sale. Computers include Dell Pentium desktop personal computers with a CD-ROM drive, floppy disk, color monitor, keyboard, mouse, network interface card and four USB ports. Those with no operating system are $69 and, with Microsoft Windows XP Home installed, $159.

Cash or checks are accepted. For information on cars call 301-929-2164 or visit www.autocareers.org. For computers call 301-929-6975 or visit www.itfcareers.org.

Paying for college

The College Savings Plans of Maryland will offer an Informational Webinar about Maryland's two 529 college savings plans from 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday.

The webinar will explain how the Maryland Prepaid College Trust and the Maryland College Investment Plan work.

The Maryland Prepaid College Trust gives families an opportunity to lock in future college tuition rates at today's prices and is backed by the security of a Maryland Legislative Guarantee. The current Prepaid College Trust enrollment is open now through April 5.

The Maryland College Investment Plan, managed and distributed by T. Rowe Price, offers a variety of investment options with no sales commissions or loads, and enrollment is open year-round. Both plans offer federal tax benefits and are the only 529 plans that provide a state income deduction for Maryland taxpayers. The plans may be used at nearly any accredited college in the country.

The sessions will review the specifics of each plan, explain the tax benefits offered by these plans, and answer any question participants' may have. For details on the webinar, visit collegesavingsmd.org/webinar. Reservations are required.

Education Notebook accepts short news items and photographs about events, people and good news at your school. We feature fundraiser, event and meeting announcements, student and staff achievements, requests for donations, new education initiatives and anything else that goes on in your school. Please send us story ideas at least a week in advance of the event. Contact Peggy McEwan at pmcewan@gazette.net, fax at 301-670-7183 or 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, MD, 20877.