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Eight high school seniors were honored with scholarship awards at the Montgomery County NAACP Freedom Fund Dinner on May 1.

Priscilla Agyapong, from Wheaton High School, and Raynell Cooper, Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville, received scholarships funded by the Montgomery County Chapter of Jack and Jill America.

Mishelle Asinobi, Watkins Mill High School in Montgomery Village, and Dolly Maiah, Gaithersburg High School, received awards of $1,000 per year for four years, from the Senator Nancy King State of Maryland Scholarship.

Peter Calhoun, James Hubert Blake High School in Cloverly, was the Roscoe Nix Award recipient which was funded by ACALETICS-Math.

Mariatu Fornah, Watkins Mill High School, received a scholarship funded by the Montgomery County Branch of the NAACP in honor of past presidents Edith Throckmorton and Mary Betters.

Blake High School senior Heather Phillips earned the 2011 Rosa Parks NAACP Scholarship and Olawale Aroyewun, Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, received the Martin Luther King, Jr. NAACP Award funded by the Aris and Marianne Mardirossian Charity Foundation.

In addition to the students, Jacob Scott, ESOL math teacher at Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, received the Excellence in Education teacher of the Year Award and Benjamin Ou Yang, principal of Parkland Middle School in Rockville, was honored as the Excellence in Education Principal of the Year.

Students express angst, hopes at poetry Slamsation

Eighth-grader Alana Nunn, 14, performed a poem about society and the way she feels it is treating children.

"I decided to write a poem about it and get my feelings out," Emily said about the first poem she performed during Slamsation, the Barrie School's fifth annual poetry slam held April 27.

"After this experience, if I'm upset I just go and write. I can release my feelings and it's pretty helpful," she said.

Slamsation is the culminating activity of a Writer's Workshop Program held weekly for eighth-graders at the Silver Spring school.

"It is part of the eighth-grade Humanities curriculum. During the year-long writing process, students focus on the genre of spoken-word poetry, writing, editing, and refining their pieces. They grapple with word choice, and poetic language [and] begin to understand how each of these poetic elements helps communicate a message and impact an audience," said Lisa Clarke, eighth-grade dean.

For poetic inspiration, students draw from their lives, passions and struggles, she added.

Eliot Goodman, 13, performed two poems, both from his life experiences.

"My first touched the subject of tourette's [syndrome] and people who have that. Second was my stronger poem: things about how I feel about the war [in Afghanistan and Iraq], and me and my mother are both Panamanian but legal in this country and how we are treated differently," Eliot said.

Students also had the opportunity to work with spoken word poet Gayle Danley and Olney Theatre actor Dan Van Why, who helped the students prepare for their time on stage and also judged their performances.

Slamsation included an Upper School competition as well as an open mic.

"There is so much that is amazing about this. The kids have a chance to focus on their writing process [and] they have a way to shine that is different from what we see all year," Clarke said.

Dancing at Banneker

and Drew schools

Students and staff at Banneker Middle School in Burtonsville will present the 10th anniversary performance of the Rock ‘n' Soul Revue at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and Friday, May 20 and Saturday, May 21.

Rock n' Soul Revue 10 features music from past years' performances in addition to new music. There will be an exhibit of memorabilia from past performances. Tickets are $5. Call 301-989-5747.

The Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary School PTA and NAACP Parents Council is sponsoring a performance by the international dance group Step Afrika! from 6:45-8:30 p.m. Friday in the school multipurpose room, 1200 Swingingdale Drive, Silver Spring.

Tickets are $5 for children, $10 for adults or $25 per family of four. Proceeds benefit the arts integration program at Drew. Tickets can be purchased at drewpta.org or call 240- 424-0782.

Westover hosts flea market

The Westover Elementary School PTA is holding a Spring Flea Market from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday in the school parking lot, 401 Hawkesbury Lane, Silver Spring. Cost is $20 per 10 x10 ft space plus $5 for a table.

The PTA is also accepting items to sell. They can be dropped off the day of the sale until 7:45 a.m. To reserve a spot send cash or check made payable to the Westover PTA and earmarked "PTA Flea Market Attention: David Jaffe" to the school. For details email djaffe@wcl.american.edu or call 202-274-4052.

Dine out for literacy

The Literacy Council of Montgomery County will hold a fundraising event at California Pizza Kitchen, Westfield Montgomery, 7101 Democracy Blvd., Bethesda, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. today and Thursday. The restaurant will donate a percentage of all sales to help raise money for the LCMC's programs for adults who need help reading, writing or speaking English. Patrons may dine-in, carry-out, or request curbside service.

Diners must present a flyer, which can be obtained by calling 301-610-0030 or emailing info@literacycouncilmcmd.org.

Youth advisory committee to hold teen forum

Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett and his Youth Advisory Committee will hold a Teen Forum from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the Silver Spring Civic Building, One Veteran's Place, Silver Spring. The free event is planned to give young people an opportunity to share their experiences, insights and solutions to problems with the county executive and the county council.

To pre-register, visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/rec, click on registration and register for course number 310044.

Education Notebook accepts news items and photographs about events, people and good news at your school. Contact Peggy McEwan at pmcewan@

gazette.net, fax at 301-670-7183 or 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, MD, 20877.