Winston Churchill High School PTSA
Volume 47, Issue 2
Bulld g Bulletin
Principal’s Message
It takes your breath
away when you realize
the holidays are in
sight and soon half the
school year will be
over. Our first quarter
Inside this issue: was impressive. Stu-
dent participation in
PTSA 2010/11 2 the PSAT on October
13th was high. Our
Counseling Corner 3
first choral and instru-
English Extras 4 mental concerts of the
Mathematics Matters 5
year brought us eve-
nings of enjoyment
What’s Happening 6 and were indicative of
Student Service—SSL 8
the exceptional work
of our students and
2011-12 MCPS Calendar 9 teachers. "Anything
Semester 1 Exams 2011 9 Goes" was magnifi-
cently presented and
will long be remem-
bered. The Key Club
5K race, a huge under-
taking, successfully
raised money for the
Calendar Gulf Coast Relief Fund.
Our athletic season
November
was amazing with
22 Race to Nowhere 7pm
24 Early release day K-
K-12 Churchill students
25 No school-
school-Thanksgiving playing with heart and
26 No school-
school-Thanksgiving determination. This
30 Financial Aid Night 7:15 intentionally long para-
December 24-
24-January 2 graph documents the
Winter Break daily life, rigor and ac-
January
tivities that combine to
7 SSL forms due 1st semester
13-
13-20 Semester exams make our school envi-
17 No school-
school-MLK, Jr Day ronment one where
18 PTSA meeting 7:30 students can achieve
21 2nd marking period ends at their highest levels
February of potential.
2 Report cards distributed
15 PTSA meeting 7:30
21 No school-
school-Presidents Day
ccx
Dr. Joan C. Benz
With our successes,
we battle continuing
d e mo n s . Al co h o l ,
drugs and bullying are
demons at Churchill as
they are in schools
across the country.
Whether students use
drugs to self-medicate
to relieve the pres-
sures they face or
whether they use them
before social events
because they believe
they will have
"enhanced experi-
ences," they are tread-
ing in dangerous terri-
tory. A double conse-
quence will face them
if they come to school
"under the influence."
A ten day suspension
from school awaits
November 2010
them as well as
police involve-
ment with civil
consequences.
Although stu-
dents know the
rules regarding
illegal drugs and
underage drink-
ing, adolescents
believe they will
not be detected
and they move
toward risky be-
haviors.
Bullying has become
more prevalent with
increased use of social
networking. We have
read the devastating
results of consistent
bullying. At Churchill
we have one of the
strongest anti-bullying
ca mp a i g n s wit h in
Montgomery County
Schools. In spite of the
work of our Anti-
Bullying Committee,
composed of students,
staff members and
parents, incidents tar-
geting victims with ru-
mor mongering, name
calling and attacks on
personal appearance
persist. Cyber-bullying
allows people to put
(Continued on page 6)
 Page 2

WCHS PTSA 2010-2011

WCHS PTSA President's Perspective

Officers 2010-11

PRESIDENT
Geri Shapiro
301 983-2773 Well it is November. It has been a bit of a rough start
ironmomgeri@yahoo.com for the PTSA. Many of our volunteers graduated with their children, leaving a
few areas understaffed. Please do contact any PTSA officer if you can help.
VICE PRESIDENT
Joanne Jacobson
301 299-2367 While we have been sorting through what needs to be done, the directory has
joannemail@aol.com been printed and is in the process of being mailed out. We are now focusing
VICE PRESIDENT on updating the website, calendars, upcoming events and general organiza-
Susi Eslami tion. We are working towards more information at PTSA meetings, of interest
301 738-3326 to parents and students, as well as briefer.
susieslami@comcast.net

CORRESPONDING This month we are organizing the showing of the Documentary "Road to No-
SECRETARY where" on Monday, November 22nd at 7:30pm. This is a documentary about
Judith Bourzutschky the stress that is being put on our students. This will be in lieu of our regu-
301-765-7056
jbourzu@yahoo.com larly scheduled PTSA meeting. Information has been sent out on BLIPS-- tick-
ets can be purchased in advance. Our Board will be meeting as well so if you
RECORDING have concerns please send them my way.
SECRETARY
Joy Stein I hope the first grading period has gone well for your families and wish you all
301 294-2946
fullojoy@comcast.net good holidays. Geri Shapiro, WCHS PTSA President 2010-2011

TREASURER WCHS PTSA presents the outstanding documentary, “Race to Nowhere” on

Maryam Khatib
Monday, November 22nd at 7:30 PM in Churchill's Bish auditorium. Stay for
301 983-4320
maryamamini@yahoo.com the provocative questions and answers with the a team of Churchill Coun-

Bulldog Bulletin selors. Tickets: $10 in advance or $15 at the door–buy them online at
ChurchillHS10@gmail.com http://www.racetonowhere.com/postcard/november-22nd-potomac-md

Suzanne Weiss, Publisher

Race to Nowhere info: A concerned mother turned filmmaker aims her
camera at the high-stakes, high-pressure culture that has invaded our
Bulldog Bulletin
Published four times schools and our children's lives. Race to Nowhere points to the silent epi-
annually by demic in our schools: cheating has become commonplace; students are dis-
Winston Churchill High
School Parent Teacher engaged; stress-related illness and depression are rampant; and many
Student Association young people arrive at college and the workplace unprepared and unin-
11300 Gainsborough Road,
Potomac, Maryland spired. Race to Nowhere is a call to action for families, educators, and pol-
20854
icy makers to challenge current assumptions on how to best prepare the
www.Churchillptsa.org
youth of America to become healthy, bright, contributing and leading citi-
zens. Be there Monday, November 22nd at 7:30 PM
Page 3
Counseling Corner
SENIOR AND JUNIOR MEETINGS
The Counseling Department has been busy
this fall. On September 7th senior parents
met with counselors in the auditorium for
an overview of the college application proc-
ess. As always the attendance was great.
Counselors also held a question-and-
answer session at the conclusion of the
program and provided handouts, including
both the application process steps and
suggestions for writing essays for the col-
lege application. Counselors met with their
own seniors in small groups on September
7th and 8th. The WCHS application process
was reviewed. The counselors instructed
the students from the start of the process
to the finish for their transcript requests.
The students had many questions which
the counselors answered both in groups
and individually.
On the evening of September 15th, the
counselors met with the junior parents in
the auditorium to start them thinking
about colleges and other post-secondary
opportunities. Counselors gave detailed
information about what must be accom-
plished by the end of the junior year. One
of the main reasons for meeting with jun-
ior parents is to ease the stress they are
beginning to feel. The counselors also vis-
ited the juniors through English class to
inform them of the tasks they needed to
complete this year as well. Meetings on the
college application process were well re-
ceived. Parents and students felt more in-
formed and confident moving forward.
COLLEGE REPRESENTATIVE VISITS
A visit by college representatives is an ex-
cellent way to hear about a specific college
and talk face-to-face with the admissions
representative. Visits are listed on the
Churchill calendar. Mrs. Zimmerman in the
career center publishes a list of colleges
that have scheduled time with her to visit.
The publication is available in the career
center. The colleges that are coming to
visit are also listed on the school's Web
site. To be admitted to the session, stu-
dents merely have to come to the career
center and obtain a pass prior to the pres-
entation. The student should show the
pass to his/her teacher before attending
the representative's visit.
REGISTRAR ACCEPTS TRANSCRIPT RE-
QUESTS
Mrs. Fabrizio accepts requests for tran-
scripts before and after school and during
lunch. No requests are accepted at other
times. If you have not already done so,
complete your "College Packet" and turn it
in to Mrs. Fabrizio. Completing the
"College Packet" will help your counselor
present you in a very positive way and enu-
merate what makes you special in his/her
letter of recommendation. Continue to do
the best job possible in all your classes;
colleges will see both your mid-year and
your final grades. The college has accepted
you because of your grades through your
junior year. If you do not continue to work
up to that standard, it is possible that your
offer of admission will be rescinded.
ATTENTION, FRESHMEN!
If you are a freshman repeating an MCPS
high school course that you took in middle
school, i.e. world language or math, please
fill out the form that is available in the reg-
istrar's office. This form gives us permis-
sion to record on the transcript only the
higher of the two grades.
CLUB NIGHT
If you missed Club Night, a list of clubs is
available in the main office. If you do not
see a club that you want, consider starting
one. See your counselor or your assistant
principal for more details.
NAME CHANGE IN MCPS
The Foreign Language Department is now
called the World Languages Department.
THANK YOU, CHURCHILL PARENTS, STU-
DENTS AND STAFF!
The 2010-2011 school year started won-
derfully because of the fine relationships
we have at Churchill. We are excited about
the new year and hope to make it the very
best Churchill has ever had. As always, the
Counseling Services Department stands
ready to help all students meet their maxi-
mum potentials in school and in life.
Beverly Lubenetski, Resource Counselor
Beverly_J_Lubenetski@mcpsmd.org
Page 4

English Department Extras

This fall we were privileged to induct 54 Hwang, Kenny
new members into our English Honor Soci- Kazemi, Tiffany
ety (EHS). The National English Honor Soci- Keung, Tiffany
ety (NEHS) was founded March 25, 2004, by Kuff, Rachel
Sigma Tau Delta (ΣΤ∆), the International Lee, Eunjae
English Honor Society. NEHS was conceived Li, Raymond
as an outreach to high school students, Machlis, Daniel
with whom ΣΤ∆ seeks to share the same Mackie, Adam
goals that make it an important organiza- Namude, Maliza
tion for college-level English majors. Ochs, Matt
The Winston Churchill Chapter was installed Plumer, Kim
in the fall of 2006. NEHS has the following Reitzes, Sarah
primary goals: Sheorey, Lena
◊ to recognize on the national level those Siegel, Gabrielle
who, on the basis of academic grades and Teitelbaum, Jill
performance, merit special note for past Tran-Kiem, Jennifer
and current accomplishments; Walter, Lauren
◊ to nurture these persons in such ways Weinstein, Zachary
that they are encouraged to develop further Yiin, Cindy
their abilities in the various fields of Eng- Yim, Wesley
lish; and Zheng, Cindy
◊ to encourage members to use their tal- Asher, Jane
ents in the service of others. Belur, Anjali
To be inducted into our chapter, students Bhamidipati, Lavanya
must be currently juniors or seniors and Bojanova, Diana
have met the requirements of a minimum Goldman, Rebecca
unweighted GPA of 3.75 in all English Han, Renee
classes plus a minimum unweighted overall Lu, Matthew
GPA of 3.50. All students have demon- Morse, Elizabeth
strated qualities of diligence, initiative and Palmer, Oliver
reliability in English language and literature. Pratt, Michael
Congratulations to each of these exemplary Rao, Vinay
11th and 12th grade students. Rehert, Rachel
Akbari, Yasmin Salzman, Rebecca
Ares, Natalya Siudzinski, Jasmine
Blum, Alexander Yang, Rachel
Bruno, Marisa
Cantor, Jenna The English department sponsors a writing
Chen, Lyon lab during lunch hours. Our Composition
Chen, Sherry Assistants are available to help any student
Dobkin, Zoe with writing assignments; priority will be
Ettinger, Sophie given to English assignments when time is
Farooqi, Amna limited. In addition, volunteers from the
Figuerola, Constanza English Honor Society will be available on
Foulon, Jennifer Tuesday and Thursday to help with all writ-
Gritz, Derek ing assignments. Data from school year
Guan, Nancy 2009-2010 indicates that an average of
Hildreth, Christine over 300 students use this service monthly.
Hollrah, Christopher
Horikoshi, Lindsay Emily Goldberg, English Resource Teacher
HSU Hsieh, William Emily_C_Goldberg@mcpsmd.org
Page 5

Mathematics Matters
SEMESTER EXAMS Colin Kincaid
All math students will receive an exam re- Hai-Li Kong
view prior to the Winter Break. Students Ariel Lai
should complete and study the review Adrianna Lee
questions as an essential part of their Eun Jae Lee
preparation for the semester exam. The Emma Levitt
review will also be available through the Raymond Li
Churchill website in December, 2010. The Anthony Linn
final exam is 25% of the semester grade. Paul Liu
Math exams are rigorous in nature and Andrea Lopez
should be taken seriously by all students. Danielle Malament
Kristie Moy
MU ALPHA THETA, NATIONAL MATHE- Maliza Namude
MATICS HONOR SOCIETY Matthew Ochs
On October 14, 2010 the students listed Jamie Oppenheimer
below were inducted into the Churchill Aresh Pahlavan
chapter of Mu Alpha Theta, the Na- Autusa Pahlavan
tional Mathematics Honor Society. Sun Ah Park
These students are currently enrolled Emily Petti
in AP Calculus or higher, have taken Sarah Reitzes
all honors math courses and main- Justin Rheingold
tained a 4.0 average in all math Jennifer Rokoff
courses. Each student has demon- Hayden Saunders
strated the characteristics of excel- Maria Schoch
lence, industry, initiative and reliability Meili Sohl
which are the principles of Mu Alpha Sambrum Sreenivas
Theta. Congratulations to each of these Caroline Su
exemplary students. Evan Tassis
Kian Tehranchi
Genevieve Austin Leo Wang
Nachiketa Bhatnagar Natacha Wathieu
Charlotte Bourg Mitzi Way
Marisa Bruno Elizabeth Wei
George Chang Zachary Weinstein
Lyon Chen Matthew Wilson
Sherry Chen Bofan Wu
Cynthia Chiang Jaqueline Yang
Mahak Chopra Sina Zargham
Erol Cromwell Cindy Zheng
Julian Debenedetti Lily Zheng
Zoe Dobkin
Sophie Ettinger MATH TUTORING–
Jennifer Foulon OPEN TO ALL STUDENTS
Brian Green Algebra 1
Nancy Guan > Tuesday & Thursday 2:15-3:15 Room117
Naomi Gutkind Geometry/Honors Geometry
Emily Hall > Tuesday & Wednesday 2:15-3:15 Rm112
Renee Han All Courses
Brian Hawthorne-Coda > Every day at lunch,11-11:30, Room 134
Lindsay Horikoshi > Every day after school, 2:15-3:00, math
Kenneth Hwang
Pimsiri Jariyanuntanaet (Continued on page 6)
Page 6

What’s Happening
(Continued from page 1) dren were younger.
into writing their anger and mean We need your help in keeping our
thoughts, things they would seldom students safe and in school. Being ex-
do in face-to-face conversations. Drug cellent students who receive a future-
use and bullying are destructive in focused education is their primary job
any environment, but especially in a now. Drug use and bullying take them
school setting. Class time is lost to away from that job. My message is a
the victim because they cannot focus somber one. With holiday time away
on instruction. Bulliers lose time be- from their usually structured days,
cause of investigations and often, sus- students have more computer time
pensions. Wonderful students make and parties to anticipate. Please moni-
poor choices. As the caring adults in tor activities and structure family time
their lives, strong guidance from us is so that this holiday season will be joy-
absolutely necessary. You cannot ful for all.
breathe a sigh of relief when children My wish for you is peace with the
reach their teenage years. Vigilance prospect of a bright new year.
and continuing conversations are Dr. Joan Benz, WCHS Principal
more imperative now than when chil-
Want to know more about sports at Churchill? Join the WCHS Booster Club!
Applications at BulldogBooster.com and be sure to also
sign up for Booster emails.
Watch for the upcoming WCHS Booster Cookbook.
Check the WCHS Booster web site for schedules and
updates www.BulldogBooster.com Bookmark it!

College and Career Planning

Check out Career Center information at
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/churchillhs/careercenter/carca
l.aspx

Financial aid information night Tuesday, November 30 at 7:15pm in room

126
We invite parents to join us for an informative program on the college financial
aid process. The presenter will be Dorothy Elford, a financial aid officer at
Montgomery College. This is a great opportunity to hear about the process and
to get questions answered by an expert in the field.

Luana Zimmerman, WCHS College Information Coordinator

(Continued from page 5) Students may contact Ms. Cross in

office Room 118 if they have questions about
> The tutors are honors math students. the team.
New members are always welcome.
MATH TEAM
Practices are Tuesday, during lunch Janice Williams
and Wednesday, 2:15 - 3:30 PM. Mathematics Resource Teacher
Page 7
Drama Doings
The Drama Club is sponsoring a FREE
Scene Festival showcase on Friday
12/10 and Saturday 12/11 at
7:30pm.
Come see songs and scenes directed
by Abby Jackson, Nina Katz & Maggie
Pelta-Pauls, Alex Zohore, Laura Sper-
ling, Laura Butvinik, Jenny Winkert,
Ari Srabstein, Michelle Pargament,
Monika Hammer, Kamran Partovi, Al-
exa Wert and Annie Causey. The Mu-
sic Director for the event is senior
Josh Coyne, and Mrs. Speck and Mr.
Wolf are supervising the festival.
The 10-minute pieces range from se-
It's a Sign of the Times!
Help support the Churchill community
as we continue to raise the funds
needed for a digital WCHS sign.
On Tuesday, November 30 between 5
and 9 pm, please patronize Elevation
Burger at Potomac Promenade. Eat in or
carry out, and a portion of the sales will
help us finalize the funds needed.
Check out the information at our web
http://sites.google.com/site/churchillhs
itsasignofthetimes/
We look forward to seeing you and your
Have you joined the WCHS PTSA?
It’s not too late. Help enrich the Chur-
chill experience, support programs and
supplement equipment. See the WCHS
PTSA web http://churchillptsa.org/
Free the Children—Student Film Festival March 31, 2011
The WCHS chapter of Free the Children
is accepting film submissions beginning
November 15th for the 2011 MoCo Stu-
dent Film Festival as part of its fundrais-
ing activities for the non-profit group.
One hundred percent of the $10 regis-
tration fees collected from HS film-
makers who submit their films (and the
$5 admission fees to view the films on
the day of the event) will go to Free the
Children. Categories include animation,
rious to silly, mysterious to musical
theatre so we hope you will join us!
Save the Dates for the Winter Play
The Mousetrap—Agatha Christie’s
spectacular murder mystery that has
been running in London for 58 years!
See Churchill students tackle this
masterpiece. February 4, 5, 11, 12 at
7:30pm Tickets are only $8 and may
be purchased at the door or at
www.seatyourself.biz
Jessica Speck, Drama Teacher
Jessica_L_Speck@mcpsmd.org.
families on November 30 at Elevation
Burger to help Churchill add this impor-
tant dimension in communications, our
Digital Sign. Thank you in advance–your
participation is appreciated.
Elevation Burger is near the new Harris
Teeter at Park Potomac, 12525 Park Po-
tomac Ave. Ingredients matter in their
tasty selection of veggie and meat bur-
gers, salads, grilled cheese sandwiches,
sides, malts and shakes
http://www.elevationburger.com/
The next issue of the Bulldog
Bulletin is January, 2011!
Please send articles and
photos electronically to
ChurchillHS10@gmail.com
comedy, drama, documentary, music
video, and Public Service Announce-
ments. Films of up to a 10-minute length
will be judged by professionals in film
and the arts, with submissions shown on
the big screen at "The Movies" in West-
feld Montgomery Mall on March 31. For
more information about the 2011 MoCo
Student Film Festival, see
www.mocostudentfilmfest.org
Page 8

Student Service Learning (SSL) http://

www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/

Give a Little Time...Make a Big Difference November 2010

SSL: Develops Personal Sense of Self Worth

* Check the SSL information on the report card. Contact school SSL coordina-
tor with any discrepancies. Keep copies of all SSL documentation.

* All organizations and opportunities for which SSL hours are desired must be
preapproved. Check the list of organizations tagged on the SSL web page

* Approved SSL MCPS and opportunities tagged, "MCPS SSL Approved" at the
website www.mcpsssl.org or get MCPS Form 560-50, Request for SSL Preap-
proval granted in advance of any involvement.

* All SSL activities must be documented on MCPS Form 560-51, Student Ser-
vice Learning Activity Verification and turned in to the school SSL coordina-
tor according to timelines.

* Organizations and opportunities not listed must be pre approved using

MCPS Form 560-50, Request for SSL Preapproval.

* Students enrolled in the National, State, and Local Government (NSL) course
have the opportunity to learn about advocacy. SSL hours earned for full par-
ticipation in SSL activities and successful course completion.

* SSL hours may be with school clubs that focus on service. It can involve indi-
rect action in addressing a need. Students may not meet service recipients
but may collect or work on their behalf.

* Plan now to be involved in SSL activities over Winter break. Look for opportu-
nities on the SSL Web site http://www.mcpsssl.org or promoted at school.
[SSL board near Cafeteria, WCHS Web - Quick Links, Daily Dose]

* The award of SSL hours outside of the instructional day (before school,
lunchtime, after school) is one SSL hour for every hour of service. There is a
maximum of 8 hours within a 24 hours period. NO EXCEPTIONS.
Wendy A. Tilles, SSL Coordinator Wendy_A_Tilles@mcpsmd.org

NOTE: Students will complete seventy-five (75) service learning hours for
graduation. Documentation of all service performed during the first se-
mester is due to the SSL coordinator by the Friday before first semester
exams begin, this year January 7, 2011
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/ssl/
Page 9

MCPS School Year Calendar:

2011-2012

Date Event Note

Mon, August 29, 2011 First day of school for students
Mon, September 05 Labor Day Offices & schools closed
Thu, September 29 Rosh Hashanah No school
(Note: Yom Kippur is Sat., October 8)
Fri, October 21 MSTA Convention - No school
Mon, October 31 Professional day- No school for students
Thu, November 10 Early release day K-8 Parent conferences
Fri, November 11 Early release day K-8 Parent conferences
Wed, November 23 Early release day K-12
Thu, November 24 &
Fri, November 25 Thanksgiving- Offices & schools closed
Mon, December 26-
Mon, January 02, 2012 Winter break- No school
Mon, January 16 MLK Jr. Day- Offices & schools closed
Mon, January 23 Professional day- No school for students
Tue, February 14 Primary Election (pending state legislature
approval) Offices & schools closed
Mon, February 20 Presidents' Day- Offices & schools closed
Fri, March 30 Professional day- No school for students
Mon, April 02-
Mon, April 09 Spring break- No school
(Note: Passover begins April 6)
Mon, May 28 Memorial Day- Offices & schools closed
Wed, June 13 Last day of school for students

Two early release days for teacher planning and grading – one in fall,
2011 and one in spring, 2012 – will be added to the calendar. Final dates
for these early release days will be decided upon in March, 2011.
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/calendars/future/

Semester 1 EXAMS January, 2011 19 Final Exams Pd. - 3 & 7 Final Exams
13 Exam Review Day 20 Final Exam - Pd. 4 Final Exams &
14 Pd. 1 & 5 Final Exams Make Up Exams
17 Holiday - Martin L. King, Jr. Day 21 2nd marking period ends
18 Final Exams Pd. - 2 & 6 Final Exams 23 No classes-Professional Day
PTSA Meeting