Trio Named in Best of Bethesda Magazine Issue, and Other Good News

Three MCPS teachers have been recognized in Bethesda magazine’s Best of Bethesda issue.

The article, “Three Teachers Who Really Stepped Up,” features the trio on pages 78-80 of the issue. The honorees are Margaret Norris, a kindergarten teacher at Arcola Elementary School; Takoma Park Middle School English teacher Maura Moore and Northwest High School art teacher Robert Youngblood.

In addition, Strawberry Knoll Elementary School fifth grader Cortlynn Graham is recognized on page 88.

More Than 200 Students Chosen for All State Music Ensembles

The Maryland Music Educators Association recently released the rosters for the following All State Ensembles:

All State Junior Band
All State Senior Band
All State Junior Chorus
All State Senior Chorus
All State Junior Orchestra
All State Senior Orchestra

Junior ensembles consist of students in grades 7-9, and senior ensembles consist of students in grades 10-12. Due to the pandemic, auditions for All State ensembles were held virtually in November 2020. While students selected to the ensembles will not have a performance opportunity due to current health conditions, they will still be able to claim the accomplishment for this school year.

This year, 239 students across 28 MCPS schools were chosen for these ensembles. The schools represented this year include:

• Montgomery Blair High School (36 students)
• Thomas S. Wootton High School (36 students)
• Winston Churchill High School (35 students)
• Cabin John Middle School (27 students)
• Herbert Hoover Middle School (14 students)
• Robert Frost Middle School (12 students)
• Richard Montgomery High School (12 students)
• Clarksburg High School (9 students)
• Thomas W. Pyle Middle School (9 students)
• Walt Whitman High School (7 students)
• Damascus High School (6 students)
• Northwest High School (6 students)
• Poolesville High School (6 students)
• Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School (4 students)
• James Hubert Blake High School (3 students)
• Walter Johnson High School (3 students)
• Paint Branch High School (2 students)
• Sherwood High School (2 students)
• Gaithersburg Middle School (1 student)
• John T. Baker Middle School (1 student)
• Kingsview Middle School (1 student)
• Neelsville Middle School (1 student)
• North Bethesda Middle School (1 student)
• Quince Orchard High School (1 student)
• Roberto Clemente Middle School (1 student)
• Rocky Hill Middle School (1 student)
• Rosa Parks Middle School (1 student)
• Takoma Park Middle School (1 student)

Additionally, the following students were designated as “first chair” musicians, meaning they scored the highest in the state on their instrument:

Junior Band

Oboe: Annie Jung, Thomas S. Wootton High School
Alto Saxophone: Adam Dubelman, Cabin John Middle School
Tenor Saxophone: Luke Wu, Winston Churchill High School
Horn: Natalie Min, Thomas S. Wootton High School
Euphonium: Daksh Badri, Cabin John Middle School

Senior Band

Piccolo: Ivy Liang, Montgomery Blair High School
Flute: Holly Zhao, Winston Churchill High School
Oboe: Jason Lee, Thomas S. Wootton High School
Clarinet: Sara Bock, Thomas S. Wootton High School
Alto Saxophone: Claire Du, Thomas S. Wootton High School
Horn: Jocelyn Hao, Montgomery Blair High School
Trombone: Andreas Naagaard, Winston Churchill High School
Bass Trombone: Daniel Ge, Montgomery Blair High School
Tuba: Karim Najjar, Winston Churchill High School
Percussion: Jillian Cupples, Clarksburg High School
Piano: Hannah Zhang, Montgomery Blair High School

Junior Orchestra

Violin: Carolyn Fu, Thomas Wootton High School
Viola: Claire Yu, Richard Montgomery High School
Cello: Joseph Hsieh, Quince Orchard High School
Bass: Annie Sun, Robert Frost Middle School

Senior Orchestra

Viola: Claire Xu, Montgomery Blair High School
Bass: Anderson Bernal, Thomas S. Wootton High School
Piano: Lucy Chen, Winston Churchill High School
English Horn: Oscar Krug, Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School
Bassoon: Jack Bernal, Thomas S. Wootton High School
Bass Clarinet: Stacy Sun, Thomas S. Wootton High School
Horn: Emily Liu, Montgomery Blair High School
Bass Trombone: William Zhu, Winston Churchill High School
Tuba: Kurt Phillips, Clarksburg High School

Some Good Headlines

This man is a waiter at a Md. country club. He also helps support thousands of students in Ghana, his home country.

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