Area Schools Honored by City Council

The Gaithersburg Mayor and Council presented GREAT ("Gaithersburg Recognizing Educational Achievement Today") awards to several city school staff members, parents and students at their weekly meeting Monday night.

The council recognized Brown Station Elementary School, Rachel Carson Elementary School and Gaithersburg Middle School for successful programs that go beyond the classroom.

Brown Station was recognized for its "Mornings in the School" program, which provides babysitting for parents who work and volunteer at the school, and displays "creative thinking and commitment to parental involvement in our schools," said Maureen Herndon with the City's Community Services department.

Rachel Carson's PTA and representatives from Bar-T received a GREAT award for its after-school tutoring program. Completely run by volunteers and open to all elementary schoolers in the area, the program originated as a way to help children of immigrants who have trouble with English.

Finally, the council recognized five students from Gaithersburg Middle School, who collected more than 1,000 pounds of food for the Gaithersburg Community Soup Kitchen in the basement of St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church. As part of the Food Recovery for the Hungry Program, these students collected food and drinks that otherwise would have been thrown away at the school's cafeteria.