Good News

Teachers and staff at Roberto Clemente Middle School in Germantown have found a way to bring holiday cheer to students and their families.

The Holiday Mall was started three years ago to provide an opportunity for students to provide gifts to their family members as they celebrate the holidays in December. 

Every January, teachers and staff begin donating new and slightly used gifts, according to Jill Becknell, Clemente’s 8th grade counselor. Gifts include toys, household items, jewelry, bath and body items, candles, frames, clothing, sports items, hats, gloves and bags/purses. The items are kept in a storage closet, and by December, the closet is filled to the ceiling. Parishioners at New Covenant Fellowship Church also provide gifts for the Holiday Mall and gift cards for the school’s Giving Tree.

The Holiday Mall opens the first week of December, fully staffed by teachers and staff. Any student who wishes to shop may participate and there is no limit on the number of gifts students can select. Their gifts are also wrapped by staff. So far this year, Clemente has provided more than 2,000 gifts to nearly 500 students.

Thomas Edison Students Compete in SkillsUSA

Thirty-six Thomas Edison High School of Technology students earned a chance to compete at the SkillsUSA regional competition coming up in February in Prince George’s County. Another 78 will compete at the state competition in April in Carroll County. SkillsUSA is a national nonprofit organization serving high school and college students who are preparing for careers in trade, technical and skilled service occupations. Check out the photo gallery of the competition earlier this week.

Edison winners and their SkillsUSA categories were:

Automotive Maintenance and Light Repair

First Place, Ethan Byer
Two-way tie for second/third, Adam Guedda and Javier Rojas Via

Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration (HVAC-R)

First Place, Jeremiah Hernandez
Second Place, Daniel Aguilar Moran
Third Place, Matthew Ventura

Electrical Construction Wiring

First Place, Leonardo Fernandes Jorge
Two-way tie for second/third, Arden Gormley and Isaiah Salom

Masonry

First Place, Raul Amador Sanchez
Second Place, Hambler Cruz Mendez
Third Place, Tomy Bambara

Baking and Pastry Arts

First Place, Julie Grossman
Second Place, Tallulah Penlend O'Brien
Third Place, Julissa Ramirez

IT Services

Two-way tie for first place, Alexander Jarvis and Jason Maravilla Vanegas
Second Place, Isaiah Smith

Criminal Justice

First Place, Jada To
Second Place, Sophia Dominguez
Third Place, Aden Flaherty

First Aid – CPR

Three-way tie, Carla Alvarez, Leanna Head and Lesly Melgar Barahona

Culinary Arts

First Place, Valeria Barrasso
Second Place, Luisa Leguizamon
Third Place, Ameerah Weekes

Barbering

First Place, Miram Gonzalez Centeno
Second Place, Betsy Guevara Cruz
Third Place, Fatima Diaz Villanueva

Cosmetology

First Place, Naomi Hill
Second Place, Stephanya Suarez
Third Place, Saiyan Livelsberger

Carpentry

First Place, Nicolas Anderson
Second Place, Sophie Bender
Third Place, Mathias Ocana

Collision Repair

First Place, Kimberly Moreia Zavala
Two-way tie for second/third, Joselyn Benitez and Dimas Lima Xoj

Automotive Refinishing

Two-way tie for first place, Roman Bennett and Stephanie Maldonado Arita
Third Place, Brandon Molina

Collision Damage Appraisal

Two-way tie for first place, Ashley Vasquez Romero and Carlos Alvarado Andrade
Third Place, Anthony Herrera-Escoto

Welding Sculpture

First Place, Marsel Leone
Second Place, Jack Ramos Martinez
Third Place, Angelica Portillo Martinez

Industrial Motor Control

First Place, Luna Dean
Second Place, Nicholas Dang-Nguyen
Third Place, Alexander Vanegas Lynn

Career Pathways Showcase

Two-way team tie for first place: Denise Martinez, Maya Quezada and Angelina Avila (Team 1) and Bhavi Vaghani, Sarah Tadesse and Blen Worede (Team 2)
Third Place, Ashley Alfaro Hernandez, Pamela Jaber, Kamora Lattiboudeaire

Medical Terminology

State Competition Qualifiers: Ruby Rojas, Litzy Ruiz-Torres, Oorja Mishra, Julia Redwan and Jericho Makasakit

Health Knowledge Bowl

Winning Team: Katherine Marquez, Miah Medina, Emely Rivera and Noah Vu

Medical Math

State Competition Qualifiers: Genesis Ramirez Medina, Malak Fadlalla, Marisa Pienvitayasakul, Nancy Moluh and Julia Robison

Restaurant Service

First Place, Keenan Gonsalves
Two-way tie for second/third, Roxana Amaya and Keysi Beltran Martinez

Nurse Assisting

First Place, Ella Kahn
Second Place, Nicole Nguyen
Third Place, Ishi Upadhyay

Pin Design

Tied for first place, Donald Galloway and Kelly Palacios

T-Shirt Design

First Place, Devin Cammack
Second Place, Karina Ford

Esthetics

First Place, Cindy Rubrio
Second Place, Geraldine Reilly
Third Place, Maria Aguilar

Nail Care

First Place, Isis Gaia Valipanh
Second Place, Melissa Romero
Third Place, Hailey Palma

Architectural Drafting

First Place, Joanna Quijada
Second Place, Nailah Min
Third Place, Daphne Payne

Sheet Metal

First Place, Kristian Romero
Second Place, Hikmatullah Aman
Third Place, Nathan Ngo

Related Technical Math

First Place, Jean Gomez Vilcapoma

Plumbing

First Place, Alonso Amador
Second Place, Daniel Cepeda
Third Place, Mark Rivas Hernandez

Job Interview

First Place, Yaade Akama

Action Skills

First Place, John Duffie
Second Place, Dayrin Ramos-Vasquez

Employment Application Process

First Place, Isaiah Msomi

Job Skills Demo

First Place, Afieanyi Fuller
Tied for second place, Mikaya Heller, Deborah Getachew and Felix Uno
Fifth Place, Yemegnushal Andarge
Sixth Place, Emily Lobo

Customer Service

First Place, Mateo Martinez
Second Place, Albert Chitay Gomez
Third Place, Selena Bonilla

Diesel Equipment Technology

First Place, Ashton Bennett

Seven Named PTA Schools of Excellence

Seven MCPS schools have been designated National PTA Schools of Excellence in recognition of their commitment to building an inclusive and welcoming school-community where all families contribute to enriching the educational experience and overall well-being for all students. They are: Bells Mill Elementary School PTA, Kensington-Parkwood Elementary School PTA, Rock Creek Forest Elementary School PTA, Wilson Wims Elementary School PTA, Silver Creek Middle School PTSA, John F. Kennedy High School PTSA and Springbrook High School PTA.

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