School Notes

About 80 children who are part of Operation HELP, a student organization promoting community service at

Perkiomen Valley Middle School West

, are organizing a Stuff-A-Bus event.

The goal is to pack a school bus full of toys to donate to Toys for Tots this holiday season. The event will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday and include food, a live band, and dancers. Admission is $5 per person or one new, unwrapped toy.

U.S. Marines will help load the bus with toys, the school said. Perkiomen Valley Middle School West is at 200 Big Rd., Zieglerville. For more details, contact Andrea Chiarelli at

» READ MORE: achiarelli@pvsd.org

or 484-977-7210, Ext. 3744.

Jose Antonio Rodriguez, director of intercultural affairs at

Penn State Abington

, returned last month from a four-week Fulbright Administrators Scholar Program in Germany.

Rodriguez participated in seminars and learned about the German educational system, met with German educators and lawmakers, and explored issues regarding international exchange programs.

"I hope my visit will increase United States and German exchange programs and educate American students that German is a viable country for their higher education," he said.

Rodriguez, of Upper Dublin, was one of 24 U.S. educators who traveled to Germany as part of the U.S. Administrators Scholar 2007 Program.

Juniors and seniors at

Abington Senior High School

,

Cheltenham High School

or

Bishop McDevitt High School

are invited to apply for the Greater Glenside Chamber of Commerce's Young Entrepreneur Scholarship Award.

The $3,000 scholarship will be awarded to a student who presents an innovative idea that would help a Chamber member business improve or expand, or presents a plan for the creation of a new business in Glenside.

The submission deadline is Feb. 1. For more information, contact Cathleen Breslin, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce, at

» READ MORE: info@glensidechamber.org

or 215-887-3110.

Eight Montgomery County student musicians from Bravo Brass, an ensemble of the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra for brass and percussion musicians ages 12 to 21, performed during the Holiday in Brass concert Nov. 30 at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Philadelphia.

The eight were Michael Bell, of Hatfield, who is home-schooled; Ben Cross and Michael Driver of

Cheltenham High School

; Anthony DiMauro,

Upper Dublin High School

; Jacob Flaschen and Alex Gerson,

Lower Merion High School

; Dennis Murray of Plymouth Meeting, a student at

Drexel University

; and Paul Prescod,

Spring-Ford Area Senior High School

.

Also, the 25 musicians of Bravo Brass will present two more concerts during the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra's 2007-08 season. Performances will be the Glory of Gabrieli at 8 p.m. March 1 at St. Francis de Sales Church, 4625 Springfield Ave., Philadelphia, and the fifth annual Festival Concert Brass Symphonies at 8 p.m. May 30 at the Church of the Holy Trinity, 1904 Walnut St., Philadelphia.

For more information about Bravo Brass or the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, visit

» READ MORE: www.pyos.org

.

College-bound high school seniors have less than a week to enter the Beneficial Scholars Program essay contest sponsored by Philadelphia-based Beneficial Bank.

The program, which awards $45,000 in scholarships to six students, is accepting entries until Friday from seniors in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties.

Students are asked to write an essay describing what they think is the most important issue facing their community, and how they would respond to this concern.

The winning writer will receive a $20,000 scholarship, and five runners-up will receive $5,000 scholarships. Judging will be done by a panel of area business and community leaders and educators.

Visit

» READ MORE: www.thebeneficial.com

for an entry form.

- Erica Lamberg
and Matt Sandy