Potomac

SportsChurchill Boys’ Basketball To Focus on TeamworkBulldogs had multiplekey players transfer.By Jon RoetmanThe AlmanacRobert Bean enters his second seasonas head coach of theChurchill boys’ basketball teamwithout four players who wereset to return following the 2013-14 campaign.Bobby Arthur-Williams, a scoring and reboundingthreat, transferred to CovenantBasketball Season OpenersThe Whitman boys’ basketball team,which reached the 4A state championship game last season, willopen the 2014-15 campaign at homeagainst Georgetown Prep at 7 p.m. on Friday,Dec. 5.The Whitman girls’ team, which reachedthe state playoffs in 2013 and finished 21-3 last year, will open the season on the roadLife School, Bean said. Jesse Locke, anotherprimary scorer, chose to focus on his primarysport, football. Bryan Strittmatter andSean Strittmatter transferred to differentschools, as well.Without several standouts, Bean will havethe Bulldogs focusing on team basketballduring the 2014-15 season.“We’re going to focus on less is more,”Bean said. “Really try to play team basketball:team offense, team defense and effort.Less about x’s and o’s and more about theimportance of [team].”Bean’s top two returners in his drive-andkickoffense are Calvin Kamara, a 5-foot-11 guard in his third year with the varsity,against Good Counsel at 7 p.m. on Friday,Dec. 5. The Vikings first home game will beDec.17 against Northwest.The Churchill girls’ team will travel to facePaint Branch at 7 p.m. on Friday.The Wootton boys’ team will host WalterJohnson at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 9. TheWootton girls’ team will travel to face WJon Dec. 9.and 6-foot-7 junior center Nathan Gertler.“[Kamara is] going to bring a lot of energyto our defense,” Bean said. “… We’relooking to him to be our best distributorand penetrator. … Nathan gives us an insidepresence and someone that … [is] avery good passer.”Tarik Harris, a 6-foot-1 junior, will startat point guard. Harris missed last seasonwhile recovering from a knee injury he sufferedas a freshman. “He’s got a very goodfeel for the game,” Bean said. “He’s got leadershippotential.” Last season, Churchillstarted 1-6 under Bean, a former Magruderassistant, and was 5-11 entering Februarybefore making a run late in the season.However, the Bulldogs lost to Richard Montgomery,46-45, in the opening round of theregion tournament.Churchill will open the 2014-15 seasonat home against Paint Branch at 7 p.m. onFriday, Dec. 5. “It’s my goal to get them playingfor each other,” Bean said, “and competingat a high level.”Robert Bean, seen last season,enters his second year as headcoach of the Churchill boys’basketball team.Potomac Almanac Sports Editor Jon Roetman703-752-4031 or jroetman@connectionnewspapers.comSee www.potomacalmanac.comPhoto by Harvey Levine/The AlmanacSchools Seek Construction Budget IncreaseThe Board of Education unanimouslyapproved amendmentsto the district’s six-yearCapital Improvements Program in November,adding $221 million to helpMontgomery County Public Schoolsmanage its current and future enrollmentgrowth.The additional funds will allow 36projects to be completed sooner thancurrently approved, adding thousandsof classroom seats throughout thecounty. The board’s request also includesseveral other projects aimed atalleviating space shortages and makingthe best use of available space.Enrollment in MCPS this school yearis 153,852 students, an increase ofnearly 2,600 from last school year andan increase of 16,107 students since2007. Much of that growth has been inthe early grades, leading to significantspace deficits in elementary schoolsacross the district. MCPS is currentlyusing 404 relocatable classrooms, withalmost 90 percent located at elementaryschools.The district’s growth is expected tocontinue in the years to come, with enrollmentprojected to top 165,000 studentsby 2020-2021, an increase of morethan 11,000 students from this year. Thiswill include growth in secondaryschools as the current enrollmentbubble in elementary grades movesinto middle and high schools.MCPS sought additional help fromthe state for school construction duringthe 2014 legislative session, butthe funds were not approved. Afterthe proposal fell through, the CountyCouncil approved a $1.53 billion CIPfor fiscal years (FY) 2015-2020, whichwas $214 million less than requestedby the Board of Education. Theboard’s requested amendments recentlyapproved would increase thesix-year CIP to $1.75 billion.School Board Sets2015-2016 CalendarThe Board of Education adopted the calendarfor the 2015-2016 school year. The school yearwill begin on Monday, Aug. 31, 2015, and is scheduledto end on Friday, June 17, 2016.The board also adopted a contingency plan thatwould extend the school year until June 24, 2016,depending on how many days would be neededto make up for lost instructional time due to emergencyclosings.The calendar was developed in partnership withthe Montgomery County Council of PTAs, theschool district’s three employee associations, andthe Montgomery County Region of the MarylandAssociation of Student Councils, as well asother community members and school systemleadership.Build Your CommunitySupport Your LocalBusinesses.www.potomacalmanac.comJose NaldoNotary PublicVacation SpecialShip Your Items with usBefore You Travel – WhyWait in Airport Lines?Pick-Up Service AvailablePack-N-ShipProfessional Furniture Packaging ServiceOffering New & Improved Products & ServicesWE DO GIFT WRAPPINGWe Sell:• Fax Services • Color Copies • Stamps • Passport Photos• Phone Cards & Cellular Phones • Western UnionShipping Services:• FedEx Express • UPS • Worldwide• U.S. Postal Service • DHL• Madrano Express South America (Boxes/Cargo)Other Services:• Internet/Web Page Design• Travel Services (Tickets)• Applications for MasterCard 100% Approval• Senior Discount Always Available from 10%-30%• Active Military Personnel Also Receive Discounts350 C Fortune TerracePotomac, MD 20854301-217-0938Fax 301-217-0939Open Mon–Fri 9 am–7pmSat 10 am–4 pmMontrose RoadPotomacWoodsPlazaPACK-N-SHIPFortune Terrace7 Locks RoadOne coupon per customer. Validwith coupon only. Not valid with anyother offer. Expires 12/31/14.Any UPS or FedEx shipmentof 10 lbs. or more or$1.00 OFF if under 10 lbs.One coupon per customer. Validwith coupon only. Not valid with anyother offer. Expires 12/31/14.One coupon per customer. Validwith coupon only. Not valid with anyother offer. Expires 12/31/14.www.ConnectionNewspapers.comPotomac Almanac ❖ December 3-9, 2014 ❖ 11