Chevy Chase Elementary School, Julius West Middle School, and Col. Zadok Magruder High School were among the individuals and organizations honored for their outstanding volunteer efforts at the annual Marriott Spirit to Serve Community Service Awards held on April 28.

Chevy Chase Elementary School, with an enrollment of about 400 students, has a focus on service within the school and neighboring communities. The combined efforts of the Community Service Club, Student Government Association, PTA, school administration, and staff have served nonprofit organizations such as Bethesda Cares, American Red Cross, Greentree Shelter for Women, the Children's Inn at NIH, and the American Heart Association. Operation Santa was an example of the entire Chevy Chase Elementary School community working together to bring 28 children across D.C., Virginia and Maryland toys, books, clothes, school supplies, and gift certificates last December.

This was the second year in a row that Julius West Middle School received the Spirit to Serve award. Service at Julius West, which has more than 1,100 students, is a schoolwide effort, with service opportunities offered through school clubs, student government, grade-level teams, art classes, TV production, music department, community service classes and the PTSA. For the first time this year, a calendar of student service learning involvement was created to document their school year of service. Staff and students have established positive relationships with community organizations such as the Potomac Valley Nursing Home, Manna Foods, Stepping Stone Shelter, Rockville Police and Fire Departments, American Cancer Society, and Rainbow Shelter.

Col. Zadok Magruder High School, with more than 2,100 students, was the third school recognized. Service opportunities at Magruder meet community needs, develop partnerships with nonprofit organizations, support local government efforts and meet needs beyond the U.S. borders. The Magruder service program complements the pillars of character education promoted there. Some service relationships are longstanding, such as the one Magruder has with the Rossmoor Leisure World Kiwanis Club. Others are in the making -- like the one developing with a "sister city" in Namibia. The service modeled by the administration and contributed by staff and students at Magruder was recognized for providing a standard of quality for the Rockville community.
The private school Har Shalom Early Childhood Education Center in Potomac also received a school award.

Superintendent Jerry D. Weast, Board of Education President Patricia B. O'Neill, and County Executive Douglas Duncan gave remarks and presented awards at the event. Marriott Senior Vice President Stephen Marriott welcomed the group, and Montgomery County Volunteer Center Director Andrea Jolly gave the opening and closing remarks.