Herbert Hoover Middle School (Potomac, Maryland)
Encyclopedia
Herbert Hoover Middle School is a public school for students in grades 6, 7 and 8 located in Potomac
, Maryland
. The school was built in 1966 and is located in a residential neighborhood. The school is separated from Winston Churchill High School by the sixth grade play area and the upper and lower fields. The school is scheduled to be renovated in the summer of 2011.
The majority of students previously attended the feeder elementary schools Wayside, Beverly Farms and Potomac. Most students attending Hoover continue their education at Winston Churchill High School
.
or shop class.
In 2007, over 70% of students who took the standardized Maryland School Assessment received scores in the highest possible performance level. In addition, less than 5% of students received scores in the lowest possible performance level.
Hoover has one of the best performing arts programs in all of Montgomery County
. Led by Pamela Leighton-Bilik, the school puts on a different Gilbert and Sullivan
production every year. Ms. Bilik also teaches several drama classes to students of all grade levels.
In 2009, the Center for Talented Youth
at Johns Hopkins University
named Hoover Middle School a top Maryland
school.
In 2009, the principle of Hoover Middle School, Billie-Jean Bensen, was presented the Mark Mann Excellence and Harmony Award by Montgomery County Public Schools
. Superintendent Jerry Weast praised Bensen for making Hoover Middle School "an exceptional place where students can and do succeed."
Silver certified.
Design plans call for rebuilding the school around its newest wing, built in 1999. The new building will group students by grade; Hoover, originally designed as a junior high school, currently has classrooms grouped mostly according to subject. The new design will also separate car and bus traffic and allow more space on site for cars to queue.
Potomac, Maryland
Potomac is a census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, named for the nearby Potomac River. The population was 44,822 at the 2000 census. The Potomac area is known for its very affluent and highly-educated residents. In 2009 CNNMoney.com listed Potomac as the fourth...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. The school was built in 1966 and is located in a residential neighborhood. The school is separated from Winston Churchill High School by the sixth grade play area and the upper and lower fields. The school is scheduled to be renovated in the summer of 2011.
The majority of students previously attended the feeder elementary schools Wayside, Beverly Farms and Potomac. Most students attending Hoover continue their education at Winston Churchill High School
Winston Churchill High School (Montgomery County, Maryland)
Winston Churchill High School, often referred to as WCHS or Churchill, is a high school in Potomac, an unincorporated section of Montgomery County, Maryland....
.
Academics
Hoover offers a variety of courses, including band, computers, technology, marine biology, drama and chorus. Unlike some other middle schools in Montgomery County, Hoover does not offer home economicsHome Economics
Home economics is the profession and field of study that deals with the economics and management of the home and community...
or shop class.
In 2007, over 70% of students who took the standardized Maryland School Assessment received scores in the highest possible performance level. In addition, less than 5% of students received scores in the lowest possible performance level.
Hoover has one of the best performing arts programs in all of Montgomery County
Montgomery County
Montgomery County may refer to:* Montgomery County, Tasmania or Montgomery Land District, Australia* Montgomery County, Alabama* Montgomery County, Arkansas* Montgomery County, Georgia* Montgomery County, Illinois* Montgomery County, Indiana...
. Led by Pamela Leighton-Bilik, the school puts on a different Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the librettist W. S. Gilbert and the composer Arthur Sullivan . The two men collaborated on fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which H.M.S...
production every year. Ms. Bilik also teaches several drama classes to students of all grade levels.
Field trips
Hoover has three popular travel programs:- The three-day Tangier Island/Smith IslandSmith Island, MarylandSmith Island is a census-designated place in Somerset County, Maryland, United States. It is included in the Salisbury, Maryland Metropolitan Statistical Area....
program is a sixth grade trip incorporated into the Chesapeake Bay unit. The trips are sponsored by the Chesapeake Bay FoundationChesapeake Bay FoundationThe Chesapeake Bay Foundation is a non-profit organization devoted to the restoration and protection of the Chesapeake Bay in the United States. It was founded in 1967 and has headquarters offices in Annapolis, Maryland...
and sixth grade science teachers. Because space is limited on the research vessels and bunkhouses, fifty students are chosen by lottery to participate; twenty-five girls go to Smith IslandSmith Island, MarylandSmith Island is a census-designated place in Somerset County, Maryland, United States. It is included in the Salisbury, Maryland Metropolitan Statistical Area....
and twenty-five boys go to Tangier Island.
- Sixth grade students also journey to Clagett FarmClagett FarmClagett Farm is a working farm located in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. It is owned and operated by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Once an old tobacco farm, Clagett Farm produces over 60,000 pounds of vegetables each year. The farm strives to use sustainable techniques in farming...
in Upper Marlboro, MarylandUpper Marlboro, MarylandUpper Marlboro is a town in and the county seat of Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The live-in population of the town core proper was only 648 at the 2000 census, although Greater Upper Marlboro is many times larger....
, for field work related to the Chesapeake Bay.
- Marine biology students attend a Sea Camp Program at Wallops IslandWallops IslandWallops Island is a island off the east coast of Virginia, part of the barrier islands that stretch along the eastern seaboard of the United States of America.It is located in Accomack County, Virginia...
, Virginia, each spring. The Sea Camp Program was designed with the help of the staff of the Marine Science Consortium, a nonprofit marine science organization.
Awards and recognition
Herbert Hoover Middle School is rated 10 out of 10 by GreatSchools, a school performance information site. In addition, parents have rated the school 4 out of 5 stars.In 2009, the Center for Talented Youth
Center for Talented Youth
The Center for Talented Youth is a gifted education program for school-age children, founded in 1979 by Dr. Julian Stanley at Johns Hopkins University. It was initially a research study of the rate at which gifted children can learn new material and became the first program of its kind to identify...
at Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
named Hoover Middle School a top Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
school.
In 2009, the principle of Hoover Middle School, Billie-Jean Bensen, was presented the Mark Mann Excellence and Harmony Award by Montgomery County Public Schools
Montgomery County Public Schools
Montgomery County Public Schools ' is a school district that serves Montgomery County, Maryland, USA. It is the largest school district in Maryland. As of the 2009–2010 school year, the district had 11,500 FTE teachers serving 141,777 students at 200 schools.Students in the district score among the...
. Superintendent Jerry Weast praised Bensen for making Hoover Middle School "an exceptional place where students can and do succeed."
Renovation
Hoover will undergo a major renovation, which is projected to be completed in 2013 if funding remains on schedule. The total cost for the new building is about $48 million and will bump the school's core capacity from 927 to about 1200. The modernized building will be LEEDLeadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design consists of a suite of rating systems for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings, homes and neighborhoods....
Silver certified.
Design plans call for rebuilding the school around its newest wing, built in 1999. The new building will group students by grade; Hoover, originally designed as a junior high school, currently has classrooms grouped mostly according to subject. The new design will also separate car and bus traffic and allow more space on site for cars to queue.