River Hill High social studies teacher named Teacher of the Year | CLARKSVILLE

Congratulations to Jessica Nichols, a social studies teacher at River Hill High School, for being named a Howard County Public School System 2024 Teacher of the Year.

Nichols has taught secondary social studies since 2001 and joined River Hill’s faculty in 2014. She sponsors the Speech & Debate and Economic Challenges clubs and has served as the school’s wellness representative and teacher-development liaison. Nichols is described by her students as engaging, inspiring and always willing to go the extra mile to offer support.

Nichols learned of the honor with a surprise announcement at the school. The celebration included performances by band students and cheerleaders. The announcement was attended by school staff, administrators and members of the Board of Education. Nichols will serve as the school system’s nominee for the Maryland State Department of Education Teacher of the Year program.

Local student researchers earned top honors at the annual Maryland State History Day competition. Eva Muehlbauer and Jeannie Cho of Lime Kiln Middle School earned first place in junior group documentaries for “The Polio Vaccines: Saving Lives Since 1955.” Kiya Tibebe of Reservoir High School placed first in senior individual documentaries for “Burning Down Barriers: The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire.” Annabelle Wu, Surie Zhang, and Tirzah Chan of River Hill won second place in the senior group performance category for their project, “Jacob Riis: Reweaving the Social Fabric of Cities in America.”

Charan Bala of River Hill was awarded a special prize for Excellence in Civic Action and Engagement for the senior documentary on “Power to the People: The Black Panther Party.” The Major General John E. Morrison Award for Excellence in STEM Education and Innovation, sponsored by the National Cryptologic Foundation recognized Annabelle Liang, Claire Sun, and Eileen Wu of Clarksville Middle School. Their junior group exhibit project was “Floating for Forecasting: The Impact of Weather Balloons.” The state finalists will compete in the National History Day 2024 National Contest at the University of Maryland in June.

Local dining options are expanding in Clarksville Commons. Bushel and a Peck Kitchen & Bar recently started offering lunch and happy hour service. The restaurant features dishes inspired by and, when possible, sourced from the Chesapeake region. “Whether our customers want to grab a quick bite at the bar, soak up the sunshine on the patio, or gather for a work lunch, they know that they can always find a welcoming, approachable dining experience here,” said Joe Krywucki, owner and chef.

A new Korean restaurant, Namu Ramen & Rolls, also recently opened for carryout and delivery. Once renovations of the space near Kendall Hardware is complete, they will be open for dine-in service from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Korean ramen is a mainstay on the menu. The noodle dish is made with chicken-based broth, which is different from the well-known Japanese style that uses beef broth. More than 40 different types of sushi rolls round out the menu. Namu is owned by Jini and Yeong Chea, experienced restaurateurs who recently moved to the county. Their previous venture, Red Kimono, was a popular dining destination in Fairfax, Virginia.

Finally, the St. Louis Church Concert Series concludes its season Sunday with “Concert by Candlelight.” The performance will feature the Atlantic Reed Consort, an ensemble made up of a bass clarinet, bassoon, clarinet, oboe and saxophone, as well as sopranos Colleen Daly and Laura Strickling. The performance will take place at 4 p.m., in the St. Louis Chapel. For tickets and more information, visit stlconcertseries.org.

Send news to include in this column about people and events in the Clarksville area to susansoldavin@gmail.com.