Patapsco Middle School and Oakland Mills Middle School recently held geography bees sponsored by the National Geographic Society. The school-level winners will advance to state competition at Towson University in March.

Eighth-grader Patrick "P.J." Coffey won the geography bee at Patapsco Middle School; Julianne Fleck placed second.

Other competitors included sixth-graders Peter Kruse and Sean Waller; seventh-graders C.J. Ung, Hannah Vaughn and Haley Bruman-Magday; and eighth-graders Nick Denapoli, Dominic DiMattia, Alex Jeffries and Matt Harrington.

The bee was organized by sixth-grade social studies teacher Michael Ordovensky and Gifted and Talented Resource teacher Tracey Ryan.

Ross Rheingans-Yoo was the first-place winner at Oakland Mills Middle School; Wesley Brunson was second.

Other finalists included Phoebe Hassaine, Brandon Thies, Melissa Goodman, Madison Stevens, Emma Brand, Damien Robinson and Aaron Wood.

> Children & Company Preschool is holding an open house for prospective students for the 2007-2008 school year from noon-1 p.m., Feb. 2 at 5355 Phelps Luck Drive, in Columbia. They also have spaces in the 4-year-old class for the current school year. For more information, call 410-992-4644.

> Registration is open for the next session of Stressless Tests study skills classes. Middle school classes take place from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Feb. 6-27 at Burleigh Manor Middle School. High school classes are from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Feb. 7-28 at Centennial High School.

The fee for either class is $165 and includes the "Study for Success" DVD by Betty Caldwell. Class size is limited to 15 students. To register, call 410-740-4659, e-mail bcaldwell@comcast.net or go to www.stresslesstests.org.

> Marriotts Ridge High School is accepting registration forms from private school students for the 2007-2008 school year. Appointments are available from 8 a.m.-2 p.m., Feb. 7-9. To schedule an appointment, call 410-313-5446.

> An Internet Safety Night will be held from 7-8 p.m., Feb. 8 at Oakland Mills Middle School, 9540 Kilimanjaro Road, in Columbia. The Maryland State Police will give a presentation on how to keep children safe on the Internet. Call 410-313-6937 for more information.

> Howard County students in grades six through 12 are invited to submit original poetry to Howard County Library's annual Word Up! Poetry Contest. Winners will receive cash awards and be invited to read their poems at a special event on March 29. Winning poems will also be published on the library's Web site.

Details and entry forms are available at any branch library or online at www.hclibrary.org. The deadline for entries is March 2.

Send school-related items to School Days, Flier/Times, 10750 Little Patuxent Pkwy., Columbia, MD 21044. Fax items to 410-997-4564 or e-mail sickowski@patuxent.com.