In Your Schools - May 25, 2009

ACHIEVEMENTS

Bedford

- The Thaxton Elementary School N.E.E.D. (National Energy Education Development) Team was named State Elementary School of the Year for the 17th consecutive year. The students were recognized for their outstanding efforts to help conserve energy and improve the environment.

- Thaxton Elementary School sixth-grader Brianna Key took third place in the poetry category of the Piedmont Area Reading Council’s Young Authors Regional Contest.

- Thaxton Elementary School took first place among all Bedford County schools in the Stock Market Game, a competition sponsored by Lynchburg College’s Center for Economic Education. The team also won second place in the region. Team members included sixth-graders Bobbie Rhea Daniels, Matthew Smith and Ben Stevens.

- Moneta Elementary School first-grader Lynsey Ball was named the grand prize winner of the school’s annual ‘Poem in Your Pocket’ event. Ball received a copy of Shel Silverstein’s book, ‘A Light in the Attic.’

- Liberty High School senior Virginia Phillippe recently received a $1,000 Student of Integrity Scholarship Award from the BBB Serving Western Virginia.

Campbell

- Concord Elementary School fourth-grader Miles Bowen was selected to attend the summer program at the University of Virginia.

- The following Concord Elementary School students were winners of the Mental Health America of Central Virginia Art Contest: Hannah Edwards, Heather Williamson, Brittany Hall and Kathy Wooldridge. Wooldridge’s grand prize drawing was used this year as the T-shirt design for the Mental Health America of Central Virginia VIP Walk. Concord Elementary students and families collected $1,800 for the VIP Walk held on May 3.

- The following Concord Elementary School students were named to the Principal’s List (all A’s) for the fifth six weeks: Cade Bigham, Elizabeth Brown, Kasey Bruffy, Jeremy Buckles, Emma Chandler, Blake Eisenhauer, Meah Ferguson, Ashley Fitzgerald, Seth Hall, Justin Hamilton, Shauntel Harvey, Jasmine Jones, Katie Kurtz, Kory Laury, Brooke Leeming, Jessi Mann, Reagan Martin, Jordan Mayberry, Chloe Mays, Suzy Metz, Timothy Sheehan, Britney Thacker, Logan Tuck, Landon Tucker, Carson Vess, Candace Wilson and Jayde Wright, first grade; Ashley Barksdale, Skylar Bullard, Breanna Deaner, Leah Eick, Marissa Ferguson, Adam Hamlett, Andrew Hamlett, Coleman Inge, Jake Oliver, Rae Ellen Reaves, Jaden Robertson, Lexi Spohn, Owen Spradlin and Brycen Stratton, second grade; Mazie Doss, Jamie Holt, Logan Hunter, Hope May, Brennan Powell, Kylie Revely and Corey Shuford, third grade; and Madison Alvis, Owen Evans, Chrissy Hurst, Nathan Parrish, Tanner Renzi, Sarah Sturm and Emma Thomason, fourth grade.

Lynchburg

- The following William M. Bass Elementary School students were named ‘Terrific Kids’ by the Lynchburg Kiwanis Club: Brianna Bryant, Jymiq Gilbert, Apryl Moore, Shakiqa Perry, Jocelyn Benitez, Daysia Coles, Jermaine Golz, Jolyn Jordan, Tatiana Jackson, Jayden Saunders, Addison King, Tyson Hancock, Quinten Stephens, Arielle Johnson, Isaiah Henry, Dajuan Pannell, Angel Jamerson, Terrence Marshall, Phillip Waechter and Myia Gilbert.

- The following E.C. Glass High School students recently received Student of Integrity Scholarship Awards from the BBB Serving Western Virginia: Anna Wade, $1,000 scholarship, and Zach Scharf, $500 scholarship.

- The following Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School for Innovation sixth-graders were winners in Westminster Canterbury’s annual ‘My Best Older Friend’ essay contest: Julia Hicks, first place, and Payne Tarkenton, third.

- The following Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School for Innovation students were division-level winners in the Writers in Residence Writing Contest: Cassie Smith, sixth-grade essay, Dalana Salyer, sixth-grade poetry, Kayla Brown, seventh-grade poetry, Bryan Penalva, seventh-grade essay, Tyler Midkiff, eighth-grade poetry, Olivia Varah and Jordan Hatch, eighth-grade essay, and Katherine Coates, eighth-grade short fiction.

Regional Programs

- The following Lynchburg high school seniors recently received Rotary Ethics awards from the Rotary Club of Lynchburg: Mary Lass and Chris Hackman of E.C. Glass High School, Jimmy Gaston and Sarah Nilles of Heritage High School, Mary Ann King and Alex Kovalesky of Holy Cross Regional Catholic School, Abigail Kappler and Matthew Grandey of Liberty Christian Academy, Sam Hurt and Nicole Mayberry of New Covenant Schools, and Marcey Cook and Eric Jefferson of Virginia Episcopal School. Students were nominated by their schools based on their display of honesty, loyalty, and overall character, in addition to scholastic and community achievements.

Private Schools

- The following James River Day School students received High Honors on the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth Talent Search: Asia Miller, Hunter Diminick, Justin Mitchell, Chris Chueh and Sarah Hour. Adam Bolling received Distinction Honors.

SCHOOL HAPPENINGS

- All area public and private schools are closed today for the Memorial Day holiday.

Amherst County

- May 26-29: SOL Assessments

Amherst Elementary School

- May 29: Fifth-grade Graduation

Amherst Middle School

- May 28: Eighth-grade Awards Program, 6:30 p.m.

Monelison Middle School

- May 27: Winter/Spring Sports Awards Ceremony, 6 p.m.

Amherst County High School

- May 26: Golden A Trophy Awards Dinner

Appomattox County

- May 28: School Board Meeting, 6:30 p.m. at the School Administration Building

- May 31: GED Graduation, 2 p.m. at the Appomattox County High School Auditorium

Appomattox Elementary School

- May 29: AES Field Day

Bedford County

Big Island Elementary School

- Through May 26: SOL Testing

- May 28: EMS from Big Island community to visit

- May 29: Kindergarten Orientation, 9 a.m.; Jazz Band Performance, 2 p.m.

Forest Elementary School

- May 28: Third-grade field trip

- May 29: Field Day

- June 2: Kindergarten Orientation and Move Up Day, 9 a.m.; PTA Board Meeting Dinner, 7 p.m.

- June 3: Gifted field trip

Huddleston Elementary School

- May 28: AR Party

Moneta Elementary School

- May 29: AR Treat Day/SCA Elections

New London Academy

- May 27: ‘JA in a Day’ for all grades

- May 28: Field Day (rain date May 29)

- May 29: Spirit Day (Hat Day)

- June 2: Kindergarten Orientation

- June 3: Second-grade Egypt Unit Activities; Gifted students field trip to Taubman Museum of Art

Thaxton Elementary School

- May 28: Jazz Band, 1:30 p.m.; Kindergarten Graduation, 6:30 p.m.

- May 29: Field Day

- June 1: First-grade field trip to Smith Mountain Lake State Park, 8:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; Talent Show Auditions, 3 to 4:30 p.m.

Thomas Jefferson Elementary School

- May 26: Second Interim Reports issued for D, F or U grades

- May 29: Patriot Games field day, 9 a.m. to noon (rain date June 1)

Jefferson Forest High School

- Through May 29: SOL Testing

Lynchburg

Dearington Elementary School for Innovation

- May 27: All library books due

- May 29: Kindergarten field trip to Lowe’s

Perrymont Elementary School

- May 26: Online SOL makeups; Interim Reports issued

- May 27: Online Reading SOL for fifth grade

- May 28: Online Reading SOL for fourth grade; Nature Zone visits first grade

- May 29: Online History SOL for fifth grade; PES Spirit Day (wear PES attire)

Thomas C. Miller Elementary School for Innovation

- May 26: Math SOL for third grade

- May 27: Reading SOL for fifth grade

- May 28: Reading SOL for fourth grade

- May 29: SOL Incentive field trip for fourth and fifth grades

Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School for Innovation

- June 1: Final day of DMS Show Choir, 3 to 4:15 p.m.

Sandusky Middle School

- May 26: Reading SOL for sixth grade

- May 27: Reading SOL for seventh grade; Mr. Sales at Diamond Hill Rec Center for afterschool program, 5 p.m.

- May 28: Algebra 1 SOL

- May 29: Reading SOL for eighth grade; SMS Citizen Service about Relay for Life

- June 2: Math SOL for sixth grade

- June 3: Social Studies SOL for sixth grade

E.C. Glass High School

- The Mercy Care Council is collecting cotton underwear in all sizes to send to students in Kenya. Donations accepted until June 1.

Heritage High School

- May 26: Shakespeare Workshop presented by End Station Theatre Company

- Raffle tickets are currently on sale for two picnic tables and a children’s playhouse constructed by the Building Trades class. Tickets are $4 each or $10 for three. The raffle will be held in December following the Lynchburg Christmas Parade. Proceeds benefit CASA of Central Virginia.

Private Schools

Branches Academy

- June 1: Amazement Square Life on the James

Holy Cross Regional Catholic School

- May 26: Consumer Convention for sixth and seventh grades

- May 27: Middle and High School Awards Ceremony, 1:45 p.m.; Year End PTO Meeting, 6 to 7:30 p.m. Special speaker on ‘What parents need to know about Lynchburg area gangs’

- May 28 and 29: Senior Retreat

James River Day School

- May 29: End of School Picnic

- JRDS is accepting applications for the 2009-10 school year. To arrange a tour, call Heather Brown, director of Admission and Marketing, 384-7385.

Liberty Christian Academy

- May 28: Yearbook Delivery for grades 6-12, 6 to 9 p.m.

- May 29 and June 1: Exam Review

- June 2-5: Exams

- Wednesdays: Moms in Prayer, 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. in the LCA Cafeteria Annex. For more information, contact Mary Hensley at

New Covenant Schools

- May 27 and 28: Exams for grades 7-12; early dismissal at 12:15 p.m. for grades 7-12 only

- May 29: Final day of school; exams for grades 7-12; Grammar School Music Concert, 8:15 a.m. in the Moomaw Gymnasium; Awards for grades 4-7, 8:45 a.m.; Field Day for grades 1-4, 10 a.m.; Kindergarten Graduation Rehearsal, 10 a.m.; Class Plays for fifth and sixth grades, 10 a.m.; early dismissal at noon for grades K-7; early dismissal from exams at 12:15 p.m. for grades 8-12; Kindergarten Graduation, 7 p.m. in the gym

- May 30: Upper School Yearbook Party and Spring Dance; Spring Athletic Awards

New Vistas School

- May 28: Sub Day

- Through May 29: Senior Trip to New York City

Timberlake Christian Schools

- May 26: Junior High Awards Assembly, 10 a.m.

- May 27-29: High School exams; early dismissal at noon

- May 28: Putt-Putt field trip for grades 1-5, 8:35 a.m.; Kindergarten Graduation, 7 p.m. at the TBC Ministry Center

- May 29: Final day of school, fourth nine weeks and second semester; Elementary Awards Assembly, 10:30 a.m.; High School Graduation, 7 p.m. in the new gym