Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, January 14, 1992 TAG: 9201140072
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: MELISSA DeVAUGHN
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
WILLIS KIDS CAN'T WAIT TO GET READING HABIT
Kids at WILLIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL will be extra busy for the next month and a half. Besides their regular school work, they are participating in the Virginia Young Readers program.The program is sponsored by the Virginia State Reading Association and coordinated by librarian Anita Foley and teacher Janice Blanchard. It has four objectives: to encourage pupils to become better acquainted with popular contemporary books, to broaden their awareness that literature can be a lifelong hobby, to encourage reading aloud in the classroom and to honor favorite books and their authors.
The 32 pupils in the program will try to read all the chosen selections by March 6. During the first week in March, pupils will vote on the best book and there will be a celebration for those who complete all the reading.
The pupils' evaluations of the books will be sent to the state Reading Association and compared with other selections from schools throughout the state.
"This program gives the children an opportunity to participate in a statewide evaluation of literature," Principal Janet Peak said. "They're actually being real critics."
Although other schools in the New River Valley started the Young Readers Program in the fall, Peak said pupils at Willis Elementary should be able to catch up quickly. Their goal is not only to finish the four required books on the list, but also to try to read all of the books.
"I've been utterly amazed at how anxious the children are to read," Peak said. "The first day after the program started, kids were getting off the bus saying they had already finished their first book. They couldn't wait to get to their second one."
Peak said there have been other reading projects at the school, but none on a state level and none with as much participation as this year's effort.
The children participating are:
Heidi Pratt, Elizabeth Kyle, Nash Seibel, Keri Stodolski, Sharon Agee, Adria Mannon, Jaimie Belcher, Sarah Grim.
Also, Daniel Weitzenfeld, Patricia Via, Erin Eisenbrown, Erin Sharp, Amy Bond, Sam Wood, Paula Young, Eli Mannon, April Phillips, Crystal Kesterson.
Also, Stacie Huff, Wesley Conner, Jonie Underwood, Sonya Hylton, Mandy Loy, Daniel Willard, Laura Pratt, Sarah Conner, Mandy Reed, Forrest Leith, Travis Duncan and Jenny Sharp.
Also busy at WILLIS ELEMENTARY are the teachers, who have applied for the Teachers as Readers Project, a new program sponsored by the Association of American Publishers.
The program is designed to help elementary teachers encourage children to become lifelong readers by reading aloud and discussing contemporary literature.
If Willis Elementary receives funds for the program, the money will be used to buy quality children's books and professional books.
Here's what's been happening at BLACKSBURG HIGH SCHOOL:
The Distributive Education Clubs of America club gave a Christmas party for managers at University Mall. Students planned the menu and decorated an empty store for the event. The activity will be submitted for state competition as the club's Social Intelligence Project.
DECA members also bought more than 35 gifts for the children's room at the Montgomery County Christmas store. Several club members helped set up the store and participated in the cleanup last weekend. This project will be submitted to the state competition for the club's Civic Consciousness Project.
Eliza Richardson and Nancy Vogler were nominated for National Honor Society scholarships sponsored by the National Association of Secondary School Principals.
Alisa Bates is the Blacksburg High School nominee for an Olan Mills Teacher Scholarship.
The CHRISTIANSBURG HIGH SCHOOL drama department will hold open auditions for the spring production of "Camelot" on Jan. 21 at 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium. Vocal selections can be picked up from Charlotte Smith in the music department.
There are some non-singing roles and some parts for young people as pages. The show is scheduled for April 24-27.
A meeting for school superintendents, business managers, school board members, school attorneys and others interested in public education will be held Jan. 27 and 28 at the Donaldson Brown Center, on the Virginia Tech Campus.
The meeting, called PLANNING FOR MIDDLE SCHOOLS, will examine the middle school concept, planning for middle school implementation, design trends in middle schools, capital funding and effective uses of educational planners.
For more information, call Roy Jones at 231-4848.
\ A CAREER FAIR will be held in McBryde Hall at Virginia Tech on March 10, 9:30-11:40 a.m. All Montgomery County High School freshmen are invited.
The fair will provide general information about major career areas that will be available as they enter the job market after high school or college. There will be 33 career areas represented, from business and industry to government.
For more information, call Karen Clark at 552-5592.
If you have an interesting news item from your school, write to Melissa DeVaughn at P.O. Box 540, Christiansburg, Va. 24073.