Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, November 23, 1993 TAG: 9311230396
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: By MELISSA DeVAUGHN
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
She was nominated for the honor by the Harding Avenue Elementary faculty, and required to submit a portfolio of her work to the association. She was presented with the award at the VAEA annual conference in Falls Church.
``I was very surprised and very honored,'' Hopkins said. ``I feel it really is an honor for the whole elementary school program - we work very closely together.''
This is Hopkins fourth year as art teacher in Montgomery County. She teaches children in kindergarten through fifth grade at both elementary schools.
``I'm a very strong believer in integrated curriculum,'' Hopkins said. ``Here [Harding Avenue Elementary], the fourth and fifth graders are studying wolves all year, so most of my instruction is geared toward that.''
Hopkins said she also feels strongly about using famous artists to help teach certain artistic concepts.
Hopkins` award comes at a good time. She and other county teachers are concerned about the future of art programs as enrollment increases and budgets shrink, and she hopes the award will bring positive reconition to all art programs.
``I feel the award is more for the entire program than just for me,'' she said. ``The art teachers as a group have worked hard to inform the public of [the importance] of our program. Enrollment has gone up, but we do not have the additional staff, so we have had to make cuts.''
A SILENT AUCTIONo will be held at Prices Fork Elementary School tonight Nov. 23 beginning at 6:45 p.m. to raise money for the school. Items have been donated by local merchants, parents and other community members for the auction. Bids for items will be accepted in writing.
For further information on the auction, call Jenny Moore at 552-8916.
Bethel Elementary School is gearing up for its second annual CRAFT SHOW AND SALE to be held Dec. 4 from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. at the school. Those who would like to reserve a table should call the school at 639-9381. The proceeds from this show will be used for the fifth grade trip to Washington,D.C.
Giles and Montgomery county schools will take part in a CAREER FAIR today Nov. 23 at McBryde Hall on the Virginia Tech campus. The fair is designed for Giles and Montgomery county high school freshmen who would like information about major career areas that will be available when they hit the work force. Over 30 career areas will be represented from practitioners and business, to government and industry jobs.
The students of two Riner Elementary School classes are entering the FESTIVAL OF CHRISTMAS TREES,o a fund-raising event sponsored by the Montgomery County Chapter of the American Red Cross. The theme is ``Christmas Memories,'' and all trees will be voted on by community members to select the best one.
Regina Howard's second graders and Kathleen Pecic's fourth graders have been decorating their tree in the early Appalachian Tradition. They have designed and made by hand spoon dolls, gingerbread boy cookies, popcorn chains, dried pods and orange slices, tussie mussies and more. Their tree will be on display at the New River Valley Mall near Sears Friday Nov. 26 through Dec. 5. Spectators are encouraged to come by, make donations and vote on their favorite tree.
The Exploratory teachers at Dublin Middle School are sponsoring an EXPO OPEN HOUSE tonight Nov. 23at 7 for parents and community members to see what students are learning in their classes. Exploratory classes are available to all students as electives to enrich the regular course schedule. It provides students with a sampling of courses that will be available to them in high school.
The Radford High School Choral Patrons is holding its annual Virginia Diner PEANUT SALE again this year. Peanut brittle, peanuts in the shell, gourmet peanuts and honey-roasted peanuts are available in attractive decorative tins.
The sale will continue through the end of the month. To place an order, call 639-5730 or contact a choral student or patron.
The CHRISTIANSBURG MIDDLE SCHOOLo Parent-Teacher Association will meet Nov. 30 at 7 p.m. in the school library. The band will perform and Herman Bartlett, Superintendent of Montgomery County Schools, will speak on volunteerism.
For further information, call 382-6706.
The Future Business Leaders of America of Christiansburg High School will hold a VARIETY SHOW Nov. 30 at 7 p.m. in the school auditorium. The show is held each year to raise money for FBLA and give all students a chance to show his or her talents.
Some of the talent displayed includes, bands, singers, and short plays. The evening will end with the crowning of Mr. and Miss CHS.
The Variety Show is one of the oldest traditions at Christiansburg High. General admission tickets are $3.50 (available at the door); children ages 5- and under, free.
For further information call the school at 382-5178 and ask for Martha Tawneys.
The SPIRIT OF THANKSGIVING can be found at Blacksburg Middle School as the entire school is involved in making food-filled gift baskets to be distributed to needy families. Also, the school will hold its FALL BOOK FAIR through Dec. 2. The fair will be open each school day from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. This is a perfect time to do that Christmas shopping and support the community and school.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS in the area are constantly coming up with new activities to keep classes fun and interesting for the pupils. Here are some of the things that are going on in your area:
Christiansburg Primary School: the kids learned about bees when Richard Fell from Virginia Tech came last month. Amy Chattin from Mill Mountain Zoo talked to the children about bats and Carol Foard from the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond presented a program on dental care.
The Virginia Young Readers program is under way again this year, and pupils are reading some of the best contemporary books out there. All books must be nominated for the program, and after being read by the children, they will vote on the ones they liked best. Call the school at 382-5175 for a list of the books. They might be at the local library.
Margaret Beeks: a multicultural art program, designed to teach the children about all the different types of art, is underway at the school. Kathy Turnauer, art teacher at the school, received one of 15 Montgomery County STAR grants for special projects in the classroom. The kids are learning about art from four major cultural areas: Native American, Mexican, Japanese and African. Hands-on activities, books and visuals have been purchased with the grant money.
Belview Elementary: the second graders, some parents and 345 flower bulbs were on the scene at the latest beautification project at the school. The children, with the help of their parents and teacher, planted daffodils, tulips, crocus, iris and narcissus that will bloom in the spring. Next, the children plan to tackle the center quad of the school and create a nature area, complete with a wildflower and perennial garden to attract hummingbirds and butterflies.
Christiansburg Elementary: the chess club held its first meeting and 53 kids attended. Club meetings will be held twice a month for the rest of the school year. The children will learn basic chess instruction and individual games. Perhaps by the end of the year, they will be ready for competition. For more information on the club, which is designed for fourth and fifth graders, call 382-5172.
Elliston-Lafayette: Student Council Elections were held and the following children were elected to office: April Akers, president; Emily Collins, vice-president; Jennifer Raines, secretary; Ashley Thompson, treasurer. Classroom representatives are: Amanda Mills, Lena Mae Childs, Derek Hancock, Timothy Cragett, Jeffrey Brown, Alicia McGhee, Brandon Spencer and Travis Carroll.
A new walking program is helping to keep the kids in shape. After lunch all children can go outside and walk with the physical education teacher. So far, the children have walked over 1,000 miles.
The kindergarten and first graders have new playground equipment thanks to the Parent-Teacher Association which helped raise the money. The school also is participating in a county-wide recycling program, accepting clothes, men's shoes (no women's shoes), pocketbooks, sheets, blankets, curtains, bedspreads and other household items. The school also recycles aluminum cans, newspapers and mini sip pouches.
Falling Branch Elementary: Student Council Association elections were held and the following students were voted into office: Martha Cockey, president; Ashlyn Akers, vice-president and Anna Johnson, secretary.
The second graders are involved in a year-long study of habitats. They have explored neighborhoods, streams, ponds and wetlands so far. Next they will study deserts, oceans, polar regions and other habitats.
They have learned about the environment, wildlife and are busy writing and publishing books on what they have learned.
Some other second graders invited their grandparents to school as part of a unit on grandparents. The elders shared their memories with the children and showed them their hobbies.
All the pupils at Falling Branch are collecting mittens, gloves and scarves to donate to the Montgomery County Christmas Store. Any clean, unused item will be accepted at the school, or send it along with your children.
COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMSo cause many high school students to encounter stress, panic, tension and anxiety. Who wants to choose a college based solely on the score of one single test? And this year, the tests - namely the SAT and PSAT - are new, making them even more scary. This is the first time the tests have been changed in 20 years. For the first time, calculators will be allowed while taking the SAT, and reading comprehension will play a more important role in the test.
The Kaplan Educational Center offers courses to help prepare students for college entrance exams. Some involve a fee, but in response to these new tests, the center is offering free informational seminars, booklets and a toll-free hotline to answer student questions. Call 1-800-KAP-TEST to receive further information about the tests.
The Radford unit of the AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATIONo has received funding to distribute materials to all Radford elementary teachers and high school health and physical education teachers. The information will be used to help students develop healthy lifestyles, by providing information on nutrition and exercise and about the harmful effects of smoking.
The funding to provide these materials came from Radford Community Hospital and the Radford Community Health Foundation.
Students from all over the New River Valley celebrated water and it's importance as part of NATIONAL GEOGRAPHY AWARENESS WEEKo which was recognized last week. At Dublin Middle School, students interviewed local people to find out what the biggest water concerns were for the area. The students also have been in contact with classes in 53 other countries, via computer, to find out what those students feel is the most important water issue in their country.
Students at Blacksburg Middle School participated in a daily geography trivia contest in which treats were awarded to those who answered the most questions correctly. A group of seventh graders visited the geography department at Virginia Tech to learn more about our earth, and computer simulation models were studied as well.
The pupils at Riner Elementary School also celebrated Geography Awareness Week with a daily trivia question. They had a Geography ``A-Wear-Ness Day'' in which students wore clothing some somehow represented geography. Some classrooms did a water study, and tallied the amount of water used in their home for the week.
SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMSo are growing in importance as school systems are asked to take on more and more responsibilities with the children who attend school. All New River Valley public school divisions offer a variety of special education programs to serve children ages 2- to 21, including guaranteeing a free and appropriate public education.
A child may qualify for one of a variety of programs depending on the disability. The list is long; if you suspect a child may qualify for one of these programs, call one of the phone numbers listed below:
autism: students who have a developmental disability that significantly affects verbal and-or non-verbal communication and social interaction.
deaf: students with a severe hearing impairment that limits processing of linguistic information through hearing, which adversely affects educational performance.
deaf-blind: students with hearing and visual impairments which cause severe communication developmental and education difficulties.
developmental delay: students younger than 8- years old who have problems in cognitive ability, motor skills, social-adaptive behavior, perceptual and communication skills.
hearing impairment: students with a hearing impairment, not as severe as being deaf, yet still affecting educational performance.
mental retardation: mildly, moderately or severely delayed in cognitive, adaptive and self-help skills.
multiple disabilities: a combination of impairments causing severe learning problems that cannot be handled in an individual impairment program.
orthopedic impairment: students with motor skill problems.
other health impairments: students with limited strength, vitality or alertness due to chronic or acute health problems.
preschool: serving children ages 2-4 years of age who display any number of developmental delays.
serious emotional disturbance: students with emotional problems which affect their performance in school.
severe and profound disability: students with primary disabilities which impair cognitive abilities, adaptive skills and life functions.
specific learning disability: students with problems in reading, math, spelling, writing, listening, thinking and speaking due to a single learning problem.
speech or language impairment: students with speech sounds, language, voice and fluency.
traumatic brain injury: students who have suffered an injury to the brain caused by external force, resulting in total or partial functional disability or psychosocial impairment.
visual impairment: students having trouble in class specifically because of vision problems.
All programs are free for those who qualify. Contact the principal where the child attends school or call one of the following numbers in the New River Valley area: Bill Garner, Floyd County, 745-9400; Patricia Muldoon, Giles County, 921-1421; Chris Gilley, Montgomery County, 382-5114; Becky Phillips, Pulaski County, 674-8849 and Olivia Linkous, Radford, 731-3647.
by CNB