Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, March 28, 1995 TAG: 9503280042
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: LAURA ZIVKOVICH
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
The group, after attending a conference last spring in Roanoke and learning about the YALE program (Youth Appreciates Law Enforcement), vowed to express their appreciation for local law enforcement officers in the coming year. And did they.
TNT members met with Montgomery County Sheriff Ken Phipps and Ron Lemons, Christiansburg police chief in October and began planning monthly special events.
In October, group members washed the Christiansburg Police Department's fleet of
cars. Christiansburg police and members of the sheriff's department were invited to share lunch with the students at the high school in November. In December, the students donated and boxed baked goods, cookies and candy and delivered them to county and town officers before the holiday break.
Each Thursday in the cold months of January, February and March, the group warmed the hands and hearts of the officers directing morning traffic outside the school with a steaming cup of hot chocolate.
The group's plans for April and May are not yet certain.
The peer group did not limit its Christiansburg community concern just to law enforcement officers.
On eight-school days in February and March the Teens Need Teens group and members of the Student Council Association served as discussion leaders in Teen-Adult Dialogues. The dialogues brought together over 800 students and over 60 adult volunteers who together discussed in small groups the activities they like and dislike, what they consider most important in their lives, the qualities they admire in others and whether or not their behaviors reflect these thoughts.
Most participants agreed that family, friends and religion play large roles in their lives and admitted learning something about others from the experience.
English teacher and TNT sponsor, Regina Meredith, thrilled with the dialogue results, feels the students (and adults) left learning the dialogues' true and simple message:
"The one thing we wanted participants to learn is that they are able to sit down with a group of people they don't necessarily know and talk about things."
The fourth annual Blue Ridge Highlands Regional Science Fair will showcase the creative efforts of middle and high school students from the New River Valley and beyond, Saturday, 1-5 p.m., at the New River Valley Fairgrounds in Dublin.
Awards will be given in 12 categories from biochemistry to zoology. The grand prize winner and his or her sponsoring teacher will win a trip to the 46th International Science and Engineering Fair, May 7-13, in Hamilton, Ontario.
The award ceremony begins at 3 p.m.
The event is jointly sponsored by the New River and Wytheville community colleges.
For more information, call 674-3600, ext.257.
The New River Valley Youth Strings musical groups will begin rehearsing in April. Students ages 8-18 who play stringed instruments are encouraged to join.
The new organization will hold and informational meeting Wednesday, April 5, 7 p.m., in the meeting room of the Blacksburg public library. Group members will will get together Wednesdays after school to rehearse.
For more information, call Carol Stone, director, 951-5129, or Suzanne Jackson, parent coordinator, 231-5898.
The Radford Community Hospital Auxiliary and the Radford Community Health Foundation is accepting applications for its $2,000 health services education scholarship.
Area high school seniors who plan to pursue a degree in the health services field are eligible to apply.
The application deadline is Friday, May 5.
To receive an application of for more information, call the Radford Community Hospital Volunteer Manager, 731-2558.
Elementary Episodes
Shannon Barr's third grade class at Christiansburg Elementary School buried a time capsule outside their classroom window last week to give future Christiansburgers an idea of elementary student life in 1995.
The box contains a videotape of introductions from each class member, photos from class activities, personal letters and student reports on music, superheroes, sports and fashion.
They also added a newspaper and some trendy items: a troll doll, sports cards and "The Lion King" cards.
The spot is unmarked. The pupils are still considering a marker with a listed do-not-open-until date.
As a grand finale to a unit on penguins, Dana Smiles' first grade class at Falling Branch Elementary School added an avian twist to favorite children's stories writing and performing in "Little Red Riding Penguin," "The Gingerbread Penguin," and " Goldilocks and the Three Penguins."
Falling Branch fourth- and fifth-graders recently raised $2,421 for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital solving math problems in the school's Math Marathon.
Each participating student worked on a booklet of 209 problems. Sponsors paid the students for the number of problems completed.
Children in Pat Cross' fourth grade class at Christiansburg Elementary invited their parents to share in a unit on colonial history and Virginia geography. On March 23, the parents came in for lunch and listened to history told through poetry, discussed colonial schools and made hornbooks, early schoolbooks used for reading, writing and math.
Belview Elementary School fifth-graders recently traveled to Roanoke to tour the Science Museum of Western Virginia. The pupils weighed themselves on space scales, learned about the first space walk, and studied exhibits on light, sound, weather, energy and simple machines.
Yan Marie Tes, a Elliston-Lafayette Elementary fifth-grader, is the winner of the school's Arbor Day poster contest. His winning entry will be judged again at the state contest.
Winners of an honorable mention in the contest are Brian Garst, Carie Starkey, and Joanie Trent.
Nineteen Shawsville High School 10th-grade English students read their own works to pupils at Shawsville and Elliston-Lafayette elementary schools. As a final project in a fairy tale, myth, fable and legend unit, the high school students wrote, illustrated and bound books containing a lesson they thought important for today's youth.
School Events
Radford High School students will take on faculty members in basketball and volleyball matches Saturday at the Radford Athletic Boosters' Fools Day Fracas in the high school gymnasium.
The volleyball match begins at 6 p.m., followed by basketball at 7:30.
Admission is $2 for adults, $1 for students and free for children under 10.
Concessions include pizza, hot dogs, popcorn, candy and drinks.
The Blacksburg New School will hold its annual OPEN HOUSE Wednesday and Thursday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at the school.
Parents and children considering enrollment for the 1995-96 school year are welcome to visit and tour the school.
For more information, call T.J. Stone, 552-6947, or Kaye Kriz, 231-9145.
The Gilbert Linkous Elementary School's SPRING CARNIVAL, the Parent Teacher Association's largest fund-raising event of the year, will be held Saturday, 12-4 p.m., at the school.
Game booths include Lockmaster, balloon darts, and ping pong toss. Other attractions are a silent auction, Burger King's Whopper Hopper, a roving juggler, a cake walk and a silhouette booth.
Vendors will peddle engravable jewelry, make-your-own-buttons, pizza, cotton candy, nachos and bakery items.
The PTA will also sponsor a HEALTH FAIR tonight, 7-9, in the school's multi-purpose room. Representatives from Blacksburg's police and fire departments will address safety issues. Area physicians will provide vision and dental screenings. Volunteers from the Radford Wellness Center will check flexibility. All are welcome.
The Elliston-Lafayette Elementary School Parent Teacher Association will sponsor its outdoor Spring Fling, Saturday, April 1, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Children may hunt for easter eggs and ride ponies while parents browse through craft and flee market items.
For more information, call the school 268-2291.
Auburn High School's Meadow Muffin Minibucks Contest to raise money for its alcohol- and drug-free After Prom Party is scheduled for Saturday, April 22 on the school football field.
The lot placement drawing begins at 9:30 a.m.; the cow takes to the field at 10 a.m.
Land plots are $5. First, second and third place winners will receive $500, $250 and $100 prizes respectively.
For more information or to purchase a deed call the high school office, 382-5160; Bob Davis, 382-3985; or Tom Bland, 382-0844.
The Blacksburg High School Athletic Boosters will meet Monday, 7 p.m., in the school's faculty lounge in the commons area. All supporters of Blacksburg High School athletic programs are welcome.
For more information, call Rhonda Rogers, 231-6204 or Dennis Dowdy, 382-2283.
by CNB