Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, April 4, 1995 TAG: 9504040073
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: KENNETH SINGLETARY
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
"I love the seasons
Huge fragrant and tall
What I love best
Is playing through them all"
Dear Meredith: We kids here in the newsroom love to play, too, and can really relate to your sentiment. Thanks!
RYAN WOPSCHALL, a fifth-grader in Mrs. Reilly's class at Robinson Elementary School in Trabuco Canyon, Calif., sends us this important missive:
"We are doing state research reports in my class and I will be reporting on Virginia. The reports are due in May and cover topics such as climate, location, history, agriculture and industry. The reason I am writing to your local paper is to ask if you could publish my letter in your paper. I am hoping some of the members of your community would write to me and tell me about their experiences, traditions and some history or stories about their life in Virginia. I live in Southern California and am sure many things about Virginia are different from where I live. Also, if any of the citizens find time to reply, it would be great if they would enclose a copy of my published letter."
Dear Ryan: We are sure many things about Virginia are different from those in Southern California, too.
Send your replies to: Ryan Wopschall, Robinson Elementary School, 21400 Lindsay, Trabuco Canyon, Calif. 92679.
When is noon not exactly noon? When the wacky kids from the DEMONSTRATION SCHOOL FOR SCIENCE, MATH AND TECHNOLOGY, part of Dublin Elementary, get involved in telling time.
It seems the third-, fourth-, and fifth-graders decided to recreate a measurement by Eratosthenes, a Greek scientist who lived 2,000 years ago. He accurately calculated the north-south circumference of the Earth. The kids used a shadow cast by a stick at high noon, and then they reported their readings to a clearinghouse in Illinois. Their results: the sun was at its zenith over Virginia at 12:21 p.m. on March 22.
Two teachers from DALTON INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL in Radford, Peggy Plum and Cynthia Miller, spent last weekend in the city by the bay, San Francisco, where they presented a mathematics program at the National School Board Association's Convention.
Their presentation, one of 68 at the convention, was "Around the World With Math," an interdisciplinary approach that allowed students to explore the globe with math. Math skills are taught through cuisine, history, traditions, celebrations and math of a specific nation.
There's just no telling what you might be moved to do after you read a powerful story. Four students at Christiansburg Elementary School are an example.
The students in Wilma Cassol and Catherine Steele's class at Christiansburg Elementary School read "Shiloh," by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, the tale of a boy's efforts to save an abused dog. They then came up with a warm-hearted way to help the animals in the Humane Society's no-kill shelter - and spread a little cheer at their school.
J.R. PANNELL, AMIE HANKINS, CRYSTAL BRUNNER and CLAYTON CARTER offered to send messages and tissue paper flowers to any student or teacher in the school, for 25 cents. Their take: $20 in two days, with the hopes of raising $50 by the end of the week. They planned to present a check to the Humane Society soon.
The pupils at KIPPS ELEMENTARY are getting ready for their Super Spring Carnival on April 22 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. It will feature games, prizes, a cake walk, pizza, subs, ice cream, cotton candy and other "nutritious" foods.
Two silent auctions, one for kids and one for grown-ups, are planned, as is a raffle for a one-year membership to the town aquatic center for a family of five. Tickets are $1 or six for $5. The public is welcome to attend.
In March the students at the school celebrated International Day, and they did it in style.
Carol Crawford-Smith performed African dances and told stories. The students also saw an Indian light dance. Perhaps most notable, however, was "Marvelous Marvin," who played music from around the world on his accordian.
The kids also heard from more than 30 speakers from different countries, and they put on their own fashion show.
The authorities at Blacksburg Middle School sent us a notice that "adolescent novelist" WILL HOBBS visited the school last Friday. They meant to write, of course, "adolescent-novelist," since Hobbs is an adult who writes novels for adolescents.
Hobbs' efforts include "Bearstone," "Beardance," "Changes in Latitudes," "Downriver" and "The Big Wander." He lives in Colorado and writes about the American West. During his visit he showed the students slides of the Grand Canyon and Utah, which are the setting for some of his tales.
We are uncertain if we are an "adolescent journalist" or an "adolescent-journalist." Our colleagues here in the newsroom will no doubt have much helpful input on that.
Musicians at Radford High School will host students from Hall High School in West Hartford, Conn., April 10-12, as part of their 1995 Cultural Exchange. The students from the two schools will perform a concert together April 11, at 7 p.m. in the auditorium of Radford High School. Admission will be free.
In turn, the students from Hall High will host their Radford High counterparts in May.
Let it be resolved: Those of us here in the newsroom must diligently work to formulate a similar arrangement with the Honolulu Advertiser.
by CNB