Lynchburg City Schools

The administration of William Marvin Bass Elementary and Lynchburg City Schools are pleased to announce the awarding of a 21st Century Community Learning Centers Grant to William Marvin Bass Elementary. The grant award is in the amount of $180,000 and will be used to fund several after-school and intercession programs for students at William Marvin Bass Elementary. The grant will also support programs at Bass such as the FAST program (Families and Schools Together), Parent workshops, and professional development for faculty and staff. The grant was co-written with Central Virginia Community Services. Additional local partners who will support Bass Elementary and the 21st Century Community Learning Center initiative are Jubilee Family Development Center, Girl Scouts, Liberty University – LaHaye Ice Center, Lynchburg Humane Society, Amazement Square, Barnes & Noble and Lynchburg College – SERVE Office. 

This grant award is an amazing opportunity for the William Marvin Bass community. As the school division’s only year-round school, this grant will allow many academic, cultural and enrichment activities to occur for the students and parents during Bass’ year-round calendar. The 21st Century Community Learning Centers program supports a broad array of before- and after-school activities (including those held during summer recess periods) to advance student achievement. The program: helps students meet state and local student standards in core academic subjects, such as reading and math; offers students enrichment activities that can complement their regular academic programs; and offers literacy and other educational services to the families of participating children.

For additional information regarding this great opportunity and award grant at William Marvin Bass please contact Leverne Marshall, principal, 522-3769 and Hester Bruce, Prevention Program Manager – CVCS, 455-2769.

“Just KIDdin’!” was a wonderful workshop for parents which explained that most childhood misbehavior is predictable and relates directly to a child’s age and developmental stage. This program presented an overview of the stages of development, the goals of misbehavior, and how parents can best respond to reduce conflict, increase communication, and foster the development of responsible, resilient children.

This program presented an overview of the stages of development, the goals of misbehavior, and how parents can best respond to reduce conflict, increase communication, and foster the development of responsible, resilient children.

Dearington Elementary School for Innovation received the prestigious Red Ribbon Award from the Alliance for Family and Children for having 100% of their student body commit to being drug and alcohol free. The school received a certificate and $50.00 for this accomplishment. Also at this event, a Dearington School fourth grade, Kayla Lawhorne received a ribbon and certificate for her winning essay “Why My Family is Special”.

The third through fifth grade classroom teachers at Dearington are piloting a new teaching practice. Their rooms were equipped with permanent wall mounted SMARTBoards and projection units. All schools in the system have access to moveable SmartBoard, but DESI is the first school to have permanent SMARTBoards for daily use.

Students are finding this new teaching strategy very enlightening and teachers are reporting that the SMARTBoard activities are reaching more of the students’ learning styles.

WHEN:

Saturday, November 18, 2006

WHERE:

Sweetbriar College in Amherst, VA

The following students make up the school’s LEGO Team:  

3rd graders- Timothy Saunders and Charlie Holloway,

4th graders- Logan Walker and Joseph Mulaparthi, and

5th graders- Alexis Billings, Natassja Murphy, Tyus Brown, and Marshall Davis.

The students did a great job preparing for and competing in the First Lego League competition, which focused on using robotics in Nanotechnology. This was their first competition in which they built a robot to perform specific timed tasks. They received the Project Presentation Award for their skit, interviewing skills, and research on Nanotechnology. Way to GO “DESI NANOS!”

The following SMS Band Students earned Seats in the Annual All-District Middle School Honors Band under the direction of Jim Meredith.

• Jacob Hunter, first chair tuba
• Maria Michael, 6th chair flute (competing in a field of 77 flutes)
• Sarah Stephens, oboe
• Kaitlin Morris, clarinet
• Stefan Moscalu, euphonium
• Whitney Warner, french horn
• Andy Locascio, french horn
• Brittany Adams, french horn (1st alternate)

When:

Saturday, November 11, 2006

The doors open at 8:45 a.m. and the first performance begins at 9:30 a.m., and the performances continue throughout the day. The awards ceremony is scheduled for 5:45 p.m.

The cost is only $5.00 for the entire day.

Where:

Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School for Innovation
1200-1208 Polk Street
Lynchburg, VA 24504

Who:

This festival is for Middle Schools throughout the Commonwealth to perform one-act plays in competition. The participants are rated and given a critique of their performances, workshops are held for the students and the festival ends with an awards ceremony.

The other schools performing are Thomas Harrison, Kempsville, Marion, Drew, Rodney Thompson, and Rachel Carson Middle Schools. They will be traveling from all over Virginia to present their productions.

These students placed among the top five percent of more than one million students who entered the 2007 competition by making the 2005 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT).

• Elliott R. Brennan
• Emily K. Gur
• Alexander S. Newton
• Eric T. Dolenti
• Matthew J. Hitchcock
• James T. Raines
• Yasser J. El-Abd
• John C. Lundeen
• Esther H. Schewel
• Lee W. Eschenroeder
• Kirin E. McCrory
• Kenneth V. Wrenn
• Rachel Gillette
• Muntasir A. Natour

Perrymont Elementary School will receive the Gold Leaf Award from the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) for the creation of the wetland garden in the Landscape/Beautification/Environmental category. The award will be announced on Wednesday, October 4, 2006, at 9:30 a.m., during the ISA annual meeting in Virginia Beach.

Perrymont Elementary School received a grant from Environmental Concern, Inc., St. Michaels, MD to install wetlands on the school grounds.

The wetlands were installed during the week of May 1-5, 2006, culminating in an all-school plant day when students (370) at Perrymont had the opportunity to plant an aquatic plant in the wetlands.

Students will use the wetlands as an outdoor classroom to meet the Virginia Standards of Learning relating to water environments.

Chantelle Deddens, Instructional Technology Specialists at Bedford Hills Elementary, will appear on Wheel of Fortune Game Show, Friday, September 22 at 7:00 p.m. Ms. Deddens flew to California and filmed the show in July. “I did well and had fun,” said Ms. Deddens. 

The Bedford Hills family will have a Wheel of Fortune Viewing Party on Friday, September 22. All media are invited to attend. To interview Ms. Deddens, contact Bedford Hills Elementary School, 384-2221.

University of Virginia Men’s Basketball Coach Dave Leitao will deliver a motivational presentation to the student body of Sandusky Middle School on Tuesday, October 10, 2006 beginning at 9:00 a.m. All media are invited to attend. For more information, please contact Sandusky Middle School Principal Jay Sales at 582-1120.

Heritage High School will honor NASA astronaut Leland Melvin on Friday, September 8, 2006 during halftime of the Heritage High/ E.C. Glass varsity football game. Leland is a 1982 graduate of Heritage High School. NASA has announced that Melvin and five others have been assigned to a mission that will deliver the European Space Agency’s Columbus Laboratory to the International Space Station. It is anticipated that the mission will take place in 2007. Due to a busy schedule, Melvin will be unable to attend the September 8th event. His father and mother, Deems and Gracie Melvin, as well as other family members will be in attendance on Leland’s behalf.