*Johnston County Schools will observe Martin Luther King. Jr. Day on Monday, January 17. Magic Show at River Dell Taylor Michaels, Master Magician, will present a magic show at River Dell Elementary School on Friday, January 14 at 6:30 p.m. The show costs $4 for adults and $3 for children. The event is a PTA fundraiser and family night activity. Doors open at 6 p.m. For more information, please call Kay Hewitt, Principal, at (919) 553-1977. Fifth Graders Took Trip to Museum The fifth grade classes at Cooper Elementary School took a trip to the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh in December. They experienced the artwork of such famous artists as Picasso and Matisse. For more information, please call Michee Olson at (919) 553-0256. McGee's Hosting Artists in Schools Performance Beverly Botsford, a multicultural percussionist, will dance and tell stories on Thursday, January 20 at 10 a.m. in the McGee's Crossroads Middle School gym. The event will blend percussion, movement, and storytelling to enlighten, educate, and inspire students. For more information, please call Charlene Bowling at (919) 894-6003. Selma Middle Band Performed Holiday Music The Selma Middle School band performed for parents and staff at the December PTA meeting held at Selma Elementary School. Features included a selection titled "Kwanzaa," narrated by David Dublin; "A Visit >From St. Nicholas," narrated by Amy Terlinden, and "Silver Bells", performed by the eighth grade. For more information, please call Patty Goodwin at (919) 965-2555. Wilson's Mills, Selma Elementary Engage in Tsunami Relief Wilson's Mills Elementary School students started a penny drive to assist the victims of the tsunami disaster. The goal is to raise 140,000 coins to honor the more than 140,000 lives lost. For more information, please call Kristen Woodall at (919) 934-2978. Also, Wilson's Mills will host a parent workshop entitled, "Kindergarten, Here we Come!" for children transitioning from pre-K to kindergarten next fall. The workshop will be held on Thursday, February 20 from 6:45 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. A hot dog dinner will precede at 6 p.m. Also on that day, a fourth grade Family Breakfast will be held for students and their parents, families, and teachers from 7:45 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. in the fourth grade hallway. Selma Elementary students will collect loose change through January 21 to send to the victims of the tsunami via the American Red Cross. Also, faculty member Angela Piper has challenged her fellow co-workers to make one health kit for the United Methodist Committee on Relief. Kits will be delivered on January 28. For more information, please call Jeanette Parrish at (919) 965-3361 or Angela Piper at (919) 965-6373. Cleveland Elementary Promotes Child Safety Child Safety Day will be observed at Cleveland Elementary School on Saturday, January 15 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. to teach children about personal safety. The event will also feature the nationally recognized Escape School program, which teaches children how to avoid abduction and gives them personal safety information at their level. It focuses on keeping children safe and encourages them to be smart and calm in a variety of situations. Tips on using 911, what a stranger is, and what to do if a stranger makes them nervous will be included. Tips for parents will be available too. The Cleveland Fire Department will participate, and a Dog Safety class will be presented. For more information, please call Michele Douglas at (919) 550-2700.
