Four Oaks Elementary Raising Money for Tsunami Victims Four Oaks Elementary School's change drive, which began on Jan. 24, has ended. Each class has raised anywhere from $50-$300, and the amount continues to grow. Classes have been discussing the tsunami and its damage in their classes. Schoolwide, students have focused on compassion and spirit of giving to those in need. For more information, please call Katy Gurash at (919) 963-2166. Corinth-Holders to Host Speaker Motivational speaker Larry Bell will present "Write Step Forward" on March 1 to students and staff at noon. He will present an encore for parents and community a 6 p.m. that evening in the school cafetorium. The presentation is a celebration of the March 1 writing assessment. For more information, please call Karen Finn at (919) 365-7560. SSS to Hold AP Night Advanced Placement Student/Parent Night will be held at Smithfield-Selma High School on Tuesday, March 8 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Media Center. This event will provide the information about the AP program here. Students have met with their counselors to discuss their PSAT scores to determine their interest in the AP program. For more information, please call Marchelle Horner, Assistant Principal, at (919) 934-5191. Meadow School Wins Fifth Literacy Grant Meadow School has won its 5 Leap Into Literacy grant from Wal-Mart. Darene Honeycutt, parent involvement and reading specialist, wrote the grants to purchase LeapFrog systems and software for students and for at-risk students to take home for additional practice. The students love the program and reading gains are being made. Mrs. Honeycutt was contacted today by Wal-Mart with the good news. The Literacy grant from Wal-Mart was a $500 matching grant. Total grants for this project to date are in excess of $7,500. For more information, please call Darene Honeycutt, Parent Involvement and Reading Specialist at (919) 894-4226. Also at Meadow, the school's fourth grade Author's Celebration will be held on February 24 at 2:15 p.m. in the school cafeteria. Each student in the 4th grade wrote and published a book through Nationwide Learning. This is the first year that Meadow has participated in the program. Parents are invited to attend the celebration. Each homeroom has selected a student to speak about their publishing experience. "The purpose of the project is to encourage our students to be good writers, and we want them to know that good work deserves a celebration," said Darene Honeycutt. Nationwide selected one of the students as a finalist for the annual contest. This student's book will be used for promotional purposes by Nationwide Learning, Inc. next year. The winner will be announced at the celebration. For more information, please call Darene Honeycutt, Parent Involvement and Reading Specialist, at (919) 894-4226. Science Sleuths Start Club at Clayton Middle Clayton Middle School students who enjoy science have begun meeting every second Tuesday from 2:45 p.m. to 4 p.m. to explore different branches of science like horticulture, astronomy and astrology, nature, and the environment. "It's a fun way to help students better understand that science goes beyond the classroom," said Jennifer Collins. For more information, please call Jennifer Collins at (919) 553-5811. Mysteries Uncovered at North Johnston Middle School North Johnston Middle School has opened a Mystery Museum that will be open on March 3 and 4 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day in the school gym. Students in eighth grade are doing research on topics that have a mystery theme (Bermuda Triangle, Robin Hood, Area 51) They will create and set up a display much like a science fair display that will explain their findings. For more information, please call Theresa Alampi and Chan Hales at (919) 284-3374.
