city schools
Hugh Mercer Elementary
Orientation Day is Thursday. The two sessions are 9 to 11 a.m. or 6:30 to 8 p.m.Spirit Wear--consisting of a forest-green or white polo shirt with a Hugh Mercer logo, a plain white, yellow or green polo shirt, or any other Hugh Mercer shirt and khaki pants--is being introduced this year. Students are encouraged to wear Spirit Wear on Fridays. A limited supply of polo shirts will be available for purchase at orientation or orders will be taken anytime during the school year. PTA has offered to provide a shirt to any student who qualifies.
--Cindy Hurley
Lafayette Upper Elementary
Orientation is tomorrow from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., and then again from 5:45 to 6:45 p.m. Students will find out who their teacher is during orientation. Agendas will be on sale for $4. Spirit Wear also will be on sale.
The PTA is looking for members. A table will be set up at orientation to sign up. Dues are $5. The class that has the most membership will receive a pizza party. Officers are needed, as well. The PTA needs a vice president, student activities committee chairman, public relations committee chairman and a volunteer committee chairman. Contact Denise Righter at 540/372-9659 for details.
To register a child, the student must have a birth certificate, immunization record, Social Security number, custody order (if applicable), physical (if out of state), and proof of residency in the city.
The first day of school is Sept. 5. School hours are 8:25 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
--Valerie Morgan
Walker-Grant Middle
Orientation will be held tomorrow. Parents and students may attend one of two sessions: 9-10 a.m. or 7-8 p.m. Student fees for the school year are: $4 student agenda, $1 physical education lock rental, and $13 for PE uniform purchase.
--Renee Embrey
county schools
Chancellor Elementary
New staff members for the 2006-07 school year are:
Administrative intern--Stacey Cox
Fifth grade--Kirsten Reece
Reading resource--Krista Satyanathan
ESOL--Sarah Jett
Integrated technology resource teacher--Karen Clore
Paraeducators--Amy Schwenker and Vanessa Wallace
Cafeteria--Mary Heflin and Mary Jones.
--Amy Clodius
Riverview Elementary
Student Picture Day will be Sept. 13.
Volunteers are needed for the Panther Parent Safety Patrol. Would you consider volunteering to help with this patrol for one or two mornings a month? Help with student safety at a very busy time. Patrol members will greet students and help with traffic flow in the drop-off lane. For details, call 540/582-7617.
Are you a member of Riverview's e-mail news group known as Panther Bytes? If not, visit the Web site at spotsylvania.k12
Casey Davis, Cody Frum, Elizabeth Pence, Jack Harrell, Michael Messina and Shelbi Hall are the winners of Riverview Elementary's SOL Challenge drawing. All third-, fourth- and fifth-grade students who achieved a passing score on the spring SOL tests were eligible for the drawing. Each passing score of 400 or better equaled one chance in the drawings, so students could earn up to four chances. These students won a gift card to Wal-Mart for their hard work and achievement on this year's tests.
--Kim Kirtner
Salem Elementary
New and reassigned Salem staff members for the 2006-07 school year include: Nancy Norman, kindergarten; Paula Wright, first grade; Susan Smith, third grade; Melanie Grossi, fourth grade; Melinda Madison and Colleen Mayberry, fifth grade; Holly Mejewski, Title I; Armand Arana, resource; Sarah Jett, ESOL; Eva Giraldi, Spanish; Joe Cox, integrated technology resource teacher; Sara West, preschool paraeducator; Ritha Eubank, cafeteria staff; and Eleanor Foster, custodial staff.
Salem students Svea Southall and Leila Medawar were runners-up in the national McDuff Story Drawing and Writing Contest, offered by author/illustrators Rosemary Wells and Susan Jeffers. For their efforts, each student received a custom certificate, a bumper sticker, and an autographed hardcover copy of the newest McDuff story in the series. Both students are members of the WOW workshop on writing, sponsored by Salem SCOPE teacher Elaine Lavelle.
--Lois Murdaugh
Spotswood Elementary
New faculty and staff include:
Kindergarten--Susan Speller
First grade--Angela Herrmann and Amanda Smith
Second grade--Geoff McCabe
Fourth grade--Samantha Franklin
Learning disabled--Jennifer Metikosk and Theresa Scott
Integrated technology resource teacher--Joseph Cox
Math coach--Carolee Romano
ESOL--Mary Ellen Durfee
Assistant principal--Mary Jane Perrault
--Devra Pickett
Wilderness Elementary
Stephanie Plunkett will be working at Wilderness in the physical education department. Student teachers from the University of Mary Washington also will be working at Wilderness this year. They are Nina Damgaard, Meghan Witt, Stephaine Canny, Mary Beth Baylor and Franchesca Capellini.
--Susan Strawn
Battlefield Middle
Students Ally D'Amour, Bianca Jeanty, Kira Lizewski, Rhody Mastin and Samantha Sharkey participated in the Back-to-School Rally Aug. 17. Their only rehearsal was the day before the rally, where they joined several other middle school chorus students. The students did an outstanding job of singing "The Star Spangled Banner" to an audience of more than 3,500.
Krystal O'Brien has joined the Battlefield family and will be responsible for software and hardware maintenance.
School pictures are Oct. 10 and 11.
Morning Editions, a breakfast-at-school program, begins this year at Battlefield Middle. Breakfast will be available until 7:57 a.m. The Morning Editions Cafe will be the place to be every morning with a fresh new variety of full-service and grab-and-go foods and beverages. A breakfast meal costs $1.30, reduced qualified students 30 cents.
Attendance is a high priority at school. Students need to be here on time and in class. Students are considered tardy if they are not in homeroom at 8 a.m.
State law requires that all entering sixth-, seventh- and eighthgrade students are immunized against hepatitis. Students may not start school until they have had their first dose of this vaccination series.
The first faculty meeting of this school year was enhanced tremendously by the support of some of the school's Business Partners. Dan Wallace Enterprises, AMF Lanes, Mama's Pizza and Subs, Carvel at Southpoint, The Tavern, Brenna Pakes, Brusters, Dairy Queen at Four-Mile Fork, and J Brian's Tap Room all contributed gift certificates and teacher incentives.
--Connie Moore
Post Oak Middle
Post Oak Middle School successfully welcomed approximately 830 students on Wednesday. Excitement filled the hallways as students rushed to their homerooms. Many of John J. Wright's returning students were in awe as they moved through the spacious building. The faculty and staff look forward to serving POMS students this year!
Teachers joining the JJW staff who moved to POMS include: Melissa Miller, Sylvia Chapman, Stacy Bennett, Kristen Kuhn and Harold Ruckle in sixth grade; Jill Nogueras, Stephanie Smiley, Karen Turner, Peter Nogueras and Brian Coffee in seventh grade; Roy Mo, Brian Bertrand, Niccole Taylor and Jarret Perdue in eighth grade; Marilyn Marks, Michelle Dick, Lauren Wade, Sarah Ramey and Boden Phillips teaching exploratory classes; Sheila McCullough teaching PE and Kristi Wilson teaching adaptive PE; Craig Bachman, Tamara Franklin, Suzanne Garner and Gwen Chenault teaching foreign languages; John Palen teaching SOL; Shelia Comfort, Ramona Benoit, Alexis Utz, Terri Steidl and Barbara Dunlap teaching Special Education. Laura Digges is interim counselor for eighth grade; Gretchen Bailey is the technology system operator.
New paraeducators include Kathy Guilliams and Tammy Danz.
Dan Morris from the Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office joins POMS as the school resource officer. Tracy Kropp is serving as an administrative intern.
Students are reminded that a physical must be on file prior to trying out for fall sports.
--Helen S. Cielakie
Spotsylvania Middle
Teachers and staff were treated to a welcome-back luncheon Aug. 18. The delicious food was provided by Carrabba's Italian Grill in Central Park.
Thanks to all the students and parents who visited the school Friday for orientation. It was wonderful to see such an enthusiastic community. Welcome to the 2006-07 school year.
--Sharon Glad
Riverbend High
All parents are encouraged to join and participate in Riverbend's PTSA. This is an exciting time as parents, teachers and students work together to enhance the already positive school atmosphere. Volunteers are needed for the teacher luncheons, homecoming dance and after-prom party. For details, contact PTSA President Tina Pollnow through the school.
Calling all volunteers: Are you energetic, patient and willing to spend some of your spare time at Riverbend? We need you. Pick up an application in the main office. We can use as much or as little time as you can spare.
Important information and dates will be announced daily at the school. If you wish to receive an e-mail version of these announcements, please e-mail Brandon Hess at
Email: bhess@hs.spot
--Mark Keith
private schools
Fredericksburg Academy
Fredericksburg Academy celebrated the beginning of its 15th year when its doors opened for the first day of school on Monday.
The academy will host a series of coffees next week to give parents an opportunity to meet administrators and each other. A coffee for parents of prekindergarten and kindergarten students will be at 8:15 a.m. on Sept. 6 in the Lower School Library. Parents of students in grades one through five are invited to a coffee at 8:15 a.m. Sept. 7 in the Lower School Library. And parents of Middle and Upper School students are encouraged to attend a coffee at 8:15 a.m. Sept. 8 in the Middle School and Upper School Library.
Parents are reminded that students will be dismissed at 11:45 a.m. Friday for the Labor Day holiday. The Academy will be closed on Labor Day.
--Beth Hunley
Tree of Life Christian Prep School
Third through sixth grades have been studying weather. This past week they focused on cloud formations, as well as the names of clouds at various altitudes. They have been keeping a daily record of the clouds and any patterns they see. They will use this information, along with other instruments they build, to aid them in predicting weather.
Seventh- and eighth-grade students are beginning to put together the first monthly edition of the TLC Prep Student Newsletter. Contributions will come from every grade. They will include such things as general interest articles, poems, stories, drawings, cartoons, trivia, etc.
Marguarite Johnson, a retired teacher, has returned. She had been a volunteer at TLC Prep in the past. Due to illness, she has not been able to be on campus this past school year.
Roberta Hoskins has returned as administrative assistant.
--Janet Armstrong