ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, February 11, 1997 TAG: 9702110064
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
COLUMN: class notes
SOURCE: HALE SHEIKERZ
Students play many roles in high school. They are athletes, class officers, club members and just plain students. But students who play the most roles are those who are involved with the school's theater productions. At Pulaski County High School, one-act plays are important to the theater group.
On Feb. 1, the school hosted the 1997 Roanoke Valley District Theatre Festival. Four schools competed in this year's one-act play festival. Other high schools at the festival were Franklin County High, Patrick Henry and Cave Spring.
Pulaski County High School won first place on all three judges' ballots and was awarded the grand prize. The judges commended the troupe for their "fresh presentation" of Edgar Lee Masters' "Spoon River Anthology." The cast will represent the Roanoke Valley District in the Northwest Region finals on Saturday at C.D. Hylton High School in Woodbridge.
Franklin County won second place for its presentation of "Crying Out." The play had a cast of more than 50 students and dealt with the problems that teens face in the 1990s.
Pulaski's presentation was an adaptation of the "Spoon River Anthology." Students edited the play from two acts to the one-act format and 35-minute limit for the competition. Armistead Booker, a junior at Pulaski, arranged the music for the play.
The play is a collection of elegies of the townspeople of Spoon River. The characters come to life in a cemetery to tell about their lives, loves and lost ambitions and hopes. Several group songs and interpretations go along with the monologues.
In the past several weeks, the cast has spent more than 50 hours rehearsing for the competition. The cast members are Karyn Krug, Amanda Phillips, Eric Southern, Emily Pohlig, Daniel Currie, Josh Raynes, Matthew Hancock, Ashley Lytton, Shannon Neal, Heather Easterling, Jayson Grimes, Jennifer Ousley and Nathan Morehead. Crew members are Kyle Hodge, Scott Adams, Jessica Burnette, Jimmy Ward and Matt Sutphin. Currie and Ousley received acting awards at the festival. Krug received an honorable mention acting award.
A special showing of "Spoon River Anthology" will be presented at 6 p.m. Thursday in the Little Theatre at the high school. Tickets are $1 or donations. Money raised will be used to help with the cost of the newly installed theater lights.
* * *
American Vocational Education Week is being celebrated through Saturday. There are more than 14 million vocational education students and teachers in the United States. In Montgomery County, students can gain job skills and leadership opportunities in vocational education students through the more than 14 program areas offered by the schools.
Many of the students in vocational education programs have the opportunity to participate in local, state and national leadership conferences through a variety of organizations. Student groups in Montgomery County include Future Business Leaders of America, Distributive Education Clubs of America, Future Homemakers/HERO of America, Future Farmers of America, Health Occupations Clubs of America and Vocational Education Clubs of America. Several students and teachers hold state offices in these professional organizations.
* * *
The Riner Elementary PTA has initiated a program to get preschool children and kindergartners excited about reading and school. Jumpstart officially started Feb. 3 with a session that familiarized parents with the group's planned activities. Meetings are designed to give parents quality time with their children, to meet and talk with other parents and to get to know teachers and programs at the school. Planned activities include:
*Feb. 24 - Story writing center. Parents and children will write beginning, middle and end of stories.
*March 3 - Language development talk for parents. Children will participate in activities with student teachers and aides. Parents and children will also make environmental print books.
*March 10 - Career night. Children will dress up in their favorite career outfit. Community residents will read books about their careers.
*March 24 - Cooking night. Volunteers are still needed.
Parents are interested in donations for the Jumpstart Store. Items such as pencils, pads, key rings, rulers, puzzles, posters, books and notebooks are needed. Call Melissa Kile at 382-5165 to donate items.
EVENTS, MEETINGS & HAPPENINGS
Bethel Elementary PTA will meet at 7 p.m. tonight. Students in the Gifted Program will present a play. There also will be a discussion about the Adventure Club After and Before School child care. Parents of fifth-graders will discuss the Washington trip.
* * *
The Parent Resource Center at Radford will have a workshop titled "The Siblings of the Special Needs Child." The workshop will be Feb. 18 at Belle Heth Elementary School from 6 to 8 p.m.
Parents who have a special needs child with siblings are encouraged to attend. Jim Garrison, a professional counselor with the Counseling Associates of Southwest Virginia, will lead the workshop. The first hour will be spent talking and working only with the siblings. Parents will spend this hour in their own session with the PRC staff and join their children for the second hour with Garrison. Activities are planned for children who may need child care. Free child care and refreshments will be provided. For information and reservations, please call 731-3679.
* * *
Blacksburg High School will have an After Prom Celebration Committee meeting at 7 tonight in the Fellowship Hall of Blacksburg Baptist Church. For more information, call 552-7881 or 951-5706.
* * *
The date for Radford High School Band's Valentine Suites has been changed. The Valentine Suite will be at 7 p.m. Feb. 20 at the Presbyterian Church in Radford. Romantic musical interludes will be performed by the ensemble. Desserts and drinks will be served. Admission is $5 and proceeds will go toward the band's spring concert tour to Disney World. For more information, call 633-1638 or 731-0099.
* * *
The Pulaski County High School band is raising money by selling "cougar discount cards." The cards offer discounts and certain free items at several businesses in Pulaski. . The cards are $5 and are good until Dec. 31. Businesses that are participating include Burger King, Little Caesar's, Subway, Sonic, Make 'n Waves, Leisure Lanes, Wendy's, New Wheel, Two Thumbs Up Video and Tanning, Dublin Flower Shop, Graffiti's Cafe, Donna's Hallmark and McDonald's.
For more information about the cards or to purchase one, call Eddie Smith at 980-8978 or Sharon Hunter at 674-9343. Cards can also be purchased from any band member. All proceeds will be used for the band's instrument fund.
COMPUTER WORKSHOPS
Montgomery County Public schools will offer free instructional technology hands-on workshops for teachers, administrators and members of the community. Registration is required for classes. Interested individuals should call 382-5131 to be placed on the class attendee list. Members of the community can participate, however, employees of the county schools have first preference if the class fills to capacity. Following is a list classes for Thursday.
*The Basics of ClarisWorks Word Processing at Shawsville Elementary School. 4- 6 p.m. Instructor: Carol Shields.
*Beginning Macintosh: Learning the Mac Operating System at Belview Elementary School. 4-6 p.m. Instructor: Susan Lester.
*Beginning ICLAS: The Essentials of Using a School Network at Blacksburg High School. 3-5 p.m. Instructor: Kat Emory.
LENGTH: Long : 133 linesby CNB