Catawba students attend national chemistry conference

Twelve Catawba College students recently attended the 251^st National Conference of the American Chemical Society in San Diego, CA, under the advisement of Dr. ChaMarra Saner, assistant professor of chemistry.

Eight of these students presented research projects that they have completed at the college or in conjunction with a subsidiary of Catawba College. Out of the research posters presented, two students, Emily Auwarter and Edward Robinson, received honors from the American Chemical Society committee on chemical education for their outstanding research focused on chemical education.

Student Brooke Baumgarten also received honors during the meeting from the American Chemical Society division of Analytical Chemistry for her outstanding research project.

All participating students were under the advisement of Drs. Carmony Hartwig, Richard Macri and ChaMarra Saner, respectively, all junior faculty at Catawba College.

 

Register for Youth Leadership Summer Camp

The Youth Leadership Camp, sponsored by the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office offers a free full week of excitement for local students. The camp offers games, enrichment sessions, trips and free breakfast and lunch.

Trips may include swimming, bowling and other fun and interesting places and activities. Enrichment sessions will include gang resistance education and training instruction from Rowan County Sheriff’s Office and guest instructors from members of the community.

The goal is to provide a fun, safe environment where kids can increase your cultural awareness, social skills, and peer interaction and learn ways to be a responsible and successful young person. There are a limited number of openings. Submit an application to be might be considered for one of the three sessions.

Session one: June 27-July 1 from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at First Baptist Church in Salisbury

Session two: July 18-22 from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at C.C. Erwin Middle School

Session three: August 8-12 from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Mt. Zion UCC China Grove

Mail completed application to: 232 N. Main St. Rowan County Sheriff’s Office Attn: Deputy Walker. Applications are due May 1, 2016

If you are accepted into the program, you will receive a verification letter with details and attendance information.If you have any questions contact Deputy Walker at 704-278-9233 or at william.walker@rowancountync.gov

Bone marrow registry event at Catawba

Catawba College will host a “Be the match” National Bone Marrow Registry event on Thursday, April 7, in the Kirkland Gym Lobby of the Abernethy Physical Education Center on campus. The event, which runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and then again from 4-7 p.m. on April 7, is held in honor of 1996 Catawba alumnus Ian Brinkley, an active U.S. Marine Corps helicopter pilot who has recently been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia.

Ian played both football and lacrosse while studying at Catawba and has served two tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. In the coming months, he will need a bone marrow transplant. Catawba Men’s Lacrosse Coach Peter Bourque and his wife, Ann, are spearheading the “Be the match” event as a way to support Ian and all blood cancer patients.

“Through this registration drive we just might be able to find his match for the transplant and save his life,” Ann Bourque, an ambassador for the event, said.

During the event, people from the community can participate by signing up for the registry and allowing a DNA cheek swab to be taken. There is no cost for individuals ages 18-44 — the ideal age range for potential donors. Anyone age 45 and older can sign up to be on the registry, but their registration will need to be completed online and they will pay a $100 fee to participate. Door prizes and giveaways will be available at the Catawba event for all participants.

As another way for Catawba to show its support for Ian, a banner recognizing him and the National Bone Marrow Registry will be displayed in the college stadium for the remainder of the spring lacrosse season.

Local educator attends NCCAT

Cindy H. Martin of Millbridge Elementary School attended a program held at the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching, a recognized national leader in professional development programming for the state’s teachers.

Increasing teacher effectiveness is fundamental to improving public education. NCCAT provides teachers with new knowledge, skills, teaching methods, best practices and information to take back to their classrooms. NCCAT conducts a wide variety of professional development for pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade teachers. For more information about NCCAT visit www.nccat.org or call 828-293-5202.

KCS kindergarten registration

Kindergarten registration will begin Monday, April 18, in Kannapolis City Schools. Children who will turn five years old on or before Aug. 31 will be able to register for the 2016-2017 school year. Parents should register at the school that is in their attendance zone. If they are not sure of their attendance zone, they should call Kannapolis City Schools at 704-938-4848.

To register, parents must have their child’s official birth certificate, immunization records, and documentation of their child’s kindergarten physical (must be on blue state K health form). School officials will make copies of the records and give back the originals. Parents must also provide proof of where they live, such as a lease or rental agreement, a current utility bill in their name, or a mortgage agreement. A driver’s license cannot be accepted as proof of residence.

State law requires that all children entering school have evidence that they have received certain required vaccines: four polio, five (5) DPT/DTaP shots, three or four Hib (Haemophilus influenza type B), two MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) doses, three Hepatitis B, and two  Varicella (Chicken Pox).

If parents have questions, they should call the school where their child will attend kindergarten. Visit www.kcs.k12.nc.us/cms for more information.

Salisbury Academy 

Salisbury Academy has announced two more entries in its live auction at the Bloom Enchanted Gala.

Spend a week at the luxurious Italian villa of Villa Bellissima. This Tuscan villa is 20 minutes from the charming towns Cetona and San Casciano dei Bagni, where you can pamper yourself at the famous Fonteverde Spa. Visit nearby Montepulciano, Todi, Perugia, Siena and Orvieto, or travel by train to Rome in only an hour. This entry was donated by Ludovica Giuria.

Bidders can also vie for a week in a four-bedroom home at Wrightsville Beach. This vacation spot is ideal for an extended family or group of friends as it sleeps eight, and is available for a mutually agreed-upon week between Labor Day and Memorial Day. While you’re there, six guests can enjoy a day of Gulf Stream fishing. U.S. Coast Guard licensed captain Brandon Dietz and right-hand man Brad Durham will take your group in their 35-foot vessel “Bill Chaser.” Trip departs from Joyner Marina in Carolina Beach at 6 a.m. All bait, tackle, water and ice are provided, and the date is to be mutually agreed upon with winning bidder. The house is donated by Missie and Greg Alcorn and GCS, the fishing trip was donated by Brandon Dietz and Brad Durham.

Salisbury Academy’s Bloom “Enchanted” Gala will be held April 16 at the N.C. Transportation Museum in Spencer. Attendees will enjoy cocktails, dinner and dancing, and will have the opportunity to bid on items during the live auction.

After-auction festivities will continue with live music and dancing to the tunes of The Shakedown Band. Festivities start at 7 p.m.

This year, the annual Fund-A-Need campaign will raise money to support Project Green Space. Bloom was designed to support Salisbury Academy and the youth of the community. A portion of the funds raised go to a scholarship program for summer youth leadership training opportunities and toward Salisbury Academy’s active community service outreach initiatives.

Tickets are $150 per person. Visit www.salisburyacademy.org/bloom.cfm for more information.