PFLAG scholarship fundraiser

Salisbury/ Rowan Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) will host the chapter’s seventh annual 2014 Autumn Soirée – its major fundraiser to benefit the chapter’s scholarship foundation.

“The success of The Autumn Soirree, and the generosity of our donors and benefactors, has allowed Salisbury-Rowan PFLAG to award 22 $1,000 scholarships to gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and straight ally students in Rowan County over the last seven years, an impressive accomplishment for a local PFLAG chapter,” said Merry Overholser, chair of the Scholarships Advisory Committee.

The chapter will be awarding six $1,000 scholarships for academic year 2015-2016.

This year’s event will be a silent auction and raffle-type fundraiser, with food, beverage and entertainment.

Grilled chicken and a Low Country boil will provided by Butch’s Brisket, and entertainment will be provided by local favorites, including The Burnt Ends, Blazin’ Blues Bob and the Ashley Jo Farmer Band.

Salisbury native Emma Post, winner of the 2011 Linda Ketner Community Service Scholarship and rising senior at Warren Wilson College in Asheville, will be the Autumn Soirée’s keynote speaker. Post will graduate in May with a degree in creative writing and gender studies. She volunteers with OurVoice, a rape crisis center in Asheville and works with the Center for Diversity Education, leading workshops with high school students about gender and identity.

The event is sponsored by Food Lion and MedExpress Pharmacy, as well as other businesses and individuals. The event will be on Oct. 18 from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m. at 405 N. Lee St. in Salisbury.

Tickets may be purchased at Critter’s Cards and Gifts or Zinc, Inc. in downtown Salisbury, or Green Goat Gallery in downtown Spencer. They are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Students and seniors will be admitted for $10.

Salisbury Academy admissions events

Salisbury Academy kicks off its admissions season this month with their Fall First Look event, where families will have the opportunity to tour the school, meet with faculty and staff and ask questions.

The event, held Oct. 22 at 9 a.m., will include tours and a question and answer session with Director of Admissions Amy Goodnight.

During all admissions events, parents will learn about Salisbury Academy’s rigorous academics which incorporate the arts, foreign language, and physical education in a student-centered model that engages young minds and creates opportunities for hands-on learning in and out of the classroom.

The school will also host junior kindergarten and kindergarten sneak peek sessions, scheduled for Nov. 20, Jan. 22, and Feb. 19. Students will visit and participate in a variety of activities, and parents will go on a tour of the school followed by a question and answer session with Goodnight.

Families considering the junior kindergarten and kindergarten programs are also invited to preview night events on Dec. 4 and Jan. 22, where parents will participate in a presentation detailing the ins and outs of Salisbury Academy’s junior kindergarten and kindergarten program. The junior kindergarten and kindergarten faculty, head of school, and director of admissions will all be available during a question and answer session.

Students in junior kindergarten through eighth grade are invited to participate in Salisbury Academy’s Drop-In Week Jan. 20-23, where they may tour the school and spend time in the classrooms.

Goodnight can be contacted at 704-636-3002, extension 103, or agoodnight@salisburyacademy.org.

Cannon School presents acclaimed sexuality educator

Deborah Roffman, nationally acclaimed sexuality educator and author of “Talk to Me First: Everything You Need to Know to Become Your Kids’ ‘Go-To’ Person about Sex,” will speak to parents on the topic of how to become the primary resource for sexuality education for their children — not the media, merchandisers, entertainers, peers and popular culture.

Roffman will present Oct. 20 at the Cannon Performing Arts Center on Cannon School’s campus at 5801 Poplar Tent Road in Concord. Parents of elementary school-age children are invited to attend a session from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m., while parents of middle and high school-age children are invited to an evening session from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m.

Roffman has taught sexuality education at the Park School in Baltimore for more than 30 years, and this spring was named one of Time Magazine’s “Sixteen Parenting Experts Worth Listening To.”

Members of the public are welcome to attend. Please register at www.cannonschool.org/lectureseries.

This free community event is a presentation of the Maria DeHaas Lecture Series funded by Dr. Ryan DeHaas and his family and friends through the Maria DeHaas Endowed Fund. The series features talks on topics of importance to families by distinguished speakers who will share their expertise and lead insightful discussions with the Cannon School community and the public.

More than 2,200 in Rowan Crosby Scholars

In only its second year, more than 2,200 students have enrolled in Crosby Scholars in Rowan County. With students coming from every middle and high school in the Rowan-Salisbury School System, this year’s number represents an increase of more than 500 students over last year’s initial enrollment.

“We are excited that the program has grown in our second year,” said Jennifer Canipe, executive director. “We are especially pleased to have an increased number of middle school students this year because we can begin reinforcing the importance of the choices they are making, and how those choices will impact their futures – including their future college options.”

All Crosby Scholars attend grade-specific academies where they participate in academic and personal growth workshops. They are required to participate in and document their community service activities and are exposed to college campuses and career exploration. Crosby students are encouraged to maintain a drug-free lifestyle, and the students in grades nine, 10 and 11 sign an agreement that they will participate in a random drug-screening as part of the program.

The Rowan Crosby Scholars program helps students navigate the path to college and other post-secondary opportunities that are best suited to each student’s needs, aptitudes and dreams. Of the 1,805 students reporting, more than 57 percent of the enrolled Crosby Scholars will be first in their family to access college.

“Our hope is to build a college-going culture in Rowan County. The Crosby program will guide students along the path toward success beginning in sixth grade, and provide grade level-specific information to help each one reach his or her lifelong dreams and goals,” Canipe said.

Upcoming events for Crosby Scholars include ninth- and 10th-grade academy workshops as well as a free “First Generation” college film to be shown at Catawba College on Nov. 13.

For more information about the Rowan County Crosby Scholars program, its mission and how to become involved, contact the office at 704-762-3512, or go to the organization’s website at www.crosbyscholarsrowan.org.

Crosby Scholars ninth and 10th grade academies

Crosby Scholars is holding the first of three academies for ninth- and 10th-grade students who are in the program this Saturday at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College.

Students will select two workshops from a variety of topics that will focus on personal and academic skills. These skills help increase the potential for success in high school and college. Attending one academy is a program requirement.

Check-in will be at 9 a.m., and the academy will last until 11:45 a.m. No food will be provided. Students must stay for the entire academy and submit an attendance sheet to receive credit for this program requirement. Students can register online through their student portal at www.crosbyscholarsrowan.org.

Additional ninth- and 10th-grade academies are Nov. 1 and Nov. 15 at Rowan-Cabarrus.

For those who need a ride to the academy, a bus is available from certain high school campuses. If transportation is an obstacle, select the academy date that offers the bus stop closest to you.

On Oct. 18, the bus service will be from West Rowan High School. Nov. 1, the bus service will be at Carson High School and East Rowan High School. Nov. 15, the bus will run from North Rowan High School. Pick-up from the high schools is at 8:30 a.m. Parents should pick up students from those schools at noon.

For more information about Crosby Scholars and academies, visit www.crosbyscholarsrowan.org or call 704-762-3512.

Service Above Self awards

The Rowan County United Way and the Rowan Rotary Club are looking for young people between the ages of 5 and 18 as individuals or groups who value service to others.

Individual awards are as follows: first place, $500; second place, $200; and third place, $100. Each prize will be divided evenly between the winners and their schools.

Groups and organizations will receive $500 for first place, $100 for second place and $50 for third place.

Nominations for the annual Service Above Self Youth Awards are due by Nov. 14. Applications are available at the Rowan County United Way office and online at www.rowanserviceaboveself.com. For more information, call 704-633-1802.

Davie County High School homecoming

Davie County High School will celebrate its 2014 Homecoming beginning Oct. 20, with a host of events for the week before its football game against Parkland High School. The game will be Oct. 27 at 7:30 p.m. in War Eagle Stadium.

Fourteen seniors were nominated for homecoming queen through a preliminary ballot, the final vote will be held Oct. 22. Results will be kept secret until the crowning during halftime festivities.

The following is a list of the nominees: Payton Beaty, the daughter of Greg and Brennan Beaty; Paige Berryhill, the daughter of Richard and Kim Berryhill; Mia Byers, the daughter of Brandon and Heather Byers; Fazia Iqbal, the daughter of Saeed and Kimberly Iqbal; Meredith Kurfees, the daughter of Charles and Kay Kurfees; Candace Lakey, the daughter of Bill and Winki Reinhardt; Brittany Landreth, the daughter of Michael and Kimberly Landreth; Karry LaRoque, the daughter Barry and Lourdes LaRoque; Victoria Long, the daughter of Del Long; Victoria McNeil, the daughter of Richard and Terri McNeil; Kayla Peak, the daughter of Tim and Angela Nestor; Aspen Phillips, the daughter of Eric and Melinda Phillips; Kara Rice, the daughter of Jason Rice and Michelle Bishop and Madelyne Voreh, the daughter of Matthew and Samantha Voreh.

Fans planning to attend the game should arrive early to get a seat and see the arrival of the homecoming nominees at 7 p.m.

2013 Homecoming Queen Alexis Callison will lead the procession of candidates around the track as part of the pregame festivities.  Homecoming queen nominees and their escorts will be introduced during halftime festivities. Callison will crown the 2014 Homecoming Queen.

Students are invited to participate in the following Spirit Week activities. Monday is “destination day,” Tuesday is “character day,” Wednesday is “pair day,” Thursday is “throwback Thursday” and Friday is “orange and black school spirit day.”

The Student Government Association will sponsor a powder puff football game Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. between the school’s sophomore and seniors girls and the freshmen and junior girls. A powder puff prince will be crowned during halftime festivities. There is no cost to attend, but donations will be accepted for the Daris Beiter Extra Mile Scholarship Fund and the American Cancer Society in memory of Josh Rominger.

A bonfire and pep rally in the student parking lot will follow.

Digital library cards

Rowan Public Library is now offering Digital Library Cards to county residents.

This will be especially advantageous to residents, including students, who prefer digital material and do not frequent the public library to check out materials.

These informational resources and ebook collections, selected by library and research professionals, are available 24/7 for online borrowers and patrons that are regular library card users.

Digital access is free and the terms of agreement are for three years. There are no overdue fees or download costs. Online borrowers will be able to access the North Carolina Digital Library, magazine subscriptions through Zinio, NCLive databases, Gale Courses, Tumblebooks and the myriad of information available through the Rowan Public Library website anywhere they have access to the Internet.

Individuals who currently have a Rowan Public Library Card in good standing already have access to online resources and will not need a digital card, but those who do not can easily sign up via the Rowan Public Library website.

The “online borrower” page can be found by selecting “online tools” found on the left hand side of the library’s homepage under “related links.” A valid email is required to register, as well as a four-digit personal identification number.

The library card number and personal identification number are needed to access the digital resources. If you are having trouble logging on to an online resource you may call any Rowan Public Library location to reset a PIN number and/or update your information. Digital library cards do have limitations and are only valid for accessing online materials.

To check out books, DVDs and use the lab computers individuals must still obtain a physical card by visiting Rowan Public Library.   

Along with making access to online resources easier, Rowan Public Library is in the process of installing wireless printers at all locations. This will allow students and individuals who bring in their own devices to send documents directly to a printer without going through a desktop computer.  Open Wi-Fi is available at all three library locations as are study rooms and areas for group work. Visit Rowan Public Library in person or online to learn more about this valuable community resource.

Gray Stone safe driving campaign

Gray Stone Day School staff and students are participating in a campaign to keeping teens safe on the road. Between Oct. 15 and 24, individuals 14 and older can go to www.celebratemydrive.com once a day, every day, to make safe driving commitments.

The more commitments that are made, the better chance the school has of winning a $100,000 grant and a private concert by The Band Perry.