DURHAM – The artwork of three Durham Public Schools fifth-graders is featured during this holiday season on a billboard aimed at decreasing celebratory gunfire. The billboard, off N.C. 147 at Alston Avenue, is a joint effort of the Durham Police Department and DPS.
The billboard brings to a close the city’s 2011 Anti-Celebratory Gunfire Campaign coordinated by Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a unit within the Durham Police Department that connects citizens with law enforcement representatives to reduce gun crime. By the end of the year, police officers and PSN volunteers will have distributed information regarding the dangers of celebratory gunfire to residents in 43 neighborhoods.
Artwork for the billboard was created by Burton Elementary School students Elijah McNair and Estefany Valenzuela and R.N. Harris Elementary School student Talijah Vann.
Carolina Friends student honored for craftsmanship
DURHAM – Carolina Friends School junior Nick Shear was recently honored with the Best in High School Designer Craft award from the Carolina Designer Craftsmen Guild.
The honor, which came with a $500 cash prize, was bestowed in recognition of a spruce-top guitar Shear made for his sophomore end-of-year experience project.
Financial aid information nights scheduled
DURHAM – Three Durham high schools will sponsor financial aid information nights throughout the month of January, offering students and parents advice on paying for college as tuition rates continue to rise.
Sessions are scheduled:
- Jan. 9, 6:30 p.m. at Southern High School. For more information, contact Cliff Jones at cjones11@email.unc.edu.
- Jan. 24 at 6:30 p.m. at Jordan High School. For more information, contact Elizabeth Gordon at elizabeth.gordon@dpsnc.net.
- Jan. 30 at 6:30 p.m. at Riverside High School. For more information, contact Jennifer Nauss at jennifer.nauss@dpsnc.net.
‘Tweetathon’ celebrates First Amendment
WASHINGTON – During a daylong online celebration of First Amendment rights, high school and college students nationwide can win a $5,000 scholarship through “Free to Tweet” on Thursday, the 220th anniversary of Americans’ right to free expression.
Beginning at midnight Thursday, students between the ages of 14 and 22 can tweet their support for the First Amendment with the hash tag #freetotweet, which will enter them in the “Free to Tweet” scholarship competition. Students are encouraged to freely express themselves in their entries, which can be on any publicly viewable social media platform, including blogs.
A panel of educators and First Amendment experts will review the entries and award 22 $5,000 scholarships, one for every decade since the ratification of the Bill of Rights. Judging criteria and complete rules can be found at FreeToTweet.org.
DPS launches online volunteer application process
DURHAM – Durham Public Schools recently launched an online volunteer application process at http://www.dpsnc.net/community/get-involved/volunteers.
Community members and parents can volunteer in nearly any capacity, from serving as tutors to tending to school gardens. For more information on volunteering in the school district, contact Sheila Miglarese at 560-2156 or sheila.miglarese@dpsnc.net.
Host families sought for summer program
MATTHEWS – Christian Adoption Services, based in Matthews, is looking for Christian families to host children from the Philippines as part of our Share Your Summer 2012 Program.
Families will host a child for three weeks in June with the goal of adopting. All of the children are between the ages of 10-14. For more information, call Christian Adoption Services at (704) 847-0038, email cas@christianadopt.org or visit www.christianadopt.org.
‘House at Pooh Corner’ auditions slated in January
DURHAM – Durham Family Theatre will hold auditions for “The House at Pooh Corner” in January at the Central Park School for Children.
Auditions will be held Jan. 7 from noon to 4 p.m. and Jan. 9 from 6:30 to 9 p.m.
The production is looking for actors and singers ages 5 (if strong readers) through adults.
Actors should prepare a one-minute song. Accompaniment is not required, but a piano and CD player will be available for those who would like it. All characters in the play will sing, either in vocal lead, duet or chorus.
All actors under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Central Park School is at 724 Foster St.
Shows will be March 9, 10, 16, 17 at 8 p.m., and March 10 and 17, 2 p.m. For more information, visit durhamfamilytheatre.wordpress.org.
— Please submit items for Class Notes to Melody Guyton Butts at mbutts@heraldsun.com or call 419-6684.
