McLean named teacher of the year

DURHAM — Marsha McLean of Yates Baptist Child Development Center at Yates Baptist Church was named teacher of the year by the North Carolina Baptist Church Weekday Education Association this summer. McLean marked 30 years of employment at Yates’ child-care center on Oct. 1.

“She ministers to the preschoolers of our community on a daily basis,” Yates director Krissy Snyder wrote in her nomination of McLean. “She is inarguably respectful and fair to the children in her care. Without being prompted, she prays with and in view of children in her class before meals, [while] traveling and during trying times.”

Snyder, noting that Yates serves “a diverse, international community,” added: “When families move back to the far corners of the earth, I believe that they will remember Mrs. McLean’s ministry to their family.”

Wellness Trust Fund seeks applicants

DURHAM — The North Carolina Health and Wellness Trust Fund is seeking applicants for the next phase of its A+ Fit School designation and grants program.

According to Trust for America’s Health, North Carolina has the fifth-highest childhood obesity rate in the nation. Escalating numbers of diseases and preventable deaths in North Carolina are linked to physical inactivity and poor nutrition, behaviors which increase the risks for cardiovascular disease, cancer, obesity and many other serious chronic illnesses, according to the Health and Wellness Trust Fund.

There is no fee to apply for the A+ Fit School designation or grant. For more information about the A+ Fit School program, or to download an A+ Fit School application, please visit www.aplusfitschoolsnc.com. Applications will be accepted until Feb. 24.