Welcome sessions for new K parents

Durham parents whose children will start kindergarten this year are invited to attend one of three welcome sessions presented by the Durham Public Schools system. The sessions will be held today, Jan. 19 and March 9 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Staff Development Center, 2107 Hillandale Road.

District kindergarten teachers will discuss what children should know to be ready to enter school, kindergarten registration and magnet applications, and before- and after-school care programs. Parents’ questions will be answered.

Children who turn 5 years old on or before Aug. 31 will be eligible to attend kindergarten beginning in August.

Child care will be provided.

For information, visit www.dpsnc.net/kindergarten or contact Kate MacDonell at 560-9403 or kate.macdonell@dpsnc.net.

Feedback on grading sought by schools

The Durham public school system is seeking public comments on its middle and high school grading policies. Secondary grading practices will be discussed at a “kitchen table conversation” on Thursday at Rogers-Herr Middle School from 7 to 8:45 p.m. To register, visit www.dpsnc.net or e-mail carrie.johnson2@dpsnc.net.

Superintendent search under way

Durham school officials are continuing to seek public comments as the Board of Education gets its search for a new superintendent under way.

An online survey in both English and Spanish is available by visiting www.dpsnc.net and clicking on the superintendent search link. English- and Spanish-language surveys are also available in print form at all school offices and Durham County library branches. Copies of the survey will also be mailed to those who call 560-3652 and give their addresses.

The deadline for returning surveys to the school system is Jan. 21. That’s also the deadline for community groups and organizations to fax statements about the next superintendent to the School Boards Association in care of Allison Schafer at 841-4020.

The school board has also scheduled a public comment period on the superintendent search for its Jan. 28 meeting.

Hank Hurd is serving as interim superintendent in place of Carl Harris, who left for a job in the U.S. Department of Education. Plans call for a new superintendent to be hired in April and to take office by July 1.

Maya Gouw wins poster contest

A Durham eighth-grader won first prize in a statewide poster contest.

Maya Gouw of Carrington Middle School won $100 for her poster warning about radon, a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is the second-leading cause of lung cancer. Alejandra Cortez Luna of Neal Middle School received an honorable mention in the contest, which was sponsored by the North Carolina Division of Environmental Health, and was awarded $25.

Testing a home for radon, a simple process, is the only way to determine the level of risk from radon exposure. Test kits can be purchased from home improvement stores or online; and prices range from $10 to $20. Testing usually takes between three days and seven days, with only a few minutes to set up the kit. You can test your home yourself or consult with a certified radon tester.

The geology of North Carolina suggests many areas could have elevated indoor radon levels, especially in the Piedmont and mountains. About 1 out of 15 North Carolina homes are thought to have radon levels exceeding the EPA action level of 4 picocuries per liter.

Radon decays into radioactive materials that can become trapped in people’s lungs when they breathe. These emit alpha particles, which are radioactive and can damage delicate lung tissue, potentially causing lung cancer.

Lavoie to speak Feb. 1 at Hill

Rick Lavoie, an internationally recognized expert on learning differences, will speak Feb. 1 at the Hill Center. Admission is free, but attendees have been asked to register in advance.

Lavoie’s presentation, “Parenting in the 21st Century: Unique Pleasures, Unique Pressures,” is being co-hosted by Durham Academy. The talk will be geared toward a general audience.

Lavoie is probably best known for his award-winning videos “How Difficult Can This Be? The F.A.T. City Workshop,” “Last One Picked, First One Picked On: The Social Implications of Learning Disabilities” and “When the Chips are Down: Learning Disabilities and Discipline.”

He is also author of the books “It’s So Much Work to Be Your Friend: Helping the Child with Learning Differences Find Social Success” and “The Motivation Breakthrough: Six Secrets to Turning on the Tuned-Out Child.” He will hold a book signing after the program.

The presentation will be given at the Hill Center’s Kirby-Horton Teacher Training Center at 3200 Pickett Road. Parking is free. To register, contact Lori Gilbert at lgilbert@hillcenter.org or 719-7552.

UNC seeks Summer Ventures

The University of North Carolina is seeking applicants to its Summer Ventures in Science and Mathematics program, which is administered at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. The initiative brings hundreds of students to public college campuses around the state for a free research-oriented residential program.

Admission to Summer Ventures is based on academic ability, science and mathematics interest, and emotional maturity. Applicants are not required to be identified as academically gifted. A committee of education, science and mathematics professionals from across the state makes selections for the program.

Students interested in applying to the 2010 Summer Ventures program will find admissions materials available in their high school guidance offices by midmonth. Interested parties should contact Nina Clayton, North Carolina Central, at 530-5184, or Kathy Jackson, School of Science and Mathematics, at 416-2876 or jacksonk@ncssm.edu.

Completed applications must be postmarked by Jan. 31.

Scholarship to UNC, UNCG

Graduating seniors from Durham, Orange, Granville, Person and several other counties who plan to attend UNC Chapel Hill, North Carolina State or UNC Greensboro could be eligible to receive a Brooks Scholarship. The award grants up to $8,600 per academic year, renewable for three years, plus funded opportunities for summer study abroad, research projects and internships.

Applications are available online at www.cfnc.org/brooks and are due by Feb. 1. Information can be obtained from high school counselors or by calling (919) 248-4650.

A+ Fit School seeks applicants

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.

Send Class Notes to Matthew Milliken at mmilliken@heraldsun.com or call him at 419-6684.