The East Chapel Hill High School theater department will present Crumbs from the Table of Joy this Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

It’s 1950 in the South and Godfrey Crump has just lost his wife. Finding solace in Father Divine and the Peace Mission Movement, he pulls up stakes and moves his teenage daughters to Brooklyn. Told through the eyes of his 17-year-old daughter, Ernestine, Crumbs from the Table of Joy details a story invoking the boundaries of race, gender and society.

Previously purchased tickets will be honored. Tickets are $5 at the door, with sales starting at 6:30 pm.

Students participating in Chapel Hill High School’s Tobacco Reality Unfiltered (TRU) Crew presented the manager of Armadillo Grill in Carrboro with a certificate of appreciation for the restaurant’s compliance with the new smoke-free law. The TRU Crew at Chapel Hill High School recently earned the distinction of being the most active TRU group in Orange County during the fall 2009 semester.

The documentary High Five: Achieving the Dream premiered on UNC-TV on Monday, Feb. 1. The original special profiles the professional learning community initiative and examines how the Triangle High Five Regional Partnership works to improve public education in Triangle-area schools.

The High Five Regional Partnership was formed in April 2004 as a union of five school districts and five business partners. The school districts are the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, the Orange County Schools, the Durham Public Schools, the Johnston County Schools and the Wake County Public Schools. The five business partners are the News and Observer Publishing Company, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, SAS, Progress Energy and Capitol Broadcasting.

The five-year partnership agreement formally ended in June 2009. The five school districts continue their collaboration to reach the organization’s 2013 goal of eliminating high school dropouts in our area.

There will be a Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education meeting this Thursday at Chapel Hill Town Hall. The work session includes discussions on the honors course options for social studies and science for 2010-12, delaying expansion of the Dual Language Program to McDougle Elementary for an indefinite period of time and the Capitol Investment Plan.

A charming collection of dresses and memorabilia will be displayed at University Baptist Church in Chapel Hill as part of Chapel Hill student Ellie Simpson’s fundraiser on behalf of Rock Against Cancer this Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m.

The display will include items belonging to several generations of church members and will include dresses, photographs, invitations and other keepsakes.

A suggested donation of $5 will benefit Rock Against Cancer (rockagainstcancer.org), an organization that brings the healing power of music to children battling cancer.

For more information, contact University Baptist Church at 942-2157or visit ubc-ch.org

UNC sophomore Zoe Wei, a gold medal winner at the National Youth Calligraphy Competition in China, will conduct a class in East Asian Calligraphy at Chapel Hill Public Library this Saturday from 4 to 5 p.m. The class is free, but advance registration is required to ensure enough brushes and ink for everyone. RSVP to mpiskor@nc.rr.com. For more information, call 968-2780.

History teacher William V. Melega received the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) National Citizenship Education Teacher Award.

The VFW chooses three teachers each year for the award, one each from elementary, middle and high school. Teachers are nominated by their peers and enter into local and statewide competition.

Each teacher receives $1,000 dollars for their professional development and another $1,000 goes to their schools. In addition, the teachers receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. in March to receive their awards.

Melega had previously won Chapel Hill High School Teacher of the Year and is known for bringing his history lessons to life.

FRI 2/5 — Cheese Pizza; Pepperoni Pizza; Turkey & Cheese Wrap; Garden Salad; Traditional Mixed; Vegetables; Chilled Pineapple Tidbits

MON 2/8 — Beef & Cheese Nachos w/Salsa; Chicken Nuggets w/Wheat Roll; Garden Salad; Baja Black Beans; Chilled Apricots

TUES 2/9 — Pork BBQ on a Bun; Macaroni & Cheese w/Whole Grain Macaroni & Wheat Roll; “Fun on the Run”; Coleslaw; Seasoned Green Beans; Chilled Pears More »

Beth Mechum
Staff Writer

An atmosphere of success has taken hold on the Carrboro High School campus.

The field hockey team now plays more competitively with both East Chapel Hill and Chapel Hill, the women’s golf team helped start a high school women’s golf league in the area and the men’s soccer team beat conference rival Cedar Ridge for the first time ever.

Students, teachers and parents walked the halls and fields of Carrboro High School three years ago not knowing what was ahead. It was tough going in the beginning, and it’s still no easy ride. But with cohesion, camaraderie and a sense of community from all, things just keep getting better. More »

Students from the district’s middle schools auditioned for seats in the North Carolina Central District Honor Bands. The auditions were held on Saturday, Jan. 9 at Stanford Middle School.

Students from Culbreth Middle School included: Maura Jones, seventh chair clarinet, symphonic band; Jisoo Yu, 14th chair clarinet, symphonic band; Ray Damron, 10th chair trumpet, symphonic band; Chloe Deshusses, first chair flute, concert band; and Mia Morrell, first chair alto sax, concert band. Their director is Sam Berryhill.

Students from McDougle Middle School included: Anna Baynes, third chair flute, symphonic band; Frances Reuland, fifth chair clarinet, concert band; and Andrew Scott, fourth chair bass clarinet, concert band. Their director is Bradley Landress.

Students from Phillips Middle School included: Yusheng Zhang, first chair flute, symphonic band; Koya Osada, second chair flute, symphonic band; Sarah Fordham, seventh chair flute, symphonic band; Heba Bhat, first chair clarinet, concert band; Grace Gelpi, second chair alto saxophone, symphonic band; Anshul Subramanya, 11th chair trumpet, symphonic band; Amos Pomp, third chair trombone, concert band; Jordan Cho, third chair tuba, symphonic band; and Ben Goldstein, fifth chair tuba, concert band. Their director is Jane Cutchin.

Four students from Carrboro High and Chapel Hill High earned Gold and Silver Key Awards at the Eastern North Carolina Regional Adjudication of Scholastic Art in Wilson.

Moo Da, originally from Burma, via Thailand, received a Gold Key while representing Carrboro High. She submitted a sgraffito tile self-portrait in traditional Karen dress. She is a ceramic student of Rita Schiavone.

A Silver Key went to David Wheaton of Carrboro High for a sculpture. He also is a student of Rita Schiavone.

A Silver Key went to Linnea Leith of Carrboro High for a drawing. She is the student of Victoria Sylvestre.

A Gold Key went to Sofie Kennedy from Chapel Hill High. She entered a mixed-media ceramic sculpture. She is the student of Hollie Taylor Novak.

The Eastern N.C. regional show opening and awards presentation was held Sunday, Jan. 24.

After the show, Gold Key winners’ artwork was shipped to New York City for judging alongside hundreds of artworks from around the country.

Eighth-grader Aidan Marshall was the winner of the Culbreth Middle School National Geographic Geography Bee. He will compete at the state level later this month.

Sixth-grader Jocelyn Reckford was the runner up. Other finalists included eighth-graders Andrew Cook, Murat Calikoglu and Alican Arcasoy, seventh-graders Stephen Nuttall, Randy Savage, Maya Sokoletsky and Matthew Clawson and sixth-grader Myles Miller.

The geography bee was organized by Gifted Education Specialist Cindy Sinicrope.

The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools received two Blue Ribbon Awards from the North Carolina School Public Relations Association (NCSPRA). The awards were presented Jan. 22 at a brunch held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Durham.

The district’s parent calendar, which is published in both English and Spanish, was honored for the fourth consecutive year. The calendar is coordinated by publications assistant Robin Nucilli.

The Learning Links, curriculum guides for K-8 that are published in English and Spanish, also has been recognized by NCSPRA for four consecutive years. Curriculum coordinators in the Instructional Services Division contribute the content. These staff members include Theresa Grywalski, Kathi Breweur, Karyn Gloden, Priscilla Dennison and Carol Horne. The guides are designed by Durham graphic artist Vicki Johnson. The project is coordinated by Nucilli and edited by Stephanie Knott , assistant to the superintendent for community relations.

The East Chapel Hill High School Theatre Department presents Crumbs from the Table of Joy at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Jan. 29 and Saturday, Jan. 30.

It’s 1950 in the South and Godfrey Crump has just lost his wife. Finding solace in Father Divine and the Peace Mission Movement, he pulls up stakes and moves his teenage daughters to Brooklyn. Told through the eyes of his 17-year-old daughter, Ernestine, Crumbs from the Table of Joy details a story involving the boundaries of race, gender and society.

Tickets are $5 at the door the night of the performance, starting at 6:45 p.m.

Twenty-five adolescent girls participated in a retreat to explore inner beauty, self-esteem, friendships, nutrition, healthy behavior and dream charts. “My Girls and I: An Overnight Self-Empowerment Workshop for Middle and High School Girls” was developed by the Blue Ribbon Mentor-Advocate program. Students in the program receive comprehensive support for academic, social, emotional and physical development from fourth grade through enrollment in college. The program is aimed at providing a peer-based way to build support for positive and healthy behaviors.