Programs in Alleghany County and Covington public schools are recognized in the Virginia School Boards Association's "2008 Showcase for Success".

The annual publication lists successful programs in public schools throughout Virginia. This year, more than 140 programs from 62 school divisions were submitted by superintendents and their staffs.

This year's "Showcase for Success" features six programs from Alleghany County and Covington schools.

Falling Spring Elementary "Interactive Video Gaming"

The program uses video games in April Easton's physical education classes to teach students how to be active while being entertained.

The school raised funds to purchase Dance, Dance, Revoluation and the Nintendo Wii to emphasize cardio vascular workouts and simulate skills to promote physical fitness.

"This program has been successful since the onset. Video games are not going anywhere. Yet, now we are able to explain to students the importance of being active, while showing them how to incorporate today's technology," Prinicpal Debbie Farmer said.

"The best judge of our success is that many parents have purchased these systems for home use and are now participating with their children. So not only are families spending quality time together, but they are also getting off the couch and being active," Farmer said.

Kindergarten Snack Shop

Students in Joleen Feazell's kindergarted class at Mountain View Elementary run a snack shop to help raise money for the March of Dimes.

"I stock the snack shop with cookies, fresh fruit and dried fruit for the students to sell to their classmates and the other teachers," Feazell said.

The items cost about 50 cents.

"The students tell the customers how much different items cost and if the amount of money they receive is correct. This allows the students to practice their coin recognition and to see how many different coins can be added together to help make different monetary amounts."

"The interaction with the customers also reinforces early concepts of using money to buy goods, proper manners and conversational skills. We discuss how the money we raised will be donated to a charity and how this would be part of good citizenship," Feazell said.

Mountain View Elementary Mentoring Program

The mentoring program at Mountain View was designed and initiated by a group of teacher volunteers.

It was created in response to an inititative to enhance community involvement in schools, increase attendance and connect at-risk students with positive role models in the community and school.

"Increasing graduation rates in conjunction with federally mandated initiatives, such as No Child Left Behind and Adequate Yearly Progress, is also an ultimate goal of the program," said LeeAnn Gray, a speech-language pathologist at Mountain View.

Under the program, mentors and students meet in designated areas during the students'lunch period twice per month.

"During mentoring sessions, students and mentors are able to read, make crafts, play educational games, or discuss any issues that may be of interest to them," Gray said.

Twelve students are currently being mentored by local business people.

The business partners include Alleghany Regional Hospital, local government officials, Dabney S. Lancaster Community College, home health agencies, the Alleghany Highlands YMCA and the Mountain View Parent-Teacher Organization.

"Mentors are at a pace to donate a total of over 250 volunteers hours to Mountain View Elementary School this year. Classroom teachers and mentors have been in e-mail and personal contact, which has strengthened the partnership between our school and our community," Gray said.

Covington Schools Ecology Program

The ecology program was created after several faculty members at Covington High School took a professional development course.

The course was designed to help teachers integrate Environmental Standards of Learning into the curriculum.

Dr. Tamara Willis of Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, worked with Pat Braeden, a special education teacher at CHS, to implement teaching environmental science to special education students.

Braeden has since worked with Rob Bennett, another science teacher at the high school, to provide environmental education to students with learning differences and other identified regular education students.

Willis assisted teachers in writing a grant from Mary Baldwin and securing financial assistance from MeadWestvaco Corporation.

In the fall of 2004, the entire sophmore class at CHS participated in a three-day immersion course at Smith Island and Port Isobel under the supervision of teachers and members of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Last summer another 17-member teacher trip to the bay was organized.

"The main component of all trips is to educate our school and community on how we can make changes in our way of life and have a positive impact on those living downstream. Basically, we are trying to do our part to maintain our watershed and help save the Chesapeake Bay," Braeden said.

Edgemont Primary School

Standarized test scores at Edgemont Primary School in Covington have improved through the implementation of research-based instructional and test-taking strategies.

"Our school has experienced many changes over the past three years," Edgemont Principal Marc Smith said.

"We now have 72 percent of our student population qualifying for free and reduced price lunch. Even with this increase, our students have continued to improve their scores on the Standard of Learning tests," Smith said.

In Spring of 2007, Edgemont students achieved pass rates of 94 percent in English, 100 percent in Math, 100 percent in Science, and 100 percent in Social Studies, ranking 10th out of all third-grade schools in Virginia that have third-grade Standards of Learning assessments.

"Our student successes have been recognized with the Distinguished Title I School Award and the Board of Education's VIP Competence to Excellence Award. Edgemont has also been recommended for the National Blue Ribbon School Award and meets the standards for accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges," Smith said.

He said Edgemont students have also benefited from programs funded by a 21st Century Learning grant and a Reading First grant.

Covington High School FCCLA

The Family Career and Community Leaders Chapter at Covington High School is designed to assist students in developing skills to succeed as family members, wage earners and community leaders.

The CHS Chapter implements national program areas STAR event competitions based on projects completed throughout the school year.

"Even though small in numbers, the chapter manages to accomplish as many acitivites as schools twice its size," said FCCLA Coordinator Anita Rice.

The chapter's successful community service activities include: Carnivals benefitting cystic fibrosis and pageants with proceeds donated to breast cancer and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Its local community service projects include clothing drives for the Christmas Mother and food drives for the local food bank.

"The chapter wins gold medals and receives gold level Outstanding Chapter status consistently," Rice said.

Source: Virginian Review - Saturday, May 17, 2008