Published by The Pilot – August 7, 2010

Volunteers are stuffing school buses with back-to-school supplies for local students while local shoppers take advantage of tax-free purchases this weekend.

The effort is part of the Stuff the Bus School Supply Drive sponsored by Communities in Schools. The event, which began at 8 a.m. yesterday, lasts through today and tomorrow and encourages people to donate supplies for students who cannot afford to purchase supplies.

Shoppers can drop off supplies at buses parked at Wal-Mart and Staples in Aberdeen between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Volunteers are accepting, pencils, glue sticks, spiral notebooks, 1-inch binders, hand sanitizer, plastic bags in various sizes, disinfectant wipes, colored pencils, notebook paper, scissors, tissues, folders, flat erasers, crayons and highlighters, among other school supplies.

Monetary donations will be used to supplement student activities throughout the year and purchase supplies.

All donations are tax-deductible.

Volunteers will distribute the supplies to all 22 schools in the Moore County Schools system. Students receive the supplies by asking school counselors for them.

The event is held each August during tax-free weekend.

The Communities in Schools is a local organization that brings volunteers into schools to address the unmet needs of children, providing a link between educators and the community.

Contact Hannah Sharpe by e-mail at hannah@thepilot.com.

Nearly 2,000 people attended the first Sandhills Family and Summer Fun Expo recently at the Elks Lodge in Southern Pines.

The Expo kicked off early with 100 runners participating in the 5K Hoyt Kennedy Memorial Race/Walk, followed by the opening of the Expo activities.

“The Expo really exceeded our expectations. We had great weather, a terrific turnout and lots of fun,” said Rollie Sampson, Expo coordinator and Communities In Schools Board member. “The turnout really highlights the huge interest in child-focused activities in the Sandhills. We could not have asked for a better kick-off for this new family event.”

There was something for everyone at the Expo. Parents were able to find information on the summer camps and activities for their children. The kids were able to play at a free mini-carnival, including a bounce house, giant slide, face-painting, clowns, Hula-Hoops, music, golf contests and ice cream.

The African drummers from West Pine Middle School were one of the great highlights of the Expo. Directed by Marci Houseman, the student drummers entertained the crowd throughout the day.

Another unique activity at the Expo was the chance to meet young junior drag racer Kelli Blake. She started drag racing when she was only 8 years old.

“Kelli’s race car, named ‘The Heart Breaker,’ was a real treat for the kids to see.” said Andi Korte, Communities In Schools executive director. “Kelli brings new meaning to the words ‘girl power.’

Published by The Pilot - July 10, 2010

“We look forward to bringing the Sandhills Family and Summer Fun Expo back to the community next year and making it even bigger,” added Korte.

The Expo was hosted by Communities In Schools (CIS) and the U.S. Kids Golf Foundation. All proceeds from the event will support CIS programs targeted at Moore County Schools, including mentoring programs, after-school programs, CIS FirstSchool Garden programs and the Community Career Academy.

For more information contact CIS at (910) 295-1072 or visit www.cismoore.org.

Published by The Pilot. – Friday, June 25, 2010

Southern Middle School has worked hard to build a bridge between community and school.

This effort is reflected when approaching the school. Trees, pine straw landscaping, picnic tables and a pergola can be seen in front of the school. This landscaping is a result of the efforts of the school PTA.

Jennifer Berk, former PTA president, had a vision to improve the school grounds and worked tirelessly to that end.

With the help of a landscape committee, chaired by Charles Bennett, Jeff Batton and PTA members, they transformed the front of the school. Bennett and Batton spent numerous weekends working on the grounds.

The PTA raised money with the help of community businesses and PTA members. Aurora Hills Farm and Nursery followed a master plan, relocating existing trees and planting new trees and shrubs. The result – a beautiful transformation of the school grounds.

Berk stepped down last year, but not before handing the torch to her friend, Judy Callister.

Callister has kept Berk’s vision alive.

Recently, she oversaw the cement pouring in the pergola, which was built by Riley Patton for his Eagle Scout project. Patton is a former student of Southern Middle and wanted to give back to the school that had shaped him for future endeavors.

In addition to the pergola and landscaping, yet another project was undertaken by Keith Dickson, a current eighth-grade student, and his mentor. Dickson had a desire to learn about landscaping, and Dr. Robin Moore, Compass Project director, worked to find just the right mentor for him. As a result, Dickson was matched with Donnie Bryant, a landscaper in the community, who also had a desire to work with children. The two have spent many hours outdoors on the Southern Middle campus learning the various names of trees and plants on the premises.

Bryant saw a way to give Dickson an even stronger experience in landscaping. He assisted him in the process of designing a layout and worked with Dickson to revamp the median and flagpole area that are located in the front of the school. Dickson beamed with pride at the work they had accomplished.

Southern Middle has a strong mentoring program that has grown from 40 mentors its first year to 80 presently. The mentors spend an hour each week with a student. The Compass Project has a goal of 110 mentors by this spring. This program has had a positive impact and continues to be an inspiration to the entire Southern Middle community, a spokesman said.

Jennifer Garner, a sixth-grade teacher, said the the program had literally turned students around. She said students involved in the program had shown marked leadership skills and academic success. She said she is thankful that Southern Middle was chosen for the Compass mentoring program

July Newsletters for the ‘SOAR’ After School Program in Aberdeen.

• Click here to view the July 2, 2010 Newsletter

On Thursday, July 8th, six students from the Communities In Schools of Moore County COMPASS Project kicked off their service project with a tour of the Sandhills Moore Coalition for Human Care. After a video presentation and a walking tour of the facility, the students left with an better understanding of what the Coalition does for our community.

COMPASS Project students incorporate The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens written by Sean Covey into their mentoring program. This trip helped the students to incorporate the 7th habit- Sharpen the Saw by renewing and strengthening their heart and soul. This trip was a prelude to the service project that the COMPASS students will begin in the upcoming school year. They will collect canned food, monetary donations, and awareness for the Coalition throughout the school year.

The COMPASS Project is a mentoring program at Southern Middle School. If you would like to mentor a student, help make a donation to the Coalition, or need more information, please contact Dr. Robin Moore at 910-638-8223.