919 | COMMUNITY LRES Odyssey Team Heading To Competition World Finals Leesville Road Elementary School’s Odyssey of the Mind team is headed to the 35th World Finals at Iowa State University in May – and seeks community support to make the trip. “The amount of money required to cover the team’s costs is daunting,” said Coach Andy Plaice. “They will need to raise more than $10,000 to pay for airfare, lodging, and food for the four-day event.” The annual competition emphasizes creativity and teamwork and has grown into the largest international creative problem-solving competition worldwide. To make it to the finals for the first time in school history, the seven students won their regional meet in Chapel Hill and the state competition at Wingate University in Charlotte.
For months the team had worked tirelessly to solve their primary challenge: Re-enact a driver’s test with a teambuilt vehicle that can carry a student and use two different propulsion systems – while completing a set of required tasks. The challenge now is to raise funds to get to Iowa and compete against the world’s best of the best. Parents and coaches are actively working with the PTA and other groups to help raise the money for the trip. Anyone interested in assisting can mail a tax-deductible donation to: Leesville Road Elementary (include “Odyssey of the Mind” in the memo line), 8402 Pride Way, Raleigh, NC 27613. “Regardless of how much [they] can raise, the real success has been seeing the remarkable teamwork and creativity exhibited by the team,” Coach David Taylor added.
Leesville Road Elementary students and coaches Andy Plaice and David Taylor meet with Dr. Sam, the founder of Odyssey of the Mind during North Carolina State Finals in April. Team members include Aidan Plaice, Lauren Taylor, Nathan Carboni, Scott Ong, Alex Chaffin and Daniel High. For more information on the team, call 919-632-0920.
Leesville Middle Pride Ambassadors Recognized by Raleigh City Council
Portion of Leesville Road Expanding to Four Lanes
Raleigh Parks and Recreation recently recognized the Leesville Road Middle School Pride Ambassadors as outstanding volunteers for completing up to 100 hours of community service. The Pride Ambassadors, led by Assistant Principal Sheldon Lanier, began in 2009 with only 12 members and the objective of promoting learning, school spirit and community service for 7th and 8th Grade young men, as Lanier describes them. Since 2009, they have grown to have 40 current members. “The Pride Ambassadors and I were honored to be recognized for their efforts to serve the community,” Lanier said. “Participating in service projects is a requirement of the Ambassador
A portion of Leesville Road is slated for widening to four lanes, with a raised median, bike lanes and sidewalks on both sides of the roadway. DeVere Construction Co. recently received the $5.56 million contract from the City of Raleigh for the work of expanding Leesville road from I-540 north to New Leesville Boulevard – including intersection improvements. The widening is expected to alleviate congestion at the intersection of Leesville Road and Farless Road and the intersection at New Leesville Boulevard and Hickory Grove Church Road. Traffic along the 6,000 linear feet of roadway has increased significantly by the construction of two schools along the corridor. Completion is expected in summer 2015.
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program, as outlined in our bylaws and aligns with our mission of developing leadership skills for middle school young men.” Resource Development Manager Cindy Trumbower organized the event, and Lanier said he and the Ambassadors are extremely appreciative for her direction and willingness to assist with the completion of service hours. “She has been a pleasure to work with over the years and always looks out for us,” Lanier said. “She is like an honorary member!”
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May | June 2014
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