Focus on Education The Times-Herald
4B —
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Reading their way to success Newnan Crossing Elementary fundraiser nets $15,239 for school programs The Newnan Crossing Elementary School PTO has announced the top readers from the school’s recent ReadA-Thon fundraising event. PTO members thanked all the students, parents, and businesses that helped make the Read-a-thon a huge success this year, raising a total of $15,239. All of the money will remain at the school to enhance classroom programs. The PTO thanked its students and parents for their generous support of the Read-a-thon. Total raised: $15,239.51 Total minutes read: 223,654 min. Total participants: 356 students The following students raised the most money: Kylee McNutt (4th grade) - $650; Savannah Cook (5th) - $370; Ava Soleil Guerra (K) - $365.95; Sarah Whitney (3rd) - $355; The top three readers in the recent Read-A-Thon for the entire school at Alani Wight (5th) - $335; The top five money-raisers in the recent Newnan Crossing Elementary School Read-A-Thon Newnan Crossing Elementary were, from left, Varu Bella, Dylan Christopher Pitt (3rd) - $327; were, from left, Savannah Cook, Taylor Hoying, Cody Grandt, Alani Wight, and Kylee McNutt. Williamson, and Alani Wight. Cody Grandt (1st) - $291; Madeline Welch (K) - $221.60; Alli Hoying (2nd) - $210; and Taylor Hoying (4th) - $210. These students raised over $150: Natalie Bitzel, Callie Blake, Connor Brinkert, Caleb Cashion, Faith Clifford, Dylan Cooper, Landan Edwards, Kristina Kula, Hadassah Sworney, and Aubrey Tanner. The top classes with the most minutes read: K – Carey (5,273 minutes); 1st – Gaschler (6,796 minutes); 2nd – Hite (15,097 minutes); 3rd – Hawkins (6,040 minutes); 4th – Kennemur (8,104 minutes); 5th – Hendrix (20,238 minutes) The following students were the top readers for their grade level: P r e K - Kindergarten: Kaitlyn Brinkert (Carey) 1,440 min.; Anna Catherine Couch (Carey) 1,300; Natalie Bitzel (Carvana) 1,105; Camden Specker (Carvana) 945; and William Rainey (Lanier) 900. First grade: Abby The top teachers per grade level for readingin the recent Newnan Crossing Elementary Read-A-Thon were, from left, teachers Meghan Williamson (Cooper) 1,596 Fourth grade top readers in the recent Newnan Crossing Elementary School Read-A-Thon were, Gaschler, Jennifer Kennemur, and Sunni Hendrix. Hendrix had the top min.; Kionna Caesar from left, Emily Rogers, Laura Denton, Rayhan Khot, Kylee McNutt, and Taylor Hoying. (Gaschler) 1,558; Dawson Pent class in the school. (Cooper) 1,376; Maya Federico (Gaschler) 1,240; and Emily Fiscus (East) 1,150. Second grade : Alli Hoying (Hite) 2,169 min.; Connor Brinkert (Copeland) 2,110; Morgan Pent (Copeland) 1,766; Mayleigh Carvana (Copeland) 1,705; and Inho Ra (Copeland) 1,360. T h i r d g r a d e : Jonathon Robertson (Vasconcelles) Salvatore “Sonny” LoCascio, a senior 1,280 min.; Caleb Cashion Bachelor of Music in Music Composition major at Clayton State University, and (Hawkins) 1,227; Abigail the prize winner in the annual music Phillips (Fambro) 1,225; Maddy scholarship competition sponsored by Sparks (Vasconcelles) 1,055; the Atlanta Alumni Chapter of the proand Noah Walls (Fambro) fessional music fraternity, Mu Phi 1,018. Epsilon, performed in Clayton State ’s Fourth grade: Taylor Hoying Spivey Hall on Nov. 30. (Kennemur) 2,193 min.; Emily The concert provided an opportunity Rogers (Miller) 2,160; Kylee for the general public to hear LoCascio’s McNutt (Parker) 1,496; Rayhan prize-winning compositions and several Khot (Vinson) 1,230; and Laura others as part of LoCascio’s senior recital Denton (Hitchcock) 948. in partial fulfillment of the university’s F i f t h g r a d e : Alani Wight requirements for the Bachelor of Music (Davis) 3,326 min. (top reader Composition. for the school); Varu Bella A graduate of Coweta County’s (Hendrix) 2,611; Dylan Northgate High School, where his choral Williamson (Barr) 2,316; director was Rachel Gordon, LoCascio is Alejandro Castellnos (Davis) currently a composition student of J. 2,069; and Naomi Laws (Eskut) Wesley Flinn, director of Music 2,035. Composition and Theory, and a voice The PTO congratulated all student of Dr. Kurt-Alexander Zeller, these students for their outFirst grade top readers at the Newnan Crossing Elementary School Read-A-Thon were, from left, Kionna Casear, Emily standing participation and See SPIVEY, page 5B Fiscus, Maya Federico, Dawson Pent, and Abby Williamson. dedication to reading.
LoCascio performs in Spivey Hall
Home-schooled student champions conservation A local 17-year-old home schooler is heading up a conservation project that she hopes will encourage local kids to think twice before tossing certain re-usable products in a garbage can. “I have chosen to work with a company called Terracycle,” said Scarlett Elrod, to help her earn her “Golden Venturing” award through a program affiliated with the Boy Scouts of America. “Terracycle is a company whose goal is to ‘upcycle’ garbage,” said Elrod. “In other words, they take certain items that would be considered trash, and make them into new products. For example, Terracycle
uses drink pouches to make backpacks and packages fertilizer in used soda bottles.” Terracycle takes different types of discarded garbage, such as juice boxes, candy wrappers, chip bags, soda plastic bottles, energy bar wrappers, and various other items and makes those pieces of garbage into new products. Unlike recycling where energy is required to convert the garbage item into a new item, Terracycling requires no energy, so there is no byproduct produced when a new product is made. Elrod’s job will be to set up an “upcycling bin” and collect trash that will be sent to
Terracycle and turned into new products. “I have made a rather large bin that will be set up in a local elementary school lunchroom,” said Elrod. “Terracycle will donate three cents to a charity of my choice for every piece of garbage collected. The proceeds I earn will be given to the elementary school.” Elrod and her 15-year-old brother, James, are both home schooled, and both participate in a “Venture Crew” established by their parents, Lee and Janet Elrod. “A Venture Crew can have many different focuses,” said Elrod. Their particular group -Crew 55 -- has a focus on “high
adventure in the outdoors,” she said. “We are avid backpackers, love canoeing/kayaking, white water rafting, rock climbing, and mountain biking. Pretty much anything that keeps us outside!” said Elrod. After taking a nine-day course presented by the National Outdoor Leadership School, Elrod became a certified Wilderness First Responder. Crew 55 also learns skills such as wilderness survival, orienteering, and emergency preparedness, and principles such as Leave No Trace, the responsibility of planning trips and events, teaching abilities,
and good leadership. “I love any place that is wild and free,” said Elrod. “I love nature and am happiest when I am outside. “My hero is John Muir. I love his outlook on life and feelings about the world. I believe we should be doing all we can to preserve nature.” Elrod said she plans on majoring in outdoor education so that she can “one day work for an outfitter as an expedition guide.” She and her family have lived in Newnan for nearly eight years. They are partnering with Carol Duffey and the Keep Newnan Beautiful program on
this latest conservation project. As a Boy Scout may earn merit badges and advance in rank to Eagle Scout, a Venturer can earn the bronze award, the gold award, the silver award, and the ranger award, Elrod explained. The “upcycling” project will take her another step down that road. Venturing is a Boy Scout program for both boys and girls, ages 14 to their 21st birthday. “As part of my gold award requirements, I am required to lead a conservation project,” she said. “Our focus area is reusable resources.”