The weather has warmed up and Spring is in the air. There are those of us who believe we may get one more big snow, but hopefully, we are dead wrong. The semester is flying by as Second Semester always does and Spring Break is just around the corner.

IMPORTANT information for Juniors…CHS recommends that all Juniors take the SAT in May or June of their Junior year and again in the early Fall of their Senior year. The registration deadline for the May SAT is March 31. You must register your child, we are not allowed to do it for you. Go to www.collegeboard.com to create an account and get started. If you are not able to pay the fee for the SAT, please see me. We have fee waiver forms. We provide a general test-taking workshop to Juniors in the late Spring. This workshop goes over test tips, facts and ways to prepare. We do not specifically work with students on the various sections of the tests such as math or reading. We can provide tutoring in subjects on a case-by-case basis. If you would like your student to take a more in depth SAT preparation course, we can give you information for classes in the area.

Rick Ziegler, our college admissions consultant, will be hosting a college fair sometime in the first couple of weeks of May. We will give you more details on that as we iron them out. It will be an excellent time for Juniors and the parents of Juniors to start learning the process of applying to college.

Our staff would like to respectfully request that students be picked up by 5:00 every day. While downtown Roanoke is safe during the day, we are not comfortable leaving students unsupervised downtown after school hours. If the school is locked and there is no adult available, students have nowhere to go should they run into trouble. We’ve been placed in the position several times where we had to hang out with a student because a parent was late. We understand and support your ability to determine what is best for your child, however, we ask that you pick up your student or make other arrangements no later than 5:00 pm for the safety of your student and our peace of mind.

We have been seeing increased cell phone usage during class. In particular, several parents have complained because they were unable to contact their student during the day. Students are required to have their phones off during class. This means they sometimes forget to turn them back on. We always prefer that you call the school number, especially if you need to interrupt them in class or if you need to get a message to them quickly.

As always, questions, concerns and praise can be directed to me.

Have a great week.

Roni

I apologize for the tardiness of the weekly email. Second semester is flying by in its lightening fast way. Don’t blink – we will be watching our seniors march across the stage before we know it.

We are currently taking sweatshirt orders for our newly designed CHS/Marginal Arts hoodies. They come in navy, brown and black and are $25.00. Please send me an email if you would like one and indicate size and color. We have on hand t-shirts in the same colors and style. Those are $15.00.

The Marginal Arts Festival was a resounding success. The weather had only a minimal impact and with the exception of Michael Martone, all of our guest artists were able to be here. We received many compliments on the festival. Fat Tuesday was a great time, as always. Thank you to everyone who put forth copious amounts of time and effort to make the MAF our best one yet. If you still have monies for passports or other items, please get them to me asap.

Les is requesting shoestrings and rags for the newest production of our Theater troupe. The play will be moved up one week to March 26 and 27. The snowy weather created a need for extra rehearsal days.

You will be hearing about our planned Summer Institute soon. Stay tuned, it promises to be an exciting and new summer learning program for the Roanoke Valley and is open to students both within and outside of our CHS community.

Finally, please mark your calendars for May 15 and 16 when Les Epstein will present his own Opera,

Miss Lucy

. We were fortunate to see a ‘teaser’ during the Marginal Arts Festival and it promises to be a marvelous event.

As always, questions, concerns and praise should be directed to anyone at school.

Roni
Miss Lucy

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On a side note, we have had an appeal from the community for a refugee college student who is in desperate need of a laptop computer. If you have an old one that you might be willing to sell or give away, please let me know. I am happy to share the whole story with anyone who is interested, but thought I’d throw in a brief appeal while I was emailing you all anyway.

PLEASE plan to come to Marginal Arts Festival and Fat Tuesday!!! Check out www.marginalarts.com!

Roni

Parents who are volunteering at events are not expected to pay admission. Parents ARE expected to purchase and use a passport if they will attend admissioned events – including Fat Tuesday, the Taubman Museum or the O. Winston Link Museum.

Students are not required to pay admission to any events. However, they should remember that the festival is a fundraiser for the school and comport themselves accordingly. In addition, they should help when requested and show restraint at events involving food.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Community High School Campus workers – workers will stamp passports, sell passports, exchange vouchers for passports and keep an eye on the school campus while it is open)

Friday, Feb 12, 5:00 p, – 10:00 pm : Robert Barksdale, Mia Barksdale, Asia Shariff-Clark (5:30 – 7:30), Joelle Miller (7:30 – 10:00), Jonas Slackman (7:30 – 10:00)

Saturday, Feb 13, 10:00 am – 10:00 pm – Beth McGee (all day), Tuesday Crenshaw (10:00 – 1:00), Charlotte Selby (1:00 – 6:00), Rebecca Jones (6:00 – 10:00), Leslie Elmore (10:00 – 2:00), Lisa Nucamendi (2:00 – 4:00), Bill Phillips (4:00 – 6:00), Jeff Jones (6:00 – 10:00)

Sunday, Feb 14, 12:00pm – 8:00pm: Art England (12:00 – 4:00), Beth England (12:00 – 4:00), Jamila Harris (12:00 – 5:00), Kathy Via (4:00-8:00), Rebecca Jones (4:00-8:00), Jeff Jones (4:00 – 8:00)

Kirk Avenue Music Hall, 22 Kirk Ave – Music by Eugene Chadbourne (Thursday) and Mosier Brothers and Blue Mule (Friday) – stamp passports

Thursday, Feb. 11, 7:00 – 9:00 – Leslie Elmore
Friday, Feb 12, 7:00 – 9:00 – Steven Griswold

Claude Moore Auditorium across from the Dumas Theater – stamp passports and count participants

Thursday Feb, 11, 6:45 – 7:45 – Kelly Hooper

Taubman Museum of Art – Friday, Box lunch with Collette Fu, Friday evening We Are Dragon People and Sunday, Year of the Tiger Celebration – stamp passports, check ids (alcohol will be served at the Friday Evening event)

Friday, Feb 12 11:45 – 1:15 – Kristin Reynolds and Wolfe Randall
Friday, Feb 12 4:45 – 7:00 – Mary Potter, Wendy Rowden, Sue Shandler, Roni Sutton
Sunday, Feb 14 1:30 – 5:30 – Judy Mickenberg, Susan Icove, Asia Shariff-Clark, Bill Phillips, Margaret Gaines, Emma Gust

Dialog Gallery – 208 4th St – Sew Me Up exhibition – stamp passports, count visitors, general gallery sitting

Friday, Feb 12 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm – Gail Steele

O. Winston Link Museum – gallery sitting, stamping passports, counting participants

Friday, Feb 12 – 7:00-9:00 – Chris Lerch

Jack Pendarvis and Nosferatu silent film event 434 Church Ave- stamp passports, count visitors, collect admission

Friday, Feb 12 7:30pm – 11:30: Rob Johnson, AJ England, Bill Phillips, Grace Richmond, Margaret Gaines

Market square chalk drawing competition – help participants, stamp passports, count participants

Saturday, Feb 13, 8:30 – 11:00am: Carolyn Meisen, Kassandra Nucamendi

2nd and Campbell Marginal Arts Parade – meet at school. You will be assigned street corners to help participants cross intersections safely.

Saturday, Feb 13, 10:00am – 1:00: Bridget Dearing, Wendy Rowden, Roni Sutton, Grace Richmond, Chris Lerch, Richie Sutton, Emma Gust, Charlotte Hooper and/or Katy Anderson

Roanoke Downtown Library emerging artist exhibition – stamp passports, count participants

Saturday Feb 13 1:00 pm – 2:00: Olivia Byrd

Dumas Theater – Opera, Miss Lucy – collect admission, stamp passports

Saturday, Feb 13, 7:00 pm – 9:00 – Noelle Lane, HOpe Thompson, Gail Steele, Robert Steele

Art District Pot luck/open house 110 Campbell Ave – stamp passports, count visitors

Monday, Feb 15 4:30 – 7:15: Sheila Guarnagia, Chris Gryder, Michelle Kilgore

Hollins University Art Exhibitions including Michael Martone and Moire Crone – stamp passports, count visitors

Thursday Feb 11, 4:45pm – 7:15: Yasmine Anderson
Sunday Feb 14, 7:45 pm – 10:15pm: Linda Thornton

Fat Tuesday, Feb 16

Table 1 6:30 – 9:30 cash ticket sales: Kim Johnson, Diane Elliot

Table 2 6:30 – 9:30 – passport admissions: Beth McGee, Bridget Dearing

Silent Auction table watchers 6:45 – 9:30: Sue Shandler, Sally Lurker, Linda Simmons, Tim Beard

Food 6:30 – 9:30 – Wendy Rowden, Logan Martin, Virginia Klara, Joelle Miller, Spencer Johnson, Rob JOhnson, Jacqueline Johnson, Kelly Hooper

Decorating: All day fat Tuesday – students will be allowed at staff discretion to go to Fitzpatrick and help decorate. In addition, Janelle Eggleston, Sandra Roberts and Janelle’s group of friends will decorate.

ABC Bar – 6:30 – 10:00: Peter Coogan, Victoria Coogan, Michelle Kilgore

Non-ABC Bar – 6:30 – 10:00: Chris Lerch, Olivia Byrd

Kyle Edgell assistants – 6:45 – 10:00 – take pictures to selling table and drum up business for Kyle: Becky Albright, Billie Byrd

Drawings sale table 6:45 – 10:00 – hang pictures for display on clothesline (provided), sell pictures: Mary Hadden, Sierra Via

Checkout 9:15 – 10:00 – check out silent auction purchases including taking credit card information: Mary Potter, Debby Martin, Gail Steele

Clean up 10:00 – 11:00 – remove lights and coil neatly, clean room, empty trash cans: Gene Lurker, Rob Johnson, Spencer Johnson, Jaclyn Johnson, Charlotte Hagan, Thomas Nganele