Poetry out loud and proud
KTVI/Channel 2 reporter Summer Knowles with the local winners of the 2008 Poetry Out Loud contest. From left to right: second place winner Brandon Hamilton, Cardinal Ritter College Preparatory School; Summer Knowles; first place winner Sophia Sanchez, Ladue Horton Watkins High School; and third place winner Emily Mazzoni, Parkway North High School.
From Literature to London
Middle school students from Normandy are set to go abroad again for the first time in 20 years. With the task of raising $55,000 to take 22 students abroad, the students in Ms. Myles’ reading class plan to read their way to London. Which team of students will ultimately win the prize is still up for grabs.
The Read-A-Thon is set to occur Saturday April 5. Ms. Myles’ students have set a goal of collectively raising $30,000 in six hours.
An 8th grade reading teacher at Normandy Middle and a member of Teach For America, Ms. Myles created the program From Literature to London to expand low-income students’ access to study-abroad opportunities. Her class has already completed a comprehensive study of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and plans to study Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Twelfth Night in April.
Students have been working diligently all year to put their house in the lead and capture the house cup. Currently Gryffindor House is in the lead with 1275 points, but Hufflepuff is trailing only slightly with 1240. This contest is by no means over yet for Slytherin and Ravenclaw. At the conclusion of the Read-A-Thon any house could be in the lead because the students earn points for their house based on the amount of money they raise.
If you are interested in making pledge toward a student or simply want to donate, please contact Ms. Myles at 314-603-9728. For more information about the tour, visit http://dianna.myles.googlepages.com/home.
Summer Science Blast
Sign up for Summer Science Blast at the Saint Louis Science Center! Choose from in-demand favorites like Flight Academy and Slimy, Squishy, and Sometimes Icky; as well as new adventures like Reflex Remix, featuring competitive speed stacking and juggling; CSI: Scene of the Crime, where campers will solve a mock crime using real evidence; and X-Prize Academy, where campers will learn to fly, and even take off and land a real airplane.
Students entering grades 4-12 can take part in a Great River adventure. Campers will explore the great outdoors, and travel by boat throughout the river region. Travel on the Missouri, Illinois and Mississippi rivers. Use GPS in a high-tech treasure hunt. See the confluence up close, and get a personal tour of the locks and dam system in Alton.
All new this summer is a half-day camp for preschool and kindergarten, Science ‘n Motion. Camps are for students entering grades pre-K through high school. Week-long sessions take place Monday through Friday. Half-day and full-day camps are available.
A limited amount of partial scholarships are available. Please call for an application form.
For more information or to register, call 314-289-4439.
Grants for youth programs
The St. Louis Mental Health Board (MHB) is extending the deadline for submitting mini-grant applications to April 15, 2008. The MHB is offering five $500 mini-grants to city programs and organizations with an annual budget of less than $100,000 that have established youth programs. The goal of the program is to engage youth in community service projects that address a particular need or issue. Application packages are available at the MHB office, 4144 Lindell Blvd., Suite 300. Contact Sue Huelsing or Jamala Rogers at 314-535-6964, ext. 11 or stlmhb@stlmhb.com.