Photo by Keisha Graziadei

Participating in the charity basketball game were Officer Dan Walters; students Paxton Daniels, Khal Clary, Mason Reyer, Trevor Lee, Zach Shannon, John Meade; faculty members Ryan Reynolds, Derrick Roth, Kim Sarrell, Lindsay Andrews, Stuart Rawlings, Stuart Sibley, Josh Dowdy, Justin Dowdy, Gavin Hard, Dale Nelson.

On Jan. 29, Cave Spring Middle School faculty went head to head with a student team to raise $820 for the V Foundation for Cancer Research. The students won the game, 32-28.

Organizers charged admission of $1 or two canned food items, which were donated to the Second Harvest Food Bank in Salem. The game was sponsored by SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions). The theme for the basketball game was "Fun Alternatives to Drugs and Alcohol!" The SADD club wants kids to know there are better ways to have fun, other then using drugs or drinking alcohol.

After the game, there were smiles all around. (The students may have won, but they got a 20-point start.)

Penn Forest Elementary donates money to Haiti earthquake relief

On Thursday, Jan. 28, students at Penn Forest Elementary School gathered to present a check to the Red Cross Haiti Relief Fund. The students brought in their pennies for about four days and raised over $1,000.

Last year the students in Tara Chapman's 5th-grade class participated in Pennies for Peace and while trying to figure out what they would do this year, the students came up with the idea to help the victims of Haiti.

Morgan Leftwich, 10, and a 5th-grader said, "We heard about the earthquake and we thought it was a great idea to raise money for them. It feels really good to know you made a difference."

Andrew Cannaday, 11, and also in the 5th-grade said, "Everybody can afford a couple pennies, because if that was us, how would we feel? I was very surprised how much we raised."

They raised exactly $1,150, which Principal Linda Wright said is about $2 per student.

"I am so proud of them," Wright said. "I'm just really thrilled. When you have a girl that brings in $14 of her own money you know the students care."

Q99 and the Red Cross came out for the presentation on Thursday. A representative from the Red Cross said that because of Penn Forest Elementary School's contribution, they were able to reach their goal of raising $10,000.

A special thanks were announced to Brenda Wooten, bookeeper, and Anjie McFarland, secretary and Assistant Principal Jean Brammer for helping count all of the pennies.

-- Emily Flora

Ham radio club on the air at Hiden Valley

When Josh Whitlow, assistant principal, came to work at Hidden Valley High School, he was strongly encouraged to help create an amateur radio club at the school. With the help of the Amateur Radio Club in the Roanoke Valley, he made it happen.

"It took us a few years to get off the ground," Whitlow said. "But we started talking about it my first year here during the 2003-2004 school year."

Whitlow said that it was partially possible by the donation of some radio equipment from William Byrd School and the Roanoke Valley Amateur Club.

"We got an antenna and those sorts of things and had a starting point," he said. "Principal Blevins donated a room for the club, and since then Principal Rhonda Stegall has come on board and she's been more than supportive. We didn't have a lot of kids at first, but we got the word out."

Most recently the club applied for a grant through the American Radio Relay Team HVHAbegan work on the grant application about two years ago. The application included their team goals and a request of equipment.

Whitlow said that those chosen to receive the grant receive a portion of the equipment they requested. Hidden Valley received a brand new YAESU radio, a new antenna, and equipment to put it all together which included cables, etc. Whitlow said that it wasn't the easiest task setting all of the equipment up, but with help from Principal Stegall, the maintenance crew at HVHS and the Roanoke Valley Amateur Radio club, it was all made possible.

There are about 14 members at HVHS, and four have their technician licenses. The first level of licensure for the students is technician and the second level is general. The school also provides sessions where they teach the information that will be on the licensing test, hold official tests and training modules.

Micah Green, a junior and vice president of the radio club said that he enjoys being in the radio club and talking with people using different sounds and frequencies as close as your next door neighbor and as far away as Japan. Green said he became involved in the club because of radio experience during Boy Scouts.

"I like the fact of being able to talk to people all around the world.

Jake Moles, also a junior and president of the club, said, "Scouts was the first place I got involved in in. It's a lot of fun because when ever you turn on the radio you never know who you're going to get."

Ron Ramsey, a member of the Roanoke Valley Amateur Radio Club, has been involved in radio since the 1970s and mentors the students.

"This is made possible here by the national organization, ARRL. It's $1,800 worth of equipment. I'm the trustee of their call. Basically I have to enforce that they do follow the rules and most importantly make sure they have a good time. I just enjoy doing it," Ramsey said.

The club meets every other Monday and practices contacting other HAMs all over the world. The students learn voice, Morse code, and digital methods over the radio. They are using their new radio system from the grant and the older radio to perform the digital communication.

"The overriding idea here is to get as many students into amateur radio as possible," Whitlow said. "It provides great community services and it's fun in general. It's amazing in my mind, to sit down at our school and talk to someone in a European country.

"The science and math that are involved is wonderful, particularly for me as an educator."

Twice a year the HVHS HAM Radio Club participates in the School Club Round Up, a nationwide contest held the first week of February and in October. Points are accrued by making contacts during a 24-hour window over the course of five days. The students use a logging program to keep record of their contacts and receive a certain amount of points based on what kind of contacts they make.

Whitlow said that William Byrd High and Middle School came in first place in the October round-up and unofficially HVHS came in 3rd place out of 41 teams.

For more photos, see The Notebook at swo-co.com.

Presentation offered on safe teen driving

Did you know?

Nationally more than 5,000 teens die in traffic crashes each year! n he crash rate for 16-year-olds is 9 times that of the general population.  Half of all teen drivers will be in a crash before they turn 20.

If a member of your family is preparing for the licensing process, you are invited to join other parents and students for a Partnering for the Privilege, Safe Teen Driving Program at a high school near you. As a parent or guardian, you are a key player in influencing teens to drive safely and responsibly.

"Partnering for the Privilege" is a safe-teen driving presentation designed for parents and students. The program brings together parents, students, schools, law enforcement and community resources in an effort to increase awareness and knowledge regarding teen drivers.

The meetings, held at each of the five county high schools, will be approximately 90 minutes long and include the following agenda:

The Real Risks for Teen Drivers,  An Overview of the Driver Education Program,  Teen Traffic Laws and the Graduated Licensing Restrictions -- Roanoke County Police Department,  Insuring the Teen Driver -- Allstate Insurance,  Dealing with a Teen Crash from a Parent's Perspective

The following meeting dates are available. If the meeting at your child's school is not convenient, you are encouraged to attend a meeting at any other site.

Feb. 9: Glenvar HS Library, 7-8:30 p.m. Feb. 11: Cave Spring HS Cafeteria, 7-8:30 p.m. Feb. 16: Hidden Valley HS Forum, 7-8:30 p.m. Feb. 18: William Byrd HS Library, 7-8:30 p.m. Feb. 22: Northside HS Auditorium, 7-8:30 p.m.

For more information, contact Barry Trent, Coordinator for Health, Physical Education and Driver Education at Roanoke County Public Schools. Phone: (540) 562-3900, ext. 10255 Email at btrent@rcs.k12.va.us.

Submitted by Chuck Lionberger

Cave Spring art students participate in Best In Show

Cave Spring High School art students, under the direction of art teacher Pat Carr ,will have some of their work on display in the Best In Show event to benefit the Roanoke Valley SPCA.

Opening night reception will be Friday, Feb. 5, 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the atrium of the Taubman Museum of Art.

More than 100 regional artists will have their work on display. A winner will be selected from all artists who submitted work for the benefit. The winning work will be featured as the cover of the 2011 pet calendar. The artwork will be on display at The Market Gallery from through Feb. 21. The Market Gallery is located at 23 Salem Avenue, Roanoke, just a block from the Taubman Museum.

The Shenandoah Club will host the display from Feb. 22 - March 19. The Shenandoah Club is located at 24 Franklin Road SW, downtown Roanoke.

All artwork will be for sale. The artists will designate a portion (or all) of the proceeds to the RVSPCA. Notecards featuring category winners will be available for sale.