Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Coach aims to give fundraising a kick
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It may not be as well-hyped as the football or basketball rivalries, but the clash between the William Fleming and Patrick Henry high school soccer teams Tuesday is likely to draw many Roanokers.
That's what Landon Moore is betting on.
Moore, Fleming's boys soccer coach, will use the game to kick off fundraising for a new nonprofit he has founded that will offer academic tutoring during the summer to low-income high school soccer players who are learning English.
Starting at 6:30 p.m., Moore will host a catered tailgate in the Patrick Henry parking lot to raise awareness and money for the Star City Soccer Foundation.
Many of Fleming's players are refugee or immigrant students who struggle on the standardized tests necessary for college admissions. Moore's goal is to help the city's soccer players academically as well as on the field, and make it possible for them to go on to higher education.
"It's for William Fleming or Patrick Henry kids," Moore said. "I want college to be an option for them."
Already, Moore has organized a weeklong summer camp where students will split their days between learning about study skills and playing soccer. The Huntington Learning Center will provide the academic help. Moore will lead the soccer sessions.
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School board members Jason Bingham, Todd Putney and Mae Huff were reappointed to the board Monday after a unanimous vote from the Roanoke City Council. Unlike previous years, when school board seats were hotly contested, Bingham, Putney and Huff found themselves appointed to another three-year term with little fanfare, no discussion and a quick vote.
The three were the only candidates for the positions.
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Four Roanoke County schools are being honored by the Virginia Department of Education for being "Distinguished Title I Schools," this year.
Title I is a federal program that sends additional funding to schools with a high concentration of low-income students.
To earn the accolades from state education officials, a Title I school has to have met state standards for two consecutive years, and meet federal benchmarks under the No Child Left Behind law.
The schools must also have test scores in reading and mathematics that are at the 60th percentile or higher.
The four schools are Clearbrook Elementary, Glen Cove Elementary, Green Valley Elementary and Mount Pleasant Elementary. All four were similarly recognized last year.
