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The Roanoke public school system is offering an educational opportunity for parents of city schoolchildren.

The Parent University will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 5 at William Fleming High School. Workshop topics include healthy snack preparation, the transition from high school to college and information about the division's program for English language leaners. There also will be a question-and-answer panel made up of school and community representatives. Registration is required.

The keynote speaker will be Kay Strickland, executive director of the Virginia Western Community College Educational Foundation.

She will share information about the Roanoke Community College Access Program, which provided tutition-free community college education this year for 60 people, all 2009 graduates of the city's high schools.

Lunch, child care for children ages 4 to 10 and bus transportation will be available for the free event.

"We do everything we can to get parents to come out and participate," school spokeswoman Tiffany Woods said.

This is the third Parent University hosted by the division; previous events have been at Patrick Henry High School and Lucy Addison Middle School.

Buses will bring participants from seven public housing communities and the city's elementary schools.

Parents will be able to collect information about community resources, ranging from public library programs to after-school care, at display tables set up at Fleming.

To register online, visit rcps.info/universityregistration or call 853-2816.

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Community School, a private school with its main campus located in Roanoke County, will accept nominations for the Local Hero Award through Monday. The annual award, which is given to a person age 10 to 21 to recognize his or her humanitarian efforts, was established in 2002 to honor local heroes who embody the values of Martin Luther King Jr.

Nominees should show courage in championing the greater good over individual good, practice fairness and equality, demonstrate a passion for change or improvement and exhibit respect and nonviolence as core values.

Holly Hirst, the school's director, said students will take part in the selection process.

The ninth annual award will be given Jan. 15. To nominate someone, send a brief anecdote and contact information to Community School, 7815 Williamson Road, Roanoke, VA 24109 or visit the school's Web site, communityschool.net.