The first Friday of each month this fall, the Blacksburg school's administrators have asked students to forgo using their parents to get to school and either ride their bikes or walk instead.

It's part of the school's "Keepin' It Green" initiative, said Principal Megan Marshall.

Marshall said about 10 students regularly ride a bike or walk to school. During the Keepin' It Green days, that number has increased to 20 or 30.

That's still a small portion of the 260 students who attend the school.

Marshall said the effort also fits with the school's plan to apply for up to $500,000 in grant money through the Safe Routes to School program. The national program uses federal money to support education and infrastructure improvements designed to get kids biking and walking to school.

Gilbert Linkous Elementary received about $300,000 last year to educate the community about walking to school. The town of Blacksburg received the biggest chunk of that money for infrastructure projects such as sidewalks.

Sometime this month, Marshall said Harding Avenue will send in its grant application.

Shawsville students plan to 'elf' teacher for food bank

Students in Shawsville Middle School's Family Career and Community Leaders of America club plan to dress at least one teacher as a holiday elf this season.

It's all part of an effort to raise money for the community's food bank, said family and consumer science teacher Lynn Margheim.

Starting this week, her students will make construction-paper holiday trees for each teacher's door. Students can then purchase paper "gifts" for 25 cents each to place on whichever tree they'd like.

In the end, the teacher with the most presents will don an elf costume for the day.

It's a project that gets students in the holiday spirit while they poke fun at their favorite teacher. "It really teaches them what community service is all about," Margheim said.

In years past, students have raised as much as $200 for the food bank, she said.

Two years ago, the last time the fundraiser took place, physical education teacher and football coach Mike Miller won the prize.

This year, students may have their eyes on Principal Dave Dickinson, Margheim warned.

The "elfing" will take place before students are released for winter break.

The fundraiser is just one of many in which the FCCLA participates for the food bank. Nationally, the organization asks its chapters to fund a national charity, but Margheim tries to focus on one closer to home.

"I have such a hard time taking money out of our community when there's such a need here," she said.

Students this fall also have baked pies for the food bank and collected coats for the Montgomery County Christmas Store.