Schools

Warm Springs Middle School and the 167th Air Nation Guard announced their students of the month for April.

The sixth grade teams named Brandon Fleece and Tiffany Michael.

Rising ninth graders at Berkeley Springs High School have a chance to invest in their college careers early through a school program that can earn them free in-state college tuition.

The program — Health Sciences & Technology Academy (HSTA) – has six slots open for the next school year and is a great opportunity for students willing to make a commitment, said local coordinator and teacher Susan McBee.

Morgan County School Board officials approved bids and awarded contracts on May 15 for several school improvements scheduled for this summer.

Officials chose the lowest bid of $37,500 from Allegheny Environmental Services for asbestos removal to be completed at the Arts & Humanities building at Berkeley Springs High School. That work must be done as part of a $268,000 window replacement project at the former junior high building.

Twenty-six West Virginia high schools, including Berkeley Springs High School, will be participating in a national initiative to send significantly more of their graduates to education and training programs after high school.

The initiative, called College Summit, is the fastest-growing educational initiative in West Virginia, expanding from a program serving fewer than 300 seniors during the 2003-04 school year to a program that will serve 3,000 seniors during the 2007-08 school year.

Fourth graders from Pleasant View Elementary are helping others while they help themselves this school year by participating in Scholastic Book Clubs ClassroomsCare, a philanthropy-based literacy campaign designed to teach children about the joys and importance of reading and giving.

From the beginning of school through December 31, 2006, students in Summer McClintock's classroom and all across the country read 100 books and in turn, Scholastic Book Clubs, a division of Scholastic, the global children's publishing and media company, is planning to donate 100 books (for a total donation of up to one million new books) to disadvantaged children nationwide.

The Morgan County Clergy Association will host its baccalaureate service for the graduating seniors in Morgan County, on May 21.

The service begins at 7 p.m. in the Connie Perry Auditorium at the Berkeley Springs High School. The Clergy Association has hosted these services for many years, having begun in local sanctuaries until the number became too large to handle. This entirely optional and relatively short service is given by the churches to honor and bless the graduates as they go forth.

West Virginia Department of Education sponsored its 30th annual social studies fair at the Civic Center in Charleston on May 4. With almost 900 entries the competition was tough. Nine categories of social sciences were represented with individual, pairs and classes competing for the coveted prizes. Students were divided into divisions according to grade: Division I, grades 4-5; Division II, grades 6-8; Division III, grades 9-12.

Morgan County was well represented by 22 projects with 14 coming home with an award.

Steven Potter recently graduated from West Liberty State College, West Liberty. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in golf management on December 9, 2006. He was a member of the West Liberty golf team for four years.

Following its move last month to roll back the special levy rate and tap its capital fund, the Morgan County School Board unanimously approved a $21.4 million budget for the next school year, up $1.5 million over last year.

The budget received no public comment at the May 1 hearing.

Assistant School Superinten-dent David Banks got the Morgan County School Board's approval for new English Language Arts textbooks for county schools at the April 17 board meeting.

Banks presented the recommendation of the Textbook Adoption Committee for all English textbooks from Kindergarten through 12th grade. The books will be in use through 2013.