Education Notebook: Mary Persons student named top Special Olympics volunteer
Mary Persons High School's Anna Helen McKelvey was named January's Volunteer of the Month by the Special Olympics of Georgia.
Also a member of the school's Beta, Key and Interact clubs, McKelvey participated in SOGA's four-day youth forum.
In a SOGA release, McKelvey said integrating those with special needs into regular, everyday events is crucial.
"It could change their entire outlook and make their life better," she said.
MERCER TO HOST FIRST 'MUSLIMS IN AMERICA' EVENT
Mercer University will host the first in a series of discussions at 6 p.m. Thursday in Willingham Auditorium on the topic of "Muslims in America."
The University's Center for Community Engagement, Department of International and Global Studies, and Quality Enhancement Plan Office are collaborating on the series, which will be held on the Macon campus.
The topic of this week's discussion is "Judeo-Christian-Islamic Values: One God!" The panel will feature Rabbi Larry Schlesinger from Temple Beth Israel in Macon, the Rev. Scott Dickison of First Baptist Church of Christ in Macon and Imam Adam Fofana from the Islamic Center of Middle Georgia in Centerville. Craig McMahan, university minister and dean of chapel, will moderate.
HOUSTON COUNTY SCHOOL HOSTING SOCIAL STUDIES NIGHT
Quail Run Elementary School is holding a social studies family night. Passport to the World will be held Thursday from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the school cafeteria and gymnasium.
Quail Run Elementary families are invited to participate in the multicultural learning experience. They will learn facts about different cultures, hear different languages, see traditional clothing, and experience cultural dancing. Families will also be able to sample foods from a variety of cultures.
FPD HOLDING OPEN HOUSE FOR FAMILIES
First Presbyterian Day School's Winter Open House is Sunday from 3-5 p.m. Families are invited to attend the drop-in event for tours and information about opportunities for students in 3K through 12th grade.
APPLICATIONS ACCEPTED FOR BLACK HISTORY SCHOLARSHIP
Applications are being accepted for the 47th NAACP Image Awards Scholarship Program/Essay Contest.
The contest is open to all public school juniors and seniors in Bibb County.
Essays must address the topic "What Black History Means to Me" and must be 500 words or less. The deadline for entry is Jan. 25, and all mailed-in entries must be postmarked by that date. Send essays to Chris Howard at 6601 Hawkinsville Road, Macon, GA 31216.
For more information, contact Howard at 478-314-3555 or at chris.howard@cox.com
MACON NATIVE EARNS SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY
Torre Lavelle, a Mount de Sales Academy grad from Macon, has been selected to join the first class of Schwarzman Scholars, the fully funded one-year master's degree program at Tsinghua University in Beijing designed to prepare future leaders for the geopolitical landscape of the 21st century.
Lavelle, who attends the University of Georgia, was one of 111 students selected from a pool of more than 3,000 applicants.
UPWARD BOUND ACADEMIC BOWL TEAM WINS FIRST PLACE
Mercer University Upward Bound's Scholar's Bowl team brought home the first-place trophy from the 2015 Student Leadership Conference, sponsored by the state TRIO professional association, the Georgia Association of Special Programs Personnel. The competition took place at Georgia Southern University in November.
Team members included Katie Birt (captain) and Alexandria Maddox of Westside High School, Aaron Yates of Howard High School, and Darius Moye and Ikeia Moore of Central High School.
The annual Scholar's Bowl pits Upward Bound programs across Georgia against each other to test students' knowledge of various topics, including math, English, history, pop culture and sports.
Telegraph reporter Jeremy Timmerman contributed to this report.
This story was originally published January 17, 2016 at 5:35 PM with the headline "Education Notebook: Mary Persons student named top Special Olympics volunteer ."