Contributed photo “Checking” the Christmas list after the annual St. Vincent’s Santa Breakfast, are Walmart personnel and school representatives. From left are Walmart accountant Barbara Swanson and assistant manager Karen Scheer presenting a $300 check to school principal Susan Delling and Student Council advisor Cindy May. (Click for larger image)

St. Vincent’s gets new classroom equipment

HONESDALE — St. Vincent’s annual Santa’s Breakfast, sponsored in December by the Student Council will make the school’s wish list a little closer to being complete.

Proceeds from the event will be combined with a special grant from Walmart and used to purchase academic equipment for the classrooms.

The $300 Walmart grant extends the purchasing power of the St. Vincent’s Student Council. Earlier last year, funds from the annual Thanksgiving Pie Sale also provided classroom equipment.

Childcare/computer training workshops

MILFORD — “Integrating Computers into the Early Childhood Classroom,” two workshops presented by Penn State Cooperative Extension, are part of the Cyber Start Initiative that places computers in childcare centers.

Center-based staff involved in the Cyber Start Initiative and others will participate in the workshop. Part one is offered on Thursday, March 7, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Pike County Administration Building. Part two of the workshop is scheduled on Thursday, March 21, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Administration Building.

The workshop will offer instruction in evaluating software, arranging computer areas and use of computers in the early childhood program.

The workshop is partially funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare, and the Pennsylvania Child Care/Early Childhood Development Training System.

Childcare providers can receive DPW training credits for participating in the workshop.

Pre-registration is required at 570/296-3400, by e-mail at PikeExt@psu.edu, or by fax at 570/296-3406.

Area 55-Alive driving courses

REGION — Two area 55-Alive driver safety programs will be offered in March in Monticello and Wurtsboro.

The first will be held Wednesday and Thursday, March 6 and 7 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at 463 Broadway, Monticello. To register, mail a $10 check payable to HARP, to Julia G. Jacobs, 98 Varnell Road, Monticello, NY 12701. Jacobs, an AARP- certified instructor, will administer the eight-hour course, given in two four-hour sessions. Call 845/794-8233 for more information.

A second course is scheduled Saturday, March 9, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Mamakating Town Hall, Route 209, Wurtsboro, NY. To register, call John Holshek at 845/888-0471. The charge to each participant is $10.

All participants will receive a certificate which entitles them to apply for a discount on automobile insurance. This course is open to anyone 50 years or older. Classes are limited to 35.

Local businesses help
net $18K for schools

REGION — Five area service stations, VEO Express Lanes of Sullivan County, 786 Mart in Kiamesha, Sam’s Service Station in Liberty, Fine Mart in Roscoe, and Hit or Miss of Bullville, have been working with the Exxon/Mobil Educational Alliance to secure grants for Sullivan and Orange County schools.

Through joint efforts, over $18,500 has been raised for Sullivan and Orange County schools over the past five years. Van Etten Oil Company of Monticello worked with school officials to secure these grants.

The $500 grants were made possible by funding from the Exxon/Mobil Foundation, and were awarded to the Chase School in Wurtsboro, Benjamin Cosor in South Fallsburg, Duggan School in White Lake, Cooke, Rutherford and Robert J. Kaiser Schools in Monticello, Liberty Central High School, Roscoe Central School and the Circleville Elementary School.

	Contributed photo Liberty Middle School Geo Bee finalists and winners are pictured, from left, in front row, Nick Webbe, Sara Hazelnis, second place winner Katie Boyd and Robert Festa. In the back row are third place winner Peter Stewart, first place winner Zach Emery, Tyrone White and Mike VanDenBerg. Emery will enter the state competition, and may be invited to Albany for the state level Geography Bee. (Click for larger image)

Geo Bee winner may progress to states

LIBERTY — The Liberty Middle School (LMS) recently completed the annual school-wide Geography Bee, and has hopes of entering state-level competition.

The first round of the Geo Bee is open to all students in grades five through eight. Eight LMS students achieved the final round, held in December. The championship round features the top two scorers. Zach Emery won the Geo Bee and Katie Boyd placed second in the overall scoring.

Emery will now take a State Qualifying Test to qualify for the state competition in Albany. In order to be invited to the state competition, he must be among the top 100 scorers in the state on the written test.

The coordinator for the LMS Geographic Bee is sixth grade teacher Michael Vreeland.

Ready for kindergarten?

SHOHOLA — Kindergarten registration for Shohola Elementary School’s 2002-2003 Kindergarten class is scheduled for Tuesday, March 5, with a snow date of Tuesday, March 12.

A letter was recently mailed to parents of known kindergarten-age children in the Shohola area.

Parents who have not received correspondence are asked to call 570/296-3602.

Children who will be five years old on or before October 1 are eligible to register.

Liberty Central School PTA
plans annual fun fair

LIBERTY — The Liberty Elementary Parent Teachers Association will host the annual Fun Fair on Saturday, February 23, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the Liberty High School Cafeteria in conjunction with the Liberty School District Community Schools Parent Community Information Fair.

The Parent Community Information Fair will include displays, giveaways and information from a number of public service agencies.

There is a $1 admission charge for adults and students are admitted free. The snow date for both events will be Sunday, February 24, from 12:00 noon to 4:00 p.m.

For more information, call 292-5400, ext. 2030.

Want to know about kindergarten?

GLEN SPEY — The George Ross Mackenzie Elementary School will hold an informational meeting, “Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Kindergarten” for parents of children entering kindergarten this September on Tuesday, February 26, from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. A snow date is scheduled for March 4 in the Mackenzie School Cafeteria.

Kindergarten screening, for children born between December 2, 1996 and December 1, 1997, will be held March 18 through 21. To register for the meeting or for more information, call 845/ 856-9723.

Area students named to
Syracuse Dean’s List

REGION — Two area students enrolled in Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications were named to the Dean’s List for the 2001 fall semester.

They are Brooke Morganstein of Monticello, a senior majoring in public relations, and Jenna Pantel of South Fallsburg, a junior majoring in public relations.

To qualify for the Dean’s List, students must complete a minimum of 12- credit hours and earn at least a 3.4 grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) during the semester.

The S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University is a respected professional communications school.