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014 2 y a M e9 u s s I , Vol. 3
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CAREER SPOTLIGHT: HEROS BEHIND THE SCENES
I joined the local volunteer fire department when I was 16. After being there for about two years, I was elected to be the secretary because I liked working with computers. I enjoyed Firefighting, but did not think I would like to do it as a career, so I concluded that by becoming a dispatcher where I could join my love of computers and helping people in emergency situations. There really isn’t a typical day at work as a 911 Dispatcher. We work 12 hour shift; 7am-7pm or 7pm-7am. Some days, we are so busy that we don’t even get to eat lunch, but other days are much more relaxed. There are five dispatchers on duty at a time, and we monitor ten 911 lines, eight non-emergency line, thirteen hotlines ( lines that go directly to the fire departments, police department, public works, etc...), and multiple radio channels. Our telephone calls can be anything from complaints about a stray dog, a person with a dangerous weapon breaking into someone’s home, or someone having a heart attack needing help soon. We never know what a call is going to be until we answer the phone, but we have to be prepared to help that person until a Police Officer, Firefighter, or Ambulance can get to them. After the responders get on scene, they often need our help, also. For example, a Police Officer that responded to a fight may need us to send an ambulance for someone whose been hurt; or Firefighters may need us to send a Police Officer to control traffic at the scene of a fire. I like being able to help people. A lot of people don’t realize it, but dispatchers are trained to give instructions over the phone to help the callers until the responders arrive. We give CPR instructions to a man who just found his mother, laying on the floor not breathing; we can tell a woman who is home alone how to deliver her baby and we can try to help someone get out of a burning building, etc... While one dispatcher is giving these instructions to the caller, another dispatcher in the room is sending help. We work as a TEAM to make sure the caller gets the best help as quickly as possible. If you are looking to venture into this career, a High School Diploma or GED is required to get hired. After being hired, there is a bout a 6 month training process where you’ll receive on the job training, as well as take classes to be certified in CPR, First Aid, EMD (Emergency Medical Dispatch), EFD (Emergency Fire Dispatch), EPD (Emergency Police Dispatch), VCIN (Virginia Criminal Information Network), and NIMS (National Incident Management System). Some important skills needed as a 911 Dispatcher are being able to listen, talk clearly, multi-task, type, be calm, and be patient. Callers in dangerous situations may only be able to whisper, or not talk at all. You have to be able to listen to what they are trying to tell you, as well as listen to any noises in the background which could be a clue to what is happening. CONTINUED ON PAGE: 7
IN S THI E ISSU
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Career Spotlight: Meet Kasey White, a 911 Dispatcher with the City of Danville, VA Danville Public Schools • Pittsylvania County Schools Westover Christian Academy • Heritage Academy • Carlisle Schools NEW! MZ Gaming Review • Puzzles • Games • Science Fun & Much More!!
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Forest Hills art teacher, Mrs. Debbie Cross, hosted a night of art at the school recently. In conjunction with the book fair open house, hundreds of pieces of student art lines the hallways. Parents were invited to come and view the artwork and visit the book fair. Dr. Newsome, Superintendent of Danville Schools, was in attendance and congratulated the art teacher on a beautiful exhibit. (Shown are students Shawn Stork and Celeste Zacharias)
Kindergarten students proudly display their stash of Easter Eggs following the traditional egg hunt at Forest Hills. Hundreds of eggs were hidden by the parents and found in short time by the students.
LOOKING FOR T-REX
The Danville Science Center staff presented “Digging for Fossils” for a parent and child science workshop at Park Avenue Elementary School. The dirt was from a phosphate mine in Aurora, North Carolina. Students and their parents found coral, sharks teeth, and other objects from the sea. Students were able to keep the items they found. Some of the items found were over two million years old.
Students and staff from Woodberry Hills Elementary School enjoyed another great time at Danville Mall attending their second Accelerated Reader (AR) celebration of the school year. Students meeting their AR goals for the third nine weeks were invited to celebrate their accomplishments with family and friends at the mall. The students received special treats and prizes, in addition to food vouchers from mall restaurants. Student athletes from Averett University participated in the event and encouraged students to set goals and stick with them. The athletes also autographed bookmarks for the students.
Fourth grade students at Edwin A. Gibson Elementary School were recipients of the Charles Angel Grant Scholarship. The scholarship provided students with a field trip to the home of Thomas Jefferson, Monticello. Students and staff are appreciative of the opportunity and will remember all they learned and experienced for many years.
From Us Here At ClassCandy, In Partnership With The Piedmont Shopper, We Wish You All A WONDERFUL, SAFE, FUN and FANTASTIC Summer Vacation! But Do Not Fear! We Have ONE MORE PRIZE In Store For The End Of This 2013-2014 School Year! A Contest Will Be Posted On The Home Page Of www.classcandy.com Rules And Regulations As Well As Contest Specifics Will Be Provided As Of June 6th, 2014. Check It Out For A Chance To Win A GOODY BAG As Well As A $50 TARGET GIFT CARD!! May’s Hidden Object Winner Will Also Be Posted On The Website And Will Be Featured In September 2014’s Printed Issue Of ClassCandy.
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Light it UP Blue! SCIENCE FAIR FUN!!! Armontae Motley, Pictured Below, proudly shows off 2nd place ribbon for his science fair project. Not Pictured: Tamiyah Jones, First Place & Shawnmarie Toppin, Third Place. Congratulations to all Winners and Participants!
Woodberry Hills: After perfoming science experiments all day for SOLs, Pictured Above, Mrs. Beach is handing out the ingredients to her students to make homemade ice cream! Second grader, Jamin Belcher , Pictured Left, shows off his long jumping skills at the Special Olympics event! Special Olympics is the world’s largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and competitions to more than 4.2 million athletes in 170 countries. Students from grades 1-5 at Woodberry Hills Elementary School participated in the 2014 Special Olympics on April 16 at George Washington High School. The activities were postponed from Wednesday to Thursday due to the rain and chilly weather, but that did not dampen spirits as the students took part in events such as the tennis ball throw, the long jump, and running on the track. The students earned ribbons as they competed with determination, and constant encouragement was provided from those who were in attendance. The students who represented Woodberry Hills Elementary School enjoyed the opportunity to socialize with students from other schools and look forward to continuing to make their school proud in the 2015 events! In recognition of Earth Day and Arbor Day, several special guests participated in a celebration at E. A. Gibson Elementary School along with the entire first grade. Mayor Sherman Saunders read a proclamation to those in attendance declaring Arbor Day in Danville as April 22, the same day as Earth Day. According to The Arbor Day Foundation, National Arbor Day is the last Friday in April, but many localities observe Arbor Day on different dates according to their best tree-planting times. Virginia Department of Forestry representative Patrick Eales, presented Mayor Saunders with a Tree City USA flag (top photograph) and all students in attendance received a tree sapling to take home. Ann Beyer, Chairperson of the Danville Council of Garden Clubs, presented a dogwood tree to the school. Mayor Saunders, City Manager Joe King, Superintendent Dr. Edward Newsome, school board member Rebecca Bolton, and Beyer grabbed shovels and helped to plant the tree. Also in attendance were Lee Robertson, City Beautification Committee Coordinator and E. A. Gibson Elementary School Principal, Kim Agnor. “We were very excited and honored to be selected by the City Beautification Committee and the Danville Council of Garden Clubs to receive a beautiful dogwood tree in observance of Earth Day and Arbor Day. Through our greenhouse program and work with the Master Gardeners we want to instill in our students the importance of taking care of our environment,” said Principal Agnor. E. A. Gibson Elementary School demonstrates a commitment to caring for the Earth through their greenhouse and outdoor garden partnerships with the Master Gardeners.
AUTISM AWARENESS
Faculty and staff at Forest Hills Elementary wore blue in honor of Autism Awareness Day.
Schoolfield Elementary School’s fifth grade students in Mrs. Pyle’s class celebrated World Autism Awareness Day by wearing blue.
Westwood Middle School was lit up blue. All students and staff wore blue shirts. This photograph includes the eighth grade students.
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The Balloon Dude, Travis Schwartz, performed for the Gretna Elementary School primary students on Tuesday, April 15, 2014. The students enjoyed watching and participating in balloon art. The Balloon Dude made animals and people from twisted balloons. Pictured Left to Right: Balloon Dude, Travis Schwartz, Rachel Jamerson, Caleb Pickeral, Jerry Berger
BAL-LOONY!!!
Gretchen Robertson was the 2014 winner of the Gretna Elementary School t-shirt design. Gretchen is in the third grade. The PTO sponsors this contest each Spring. The new t-shirts featuring Gretchen’s design are on sale at GES for $10.00
Mt. Airy Elementary School students participated in the Jump Rope for Heart activity on March 11, 2014. Students and staff raised $2,038.50 for this event. Brendon James Hankins, a kindergarten student in Mrs. Chastity Wertz’s room, raised the most money- $650.00. Our thanks to all who participated in this event.
Pictured from left to right: Mrs. Chastity Wertz, Kindergarten Teacher, Brendon Hankins, and Mrs. Debra Richardson, Jump Rope for Heart organizer.
Recently students in the Beta Club at Tunstall Middle School held a water drive for God’s Pit Crew. Beta Club members collected over 700 bottle of water for God’s Pit Crew as they respond and assist to disasters across the United States. PICTURED: From left to right- George Ramey (God’s Pit Crew), Hannah Hale, Halle Klauss (co-president), Emma Hale (secretary/treasurer), Anna Leigh Hawkins (chaplain), and John Cline (God’s Pit Crew).
Earth Science Students at Gretna Middle School, tagged, packaged, and distributed over 1500 trees as a part of Growing Kids and Trees for Virginia Forests, Ag in the Classroom, observance of upcoming Earth Day, and studying how trees affect the environment. Thanks to Old Dominion Electric Cooperative, Virginia’s Customer Owned Electric Cooperative, Virginia Forestry Education Foundation, and Virginia Department of Forestry. PICTURED: Ethan Osborne, Brianna Towler, Reese Jefferson, Jason Stevens, and Mrs. Chris Dalton.
Rewind Back To Some Holiday Cheer Celebrating Geography Lasts All Year
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The fourth and fifth grade students at Twin Springs Elementary School participated in the National Geographic Bee. The students were questioned on material prepared by the National Geographic Society. Students were eager to show what they have learned throughout the years about geography and world events. Fifth grader Isaac McCullar emerged as the first place winner for the school. Second place was claimed by Kinsley Stevens, a fifth grader. Third place recognition was earned by fifth grader Cody Payne. The following students received participation awards: Mason Anderson, Ellie Burley, Aiden Terry, Ava Hipkins, Rachel Martin, Tamyra Brandon, Colin Moore, and Brandon Harris. The school winner will now take a written test to help determine the top 100 scores across the State. Those finalists will compete in their State Bee. PICTURED: From Left to right: front row: Colin Moore, Cody Payne, Isaac McCullar, Ellie Burley, Ava Hipkins, Brandon Harris, back row: Kinsley Stevens, Tamyra Brandon, Aidan Terry, Mason Anderson, Rachel Martin The fourth and fifth grade students at Union Hall Elementary School participated in the National Geographic Bee. The students were questioned on material prepared by the National Geographic Society. Students were eager to show what they have learned throughout the years about geography and world events. Fifth grader Armone Redd emerged as the first place winner for the school. Second place was claimed by Daniel Hyler, a fifth grader. Third place recognition was earned by fourth grader Adrian Botello. The following students received participation awards: Bailey Calhoun, Kaleb Moore, Sierra Knick, Abigail Mattox, Sanaya Apple, Seth Weiss, Jaden Sandridge, Marina Brooks, and JaMarques Webb. The school winner will now take a written test to help determine the top 100 scores across the State. Those finalists will compete in the State Bee. PICTURED: From left to right: front row: Jaden Sandridge, Seth Weiss, middle row: Adrian Botello, Kaleb Moore, Bailey Calhoun, JaMarques Webb, Marina Brooks, back row: Sierra Knick, Sanaya Apple, Armone Redd, Abigail Mattox, Daniel Hyler
The fourth and fifth grade students at Stony Mill Elementary School participated in the National Geographic Bee. The students were questioned on material prepared by the National Geographic Society. Students were eager to show what they have learned throughout the years about geography and world events. Fifth grader Jacob Harris emerged as the first place winner for the school. Second place was claimed by Austin Presley, fifth grader. Third place recognition was earned by fifth grader Melanie Manzano. The following students received participation awards: Caleb Nelson, Charles Hearp, Gage Turner, Sophie Hearp, Nikolas Hearp, Emily Brown, and Kendall Moore. The school winner will now take a written test to help determine the top 100 scores across the State. Those finalists will compete in the State Bee. PICTURED: Left to right: front row: Sophie Hearp, Nikolas Hearp, Jacob Harris, Gage Turner, Emily Brown, back row: Charles Hearp, Kendall Moore, Melanie Manzano, Caleb Nelson, Austin Presley
There were 36 middle and elementary school students that participated in the annual Super Saturday at Chatham Middle School. Jackson Hines won first place in the Open Division. Nick Higgins won first place in the gifted and talented division, and Austin Jerose won second place in the gifted and talented division. PICTURED: Chess Champions: Left to Right: Jackson Hines, Austin Jerose, Nick Higgins
C H E C K M A T E
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Pictured Left: The Lackey Family as well as students and staff, pictured above, enjoyed a fun filled day of hunting eggs for WCA’s EASTER EGG HUNT of 2014.
Mrs. Owen’s K4 class sorted, counted, and graphed jelly beans. Then they got to eat the results!
HERITAGE ACADEMYCHATHAM, VA Students from Heritage Academy were recently honored at the March meeting of the Dorothea Henry Chapter, D.A.R. for their outstanding achievement in the annual American history essay contest. This year’s topic was “The Lives of Children During the American Revolution.” Pictured left to right: Ann Haymes, head of school; Andrea Scarce, chapter regent; Dori Hicks; Lucas Burnette; Jared St. John; Alex Holley; Justin Oakes, first-place winner; Karen Brown, teacher.
Memorial Day - Monday, May 26th, 2014 Remembering Those Who Have And Still Are In The Military, Fighting For Our Freedoms! Wear Red, White & Blue In Honor Of This Day!
CONGRATULATIONS
KENDRA ROACH
HEY! Don’t t! Forge
Mother’s Day! Cool PreSchooler in Ms. Clements’ Class at Northside Preschool Found CC the Monkey (ClassCandy’s Mascot) hanging out under Dr. Seuss’ Hat in the “Take Time For School Breakfast” area! Great Job Kendra! You’ll be receiving a Goody Bag with a $25 Target Gift Card soon!!!
To A Whimsical Creature, A Secret We Have Sworn, The Place Where It Hides, Shining Its Magic Horn. If You Find The Spot, Where It Gallops So Free, A Gift Card We’ll Give You, For A $25 Target Shopping Spree!
FIND THE MYSTERIOUS CREATURE! When You Do, Email ClassCandy at info@classcandy.com the spot where you found it! Don’t forget to include your NAME, SCHOOL, GRADE, CLASSROOM NUMBER or TEACHER’S NAME.
www.classcandy.com • Page7 Continued from Front Page Career Spotlight On the other hand, sometimes we have people call who are lonely or depressed and just need to know that someone is willing to take the time to listen and talk to them. Multi-Tasking is also very important. During times when we are really busy, we may have to talk to someone on the phone and talk to a responder on the radio at the same time. We are constantly jumping between different radio channels and different types of phone calls, so it can get very confusing. Typing is one of the main things a dispatcher does. It is how we enter every event into our computer, add in new information, update a unit’s status, and clear the event when it is over. Dispatchers should be able to type at least 40 words a minute, but the faster the better! We also have to be calm and patient even in the most stressful situations. We have a lot of callers that are yelling or screaming as soon as we answer the phone. We have to stay calm in order to calm them down. We have callers who get frustrated or angry with us because they think we’re taking too long or asking too many questions. They don’t realize that while one dispatcher is getting all the information from them, another dispatcher is already sending help. We have to be patient and explain that we are getting the information so we can help them until the responders arrive, and making sure the responding units are prepared for what they will encounter when they get on scene. In High School, my ENGLISH & GRAMMAR classes, as well as my College COMPUTER courses, have helped me the most. Communication is key to being successful in this job, so knowing how to talk and spell properly is essential. We use a computer for almost everything in Dispatch, so it is important to have a basic understanding of computers and how to fix simple problems. I wish I would’ve known how much work is actually involved as a 911 Dispatcher. Most people who have never been in a dispatch center don’t realize how busy we can be and how many different things we do. When I was volunteering as a Firefighter before becoming a Dispatcher, I would only hear the Dispatchers paging the Fire & EMS calls. It never occurred to me that they were also answering multiple phone lines, talking to Police Officers and doing Police- Related work such as querying driver’s licenses, statuses or entering a new warrant... and so many other miscellaneous tasks. I remember I used to want to be a Doctor or Veterinarian when I grew up. I realized that wasn’t possible as I got older because I have trouble with the sight of blood and hate seeing people and animals suffer. Dispatching is similar to that because I still get to help people in bad situations, but I’m not actually on the scene. I didn’t decide I wanted to be a Dispatcher until I was in College. Having that goal kept me motivated to learn everything I could relevant to the job. I took a lot of computer typing, medical terminology classes, plus Firefighting classes. Though they were not required for the job, I use what I learned often.
My Advice: Do Your Best In School and Make Good Decisions in your personal life! Even though it seems like your grades and actions don’t matter right now, they will either help you excel with your goals or prevent you from reaching them in the future.
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www.classcandy.com • Page9 Congratulations to Grayson Buckley, 6th grade student at Westover Christian Academy, who was chosen as the ClassCandy Spotlight Student at his school for meeting his Accelerated Reader Goals at a Triple Gold Level!! Grayson’s favorite book is “Left Behind” and his favorite thing to do when he isn’t reading is play basketball!
Jack Lingle, First Grade Student at Carlisle School-Danville, was awarded the Spotlight Student award presented by ClassCandy at the Danville Reads ceremony on Tuesday April 8th. He earned this award by meeting all of his accelerated reading goals, and being a great student! Jack’s favorite book is Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and when he’s not reading he enjoys playing basketball! Great job, Jack! Keep up the good work!
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT Danville READS! is a reading incentive program that motivates students to read through public recognition, inspirational speakers and prizes for readers during a family night out at the newly renovated Danville Mall. Danville READS! events promote continued reading achievement and inspire students that READING IS FUN!
For more information Visit the Danville Mall at 325 Piedmont Drive Danville, VA Contact Katie Keatts at 424.792.0400 x 53 or kkeatts@hullstoreygibson.com
You and I were Made to be Great! You are Awesome! From Fitness Professional Dave Gluhareff of Train With Dave: Many of you know my story that I grew up very chubby then became really heavy and Obese. My elementary, junior, and senior high school years were spent overweight and awkward. I went from a chubby Dave to a very large 305 pound Obese Dave by the time I was 16 years old. I never went to a prom or really did many social events at school because my weight made me so self conscious and uncomfortable. Me being overweight made my self confidence low, I was very shy, and kept to a small group of friends or to myself. So why am I saying this to you all? • I want you to know that whatever shape or size you are YOU are Awesome! I know now that God made me the person I am and if God had not let me live as a “BIG” kid and overweight then I would not have been able to understand how to help people struggling with their weight and Obesity for the past almost 20 years. God helped me lose over 100 pounds when I was 16 ½-18 years old and he used important people in my life as tools to get my attention and get me on track like my Mom and some close friends. • You see…I was Awesome too even when I was overweight and Obese…I just didn’t know it. We are all made to do Great things in this world and help others and live wonderful lives. I was given advice and guidance when I was 16 ½ years old and was able to lose the excess weight and help myself feel better about ME. If you are struggling with your weight or body image or any problem at all then PLEASE know that God loves us and is always there for us so we are never alone. I believe He sends people into our lives to offer help and hope and it happened to me. • I was a young, shy, overweight, Obese, low self confidence, low self image, low self esteem kid then teenager whose life was changed positively for the better! These past nearly 20 years I have become a top fitness professional in the world training thousands of people, writing for the top magazines and websites (like Musclemag International, Physique Magazine, MudandAdventure.com, Bodybuilding.com and tons more), writing for regional magazines and newspapers (like Showcase Magazine, Evince, News Record, Piedmont Shopper, Class Candy, and bunches more), owning 2 personal training facilities, teaching at the Community College level, Volunteering for many community service projects, serving on Non-Profit Boards, a member of our local Hospital’s “Patient Advocacy Council”, I have spoken to thousands of people as a public speaker, made training and instructional videos, written books, and also travelled around a lot of the USA and internationally racing as an Elite (OCR) Obstacle Course Race and Survival Runner (I am also Director of a team of 21 Elite athletes I started – VPX Team Xtreme OCR)! • I am no longer timid, shy, Obese, or the kid with low self confidence. No I lost the 100 pounds and gained back my confidence as a person. I found that I am worth it and I know that we are all worth it and have wonderful things about us to touch peoples’ lives. We all have gifts and confidence within. • Life changes for the better when we ask for help, accept help, and make the necessary changes…life changes when we follow our hearts! I asked God into my heart at 4 years old and so when I follow my heart I follow Him. I help people and serve people with Fitness because it’s what I feel I’ve been led to do. Always do what’s right and follow your heart too. • Never give-up! From Fitness Professional Suzanne Stowe of Train With Suzanne: Keep Your Mind and Body Active this Summer! You will soon trade your book bags for pool bags, alarm clocks blaring will be replaced by the sound of lifeguard whistles, and nightly homework will be family game night or a friendly game of hide and go seek in the neighborhood. • Let’s first give a big thanks to parents, teachers, bus drivers, coaches, and everyone who works to provide your education and healthy activities. Then, enjoy the summer break but don’t take a break from exercising your mind or making healthy choices. • Take weekly trips to the public library. Ask a parent to help you plant seeds to grow a favorite veggie or flower. Sign up for a camp to learn a new sport or improve in one you already enjoy. Consider how you may help someone else in the community such as volunteer at the local food bank or help clean the trails. • Come up with your own ideas to keep your mind and body active, and make the summer a great one!
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April Showers Bring May Flowers
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Knack is a Next-Gen Platformer Game for the PS4. In Knack you are a creature made out of these ancient pieces called “Relics”. You collect relics throughout the game from hiding spots, to just plain boxes. You also can find secret rooms to get gadgets to help you through out the game. Secret rooms also have these special relics such as Emerald, Diamond, Ruby, and more. You can get these energy builders called “Sunstones”. You have a “Sunstone Meter,” too. If you fill one of the Sunstone Meters, you can do a special attack such as a Shockwave, a Tornado of Relics, and a Blast. The point of Knack is to stop the trolls from invading , but there are twists and turns in the story. The ending is especially not related to the trolls but to see the ending you will have to wait. We Give This Game An
8/
10
Game fact : Some people say it’s just like playing a Pixar movie!!
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