Among a group of ten youth ambassadors heading to South Africa today through the Samaritan’s Feet program are six students from Davidson IB Middle School.  Learn what the ambassadors will be doing, and find out how you can donate new shoes to this Charlotte-based non-profit program.

Also in today’s school notes, check out our calendar of school events, find out about Career Day at Davidson IB, and see how much Davidson Elementary netted at recent fundraisers.

Six from Davidson IB are Samaritan’s Feet Ambassadors

Six of the ten Samaritan’s Feet Youth Ambassadors from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools are students at Davidson International Baccalaureate Middle School.  The students are taking about 2,000 pairs of brand new shoes to South Africa, where they will distribute the shoes to impoverished children and also learn about African culture.  The ten ambassadors were to depart on Halloween, and return to Charlotte Nov. 13.

Ambassadors were selected from students at high-achieving schools in CMS and had to be in the eighth grade during this school year, write an essay, complete a minimum of 30 hours of community service and speak to a panel of peers and business leaders.  The ten have spent the last five months in an apprenticeship program, learning about the culture, geography, government, history and economics of South Africa.  The six students from Davidson IB are: Rebecca Baxter, Morgan Ingraham, Blair Langford, Cassidy Mills, Miata Pass and Mary Beth Suratt.

“We are mighty proud of these six students!” said Davidson IB principal Dr. Jo Karney.

The four other student ambassadors are from MLK MIddle, JT Williams Middle, Sedgefield Middle and the Bishop Spaugh Community Academy.

Two of the ambassadors, Blair Langford and Morgan Ingraham, are also conducting a shoe drive for Samaritan’s Feet through the St. Alban’s Episcopal Church Middle School Youth Group.  As of Thursday, the group had collected 75 pairs of new shoes.  It’s not too late to join this campaign – drop off a pair of new athletic or walking shoes (infant size 13 to youth size 3 are especially needed, but any size is welcome) at the church, located off of Concord Road at 301 Caldwell Lane.  The St. Alban’s campaign ends Nov. 1, or “All Soles Day.”

Samaritan’s Feet has a southeast regional headquarters in Charlotte.  The organization was founded 28 years ago by the Rev. Emmanuel Ohonme, who – as a boy living in Nigeria – received a pair of tennis shoes from a Wisconsin man.  United Way of Central Carolinas and Richard Davis of Davis Capital Group are the official sponsors of the Samaritan’s Feet Youth Ambassador Program.

Maggie Clark, a chemist from BASF, talks to sixth-grader Bryanna Fagel of Huntersville while chemist Randy Petrie, also of BASF, and sixth-grader Erin Brodersen, of Cornelius, watch.

Career Day at Davidson IB

The Project Leadership Club at Davidson IB Middle School sponsored a Career Fair on Oct. 28 in the school gymnasium. Students were able to talk with professors, engineers, architects, fashion designers and other professionals from the area. The club also held a luncheon for the presenters.

Project Leadership’s coordinators are Mel Peterson and Tameka Peterson. The club meets regularly to prepare student members for educational and professional opportunities in the future.

Davidson Elem. reports fundraiser successes

Davidson Elementary PTA members have recently reported results from two fall fundraisers.  The school’s book fair saw record-breaking profits of $23,000, which netted $6,000 for school programs.  Meanwhile, the 1 Ask Campaign, which sought direct cash donations to the school, has raised $31,820.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

• Monday-Tuesday, Nov. 3-4 – No school for CMS public schools or at Pine Lake Prep charter, to allow time for parent-teacher conferences.
• Wednesday, Nov. 5 – Walk to School day for Davidson Elementary.
• Thursday-Friday, Nov. 6-7 – No school for Davidson Day, to allow time for parent-teacher conferences.
• Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 6-8 – Davidson IB Middle School will be holding a book fair at Barnes & Noble Bookstore in Birkdale Village. Student art will be displayed in the store, and a student musical ensemble will perform on Friday, Nov. 7, at 7:00 p.m. To have your sales credited to the school, print a Davidson IB Middle Book Fair voucher, or ask the cashier to apply your sales to the Davidson IB Middle School Book Fair. Vouchers are valid until Nov. 12. Proceeds from the book fair will be used to update the media center collection.
• Friday, Nov. 7 – Cannon School, a private school in Concord, will host a veteran of World War II, Staff Sgt. (ret) Bob Slaughter, who participated in the D-Day invasion that led to the Allied victory in Europe.  He will speak on his battalion’s landing in the assault wave on Omaha Beach and the 116th Infantry’s fight through France, Holland and into Germany.  The talk will begin at 11:30 a.m. in Taylor Hall.
• Saturday, Nov. 8 – Children’s Community School will host an auction and “BBQ Social” at Oehler’s Mallard Creek BBQ in Charlotte.  The event will feature live music by Davidson Express, raffles and more, with proceeds benefiting the school’s planned expansion into the high school grades.  Tickets are $25 per person and can be purchased at the school.
• Tuesday, Nov. 11 – No school for CMS public schools due to the Veteran’s Day holiday.
• Wednesday, Nov. 12 – Walk to School day for Davidson IB Middle.
• Tuesday, Nov. 13 – Children’s Community School, a North Carolina public charter, will host two open houses planned to introduce interested families to the school’s philosophy and registration process. The session at 9:30 a.m. will have a middle school focus, while the session at 7 p.m. will be aimed more at elementary grades.   (Click here to view all the dates for open houses.) To reserve a spot for a session, call the school at 704-896-6262, or send an email to info@ccsch.org.
• Monday, Nov. 17 – Dr. Monique Gardner-Witherspoon, the new area superintendent for the CMS North Learning Community, will attend the Book Fair Family Night at Bailey Middle School, which will feature pizza and drinks from 5:30 – 7 p.m.
• Tuesday, Nov. 18 – The Mental Health Association of Central Carolinas will hold a public forum, “Knowing the Signs – Suicide Prevention,”at Davidson IB Middle School, 6:30 – 8 p.m.  The free educational forum is aimed at caregivers and family members who want to learn more about “QPR,” or “question, persuade and refer,” considered the three essential steps to suicide prevention.
• Wednesday, Nov. 19 – Walk to School day for Davidson Day.
• Nov. 26-28 – Most area schools will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Send calendar items and press releases about local school news to us at lauriedennis@bellsouth.net . Don’t forget to include a contact phone number, in case we have questions.