More school news

Charlotte Christian School students, faculty and board members break ground on a $3.4 million upper school expansion/renovation. Pictured here are (front row from left) students Adam Windham and Allie Seelig; and (back row from left) students Rae Manyika, Brad Semones, Trent Walker and Shelley Leazer; Head of School Leo Orsino; Charlotte Christian School founding member Harry Graham; Lighting The Way campaign chairs John and Anne Putnam; board chair Max Baumgartner; and upper school teacher Oliver Thompson.

Charlotte Christian begins $3.4 million construction
Charlotte Christian School has broken ground on a $3.4 million expansion/renovation project. Phase one of the four-phase building project will include new science and computer labs, renovated classrooms and locker areas in the upper school buildings and a renovated locker room and health area in the Lamb/Johnson gymnasium. The project began March 2 and is expected to be complete in six months. The school is in the early stages of a $15 million capital campaign called Lighting the Way. Additional plans call for a fine arts and worship center, lower and middle school classroom additions and renovations, and additions to existing athletic facilities. The groundbreaking ceremony featured a performance by an upper school choir and speeches by senior Amanda Davis, Head of School Leo Orsino and campaign chairman John Putnam.

South Meck band to hold craft show
The South Mecklenburg High School Band is holding a craft show Saturday, March 24, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the mall area inside the school, located at 8900 Park Road. The event is free to the public. For information, call 704-451-6777.

MADD visits CMS high schools
Mothers Against Drunk Driving visited Olympic Community of Schools, Harding University, Butler and Myers Park High schools to showcase its multimedia program “Take Two.” The show focuses on alcohol and drug prevention, research outlining the effects of alcohol on the adolescent brain, and the need for student leadership and activism against driving drunk. “Take Two” transports students to behind the scenes of a Hollywood production to show that on a movie set, everyone’s mistakes get a second take, which is not the case in the real world. The show features poignant real-life accounts, celebrity interviews and clips from major motion pictures to enhance the messaging. “Take Two” also teaches the importance of making healthy choices and how to become responsible teen drivers.

Providence Christian holds ‘Read-In’
Providence Christian School has set a goal of collecting 1,000 new and gently used books at the annual “Read-In” on Friday, March 23. This year’s theme, “The Joy of Reading,” will promote literacy and a love of reading with special guest authors and well-known personalities. As part of the event, students will collect books for Carolinas Medical Center’s Levine Children’s Hospital. To donate books, drop them off at Providence Christian School at 4906 Providence Road or call 704-364-0824 for details.

Trinity Episcopal student advances to state-level geography bee
John Grainger, an eighth-grader at Trinity Episcopal School, is one of 100 semifinalists eligible to compete in the 2007 North Carolina Geographic Bee, sponsored by JPMorgan Chase. Bees were held statewide in schools with fourth- through eighth-grade students to determine each school’s Geographic Bee winner. School-level winners then took a qualifying test, which they submitted to the National Geographic Society. The NGS invited the students in each of the 50 states and U.S. territories with the top 100 scores to compete at the state level. The 2007 North Carolina Geographic Bee will be held at the Exploris Museum in Raleigh on Friday, March 30. The state winner will represent North Carolina in the national finals at NGS headquarters in Washington, D.C., May 22-23. The state winner will receive $100 and the trip to Washington, D.C. The national winner will receive a $25,000 college scholarship.

CMS sets prom schedule
Prom season begins in April and continues through May at a number of Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools. For a complete schedule, visit https://extranet.cms.k12.nc.us/news/stories/internetNews/pdf/2A15A2007123306PM.pdf.