Learning to lead
     Volunteers in Keysville are investing in their future. The Concerned Citizens of Keysville organization has formed two mentoring groups - The Young Inspirational Leaders of Keysville for the town's young women and the Better Men of Keysville for their male counterparts. According to organizers, the purpose is to help local teens learn to lead through mentoring, guest speakers and events that stress the importance of etiquette and social skills. Above, the two groups recently attended a formal dance where they waltzed, hustled and did the electric slide for their families. Last week the groups attended a workshop where they learned to write resumes and fill out job applications. Volunteers say the programs are open to all area youth, ages 12-21.
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Sound off
     Burke County High School played host for the District 10 Band Festival recently, welcoming 30 bands from across the area to perform at the school. Judges evaluated each of the bands, which included concert bands, symphonic bands and wind ensembles. Burke County middle and high schools had four groups to perform and received high marks from all the judges. Above, Burke County band member Alexus Gordon plays her contra-alto clarinet at the festival.
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State jobs available for college students
From Staff Reports
      Eighty Georgia college students could get summer jobs with the labor commissioner. Commissioner Michael Thurmond has announced the Georgia Department of Labor's 2009 Summer Internship Program will offer internships for up to 80 students.
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Superior Entries
     Blakeney Elementary School recently held a Media Festival comprised of 62 picture books, photographic essays, live action video, sequential skills and web sites. The judges scored the entries according to the following criteria: content and organization, technical quality and general effectiveness as set forth by the Georgia Student Media Festival. As a result, 24 entries scored 90 or above. Media specialist Patricia Bell added, "The purpose of the Georgia Student Media Festival is to stimulate student interest and involvement in all types of media production. This is accomplished by providing an opportunity for students to show their work to an interested audience, to have the work critiqued by a panel of expert judges, and to be stimulated by the work of other students." Students earning superior scores are, from left, front row: Arielle Sparks, Yauna Godbee, Benjamin Brown, Jacarria Flournoy, Christianna Lovett, Alana Baum, Tucker Brown, Cynthia Bowers and Kiana McPherson. Not pictured are Justin Coward and Bradley Moore. In addition to these individual entries, Debbie Lively's fourth-grade class produced a PowerPoint program that received a score of 97. The following students participated in Lively's class project, from left, second row: Whitney McClellan, Grace Coalson, Larry Preston, Aubrey Mallard, Rickey Mays, Alecia Collins, Ally Gresham, Leslee Powell, Brianna Devine, Jacob Blankenship and Amy Cheng; and third row: Jalen Johnson, Ar'sharra Osborne, Brandon Hackney, Kendria Jones, William Cupp, Jackson Wheeler and Austin Jones.
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County-Wide Math Competition
      In February students from SGA, WPS, BES and BCMS participated in the countywide math competition set up by the Discovery Program for kindergarten through eighth grade.
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