Project to celebrate birthday involves reading
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
A Wake Forest University alumnus will celebrate his
birthday with the community.
The alumnus, Andrew Snorton, will coordinate a pro
gram called "The Literacy Project." It will take place on
Saturday, Aug. 27, horn 11 a.m. to 1:30 pjm. at the
Malloy-Jordan East Winston Heritage Center, 1110 E.
Seventh St. in Winston-Salem.
Snorton says the purpose is to provide a push and
encouragement for students in grades K-12 and adults to
embrace and improve their consistency with reading.
"It's something I want to do as it ties in with my birth
day," Snorton said. He adds, "I've always done a commu
nity service and outreach piece when celebrating my
birthday; this year, my focus is on the encouragement of
reading, as it truly is a powerful means of learning."
Every half-hour on the hour (11:30 ajn., 12:30 pjn.,
and 1:30 p.m.), group readings will be conducted to help
demonstrate and model the overall importance. Those
who attend the program are asked to bring a book that is
grade-level appropriate. Topics and content of books
desired for students include economics and finance, sci
ente and technology, and history (including African
American and other cultures).
For adults, similar topics are requested, along with
self-help books, how-to topics including cooking and
home improvement, and health and wellness.
Those who want to make a monetary donation should
donate a gift card to a local bookstore in the amount rang
ing from $8 to $31. Snorton's birthday is on Aug. 31.
Any books that are not picked up during the book
exchange will be donated to a local school (or schools),
library or other community-based organization. The bene
ficiaries of the books will be announced the day of the
event.
For details on participation, readers are encouraged to
contact Snorton at email: asnortonccs@gmail.com or
asnorton06@gmail.com; or phone: 770-364-9426.
Interested people also can contact Solomon Quick at
quicksolomon@gmail.com for further information.
ESR movie night
draws families
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
. Experiment in Self Reliance held its second Family
Fun Fest: Outdoor Movie Series on Saturday, Aug. 13.
Before a screening of "Big Hero 7," kids where treated to
bubbles and story time by the Forsyth County Public
Library, safety advice from firefighters with the Winston
Salem Fire Department and anti-bullying advice from
Greg "Catman" Good. Each gave back-to-school advice
before the movie started and popcorn was served.
Great Commission Community Church provided vol
unteers and Frank's Top Secret Cafe food truck was there
to serve patrons.
The event came about after ESR surveyed the commu
nity around its headquarters on Dominion Street and
found that parents wanted to come and take their kids to a
safe place. ESR had Spanish subtitles on the movie for the
multicultural audience.
The first two movie nights drew about 100 attendees.
The final one will be held Sept. 17 when ESR will show
"Star Wars: The Force Awakens."
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Black Schools of Choice support charter school merger
SPECIAL TO
THE CHRONICLE
ASHEVILLE - Black
Led Schools of Choice
(BLSC) has announced its
support of the merger of
the North Carolina Public
Charter ' Schools
Association and the North
Carolina Alliance for
Public Charter Schools.
The merger was
announced at the closing
session of the North
Carolina Public Charter
Schools Association's
annual conference held
recently in Asheville.
Three members of
Black Led Schools of
Choice - Simon Johnson,
Dr. Cynthia McQueen and
Eugene Slocum - also
serve on the board of the
North Carolina Public
Charter Schools
Association. They also par
ticipated in a panel discus
sion of the merger during
the closing session of the
conference.
Black Led Schools of
Choice seeks to have a
close working relationship
with both the newly
merged Public Charter
Schools Association and
other aligned groups to
build a successful pathway
for both charter schools
and" private schools in
North Carolina.
"The merger is needed
to give public charter
schools a greater voice
before regulations are
made and laws are passed,"
said Johnson of Quality
Education Academy, a K
12 public charter school in
Winston-Salem. "We must
tell lawmakers and regula
tors what we need to be
successful with our chil
dren and provide them with
accurate facts regarding
charter schools while at the
same time dispel the many
misconceptions and false
hoods."
BLSC also fully sup
ports the new director of
The Office of Charter
Schools and is excited
.about the pledge he made
at the Charter School
Conference in Asheville to
etisure that the OCS be
? more service oriented.
The merger and the for
mal creation last year of
Black Led Schools of
Choice come at a critical
moment in North
Carolina's education
, reform movement.
In 19%, North Carolina
leaders authorized the cre
ation of public charter
schools and in 2011, they
lifted the cap on the num
ber of charter schools
allowed in the state.
However, since 19%, more
than 20 public charter
schools were closed by the
state and the vast majority
of those schools were led
by a black principal and or
a black board of directors.
"We saw this as an
enormous issue that BLSC
can help rectify,"' said Don
McQueen, executive direc
tor of Torchlight Academy,
a K-7 public charter school
in Raleigh.
"Black Led Schools of
Choice leverages the more
than 100 years of charter
and private school experi
ence among its members,
offers technical assistance,
advocacy and best practice
recommendations to new,
existing and. prospective
charter and private
schools," said BLSC mem
ber Dr. Michelle Johnson,
principal of the Point
College Preparatory and
Leadership Academy in
High Point.
"This experience is
needed now more than ever
as successful schools strug
gle against encroaching
government regulations
that arose in response to
failing schools. Such regu
lations burden quality char
ter schools and discourage
prospective charter schools
capable of tackling unmet
needs in our communities,"
said McQueen.
"Public charter schools
were created to allow us to
be innovative and creative
in serving our students,"
said Slocum of Alpha
Academy, a K-9 school in
Fayetteville. "However,
these regulations are con
stricting and often come
without the financial
resources to implement
them."
For more information
about Black Led Schools of
Choice, contact executive
director Kerra Bolton at
919-744-4601 or
kerrabolton @ gmail .com.
Com. Cal
from page B4
336-577-9316.
Aug. 27 - 9th annual Pawpaw
Festival
The ninth annual N.C. Pawpaw
Festival will be held on Saturday, Aug.
27 from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m .at the Forsyth
County Agriculture Building, 1450
Fairchild Road. A few of the events
planned are pawpaw orchard tours, cook
ing with pawpaws featuring a local chef,
and lectures given by pawpaw experts cov
ering everything pawpaw from folklore,
growing a couple backyard trees to setting
up a commercial orchard and marketing
fruit. Chef and cookbook author Sara Bir
from Ohio is expected to give demonstra
tions on processing. Children can learn
about local butterflies and get their faces
painted. Vendors are expected with paw
paw fruit and trees for sale as well as other
ornamental and edible plants. Free food
will be available, all made with pawpaw,
as long as it lasts. Pawpaw ice cream is a
perennial favorite. For more information,
please contact Derek Morris or Mary Jac
Brennan at 336-703-2850 and check out
our Facebook page - NC pawpaw festival.
Aug. 27 - "Shmedfest" Music
Festival
" Shmedfest," a family-friendly music
event benefitting Crisis Control Ministry,
will be held Saturday, Aug. 27 from 4 to 11
pm. at Triad Park in Kernersville. Live
music will be provided by five different
local bands over the course of the event:
Junction Trio, Downtown Band, Brother
Brother, The. Winmars! and Sons of
Thunder. Dinner will be provided by
K&W Cafeteria and beer will be courtesy
of Foothills Brewing. There is no cost to
attend Shmedfest. but donations to Crisis
Control Ministry at the event are encour
aged. Chairs and blankets are welcomed,
tents and umbrellas are not allowed. Those
wishing to attend are asked to RSVP at
www.crisiscontrol.org/shmedfest so that
attendance numbers may be collected in
regards to catering.
Aug. 29 - SAT Test Strategies
SAT Test Strategies will be held on
Monday, Aug. 29, 6:30 p.m. at the
Southside Branch Library, 3185 Buchanan
St. How great would it be if you could
spend an hour learning tips and tricks
about the SAT that would actually help
improve your score? Now you can! This
session will demystify the test, introducing
you to the structure of the SAT and provid
ing some useful tips and tricks that can
help get you closer to your target score.
Bring your questions! Presented by
Princeton Review. This program is part of
the Preparing for College Series at the
Library. All programs are free and open to
the public. For more information, call the
Southside Branch Library at 336-703-2980
or email lohmanj2@forsyth.cc.
Aug. 31 - Oct. 12 - Small Business
"Pathway to Success" Series
The Forsyth County Public Library
Southside Branch will hold the "pathway
. to Success" series in the library auditori
um, 3185 Buchanan St., for those thinking
about starting their own business. Join us
for one session, or all, as your schedule
allows. Sessions run Aug. 31 - Oct. 12
from 6-8 p.m. These programs are part of
the Small Business Series at Forsyth
County Public Library, in partnership with
Forsyth Tech Small Business Center.. Call
336-703-2980 for directions to Southside.
For more information, call 336-703-3023
or email lohmanj2@forsyth.cc. You may
also register for each session at Forsyth
Tech Small Business Center by calling
336-757-3810. All programs are free and
open to the public.
Sept. 1 -15 - How Your
Government Works Classes
The Village of Clemmons will be offer
ing free classes on "How Your
Government Works." The classes will be
held on Thursday nights, Sept. 1,8 and 15,
from 6 to 9 p.m. Each night we will
explore a different aspect of Village gov
ernment. You will come away with a better
understanding of how complicated and dif
ficult decisions are made and the impact
you can have on those decisions. Join us to
learn the basics, to participate in interac
tive sessions, to have your questions
answered, and to find out what new proj
ects are in the works. For more informa
tion, contact Mary Cameron at 336-766
6882 or mcameron@clemmons.org or call
the Village Hall at 766-7511 to reserve
your place in these free classes.
Registration closes on Aug.l 1.
Sept. 2-4 - Atkins Class of 1971 45th
Reunion
Members of the Atkins High School
Class of 1971 will celebrate their 45 Year
Reunion, on Sept. 2-4. The highlight of
their celebration will be a Gala Dinner
Dance on Saturday, Sept. 3 at the Carlyle
Clubhouse at the BB&T Ballpark. The cel
ebration will pay tribute to the legacy of
Atkins High School Alumni in addition to
celebrating with the members of the Class
of 1971, which is the last graduating class
of the historically black Atkins High
School. Tickets for the Gala Celebration
are $35 for the general public. A reunion
package is offered for graduates of the
class that includes the Gala and events
throughout the weekend, including a meet
and-greet social on Friday, a cookout
Sunday, and souvenir items. For informa
tion about the Reunion Celebration or to
purchase tickets for the Gala, please con
tact Rozena Purvis Lyles at 336-692-6426.
Sept. 10 - 20th Anniversary
Celebration of Black Family Day
Black Family Day will be observed
Saturday, Sept. 10, in downtown
Reidsville. Open to the public and spon
sored by the Rebuilding the Block
initiative, Muhammad Mosque No. 34,
local businesses and citizens. Black
Family Day is held annually. The outdoor
program will begin at 2:30 p.m. at Market
Square, 303 S. Scales St? Reidsville.
Black Family Day has been bringing all
people together in Reidsville since 19%.
The Black Family Day tradition has
become a part of the fabric of Rockingham
County. People of every race, creed, color
and class distinction have enjoyedpartici
pation the last 20 years and this year's pro
gram is touted to be the best ever. The day
includes gospel, praise dance, African
dance troupes, R&B, hip-hop, spoken
word artists, spiritual and civic leaders.
Vendors and entrepreneurs from all over
the region bring arts, crafts, and products
of interest to the Black community. Ethnic
and traditional menus are on hand in the
food village. The Family Fun Village will
feature a mobile arcade, bounce houses,
face painting, and more. Families are
encouraged to register online at
http://www.facebook.com/blackfamilyday
or http://www.blackfamilyday.org.
Sept. 14-17 - Big 4 Alumni
Celebration
The Big 4 Alumni Association of
Forsyth County, Inc. will hold its annual
Big 4 Celebration Sept. 14 - Sept. 17. In
addition to the traditional worship service,
Teachers' Appreciation Luncheon, Friday
Family Event and Saturday Gala, the Big 4
added a new project last year which is
"Day of Service." For tickets to the Big 4
events,visit www.Big4fc.org for more
information and a schedule of events.
Tickets to the Big 4 events can be pur
chased at the American Legion Post 128 at
4817 Old Rural Hall Road.
Sept. 17 - Free Outdoor Movie
Experiment in Self-Reliance, in part
nership with Forsyth County Public
Library, Forsyth County 4-H, and Great
Commission Community Church, will
host the final movie of its three-part
Family Film Fest: Outdoor Movie Series,
on Sept. 17 at 7:30 p.m. This free commu
nity-centered movie will be held at
Experiment in Self-Reliance, at 3480
Dominion Street NE. Before the movie
screening, children will have the opportu
nity to enjoy educational entertainment
including a puppet show, book mobile,
anti-bullying seminar, and crafts. The
movie is equipped with Spanish subtitles.
Chips and drinks will be available for sale.
Popcorn will be free. Attendees are encour
aged to bring blankets and lawn chairs. For
more information, call 336-722-9400 or
visit www.eisr.org/events.
Sept. 30 - Oct. 2 - Winston-Salem
Fashion Week Event
The second annual Winston-Salem
Fashion Week event features local artisans,
fashion designers, boutique owners, make
up artists, models and photographers.
"Ready for the Runway Fashion and Art!"
will kick off the red carpet event on Friday,
Sept. 30, at 7:30 p.m. at the Marriott
Downtown in the Hearn Ballroom. A
reception and live music by M&R Soul
Expression featuring Ron Hunter and the
Brown Bag Exhibition by Owens Daniels
will follow.
Tickets are available at www.ticketriv
er.com/WinstonSalemFashionWeek.
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