Highlighted Events This Week And Next Week In Wicomico Schools

Tuesday, Feb. 1
Tales for Dogs Begins; Program to Continue for Rest of School Year
Beaver Run Elementary

Reading goes to the dogs – literally – at Beaver Run Elementary School starting this week, as Delmarva Pets on Wheels Inc. canines come to the classroom for children to read to them in the school’s first Tales for Dogs program. Ten visiting dogs (including Shelties, Cocker Spaniel, Great Dane, labradoodles, Bernese Mountain Dog, golden doodle, golden retriever, yellow lab and mixed breed) will each come weekly to second-grade classrooms and a few special education classrooms. The visits will begin at 1:15 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 1, and 10 and 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 2. Each visit, the dogs will be there for a half-hour during second graders’ reading block time. This wonderful program will allow students to each have a turn during the semester to read one-on-one to a dog for 15 minutes, providing the students the opportunity to improve reading and communication skills through this unique approach. Animals are ideal reading companions. They help increase relaxation and lower blood pressure, listen attentively, do not judge, laugh or criticize, allow children to proceed at their own pace, and are less intimidating than a peer. When a visiting dog is listening, the environment is transformed, a child’s dread is replaced by eager anticipation, and learning occurs. 410-677-5101.

Tuesday, Feb. 1
Registration for Evening High School
Building E, Wicomico High School

Registration for Evening High School’s spring semester will end on Tuesday, Feb. 1 in Building E of Wicomico High School. Registration will be held from 4-7 p.m. Classes will begin Wednesday, Feb. 2. Students wishing to enroll in Evening High School should bring birth certificate, Social Security card, proof of residency (any utility bill or rent/mortgage statement), and transcript (from last school attended). Students who attend another Wicomico County high school during the day and who wish to attend Evening High School at night must bring in the blue form, which must be completed by the guidance counselor. 410-677-4537

Saturday, Feb. 5
Open House/SkillsUSA Competition
Parkside High School Department of Career & Technology Education

The Parkside High Schools Department of Career & Technology Education (Parkside CTE) will host the 27th annual local SkillsUSA Championship competition and Open House on Saturday, Feb. 5. Anyone who is interested in seeing what Parkside CTE students can do in competition, or who would like to learn more about the programs Parkside CTE offers, is welcome to attend. The competition will be held at Parkside High School from 8-11:30 a.m., with an awards ceremony at noon in the school auditorium. CTE students learn valuable career and technical skills, and more than 80 percent go on to attend a two-year or four-year college or enter military service. Whether a student plans to continue education after high school or transition directly into the work force, CTE offers programs approved by the Maryland State Department of Education that will ignite a student’s desire to learn and excel in the workforce. Learn more about CTE programs in videos posted at http://cte.wcboe.org/ under Departments, or read about the course offerings at http://www.wcboe.org/resources/documents/HS_Catalog.pdf. Information on Parkside CTE classes begins in Page 51. Most CTE programs are two-year programs that begin in the junior year. Information on the exploratory course for 10th-graders, called A-Tex, is on Page 48 at the address above; students in 9th grade can enroll this spring to take A-Tex in 10th grade next year.

Saturday, Feb. 5
Free “You Can Afford College” Workshop
Wor-Wic Community College

Area high school students and their parents can get free help with completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by attending “You Can Afford College” at Wor-Wic Community College on Saturday, Feb. 5, from 9-11 a.m., in Room 103 of the Workforce Development Center at the corner of Route 50 and Walston Switch Road in Salisbury. Financial aid personnel will be on hand to help participants complete the FAFSA online. Admission information and campus tours will also be available. The FAFSA is required by colleges, universities and private career schools to qualify for scholarships, grants and loans. Students should attend with a parent or guardian, who should bring their completed IRS 1040 tax forms, W-2 forms and any other 2010 financial information.For more information, call 410-334-2905.

Sunday, Feb. 6
JMB’s Super Bowl Plunge
60th Street beach, Ocean City

Would you be willing to jump into the Atlantic Ocean in February for a good cause? That is the pledge of teacher Jay Fenoglietto and the front office ladies of James M. Bennett High, who plan to jump into the ocean off 60th Street at noon on Super Bowl Sunday to benefit 4STEPS -- if they have raised more than $400 in donations through sticker sales and a casual day. Donors will receive a plunge sticker (available now in the nurse’s office) in return for a $3 donation; additional “plungers” for the cause are also welcome. The 4STEPS Program has personally benefited Fenoglietto’s family and this is his fourth annual challenge plunge to raise money for the organization. Last year, the water temperature was a “refreshing” 38 degrees on plunge day! 410-677-5141.

4STEPS Therapeutic Riding Program is a non-profit organization committed to enriching the lives of children and adults with disabilities through safe, therapeutic interaction with horses. It was founded in 2002 and is one of over 700 other programs like it across North America. The program helps students who have physical, emotional and/or cognitive learning problems in a variety of ways such as improving coordination, concentration skills and positive social interaction just to name a few. They use a variety of horse-related games and activities, in addition to riding, in order to serve the needs of as many individuals as possible. All activities are supervised by trained staff and volunteers to ensure safety. They are located on Sixty Foot Rd. in Parsonsburg.