In the News

Fuqua School students join together around the flagpole on Thursday, May 1 in honor of the 57th annual National Day of Prayer.  Members of the Upper School Youth For Christ led the program with scripture, prayer, and the singing of “God Bless America.”  Those gathered prayed for students, school administration, family, community, government officials, the nation, and the world.  The National Day of Prayer is held annually on the first Thursday in May and this year's theme, “Prayer! America's Strength and Shield” is based on Psalm 28:7.  Pictured are members of the student body gathering around the flagpole to pray for the nation.  Mrs. Frances Moore is the sponsor of the Youth for Christ.

On Saturday, April 26, Fuqua School juniors and seniors, along with their accompanying dates, danced the night away at the prom held in the J. Barrye Wall, Jr. Memorial Building on the school’s campus.  Administrators, teachers, chaperones, parents, and students alike enjoyed the dresses and tuxedos and the magnificent decorations from the theme, “Rendez-vou A Paris.” 

Close to eighty juniors and seniors lined up in preparation for the Grand March; Ms. Stephanie Trovato, junior class sponsor welcomed parents and guests, and Mr. Jennings Custis, senior class sponsor personally introduced and honored each junior and senior and his/her date. 

At the conclusion of the Grand March, everyone in attendance eagerly awaited the announcing of the 2008 Prom King and Queen.  Spectators gathered closely around the stage to cheer and applaud the newly elected 2008 Prom King, senior Stephen Carter, son of Mr. and Mrs. George Carter of Farmville.  Accompanying him just a few moments later was senior Rachel Hemler, the 2008 Prom Queen.  The couple beautifully posed for photographs shortly after being crowned and promptly kept to the tradition of dancing to the next song with their court quickly following suit.

At midnight, the 2008 Fuqua School Prom came to a close, and students along with their dates retired to the Lower School Commons to enjoy the After-Prom Party.

Representatives from the junior and senior classes join together, with their SADD sponsor, on the front lawn around the mangled car (courtesy of Mr. Gene Lester of Farmville Towing) to promote positive school-wide thinking for Prom.  The car will serve as a reminder to students to not “wreck their prom experience” and their pledge to stay alcohol-and-drug-free all year long.

Not long after joining the Fuqua School faculty and community in January 2000, Chapman quickly learned of the facilities, high-quality skills, and products of the School's Applied Industrial Technology (AIT) class taught by Mr. Carroll Gillispie.  He later pursued his dream and commissioned the AIT class to design, build, and finish two pen cases for his home.  Many students joined Mr. Gillispie in working on the project.  Each of the completed cabinets boasts seven shelves with each shelf having twenty-one felt-lined inlets to accommodate a total of 147 pens as well as a drawer to house pen refills and other pen-related peripherals. 

On Wednesday, April 16, Fuqua School students in grades six through twelve answered Governor Tim Kaine's call for a Statewide Day of Remembrance to honor those lost one year ago at Virginia Tech.  The student body along with faculty, staff, and administration gathered in a semi-circle beneath the U.S. flag and half-staff Virginia flag at the school's bell tower for a moment of silence.  Student body Vice-President Stephen Carter began the observance with a few remarks before asking all those present to bow their heads for a moment of silence.  Following, Cody Meadows, the Youth for Christ President, rang the bell thirty-two times – once for each victim.  Pictured are members of the Fuqua School community during the noon observation of the one-year anniversary of the Virginia Tech tragedy with the tolling of the school's bell.                                                             

Dr. Dixie Watts Reaves, a 1982 alumna of Prince Edward Academy, recently was a guest speaker for Mr. Carroll Gillispie's Agri-Science class at Fuqua School.  Dr. Reaves is a professor of Agribusiness Management and Marketing in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics at Virginia Tech.  She guided the class through a demonstration that showcased the three components of agribusiness: input supply, farm production, and output marketing.  The students worked as a group to create a marketing plan for different conceptual models of agribusiness. In her conclusion about college life and life professions, Dr. Reaves urged the class to “do what you love and love what you do.”

Pictured are the twenty-five lower school students that recently participated in the Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth (CTY) Search 2007-2008 at the Prometrics Testing Center in Lynchburg, Virginia.    CTY, a world leader in gifted education, conducts national and international talent searches to identify, assess, and recognize outstanding academic talent. Through the Talent Search, high-performing students take a test designed for older students. This above-grade-level testing can reveal more about the academic talents of students who are topping out on grade-level tests.  To qualify, a student must achieve at the 95th percentile or higher on designated sub-tests of nationally recognized achievement tests; attain advanced levels on state tests, designated as scoring in categories such as advanced proficiency, distinguished, honors, or gifted; and demonstrate superior academic performance.  The trip was chaperoned by Ms. Jane Crews, Fuqua Lower School Library/Media Specialist and Guidance Counselor. 

Following her victory in the Fuqua School spelling bee on Tuesday, January 22, Torey Jackson, an eighth grader, won the Richmond Times-Dispatch regional spelling bee on Saturday, March 1 held at the Library of Virginia.  Jackson competed for the regional title against thirty-two other competitors from across the state.  During the eighth round of the bee, Jackson correctly spelled N-O-T-O-C-H-O-R-D, a medical term used to describe “the flexible rodlike structure that forms the supporting axis of the body in the lower back.”  After being the only speller out of five, to complete round eight, Jackson moved on to the final level of the contest, the one-person ninth round, correctly spelling C-O-N-T-R-A-P-U-N-T-A-L, a term “pertaining to counterpoint.”  As the winner, Jackson will represent the Richmond region in an all-expense-paid trip to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, May 29 - Friday, May 30.  In addition, Jackson is the recipient of a $1,500 scholarship provided by the Richmond Times-Dispatch for her spelling accomplishment.  Torey is the daughter of Ms. Jeanne Lynch and Mr. Ken Jackson of Dillwyn.  Pictured with Fuqua's spelling master are Upper and Middle School Dean Rick Davis and Fuqua English instructor Diane Stubbins.

Pictured on the right is Leanne Emert, vice-president and manager of Benchmark Community Bank, presenting Pam Butler, Director of Development at Fuqua School, with a donation for sponsorship of the Falconfest Auction.  Doors open at 9:00 A.M.; the auction will include a wide variety of items such as rugs, leather and upholstered furniture, small appliances, and much more.  A yard sale, silent auction, and concessions add to a great day of fun as well as good deals for all.  The auction, open to the public, is on Saturday, March 15 at Fuqua School.  For more information please call 392.4131 ext. 235 or visit www.fuquaschool.com.

Mrs. Marge Swayne, author of The Life and Times of Tucker Doyne, recently spoke to the Fuqua School Readers Club.  Mrs. Swayne discussed how she came to write the book and the process of writing and publishing a book.  She told of interviews she conducted and research she did both at The Farmville Herald, where she is employed as the Social & Lifestyles editor, and at local libraries, where she gathered information for the history of the times surrounding Mr. Doyne.  The Readers Club is sponsored by Mrs. Frances Hazelwood, Fuqua School Library/Media Specialist. 

Fuqua School sixth grade students in Mrs. Mary Louise Scott's exploratory class have learned three different hand-crafting skills.  Under the guidance and direction of Mrs. France Hazelwood, Fuqua School Library/Media Specialist, the students spent two weeks learning the process of knitting "fun fur" scarves; each student made his/her own scarf to keep or give away.  During a one-week class, the students learned the art of Iris Paper Folding with each student making a Valentine greeting card for someone special along with several cards and pictures to frame.  During the final week, the students were taught how to make a hand-folded lap blanket, which some planned to give away as gifts, while others planned to keep. They were allowed to choose their own fleece-patterned fabrics for their blankets.  Some of their choices of patterns included cats, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and teddy bears.  Pictured is the exploratory class making greeting cards using the Iris Paper Folding method. 

Representatives from Mrs. Susan Carden's Computer Information Systems, Multimedia, and Keyboarding classes are pictured presenting supplies they collected to Mrs. Frances Moore, sponsor of the Youth for Christ organization.  The YFC, along with the Middle School Student Cooperative Association (SCA) has been collecting school supplies to send to school children in Iraq.  The students in Mrs. Carden's classes eagerly participated in the collection drive, and all together, the classes collected over 450 school items.  The YFC and the Middle School SCA have collected over 650 items in total, which will be furnished to the U.S. Army and Air Force for distribution to Iraqi school children, who lack much needed supplies.

The 2007-2008 Fuqua School Varsity Cheerleading Squad recently competed in the Virginia Commonwealth Conference (V.C.C.) Cheerleading Competition at Richard Bland College in Petersburg, Virginia and were awarded first place.  Other member schools of the V.C.C. competing in the competition included Isle of Wight Academy, Southampton Academy, and Tidewater Academy.  Each squad performed a three minute routine consisting of a cheer, chant, dance, stunts, and tumbling.  Routines were judged on levels of difficulty, crowd appeal, synchronicity, overall presentation, and technical elements.  Coaches Lalisha Fitchett-Bland and Chelsey Green commented, “We congratulate each of these ladies for their accomplishment, hard work, and dedication!”  Pictured are the Fuqua School Varsity Cheerleading Squad encircling the trophy they won as the 2007-2008 VCC Open Cheerleading Competition First Place Winners.

Members of Fuqua School's K/1 classes are pictured following a day-long celebration of the number 100 in honor of 100 days of school and are seen presenting the Upper School Youth for Christ President with some of the 153 food items they helped collect for the food drive. 

SPC Mason explained, “I came home and shared with my family the kind words written in the many letters I received.  With the help of my parents, I set out to personally thank Mrs. Frances Moore and the efforts of the Fuqua School Youth For Christ for the caring and loving support and patriotism they have expressed to me and other soldiers.  I shared the letters and the contents of the care package with my fellow soldiers.  Today, I have expressed my appreciation to Fuqua School and its community, and I continue to ask for everyone to support and pray for our U.S. soldiers.”

The Fuqua School Senior Band is sponsoring a Basket Bingo evening in the Lower School Commons on Sunday, February 10.  The doors open at 12:30 P.M., and the games begin at 2 P.M. The Basket Bingo event features top quality Longaberger® baskets filled with specialty prizes, a raffle table, door prizes, and a prize-filled balloon arch.  The evening includes twenty games of old-fashioned Bingo with concessions available for purchase.  Proceeds will benefit the Fuqua Senior Band's transportation costs for their spring trip to Smoky Mountain Music Festival in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, where they will be performing and marching in concert and parade.  Tickets can be purchased in advance for $20 or $25 at the door by calling Sandy Bolick, Fuqua School assistant band director, at 392.4131.   Pictured (kneeling, l-r) are two senior band members and (standing, l-r) Joyce Eggleston, PEA Class of '76 and Sandra Bolick, assistant band director, showcasing the Longaberger® street basket, a raffle item, along with other baskets for the bingo game prizes.

Mrs. Martha Womack (center), Fuqua School English 11 instructor is pictured in the Appomattox County High School Library with Appomattox County High School instructors Mrs. Gayle Williams, English 11 (left) and Mrs. Crystal Allie, English 9 and 11 (right).  Womack was a guest lecturer on the subject of Edgar Allan Poe.

“My students and I were so excited when we found out we won this sweepstakes!” said Mrs. Jefferson, K/1 class instructor.  “We love ClassroomsCare, and it's even better that we are able to donate books that we won to local charities.  My students have been reading a lot this year, and now they're learning how special it is to give, especially to those less fortunate.”

Fuqua School eighth grade science students recently learned about the physical properties of the transferring of heat via convection, conduction, and radiation.  Students participated in experiments involving implosion and condensation.  Ms. Tamara Arrington, a naturalist working at the 4-H Center at Holiday Lake State Park, led the class in their experiments as well as helped them learn more about the main topic discussed - meteorology.  Pictured is an eighth grade student conducting the implosion experiment with the assistance of Ms. Arrington.  Mrs. Jodi Maxey is the Fuqua Middle School Science Instructor. 

The Farmville United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) recently recognized several students from Fuqua School as the 2007 UDC state essay contest winners.  Elizabeth Redford, a sixth grader, received first place in state in grades 4-6 for the topic, “The Childhood of Robert E. Lee.” In the same category, fifth grader Anna Morrow placed second, and there was a tie for third place between sixth grader Peyton Wall and fifth grader,Buck Wellman.  For grades 7-9, two ninth graders and one eighth grader received recognition and awards for writing on the topic, “Robert E. Lee in the U.S. Army.” Former Fuqua student, Heather Fowler placed first in the state; Fuqua freshman Maggie Morris placed second; third place was awarded to Fuqua eighth grader Kyle Hodges.

Two Fuqua School students recently participated in a photo shoot sponsored by ABC Channel 13 WSET-TV to promote the 2008 Formal Guide and the Prom Preview Fashion Show to be held in the Roanoke Civic Center on Saturday, January 19.  The show will be televised on Saturday, January 26 on ABC Channel 13.  The dresses and tuxedos modeled by the students were coordinated with Caryn's Bridals, Formals, and Tuxedos of Farmville.  Caryn's will also provide the tuxedos and gowns for fifteen local sophomore, junior, and senior models from surrounding counties for the 2008 Prom Preview Fashion Show.

The Fuqua School class of 2009 is sponsoring a “Bunco” night in the Lower School Commons on Saturday, January 26 at 6:00 P.M.  “Bunco” is a fast paced dice game that is fun for all ages.  Players switch seats and playing partners throughout the game to gain as many points as possible.   Many different prizes, which include such items as gift-cards and games, will be awarded to the winners of the “Bunco” games.  A raffle table with a variety of items will be featured.  Light refreshments will be available for purchase.  The event is open to the public and a limited number of tickets are on sale for only $10 per player.  The proceeds will benefit the Prom Committee for the Class of 2009.  Please call Stephanie Trovato, junior class sponsor for more information or to reserve your seat at 392.4131 ext. 283.  Pictured are members of the Fuqua School community enjoying a round of “Bunco."