News - Education

Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009

EDUCATION NOTEBOOK for Nov. 1

Seal teacher awards nominations sought

Nomination forms for the 2010 Leo W. Seal Teacher Recognition Awards, educational excellence grants that provide outstanding teachers money for innovative classroom projects are available at all Hancock Bank branches and school offices in Hancock, Harrison, Jackson and Pearl River counties.

Teachers, parents, students and others interested in helping teachers create value-added educational programs for local students can nominate kindergarten through 12th-grade certified teachers employed by public school districts or private schools in these counties.

Teachers also may self-nominate for the Seal awards.

The postmark deadline to return nominations to the Gulf Coast Community Foundation is Nov. 14.

Established in 1994 and funded by Hancock Bank, the Leo W. Seal awards recognize and encourage educational excellence by underwriting original classroom teaching initiatives. The Gulf Coast Community Foundation manages the endowment. Details: 897-4841.

Goltz received MSU assistance with master’s

Lauren Goltz, the daughter of Burt and Barbara Bazor-Goltz of Gulfport, will attend Mississippi State University on a departmental assistance to the master’s program in agricultural life sciences, with concentration in entomology and plant pathology.

Goltz is a volunteer at the Crosby Arboretum in Picayune.

Vancleave students are National Merit semifinalists

Vancleave High School seniors Levi DeLuke and Marina Roberts have been named National Merit semifinalists.

The National Merit program is an annual academic competition for recognition and college undergraduate scholarships. The semifinalists represent the top 1 percent of the more than 1.2 million students from 22,000 high schools who enter the scholarship program by taking the preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.

DeLuke is president of the National Honor Society, captain of the Quiz Bowl Team and an Eagle Scout. He has received numerous Vancleave High awards including outstanding ninth-, 10th- and 11th-grade student. He also has received academic awards in biology, physics, trigonometry, pre-calculus, honors chemistry, U.S. history, psychology, public speaking, debate and accelerated English. He attended Mississippi Governor’s School in the summer and received the Mississippi Governor’s Award of Excellence.

Roberts is secretary of the National Honor Society, member of Junior Civitans, Quiz Bowl Team, Salon Discussion Group, Debate Club and Drama Production (lead role). She has been on the superintendent’s honor roll, ninth through 11th grades, and a student of the month.