Teachers

Three women dressed in traditional Song Dynasty garb, one holding a flower, danced in fog as part of the “Qingming Riverside” production performed by the Hong Kong Dance Company at The Maryland Theatre on Tuesday. The production explores through dance the Northern Song Dynasty, which lasted from A.D. 960 to 1127. “This is a rare opportunity to show all kinds of Chinese dances in this environment,” Hong Kong Dance Company Executive Director Gerard C.C. Tsang said. “We are happy to introduce Chinese Dance to people in the states.” The Maryland Theatre was one of three locations that the company is visiting in the United States.

I'd like to dedicate this column to the class of 2013. Yes, I know they won't be graduating until May or June and that columns at this time of year typically focus on resolutions ... not graduations. But I think it's important for these soon-to-be adults to think about the impact they could have over the next five months or so. Here is my New Year's wish list for them:  As a member of the oldest class in my school, I will be a leader. I might not have the title of president for a club or group, but I can lead by example and by making the right choices.

Hug your loved ones, just because you can To the editor: My daughter is a student at Salem Avenue Elementary School. It is a place where she loves to be, where she thrives and grows in the tender care of the wonderful teachers and staff. I have said this before and will continue to say it; I am so very grateful for her school and all that they have done to help mold her little being. And knowing her teachers as I do, I can imagine that they all are struggling greatly with the tragedy in Connecticut.

A shooting at a Connecticut elementary school Friday left 27 people dead, including 18 children, an official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was still under way. Another official, speaking on condition of anonymity for the same reason, said the gunman at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown was killed and apparently had two guns. Stephen Delgiadice said his 8-year-old daughter heard two big bangs and teachers told her to get in a corner.

Waynesboro Area School District elementary and middle school teachers whose students performed well on the 2011-12 Pennsylvania System of School Assessment, or PSSA, tests received recognition Tuesday. School board members, Superintendent Sherian Diller and Assistant Superintendent Wendy Royer congratulated the teachers following a presentation about the schools' standardized test results. Waynesboro Area Middle School, Hooverville Elementary School and Mowrey Elementary School made “Adequate Yearly Progress” as determined by the state, while Summitview and Fairview elementary schools did not. Fairview Elementary School is in “warning” status for its special-needs students' performance in math and reading.

Name of business: Miller's Music Instruction Owner: Mike Miller Address: 107 Saint Paul St., Boonsboro Opening date: April 1, 2012 Services: I provide instrumental instruction on piano, guitar, voice, and all band and orchestral instruments. Target area: Children How did you get into your business, and what motivated you to start it? I am a retired music teacher from Frederick County (Md.) Schools and I have a passion for music, so I wanted to start instrumental music instruction in my home to children of Washington County.

Name: Roger P. Engle Age: 64 City in which you reside: Martinsburg, W.Va. Day job: Retired after 30 years of teaching at South Hagerstown High School Book title: "Stories From A Small Town: Remembering My Childhood In Hedgesville, West Virginia" Genre: Memoir Quick synopsis of book: "Stories from a Small Town" is a memoir set in Hedgesville between 1948 and 1964, following a boy's adventures around his...

At the start of the school year, Western Heights Middle School sixth-grader Andrea Makle said she was asking her ancient-history teacher a lot of questions because, sitting in the back of the class, she had difficulty hearing him. Next door in Laurie Atwell's geography class, seventh-grader Nadia Metz was having similar problems hearing Atwell even though Nadia sat in the front of the class. These days teachers often walk around their classrooms while speaking, and for these two classrooms any hearing issues are compounded during lunch.

Shepherd University is hosting an autism workshop "Creating Inclusion in the Classroom" featuring Amy Bryan-Chapman, autism coordinator and behavior specialist for Berkeley County Schools, Saturday, Nov. 17, at the Erma Ora Byrd Hall on campus. The workshop will have two sessions.  The first is an overview of autism spectrum disorders, and the second will cover strategies for easing transition, change, and scheduling for students with autism. Areas to be discussed during the workshop include identifying behaviors, developing strategies and lesson plans for scheduling and transitions, discovering the impact of autism on developmental skills, and learning how autism affects the ability to learn.

The Greater Chambersburg Chamber Foundation recently awarded grants totaling nearly $18,000 to four teachers who use technology in innovative ways in their classrooms. The teachers received the grants at the foundation's annual luncheon at The Orchards restaurant. Recipients are Linda Singley, Greencastle-Antrim High School, $4,832; Laura Oslik, Greencastle-Antrim High School, $4,715; Mathren Mellott, Fannett-Metal High School, $4,889; and James Olson, Franklin County Career and Technology Center, $3,390.