Every year, Powhatan High
School tries new things, and always has something to keep
its students occupied and entertained. Last year, for instance,
one of the greatest highlights was a rock-and-roll AIDS
benefit concert, featuring several local student bands and
a day full of fun, entertainment, and astonishing talent.
This year, several events are coming up that are definite
must-sees. In May, look forward to the Wizard of Oz play,
a musical being organized by several high school students
and organizations that is sure to enchant. The play is scheduled
for performances on May 2 and 3. Also, students are ready
to run for their lives… or, someone else’s,
in the Relay for Life marathon on May 30. One of the best
parts of high school has always been getting involved with
school activities, and students are certainly getting into
the school spirit as spring rolls around.
As for April, Powhatan High School will be hosting its first
all-girls leadership conference. Organized by current students,
the conference is an intriguing concept indeed, and one
that will hopefully garner much success and future continuation.
The conference is being led by students in Mrs. Conway Blankenship’s
Emerging Leaders course, a class of only seven girls which
focuses on individual leadership skills and incorporates
the Future Problem Solving Program (FPS) into several of
its activities. “This is not a normal class,”
boasts Mrs. Blankenship of the Emerging Leaders group. “I’m
a facilitator. They run the class.” Students participate
in activities ranging from individual reading assignments
and reflection on leadership to job mentoring and group
projects. What is it like teaching a class of only girls?
With a smile, Mrs. Blankenship notes “It’s been
a treat for me. I raised two sons!”
The conference, “For Girls, By Girls,” is being
organized as part of the Community Problem Solvers Program
(CMPS), one of the many factors of FPS that students are
encouraged to compete in. With CMPS, students get together
to solve a problem in their local community, using the six-step
process common to FPS (involving the development of challenges,
an underlying problem, solutions, criteria by which to judge
the solutions, a ranking, and a finalized plan of action).
The Emerging Leaders students came to a consensus that one
local problem was the lack of emphasis on female leadership,
as well as health issues, stress management, and preparation
for high school. The seven girls (seniors Jessica Allison,
Miriam Isaac, Hillary Travis, and Jessica Zlotkowski, and
juniors Krystina Bustos, Lindsey Cederholm, and Caitlyn
Morgan) have been working since September on the project,
including planning, fundraising (primarily through bake
sales), making invitations, schedules, t-shirts, and more,
and hope it will generate interest and excitement among
the 7th through 9th grade girls invited to attend. Jessica
Allison spoke on the experience, stating “The leadership
conference ‘For Girls, by Girls,’ has been an
exciting endeavor, and we hope that it will provide a memorable
experience for Powhatan County’s young girls.”
The Emerging Leaders class is invited to attend the state-level
FPS competition from April 11th to April 12th in Norfolk,
Virginia, where they will present their CMPS project and
hope to be recognized for their efforts. Also, if the project
scores high enough, the students will be invited to attend
the International Future Problem Solving Program Conference
in Michigan (May 30th through June 2nd), where they will
compete with other students from across the globe. Mrs.
Blankenship has high hopes for the team, and is confident
they will do well. “I’m proud of them,”
she brags. “I think they’ve done a nice job.”
The conference is scheduled to be held at Powhatan High
School on Saturday, April 19th, and will run from 8:45am
to 3pm. Girls from Powhatan Junior High School as well as
freshmen girls at PHS are welcome to attend, but attendance
will be on a first-come, first-serve basis, as capacity
is limited and therefore girls are encouraged to RSVP ASAP.
The cost to attend is $6, which includes a boxed lunch.
The key-note speaker for the conference will be Powhatan
County Administrator Ms. Carolyn Cios, who will speak from
9:50 to 10:20 that morning. She visited the Emerging Leaders
class on Thursday, March 13, and her friendly personality
and lightheartedness were greatly appreciated. After reviewing
tentative conference materials, she remarked “Girls
can do anything boys can do. I love that theme!” She
kept us smiling with her personal connections and ideas
for the conference. “I always tell people ‘I
look like a girl, but I act like a boy!” she commented,
as she shared a brief description of her love for dirt biking,
four-wheeling, and other such activities. A noted public
speaker, Cios even spoke this year for several PHS government
classes, which was a greatly popular and beneficial event,
and she is certain to be a highlight of the day for the
April conference.
|
Select a Florist
