Sunday, August 26, 2012

The Out of the Darkness Walk

This week on Hampton Roads Topics, I talk with Chris Gilchrist about the 7th Annual Out of the Darkness Walk.  The walk will happen Saturday, September 8th at Mount Trashmore Park in Virginia Beach.

Gilchrist describes the walk as a celebration for those left behind by people who take their own lives.  The walk also serves as a chance to educate the public about mental health, depression, and the warning signs of suicide.

Listen to the podcast here

For information about the walk, visit www.sos-walk.org.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Podcast: The American Red Cross Needs Blood Donors

Kristen Hatfield of the American Red Cross Mid-Atlantic Blood Services Region talks about the organization's critical need for blood donors.  To find a blood drive in your area, visit www.redcrossblood.org
 

Friday, August 10, 2012

The Red Cross Needs Blood Donors

Sunday, August 12th @ 6am
92.9 The Wave, ESPN Radio 94.1, Star 1310 and 97.3 The Eagle  

Kristen Hatfield of the American Red Cross Mid-Atlantic Blood Services Region comes on the show to talk about the critical shortage of blood donors.  In Hampton Roads, the Red Cross needs 500 to 600 donations of blood per day to meet demand, but donations are down about 10 percent this summer.  Hatfield says the blood supply is at its lowest level in 15 years.

To learn more about how and where to donate, visit www.RedCrossBlood.org or call 800-GIVE-LIFE. 

Monday, August 6, 2012

Podcast -- Back to School

With back to school time only about a month away, I invited Krista Barton-Arnold, the new principal of Linkhorn Park Elementary School in Virginia Beach, to the Topics studio to talk about helping kids get ready.  For and foremost, she says, parents who are new to the area need to make sure their child is fully registered for school.  She advises contacting the school system first.

Parents should be speaking positively about school to help children make the transition from summertime to school time.  Encourage (or even require) your child to read, especially non-fiction if the student is in high school.  "Newspaper articles, online articles...keep up with the election," she says.  Help your child practice math facts a little each day.  Take advantage of open house nights so you and your child can meet the teachers and get a feel for the school's layout. 


For school supplies, Barton-Arnold advises checking the website for your child's school for a list of supplies they will need.  Middle and high school students will often get their supply lists from their teachers after school starts, she says.

For more back to school information, consult your school division's homepage.

Friday, August 3, 2012

Back To School

Sunday, August 5th @ 6am 
92.9 The Wave, ESPN Radio 94.1, Star 1310 and 97.3 The Eagle  


Back to School time.  It's less than a month away.  What will your kids need to be ready?  What will their teachers need?  This Sunday on Topics, I ask these questions of Krista Barton-Arnold, the new principal of Linkhorn Park Elementary School in Virginia Beach.


The Virginia Beach Public Schools website, VBSchools.com, has a whole section devoted to back to school information.


By the way, this weekend is Virginia's School Supplies Tax Free Holiday.  School supplies costing less than $20.00 each and clothing costing less than $100.00 each are exempt of Virginia's 5% sales tax.  Learn more here.