Waynesboro's Girls on the run and Staunton's Kindness Matters, plus more: The Chalkboard

WAYNESBORO – Girls on the Run, a youth development program, has taken root in Waynesboro’s elementary schools this fall, inspiring girls to build confidence, kindness and decision-making skills. Waynesboro is part of the Central Virginia and Blue Ridge District of the Girls on the Run program.

Chelsey Campbell, who hosted a Girls on the Run team at William Perry Elementary School during the spring semester of 2023, initiated the expansion of the program to each of Waynesboro’s four elementary schools. Building on the momentum Campbell generated and leveraging her network among teachers and fellow parents, the program officially launched in all four schools in the first week of September.

Across all four elementary schools, the program has seen significant participation, with 14 coaches, comprising teachers and support staff from Waynesboro Public Schools. Approximately 76 girls are participating in the program, with around 18 of them sponsored, allowing them to participate without a program fee.

The Waynesboro coaches attended a coach training session at St. Anne’s Belfield in Charlottesville in late August, where they made up more than a quarter of the attendees, emphasizing the division's commitment to the Girls on the Run program.

Waynesboro City is the only division to have all of their schools participate in the same season.The girls will participate in the regional 5K at the culmination of the program. The 5k race is scheduled for Sunday, Nov.12, in Charlottesville at St. Anne’s Belfield.

Girls On the Run is a non-profit organization that offers a youth development program for girls in third to eighth grade. The program creatively integrates running and physical activity with valuable life lessons, building girls’ self-esteem and inspiring them to live healthy, confident lives. To learn more, visit: https://www.girlsontheruncenva.org.

Kindess Matters Walkathon

STAUNTON — Staunton City Schools's Kindness Matters Walkathon at the end of September raised more than $2,800 to support the division's kindness initiative. Those participating walked or ran at combined 2,575 laps around the Staunton High School track.

McSwain Elementary School won the Most Walkathon Laps title 686 trips around the track. Dixon Educational Center had the most laps per capita with 358.

In October, the Kindness Matters campaign has continued with Coins for Kindness supporting Jones Garden. Loose change can be dropped in the Coins for Kindness jars in each school's front office.The school that collects the most coins will get the KIND sign displayed in front of their school for a month.

Coins for Kindness will continue in February with money raised for Project Grows and April for Shenandoah Green.

Bridgewater College's Oratorio Choir to perform

The 60-voice Oratorio Choir at Bridgewater College will perform “The Lost Birds” by Christopher Tin on Friday, Nov. 3, at 7 p.m. in the concert hall of the Carter Center for Worship and Music on the college’s campus.

The Bridgewater College Oratorio Choir is a decades-old tradition at the college that provides the occasion for current students, faculty, staff, community members and alumni to come together to perform choral works. The performance is under the direction of Ryan Keebaugh, assistant professor of music at Bridgewater College. The performance will be accompanied by an immersive experience created in collaboration with BC’s Department of Art and Department of Biology and Environmental Science.

“The Lost Birds” is a musical memorial to bird species driven to extinction by humankind. Sweeping and elegiac, it’s a haunting tribute to those soaring flocks that once filled our skies but whose songs have since been silenced. Tin’s album was nominated for a Grammy in the “Best Classical Compendium” category, his second nomination.

Soloists during the performance are Sarah Henneberger, a digital media arts major from Glen Allen; Jon Northrop, a music and theatre double major from Weyers Cave; and Parker Sale, a music major from Henrico.

The performance is free and open to the public.

Threads of Melody concert

STAUNTON — Travel forward and backward in time on a musical journey Oct. 28, at 7:30 pm at the Central United Methodist Church at the corner of West Beverly and North Lewis streets.

The free concert is presented by Caravanserai Music and features arrangements by Emmy Award winning writer and composer, Thomas Wagner, and a chamber orchestra and chorus conducted by Yi-Ping Chen. The concert will feature works by Bach, Handel, Mozart, Paul Simon, Clyde Otis, Max Richter, Procol Harum, Peter Paul & Mary, Hans Leo Hassler, and Laura Brannigan. .

The concert will also feature other local musicians including Molly Murphy and Julia Spinner. While admission is free, donations are appreciated. Caravanserai Music's mission is to promote compassion and community through musical performance.

More information is available at Caravanseraimusic.org.

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— Patrick Hite is a reporter at The News Leader. Story ideas and tips always welcome. Contact Patrick (he/him/his) at phite@newsleader.com and follow him on Twitter @Patrick_Hite. Subscribe to us at newsleader.com.

This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Waynesboro's Girls on the run and Staunton's Kindness Matters: The Chalkboard