School notes

STATEWIDE

BRAILLE CHALLENGE: Registration is under way for this year's North Carolina Braille Challenge.

At a daylong series of events in February, children ages 6 to 19 will compete in five categories requiring them to write and read Braille using a device called a Perkins brailler. Each category is designed to test Braille skills in reading comprehension, Braille spelling, chart and graph reading, proofreading, and Braille speed and accuracy.

The Governor Morehead School for the Blind and OutReach will host students Feb. 21 at the school's campus in Raleigh. The western region will host students at the Catawba Rosenwald Educational Center in Newton on Feb. 22. Students in the eastern region can compete Feb. 23 in the Speight Building at East Carolina University in Greenville.

Top-scoring students across the U.S. and Canada compete to qualify for 60 spots in June for the Braille Challenge at the Braille Institute in Los Angeles.

To register for the challenge, call (919) 715-4257 or (800) 532-3937, or send e-mail to Kathryn.Flynn@ncmail.net for the Morehead and eastern sites, or Angela_Coulter@catawba.k12.nc.us for the western site. Deadline for registration is Saturday.

WAKE COUNTY

IEP SESSIONS: The Wake Special Education PTA will hold three information sessions for parents Jan. 24 on Individualized Education Programs.

One session is for those who are new to the IEP process. It will be presented by the Exceptional Children's Assistance Center.

Another session is for those who already have IEPs in place but want to ensure that they are implemented correctly. That will be presented by experts from the Duke Law Center.

The last session is for those whose children will be getting to "transition stage" and need to start developing self-advocacy skills to effectively participate in their own IEP meetings. It's presented by Eric Fox from the Arc of Wake County.

The sessions will be held concurrently as part of Wake SEPTA's meeting at 7 p.m. at the Nationwide Insurance Building at 4401 Creedmoor Road, Raleigh. To register, call 788-2500 or go to www.WakeSEPTA.org.

DURHAM COUNTY

RAP SESSION: Durham Public Schools will hold another session of "Kitchen Table Conversations" from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Riverside High School, 3218 Rose of Sharon Road. The topic is "Listening to High School Students."

Participants are asked to RSVP by calling Carrie Johnson, Durham Public Schools Office of Public Affairs, at 560-3652.

ART SHOW: "Durham's Finest," an annual display of student art, will run through Jan. 25 at the N.C. Central University Art Museum.

In this select show, four two-dimensional pieces of art represent each of the district's schools. Three-dimensional artwork will also be featured. It's the school system's only districtwide art exhibit.

The show can be viewed during the museum's regular operating schedule: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call the museum at 530-6211.

ORANGE COUNTY

NEW AMPHITHEATER: The staff of Orange County Schools' Partnership Academy Alternative School and volunteers from Triangle United Way plan to honor the MLK Day of Service by building an outdoor classroom on the grounds of Partnership Academy at 1006 Storey Lane, Hillsborough. Volunteers will build a 50-seat structure for instruction, team-building activities, presentations and community gatherings. The work will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday. Contact school principal Paige Kimball at 245-3030 or paige.kimball@orange.k12.nc.us.

To submit information online about school-related events and achievements, go to share.triangle.com and click on "schools" and then the "school news" link. For more information, call Kay Wallace Holloway at 829-4520 or send news to The News & Observer, 215 S. McDowell St., Raleigh, NC 27602.