* Susan Stewart Taylor, a civics and economics teacher at Leesville Road High School, claimed BB&T's top honor of Economic Educator of the Year. The award recognizes teachers who help their students understand and apply economic principles. The prize came with a $5,000 cash award. Taylor had her students participate in a "Standard of Living" project where students had to work and create budgets for themselves.

* Wake Forest-Rolesville High School's theater department received an excellent rating at the North Carolina Theatre Conference in Greensboro earlier this month. Several students of the theater department also auditioned in front of local colleges and received over $185,000 in scholarship offers.

You can catch the students performing in the school's annual Variety Show at 7 p.m. Dec. 1 and 2. The show includes comedy, singing and dancing.

Tickets are $6 at the door. Students get a $1 discount with ID. The school is at 420 W. Stadium Drive. Call 554-8611 for more information.

A nod also goes to the school's orchestra which performed at the North Carolina Music Educators annual conference on Nov. 14.

* Ravenscroft science teacher Andrew Gatt is bringing $10,000 worth of Microsoft software and Samsung products to the school, thanks to his "Hope for Education" essay on the importance of technology in education.

* The St. Raphael Catholic School Lady Guardian Volleyball team won the 2005 Triangle Catholic School Athletic Conference championship on Nov. 1. This is the school's first championship trophy since the program started four years ago.

* * *

Time is winding down for participation in the National PTA Reflections Program.

This is an opportunity for students to submit works of art in four areas: literature, musical composition, photography, and the visual arts. This year's theme is "I Wonder Why."

The deadline is Jan 10. Visit www.wakeptacouncil.org. for details.