Schools

August 23 - Back-to-School Nights - Berkeley Springs High 6-8 p.m., Warm Springs Middle 6-8 p.m., Warm Springs Intermediate 4-5 p.m. Widmyer- Kindergarten 5:30-7 p.m.

August 24 - Back-to-School Nights - Widmyer - first and second grades 5:30-7 p.m., Paw Paw Schools 6-8 p.m.

Identification of exceptional children is an ongoing process within Morgan County Schools. Part of this process is the annual screening for speech, language, hearing and vision problems. The screening will be conducted during August and September.

Students to be screened include those referred by parents and teachers, students who are new in the school system and students entering kindergarten who did not participate in the pre-enrollment screening.

The summer concert series focuses close to home this week as the region's most popular band performs their special brand of alternative country blues on Saturday, August 11 at 5:30 p.m. in Berkeley Springs State Park. Fronted by the singular talent to lead vocalist, Tori Anderson, Possum Holler offers their many fans the relaxed and charming setting of the park to revel in their mostly original music. Rain location for the Morgan Arts Council event is the Ice House.

Possum Holler plays elements of swing, country and torchy blues and no song sounds the same as the one before. The constants through all the music that Possum Holler plays are the clarity and brilliance of Tori Anderson's voice and the unabashed melody that underlines all the songs. Their original music may be written by any member of the band or collaborations among them. They also cover popular songs that play to the band's strength.

Starting Points Family Resource Center will offer its preschool Playgroup and Wraparound Program this fall.

The Wraparound program is designed to provide morning care for children who are registered in the afternoon with the County HeadStart/Pre-K program. Its hours are Tuesday through Thursday, from 7:30 until 11:30 a.m. This program follows the exact same holiday schedule as the county program and includes morning breakfast, mid-morning snack, curriculum components that compliment the County HeadStart/Pre-K program and county bus pickup service at 11:15 a.m. to the afternoon HeadStart/Pre-K program.

The Morgan Arts Council's (MAC) first youth theater camp in Paw Paw begins Monday, August 13 and continues through Thursday, finishing up that day with a performance by the students. Any youth between the ages of five and 18 is encouraged to attend and walk-ins are welcome. A grant from the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation – Jane P. Snyder Youth Fund helps make this an affordable option for any family in the Paw Paw area. All activities take place in the gymnasium at the Paw Paw schools complex.

Camp activities are from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily and take the form of a theater arts workshop taught by Brice Williams and Margi Griffiths. Both are practiced and trained theater professionals. Williams is the theater teacher at Berkeley Springs High School and Griffiths has taught numerous theater classes for MAC as well as elsewhere. They are assisted by teen aides.

The back to school night for Warm Springs Middle School is scheduled in the evening on Thursday, August 23 from 6 to 8 p.m.

At this time students going in the sixth through eighth grades can pick up a schedule, meet their teachers and discuss the expectations in the classes.

Two local students were among the 424 students who took part in Bryn Mawr College's 122nd commencement exercises on May 19 and 20 at Bryn Mawr, Pa.

Marielle Shanin Hsu of Berkeley Springs, daughter of Carol and Jean-Pierre Hsu, was awarded a bachelor of arts degree in physics. She is a graduate of Sandy Springs Friends School.

WVU

Students must maintain a 3.5 grade point average to qualify for the Dean's List. Students from Berkeley Springs were: Austin Carlisle, Engineering; Rachel Korzep, English/Secondary Education; Kristopher MacBeth, MDS/Elementary Education, Charley Phillips, Pre-Elementary/MDS; Mark Pitts, Computer Engineering; and Morgan Shields, Pre-Pharmacy.

WVU

Students must earn a 4.0 grade point average to qualify for the President's List. Students from Berkeley Springs were: Lara Omps, English; Jesse Potts, Pre-English and Adam Ward, Pre-Psychology.

The Tri-State Thunder will hold 2008 tryouts August 15 and 22, 6-8 p.m. 16U at Hagerstown Fairgrounds. All ages at Pinesburg Softball Complex. August 19 & 26 4 p.m.-? All ages at Pinesburg Softball Complex.

They are a travel ball organization based in Hagerstown with players from West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia. They offer good coaching and place lots of focus on college preparation and recruiting.