According to an article from the Times-Dispatch, the University of Richmond has gained Harry Lee Daniel, a Highland Springs senior, via a verbal commitment.

Daniel was a key offensive element for the Springers, who were 10-0 in the regular season. Highland Springs was No. 1 in The Times-Dispatch Poll and was ranked No. 5 in the final Associated Press poll before being eliminated by Hermitage 21-20 in the Central Region playoffs.

Richmond Community High School in the Near West End and Open High School in Oregon Hill have been recognized by U.S. News and World Report for being among America’s best schools.

Richmond Community and Open high schools received silver and bronze medals, respectively, in the ranking conducted by School Evaluation Services, a K-12 data research and analysis business operated by Standard & Poor’s.

More than 18,500 schools located in 40 states were analyzed according to how well students performed on state tests, how well each school’s disadvantaged students performed and whether the school was successful in providing college-level coursework.

Richmond Community was one of only 505 schools, or 3 percent, to be awarded a gold or silver medal. Open was one of 1,086 schools, or 6 percent, to earn bronze.

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Can we get an “oops” on the behalf of a group of University of Richmond students that were in court, according to an article from the Times-Dispatch.

Must have been one shindig of a party with over 35 arrests and dozens more people involved. Sure, we all need to blow off a little steam but, wow, did they really think they wouldn’t get caught with that many people involved? Like I said: “oops.”

Love the quote the judge said. My sentiments exactly.

General District Judge Archer L. Yeatts III, whose father was state Alcoholic Beverage Control commissioner, told more than a dozen students appearing before him Monday that “You all aren’t as smart as I thought you were.”

And throwing the party a month after two fraternity officers were charged with helping an underage student get alcohol defies logic, the judge said.

University of Richmond has a great women’s swimming program. I know firsthand. From 2002-2004, I swim for their head coach, Matt Kredich, as part of the Triathlonmoms team his wife ran. Since then, the pool has been revamped and the coaches have changed, but the heart of the program is the same.
The Bridgeton (N.J.) News reports this week that they’ve gained another great swimmer, Jill Smaniotto.

“They have a girl that going in as freshman swam 57 (seconds) in the 100 fly and now as a junior she is doing 53 (seconds),” she said. “In a year and a half she dropped four seconds. Their style of training is just phenomenal.”

That style features a more personal approach that focuses on what each swimmer’s heart rate should be at different intervals. It is a new, more scientific, approach that Smaniotto said is starting to get notice from other schools.

I can’t emphasize enough how important schools are to both our community and our future. One Richmond City school teacher found out about a great online program, DonorsChoose.org that was able to help her make a even bigger difference in her students’ lives. Cheryl Thompson, a teacher at Blackwell Elementary, submitted a short essay to DonorsChoose explaining that she had an idea to use a digital voice recorder to record some of the classrooms activities and send them home with the kids. It was a way to involve parents, but also a way to reach out to the non-verbal children who couldn’t communicate with their parents about what was going on in the classroom.
Donorschoose matches up everyday folks like you and me with folks like teachers who have a need but not necessarily the resources to fulfill it. It makes philanthropy easy for a regular Joe, and there is a personal element to it because the donor gets to pick the recipient and the project that he wants to support.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine plans to announce this morning at Blackwell that Virginia teachers are now eligible to post their projects on the site.

“You just put your hopes and dreams out there, your visions, and somebody out there believes in you,” said Thompson, who is in her fourth year teaching early childhood special education in the city schools. “I love that idea. You don’t have to write a big, long grant.”

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Go over to RVA News give a little love to all those blogs you read (including this one). The 2K7 Blog nominations are in, and voting is underway. Your vote will especially be appreciated because most of us write for fun, for free, and for you.

Kudos to Henrico County Public Schools for incorporating heart rate monitors into physical education classes to help better educate students about how exercising affects their body — all in an effort to fight childhood obesity.
And kudos to state legislators, the Richmond Sports Backers, and Henrico Schools for finding new ways to fight children’s obesity and making it a priority.

The students love it, said Bonnie Conner-Gray, an educational specialist for health, physical and driver education for Henrico County Public Schools, describing the program to members of a legislative panel studying ways to reduce childhood obesity.

What works to reduce childhood obesity is getting the attention of Virginia legislators and others.

The study panel that Conner-Gray testified before this year is expected to propose several policy changes, including one that would require schoolchildren to get 150 minutes of physical education per week.

Childhood obesity is also the focus of a Tuesday conference coordinated by Richmond Sports Backers, the group that organizes popular races such as the SunTrust Richmond Marathon.

“I don’t think anything is more important than the physical activity,” said Del. John M. O’Bannon III, R-Henrico, who chaired the study panel that will submit recommendations to the General Assembly.

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In Richmond City Schools, my daughter gets P.E. once a week. This is not enough — 150 minutes a week sounds more like it. Thank goodness her teacher knows how important exercise can be to learning and just overall health in a child. She has her students run or run-walk the gravel track at the school about 4 days a week.

Roanoke.com just announced The Edge’s first ever college awards. University of Richmond wins for most expensive college in the state at $37,610 a year. Amazing! Plenty of folks have never even earned that much in one year.