The community is invited to hear motivational speaker Chris Skinner speak on how he transformed his life after an accident that caused him to become a quadriplegic.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18^th

7:00 p.m.

J. R. Tucker High School Auditorium

2910 N. Parham Road

Free to all members of our Henrico County Community

(a donation box will be available to support the J.R. Tucker PTSA who’s supporting this program.)

After hearing Chris’ incredible story of overcoming devastating disabilities, thousand of students and adults have been inspired to say,” Yes, I can!” Using a PowerPoint presentation of graphic images from his own personal struggle to survive and thrive, Chris shows us how much we can really do. As human beings we all possess the ability to reach deep down inside of ourselves to fulfill whatever dreams, ambitions, goals, and desires we have.

Chris delivers a profoundly motivating message. He talks about:

• The awesome privilege of life
• Making the most of one’s life
• Bringing your very best, and nothing less
• The power to chose success in your job and in your life

Chris describes his journey of returning to school after his accident with a pitiful .8 GPA, “earned” between parties. He finished his last four semesters on the Dean’s list and completed his Master’s Degree while adapting to his new life as a quadriplegic. Chris started his own successful corporation and foundation after leaving school. He is fast becoming one of the most sought-after motivational speakers in the country.

Chris leaves you with this message:  The Choice is Yours.

Richmond Public School officials have announced that Feb. 15 will now serve as a make-up day for students and staff. Originally, schools were to be closed in observance of Presidents’ Day.  For those who missed the earlier announcement, Henrico will also use Presidents’ day as a make up day.

Richmond City Schools will open 2 hours late on Thursday, February 11.  Henrico County Schools are also 2 hours late on Thursday.

Local Near West End elementary school, Mary Munford, is hosting their annual auction. If you’d like to attend or donate an item, please read on for details.

SAVE THE DATE!

Saturday March 27, 7-10:30pm

Jewish Community Center

Mary Munford’s Annual Auction fundraiser will be held on Saturday, March 27th, from 7-10:30 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center on Monument Avenue.  As usual, this is an adult only event, so please mark your calendars now for a night out with fellow Munford parents and staff. Food will be provided by one of Munford’s very own, Linda Marcuse, owner of A Movable Feast. The funds raised at this event will help us obtain the additional programs and materials we need to provide many excellent services to our students.

With all schools facing tighter budgets, financial support from the PTA is essential to keeping the quality of education we are used to at Mary Munford. This year we are raising funds for our World Language Program, which supplements our Spanish language classes. We have also recently completed a much needed renovation to our school playground. These efforts, and many others, are funded almost exclusively by the PTA, so please consider how you can help support our children! For questions, donations and sponsorships, please contact our Auction Chair, Lori Sanzone Martin, Lori.Martin(at)Capitalone[dot]com .

DONATE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Graciously, we are accepting donations and would love additional bid items. We already have some exciting products and services and are thankful for each one. With your generosity, we are looking forward to adding more bid items to round out our inventory. All items should be submitted by March 5 and may be dropped off in the school office. All donations are tax deductible. Tap your network. Think about your friends and family members… Does anyone have a seasonal home or timeshare who is willing to donate a long weekend or possibly a week? Year after year, these get-a-ways are very popular! •Is there a season ticket holder in your network? Maybe someone is not able to make it to every event, will you consider donating tickets to one game? Maybe you have season tickets for the theatre or symphony? We would appreciate any event tickets you are willing to give! Who owns a business? Please ask your network to donate products or services for the auction. BE A SPONSOR This year, we are offering a sponsor program for our auction. If you are not able to donate items or volunteer your time, show your support by being a sponsor. Also, this is a great opportunity to promote your business!

Here are the package details.

$50 Level Recognition in Auction Program

$100 Level 2 Admission Tickets Recognition in Auction Program

$250 Level 2 Admission Tickets/4 Drink Tickets Recognition in Auction Program Recognition on Sponsor Board at Auction

$500 Level 4 Admission Tickets/8 Drink Tickets Recognition in Auction Program Recognition on Sponsor Board at Auction Recognition in Monarch Message Newsletter – April

$1000 Level 6 Admission Tickets/12 Drink Tickets Recognition in Auction Program Recognition on Sponsor Board at Auction Recognition in Monarch Message Newsletter – April Company Logo on Mary Munford Website – March and April

Local School Board Rep, Kim Bridges, was nice enough to remind us about a forum at the Convention Center, October 28, 6:30 p.m.,  sponsored by The Atlantic.  The topic: Measuring success.  So,  maybe you’ll learn something….and best of all it is free!  Registration is required.

The education forums are  underwritten by Altria. The 3rd forum will be on November 11, topic is: beyond the classroom.

The BUILD SCHOOLS NOW initiative was born in response to the letter written by the business community calling for the elimination of the elected school board and is the people’s cry to leadership to end fighting and finger pointing and make a capital investment in public education.

The BUILD SCHOOLS NOW initiative is the creation of a coalition to begin a public movement on behalf of the children in Richmond City Public Schools that calls for the groundbreaking and development of new schools as the first phase towards enhancing the public school system. On November 5, 2007, at 5:15pm you are invited to come and meet the organizational and community leaders of this coalition. At this press conference we will share details of our plans to end political in-fighting and advance educational opportunities for our children and move this city towards a new vision for public education.

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