A tourism and business lobby group and a Highlands parent have filed a petition with the State Office of Administrative Hearings challenging the legality of the recently approved alternative calendar for Macon County Schools which sets the start date for the 2011-2012 school year on Aug. 4, three weeks earlier than last year.

Sabrina Hawkins, a mother of three Highlands School students, is seeking an injunction against the State Board of Education to withdraw its approval of a calendar waiver which will allow the school district to begin classes three weeks before Aug. 25, the statewide mandated start date. Hawkins and her co-petitioner in the case, an organization called Save Our Summers – N.C. based in Wake County, claim that in granting Macon County's waiver request for the alternative calendar, the SBE “failed to comply with its statutory obligations, failed to follow proper procedure, and blatantly ignored the merits of the requests.”

Special awards were presented at a recent Awards Night at Victory Christian School according to Principal Jim Petersen.

Sarah Stallings received a MVP trophy for her performance in the Victory Challenge Basketball Invitational Tournament. Summer McMahan was awarded a trophy for being selected to the NCCSA 1-A All-State Girls’ Basketball Team. Brayden McMahan received a trophy for being selected to the NCCSA 1-A All-State Boys’ Basketball Team at the same meeting.

Students earning an “A” average received a medal and certificate for their Academic Excellence.

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Honors student heads for medical school

Rivers Woodward graduated from UNC Chapel Hill on May 8 with honors in Biology and Theater. During his Chapel Hill years he was active in Big Brothers/Big Sisters, the coaching of Special Olympics and set up a clowning program at the UNC Pediatric Hospital. He traveled to Haiti, Nicaragua and Guatemala to perform service work, has appeared in several Chapel Hill theater productions, and has been president of the student Club Racquetball team. Rivers brought Patch Adams to Chapel Hill in April for a student/faculty workshop and several talks on human relationships.

Canyon Woodward, a recent graduate of Far Horizons Homeschool, will be studying at Harvard College in Cambridge, MA, starting this fall. Having participated in academics and extra-curricular activities at Franklin High, Southwestern Community College and Far Horizons, you might actually call Canyon more of a “hybrid student.”

At Franklin High, Canyon was active in the Interact Club, Mock Trial and Math Club, often taking the leadership role in these activities. He excelled in Tennis and Cross Country, being selected team captain in both sports.

In the greater community, Canyon organized Empty Bowls two years in a row, an event which raised funds to feed the hungry, both in Haiti and here in Macon County.