Ridge Spring News: May 2015

Monday, May 25, 2015

May 25, 2015

Ridge Spring News

Memorial Display: American Legion Post 133 has a Memorial Day display in the Ridge Spring Town Square in memory of servicemen killed during wars. Names of each serviceman from the Ridge Spring, Monetta and Ward area are displayed on a memorial ribbon. There are (13) from World War II: Getson Leon Boatwright, Guy D. Fallaw, Eldred L. Holmes, Andrew Jordan, Wallace A. Kneece, Elbert H. Lott, Harvey Haskell Miller, Wallace Oakman, Sim Riddlehoover, Thomas Jefferson Rutland, Carroll B. Salter, Roy Warren and Manchester Boykin Watson; (4) from Korea: John Earl Cockrell, Solomon Emmanuel, John Gilmore Miller and Bogus Padgett; and (3) from Vietnam: Cleveland Cue, James Pierce Powell and Elijah Williams. (If anyone knows of other servicemen or women killed in wars, please contact Post 133 so a ribbon can be dedicated in their memory.) Thanks to John and Nola Burger for their initiative in making this display each year.

Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church: Human/Sex Trafficking in our own backyard? Yes, it is happening in the CSRA. Join guest speaker Ginger Amerson of iCare to learn more about this growing problem. This informative session takes place at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church (1186 Mt. Calvary Rd, Johnston) on Monday, June 8 at 6:30 pm. Please RSVP by phone at 803-685-7523 or e-mail at mountcalvary@pbtcomm.net. Refreshments and childcare will be provided. For more information about iCare ministries visit i-care4.org.

Sometimes we forget how devastating a war can be. Here is a reminder.

Laura Walker: re: the poem “We Shall not Sleep” - my maternal grandmother had not one but TWO brothers die fighting in the battlefields and trenches of Flanders during World War I. My paternal grandmother's young uncle (her mother's younger brother) also died there. He was a young medical student who left school to serve. Another great uncle lost his only son there and his only daughter lost her young husband as well. Not unusual for Brits though - 50% of the adult men died fighting the Germans in World War I. How horrible!

Don Hall: Youth Sunday is Sunday, June 7th. Service begins at 10:30AM. Our special guest preacher will be The Rev. Allean Oliphant of the Rosa Spring Baptist Church in Johnston.

Richard Elders: Each year the Ridge Spring Harvest Festival awards scholarships to seniors who have volunteered for the Harvest Festival and are planning to further their education. Applications are reviewed and this year and selected. Those who received a $500 scholarship each from the Harvest Festival are: Christal Gonzalez Duarte ----RSM
Conner Fox ----King Academy, and Allison Price-- King Academy. After totaling today's fund we have given $44,800. ( Don’t forget the new date of the Harvest Festival September 19^th. )

Joanne Crouch: The Art Association of Ridge Spring has successfully had the first firing of our kiln!!!!! It has been a long road. With each step we are learning more. Workshops will be offered soon

Latest on Peach Tree 23 Yard Sale: The town and FORS sponsored areas are almost full. There are two lesft. There are still places at Cumbee Place and The Watson House. It is now a two day event.

Samantha McClure: Ridge Spring Baptist Church Vacation Bible School is titled SonSparks Lab 2015 and will be held June 22-25th. Come learn about Gods Plan4Us=JESUS. Supper will be served each night. Supper/registration starts at 5:30pm, fun starts at 6:00 pm and dismissal at 8:00 pm. Ages 0-Adults are welcome. Adult Bible Study will be led by Pastor John Chambers. Come join us for an exciting week. For more information, please call or text Mrs. Samantha McClure 870-703-0778.

Joe Cal Watson: The Watson Family Reunion will be held at the Watson House in Ridge Spring on Saturday, August first. All descendants of John or William are invited to attend. If you plan to be here, please let me know so your name will be in the pot.

Rene Miller RSM Elementary School

4H Summer Activities: Information about 4H Summer Activities may be found at:

http://www.clemson.edu/extension/county/saluda/programs/4h/ You may also contact the Saluda Extension Office at 864-445-8117 or Connie Lake at clake@clemson.edu or

Beth Morlock at ekedwar@clemson.edu

Youth Football and Cheerleading Camp: First 300 boys and 100 girls free! Each participant is asked to bring 5 can goods to be donated to Golden Harvest Food Bank. You can register online at www.kodaskids.org. The deadline is June 1. The camp is sponsored by Dakoda Watson, former South Aiken High football player and current NFL player for the Dallas Cowboys. Other NFL players will be there and have autographs for each child. T-shirts and light snacks will be provided. For more information, please contact Angela Watson at (803) 292-3830 or www.kodaskids.org

First Grade - Egg Drop: On Friday, May 1, first grade held its annual Egg Drop

Contest. Students designed containers to prevent a raw egg from cracking when tossed from the roof of the first grade building. The container could be made of and padded with any material. Each year we are intrigued by the creative projects.

Thank You! A big thank you to everyone involved in making Teacher Appreciation Week meaningful. Special thanks to our PTO for providing breakfast and lunch during the week and to our parents who volunteered to give teachers a duty free lunch: Angela Creech, Libby Cockrell, Marley Smart, Dorothy Quattlebaum, Connie Williams, Luz Balcazar, Amanda Fulmer, Marie Waters, Rhonda Mayo, and Teresa Price. We appreciate you!

On a personal note if you know me you know I do laugh. I made a mistake last week and when it was pointed out to me I could not help but laugh. I wrote “for granite” and not “for granted”. Yes, granite is a rock and granted would have been more appropriate. But you can’t help but laugh!!!!

Reminders:

June 5 & 6: peach Tree 23 Yard Sale

Aug. 1: Watson Reunion

Sept. 19: Ridge Spring Harvest Festival

Ridge Spring Library hours: Mon/Tues 8:30 am - 12 pm; Wed., 12:30 – 4:30; Thurs 8:30 am - 12:00 pm; Fri 8:30 am -4:30 pm, Saturday from 9:00 until noon,

Every 2^nd & 4^th Monday: Kids' Corner Story Time 10:30-11:30 a.m., at the Ridge Spring Library.

Every 2^nd Monday: RSM Elem PTO meets at 6:30 pm in the media center.

Every Friday & Saturday: AARS hours 10 – 4 or by appt, free admission

Monday, May 18, 2015

May 18, 2015

Ridge Spring News

The Magnolia Ridge Antique and Art Gathering was a huge success. I saw old friends and met new friends. The weather was perfect and the variety of items was unbelievable. I even had to send for more tomato plants. Life is good!!!!!

We had a tour come to Ridge Spring Thursday from Florence, SC. They were a lively group of senior citizens and enjoyed our unique town. We have a lot to offer others that sometimes we take for granite. They visited Daylily Depot, the Nut House, Main Street Shoppes, Juniper, Spann United Methodist Church and Watsonia, It was a full day for all.

The American Legion Auxiliary Unit #133, Ridge Spring, Will be offering poppies on May 22^nd form 9:00 AM until 3:00 PM. All donations go to support our veterans.

Memorial Day will be celebrated Monday May 25^th. The Americna Legion Post #133 had a display on Town Square in Memory of all fallen but the names of those that died from Saluda county, too. In memory of this time I share a beautiful poem many rember parts or all .

We Shall Not Sleep

In Flanders Fields the Poppies Blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly.

Scarce heard amid the guns below,

We are the dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow.

Loved and were loved and now we lie

In Flanders Fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hans we throw

The torch; be yours to hold on high

If ye break faith with us who die,

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders Fields.

Col. John McCrae

Latest on Peach Tree 23 Yard Sale: The town and FORS sponsored areas are almost full. There are still places at Cumbee Place and The Watson House. It is now a two day event and this town will be hopping!!!

Evon Kenner: On Sunday Jerusalem Baptist Church had its Mother's Day program. The speaker, Minister Stacey Lee delivered a spiritual message and the Sanctuary Choir sang beautifully. During the service they honored one of its members, Mrs. Allean Hammond. Mrs. Hammond is 99 years old and she attends church often. Deborah Jay delivered a moving tribute to Mrs. Hammond and then the pastor, Rev. Murray presented her with a plaque thanking her for many, many years of dedicated service to the church

Lee Ann Perez- One Ash Farm & Dairy: Wow, things have really been hopping around the farm! The garden is coming up beautifully- we have already been eating spring lettuce, radishes and cilantro. There are loads of tiny tomatoes and blooms on the peppers. I'm can't wait to start eating the fresh green beans, corn and zucchini! There is just something so delicious about veggies fresh from the garden. (we will be selling our excess from the farm this year, so stay tuned for what's available!)

What a blessing it was to come home from a trip to find that my family had planted a pretty flower garden outside the dairy. The burst of color is such a pleasure every time we go out to work. Don't forget you can pick up any of our items right from the farm- check out our website at www.OneAshFarmAndDairy.com or give us a call at (803) 649-9172. Hope you have a blessed week!

AD Brian McCormick: The RSM Booster Club is sponsoring a Captains Choice golf outing at Persimmon Hill Golf Course on May 23 at 8 am. Cost is $200 a team or $50 a player. This includes 18 holes with cart, lunch, door prizes, and free soft drinks. If interested, please contact Brian McCormack at 803/960-0508.

Rene Miller RSM Elementary School

For the week ending May 8: Our school has completed 1,192,728 math problems. We have earned 397,576 stickers. The team of the week is: Mrs. Shealy’s Second Grade Class. The player of the week is: David Lott. He earned 288 stickers. He is in Mrs. Matthew’s 3rd grade class.

The top team for each grade level is:

Kindergarten: Mrs. Martin’s class

1st Grade: Mrs. Carson’s class

2nd Grade: Mrs. Shealy’s class

3rd Grade: Mrs. Matthews’ class

4th Grade: Mrs. Starnes’ class

5th Grade: Ms. Rodgers’ class

Our students continue to work hard using the First in Math program. We have met our goal of One Million math problems well before the end of the year! This will help increase fluency with math facts and, therefore, increase our test scores in the spring! Way to go, Ridge Spring Elementary students!

2015-2016 Registration:

RSM Elementary registration for the 2015-16 school year will be as follows:

Tuesday, August 11 from 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 pm

Wednesday, August 12 from 12 noon - 6:00 pm

Please note: you will have to provide TWO proofs of residency. This includes all returning students. Documents must be in the parent’s name and include: current water or power bill, current lease agreement, mortgage statement, or property tax receipt.

Awards Day is June 1with 4th grade - 11:00 a.m., 3rd grade - 11:45 a.m., 2nd grade - 12:30 p.m., and 1st grade - 1:15 p.m.

Celebration of Character: We are so proud of Robby Mitchell, Sydney Corley and

Cody Davenport (pictured) for representing RS-M Elementary in the Celebration of Character for 2014- 2015. The Celebration of Character is a yearlong initiative to recognize young people in Aiken elementary, middle and high schools who exhibit outstanding character in their lives. The Celebration of Character was held Saturday, May 9th, at St. Angela Hall in Aiken. Congratulations to these students!

Reminders:

May 21: FORS meeting at Cumbee Place 5:00 PM

May 23: RSM Golf Tournament

June 5 & 6: peach Tree 23 Yard Sale

Aug. 1: Watson Reunion

Sept. 19: Ridge Spring Harvest Festival

Ridge Spring Library hours: Mon/Tues 8:30 am - 12 pm; Wed., 12:30 – 4:30; Thurs 8:30 am - 12:00 pm; Fri 8:30 am -4:30 pm, Saturday from 9:00 until noon,

Every 2^nd & 4^th Monday: Kids' Corner Story Time 10:30-11:30 a.m., at the Ridge Spring Library.

Every 2^nd Monday: RSM Elem PTO meets at 6:30 pm in the media center.

Every Friday & Saturday: AARS hours 10 – 4 or by appt, free admission

Monday, May 11, 2015

May 11, 2015

Ridge Spring News

The Harvest Festival meeting is May 12th, 6:00 pm at Cumbee Place. Please mark your calendar. The next one will be June 16^th at Cumbee Place also. Another reminder to all is that the Harvest Festival date has been changed to September 19^th.

If there is anyone who throws trash on the sidewalk or highway because they don't have a bag to put it in to carry it to a dumpster, come by The Nut House. We will be glad to give you a bag.

FORS meeting is Thursday May 14^th.

The Ridge Spring Fire Department’s Benefit was a huge success. They cleared over $10,000.00 again. How fortunate we all are.

The Ridge Spring Fire Department Auxiliary: Many thanks to all who kindly donated bake goods to the Fire Dept. Benefit. There was realized OUTSTANDING support.

The State Highway Department will not allow a handicap parking place if it is parallel parking. Ridge Spring has one better. If you are handicapped and need medicine from our own Drub Store Bank’s Drugs, call them and they will bring your medicine out to you in your car. Just call them first. For those who are house-bound, they will deliver, too. I remember how many times they helped my mother out. That is small town living at its best.

Helpful Hands Community Mission announcements: The Helpful Hands Mission will be distributing food and clothing every 2nd and 4th Saturday 10am- 12-noon. (This Saturday) There will be Baptism Services at The Brush Arbor Park 1095 Keys Pond Rd Ridge Spring Sunday May 24th 11 am. Cookout will follow. Helpful Hands Mission would like to thank all Ministry Partners for their support...

Effie Martin: Aiken County Education Association-Retired gives two $500 scholarships each year to students who plan to major in education. This year the scholarships go to Rebecca Shaw from Silver Bluff High School. Rebecca was number nine in her class of 125. The second scholarship went to Quameshia Gantt the daughter of Janice Gantt. Quameshia is number two in her class at Ridge Spring Monetta High. Quameshia plans to attend Clemson University in the fall.

On May 16^th, Magnolia Ridge Antique and Art Gathering

Sixth annual Show..Featuring: Palmetto Antique Tractor Club Coffee will be on…. The Mt Calvary Men’s Mission Group will again be serving a delicious breakfast and lunch! There is no fee to spend a wonderful day on this farm in Ridge Spring! The Farm is at intersection of Rt 39 and Rt 23 on Mt Calvary Rd. Diagonally across from John Deere… Just minutes out of Ridge Spring * A wonderful touch of small town South Carolina!! Our web site is Magnoliaridgesc.com or call Bev 561-262-7475

RIDGE SPRING UNITED MEHTHODIST CHURCH: During the month of May the collected food will be delivered to Bethel Baptist for use in the Back Pack Ministry. If you would to participate, leave your donation on the porch of the Family Life Center (FLC) and a church member will make sure it finds its way into the Big Red Box.

Also on the porch of the FLC is a prayer request box. The Box is checked before regular Church service on Sunday and requests are added to our prayer list.

Ridge Spring United Methodist Church has a Face Book page. Take a moment to visit it and find out what’s happening around the Church. We are trying to reach 100 likes, like us and help us reach our goal.

Joe Cal Watson: The Watson Family Reunion will be held at the Watson House in Ridge Spring on Saturday, August first. All descendants of John or William are invited to attend. If you plant to be here, please let me know so your name will be in the pot.

Rene Miller, Ridge Spring Elementary School

First in Math For the week ending April 24: Our school has completed 1,169,115 math problems. We have earned 389,705 stickers. The team of the week is: Mrs. Shealy’s Second Grade Class. The player of the week is: Montana Hartley. She earned 344 stickers. She is in Ms. Young’s 5th grade class. The top team for each grade level is:

Kindergarten: Mrs. Hallman’s class

1st Grade: Mrs. Willing’s class

2nd Grade: Mrs. Shealy’s class

3rd Grade: Mrs. Matthew’s class

4th Grade: Mrs. Lee’s class

5th Grade: Ms. Young’s class

The faculty and staff will be participating in Olympic Games on Fri., May 22, at 1 pm. The cost to attend this exciting and sometimes comical event is $1.

New Standards

You may find the new SC state standards at: http://ed.sc.gov/scde-grant-opportunities/

NewSCStandards.cfm

AD Brian McCormick: The RSM Booster Club is sponsoring a Captains Choice golf outing at Persimmon Hill Golf Course on May 23 at 8 am. Cost is $200 a team or $50 a player. This includes 18 holes with cart, lunch, door prizes, and free soft drinks. If interested, please contact Brian McCormack at 803/960-0508.

Josie Rodgers

We spent lots of time at the softball field this past weekend, watching girls from Wardlaw and King play their hearts out. Both teams won one and lost one Friday night and ended up playing each other Sat morning. It was a very close and exciting game! Wardlaw came out on top and played St. John. Again they played with heart but St. John won. We are very proud of the young ladies from both teams who showed great sportsmanship and lots of heart.

Mother’s Day was wonderful for our family! Our 5 generations spent time together eating, telling old stories, laughing, and loving on the babies. My dad was feeling pretty well and joined in telling stories about his mother. Then we traveled to my in-laws’ and played in the pool, laughing and sharing. The highlight for the kids was probably trying to pitch the ball to Grandma and strike her out! What a good sport she is!

RSM Mid/High news: Congratulations to the varsity baseball team for a super season! They finished the season 11-3, 11-1 in region play, won the Region Championship, and made it to the 4^th round of playoffs.

Several varsity baseball players were nominated by other Region IV A coaches for the 2015 All-Region Team: Johnathan Gibson, Dustin Ferguson, Bra’Quon Preston, and Miguel Leaphart. The Player of the Year is Johnathan Gibson, and the Coach of the Year is Heath Corley! All will be honored at the school’s athletic banquet.

The Joint Women's Club of Aiken is sponsored a Celebration of Character reception last Saturday at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Aiken. Nominations from teachers are based on excellent character traits such as determination, gratitude, generosity, resourcefulness, and fairness. Jermois Morris and Cristal Gonzalez were nominated from the high school. Jordan Stone was chosen from the middle school.

Many thanks to Cedar Creek Church for providing a baked potato buffet, salad, and desserts for middle and high staff on National Teacher Day. Teachers were also entered in daily drawings for donated gifts. The church also put goodies in the teachers’ boxes each day to remind them how loved they really are.

Ashley Burns, English teacher, wanted to let everyone in the community know that she is transferring to Strom Thurmond. She has truly loved her time at RSM and notes how friendly the teachers are and how sweet the students are. She will miss RSM, and we will surely miss her!

Prom news: Prom royalty crowned included Prom King Bobby Pixley, Prom Queen Ty-miyah Tyler, Prom Prince marquis Hopkins, and Prom Princess Destinee Brewer.

On Mar. 11, senior Quamesha Gantt participated in job shadowing at the SC State Capitol. She was able to attend Senate and House sessions. She had lunch with Senator Tom Young, Jr. and Representative Bill Taylor. She was able to discuss issues with them including Common Core and the inequalities Title I schools face.

On April 22, several honor roll students from the middle and high school were able to attend an Augusta Greenjackets game with Ms. Carges and Ms. Coleman.

On a personal or farming note: I have always been proud of my tomato plants that I raised from seed. This year with my trip down memory lane my plants did not like it. They were not up to the quality I liked either. So I have a new set in and they look great. Come by and check them out. The varieties include whopper, better boy, sweet 100, chef’s orange, celebrity, a few stripey, Cherokee purple, roma, and patio. Next year I will plan a vacation with better timing. By the way when I worked for someone else this was not such a problem with taking time off. Times do change, but I sure am happy about my tomato plants making a comeback.

Reminders:

May 16: Magnolia Ridge Antique and Art Gathering

May 23: RSM Golf Tournament

June 5 & 6: peach Tree 23 Yard Sale

Aug. 1: Watson Reunion

Sept. 19: Ridge Spring Harvest Festival

Ridge Spring Library hours: Mon/Tues 8:30 am - 12 pm; Wed., 12:30 – 4:30; Thurs 8:30 am - 12:00 pm; Fri 8:30 am -4:30 pm, Saturday from 9:00 until noon,

Every 2^nd & 4^th Monday: Kids' Corner Story Time 10:30-11:30 a.m., at the Ridge Spring Library.

Every 2^nd Monday: RSM Elem PTO meets at 6:30 pm in the media center.

Every Friday & Saturday: AARS hours 10 – 4 or by appt, free admission

Monday, May 4, 2015

May 4, 2015

Ridge Spring News

To all Mothers, Happy Mother’s Day: How fortunate we daughter are to have known you.

The Firemen’s Benefit was a wonderful success. The food was great as always and the auction was fantastic. I even bid a few times and did get one item that I am delighted to get.

Before the auction, the D. S. Cone family presented to the Fire Department a collage of the original or charter members of the Ridge Spring Fire Department. Mr. Cone died recently and had been the last of the charter members to be living. The original 12 charter members were R. S. (Bob) Householder Sr., Lovic Bodie, Dallas Simons (DS) Cone, John Glenn (Johnnie) Cumbee Sr., Roderick McIver (Rod) Watson, Andrew Griffin (AG) Rutland, Claude David (CD) Sawyer, James Byrnes (Byrnes) Gregory, Arthur Carlyle (Arthur) Kneece, Benjamin (Ben) Willis, Sr., Le Roy (Leroy) Cone, and Wendell Wallace (Wallace) Steadman, Jr.

Several stories were told. I will try to repeat them somewhat accurately. The original group had bought or gotten a hose real that could be attached to a hitch on the back of a car and pulled to the right place. Only a few cars in Ridge Spring had those hitches and a fire occurred on the day when no one in town had that hitch. Two of the firemen hopped into the trunk of a car, held onto the hose real and rode to the fire. That was dangerous for all but no one was hurt that day.

Another story is how the town firemen had a regular phone but that it would ring continuously at the homes of the Firemen until picked up by a fireman and found out where the fire was. That is really early technology done by E. Phillips Boatwright owner of Ridge Telephone Co.

Then there was the cross on top of the Police Department building that was located on town square. The cross was covered with light bulbs and I thought it was just a cross. Last night I found out it was a directional signal for the other volunteer firemen to know which way to go. Who got there first turned on the directional bulbs for the firemen to know which way to go.

Fun was had by all and the community showed their support. We are all grateful for those men that had a vision of what was needed for our community. We are thankful to those who still serve today for they walk in big footsteps.

Becky Hughes: The RSM Middle/High spring band and chorus concert will be held on May 14 at 6 pm in the school gym.

On May 16^th, Magnolia Ridge Antique and Art Gathering

Again this year, the men of Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church are holding a fundraiser at Magnolia Ridge Antiques and Art Gathering on May 16. They will be serving up biscuits for breakfast and hamburgers and hot dogs for lunch.

An Action Team grant from Thrivent Financial provided funds to help with expenses. The proceeds from the food sales go to Mt. Calvary’s Lutheran Men in Mission and will be used for their various church and community service projects. The group’s projects have included building ramps, helping seniors with fuel costs, assisting families who have suffered loss from fires and burglaries, and participating in Operation Christmas Child. We invite you to come out on May 16 and support the LMM in the work they do in our community

RIDGE SPRING UNITED MEHTHODIST CHURCH: The Big Red Box FULL of non perishable food items was delivered to Helpful Hands Mission. The food will be used in their food bank for distribution twice a month. The month of May the collected food will be delivered to Bethel Baptist for use in the Back Pack Ministry. If you would to participate, leave your donation on the porch of the Family Life Center (FLC) and a church member will make sure it finds its way into the Big Red Box.

Also on the porch of the FLC is a prayer request box. The Box is checked before regular Church service on Sunday and requests are added to our prayer list.

Did you hear the Church bell ring after Service this Sunday? It was discovered that the bell was made in 1889 by a company located in Cincinnati, Ohio. Be sure and listen out for the ‘come to Church’ rings on future Sundays and join us.

Joe Cal Watson: The Watson Family Reunion will be held at the Watson House in Ridge Spring on Saturday, August first. All descendants of John or William are invited to attend. If you plant to be here, please let me know so your name will be in the pot.

Josie Rodgers

Happy birthday to my oldest daughter, Amber! She turns 26 May 7. She is a working mom who is pursuing her nursing degree and raising two beautiful children!

Happy Mother’s Day to all moms! What a special day for us to let our moms know how much we love and appreciate them! I am extremely lucky to still have 5 generations of women in my family still living! My grandmother (Letty Lee), my mom (Rosalyn Pressley), me, my 2 daughters (Amber & Annalee), and my granddaughter (Leagrace). We don’t always agree on everything, but we always support each other and love each other through everything life gives us. Of course, we also have my son and grandson in the mix, but it is unique to have a straight line of strong women!

Last Sunday, St. William Catholic Church had two boys celebrate the Sacrament of First Communion. The fellows, Aiden Rodgers and Kenneth Way, looked handsome all dressed up for the occasion and made their mamas’ hearts swell with pride and love! I even sang two special songs for them: “Jesus Loves Me” (duet with Steve Miller) and “Surely the Presence of the Lord.” After mass, the church hosted a covered dish dinner to honor them and the Confirmation students. To liven things up, a blue marlin found its way into the fellowship building, perhaps searching for some of the delicious home cooking the ladies served!

It’s teacher appreciation week! I had many wonderful instructors during my school and college days, have worked alongside some fabulous educators, and have had my children taught by some amazing teachers. I am grateful to each one for their special contributions to our lives. A teacher leaves an imprint on each student; hopefully, that imprint is positive, encouraging, loving, and lasting. We can reach back and pull life lessons from many of those people, and those memories can still have a positive impact on us today. Thank you to ALL teachers and other educators, past, present, and future. And if you’ve had a negative experience, just remember that the majority of the educational realm is genuinely concerned about the future of our children and will do all they can to ensure a positive experience and solid foundation for their lives.

RSM Elem news (Rene Miller): The Miss RSM Elementary Pageant was a great success. Winners included Wee Miss Alyssa Whitfield, 1^st runner up Gracie Temples, & 2^nd runner up Skylar Saunders; Little Miss Kaileigh Smith, 1^st runner up Kaylen Shaw, & 2^nd runner up Brianna Dicks; Pre-Teen Miss Sydney Corley, 1^st runner up Katelyn Clark, & 2^nd runner up Abigayle Moss.

The 5^th graders enjoyed a field trip to Capers Island on April 17. Students were able to take a boat ride to the island where a naturalist allowed them to tour the island and gather interesting items from the beach. They talked about the items and the creatures that were found there. The students were able to see dolphins swimming alongside the boat, and one group had the privilege of seeing a shark! A picnic of hamburgers and hot dogs was served on the beach.

Last Friday was a beach party themed yearbook signing day after the parents’ breakfast. Students brought beach towels and enjoyed a picnic lunch and signed each other’s yearbooks.

The faculty and staff will be participating in Olympic Games on Fri., May 22, at 1 pm. The cost to attend this exciting and sometimes comical event is $1.

RSM Mid/High news: The drama dept, under the direction of Kerry Jackson, will again compete in the Garcia Theatre Project at USC Aiken on Fri., May 8, at 3:15 pm. The group will enact I Don’t Want To Talk About It by Bradley Hayward. This play is about a suicidal teenage girl who struggles because people would rather talk about her than talk to her. At 4:45, the awards ceremony will be held.

Reminders:

May 16: Magnolia Ridge Antique and Art Gathering

June 5 & 6: peach Tree 23 Yard Sale

Aug. 1: Watson Reunion

Sept. 19: Ridge Spring Harvest Festival

Ridge Spring Library hours: Mon/Tues 8:30 am - 12 pm; Wed., 12:30 – 4:30; Thurs 8:30 am - 12:00 pm; Fri 8:30 am -4:30 pm, Saturday from 9:00 until noon,

Every 2^nd & 4^th Monday: Kids' Corner Story Time 10:30-11:30 a.m., at the Ridge Spring Library.

Every 2^nd Monday: RSM Elem PTO meets at 6:30 pm in the media center.

Every Friday & Saturday: AARS hours 10 – 4 or by appt, free admission