As the students and staff at Masons Cove Elementary begin the school year in a brand new building, they will be starting the school year with a new principal as well, who happens to be a familiar face.

The Roanoke County School Board has named Phyllis Satterfield as the new principal at Masons Cove Elementary. Satterfield replaces Ashley McCallum who was named the principal at Green Valley Elementary.

Satterfield first joined Roanoke County Public Schools in 1998 following nine years teaching outside of Roanoke County. She served for many years as the guidance counselor at Masons Cove Elementary before becoming the assistant principal at Glenvar Elementary in 2008.

Satterfield holds a Bachelor’s degree and an endorsement in administration and supervision from Radford University. She also holds a Master’s degree in counseling from Radford University.

“Phyllis has done an excellent job as the assistant principal at Glenvar Elementary and I’m pleased she has accepted this leadership position in returning to Masons Cove,” said Roanoke County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Lorraine Lange. “Having served as the guidance counselor at Masons Cove for many years, she will be a great leader,” said Dr. Lange.

Submitted by Roanoke County Schools

Phyllis Satterfield, an assistant principal at Glenvar Elementary, will take over.

Courtney Cutright of The Roanoke Times has details here.

Local residents have been named to the dean’s list at the Savannah College of Art and Design for spring quarter 2011. Full-time undergraduate students who earn a grade point average of 3.5 or above for the quarter receive recognition on the dean’s list.

Marcie Hancock of Salem, Virginia (24153) is seeking a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Photography.

SCAD: The University for Creative Careers

The Savannah College of Art and Design is a private, nonprofit, accredited institution conferring bachelor’s and master’s degrees to prepare talented students for professional careers. As the most comprehensive art and design university in the world, SCAD offers more than 40 majors and more than 50 minors at distinctive locations in Savannah and Atlanta, Georgia; in Hong Kong; in Lacoste, France; and online through SCAD eLearning.

SCAD has more than 20,000 alumni and offers an exceptional education and unparalleled career preparation. The diverse student body, consisting of more than 10,000 students, comes from all 50 United States and nearly 100 countries worldwide. Each student is nurtured and motivated by a faculty of more than 700 professors with extraordinary academic credentials and valuable professional experience. These professors emphasize learning through individual attention in an inspiring university environment. SCAD’s innovative curriculum is enhanced by advanced, professional-level technology, equipment and learning resources and has garnered acclaim from respected organizations and publications, including 3D World, American Institute of Architects, BusinessWeek, DesignIntelligence, U.S. News & World Report and the Los Angeles Times.

For more information, visit scad.edu.

The following local residents recently graduated from the College of William & Mary:

* Allison Brooks from Salem (24153) graduated with a BA degree.
* Taylor Harveycutter from Salem (24153) graduated with a BA degree.
* Jessica Rodgers from Salem (24153) graduated with a BA degree.
* Nathan Hoback from Salem (24153) graduated with a MAED degree.
Founded by royal charter in 1693, the College of William & Mary is the second oldest educational institution in the nation. During the past 300 years, the college has educated three U.S. Presidents-Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe and John Tyler-numerous senators and members of congress and other national and international leaders. William & Mary is currently ranked among the nation’s top 10 public universities and has been designated a “Public Ivy.”

Ollie’s Bargain Outlet held its grand opening today, July 27, with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 10:00 a.m. followed by an autograph session with NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne for 250 lucky visitors.  The store is located in Spartan Square, and replaced the Goody’s store that closed down nation wide in 2009.  People from all over Salem came out to wait anxiously for the chance to get one of the 250 tickets available on a first-come  first-serve basis to meet famous NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne, and the excitement was palpable.

“We started handing out the tickets at 7:30 a.m. this morning, and we handed out the last one about 8:30 a.m.,” an Ollie’s store employee said.

“I try to support Ollie’s as much as I can,” Kahne said, “I’ll be hanging around here for the first half of the day to meet some of my fans, then its on to the next event in Blacksburg.”

Ollie’s Bargain Outlet sells home goods, furniture, clothing, toys, books and more and stays true to the store’s motto “good stuff cheap.”

To view pictures from the opening, click here.

Written by Kayla Gurley, special to So Salem

You can also find other photos from Ollie’s opening over on business writer Amanda Codispoti’s retail blog, The Storefront.

Mary Kerr has taught for over 25 years.

Sue Aicher has several interests. But she’s particularly passionate about one: teaching swimming.
It seems her personal calling — not mere fun-in-the-sun.
Both she and Mary Kerr of Aquatic Adventures are dedicated to water-safety instruction. And both, said Sue, “hear almost daily about the success and survival of children in our programs.”
Sue noted via email that drowning is “the second leading cause of accidental death and injury among children in the U.S.”
She described personal stories of the two Salem swimmers. Mary has a history of competitive swimming, but some “personal life-changing experiences” fuel her passion for water safety. After seeing a child drown years ago, she became obsessed with teaching swimming.

Sue Aicher and Luke Fisher. - Photos courtesy of Sue Aicher

So Mary has taught for over 25 years. She developed her own Learn-to-Swim & Survival program in the mid-1990s.
“Her dedication…is an inspiration to those who work with her,” wrote Sue — whose children have also worked for Mary as lifeguards and instructors. Thanks to that extensive training, this month Sue’s daughter saved an eight-year-old boy from drowning — “preventing a recurring scenario” of the tragedy Mary had witnessed long ago.
Sue is a lifelong swimmer, and has been teaching swim lessons and toddler survival skills with Mary for the past six years. She’s taking a year off from teaching preschool at St. Anne’s Episcopal Day School. And she continues honing her black-belt karate skills at American Freestyle Karate.

With the economy the way that it is again this year, there are many children in Salem who will be in need of school supplies.  There will be a collection of supplies and cash donations for them at the Salem WalMart on Tuesday, August 9th from 11AM-2PM.  This project is organized by Q99 and a few corporate sponsors.  A school bus from the district will be present that the public may literally walk on and leave school supplies for underprivileged kids in Salem.  Administrators, guidance counselors, and teachers have identified the students who need this assistance.  WalMart is providing a grant of $500 to Salem City Schools.  A couple of other corporate sponsors will be providing cash that day as well.  Several principals will be on hand to spend the grant money and cash received.  This year more than ever, donations from the public will determine the success of the project.

Submitted by Jill Sluss, Promotions Director, WSLQ Q99FM

Ollie’s opened this morning in Spartan Square.

Business writer Amanda Codispoti has details and photos on her retail blog, The Storefront.

The Summer Music Games of Southwest Virginia will have its 20th anniversary Platinum Show on Tuesday, Aug. 2, starting at 6:20 p.m. at Salem Stadium.

This year, there will be three Salemites marching in one of the Corps. James Fox, Jameela Christian, and Logan Woolwine are marching with Jersey Surf.

Here is information from the organizers:

August 2, 2011 will be our 20th Anniversary!!!

We will be host to nine, yes nine, outstanding Corps. Come celebrate with us! Due to your support we have had two consecutive sell-out years. Be sure to get your tickets early this year to ensure you will be a part of this special event.

The lineup for 2011 show is:

n Boston Crusaders – Boston, MA

n The Cadets – Allentown, PA

n Carolina Crown – Ft. Mill, SC

n Cascades – Seattle, WA

n Colts – Dubuque, IA

n Jersey Surf – Camden County, NJ

n Madison Scouts – Madison, WI

n Mandarins  – Sacramento, CA

n Spirit of Atlanta – Atlanta, GA

Drum Corps International exists to showcase the very best in musical arts and pageantry. Members of the corps spend hours each day to achieve perfection and participate in a six week tour of the United States, culminating in the 2011 DCI World Championships which will be held in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The 2011 show will include the talents of youth from Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Washington, Iowa, New Jersey, Wisconsin, California and Georgia. Their music will range from jazz to classical to contemporary music, and will be enjoyed by a crowd of over 5,000. Although the Salem Band Boosters sponsors this event, it coordinates with surrounding school districts in order to host these drum corps.

This event is the primary fund-raiser for the Pride of Salem Marching Band. Profits from sponsorships, advertising, donations and show tickets are used to fund the many activities of the Salem High School Band programs. This funding helps to defray costs of travel and materials.

Without your continued assistance and support, the “Pride of Salem” could not have achieved their unique accomplishments. Though the majority of the raised funds are used to support the Pride of Salem Marching Band, we do supply support to the band programs of the schools that house our participating corps.

For more information and to order tickets, visit www.summermusicgames.org/.

Thursday, July 28th
Local produce from local farmers and local families, fresh from the farm to your table.
Date:July 28
Time:3:30 PM-6:30 PM
Location:Catawba Community Center
Address:4965 Catawba Creek Road Salem, VA 24153
Contact:(540) 384-6804