Recognizing the positive
During the past week we attended three Rappahannock High School events: ➤ Wednesday, the high school juniors and seniors gathered in the auditorium for the annual Scholarship Assembly. For 90 minutes seniors came to the front of the room to shake hands with presenters and receive scholarship awards. These presenters reflected every element of our community, from retired educators to the garden club, from Headwaters to the Lions Club, from memorials to young people lost in the prime of their lives to recognitions of community service and leadership. Forty-four groups and individuals sponsoring scholarships appeared in the program, primarily local but including two statewide allocations won by Rappahannock seniors in competition with students throughout Virginia. All together, awards totaling $125,000 went to 35 students, testifying to their excellence and our community’s support of them. (This does not include scholarships won by students from their universities.) The students present cheered for their classmates, and the juniors observed the rewards for hard work, scholarship, and community service.
➤ Saturday, the Rappahannock Quiz Bowl Team taped the It’s Academic competition at the WRC-TV studios in Washington, D.C. Missing several of their starters due to the play production this past weekend, the members still placed second, fielding a freshman who contributed multiple answers, and cheered on by classmates, parents, community members, and the bus driver.
➤ Sunday, the Rappahannock County High School Drama Club presented its final performance of The School of Rock. Altogether, over 50 students participated in this musical by Andrew Lloyd Weber and Julian Fellowes, celebrated by frequent applause throughout and a standing ovation at its conclusion from an audience of elementary and high school students, parents, teachers, administrators, and community members. The band played throughout the production, and parents served refreshments during the intermission.
These three events illustrate some important and sometimes overlooked aspects of Rappahannock County: our community supports and celebrates the admirable young people who attend our schools, and these young people give back through community service, genuine gratitude, and their potential and promise to serve our society in the future. We feel proud to live in a county that offers these opportunities to our children and in a county where the children take advantage of them. Every now and then, we need to recognize the positive.