Grandin Court named "cool school" for honors program

By: Dawn Jefferies | WSLS 10
Published: February 08, 2012

ROANOKE, VA --

There's a lot going on at Grandin Court Elementary to make its students, staff and teachers call it a "cool school." It starts with handyman "Richard," who students say makes days memorable with his seasonal displays. "It makes it fun for them to come to school and have something to look forward to," explained Richard Beck.

It's an elementary school with an honor society. "I think we are one of a few, if not the only Roanoke City school that has an "Elementary National Honor Society" and this is the third year that we've had the program."

Maddie Sackett is proud to be part of it. "I think it's really fun and cool and I like that other kids can look up to me and stuff."

Fifth grade teacher Allison Lineberry heads the group and calls it a great opportunity for students to be a role model for their peers, and then some. "An incentive for them to excel academically and participate in service projects for our community," Lineberry said.

One of this month's service projects can be seen across the school and heard throughout classrooms where students collect pennies for patients. It's a project that raises money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and teaches kids about cancer and how they can make change to beat it. "We also do morning announcements which give information daily about cancer and the research they're doing with the money they're donating," Lineberry said. Donations that make a difference for people inside and out this Roanoke school.