A festive atmosphere hovered over the Lewiston-Porter Board of Education meeting as students performed, people were recognized, and gifts from donors received.

A group of third-graders performed several traditional Christmas carols and the entire room joined in on "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." Student carolers, under the direction of Nicole Mosier, included Elizabeth Teal, Maya Marcyan, Makenna Barrientos, Emma Sand, Nathan Rhodes, Olivia Naughton, Julia Thomas, Meghan Baio, Graciana Auer, Ciaran Edwards, Alexandra Lee, Ellie Phillips, Jaden Lombardo and Isabella Tolliano. Vicki Mehr accompanied.

Let's face it: It's finals week - the worst time of the year. You've taken about five or six classes all semester and now have about the same amount of finals; you're pondering to yourself, "What was I thinking!?!"

First, try not to cram. I know at the time it might seem like a good idea, but in the long run it isn't. Finals are an extremely stressful time; no one is denying that. However, for finals, it would be more advisable to study in small increments. In the days before your final, study that subject about a half an hour each day. The material will stick with you better this way rather than studying it all at once at ungodly hours of the night.

Don't worry, you can do this. Just read, and use some of my tips and take a deep breathe, everything is going to be OK.

Jean Baruch, founder of the Tuscon, Ariz.-based Beads of Courage Inc., visited Stella Niagara Education Park to engage students in a prayer-partner activity.

Winners of the annual DiMino's Lewiston Tops-NFP/Sentinel Holiday Coloring Contest were announced recently at the Tops store on Center Street.

Teachers and students at Edward Town Middle School are getting together to put an end to bullying.

Staff members from Mount St. Mary's Hospital visited Lew-Port earlier this month to give students a presentation on the importance of hand washing to prevent the spread of infection.

Pop or soda, the generic term for carbonated beverages has been a source of friendly debate between soft drink aficionados for decades.

Patricia McGee, founder of McGee Coaching, presented "Center of the Hourglass - Middle Management - Sink or Swim?" Tuesday as part of the NU Family Business Center breakfast forum at Sonoma Grille.

About 45 minutes into Thursday's Student Culture Expo, Kaitlin Slowe hurried across the Castellani Art Museum's main gallery to seek the counsel of event organizer Laura Brownlie.

When Al Oddo retired in June, members of the Niagara University community agreed it would be difficult to imagine a faculty roster that didn't include the accounting professor of 38 years. Now they won't have to.

The fourth grade class at Kaegebein Elementary School celebrated "Colonial Day."

Children at Kaegebein Elementary School hunted over tables covered with paperbacks last Friday in search of that perfect book.

Grand Island High School's National Honor Society held its annual spaghetti dinner on Nov. 18.

St. Peter R.C. School celebrated a traditional Thanksgiving luncheon on Nov. 17. Parents and grandparents were invited to share in the celebration.

Several Lockport area youth have been selected to perform alongside the Russian professionals in Moscow Ballet's Great Russian Nutcracker at the Palace Theater in Lockport on Monday, Dec. 5, and Tuesday, Dec. 6. Both shows begin at 7:30 p.m. Dyan Mulvey Dance Academy of Lockport is the host studio for Moscow Ballet's Student Program, with a Moscow Ballet Russian master dance instructor and soloist serving as the audition and rehearsal director.

Dyan Mulvey Dance Academy combines the excitement of dance, the power of music and the feeling of self-confidence for students in classes that include ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop, acro, and cheer dance.

Moscow Ballet has worked with dance studio owners in 70 cities across the country for almost two generations making a significant impact on aspiring dancers' lives.

A Saturday matinee performance by the Spotlighters drama club at Grand Island High School will be a family reunion of sorts.

More than 100 students and history buffs gathered to see international explorer Josh Bernstein Tuesday night at Niagara University, as he told of his many adventures and television fame.

The official installation of New York DECA members took place at Salvatore's Italian Gardens last Tuesday night.

The Niagara County Early Child Care QIP is set to graduate its first cohort of child care centers.

Lewiston-Porter Middle School was buzzing Monday, but not with noise, with hair clippers.

Veronica Connor Middle School
Five musical groups performed at the Connor Middle School fall concert on Wednesday night in the Grand Island High School auditorium.

School Bus Safety Poster Contest winners from Sidway, St. Stephen, Kaegebein and Huth Road schools were treated to breakfast at Tops on Thursday morning.

Miss Posa's first grade class at St. Peter R.C. School in Lewiston is learning about culture, ancestry and heritage.

Fourth-graders at St. Peter R.C. School work hard, learn and have fun, too.

The Western New York community is still shaken over the suicide death of Williamsville North student Jamey Rodemeyer.

Wednesday evening, the Grand Island Board of Education passed three separate resolutions related to the possible 2011 capital project affecting all five public school buildings.

The first resolution, whereby the district would initiate an environmental impact assesment, as required by state law, relative to the proposed capital project, passed unanimously with a 6-0 vote.

The second resolution, whereby the district would put Proposition No. 1, a capital improvement project in the amount of $46,822,155, to public vote on Dec. 20, passed with a vote of 5-1

Niagara University announces Dr. Roselind Gullo Bogner, associate professor of school counseling, is receiving the career achievement award from the New York State School Counselor Association. The award is being presented to Bogner at the Statewide Conference of the New York State School Counselor Association Friday, Oct. 28, in Rochester.

The award recognizes the school counselor or counselor educator whose contributions to his or her students, place of employment, colleagues and community have been substantial and ongoing. In addition, the recipient exhibits a commitment to professional school counseling and has a record of service to the profession.

For the second straight year and the fourth time in five years, Niagara University's American Chemical Society student chapter has been recognized by The Society Committee on Education. Dr. Mary McCourt, chair of Niagara's biochemistry/chemistry department, received a letter in late September from the society notifying her that the student chapter had been selected for an Honorable Mention Award for activities it conducted during the 2010-11 academic year.

More than 330 reports were submitted to The Society Committee on Education for 2010-11, with only 107 of them receiving honorable mention awards.

In light of another teen suicide as a result of bullying, the Niagara Region PTA wants to share the details of its "Stop Bullying Now!" initiative and implore adults and children alike to learn how emotionally damaging bullying behaviors can be.

A diverse task force of dedicated volunteers (including school administrators, Niagara Region PTA board members, PTA parents and students) has been working on this initiative since January of 2010. Each of the 31 individual PTA units and two councils within the Niagara Region has received (or will receive shortly) a "Stop Bullying Now!" toolkit to assist in finding unique ways to get the message out to students, parents and school districts that bullying cannot be tolerated.

New York state has unveiled a new website and Facebook page to educate teens and young adults about dating abuse, and to empower them to make healthy relationship choices.

"Respect Love, Love Respect." That simple phrase eloquently captures the important message behind a new website and Facebook page designed to educate teens and young adults about dating abuse.

New online and social networking resources are designed to raise awareness of dating abuse, encourage healthy relationships, empower teens and young adults to take action on the issue, and link them -- and the adults in their lives -- to resources and assistance.

Shannon Hardy, Class of 2011, was awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Scholarship.

On the minds of most school administrators, teachers and parents are incidents both locally and nationally involving bullying.

Lewiston-Porter School District residents were told at Tuesday evening's Board of Education session that Lew-Port officials take reported incidents of bullying and harassment seriously, and that those incidents are fully investigated and appropriate actions are taken.

Niagara University's College of Hospitality and Tourism Management hosts its annual convocation.

Candice Lymburner, a 2011 Niagara University graduate currently pursuing an MBA at her alma mater, recently had an article published in the Journal of Marketing Development and Competitiveness. The paper, "The Future of the Music Industry," appears in Volume 5 of the peer-reviewed journal, which covers the marketing arena and the interface between marketing and firm competitiveness.

Lymburner, a Niagara Falls native and current Buffalo resident, completed the paper as an undergrad, along with Bohdan Pikas, a professor of marketing in NU's College of Business Administration and chair of its commerce department, and visiting professor, Anastasia Pikas.

Niagara University announced Peter van Inwagen, one of the world's leading philosophers, will deliver this year's Albertus Magnus Lecture on Thursday, Oct. 20. The free event, presented by NU's philosophy department, will begin at 5:15 p.m. in the university's Castellani Art Museum.

The address will be focused on the coherence of the Judeo-Christian and Islamic doctrine of the resurrection of the body.

The Niagara Career and Technical Education Center recently held an induction ceremony for 10 students invited into the National Technical Honor Society.

Niagara-Wheatfield High School will present the play "Did Someone Say, Murder?" by David J. LeMaster at 7 p.m. Oct. 20, 21 and 22. Directed by English teacher Tammy Dobe, it is a murder-mystery comedy involving 25 students who will be acting, assistant directing and helping out backstage.