Apex Middle School held its Geography Bee Jan. 10. Jud Griffin was the school winner. He will now take a placement test to see if he qualifies for the state competition. Luke Mincey finished second and Chris Weiss finished third.

Other participants at the Geography Bee were: eighth-grader Lexi Strollo; seventh-graders Emily Tiller and Alec Reinke; and sixth-graders Mohsin Haider, Joseph Barr and EmmaRose Dicaro.

A Spotlight on Student breakfast was held Jan. 12. Each team at Apex Middle School recognized and nominated a student for outstanding personal achievement. The PTA provided the breakfast for the students and parents.

The nominated students are: Erin Conroy, Anna Escoto, Stephania Gonzalez-Colon, Hannah Koch, Kay Langley, Duy Nguyen, Zohara Scott, Frederick Shockett and Sha-deja Taborn.

Frederick Shockett represented the school at the Wake County school board meeting Jan. 24.

ATHENS DRIVE HIGH SCHOOL

Four students from Athens Drive High School were selected to participate in the East Regional All-State Orchestra. Iris Sun, Betty Sun, Rachel Knierim and Corinne Crowley will participate in an orchestra clinic in Durham this month and will perform at Methodist University in Fayetteville in March.

EAST CARY MIDDLE SCHOOL

The East Cary Middle School Junior Beta Club is holding Pasta for Pennies beginning Tuesday, Feb. 13, through March 2 to collect money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The campaign coincides with the East Cary Middle School "One Book, One School" initiative in which students are reading "Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie" by Jordan Sonnenblick.

Author Jordan Sonnenblick will visit East Cary Middle School Feb. 24. Sonnenblick will speak to students, sign books and have lunch with school poetry contest winners.

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION SUMMIT

An education summit on early childhood learning will be from 10 a.m. to noon and 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11, at St. Augusta Missionary Baptist Church, 605 Bridge St., Fuquay-Varina. Parents will receive a broad range of information and assistance regarding pre-kindergarten and elementary education, with pre-enrollment opportunities provided by Wake County Public School System student assignment staff. For information, visit www.wcpss.net .

GREEN HOPE HIGH SCHOOL

Freshman parent seminars for parents of current ninth-grade students will be from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Feb. 13, and April 20 at the Page-Walker Arts and History Center, 119 Ambassador Loop, Cary. No registration is required and light refreshments will be provided.

KOHL'S CARES SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

Kohl's Department Stores is accepting nominations for outstanding young volunteers for the 2012 Kohl's Cares Scholarship Program.

Two nominees from each of the more than 1,100 Kohl's stores nationwide will win a $50 Kohl's gift card. More than 200 of the store winners will win regional scholarships worth $1,000 toward post-secondary education. Ten national winners will be awarded a total of $10,000 in scholarships for post-secondary education and Kohl's will donate $1,000 to a nonprofit organization on each national winner's behalf.

Nominations for kids ages 6-18 will be accepted until March 15. Nominators must be at least 21 years old. For details, visit www.kohlskids.com.

LIFELONG LEARNING

The Wake County Public School System will offer the following classes at Athens Drive High School through its Lifelong Learning Program. For information, please call 919-431-7593 or email lifelonglearning@wcpss.net.

SMART Technology in the Classroom Level 2, Thursdays, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., Feb. 16-23, $145

Negotiating Savvy, Mondays, 6:30 to 9 p.m., Feb. 27-April 2, $125.

PENNY ROAD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

N.C. Beautiful announced Scott Perry, a teacher at Penny Road Elementary School in Cary, as a recipient of the Windows of Opportunity environmental education grant. Windows of Opportunity provides up to $1,000 grants to N.C. teachers to reward their creativity fostering environmental stewardship, leadership, and awareness and initiating a sense of community service.

Perry will use the award to create a weather program for the school's second, fourth and fifth-graders that includes utilizing a wireless weather station to obtain real-time weather data and establishing a hands-on weather station with weather instruments.