The Farmville Lions Club/Longwood University Hearing Conservation Team makes an annual presentation to fourth-graders of Prince Edward County Elementary School. The partnership between the Farmville Lions Club, Longwood Center for Communication, Literacy and Learning (LCCLL) and teachers of PECES started in 2010.

In March 2011 the first presentation was conducted with such success that PECES decided to continue it every year. The presentation teaches fourth-graders about parts of the ear, facts about sound, how sound travels, what sounds are too loud, what sounds are safe and how to protect their hearing.

Each year, the Hearing Conservation Team spends time discussing, updating and practicing the presentation, as well as meeting with the fourth-grade teachers. This year Catherine Noraas coordinated the presentations for all fourth-grade students. Three separate, high-quality and technically up-to-date presentations were given to well over 100 fourth graders. The PowerPoint presentation was well prepared and the delivery was excellent.

The Farmville Lions Club Hearing Committee chairperson is proud to claim this year’s presentation one of the best he has observed in terms of preparation, suitable presentation level, selection of materials and student participation. The Lions Club would also like to recognize the fourth-grade teachers for their management skills and how well the students behaved during the entire lessons.

Farmville Lions received support from Dr. Lissa Power-deFur, professor, Communications Sciences and Disorders and director of Longwood Speech, Hearing, and Learning Services (SHLS); Dr. Mani Aguilar, SHLS clinical audiologist; Longwood undergraduate Communication Sciences and Disorders majors Hailey Gilbert, C.J. Gunter, and Meredith McCabe; and the fourth-grade teachers at PECES, Danielle Boxley, Christopher Copenhaver, Mark Gubash, Amanda Lacombe, Katrisha Little, Catherine Noraas and Jennifer Townsend.

For additional information on the program contact Tom McBride, Farmville Lions Club Hearing Committee chairperson, at (434) 223-7382.