The Lacing Up for Kids Dance Marathon will take place 3-8 p.m. tomorrow, Friday, Oct. 18, in the Northampton Area Middle School gymnasium.

Students have been receiving pledges for each hour they are able to dance. The goal is to dance continuously (with built-in breaks) for the entire five-hour period.

Students will be organized by their academic teams for various contests held throughout the marathon. Prizes will be awarded based on team games and the amount raised by each student.

For more information, contact Bill Conner, president of the Konkrete Kids Foundation, at 610- 837-9490 or Doug Sheriff of Angel 34 at 610-533-1923.

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Lehigh Elementary School students and staff will have fall pictures taken Thursday, Oct. 24.

All students will have their pictures taken, but purchasing prints is optional.

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Note, Friday, Oct. 25, high school students can have their fall picture retaken. Return your packets for retake.

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Washington's Crossing Parent Teacher Conferences will be held 6:30-8:3- p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24, at the Washington's Crossing building.

More information from your child's teacher will be brought home.

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Students will have an early dismissal Friday, Oct. 25.

The dismissal times are 10:35 a.m. for secondary students and noon for elementary and Washington Crossing students.

Teachers will have an in-service day. No lunches will be served.

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A program on education for gifted students is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 6 at Northampton Area High School.

The program, titled "Academic and Social Issues in Education Gifted Students," will be presented by Dr. Mary Ann Swiatek.

This is an exceptional opportunity for members of NPAGE (the Northampton chapter of the Pennsylvania Association for Gifted Education) to learn about and interact with a recognized authority on gifted education.

Swiatek is a member of the state PAGE speakers bureau and has authored a number of publications on gifted education. She is a licensed psychologist and experienced with the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth (SMPY), key interests in educational methods (especially acceleration and ability grouping) and psychosocial issues.

This presentation will cover the academic and social aspects of gifted education and should be of interest to all parents and educators of gifted students, especially those seeking to increase their knowledge of the unique aspects of the gifted student and his or her academic and social needs.

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Moore Elementary School will be honoring local veterans and active military personnel at it's second annual Veterans Day ceremony Monday, Nov. 11.

The school is looking for veterans and active duty military men and women interested in talking with small groups of children.

Contact Brian Muschlitz at muschlib@nasdschools.org or 610-837-1859 for more information.

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The middle school will be collecting items for the Northampton Area Food Bank through Wednesday, Nov. 27.

The food bank is in dire need of donations. Each homeroom will have a bag to fill.

Some of the items needed include canned vegetables, fruits, soup, stew, canned meats of any kind, pasta, pasta sauce, mac and cheese, cereal, crackers, instant potatoes, rice, stuffing mix, cleaning products, baby items and personal items such as shampoo and toothpaste.

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Do you have any school news? This column is a compilation of upcoming school events in the Northampton Area School District. Teachers, administrators, parents, students, coaches, PTOs, club advisers and any other community members are invited to share their upcoming activities. Email me at jamb87@hotmail.com with "Northampton School News" in the subject line at least a week before an event.