Staunton boy is Soap Box world champion; back-to-school haircuts; Waynesboro celebrates summer programs: Chalkboard

Staunton boy wins Soap Box world championship

STAUNTON — Caleb Gilbert said his week in Akron, Ohio recently was a bit stressful. The 12-year-old Staunton boy was running in the All-American Soap Box Derby, competing in the national championship after winning the Harrisonburg local race.

Seeing all the other cars from around North America that he would have to beat out in Akron put a bit of pressure on the rising eighth-grade student at Shelburne Middle School. He handled that pressure like a pro, though, winning the world championship in the local super stock division.

"I was just stunned," Gilbert said about the moment he realized he won.

Gilbert reached Akron by winning his local race in Harrisonburg , the nearest Soap Box Derby race to Staunton. Waynesboro used to host the races but no longer does. He became Harrisonburg's first world champion in Soap Box racing. The race in Harrisonburg is held in May and open to any interested youth.

This wasn't Gilbert's first trip to Akron. Two years ago he represented Harrisonburg in the stock division, losing in the early rounds.

Last year Gilbert reached Akron in the rally division. While the local divisions hold races once a year, rally racers compete a venues around the country throughout the year, earning points. Gilbert, who won the national rally stock points championship in 2023, finished third in his rally division at Akron a year ago.

This year he achieved his goal of winning it all, taking home first in super stock by beating 67 other racers.

The family saw an advertisement for the Soap Box Derby when Gilbert was 7. His first race in the sport was in Waynesboro the last year the city held the race. He raced two years later in Harrisonburg for the first time. Gilbert and his family are hooked now.

In addition to the local race every year, Gilbert also does rally racing. The family is headed to West Virginia this weekend for a race. Last year the family traveled up and down the East Coast to race, racking up 24,000 miles. In between races, the family works to make any repairs needed to his car.

The car he won with in Akron will be kept there, hanging in the hall of fame. That means Gilbert will need a new car for next year's Harrisonburg race. He also has a car for rally racing.

As much as Gilbert likes racing, and winning, he said there's more to his enjoyment of the sport.

"Seeing people from around the world," Gilbert said. "People not near my area."

Back to school haircuts, school supplies

WAYNESBORO — Who's Next Barbershop is holding a Back to School event Sunday, Aug. 4 from noon to 4 p.m. The shop is located at 2296 Jefferson Highway, Suite D, Waynesboro.

All students and their families from the community are welcome. Licensed barbers will be giving out free haircuts to school-age children as well as providing backpacks filled with school supplies. The event will have free food available for all those who come out including hot dogs, chips, ice pops, and Little Debbie cakes, as well as a bounce house for entertainment.

We have had several businesses and individuals in the area help to make this event possible by donating money and supplies and volunteering their time," said Cecelia Aguirre. "This truly is a community event."

This is the third year the barbershop has hosted the Back to School event.  Last year they helped over 100 families get ready for a new school year.

We hope to make this year even bigger," Aguirre said.

Waynesboro gets book bag donation

WAYNESBORO — Amazon’s CHO1 Branch in Fishersville recently donated 146 book bags along with school supplies to Waynesboro Public Schools for the division's Back to School Bash on July 28, at Kate Collins Middle School.

"We really enjoyed visiting Kate Collins Middle School last week," said Chloe Berry, general manager assistant at CHO1. "We plan to continue our support."

Waynesboro celebrates extended year summer programs

WAYNESBORO — As the summer comes to an end, Waynesboro Public Schools (WPS) are proud to highlight the success of their Extended School Year (ESY) summer programs at secondary schools. These programs provided invaluable experiences and learning opportunities for middle and high school students, ensuring a productive and enriching summer break.

Waynesboro Education Farm Summer Camp in Partnership with Project GROWS For four weeks this summer, Waynesboro Education Farm collaborated with Project GROWS to offer an engaging summer camp for middle school students at Kate Collins Middle School. The students joined the Project GROWS team and WPS staff on the Waynesboro Education Farm, where they explored farming, farm-to-table cooking, and nature. Activities included:

• Exploring a local river
• Cooking demonstrations
• Wildlife Center presentations by Rockfish Wildlife
• Basics of Beekeeping by the Beekeeper Association
• Explore invertebrates, including a skeleton activity using coyote, deer, and beaver skeletons
• Harvesting food and mulching beds
• Bird and plant/tree identification
• Butterfly life cycle exploration and release

Rising Leaders Academy for English Learners (EL) at KCMS

Waynesboro Public Schools believes that multilingual learners have a unique advantage and can become positive leaders both in middle school and beyond. This belief was the foundation of the Rising Leaders Academy for English Learners at Kate Collins Middle School. The program aimed to provide a strong start to the school year for the 23 invited EL Rising sixth graders from all four elementary schools.

Under the leadership of Berkeley Glenn, EL Teacher Tiffany Andrews, and KCMS teacher Grace Tangherlini, students from Africa, the Middle East, Mexico, and Central America participated, engaging in activities designed to build leadership skills and vocabulary. Overall, the program successfully increased students’ confidence and resolve to be positive leaders.

Waynesboro High School English Learner Summer Program

Waynesboro Public Schools Bilingual Family Liaison, Roxi Staton, facilitated the Waynesboro High School EL Summer Program, which focused on foundational English skills, including vocabulary, phonological awareness, reading comprehension, text analysis, spelling, grammar, and parts of speech.

The program also addressed cultural adaptation, discussing topics such as cultural shock stages, cultural differences, and living in the USA. Students from Syria, Afghanistan, Haiti, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Mexico participated in activities that put language in context, such as real-life scenarios, songs, dances, role-playing, and storytelling. The program included field trips to downtown Waynesboro to learn about city landmarks and practical activities like requesting items in a cafe or restaurant and having a picnic at Ridgeview Park.

Waynesboro High School Heavy Equipment Program

This summer, Waynesboro High School also hosted a seven-week Heavy Equipment Program, providing three recently graduated students with an exceptional opportunity to gain valuable skills and credentials. The program included:

• Stand Up Forklift Certification
• Sit Down Forklift Certification
• Heavy Equipment Operator Level 1 certification
• OSHA 10 certification

In addition to the technical training, students participated in resume writing and interview preparation sessions. Upon completion of the program, students were guaranteed interviews with Waynesboro City, Momentum Earthworks, and M3 Inc. Each student received at least one job offer.

“Our goal is always to eliminate as many barriers as possible to help prepare our students to be successful, contributing members of society upon graduation from Waynesboro High School," said program coordinator and BRCC career coach at Waynesboro High School, Beth Burdic. "Collaboration between Waynesboro High School and Blue Ridge Community College allowed this program to accomplish just that and so much."

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— Patrick Hite is a reporter at The News Leader. Story ideas and tips always welcome. Connect with Patrick (he/him/his) at phite@newsleader.com and on Instagram @hitepatrick . Subscribe to us at newsleader.com

This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Staunton boy is Soap Box world champion; back-to-school haircuts; Waynesboro celebrates summer programs: Chalkboard