Russell Cave rolls out the red carpet: The stars came out early at Russell Cave Elementary School, where 18 youngsters who scored “distinguished” on their learning checks took center stage at a special luncheon.

Project Graduation lives again!: Project Graduation – a drug- and alcohol-free celebration for all Fayette County seniors – is back.

Sign language helps children connect: Matthew sat on the floor among his classmates, nearly indistinguishable as they sang “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” His wheelchair parked near the door, he blended in with the sea of red T-shirts.

Author knows her teen readers well: Sharon Draper knows how to hold her audience. With a riveting first chapter or a sharp retort, she gets teens’ attention.

Cup stacking leaves no idle hands:The kids at Squires Elementary School stack up well. Literally. That’s because they practice the sport of cup stacking, deftly arranging 12 specially designed plastic cups in pre-determined sequences.

A racing career demands guts before glory: A big Mark Martin fan who recalls watching races with his grandfather, Joseph Hampton has enjoyed NASCAR for as long as he can remember.

Grandparents raising children gather for support: Joe Kurth and his wife have a nontraditional relationship with their 15-year-old grandson. You see, they are raising Jesse, “a wonderful child.”

Visuals spread the word on Kick Butts Day: Strong messages and arresting images marked Kick Butts Day in local high schools.

First lady encourages Crawford students: Kentucky first lady Jane Beshear, a former teacher, was the featured guest speaker at Crawford Middle School’s annual spring academic celebration.

Languages blend well at Bryan Station: Unfamiliar sounds and colorful sights filled Bryan Station High School on Thursday as FCPS students and visitors made their way through the Regional World Language Festival.

Students display talents in SkillsUSA regionals: Whether squaring a cabinet corner, decorating a cake, refinishing a car or demonstrating leadership, area high school students presented their best efforts in the SkillsUSA regional competition.

Cheer and dance teams will put on a show: Students and audiences are looking forward to this weekend’s middle school Cheer and Dance Team Showcase.

STEM Fair puts technology on display: Fayette County’s upcoming STEM Fair will showcase the technology skills of K-12 students from across the district.

Beaumont students are right on target: Landing arrows dead in the bull’s-eye takes practice, discipline and precision. And eighth-grade archers Mimi Aldabbagh and Tommy Harlamert have the right stuff.

‘Explore the World’ at Language Festival: Where in the world are we? It depends on whom you ask at the FCPS Regional World Language Festival.

Math-letes can count on Sprague: Paul Sprague, who teaches sixth-grade math at Morton Middle School, has coached a team in every local MATHCOUNTS competition for the past 25 years.

Youngsters are motivated to read – a lot!: Dragons and cows and cats in hats, oh my! Youngsters throughout Fayette County Public Schools enjoy reading, and special events fuel their enthusiasm. So when there’s a mayor to meet or a dragon to dress, youngsters eagerly step up.

Summit promotes green, healthy schools: Whether the focus is children’s health or our planet’s, green initiatives are gaining a foothold in the central Kentucky soil.

Students shadow professionals to sample careers: Law enforcement’s sophisticated equipment and investigative technology won over the youngsters who spent a morning touring the Lexington Division of Police.

When students at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School shout “Go, Big Blue!” they aren’t necessarily rooting for the UK basketball team. Big Blue also is the name of an aerospace project to design, create and conduct a high-altitude experiment on inflatable-wing technology for Mars exploration.

Step team shows Transy how it’s done: Students from Bryan Station Middle School drove downtown to extend a hand, and students at Transylvania University took a step in their direction, too, as they learned a little more about each other Monday afternoon.

Artsy songstress wows SCAPA class: Mezzo-soprano Katherine Rohrer shared her love of “art song” with Lafayette High School students who enjoyed an hour-long visit that was part classical recital and part stand-up comedy routine.

Jared (the Subway guy) visits Glendover: Jared Fogle, that guy from the TV commercials who lost more than 245 pounds by eating Subway sandwiches and exercising, soon will hang up his iconic “fat pants” after 10 years of keeping the weight off.

Creativity flourishes during Black History Month: From African drum and dance workshops to door decorations and read-ins, students across the school district have found a variety of ways to celebrate Black History Month during February.

Lexmark volunteers sub in classrooms: In a win-win-win partnership, Lexmark International employees are volunteering as substitutes in Fayette County classrooms.

Hong Kong students visit Meadowthorpe: Ten-year-old Rachel Brown has been a little weary this week, and so have her new friends Jasmine and Josephine, who are visiting from Hong Kong.

CHAOS reigns at Tates Creek: Sometimes chaos is meant to be appreciated for all its expansive boldness and freedom. At Tates Creek Middle School, that means the freedom to bang on trash cans as part of a band appropriately named “CHAOS.”

Budding scientists press for answers: Melinda Kinsel, who teaches at Athens-Chilesburg Elementary School, believes that “most scientists take the work of previous scientists and build on prior learning.” And that’s exactly the path two young students have chosen in preparing projects for Saturday’s Kentucky American Water / FCPS District Science Fair.

History teacher heads to Costa Rica: Joy Hicks can’t exactly take her students along for the ride, but they’ll soon hear about her zip-lining through a rainforest in Costa Rica.

110 winners advance to regional science fair: Nearly 600 Fayette County public, private and home-schooled students in grades 4-12 participated in the 24th annual Kentucky American Water Science Fair, coordinated by Fayette County Public Schools.

Academic Challenge Invitational: A team from Meadowthorpe Elementary School ran away with the intermediate-level crown in the Academic Challenge Invitational .

Deep Springs Elementary is up to the Challenge: Huddled around a small library table, students at Deep Springs Elementary School shake their heads, scribble on scratch paper and whisper excitedly. They lean in close to share their thoughts, then someone exclaims a breathless “Yes!” Read more about the Academic Challenge.

Generosity blossoms at Veterans Park Elementary Recycling bins fill up fast at Veterans Park Elementary School, where students understand it’s important to protect the earth’s environment.

CARE attorneys stress importance of (good) credit: Many of today’s teenagers are hungry consumers with little financial savvy. And bankruptcy lawyers stand at the ready – but in a good way.

Energy Fair lights up kids’ day: Take about 250 schoolchildren, add 15 or so assorted gee-whiz demonstrations, mix well, and you have the formula for a successful Energy Fair.

Students of history want to preserve it: Students from Squires Elementary and Henry Clay High don’t want to repeat history in school, but they do want to preserve it.

Philharmonic strikes a chord with schools: Marsha Pendley, a cellist with the Lexington Philharmonic, is sharing her knowledge of music with fourth- and fifth-graders at Arlington and Dixie elementary schools in a pilot program called Partners in Education.

Garden Springs students give their all: The kids at Garden Springs Elementary have a lot of heart, and they have proved it annually for more than 20 years with Jump Rope for Heart, a fund-raiser for the American Heart Association.

Cheers to Eastside: The spirit of giving is evident year-round at Eastside Technical Center, where students are known for their generosity and willingness to help others.

Dani Pruitt keeps in touch with her friends at Rosa Parks Elementary through a link of Web cameras and computers. The three-year-old has a medical condition that prevents her from attending class in the winter months. Read more about how Dani and her family utilize technology to keep in touch with her classmates.

Kentucky American Water Company Science Fair: It's time, once again, for the annual KAWC Science fair.

It's about kids... performing: Did you know about the FCPS Arts Calendar? Fayette County schools are bustling with performances in music, dance, and theatre.