INFORMATIONAL

The Virginia Department of Education and Prince William County public schools 
announce a special DOE Hour to be broadcast on all Virginia public television stations
on February 17 from 2 to 3 p.m.  This broadcast will feature the First Lady of Virginia,
Mrs. Roxane Gilmore, and Mrs. Susan Noble, a member of the Virginia Board of Education,
teaching lessons from the pyramids in Egypt.  Both Mrs. Gilmore and Mrs. Noble are 
participants in the Teachers' Study Seminar to Egypt scheduled for February 11-20.  
Mrs. Gilmore, a professor of classics at Randolph-Macon College, will discuss the 
contributions of ancient Egyptian society. Mrs. Noble is an elementary teacher at 
Gayton Elementary School in Henrico County, and she will teach a lesson about the 
pyramids.  The broadcast will feature a live chat with Mrs. Gilmore, Mrs. Noble, and 
the 15 teachers participating in the study seminar.  It also will consist of a visit 
to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts' collection on Egypt and a tour of A Commonwealth 
of Knowledge website and the WorldNet: Virginia website.

Teachers and students are encouraged to take a virtual tour of Egypt via the Internet
and follow the 17 Virginia educators as they travel and learn about the ancient 
civilizations of Egypt during the study seminar. The purpose of the seminar is to 
provide teachers with needed resources to teach the Virginia Standards of Learning.
During their travels, the teachers will keep journals that will be posted daily to 
the WorldNet: Virginia website accessed at www.pwnet.org and www.pen.k12.va.us.  
Pictures highlighting sites visited and experiences also will be available on-line. 
Registered participants can take part in the discussion boards, live chats, and 
e-mail questions to the travelers.

A brochure describing the World Net: Virginia and the Eygpt seminar is enclosed for 
your information.  We are also sending a copy of this brochure to all principals in 
Virginia to share with their teachers.

Thank you for your support of the DOE Hour and WorldNet: Virginia.  If you have 
questions, please do not hesitate to contact Dr. Beverly Thurston, specialist for 
history, social sciences, and international education at (804) 225-2893.

JLD/BT/jf

Enclosure:	A hard copy of this memo and its attachment
		will be sent to the superintendent's office