VTCA Aggregates Program Donates Second Mineral Display Case

	Left to Right: Chip Dunstan - Salem Stone, Thomas Hale – FMVA, Olivia O’Hara – Shawsville MS, Rob Lanham – VTCA
	Mineral Display case at Shawsville Middle School with aggregate specimens.

Last fall at the Virginia Association of Science Teacher’s (VAST) virtual conference, VTCA’s Aggregate Producers raffled off a mineral display case to a teacher for their school. The mineral display case was won by a science teacher at Shawsville Middle School in Shawsville, VA.

The dedication was held on April 21 at Shawsville Middle School and was a rousing success!

VTCA partnered with the Virginia Chapter of the Friends of Mineralogy to develop the specimens for the case and develop an accompanying study guide for the teachers, Teacher Manual - The Friends of Mineralogy Virginia Chapter (FMVA) Inc.

The case contained samples from nearby aggregate producer members and Friends of Mineralogy. If you look closely, the aggregate samples are on the lower shelf of the case in the pictures.

VTCA also thanks Boxley and Rockydale Quarries for their aggregate specimens, Carter Machinery for the equipment models, and Chip Dunstan, Sales Manager for Salem Stone for providing samples and attending the dedication.

We could not have put this together without the partnership of Thomas Hale and Tom Girton with Friends of Mineralogy.

The intent of the display case is to provide an earth science study resource for the school, but also to emphasize the purpose and importance of minerals, specifically aggregates in society.