Friday Notes from Guilford County Schools

November 21, 2007

Our Vision, Mission/Thematic Goals and Core Values

Our vision – what we will become, Our mission/thematic goals- how we will get there -- Our
core values - what we believe -- solidify the underlying foundation for all Guilford County Schools’ decisions and actions.

Thanksgiving Holiday Observed

As Thanksgiving approaches and we take time to count our blessings, I would like to extend my warmest appreciation to our employees who so valiantly commit themselves to our students. Our students thrive, our schools succeed and our district progresses because of you, and for that, I’m so very grateful. I hope that you and your family have a safe and happy holiday!

Just a reminder - GCS administrative offices and schools will be closed to observe the Thanksgiving Holiday on Thursday, November 22 and Friday, November 23.  

Hubert B. Humphrey, Jr. School Improvement Award Presented to Eastern High

Eastern High is the recipient of the third annual Hubert B. Humphrey, Jr. Award for Most Improved High School. The Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, Mrs. Jackie Humphrey and the Community Foundation of Greensboro presented the $10,000 cash award to Eastern High during the Education Summit hosted by the Guilford Education Alliance. Eastern High won the award for improving student achievement through sound educational practices, community outreach and collaborative relationships. The award money will be used to strengthen and develop the entire staff of Eastern High.

The Hubert B. Humphrey, Jr. Award was created to memorialize Hubert “Hugh” Humphrey, a renowned community leader who believed in the importance of high quality education and who served in the North Carolina Legislature and the boards of Trustees of Wake Forest University and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. For more information, please contact Haley Miller, Program Administrator-Communications, at 370-3200.

Learn and Earn

The Governor’s office has asked that we share the following information with you.  This year, GCS students have the opportunity to get a jumpstart on college while they are still in high school.  Learn and Earn Online is North Carolina’s new program that allows high school students of all ages who have completed the prerequisite courses to take online college level classes at no charge.

Registration for the spring, 2008 semester is currently open; however, because this new program was funded in the most recent state budget, the information is still getting out to school leaders, students and parents.  Students do not have to be in an existing Learn and Earn middle college high school to take advantage of Learn and Earn Online. For more information please visit www.nclearnandearn.gov or the student page of the district’s Web site at www.gcsnc.com .

We are committed to bringing educational opportunity into every community for all families.  Please call me at 370-8992, should you have questions.

Frazier Students Present at State Conference

Fifth grade environmental education students at Frazier Elementary took part in the annual North Carolina Science Teachers’ Professional Development Institute at Koury Convention Center on Thursday, November 15. With their Advanced Learner science teacher, Louise Monroe, they presented a concurrent session on “School-Wide, Student-Led Earth Day” to an audience of teachers from around the state. Edward Kirby, Kristi Nguyen, Ashley Lawrence, Taylor Daye, Warren Harris and Maya Whitfield represented the Student Wildlife Adventure Team (SWAT) of 2007-08 as they introduced and conducted simulations and games related to scarcity of resources, adaptations in nature, pollution and habitat loss similar to the ones during Frazier‘s “Earth Day Plus One” celebration and learning event that was held on April 23. For more information, please contact Principal Laverne M. Bass at 294-7340 or Bill Hurt, Instructional Improvement Officer, at 370-2347.

GCSTV 2

Showcasing GCS Talent

Join us for a sample of the musical talent found among GCS students. The 2007-08 High School All County Festival Chorus performs in a fall concert at Grimsley High. This program airs beginning next week. Show times to be announced.

GCS Newcomers School featured on Tus Hijos y GCS

Tus Hijos y GCS visits the GCS Newcomers School and talks with Principal Jake Henry, as well as provides information useful in helping families during the school year. This program is telecast in both Spanish and English and airs daily at 7 a.m., 11:30 a.m., and 7 p.m.

Premiering Their Work   

Check out the work of television production students who show off their skills in this program produced, videotaped, edited, reported and hosted entirely by students at The Middle College of Entertainment Technology at GTCC. Join us for this latest installment airing at 1 p.m. and 9 p.m. daily.

GCS/ABC 45 Partnership Continues

GCS continues its partnership with ABC 45 television to share the current news and feature stories about our district. The segments run on ABC 45 (Cable Channel 7) during “Good Morning America” each Wednesday and Friday at 7:25 a.m. and 8:25 a.m. Also, learn more about GCS by tuning in to GCSTV 2 (Cable Channel 2).

Celebrating Success
How does one Guilford County school celebrate its academic success?  Millis Road Elementary marked the occasion by gathering the entire student body on the neighboring Ragsdale High football field and releasing scores of balloons with the help of a brass band and cheerleaders. This newsbreak airs Wednesday, November 28.

The Importance of College
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has recruiters but its best recruiter of all may be its chancellor.  UNC Chancellor James Moeser pays a visit to Smith High to personally invite seniors to pursue higher education at his campus. This newsbreak airs Friday, November 30.

For more information, please contact Leonard Simpson, Broadcast Production Manager, at 370-8167.

NON-GCS EDUCATIONAL NEWS

Report: U.S. Youth Reading Less Than Previous Generation

Young Americans spend an average of 10 minutes or less of their daily leisure time on reading, according to a new National Endowment for the Arts report , raising concerns about their academic performance, career prospects and civic engagement. Focusing on testable reading skills in classrooms does little to instill a love of books, according to Dana Gioia, the organization's chairman. Click here to read more.

Commission: Too Much Learning Time Spent on Testing

A North Carolina blue-ribbon education commission recommended the state education board eliminate several statewide standardized exams, saying too much classroom time is devoted to testing. "We're testing more, but we're not seeing the results," said the commission's chairman, Sam Houston. "We're not seeing graduation rates increasing. We're not seeing remediation rates decreasing. Somewhere along the way testing isn't aligning with excellence." Click here to read more.