Friday Notes from Guilford County Schools

March 7, 2008

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.

Did You Know?

The $457 million bond package contains 27 projects, including five new schools and will add 6,571 new student seats. Thirteen schools will receive major renovations and additions. The bond will provide relief to some of the district’s most overcrowded schools. Click here for more information, or to request someone from GCS to speak about the bond at a community meeting, contact Lillian Govus, Program Administrator – Communications, at 370-8997.

Twilight High School Opens to First Students

The new GCS Twilight High School (THS) is now opened to its first students at the former site of Smith Academy on the campus of Smith High School.  This innovative school works with students who have difficulty with the regular high school setting or who have stopped attending or are in danger of not graduating.  Counselors and social workers from THS have gone door to door to recruit many of these students.  THS offers the core subjects of English, math, science and social studies.  Due to students’ diverse needs, the course offerings also include a business pathway, a PLATO Lab, as well as Spanish II.

Students say they like the non-traditional schedule, flexible hours and small class sizes.  They also cite the positive relationships with teachers and peers and the overall supportive, encouraging atmosphere as major factors keeping them in school.

Students completing their graduation requirements this spring will allow graduation ceremony at Smith High School in June. For more information, please contact the school at 294-7731/7732 or e-mail Principal Pandora M. Bell at bellp@gcsnc.com or you may call the Office of Innovative Services at 370-8191.

GCS Advanced Learning Plan Approved by NCDPI

The North Carolina State Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) notified GCS last week that the district’s Advanced Learners Plan for 2007-2010 was reviewed and approved by NCDPI.  Acting on behalf of the State Board of Education NCDPI requires all school districts to submit a revised Academically or Intellectually Gifted (AIG) Plan every three years.  The department stated in its informative review that the GCS AIG plan represented “tremendous commitment and intent to implement a good program for advanced learners in the district.” NCDPI also particularly complimented the nurturing component and the multiple opportunities available at high school. Approved by the GCS Board of Education in May 2007, the district AIG plan addresses screening, identification, nurturing and the different levels of service for identified students. Click here to view the GCS AL Plan 2007-2010. For more information, please contact Dr. Jane Fleming, Executive Director of Advanced Learners, 370-2316.

Curtain Rises for On Stage! April 17

GCS and the Guilford Education Alliance will present “On Stage!,” a student talent showcase on April 19 at 7 p.m. in the War Memorial Auditorium in Greensboro. On Stage! will feature dazzling student performances that highlight the outstanding talent represented in GCS. From dance to choral productions to drum lines representing schools across the county, On Stage! celebrates the talents and abilities of local youth.  Proceeds from this event support the work of Guilford Education Alliance and arts education in our schools.

Tickets are $15 and are available at the Coliseum Box Office, TicketMaster.com, or charge by phone at 852-1100.  Please join us for this wonderful performance! For more information, contact the Guilford Education Alliance at 841-4332 or Cecilia Adams, Manager of Community Partnerships, at 370-8355.

GCS Employee Named NCAE District Office Administrator of the Year

Gay Citty, a GCS Instructional Improvement Officer, was named the North Carolina District Office Administrator of the Year by the North Carolina Association of Educators.  Gay has been an active member of the NCAE for more than 20 years.  Her nomination came from Principal Benita Lawrence.  Gay will be honored during the State Awards dinner on Thursday, March 13. For more information about the NCAE, please contact President Mark Jewel at 299-9601.

Guilford County College Tech Prep Program Receives Top Honors

Guilford County’s College Tech Prep (CTP) Consortium received three platinum awards at the annual North Carolina CTP Awards Breakfast on March 5 at the Koury Convention Center.  The Grimsley - James - Stogner CTP Award honor of Joe Grimsley, Doug James and Myrtle Stogner, three pioneers of North Carolina CTP. Guilford County received the highest level of awards in three areas:

• Overall CTP Award recognized the consortium that uses multiple reform initiatives to produce a high percentage of student participation in CTP, lowers dropout and remediation rates, sequences courses from high school to the community college, integrates curricula and involves all stakeholders
• CTP Recognition Award acknowledging innovative approaches toward partnering with businesses and other educational institutions
• Promotion of CTP recognizing clear and effective efforts by the CTP partnership of the schools, colleges and businesses to promote and disseminate information about their CTP Program to students, parents, and the community.

Guilford County’s CTP Program is fortunate to have a large group of business sponsors who were instrumental in earning these commendations. For more information, please contact Sylvia Anderson, Director of College Tech Prep/Career Technical Education, at 370-8357.

Student Wins Shakespeare Recitation Competition

With the timeless words of William Shakespeare perfectly memorized and performed, Antiqua Maberson, a senior at The Middle College at Bennett, placed first in the English-Speaking Union’s Annual Shakespeare Recitation Competition on Saturday, March 1. Maberson’s captivating performance of a Macbeth monologue and sonnet awarded her the $500 grand prize. Following her recognition, Maberson explained that the contest was tremendously fun, “I love acting as other people,” she said. “It’s an escape for me.” Maberson will travel to New York city to participate in the national competition from April 26 - 28.

In addition to competing, participants will attend a workshop at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and have an opportunity to explore the “Big Apple.” The national winner will receive a full tuition scholarship for the prestigious British American Drama Academy’s Midsummer Conservatory Program in Oxford, England this summer.  

Another GCS student, Briana Steele of Southeast High, placed third after repeating her performance due to an unprecedented tie with Naté Headen of Northeast High. Steele received $100 for her placement.

The English-Speaking Union, an organization that promotes the study of Shakespeare’s works, sponsors the Shakespeare Competition to encourage students to develop their literary and dramatic talents. For more information, contact Lillian Govus, Program Administrator – Communications, at 370-8997.

Aycock Middle Home to GCS Spelling Bee Winner

Sarah Wilson, a sixth-grade student from Aycock, won the GCS Middle School Spelling Bee on Saturday, March 1 by spelling the word ‘hilarity.’ Students from middle schools across the district competed in the event. Wilson will participate in the regional competition on Sunday, March 30 in Winston-Salem, N.C. For more information, please contact Michelle Ungurait, secondary curriculum officer, at 370-3275.

Morehead Elementary’s Magnet Stars Stack Their Way to Victory

Student Magnet Stars from Morehead participated on Saturday, March 1 in the 2008 Carolina Sports Stacking Championships in Monroe, N.C. The team won a total of 16 awards and five trophies for their participation in different events throughout the day. For more information, please contact Principal Darcy Kemp at 294-7370.

Dudley High Students Win Rotary Club Speech Contest

Three Dudley students are winners of the East Greensboro Rotary Club’s 2008 Rotary Against Drugs speech contest that was held on Tuesday, February 26. Speeches addressed the topic, “What Must Be Done to Prevent Drug and Alcohol Abuse in the United States?” Junior Bethany Melton placed third in the competition and Gaivalor Bobor, also a junior, placed second. First-place winner and senior, Dominique Garland, will compete in the Rotary Club’s district competition on Saturday, March 15. For more information, please contact Francine Scott, Communities in Schools Coordinator, at 587-3270.

Northwood Elementary Students Recognized for Exceptional Art

Two Northwood students were recognized by the High Point Public Library for the artwork they submitted during the “Illustrating a Poem for Black History Month Contest.” Karla Hernandez-Gonzalez received the second-place award, and Gracie Martin received third place. For more information, please contact Principal Scott Winslow at 819-2920.

North Carolina Zoological Society’s Field Trip Earth

On Saturday, March 1, Mark MacCallister, from the North Carolina Zoological Society, provided twelve GCS elementary teachers with “Field Trip Earth” Web site training. This website allows teachers and students to follow wildlife researchers around the world, allowing access to a variety of on-line learning resources, including background articles, photographs, maps, datasets, artwork, video and audio clips. This intensive workshop provided opportunities for these teachers to learn how to integrate the Web site into their day-to-day teaching practices.   Teachers created cross-curricular lesson plans that allow students to interact with the “Field Trip Earth” Web site.  Follow-up activities include classroom implementation and reflection.  In April, additional grant funding will extend the number of teachers who will experience this well-received training.  For more information, please contact Robyn Barrett, Elementary Science Specialist, at 312-4332.

Battle of the Books

More than 175 students from 16 schools participated in the Battle of the Books for middle schools held at Penn-Griffin School of the Arts on March 5.  The participating schools were:  Aycock, Brown Summit, Eastern, Ferndale, Guilford, Jamestown, Johnson Street, Kernodle, Kiser, Lincoln, Mendenhall, Northern, Northwest, Penn-Griffin, Southeast and Southern.  Schools placing in the competition were: 

First Place:  Northern Middle
Second Place:  The Academy at Lincoln
Third Place:  Penn-Griffin School of the Arts 

Battle of the Books is a competition sponsored by the North Carolina School Library Media Association that is open to six, seventh and eighth graders.  It is a contest in which teams from participating middle schools compete to answer questions about a pre-selected list of books.  Questions are based on the settings, plots and characters from 26 to 27 books from an official booklist.  Teams respond by identifying the title and author of the books.  The primary objective of Battle of the Books is to encourage reading by all middle school students.  For more information, please contact Jean Howard, Media Services, at 370-2357.

Multicultural Celebration at High School Ahead Academy

On February 29, High School Ahead Academy (HSA) students celebrated the first multicultural event at their school.  HSA is comprised of students and staff from many different cultures around the world such as Vietnam, Ghana, Nepal, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Liberia, Sudan, Pakistan and India.  Each class gave a presentation on some of their cultures, and many included native music and dance performances by students.  The school was privileged to host the group Soul Purposed, who sang the Negro National Anthem “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by James Weldon Johnson.  HSA Principal Michelle Hayes also performed a solo dramatization from Langston Hughes’ “Soul Gone Home.”  The event provided an excellent opportunity for the students and staff to learn about diverse cultures.  For more information, contact HSA at 294-7640.

GCS Buses Now Equipped with Cameras

Several buses across the district are now equipped with digital video monitoring systems. Each monitoring system has three cameras that will capture two views in the student passenger area, plus the driver and stairwell area. 

Video is continuously recorded onto the system’s hard drive, with a video storage capacity up to 30 days. School administrators can download incidents from the hard drive to a workstation or laptop computer for viewing. 

Funding for purchase and installation of the digital video systems is included in the district’s 2007-08 regular capital outlay budget. For more information, please contact Jeff Harris, Director of Transportation, at 370-8920 or Haley Miller, Program Administrator – Communications, at 370-3200.

Changes to FMLA

On January 28, 2008, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) was signed into law by President Bush.  The NDAA makes significant changes to the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Among the changes is a new leave category: Military Caregivers.  According to the NDAA, “An eligible employee who is the spouse, son, daughter, parent or next of kin of a covered service member who is recovering from a serious illness or injury sustained in the line of duty on active duty is entitled to up to 26 weeks of leave in a single 12-month period to care for the service member.  This provision became effective immediately upon enactment.  This military caregiver leave is available during “a single 12-month period” when an eligible employee is entitled to a combined total of 26 weeks of all types of FMLA leave.”  For more information, please contact Patty Kinkade, Director of Benefits, at 370-8092 or kinkadp@gcsnc.com.

Legal Updates for Principals

This week, Board Attorney Jill Wilson met with more than 50 principals and other administrators to discuss the topic, "Bullying and Student Harassment" and related policies for BOE review (scheduled for later this month). Jill has been holding monthly sessions to keep administrators up to date and provide "rust removal" for our veterans on a variety of legal topics. Other sessions have included investigations, sexual harassment and evaluations. For more information, please contact Carla Alphin, Program Administrator for Employee Relations, at 378-8821 or alphinc@gcsnc.com.

N.C. Teaching Fellows Orientation Week

Twenty-three North Carolina Teaching Fellows from universities throughout the state visited GCS for Teaching Fellows Orientation Week. The students were given an overview of GCS schools, programs and the employment process. They also toured 14 schools and visited the Natural Science Center, the Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum and Furnitureland South. We hope to welcome them as teachers when they graduate next year! Thank you to everyone who made their time with GCS such an enjoyable experience! For more information, please contact Alan Hooker, Office of Employment, at 370-8055 or  hookera2@gcsnc.com.

Get a Kickoff to Kindergarten Starting Next Week

If your child is entering kindergarten this fall, this event is for you. Kickoff to ‘Kindergarten Parent Day’ is a free event to help parents prepare for their child’s first day of Kindergarten.  Kindergarten is the first step in a child’s academic journey and provides parents an excellent opportunity to be partners in education right from the start.  GCS representatives will answer questions regarding transportation, school health and nutrition, after-school options, English as a second language, PTA and Kindergarten curriculums.  Additionally, meet representatives from local libraries, Family and Health Services, Reading Connections and other important community resources that support the transition into Kindergarten. The event is Thursday, March 13, 10a.m.-2 p.m. and 4-7 p.m. at the Greensboro Children's Museum and Monday, March 17, 10a.m.-2 p.m. and 4-7 p.m. at the High Point Museum. For more information, contact the Greensboro Children’s Museum at 574-2898 or the High Point Museum at 885-1859 or contact Cecilia Adams, Manager of Community Partnerships, at 370-8355.

WXII and GMA Present Donations to Eastern High

Following the devastating fire at Eastern High, WXII and Greensboro Merchants Association (GMA), sprung into action, conducting a community telethon for the school. On Tuesday, February 19, during GMA’s 102nd Annual dinner, representatives from both organizations presented Eastern Principal Travis Reeves with a check for $69,000. The funds will be used to purchase classroom materials. For more information, contact Principal Reeves at 449-6311.

Kids Who Care Award Deadline Next Week

Nominate a young person who is making a difference in the community for the Kohl’s Kids Who Care Scholarship. Volunteers ages six to 18 can win prizes ranging from $50 gift cards to $5,000 scholarships. Past winners were recognized for a variety of activities including raising money for local food pantries, founding a school group to increase autism awareness, raising money for kids with life-threatening illnesses, hosting birthday parties for homeless children and so much more. Youth volunteers are honored in two age categories: six-12 and 13-18. Two nominees from each of Kohl’s 900+ stores will win a $50 Kohl’s gift card and 190 will win regional scholarships worth $1,000 toward post-secondary education. Ten volunteers will earn national recognition winning scholarships worth $5,000 toward post-secondary education. Kohl’s will also contribute $1,000 to a nonprofit organization on behalf of each national winner. March 15 is the deadline to nominate someone for the Kohl’s Kids Who Care annual scholarship program. For more information, please contact Cecilia Adams, Manager, Community Partnerships, at 370-8355.

Students Combine Math and Madness

Elementary and middle school students from across the district got a taste of March Madness this week through a local partnership that merges basketball with academics. More than 5,400 enthusiastic students representing 42 schools district-wide joined thousands of other passionate Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) fans for the 31st Annual ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament at the Greensboro Coliseum. Through a collaboration between GCS, the ACC and the Greensboro Coliseum, the ACC School Partnership allows children to combine the up-close sights and sounds of March Madness with academics.

Students attending the game have participated in the school day program’s educational component throughout the year. It includes teacher-developed curriculum relating to the ACC and/or the Women’s Basketball Tournament in the fields of physical education, science, social studies, math, language arts, technology and character development. For more information, contact Lillian Govus, Program Administrator – Communications, at 370-8997.

GCSTV2
 

Building Future-Your Construction Update

See how our community provides for the education of our children in this latest edition of Building Futures.  In this edition see the finished product of three new GCS schools built with funds from the 2003 Bond.  This program runs daily at 8:01 a.m., 4:01 p.m. and 8:01 p.m.

2008 Bond Presentation

GCS faces significant enrollment growth with a pressing need to upgrade or replace aging facilities and build new schools. This presentation outlines some of those needs included in a proposed school bond referendum for 2008. This program runs Tuesday through Thursday at 11:30 a.m. and Friday through Monday at 7:40 p.m.  

MCET Rocks!

The students of the Middle College of Entertainment of Technology show off what they’ve learned in their self-produced show MCET Rocks.  Learn what’s going on around campus as students write, produce, videotape and edit their own production in this regular GCSTV 2 feature.  This program runs daily at 1 p.m. and 9:01 p.m.

College Tech Prep

Train as an electrician or a computer technician. These are just two of a variety of technical educational programs available within GCS.  Join us for this preview of College Tech Prep showing nightly at 8:25 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday.

History on the Rails

GCSTV 2 is proud to present a part of North Carolina history as well as the history that helped build our nation.  In partnership with Emmy award winning photojournalist Rob Van Camp we’re televising Great Smoky Mountains Railroad.  This program takes you on an adventure aboard an authentic steam train through some of the most scenic beauty our country has to offer.  This show runs nightly Sunday through Saturday at 7:15 p.m.

GCSTV 2 Programming Guide

GCSTV 2 viewers now have a convenient electronic guide to daily programs.  On the hour throughout the day, find out what’s on the daily viewing schedule. Check out our new GCSTV 2 Program Guide.            

GCSTV 2 & ABC-45

GCS continues its partnership with ABC-45 television to share the following current news and feature stories about our district. The segments air on ABC-45 (Cable Channel 7) during Good Morning America each Wednesday and Friday at 7:25 a.m. and 8:25 a.m.

Singing at the ACC
We live in basketball country, so it’s a big deal when the ACC comes to town.  See how GCS students take part in the festivities in this Newsbreak that airs Wednesday, March 12.

Relating History to Today
Bryan Walls is a descendant of slaves who escaped to freedom via the Underground Railroad.  Dr. Walls relates history to today’s struggles to establish peace, harmony and tolerance.  This Newsbreak airs Friday, March 14.

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

NON-GCS EDUCATIONAL NEWS

One Guilford Leadership Symposium Scheduled for March 12

One Guilford: A Leadership Symposium is the third in a series of community leadership symposiums sponsored by the News & Record. The University of North Carolina Greensboro will host this event on March 12 from 4-6 p.m. at the Elliott Center.  “The subject of education prompted passionate discussion at our last One Guilford symposium,” says N&R Editorial Writer Doug Clark, who is also coordinator of the program. “It’s clear that hopes for our county’s future depend on how well we prepare our young people. We’re responding to these concerns by making them the focus of our One Guilford event at UNCG.”  For more information, please contact Ed Williams at 373-7308.