May 2007

Better Hearing and Speech Month
National Physical Fitness and Sports Month

Office of Induction & Success - Right Start Orientation 2007-2008

The Office of Induction and Success is finalizing plans for the 2007-08 school year. Right Start Orientation is an effort to differentiate instruction for our new teachers and the Visiting International Faculty (VIF) /experienced teachers who are new to GCS.  We will have a different training model for next school year. Register online by going to the GCS home page and clicking on the link for new teachers to Guilford County.

Click here for dates and more information.

Five Tips For New Teacher Success

Is teacher retention an issue in your school ? Do you recruit or retain? Teacher retention should be a process, not a program. It is far better to retain a savable teacher than to train new ones year after year. With national attention focused on the number of teachers that will be needed over the next decade, schools need to take personal ownership of supporting and developing their new educators.  Since teacher quality is the greatest predictor of student success, support for new teachers should be a critical component in all school improvement plans.  Click here for five tips from author Lynn F. Howard to support new teacher success:

Employees Walk Their Way to Health
and a Free Vacation

The GCS central office employees are walking or running their way to good health. The Walk 100 or Run 200 miles wellness activity began on April 25 and will conclude on June 13, 2007. Approximately 200 central office employees have registered to walk or run with their eye on the prize of a weekend at the mountains or the coast. For more information, please contact Patty Kinkade, Director of Benefits, at 370-8092.

GCS Volunteers Make a Difference

As you know, Guilford County Schools relies heavily on our volunteers and to show our appreciation we recognize an outstanding volunteer each month in our new Volunteer of the Month (VOM) program. 

Each VOM will receive a certificate of appreciation from the Board of Education and Superintendent Dr. Terry Grier. He or she will also receive a 25$ gift card from American Express. Additionally, their photo will hang on a plaque at their school during the month of recognition. Remember to watch for the Volunteer of the Month on GCSTV2!

To nominate a volunteer who you think goes above and beyond the call of duty, simply click on the following link:

http://www.gcsnc.com/community/vom.htm

Employee Relations

School Board attorney Jill Wilson provided a training session for all principals in April on the topics of teacher evaluations, teacher rights and planning time. This is the second training session she has provided for principals in an ongoing series.

School Board Meetings

Want to get the latest on the decisions and happenings at the Guilford County Board of Education Meetings? Click here for a synopsis of meeting summaries.