GCS News Briefs

October 10, 2008

Mo Wants to Know!

What would you do to provide a quality education for all students? What do you think is the most important thing GCS could improve? How would you make GCS the best school district in the country?

Superintendent Maurice “Mo” Green began his work with GCS by telling you he’s here to listen. Now, he wants to hear your dreams, concerns and thoughts about how to make GCS a great place for our students, staff and parents.

No idea is too extreme or extravagant. We need your brainpower to help us dream big. We will compile your suggestions and use them as we develop our strategic plan to take the district into the next decade.

Please help us plan. Click here and give us your best suggestions. We need everyone engaged in this process.  Please submit your suggestions by October 16.

Diversity Office invites GCS to participate in National… “Mix it Up at Lunch Day”

On November 13, join thousands of schools for the seventh annual Mix It Up at Lunch Day.
Last year, an estimated 4 million students at 10,000 schools participated in Mix It Up at Lunch Day.
Mix It Up at Lunch Day is a simple call to action: take a new seat in the cafeteria. By making the move, students can cross the lines of division, meet new people and make new friends.
Today's schools are more diverse than ever before, and social scientists have long known the contact between diverse groups helps alleviate tensions and reduce prejudice. So why do social boundaries persist?

Students often choose to hang out only with people who they believe share experiences, interests or backgrounds that can help them define and better understand themselves. Such divisions can make it hard for different student groups to understand each other and can lead to challenges and difficulties in school communities.

Mix It Up seeks to break down the barriers between students, improve intergroup relations and help schools create inclusive communities where there are fewer misunderstandings that can lead to conflicts, bullying or violence. For more information, click on the link www.teachingtolerance.org or contact the Diversity Office at 370-3284.

High School Nite at the Symphony

The Greensboro Symphony Orchestra presents its second annual High School Nite on Thursday, October 23 at 7:30 p.m. in the War Memorial Auditorium. A young dynamic trio of classically trained string musicians, “Time for Three” transcends traditional classification, with elements of classical, country western, gypsy and jazz idioms forming a blend all its own. Tickets and complimentary parking are free to high school students.  Register for tickets on line at highschool@greesnborosymphony.org

Battleground Kia Announces Student of the Month Program

Do you know students who deserve recognition? Then enter their names in Battleground Kia’s Student of the Month Program. Simply send an e-mail stating why they should be recognized - academics, athletics, character – anything you think shows how a student is making a difference at school or in the community.  One elementary, one middle and one high school student are chosen monthly and each will receive a $100 savings bond. This month’s entries are due by Wednesday, October 22. E-mail your submissions to studentofthemonth@battlegroundkia.com. For more information, please contact Cecilia Adams, manager of community partnerships, at 370-8355. 

Northwest High Viking Band Receives Awards

MetamorphaSEUSS, a visual and musical performance by the Northwest Viking Marching Band, has been receiving standing ovations by audiences and competitors alike at recent area band competitions.

After sweeping the first place awards at the Scotland High School Highlands Competition in Laurinburg on September 20, the Viking Band traveled to Albemarle on September 27. The Northwest High Marching Vikings swept the awards at the Albemarle competition, receiving first place in every category and came home the Sweepstakes Champion.

MetamorphaSEUSS engages the audience through a journey of the band’s metamorphosis as they travel into a magical land inspired from stories written by Dr. Seuss. It is a lively, entertaining musical performance that thrills the spectators while displaying an extremely high level of musical and athletic performance. For more information, please contact Brian McMath, band director, at 605-3300.

Bow Wow at Hairston Middle: Voter Registration and Voter Regis"Treat"ion

Last Friday, Hairston Prospective IB MYP Middle School students participated in a voter registration process as part of the daily Advisor-Advisee program.  Teachers and students engaged in dialogue centered around individual rights and the privilege and responsibility of voting.  Upon completion of voter registration, each student received and proudly donned “registered voter” badges to demonstrate their citizenship and understanding of the process.  Although that seemed like the end of the activity until the actual election, HMS students received a very special voter “regis“TREAT”ion Thursday afternoon when famous hip-hop rap artist and actor, Bow-Wow, made a surprise appearance at the school.  Entering the gymnasium with a call and response from his popular “Marco-Polo” song, students reacted excitedly!  Bow-Wow’s appearance was a part of his Walk Across America voter initiative which began in Atlanta, Ga. October 1, and will end in Hartford, Ct. October 15.  He reiterated voter registration and voting, and students pledged to encourage the adults in their lives to register and vote. The 21-year-old star’s goal is to attract and galvanize young voters, with planned stops at several colleges and universities.  Hairston’s visit was arranged by Kim Martin, a science teacher at the school.  For more information, please contact Principal Teresa Daye at 370-8250, or Bobby Hayes, instructional improvement officer, at 370-8000.

Sumner Elementary Hosts Community Day

Sumner Elementary strives for student success by providing a quality education and encouraging partnerships with parents and members of the community.  On October 3, approximately 130 members of the Sumner Elementary community volunteered in classrooms.  They read with students, talked about their careers and how a quality education helped them obtain their job, worked in math centers, and ate lunch with students.  Collaborations such as these help students feel good about learning, thereby becoming more receptive to the learning process that goes on within the school environment.  For more information, please contact Principal Brian Clarida at 316-5888 or Sandra Culmer, instructional improvement officer, at 370-2336.

Ragsdale’s Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) College Night a Huge Success

The Ragsdale High PTSA hosted College Night on Tuesday, September 23.  More than 20 colleges, universities, community colleges and the Armed Forces were represented, and more than 400 students and parents attended the event.  The evening began with motivational speeches by Ricky Proehl, former Carolina Panthers player, and Rich Brenner, retired WGHP/Fox 8 sports anchor. Takeila Barnes, district representative with the College Foundation of North Carolina, also spoke.  “This was a wonderful opportunity for the entire Ragsdale family to be able to talk with several different colleges as they plan for their future,” said Dr. Kathy Rogers, Ragsdale High principal. “It is never too early to start planning for college.”  Door prizes were awarded throughout the evening that included t-shirts and fan gear donated by colleges and universities, along with gift certificates provided by local merchants.

The event was funded through a Strengthening Parent Involvement in Children’s Education (SPICE) grant provided by the Guilford County Council of Parent Teacher Associations and the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro. For more information, please contact Dr. Rogers at 819-2960 or John Eldridge, instructional improvement officer, at 370-2360.

Andrews High Seeks Numbers Experts

If you love math, Andrews High has a great opportunity for you. The school is in need of several math tutors. This is a perfect job for retired teachers, college math majors or education majors. Share your knowledge and help make a difference. For more information, please call Andrews High at 819-2800.

GCS Featured in National Compensation Debate

GCS faculty was featured at this year's National Value Added Data Conference in Columbus, Ohio.  Instructional Improvement Officers Bill Hurt, Bobby Hayes and John Eldridge participated in conference proceedings.  Amy Holcombe, executive director of talent development, participated in an expert panel discussion about differentiated compensation.  The issue of differentiated compensation is currently at the forefront of education reform, school improvement and teacher quality issues across the country.  Mission Possible, Guilford County's own differentiated compensation program, is currently the most comprehensive program of its type in North Carolina and is one of the leading models for compensation in the country.  For more information, please contact Dr. Amy Holcombe, executive director of talent development, at 335-3294 or at holcoma@gcsnc.com.

Right Start Orientation for New Teachers

The Office of Induction and Success hosted a “Right Start Orientation for New Teachers” make-up session.  Sixty-six teachers who have begun their teaching career since mid-August attended the session.  Trainers from the departments of exceptional children, professional development and curriculum and instruction presented the following mini-sessions:  The Nuts and Bolts of Working with Exceptional Children in the Regular Classroom, Lesson Planning Using GEMS (Guilford Education Management System) as a Resource and Classroom Management for the Elementary/Secondary Teacher. Sessions were differentiated to meet the needs of elementary and secondary teachers.  For more information, please contact Martha Snavely, executive director of induction and professional development, at 335-3290 or snavelm2@gcsnc.com. 

National Board Candidate Support Meeting

A meeting was held at Jackson Middle for teachers currently going through the National Board of Professional Teaching process. Guilford County is currently ranked 11th in the nation for the number of National Board Certified Teachers. During the meeting, candidates received tips to help them as they prepare for the portfolio entries and assessment center exercises. Refreshments were provided by the Guilford County Association of Educators. For more information contact Karen Boyd, reading teacher at Jackson Middle, at 294-7350 or boydk@gcsnc.com.

2008-09 Lateral Entry Information Sessions

GCS Human Resources Office of Employment recently sponsored the first Lateral Entry Teacher Licensing Information Session for the 2008-09 school year. A total of 95 participants attended the two sessions.  The information sessions covered the qualifications for lateral entry teacher licensing in North Carolina public schools as well as teacher employment procedures for GCS.  The sessions will be held twice monthly for the remainder of the school year and is free to the public.  For more information, please contact the Office of Employment at 370-8967.

Guilford County Schools Participates in NC Obesity Crisis Conference

The Moses Cone-Wesley Long Community Health Foundation recently co-sponsored the “2008 A Call to Action:  Working Together to Solve North Carolina’s Obesity Crisis” Conference.  Several nationally known researchers and leaders in the area of obesity presented at the conference with the opening address provided by Dr. Leah Devlin, state health director.  Through the coordination of the student services division, school health nurses, health and physical education teachers and School Health Advisory Council members were represented at the conference.  This was a wonderful opportunity to hear from experts in the field about the obesity crisis that has surfaced at both a state and national level.  For more information, please contact Gwen Willis, executive director of student services, at 370-8397 or Robin Bergeron-Nolan, director of health services, at 370-8333.

Soy un Linder (I Am A Leader) Conference

Guilford College announces the Second Annual Soy un Lider (I Am A Leader) Conference to be held on Saturday, November 15 at Guilford College. This conference will provide Latino students and their parents with important information about the application and admission process at colleges and universities, how to obtain scholarships, how to prepare for college and what to expect of life in college, among other topics.  Latino and Latina students will be inspired to pursue a college education. An essay competition will award scholarships ranging from $100 to $500 to the top four essays. For information about registration forms, you may contact Mayra Hayes, ESOL director, at 370-8982 or Monica Walker, diversity officer, at 370-3284.  For more information, please contact Jorge Zeballos, Latino Community Coordinator at Guilford College, at 316-2128 or jzeballo@guilford.edu

Teen Summit Scheduled for Teacher Workday

When school is out on October 27, high school students will have an opportunity to join with 250 of their peers at the annual Youth First Teen Summit at the Greensboro Coliseum Events Center. This multicultural event, hosted by Greensboro Parks and Recreation, The National Conference for Community and Justice and Action for Children, showcases ways young people  can learn about and get involved in a variety of cultural and community causes. For more information, please contact Darryl Kosiak of Youth First at 297-5019.

Teacher Supply Warehouse

If you are a teacher and if at least 50 percent of the students at your school qualify for free or reduced price lunch, you are eligible to obtain free supplies at the Teacher Supply Warehouse! Teachers can click here to register to shop or visit our Web site.

 If your business or community group has gently used items, such as books, notebooks or office supplies, please join us in our effort to give back to the schools and students that need it most. While some items may seem unusable to you, they can become valuable in the hands of a creative teacher. The Teacher Supply Warehouse also accepts new supplies.

GCS is thankful for our partners - Guilford Education Alliance, Welfare Reform Liaison Project and Leadership Greensboro - that work together to make the warehouse available to our teachers. For more information, please contact Cecilia Adams, manager of community partnerships, at 370-8355.

GCSTV 2 

Teacher of the Year/Principal of the Year

GCS honors its educators in a ceremony in which Rodney Morgan was named Teacher of the Year and LaToy Kennedy was named Principal of the year.  All the finalists for both honors are profiled in these video features that run back-to-back at 10:01 a.m. daily.

Inside Out

This documentary is a stark reminder of the importance of staying in school.  It is a series of stories from inmates who ponder the world outside prison walls as they talk about how dropping out of school dramatically changed their lives for the worst.  Produced by the Mattie Stewart Foundation, GCSTV 2 presents this emotionally gripping film with stories told by those who live with the consequences each day.  This program runs daily at 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Driver’s Edge-Driver’s Education Special

Take this in-depth driver’s education course that gives real world examples and advice on how to safely handle a car.  The advice is handed out generously by some of the drivers who should know best - Indy Series racers.  This program runs Friday through Monday at 5:59 a.m. and 4:59 p.m. and Tuesday through Thursday at 4:59 a.m. and 5:59 p.m.

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 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.

Sumner Community Day
It’s the neighborly thing to do, and that’s why Sumner Elementary is celebrating with a community day event.  Students get a chance to meet with those in the community that can and do serve as role models.  This Newsbreak airs Wednesday, October 15.

 Superintendent Holds Town Hall Meeting
New GCS Superintendent Maurice “Mo” Green spends a lot of his time getting out and listening to what folks have to say about education.  Come along as he holds his first town meeting at First Baptist Church in Gibsonville.  This Newsbreak airs Friday, October 17.

For more information, please contact Leonard Simpson, broadcast production manager, at 370-8167.