GCS News Briefs

March 21, 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?

By the 2017-18 school year, GCS must build approximately 6,800 elementary seats, 2,200 middle school seats and 4,800 high school seats to accommodate growth and eliminate mobile classrooms.

Teacher Working Conditions Survey Available

The 2008 Teacher Working Conditions Survey is available for educators to complete at www.ncteachingconditions.org.  The survey, which is available online through April 21, gathers feedback from the state’s teaching professionals to help shape state education policy, strengthen classroom working conditions and enhance the learning environment for students.

Survey questions focus on time, facilities and resources, school leadership, professional development and teacher empowerment.  A record 75,600 educators from more than 1,985 schools participated in the voluntary 2006 Teacher Working Conditions Survey. This year’s survey has been expanded to include questions just for principals, developed by administrators and key education groups from across the state, to help them better look at school administration concerns.

Parents, teachers and community members can log on to www.ncteachingconditions.org to track the response rates of schools across the state.  To encourage participation, members from the North Carolina Business Committee for Education and local businesses will sponsor weekly and grand prize drawings for faculty in schools that reach 100 percent response rates.  Final survey results will be posted on the Web site after May 15, 2008.

A toll-free help desk has been established to provide assistance to those taking the survey.  The help desk will be open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the administration of the survey and can be reached at 877-NCTWC08 or 877-628-9208. For more information, please contact Haley Miller, program administrator – communications, at 370-3200.

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, please contact the Guilford Education Alliance at 841-4332 or Cecilia Adams, manager of community partnerships, at 370-8355.

Peck Elementary Awarded Ready Schools Grant

The North Carolina Partnership for Children recently awarded Peck Elementary a Ready Schools Grant. This $7,500 grant will fund a pilot program designed to help the school prepare better prepare to receive next year’s kindergartners. A team from Smart Start will visit the school within the next two weeks to assess the school’s needs. This work also will  support the school’s pre-K program to ensuring that school staff, parents and childcare centers are all working together to prepare future Peck kindergartners for academic success. For more information, please contact Lee Ann Segalla, elementary curriculum officer, at 574-2657.

Ecolab Offers Grants to Teachers

Ecolab offers grants to schools each year in the communities where their associates live and work. Last year, the company donated more than $62,000 to Guilford, Forsyth and Rockingham county teachers. The program provides materials and resources through grants up to $3,000 to teachers in communities surrounding Ecolab facilities. Proposals must be received by 5 p.m. on Friday, March 28. All applicants will receive notice by mail in May, and funds will be available in time for the start of the 2008-09 school year. Click here for instructions and an application form. For more information, please contact Cecilia Adams, manager of community partnerships, at 370-8355.

Elementary Schools Receive Project Fit America Training

The Moses Cone-Wesley Long Community Health Foundation is funding four more GCS elementary schools for Project Fit America. E. P. Pearce Elementary, Guilford Elementary, Northern Elementary and Reedy Fork Elementary students and staff received training on March 17-20. We are fortunate to have an ongoing partnership with the Moses Cone-Wesley Long Community Health Foundation.  Congratulations to the students and staff at each of these schools on the successful completion of the Project Fit America training!  For more information, please contact Robin Bergeron-Nolan, director of health services, at 370-8333.

Sumner Elementary to Held Pep Rally with U.S. Representative

U.S. Rep. Mel Watt visited Sumner students and teachers today at 1 p.m. in the gymnasium. Watt spoke with students during the pep rally about the importance of focusing on academics. For more information, please contact Social Worker Yvetta Grier at 316-5888.

Sustained Professional Purchasing Award

The Carolinas Association of Governmental Purchasing (CAGP) awarded the GCS Purchasing Department the Sustained Professional Purchasing Award for the year 2007. This is the highest award a purchasing department can obtain within the CAGP.
                                           
To qualify for this award, purchasing departments must meet and maintain high standards in several areas including professional development, continuous improvement programs, environmental awareness, minority participation, automation and electronic commerce. Only 12 units of government received this award for the year ending 2007. GCS Purchasing is the only department to earn eight consecutive CAGP Sustained Professional Purchasing Award recognitions. A formal presentation of the award was made to our purchasing staff at the CAGP Spring Conference on March 6 in Durham, NC. Congratulations to Purchasing Officer John Mann and the entire purchasing department team! For more information, please contact Mr. Mann at 370-3238 or Sharon Ozment, co-interim superintendent, at 370-8343.

Administrator Receives Trailblazer Award

Sylvia Anderson, director of career and technical education/college tech prep, is a recipient of the 2008 North Carolina Association of School Administrators (NCASA) Individual Trailblazer Award. Anderson received the award for innovation and excellence in education.

Throughout her career, Anderson has been a leader in career/technical education efforts on the local, state and national level. Always with a focus on what is best for students, she is constantly seeking new and cutting-edge program development.  “In today’s workforce, it is vital that we provide students with the resources they need to be successful,” said Anderson. “It is an honor to be recognized for our efforts.”

Former Superintendent Dr. Terry Grier also received the Trailblazer award this year. The NCASA gives the awards to honor those who have exhibited true leadership and innovation. The awards come in two categories, individual and school/school districts. Individual nominees and award winners are affiliates within the NCASA.  For more information, please contact Haley Miller, program administrator – communications, at 370-3200.

Northwest Middle Geometry Class Wins Statewide Competition

Northwest geometry students placed first during the North Carolina Department of Transportation Statewide Model Bridge Building Regional Competition on Friday, March 7. The competition requires students to research and document their design for oral presentations to a judge’s panel. 

The Northwest students constructed their 37-gram bridge from balsa wood that supported 38.7 lbs. of sand during the competition. The team will participate in the state competition on Friday, April 11 in Raleigh. For more information, please contact Geometry Teacher Dr. Jesse Gassaway at 605-3333.

Northwest Middle Odyssey of the Mind Teams Win at Regional Competition

Two Odyssey of the Mind teams from Northwest Middle have advanced to the state tournament after placing first and second in their divisions during the regional tournament held in Boone, NC. The state tournament will take place on Saturday, April 5 at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC. For more information, please contact Social Studies Teacher Tammy Balser at 605-3333.

GCS Students Participate at State Science Fair

Seven students represented GCS at the North Carolina State Science Fair on March 15 at Meredith College in Raleigh.  Meghan Rankins and Clare Parrish competed in the elementary division; Justin Ericson, Ryan Gresalfi and Nicole Shaw in middle school categories; and Mark Hendrick, Jr. and Kyle O’Donnell in high school categories. The results are:

For more information, please contact Robyn Barrett, elementary science curriculum specialist, at 312-4332 or Debbie Kraszeski, secondary science curriculum specialist, at 312-3355.

The Early College at Guilford's FIRST Robotics Team 1533 Heading to ‘Super Bowl of Smarts’ 

The Early College at Guilford’s FIRST Robotics Team 1533, also known as Triple Strange, received the second-highest award a team can garner at the FIRST Robotics Peachtree Regional, March 13-15 in Duluth, Ga.  The Engineering Inspiration Award celebrates outstanding success in advancing respect and appreciation for engineering within a team’s school and community. Team 1533, which also made it into the semifinal rounds of the regional competition, was recognized for its sponsorship of 12 new FIRST teams, from Lego Leagues to three new rookie Robotics teams that joined them at the Peachtree Regional.  One of those rookie teams, Team 2463 from North Davidson High School, made it to the final match and also won the Rookie Inspiration Award during the regional tournament.

The Engineering Inspiration Award gives Team 1533 an automatic place in the 2008 FIRST Championship, April 17-19 in Atlanta. The championship is the culmination of the season’s FIRST programs, bringing together three robotics competitions for the ultimate sport for the mind at the Georgia Dome. The event includes the FIRST Robotics World Championship, the FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship and the FIRST LEGO League World Festival. Team 1533 Triple Strange is a strong alliance of Guilford County high schools and includes members from The Early College at Guilford, Grimsley, Northwest, Wesleyan Christian Academy and Southwest, as well as home-schooled students.

Major sponsors of the team include ABCO Automation, NC A&T University, Piedmont Triad Partnership’s WIRED grant, Dell Inc., The Early College at Guilford, Tyco Electronics, RF Micro Devices, Analog Devices, MacCord Mason PLLC and SolidWorks. These companies have a shared belief in the FIRST mission and its values of teamwork, gracious professionalism and the pursuit of science and technology excellence. For more information, please contact Team Coach Marie Hopper at 375-1572 or go to www.ecgrobotics.com and www.usfirst.org.  For more information about The Early College at Guilford, please contact Principal Charles Blanchard at 316-2860.

Smith High Receives Excellent Rating in North Carolina Band Festival

The Smith High Concert Band participated in the North Carolina Concert Band Festival in Hillsborough, NC on March 14 and received a rating of Excellent in Grade IV. Several after-school and Saturday rehearsals began in February in order for interested students to participate. Many Smith students are not in the daily band class due to block scheduling.  Director Charles Butler stated how proud he was of the band member’s dedication, hard work and perseverance to achieve.  Butler said “the kids are looking forward to working on a Superior in Grade V or VI next year.”  Congratulations to all of the Smith High Concert Band members! For more information, please contact Principal Noah Rogers at 294-7300 or Kendra March, instructional improvement officer, at 370-8107.

GCS Students Attend Beijing Youth Science Competition

Congratulations to Mark Hendrick, Jr. from Northwest High and Kyle O¹Donnell from Southwest High for being selected to attend the Beijing Youth Science Creation Competition in March.  The goal of the Beijing Youth Science Creation Competition is for U.S. students to meet and exchange ideas with students from other countries. While U.S. students will exhibit works at the competition, they are not competing against other countries.  Only the students from China participate in the competitive part of the event. The North Carolina Science, Mathematics and Technology Education Center is funding their attendance at this competition. The Grassroots Science Museums Collaborative is coordinating the trip. The North Carolina students will be blogging while they are at the event. Click here to follow their travels by reading their blog. For more information about the Beijing Youth Science Fair, please contact Lisa Rhoades at lrhoades@bwfund.org.

Smith Student Takes First Place in GCS Hispanic Heritage Month Poster Contest

Congratulations to Smith Junior Marcus Layer, for his first place finish in the first GCS Hispanic Heritage Month Poster Contest. Marcus is an Honors Spanish IV student under the instruction of Mrs. Saletta Ureña. His poster will be displayed at district events during Hispanic Heritage Month in September. For more information, please contact Principal Noah Rogers at 294-7300, Kendra March, instructional improvement officer, at 370-8107 or Gisela Hood, coordinator of world languages, at 707-8324.

NewBridge Bank Outstanding Teacher Award

Do you know an outstanding teacher? In April, NewBridge Bank is recognizing one lucky GCS teacher for his or her amazing impact in the classroom as the NewBridge Bank Outstanding Teacher. That teacher receives $1,000 and will be featured on “Triad Today,” the Triad’s only locally produced public-affairs program with host Jim Longworth.

To qualify as a NewBridge Outstanding Teacher, the GCS teacher must:

• Be a full-time, certified, pre-K-12 public school teacher
• Plan to continue in an active instructional role
• Spend the majority of the school day in direct instruction to students
• Be in at least the third year of teaching in public schools

Nominees are judged on the following criteria:

• Skilled in implementing creative teaching strategies
• Evidence of positive teacher influence related to student achievement through formal and informal documentation
• Discusses a personal philosophy of teaching
• Poised, articulate, enthusiastic and energetic
• Exceptionally dedicated, knowledgeable and skilled
• Superior ability to teach and to inspire in students a love of learning
• Recognized as a leader in the community as well as in the school
• Inspires students of all backgrounds and abilities, to learn
• Respected and admired by students, parents and colleagues

To nominate a teacher, please describe how the teacher meets the criteria and send any supporting documentation or letters of recommendation to: Cecilia Adams, Office of District Relations, Guilford County Schools, 712 N. Eugene St., Greensboro, NC 27401. Hurry! Deadline for entry is March 28. For more information, please contact Cecilia Adams, manager of community partnerships, at 370-8355.

Law Day Contests

The Greensboro Bar Association is asking GCS students to help them celebrate Law Day on May 1, through an essay and poster contest.  The winners of the high school essay contest receive up to $500, and the middle school poster contest winners receive up to $100. Click the following links for the middle school and high school application instructions. Deadline for entry is April 14. For more information, please contact Cecilia Adams, manager of community partnerships, at 370-8355.

Teacher Supply Warehouse Open for Business

Spring means “spring cleaning,” so when you think about what to do with your surplus office supplies, containers, notebooks or other “stuff” cluttering your supply closets, think about the Teacher Supply Warehouse.

Here’s how it works: businesses or organizations donate to the warehouse. GCS teachers then shop the warehouse selecting items free of charge. The only “payment” needed is a thank-you letter to one of the businesses or groups that make a donation. It’s a simple idea with huge benefits for our teachers, students and our community.

When parents can’t afford to send their children to schools with the supplies they need, teachers make up the difference. According to a survey conducted by the National School Supply and Equipment Association, teachers can easily spend as much as $800 per year of their personal money on supplies for their classrooms.

The success of the Teacher Supply Warehouse lies in the hands of our community. Receiving regular donations of supplies is the key to keeping the warehouse stocked and ready for teachers to shop. The Teacher Supply Warehouse accepts donations of traditional school supplies, as well as items businesses may no longer need. Before throwing things away, think about creative and resourceful teachers. They could probably put any item to good use in the classroom.

For more information on how your business or community group can help stock the Teacher Supply Warehouse, please contact Cecilia Adams, manager of community partnerships, at 370-8355, or adamsc4@gcsnc.com.

Annual Enrollment

Annual Enrollment for Health Insurance will end Friday, March 28. The Benefits Office will be open the week of spring break with the exception of Monday, March 24.  Our office hours are 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.  Two Retirement Seminars will be held on Thursday, March 27 in the Eugene Street board room.  The first seminar will be at 9:30 a.m. until 11 p.m. and the second seminar will be at 4:30 p.m. until 6 p.m. These will be the last seminars of the year. For more information or questions, please contact Patty Kinkade, director of benefits, at 336-370-8092 or kinkadp@gcsnc.com.

GCSTV2

"I have a dream…”

With those words, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. inspired generations to work towards a world where civil rights are guaranteed for all. Join Murphey Traditional Academy fourth-graders as they pay tribute to the slain civil rights leader 40 years after his assassination. This program runs Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday at 4:55 p.m.

Building Futures-Your Construction Update

See how our community has provided for the education of our children in this latest edition of Building Futures. In this edition, see the finished product of three new schools in the district 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.  

The Andrews Aviation Academy Preview

GCS Magnet/Choice schools selection gets bigger as The Andrews Aviation Academy begins classes later this year. Take a tour and see what’s offered to students interested in broadening their career choices where the sky is literally the limit. This program runs daily at 3:01 p.m.

The Edition

Students of television production at Weaver Academy display their talents and skills in this student-written, photographed and edited production. The program runs Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 11:15 a.m. and 9 p.m.  

MCET Rocks!

The students of The Middle College of Entertainment Technology at GTCC 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.

Employee of the Month

GCS has thousands of hard-working, dedicated employees.  Our Employee of the Month award spotlights an employee held in high esteem by his or her colleagues. Join us as we honor Nancy Abel, adaptive physical education teacher as our GCS Employee of the Month for March 2008.  This program runs daily at 6:01 a.m., 9:58 a.m., 12:57 p.m., 3:58 p.m., 6:58 p.m. and 9:56 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 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.

A Grand Performance
Rehearsing and performing are exciting for the chorus at Pilot Elementary, but check out their latest performance. The stakes are high when they sing before thousands at the Greensboro Coliseum. This Newsbreak airs Wednesday, March 26.

Future Scientists
Who among them will make next technological breakthrough or find a cure for a deadly disease? The future holds the answers to those questions, but today you can see the bright, creative, scientific minds at work at the latest GCS Science Fair.  This Newsbreak airs Friday, March 28.  

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