GCS News Briefs

April 25, 2008

Did You Know?

In the High Point/Jamestown area, completed projects from the 2000 and 2003 bonds, plus those proposed in the 2008 bond, amount to 36 projects totaling more than $255 million in new construction, renovations and enhancements. Click here for more information on 2008 bond projects.

Kids Voting

All students in Guilford County will have an opportunity to participate in an online primary poll ending on North Carolina's primary day, Tuesday, May 6.  Early voting will begin on Monday, April 28. This is an excellent opportunity for our students.  It's easy, it's fun and it is very educational!

To access the online student poll, click on www.kidsvotingnc.org and then click on the Primary Poll on the home page.  Next, they will need to click on Guilford County, click on their school and pick a party.  Elementary school students can vote for President, US Senate, Governor, the school bond and the other bonds.  Middle and high students have an expanded ballot.  To find the races on the student primary ballot, go to www.kidsvotingguilford.org and click the Primary icon on the top right of the home page and click on candidates on ballot. 

Results will be posted at www.kidsvotingguilford.org on Tuesday, May 7. For more information, please contact Jonathan McRae, curriculum specialist, at mcraej@gcsnc.com, the Kids Voting office at 373-8773 or by e-mail, pat@kidsvotingguilford.org.

Schools Seek Feedback from Parents and Students in Grades 2, 4, 7 and 11

Beginning Friday April 25 through May 16, almost all schools in the district will survey parents and students in grades 2, 4, 7 and 11. (Some schools, such as those involved in Mission Possible and Talent Development, have already surveyed parents and students and will not need to do an additional survey.)  Grades 2, 4, 7 and 11 were targeted to give schools a representative sample of parents and students in their building and to concentrate efforts to get a good response rate from parents.  The survey is designed to measure satisfaction on a variety of topics important to schools.  School Improvement Teams will use the results this summer, along with feedback from the Teacher Working Conditions and a survey of classified staff, to develop strategies for improving student achievement.  Further information will be communicated to parents by each school.  For more information, please contact Dr. Mack McCary, chief academic officer, at 370-2365.

Participation Soars in Teacher Working Conditions Survey

Thanks to the combined efforts of the Guilford Chapter of the North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE) and principals, teacher participation in the Governor’s Teacher Working Conditions survey soared to just over 80%, a 10% increase compared to participation in the last survey.  The survey is administered statewide every two years to give districts and individual schools feedback about a variety of conditions that affect teacher productivity and student achievement.  Every school in the district achieved a response rate greater than 40%, the minimum rate required for the school to receive school-specific feedback.  Schools will use the results in developing school improvement plans this summer, while the district will analyze areas of strength and opportunities for improvement district-wide.  The results are expected to be delivered to the district May 15.  For further information, please contact Dr. Mack McCary, chief academic officer, at 370-2365, or Mark Jewell, president of the Guilford Chapter of NCAE, at 299-9601.

New District Relations Officer Named

Lekan Oguntoyinbo has been named as the new District Relations Officer effective May 19.  He has served most recently as the executive director of public relations in the Detroit Public Schools, also as the public information director for the State of Michigan and as a contributing reporter and writer for the following newspapers and magazines: The Detroit News, African American Family, Detroit Free Press, The Plain Dealer and The Tampa Tribune. For more information, please contact Dr. Peggy Thompson, chief human resources officer, at 370-8340.

Students from GCS Receive National Merit Scholarship

Two seniors from Guilford County high schools can now call themselves a Merit Scholar after illustrating a strong combination of accomplishments, skills and potential for success in rigorous college studies.

Nikolas Antolin from The Early College at Guilford and Ross Taggart from Grimsley High are among the 1,100 distinguished scholarship winners nationwide. Antolin received the National Merit PPG Industries Foundation Community Scholarship, and Taggart received the National Merit General Dynamics Scholarship.

These students secured two of the corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarships worth anywhere from $500 to $10,000 per year or a single payment between $2,500 and $5,000 based on their standardized tests scores, academic record, contributions and leadership in school and community activities, an essay describing interests and goals and a recommendation written by a high school official.

Recipients were selected from finalists in the 2008 National Merit Scholarship Program. Scholar selection was based on committee members’ appraisal of information submitted by 15,000 finalists and their schools. The number of winners named in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating high school seniors.

Nearly 200 companies, foundations and other business organizations sponsor the corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarships. Corporate organizations generally provide National Merit Scholarships for Finalists who are children of their employees, residents of the community the company serves or who plan to pursue college majors or careers the grantor wishes to encourage. For more information, contact Haley Miller, program administrator – communications, at 370-3200.

Governor’s School Selects 24 GCS Students

The Governor’s School of North Carolina has selected 24 GCS students to attend its academically gifted program this summer. They are among 800 scholars across the state selected to attend the school from June 15 to July 26.

The six-week program offers 11 academic disciplines for students to explore. The areas of study include art, dance, foreign language, math, music and science. Students will study at one of the two campuses, Governor’s School West at Salem College in Winston-Salem or Governor’s School East at Meredith College in Raleigh.

The Governor's School is the oldest statewide summer residential program for academically gifted high school students in the nation. The General Assembly of North Carolina funds the program annually. It is administered by the Public Schools of North Carolina, the State Board of Education and the Department of Public Instruction through the Exceptional Children Division.

Congratulations to the following students selected to participate in the 2008 Governor’s School:    

For more information, please contact Jane Fleming, executive director of advanced learning, at 370-2316.

NCHSAA Scholar-Athlete Winners for Fall and Winter

The North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) has announced that Southern High had the highest team Grade Point Averages for any school in the state for the following sports during the fall and winter: Volleyball (3.784), Cheerleading (3.702) and Men’s Soccer (3.544). The award is even more significant since the GPAs are figured not on a weighted scale but a straight 4.0 scale. The awards will be presented to Southern at the Annual NCHSAA meeting on May 1 in Chapel Hill. Congratulations to those student-athletes at Southern that helped to achieve these awards. For more information, please contact Herb Goins, district athletic director, at 370-8950.

GCS Teacher of the Year Sponsored by Wachovia  

Eighty school level winners submitted portfolios to compete in the district-wide Teacher of the Year competition. The reading committee, which is comprised of former nominees, principals, central office staff and community representatives, will score and rank the portfolios. Those teachers selected to move forward to the interview round will be announced by the June 13 edition of GCS News Briefs.  Interviews will take place the week of June 23 with the winner announced on September 22 at the “Best in Class” awards; sponsored by Wachovia. Congratulations to all of the school level winners. For more information, please contact Carla Alphin, program administrator for employee relations, at 378-8821.

Johnson Street Global Studies to Host Chinese Principal

Johnson Street will host Ou Qun, principal of Changzhou Garden Middle School in China, from April 29 -May 1. Students and staff will host a welcome ceremony for Ou on April 29 at 8 a.m. in the gymnasium. Throughout his visit, Ou will learn about the American education system through classroom observations at Johnson Street. Changzhou Garden and Johnson Street have collaborated throughout the school year, beginning with a visit to China by two Johnson Street representatives last summer. For more information, please contact Magnet Coordinator Kym Gould at 819-2900.

GCSTV2
 

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 five times daily:  Tuesday through Thursday at 1:10 a.m., 7:16 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 7:47 p.m. and 9:17 p.m., and Friday through Monday at 1:10 a.m., 7:16 a.m., 11:38 a.m., 7:51 p.m. and 9:17 p.m.  

Planning the Best Schools

While GCS is in need of new schools and upgrades at existing schools, planning for those improvements is no small task. District facilities managers are gathering with the community as well as construction industry representatives to discuss what to include to provide the best schools possible.  This program runs daily at 5:57 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 program see the finished product of three new GCS schools built with funds from the 2003 Bond. This is telecast daily at 8:01 a.m., 4:01 p.m. and 8:01 p.m.

The Economic Impact of GCS 

As one of the major employers in the Piedmont Triad, GCS has a tremendous impact on our economy.  See how the numbers stack up in this special presentation by a noted UNCG economist. This program runs Friday through Monday at 12:01 p.m., 6:01 p.m. and Tuesdays and Thursdays at 12:01 p.m. and 9:40 p.m. 

Eat Smart-Move More

The right nutrition is important to maintain good health.  GCS offers some healthy advice on choosing the right foods and portion sizes to cut down on the extra fat and calories that may be lurking in our diets.  Join Registered Dietitian Amanda Hester and Ashley Mathis for our series: Eat Smart. Your guide to healthier eating runs daily at 6:57 a.m., 7:56 a.m., Tuesday through Thursday at 9:52 p.m. and Friday through Monday at 9:55 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.

Students “On Stage”   
GCS students show their talents as they take the stage at Greensboro’s War Memorial Auditorium for “On Stage.”  The talent showcase sponsored by the Guilford Education Alliance and GCS provides our community with an opportunity to see a showcase of the talented students in our schools.  This Newsbreak airs Wednesday, April 30.

Science Carnival
Wiley Elementary teams with North Carolina A&T State University to inspire students to get involved in science through “hands on” experimentation.  This Newsbreak airs Friday, May 2.

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