GCS News Briefs

September 19, 2008

Email & Internet Downtime for GCS

 On Saturday, September 20, Duke Power will replace a power transformer at the GCS Prescott facility,    where the district’s Network Operation Center (NOC) is located. The power will be turned off to the facility and the generator will not engage.  Duke Power will not allow the generator to engage for safety reasons and the lack of electrical power will result in district Internet access and e-mail being down for the duration of the installation of the new larger capacity transformer. It is anticipated that this will take up to nine hours starting at 8 a.m. We apologize for the temporary inconvenience on this day, but the larger transformer is needed due to the district’s increasing need for network/server/storage capacity and the new transformer will accommodate the growing NOC. Technology Services staff will be there to ensure that equipment resumes normal operation once power is restored. For more information, please contact Dr. Terrence Young, chief information and special services officer at 370-2308.

Wachovia Best in Class

The five finalists for the 2008-09 GCS Principal of the Year and Teacher of the Year award have all made a difference at their schools. However, only one principal and one teacher will be named the districts highest honor on Monday, Sept. 22 at the Wachovia “Best in Class Awards.”  

The winning principal and teacher will each receive $1,000 and will represent educators across the district at various local and state events. GCS will also name an elementary and secondary principal and teacher of the year. They will each receive $500. The three runners-up will receive $300 each. The winning principal and teacher will receive a total of $1,500 - $1,000 for winning the overall award and $500 for winning at his or her grade level. In addition to the cash awards, each finalist will receive a plaque.

The finalists for the principal awards are:
* Brian Clarida, Sumner Elementary
* LaToy Kennedy, Wiley Elementary
* Benita C. Lawrence, Monticello-Brown Summit Elementary
* Kenneth R. Wheat, Pruette SCALE School
* Rodney H. Wilds, Jackson Middle

The finalists for the teacher award are:
* Melinda Galloway, English, Greensboro College Middle College
* Rodney J. Morgan Jr., mathematics, Aycock Middle
* Sabrina Peacock, third grade, Pilot Elementary
* Sophia Rose Roberts, English, Jones Elementary
* Margaret Patrice (Patty) Schram, math and pre-algebra, The Academy at Lincoln

For more information, please contact Carla Alphin, program administrator for employee relations, at 370-8821 or alphinc@gcsnc.com.

GCS Exceptional Children (EC) Director Honored

The Executive Director for EC and Psychological Services for GCS Betty Anne Chandler, has been named North Carolina CASE (Council of Administrators for Special Education) 2008 Outstanding EC Director by the Central Region of Administrators.  Chandler has been an educator in GCS since 1975.  As executive director, she provides oversight and monitors all programs and budget for special education for nearly 11,000 students with disabilities and more than 1,600 employees in the district. A formal presentation will take place at the annual CASE Conference at Wrightsville Beach, NC on September 30. For more information, please contact Dr. Terrence Young, chief information and special services officer, at 370-2308.

GCS College Night 2008

GCS will hold its annual college night on Tuesday, September 30 from 4 -8 p.m. at the Greensboro Coliseum in the Pavilion. Parking is free.  Admissions counselors from more than 120 post-secondary educational institutions and the military will be available to answer questions and provide the participants with informational materials, applications and scholarship information.  In addition, students and parents will be able to consult with financial aid experts about how to pay for their education. This event annually draws approximately 4,000 participants.

A representative from College Foundation of North Carolina will hold forty-five minute mini-sessions during the evening on post-secondary financial aid opportunities at 5 p.m. and 6:15 p.m.  The foundation will also have materials on career and academic planning, along with information on scholarships, grants, loan programs and tuition payment plans.

The Greensboro Kiwanis Club sponsors this event each year for students of Guilford County. Committed to service, Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time. For more information, contact Gwen Willis, executive director of student services, at 370-8397 or Samara Johnson, supervisor of high school counseling, at 370-2332. 

Portfolio System Becomes Effective in Guilford County High Schools

Students in the big five courses of English 1, biology, civics & economics, U.S. History, and Algebra 1 will be creating portfolios beginning this year. The portfolio system has been developed as an asset model; students showcase work that reflects their understanding and mastery. This process is designed to empower students in the learning process and can also serve as a communication mechanism during parent conferences.  Additionally, one section of the existing portfolio addresses the state-mandated Personal Education Plan (PEP) component, recorded for students not meeting the state accountability standards. Teachers and students, working as learning partners, will collect and record evidences or artifacts for the portfolio that demonstrate proficiency or opportunities to achieve proficiency in the goals and objectives of the N.C. Standard Course of Study. The portfolios will be distributed during the week of September 22 to all high schools. For more information, please contact Dr. Barbara Zwadyk, high school curriculum officer, at  zwadykb@gcsnc.com or at 335-3293.

GCS Prepares for New Elementary Math Textbook Adoption

Teacher representatives from each of our 67 elementary schools, along with the district’s elementary math curriculum specialists, will evaluate four textbooks for grades K-5 to support the N.C. Standard Course of Study. Teachers will focus their work on the alignment of the materials to the Standard Course of Study, as well as the instructional strategies that promote problem-solving, communication and mathematical reasoning. 

Teacher representatives will be provided staff development on the process and procedures involved in textbook selection.  After publisher presentations to the textbook committee, all schools will have the opportunity to review the materials that are being considered and provide input to their representative.  The textbook committee will reconvene to make a unified recommendation to the superintendent’s cabinet for approval.  This process begins September 30, and teachers will meet October 6, 7, 29 and 30. For more information, please contact Lee Ann Segalla, elementary curriculum officer, at segalll@gcsnc.com or at 574-2657.

Launch of Online Professional Development for Writing Assessment

The writing test for fourth-and seventh-grade students will be different during the 2008-09 school year.  Instead of the students being given a one-time writing prompt, the students will be assessed four times during the school year.  Two of these assessments will mirror the typical writing prompt test.  The other two assessments will be grounded in other core content areas (i.e., math, science, social studies).  In order for our teachers to learn about the new tests and teaching methodologies, professional development will be provided by NCDPI via MOODLE, an online learning management system.  Teachers will complete two 10-hour courses designed to be self-paced and individually completed.  The first course will focus on the instruction of writing and the involvement of content area teachers in the writing process.  The second course will focus on the assessment of student writing. Upon completion of the training, teachers will receive three CEUs and a certificate of completion. For more information, please contact Lee Ann Segalla, Elementary Curriculum Officer, at 574-2657 or at segalll@gcsnc.com. 

GCSTV 2

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 every day.  This program airs daily at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

New Principals

There are 13 new principals within our district.  Some are familiar faces and others are new to the area.  Join us in welcoming them and find out a little about their ideas for running a school.  This program is broadcast daily at 9:11 a.m., 12:08 p.m., 3:02 p.m. and 10:48 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 airs 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.

High Point Schools Get Grant
Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, GCS’ High Point area schools were awarded $100,000.  This Newsbreak airs Wednesday, September 24.

Backpacks for Gillespie
The business community again responds to a need.  Thanks to a generous donation, every student at Gillespie Park Elementary gets a new backpack and school supplies.  This Newsbreak airs Friday, September 26.

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