Friday Notes from Guilford County Schools

February 23, 2007

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.

Home Field Advantage

Research indicates that students who change schools often don’t perform as well in their studies as those who remain at one school throughout the year.  That’s why GCS offers the “Home Field Advantage.”  The initiative gives children in schools with high mobility rates a chance to stay at their original school if their family moves during the academic year.  Get the latest information on this program that helps students to stay in the game.  Home Field Advantage airs five times daily at: 7:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

GCS Recognize Educators Who Achieved National Board Certification®

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) announced that 72 educators from GCS have earned the profession’s top recognition by receiving the prestigious National Board Certification. Additionally, three educators renewed their certification (renewal is required every 10 years).

A symbol of professional teaching excellence, the National Board Certification acknowledges that a teacher was judged by their peers as: one who is accomplished, makes sound professional judgments about students’ best interests and acts effectively on those judgments. According to NBPTS, National Board Certification measures a teacher’s practice against high and rigorous standards through an extensive series of performance-based assessments, which includes teaching portfolios, student work samples, videotapes or DVDs and thorough analyses of the candidate’s teaching and the students’ learning.

These esteemed educators were recognized during the February 20 Board of Education meeting and their names are featured on GCSTV 2. Click here to view a list of the 2006 NBCT recipients.  For more information, please contact Dr. Peggy Thompson, Chief Human Resources Officer, at 370-8340 or Valerie Collins, Chief Organizational Development Officer, at 370-2305.

Eastern High School

Dr. Lisa Cooke, principal of Eastern Guilford High School, indicated that she will be taking a medical leave of absence until the end of the school year. GCS supports Dr. Cooke in this decision and wishes her well. Steve Hodgin will serve as interim principal starting Monday, February 26, 2007. Steve is a veteran educator, who has more than 30 years of experience and recently retired as principal of Southern High School.  For more information, please contact Dr. Peggy Thompson, Chief Human Resources Officer, at 370-8340 or Dr. Mack McCary, Chief Academic Officer, at 370-8106. 

New Principals and Assistant Principals Named

2007 Regional and District Science Fair

The GCS Science Fair, sponsored by the Business Advisory Board of Science and Mathematics, was held Wednesday, February 7 at Oak Hollow Mall in High Point.  The judges for the science fair were recruited from the Business Advisory Board, GCS personnel, local universities and members of the community.  Two hundred and sixty-three student projects from elementary, middle, and high schools in the district were displayed and judged during this event. 

Every student in the science fair was recognized with a certificate of participation.  During the ceremony, awards were given at two levels in the elementary division: Grades K-2 and Grades 3-5.  The elementary division awards were divided into five categories: Winner (K-2), Honorable Mention (K-2), Judges Choice (3-5), Winners (3-5), and Honorable Mention (3-5).  The “Judges Choice” elementary award winners advanced to the regional science fair competition held on February 28 at SciWorks in Winston-Salem.

The middle school division was divided into five categories awards: biological, earth, physical, general and applied sciences.  First, second, and third place awards as well as honorable mention awards were presented in each category.  The first place winner in each category competed in the regional competition at SciWorks. A special treat of cinnamon sticks was provided to the trophy winners from Cindy’s Cinnamon Roll in the Oak Hollow Mall. Click here for a list of the winners. For more information, please contact Fran Lusk, Elementary Science/Social Studies Specialist, at 370-3274.

Spell S-U-C-C-E-S-S: Winners of the GCS Annual Spelling Bee

Middle school students from across Guilford County came together at Penn-Griffin School for the Arts on Wednesday, February 21 to identify the top speller in the district. Each middle school sent their spelling bee champion to compete in the annual GCS Spelling Bee. Michael Robinson, a seventh-grader at The Academy at Lincoln, took home first place when he spelled the word “binoculars” correctly. He will represent GCS at the Regional Spelling Bee in Winston-Salem on March 25. Selena Tran, a seventh-grader at Kernodle Middle, was first runner-up.

Contestants from 19 middle schools participated in this event. Bill Flynn, Morning Show host at WMAG 99.5 FM served as Event Announcer. Judges included: Libby Lanier and Kathy Mayer, Accelerated Learner Coaches, and Michelle Landreth, School Social Worker at Penn-Griffin School for the Arts.

The following students participated.  Congratulations to all for a job well done!

For more information, please contact Rebecca McAtee, Elementary Reading Specialist, at 370-3270 or Haley Henderson, Program Administrator – Communications, at 370-3200.

GCS National Youth Art Month Art Exhibition  

GCS elementary art teachers are installing the annual Youth Art Month Student Exhibition to be held March 1 in the atrium of the Greensboro Cultural Center, 200 N. Davie St. The exhibition of student art will be on display from March 2 - 28 in celebration of Youth Art Month, a national celebration of art in American schools. The student and parent reception will be held on Sunday, March 18 from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. For more information, please contact NC Art Educator of the Year Joy Hudson at Colfax Elementary at 275-4332. 

High IQ Bowl

Last Saturday, the High IQ Bowl was held at Grimsley High, an academic tournament with questions from all the major academic areas, sponsored by the Greensboro Youth Council.  Seventeen schools from central North Carolina participated in the tournament.  The top eight qualifiers competed in a head-to-head competition using a lock-out buzzer system.  In the first round, Grimsley defeated Northwest Guilford High 147 to 78.  In the semifinals, Grimsley defeated Burlington Williams High by a score of 102 to 64. And in the finals, Grimsley defeated Chapel Hill High 190 to 134.  The winning team received the High IQ Bowl trophy and $2,000 in scholarships from Crescent Rotary.  Team members include Colleen McNamara, Graeme Ossey, Jenny Ford, Ross Taggart and Darius Emrani.  The coaches are Larry Williamson and Michael Courts.  As a result of winning this competition, the team is now eligible for national competition in Washington, D.C. from June 1-4. For more information, please contact Interim Principal John Eldridge at 370-8180.

Guilford County Families Explore Options with GCS Magnet Fairs

The GCS Magnet and Choice Schools Office welcomed many interested students and parents last week during two Magnet Fairs.  If you missed the fairs, there is still time to learn more about and apply for magnet and choice schools. Visit http://www.gcsnc.com/magnet to access school brochures, as well as the QuickGuide, a helpful tool in making the choice between so many options.  You’ll also find open house schedules and applications for each school. The deadline for elementary and middle school magnet applications is March 16. The deadline for high school options applications is March 23. For more information, please contact Tony Burks, Director of Magnet and Choice Schools, at 378-8832 or tlburks2@gcsnc.com.

Board of Education to Host DMC Initiative Briefing

The Board of Education will hold an administrative briefing on Tuesday, February 27 at 11:30 a.m. in the Board Room of the Administrative Offices, 712 N. Eugene St., Greensboro to hear a report from Dr. Margaret Arbuckle, Executive Director of the Guilford Education Alliance and Mary Kendrick, Project Coordinator, on the Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) Initiative.  This meeting is open to the public.  For more information, please contact Sonya Conway, Chief District Relations Officer, at 370-8386.

Board of Education Special Called Meeting 

The Guilford County Board of Education will hold a special called meeting on Thursday, March 1 at 6:30 p.m. The Board will discuss the proposed bond referendum and any other matters that may come before the board. The meeting will be held in the Board Room of the Administrative Offices, 712 N. Eugene St., Greensboro, N.C.

Successful GCS College Tech Prep Graduates Honored

The College Tech Prep Annual Conference, a joint effort from the State Board of Education, the Department of Public Instruction, the Community College System and the North Carolina New Schools Project, will take place March 5 through March 7.

On Wednesday, March 7, an awards breakfast will be held from 7:30 a.m. until 9 a.m. During the breakfast, the conference will recognize a panel of Guilford County College Tech Prep graduates who are currently in successful careers. Each graduate from the panel will make a presentation about the options they chose through the Tech Prep program that helped them succeed. For more information, please contact Sylvia Anderson, College Tech Prep and Career-Technical Education Director, at 370-8357.

ECPAC and Exceptional Children’s Department Will Host Two Workshops for Parents

In their ongoing effort to keep parents informed, the Exceptional Children’s Parent Advisory Council (ECPAC), along with the Exceptional Children’s Department, will hold two information sessions. The first workshop, “The Occupational Course of Study: What Every Parent Needs to Know,” is part of the Brown Bag Lunch Series. The workshop will take place on March 7 from Noon until 1 p.m. at Westover Church, 505 Muirs Chapel Road, Greensboro.

In addition, Exceptional Children’s Services will host a surrogate parent training program. The department is looking for volunteers to act as surrogate parents to students when no parent can be identified. The surrogate parent will represent the child in all matters relating to identification, evaluation and educational placement. The training session will take place on Tuesday, March 20 at the Franklin Board Room, 120 Franklin Boulevard, Greensboro. Two sessions will be held that day. The first session will take place from 9 a.m. until 10 a.m. for previously trained surrogate parents. Immediately following will be a session for new surrogate parents from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m. For more information, please contact Stephanie Antkowiak, EC Parent Liaison, at 370-8329.

Winners Named in the Guilford Battleground Company Essay Contest

The Guilford Battleground Company, a support organization of the Tannenbaum Historic Park and the Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, sponsored an essay contest for GCS. The contest was open to eighth grade students. Students examined the Battle of Guilford Courthouse and the impact the battle had on the Revolutionary War. The top three winners were awarded with monetary prizes of $150, $100 and $75 for first, second and third places. First place went to Grace Egan from the Academy at Lincoln, second place went to Melissa Reitz, also from The Academy at Lincoln and third place went to William Oakes from Eastern Middle. Other students in the top six included: LeeAnn Chen from Kernodle Middle, Sarah Spurr from The Academy at Lincoln and Kristin Jobe from Kernodle Middle. For more information, please contact Jonathan McRae, Social Studies Specialist, at 370-3273, ext. 1.

Teacher Assistant Scholarship Program

Applications are still available in Human Resources for the UNCG/GCS Teacher Assistant Scholarship Program.  Full-time teacher assistants with a minimum of two years experience in the classroom who hold an Associate’s Degree or the equivalent may apply to obtain a Bachelor of Science degree and licensure in elementary education.  Scholarships are available to cover tuition, fees and books.  The application deadline is May 1, 2007.  For more information or to request an application packet, please contact Tracey Dungee, Program Administrator for Recruitment & Licensing, at 370-8342.  

Mentor of the Year

The deadline for nominations for “Mentor of the Year” is February 28, 2007.  First and second year beginning teachers are encouraged to nominate mentors who have provided exemplary support for them during their first two years in the profession. For morel information, please contact Martha Snavely, Executive Director for Induction and Success, at 335-3290.

Technology Training

The Human Resources Department conducted technology training for all principals during the week of February 19-23.  In this training, principals learned about the allotment process, were introduced to new and improved software applications that allow them to search for and view job applications and candidate information and were introduced to the new and improved version of the Extended Employment Agreement.  Although the training was centered on the use of technology, staff was also able to cover a number of related issues surrounding processes and procedures.  For more information, please contact Steve Foster, Executive Director of HR Operations, at 370-8822.

GCSTV 2

Special February Broadcast -- “February One:” the Story of the Greensboro Four

In a simple act of defiance, four Greensboro men took a stand on February 1, 1960 that allowed others throughout the nation to sit down.  When these courageous N.C. A & T University students walked into Greensboro’s Woolworth’s store 47 years ago, they also walked into the history books.  The story of Joseph McNeil, Franklin McCain, Ezell Blair, Jr. and David Richmond, the men who changed the face of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, is expertly told in “February One,” produced by California Reel, the behind-the-scenes story of the Greensboro Sit-Ins.  The one-hour documentary chronicles a significant event in local history that quickly turned the eyes of a nation toward Greensboro.  GCS advises viewer discretion as the program contains some graphic language and images that may not be suitable for younger audiences.  The documentary airs throughout February three times daily at Noon, 8 p.m. and Midnight. 

On Assignment

For the latest in news and information that chronicles programs and events throughout the school district, join host Leonard Simpson for “On Assignment.”  The video airs daily at: 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 3:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Building the Future

Our growing school district makes it necessary to add schools and make renovations to existing campuses.  Construction bond money helps make that possible.  Join us for an update on the building of new schools and improvement projects at others as Host Lillian Govus and Dave Burnett, Executive Director of Facilities and Construction, take us on a guided tour.  The program airs daily at: 7:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Tus Hijos y GCS (Your Children and Guilford County Schools)

The State Writing Test is a crucial component for students in the fourth, seventh and 10th grades.  Passing the test in high school is a determining factor as to whether a student will graduate and receive a diploma.  Join Host Karin Young for the newest edition of our Spanish and English language program: “Tus Hijos y GCS.”  Karin provides ideas and suggestions on how parents can help their children sharpen their English grammar and vocabulary skills to improve test scores.  Tus Hijos y GCS airs daily at 1 a.m., 7 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Magnet Schools

GCS is a leader in providing students and parents significant choices when it comes to education. Our magnet school program is among the best in the nation in helping to link a child with his or her strengths, stimulating their educational interests and fostering academic achievement. The magnet video provides insight into what’s available and helps parents make decisions that best serve the needs of their children. This program airs daily at: 8:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

GCS/ABC 45 Partnership Continues

GCS continues its partnership with ABC 45 television to share the 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. You can also learn more about GCS by tuning in to GCSTV 2 (Cable Channel 2.)

Smith International Baccalaureate
The International Baccalaureate program is designed to develop lifelong learners, critical thinkers and well-rounded graduates ready for whatever the future holds.  It’s a learning environment that’s in great demand by students who are looking for a challenge.  Featured in this Newsbreak is the Smith IB program and, because of the overwhelming interest in IB education, the new Page IB program will implemented starting this fall.  This Newsbreak airs Wednesday, February 28.

The Early College at Guilford/Middle College at GTCC Jamestown
North Carolina’s first early college high school is The Early College at Guilford.  Set on the Guilford College campus, the school provides a rigorous academic experience for self motivated students who want a taste of higher education before they graduate from high school.  At The Middle College at GTCC Jamestown students, can get an Associate’s Degree or two years of college credit in the course of study recognized by the governor as an integral part of one of the five “Learn & Earn” high schools in the state.  This Newsbreak airs Friday, March 2.

For more information, please contact Leonard Simpson, Broadcast Production Manager, at 370-8167.

NON-GCS EDUCATIONAL NEWS

A Toolkit to Support School-Family-Community Partnerships  

The deeply ingrained multiculturalism that makes New Mexico unique also presents challenges in communicating and setting shared priorities. Schools face their own set of challenges in accommodating all families, making them part of the school community and including them as partners in their child’s education. The New Mexico Public Education Department has created, "Working Together: School-Family-Community Partnerships, A Toolkit for New Mexico School Communities." The purpose of the Toolkit is to assist educators and education partners with information, resources and strategies to help strengthen parent and community involvement. The toolkit is designed to make schools places that foster community collaboration and make parents and families feel welcome. The Toolkit has been created by The Center for the Education and Study of Diverse Populations. It is intended to support the development of school, family and community partnerships with the ultimate goal of helping all children and youth succeed in school and in life. The Toolkit is divided into three sections: Teacher Tools, Family Tools and Professional Development Tools. These tools are intended to support partnerships that can improve school programs and climate, provide family services and support, increase parents' skills and leadership, connect families with others in the school and community, and help teachers in their daily work. Click here to read more.

2007 Survey of External Support for K-12 School Districts

Despite the fact that nearly every school and district in the K-12 market experiences some level of support from the surrounding community, very little research has been done in the area of community/school partnerships. This survey by DeHavilland Associates offers insights into how community/school partnerships are structured and what types of relationships schools and districts have established. Key findings from this survey include:  (1) When asked to rank the importance of current partners to their efforts, respondents put individual businesses first, parent organizations second, and booster clubs third; (2) When asked to rank the partners with whom they'd most like to develop relationships, business coalitions came in first, followed by individual businesses and regional/national foundations; (3) Most school districts do not have established systematic procedures to recruit and monitor partnerships; (4) There were clear differences in the responses of suburban, urban, an  d rural schools and districts. Those in suburban areas note generally higher levels of support from community-based partners; those in urban areas receive greater support from institutional partners (nonprofits, foundations, and postsecondary institutions); and those in rural areas record below-average levels of support from every partner with the exception of booster clubs; and (5) 46 percent of school districts report receiving support from a local education fund or school foundation. Click here to read more.