Friday Notes from Guilford County Schools
July 20, 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.
GCS Students Receive International Baccalaureate Diploma
Thirty-six GCS students from the class of 2007 have been awarded an International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma from the IB Organization, which is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. These students have successfully met the following requirements:
- Completed IB coursework in at least six areas including: literature and language, foreign language, social science, experimental science, mathematics, and the arts or a second course in another area
- Completed three higher level IB examinations for those courses (two years of study) and three standard level IB examinations (one year of study) and earned at least 24 points combined
- Completed coursework in IB Theory of Knowledge
- Completed 150 of creativity, action and service
- Completed a 4000 word extended essay of independent research
These students will now hold credentials that will be recognized across the globe. They have reached the highest standards for high school students. A total of 36 diplomas were awarded to GCS students for 2007, an increase from 31 in 2006. Click here for a list of students receiving IB diplomas.
These students, along with more than 200 other students who successfully tested in advanced placement courses, will be recognized at the annual Crown Automotive Cool to be Smart event on August 5. At the event, students will have the opportunity to win laptops, scholarships and one lucky student will win a free car. For more information, please contact Ashly Morrison, Coordinator of Advanced Placement & International Baccalaureate, at 370-8244.
Students from GCS Receive National Merit Scholarship
GCS has five students who can call themselves National Merit Scholars after illustrating a strong combination of accomplishments, skills and potential for success in rigorous college studies. These merit scholars join more than 2,200 other college-sponsored award recipients who were announced in late May.
The GCS students all secured the National Merit University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Scholarship, worth anywhere from $500 to $2,000 annually, based on their outstanding academic record, earned SAT scores and an essay describing activities, interests and goals. In addition, the scholars had to be endorsed and recommended by the school principal.
GCS scholarship recipients include:
- Peter Attayek, Western Guilford High
- Lucy Berrier, Western Guilford High
- Ian McDiarmid, Grimsley High
- Matthew Millard, Northwest Guilford High
- Logan Stephens, The Early College at Guilford
The five winners are among 8,200 distinguished high school seniors who will receive National Merit Scholarship awards worth $34 million for college undergraduate study. This year, 194 colleges and universities are sponsoring the merit scholarship awards. For more information, please contact Haley Miller, Program Administrator – Communications, at 370-3200.
GCS Internet/Email Scheduled Downtime
The GCS network infrastructure will be down for scheduled maintenance, equipment exchange and a bandwidth upgrade on:
- Friday, July 20 from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
- Saturday, July 28 from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Please plan your work schedule accordingly. This will affect district Internet access and email during the scheduled period of network maintenance. For more information, please contact Dr. Terrence Young, Chief Information & Special Services Officer, at 370-2308.
Annual Enrollment for Cafeteria Benefits
Annual enrollment for Cafeteria Benefits (supplemental insurance) and Dental insurance will be held from August 20 through September 7, 2007. Agents from the Mark III Brokerage will again visit each site to assist employees with enrollments or changes in their supplemental benefits. Online enrollment will be available for most products, and information will be sent to each site in mid-August. For more information, please contact Patty Kinkade, Director of Benefits, at 370-8092.
GCSTV 2
Vals & Sals
GCSTV 2 salutes 2006-07 Valedictorians and Salutatorians from Guilford County in these feature profiles that air daily at 45 minutes past the hour beginning at 7:45 a.m.
The Middle College of Entertainment Technology at GTCC
The Middle College of Entertainment Technology at GTCC is one of the exciting educational choices students have within GCS. It’s here where they can get hands on experience in television production and other aspects of the entertainment industry. This program is a sample of how students apply their skills to producing, videotaping, reporting, editing and creating their own show. This program airs daily at 9 a.m., 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Sci-Vis
It’s a modern day art. Sci-Vis is short for scientific visualization, and it’s a field that is wide-open for students enrolled in GCS. Come along as students at The Middle College of Entertainment Technology at GTCC explain their Sci-Vis class and how the technology has an effect on everything from medicine to architecture and entertainment. This program airs daily at 8 a.m., 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Reading Comprehension
Join faculty and staff at Monticello-Brown Summit Elementary for this look into the “Power of Retelling.” It is an in-depth illustration of a comprehension strategy that helps children more fully enjoy reading and listening to stories and ultimately, develop into lifelong readers. This special program airs nightly at 10 p.m.
The Home Field Advantage
Changing schools during the year creates a disadvantage for students when it comes to their studies. Research indicates that children who study at one school throughout the school year do better academically than those who change schools one or more times during the year. GCS offers students at select schools the “Home Field Advantage.” The initiative gives children 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 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.
Tus Hijos y GCS (Your Children and Guilford County Schools)
The Guilford County Board of Education has authorized a new school for the coming year. The GCS Newcomers School is being established to serve newly arrived immigrant students. It will open August 28 on the current campus of Guilford Primary. Join host Karin Young for this latest edition of our Spanish and English language program, Tus Hijos y GCS. Karin provides the latest information about the GCS Newcomers School and how it will serve students and their families. Tus Hijos y GCS airs daily at 1 a.m., 7 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Young Drivers - The High Risk Years
If you have teenagers who are already driving or will be getting their licenses soon, don’t miss this program. The focus is on ways to reduce injuries and death among our young. It is told from the perspective of teens and parents who know the consequences of a simple mistake made behind the wheel. This program airs daily at noon, 9 p.m. and midnight.
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. Also, learn more about GCS by tuning in to GCSTV 2 (Cable Channel 2).
The Middle College at N.C. A&T
It is unique in public education in our state. The Middle College at N.C. A&T provides a single-gender educational environment established for young men. It is designed to raise achievement in an innovative, nurturing environment. Enrollment is underway for this GCS campus that provides its students with a taste of life in college. This newsbreak airs Wednesday, July 25.
The Middle College at Bennett College for Women
Smaller class sizes, instruction from college professors and an emphasis on developing leaders are hallmarks of The Middle College at Bennett for Women. It is the first all-female public school in North Carolina and one of a few in the nation. This GCS high school offers academic rigor on a small campus where students can get individualized attention. This newsbreak airs Friday, July 27.
For more information, please contact Leonard Simpson, Broadcast Production Manager, at 370-8167.
Central Office Summer Schedule
GCS central offices will operate on a summer schedule from June 11 through August 17. Office hours will be 7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. on Friday. Normal office hours will resume on Monday, August 20.
NON-GCS EDUCATIONAL NEWS
No Child Left Behind May Require Wake to Let Kids Leave 10 Schools
A record 10 Wake County elementary schools may have to allow parents to transfer their children to different schools under a federal program that allows students to leave schools that do not meet testing standards. ... Wake will find out July 25 from the state which Title I schools fell short. At that point, letters will be sent to families asking if they want to apply to two choices chosen by the district. "It's getting harder finding choices," said Willi Webb, Wake's director of Title I services. ... Webb said most of the 10 schools fell short due to not getting enough students with disabilities to pass state end-of-grade math tests. Click here to read more.
Study: Summer Slide Accounts for Two-thirds of Achievement Gap
What students did over summer break accounted for two-thirds of Baltimore's socioeconomic achievement gap in reading, according to a Johns Hopkins University longitudinal study of 325 Baltimore students, who were tested twice annually. By the end of 5th grade, summer learning among students in economically secure homes added an average 47 points to their test scores; during the school year, disadvantaged students kept up. Click here to read more.
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