Friday Notes from Guilford County Schools

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October 13, 2006

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.

Principal of the Year

After reviewing and scoring the portfolios submitted by the 13 Principal of the Year nominees, the selection committee conducted interviews this week with the top six scorers.  Those principals making the final interview round were:

Lewis Ferebee – Hairston Middle
Angelo Kidd – Northwest High
Grenita Lathan – Washington Elementary
Linda Lyon – Gateway Education Center
Judy Robbins – Madison Elementary
Bill Stewart – Northwest Middle

The GCS Principal of the Year will be announced at the October 23 Board of Education meeting.  Congratulations to these finalists and all of our nominees who are such outstanding educational leaders.  Special thanks to the selection committee who volunteered their time and efforts to this process.  Selection committee members included:  Dr. Ed Fort, professor and former chancellor of NC A&T State University; Sandra Culmer, instructional improvement officer; Martha Snavely, executive director of induction and success, Debbie Maines, Guilford County PTA Council president and Susan Poindexter, 2004 Teacher of the Year.  For more information, please contact Carla Alphin, program administrator for employee relations, at 378-8821.

The Early College at Guilford Senior Recognized as Scholar Finalist

Joshua Miguel Espinoza, a senior at The Early College at Guilford, was recognized by the College Board's National Hispanic Recognition Program (NHRP) as a Scholar Finalist. The NHRP is a College Board program that provides recognition of the exceptional academic achievements of Hispanic high school seniors and identifies them for postsecondary institutions. Scholar finalists must have a GPA of 3.5 or higher to be considered. For more information, please contact Tony Lamair Burks II, principal, at 316-2860.

Candidate Forum on Education Issues

Candidates for the Board of Education and the Board of County Commissioners will participate in the 2006 Candidate Forum on Education Issues on Tuesday, October 17 from 7- 9 p.m. at the College Auditorium, Joseph Koury Hospitality Careers Center on the Jamestown Campus of Guilford Technical Community College. For more information, please contact the Guilford Education Alliance at 841-4332.

Harris Teeter’s Together in Education

Put your Harris Teeter VIC card to work for your school! Harris Teeter’s Together in Education program is a fund raising program for schools.  When customers purchase select Harris Teeter Brand products using their VIC card, Harris Teeter contributes a percentage of those purchase dollars to the schools of their choice. Schools use the money as they see fit on anything from basic supplies to band equipment or computers. Click here to visit our Web site to link to the Harris Teeter Together in Education program, and register your VIC card to support your school. For more information, please contact Cecilia Adams, manager of community partnerships, at 370-8355.

Dudley High to Host “No Parent Left Behind/Parents Taking Charge Conference”

On October 28, Dudley will host a “No Parent Left Behind/Parents Taking Charge Conference” from 8 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Community organizations and agencies who support the education and development of GCS will discuss their programs and services at the conference. Topics will include: parenting skills, bullying, SAT Prep and College Financial Aid assistance and parental involvement in schools. All interested members of the community are invited to attend. For more information, please contact Francine Scott, site coordinator, at 370-8130.

Annual Family Fun Day at Millis Road Elementary

On Saturday, October 21, from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., Millis Road Elementary will hold its annual Family Fun Day. Events include entertainment by the band “Flipside”, indoor and outdoor games, prizes, food and a silent auction. To contribute items to the silent auction, contact Kelly Mantek at 855-8770, or Suzanne Bell at 454-1155. For more information, please contact Paul Mason, principal, at 819-2125.

Furniture City Speech and Debate Tournament at High Point Central High

On Saturday, October 21, more than 20 teams from across the state will compete in the 38th annual Furniture City Speech and Debate Tournament at High Point Central. Topics for speeches and debates include: Lincoln Douglas, Student Congress, Public Forum, Extemporaneous Speaking, Original Oratory, Dramatic/Humorous Interpretation, Duo Interpretation, Oral Interpretation, Impromptu and Radio Announcing. The event begins at 9 a.m. with closing awards ceremony beginning at 6:30 p.m. For more information, please contact Carol Gilmore, tournament director, at 819-2825.

Ford Black College Road Trip Stops at Hairston Middle School

On behalf of Ford Motor Company, two Historically Black College and University (HBCU) graduates or “Roadies” will visit Hairston Middle at 10:30 am on Wednesday, October 18 to donate $1,000 worth of much needed school supplies and speak on the importance of a good education. 

For the past six years, the Ford Black College Road Trip has highlighted the company’s community outreach linking HBCU to the communities they serve. The Roadies are on a trip from Detroit to Louisiana making stops at top HBCU football classics, like the NCA&T homecoming game. We’re happy to welcome the Ford Roadies to Hairston Middle next Wednesday. For more information contact Cecilia Adams, manager of community partnerships, at 370-8355.

Kernodle Middle to Host Periwinkle National Theatre

On Thursday, November 2, Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE) of Kernodle Middle will host a school wide assembly with the Periwinkle National Theatre presenting a drama. The performance of “Halfway There” will be held at 1:45 p.m. in the school gymnasium. An evening performance showcasing their spring tour will be held at 7 p.m. For more information, please contact Michael Moser, exploring technology teacher, at 545-3717.

Millis Road Elementary Prepares Students and Parents for Science Fair

On October 26, Millis Road Elementary students and parents can learn the ins and outs of competing during the science fair information night. A scientist, parent and previous science fair judge will offer tips on how to start and complete a science fair project. The event is from 7- 8 p.m. in the school cafeteria. For more information, please contact Linda Holden, curriculum facilitator, at 819-2125.

North Carolina’s Lieutenant Governor Visits Smith High

On Monday, October 9, Lieutenant Governor Beverly Perdue stopped by Smith High to see the hard work and enthusiasm taking place in Guilford County Schools. Perdue met with teachers and staff to see the positive learning environment they provide for students. As North Carolina’s second-highest elected official, one of Perdue’s priorities is ensuring quality public education across North Carolina. Perdue is a former teacher and an advocate for the public school system. She knows first-hand that the world’s most important job is teaching children. For more information, please contact Haley Henderson, program administrator, communications, at 370-3200.

New Principals Training

New principals will be involved in a training session on “Data-driven Instruction” on Monday, October 16.  Cambre Weller, formative assessment specialist, will lead a session on Scantron and share with principals how to use benchmark data to drive their instructional program.  For more information, contact Martha Snavely, executive director for induction and success, at 370-8098.

Recruitment Fairs Begin

Each fall, university campuses across the state conduct job fairs for their teaching candidates.  On October 10, Cheryl Lowe, program administrator for employee selection and Terri Spears, principal at Brown Summit Middle, attended the education job fair at University of North Carolina-Wilmington (UNC-W).  One hundred and thirty education majors will graduate in December.  Approximately 40 students expressed an interest in the triad area and all students were invited to complete the application and screening process in Guilford County.  New graduates include Elementary, PE, Special Education, Social Studies and English candidates.  UNC-W will consider early release for hire beginning in November.  Aggressive recruiting measures are in place to interview and offer early contracts to these students.  For more information on recruitment, please contact Alan Hooker, director of employment, at 370-8055.

National Board Candidates Support Sessions

North Carolina A&T State University will facilitate regular support sessions for GCS National Board candidates. The sessions will be in room 2014 Smith Hall on the campus of NC A&T. The first three sessions will include guest speakers sharing helpful tips related to successfully completing the portfolio sections. Other sessions will include trained National Board certified teachers providing support and feedback to candidates about their portfolio entries. The cost for all 10 sessions is $100. Sessions will be held from 4:15 p.m. - 6 p.m. Session dates and topics are listed below:

For more information, please contact Patrice Faison, middle college liaison, at 691-0941.

United Arts Council Creates Arts Education Teacher of the Year Award

The United Arts Council of Greater Greensboro (UAC) announced the creation of a new award for Guilford County arts educators, the Arts Education Teacher of the Year Award. Nominations are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, January 12, 2007. To be eligible for nomination, the applicant’s primary role must be that of an arts educator. Arts educators include those in the visual or performing arts, including drama, music, dance and visual art. The winner will be announced in March of 2007 and will receive $1,000 toward professional development. Two runners-up will each receive $300 for professional development.

March is designated as “Youth Art Month” for visual arts and “Music in Our Schools” month. The award is organized and sponsored by UAC of Greater Greensboro, Kindermusik International, Inc. and GCS. Winners will be selected by a committee comprised of representatives from GCS, Kindermusik and UAC. Applications and additional information are available on the UAC Web site at www.uacarts.org Kindermusik’s Web site at www.kindermusik.com and the GCS Web site. Applications may also be obtained by calling UAC at 373-7523, ext. 256. For more information, please contact Lillian Govus, program administrator, publications and special events, at 370-8997.

Project Linus Makes a Difference with Here’s a Hug

We don’t like to think about our children suffering a trauma in their life, but when they do, our schools are better equipped to help thanks to Project Linus’ Here’s a Hug program. Project Linus is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping children cope with troubling times. The Here’s a Hug program, which is in all of our elementary schools, places handmade blankets in the school counselor’s office to be used for children during painful ordeals.

On Saturday, October 21, as part of national Make a Difference Day, 30 of our elementary schools will receive special donations of six blankets, three for boys and three for girls, handmade by volunteers especially for that school. These blankets will be presented to school representatives at Guilford Baptist Church, 5904 West Market Street from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. For more information on this project, contact Darlene Glover, Project Linus chapter coordinator, at 323-0200 or Cecilia Adams, manager of community partnerships, at 370-8355.

Step into the Homework Zone!

Need help in finding resources for your school assignments? The Greensboro Public Library is ready with Homework Zone workshops November 7 and December 5 at the Central Library, room 208, from 6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m. Discover terrific online educational resources to help make middle and high school projects more manageable. This informal workshop is for students and parents. Students can bring current school assignments to be matched up with appropriate online resources. For more information, please call Robbie Owens at the Greensboro Public Library, at 373-4552. 

Dough for Schools

Here’s an easy way to raise some “dough” for your school.  The Dominoes franchises of Guilford County are hosting “dough raising” nights for GCS from October 16-18. Click here for the form. Simply order a pizza one of those nights, fill out the form, give it to the delivery person and Dominoes will donate 20 percent of your net order to the school of your choice.  For more information, please contact Cecilia Adams, manager of community partnerships, at 370-8355.

Tidbits from Professional Development

To help everyone get the most from their professional development opportunities, here are a few important things to remember as you register for upcoming courses:

When registering for a course, you will be asked to update your personal information before completing the registration process. Please take time to review this information and update as needed. It is very important to keep your professional development personal information updated and accurate.

We now have a log on button on the professional development home page that will allow you to log on and access your professional development account. Once logged in you will be able to view your professional development transcript, register for courses, unregister from a course, or create an event request for non-GCS events. This purple logon button is found in the top right corner of the page.

New teachers must apply for a professional development account. A professional development account is different from your e-mail account. New teacher must go to the professional development Web Site and click on the link, “Obtain a PD Account.” An e-mail with your login information will be sent to you in approximately 10 days.

If you have questions regarding professional development opportunities, please contact the GCS Office of Professional Development at 370-8010.

Increase the Peace: Conflict Resolution

On Thursday, October 12, GCS Professional Development trainers Reggie Adkins and Traci Miller provided a workshop which investigated the dynamics of conflict resolution. Participants were presented with a “tool-kit” of customizable strategies and techniques to improve their understanding of the nature of conflict and the myriad strategies available to address it.  Participant comments were very positive…

1. “My awareness was raised…..would like to attend the two-day training”
2. “I enjoyed the hands-on activities and the group interaction…”
3. “I wish we had a little more time…”
4. “Love the interaction between the presenters and the group.”

In addition, GCS Professional Development trainers will offer sessions of “I’m Listening: Effective Communication in the Workplace, (click this active link to register) which also examines our perspective and communication filters in a positive, proactive manner. For more information, please contact Traci Miller at 312-4266 or Reggie Adkins at 317-1534.

National School Bus Safety Week – October 15 – 21

National School Bus Safety Week will be celebrated throughout the country the week of October 15-21.  This annual event is a public education program designed to promote school bus safety.  National School Bus Safety Week is a way for parents, students, teachers, motorist, school bus drivers and school administrators to join forces and address the importance of school bus safety.

As a continuing effort to support school bus safety, the Guilford County Schools Transportation Department will post a GCS News press release, air a message on the GCSTV 2 cable television channel and post daily safety messages for school bus drivers.  Parents, students and GCS staff members are encouraged to visit the North Carolina School Bus Safety Web Site at http://www.ncbussafety.org.  Information, games, videos and safety tips are available in the School Bus Safety Center for everyone.   

GCSTV 2

Students Deliver the “News”

Students at the Middle College of Entertainment Technology have plunged right into the new school year by producing their own television show.  It’s the second year of studies at MCET and GCSTV-2 is proud to bring you a preview of their hard work.  The show is produced, written and hosted by TV Broadcasting & Production students.  This show airs daily at 12:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Weaver Delivers on Sports

Broadcast production students at GCS’ Weaver Center put their studies to practical use covering the gridiron on Friday nights.  It’s a GCS-Weaver Center production with student photographers on the sidelines, in the director’s chair and at the anchor desk.  This exclusive coverage from the student perspective of high school football airs at 6 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights on GCSTV 2.

GCS/ABC 45 Partnership Continues

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.

The Navy Comes To Pilot
As students attempt to “Cruise to a Million Words” at Pilot Elementary, they’re getting a little help from their new “Fill the Bus” partner, the U.S. Navy.  Naval Reservists volunteer their time to visit and mentor students who are concentrating their efforts on a goal to each read a million words during the school year.  This Newsbreak airs Wednesday, October 18.

It’s a TOY Car
Being recognized as the newest SunTrust Gold Star Teacher of the Year has its privileges, not the least of which is a prize of a brand new car.  Harris Teeter Neighborhood Markets partners with GCS to make an outstanding honor even bigger.  See Shawn Watlington as she checks out her new Crown Nissan van.  This Newsbreak airs Friday, October 20.

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

NON-GCS EDUCATIONAL NEWS

Teaching From the Test

Four-plus years into the NCLB era, some teachers have adopted a new attitude toward standardized tests: If you can beat ’em, may as well use ’em. Click here to read more….

SBE Approves Higher Student Performance Standards

The week, the State Board of Education raised proficiency standards for elementary and middle school students when it approved achievement levels for the state's new end-of-grade mathematics assessments. In addition, in raising standards, the State Board of Education also decided to re-set North Carolina's targets for federal AYP to reflect the 2005-06 benchmarks. It is important to note that today's action affects the performance composite reported under the state's ABCs accountability model, but not educators' incentive awards, which are based on growth calculations. Full ABCs results for K-8 schools will be presented to the State Board of Education on November 1. To read more about this action, please go to http://www.ncpublicschools.org and look under News.

Are Boys Making the Grade?

The national media have fixed their interest on a brewing controversy in public education. Lead media stories have recently declared a crisis in boys’ achievement. After a generation of national panels, funding efforts, and policy interventions designed to remedy the problem of girls being shortchanged by the education system, a growing body of evidence suggests that the pendulum may be swinging in the other direction -- that the practices of contemporary American schools may favor females at the expense of their male peers. Though media attention to the issue has reduced it to sound bites designed to emphasize a single perspective, interpreting gender differences in education, and their consequences, is in fact a complicated task. Data exist to support certain advantages for females and others for males. Consider, for example, that colleges graduate 133 females for every 100 males. Yet, women’s earnings remain little more than 75 percent of men's. During the K-12 school years, girls have long tested better in reading and writing on national exams. However, boys outperform girls in math and science tests, though the gap between the sexes is narrowing in these subject areas. Disparities between the genders exist to be sure, yet is the picture as one-sided as the media portray? The Rennie Center for Education Research and Policy recently published a policy brief with the goal of determining whether the national trends were real in Massachusetts. The brief finds that the advantage girls have in Massachusetts schools is even more dramatic than national figures suggest. Click here to read more…

The College Ladder

"The College Ladder: Linking Secondary and Postsecondary Education for Success for All Students" reviews 22 programs that provide opportunities for high school students to earn college-level credit or take college-level courses to determine their impact on a range of student outcomes, including credits earned during high school, performance on high school tests, high school graduation rates, college-going rates, college remediation, college grades, retention in college, and degree and job market attainment. There is an emphasis on programs that traditionally serve high-achieving students, as well as those that serve first generation, low-income, and low-performing students and underrepresented minorities. Although the research is limited, outcomes generally are positive, indicating that students who participate in these programs receive some benefit. "The College Ladder" also describes various characteristics of effective programs, and analyzes issues of credit transferability, funding for these school-college partnerships, and equitable access to programs. Click here to read more…