Friday Notes from Guilford County Schools

1264 page views

March 2 , 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.

New Principals Named

The following principal changes will be made, effective July 1:

The World Truly Is Flat

In his best selling book, The World is Flat, Thomas L. Friedman writes about how technology is “flattening” the world and reshaping the globalization of education as we know it. Friedman cites medical doctors in India reading X-rays for hospitals in America—in real-time over the Internet. He also cites housewives in Salt Lake City taking orders at a local fast food restaurant chain in Iowa, via satellite down-links. 

This semester, Guilford County Schools is experiencing the flattening of the world via technology as explained by Friedman. Educators in India are collaborating with GCS teachers to help meet the needs of our students. One-hundred students in four GCS middle schools are participating in a pilot internet tutoring program, “Elevate Math.”  These students work online with a tutor, located in India two days each week to strengthen their Algebra I and middle grade math skills. The GCS research department utilized district proficiency data to identify students who needed the additional help. We are evaluating the program’s effectiveness and will expand it to other middle and high schools next year if it produces positive results. Please call me at 370-8992, should you have questions. 

Sustained Professional Purchasing Award

The Carolinas Association of Governmental Purchasing (CAGP) has advised that the Guilford County Schools Purchasing Department has been awarded the Sustained Professional Purchasing Award for the year 2006. This is the highest award a purchasing department can obtain within the CAGP.
                                           
Purchasing departments must meet and maintain high standards in several areas including: professional development, continuous improvement programs, environmental awareness, minority participation, automation and electronic commerce to be eligible for this award. Only 14 units of government will receive this award for the year ending 2006. The award program was implemented seven years ago. The Guilford County Schools Purchasing Department is the only entity to earn seven consecutive CAGP Sustained Professional Purchasing Award recognitions.

A formal presentation of the award will be made to our purchasing staff at the CAGP Spring Conference later this month in Durham, NC. Congratulations to Purchasing Officer John Mann and the entire purchasing department team! For more information, please contact Mr. Mann at 370-3238 or Sharon Ozment, Chief Financial Officer, at 370-8343.

GCS Hosts PSAT Night

As local high school students begin to prepare for college entrance exams, the College Board is ready to help. Representatives from the College Board, along with GCS, will host an information session on March 12 to give parents and students an opportunity to ask and receive answers to their questions.  The College Board advises parents and students to bring a copy of the 2006 PSAT/NMSQT Score Report Plus. The report, which provides the student’s score and other important information, was mailed home after taking the PSAT.  PSAT Night is designed to help students and parents interpret the PSAT/NMSQT, the recent score report and its meaning and to inform them about the free student resources available.  The PSAT, a preliminary version of the well-known SAT, is a standardized test that measures critical reading, math problem-solving and writing skills. The test is sponsored by the College Board to provide students with firsthand practice for the SAT.

For more information, please contact Beth Folger, Executive Director of Secondary Curriculum and Instruction, at 370-2313 or Principal Monique Wallace at 819-2800.

Enroll Now for Fall 2007 Magnet and Choice Options

If you’re interested in possibly securing a spot for your child in one of GCS’ many magnet or choice schools, there’s still time to apply! Visit 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 will 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, contact Tony Burks, Director of Magnet and Choice Schools, at 378-8832 or by e-mail at: tlburks2@gcsnc.com

Celebrating National School Social Worker Week: March 4 -10

Governor Michael F. Easley has proclaimed March 4 –10 as School Social Workers’ Week in North Carolina, as part of the March observance of Social Work Month. School Social Workers provide services to children and families that may be experiencing social, emotional and physical barriers that impede their academic performance. Social workers serve as primary liaisons between school and home. Social worker services include:

• Assisting the school in reducing truancy
• Serving as mediator and advocate for students
• Assessing the student adaptive behavioral skills with the assistance of the parent’s and other school personnel
• Protecting students by reporting abuse and neglect
• Working to build home school partnerships to ensure that parents are aware of attendance, behavior and other school concerns
• Networking with community stakeholders to enhance resources for children and families

To continually update their professional skills and with the support of GCS Student Services the social workers participated in a local training by a national presenter on the Vineland II Adaptive Behavior Tool.  This assessment tool has been upgraded to improve accuracy and effectiveness as it relates to current issues and developmental milestones of our children. Additionally, social worker services are an integral part of the districts dropout prevention efforts.

Please remember to recognize your social worker during National School Social Worker Week. For more information, please contact Bonita Porter, Supervisor of School Social Services, at 621-4029 or Richard Tuck, Director of School Social Services/ Dropout Prevention/Parent Outreach, at 621-4027.

Students Receive Courtside Education at ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament

March Madness is in Tournament Town and on March 1 and 2, a local partnership will merge that madness with academics. For those two days, more than 6,000 enthusiastic students—representing 43 Guilford County schools—will join thousands of other passionate Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) fans as the Greensboro Coliseum hosts the 30th Annual ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament.

Through a collaboration between GCS, the ACC and the Greensboro Coliseum, the ACC School Partnership allows children to combine the up-close sights and sounds of March Madness with academics.  Students attending the game have participated in the school day program’s educational component throughout the year. It includes teacher-developed curriculum relating to the ACC and/or the Women’s Basketball Tournament in the fields of physical education, science, social studies, math, language arts, technology and character development.

Elementary school students from across the county enjoyed the opening game of the tournament on Thursday, March 1 featuring Florida State and Wake Forest. Students from Alamance Elementary sang the national anthem. Middle school students from across the county attended the first quarterfinal game on Friday, March 2. Students from McIver Education Center performed the national anthem.  For more information, please contact Lillian Govus, Program Administrator – Communications, at 370-8997.

Kernodle Middle Among Schools Recognized as Schools to Watch

Congratulations to the following nine middle schools, the most ever in one year, for recently being recognized as Schools to Watch: Broad Creek Middle (Carteret County Schools), Carrington Middle and Shepard Middle (Durham Public Schools), Flat Rock Middle (Henderson County Schools), Jefferson Middle and Southeast Middle (Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools), Kernodle Middle (Guilford County Schools), Pine Forest Middle (Cumberland County Schools) and Spring Hill Middle (Scotland County Schools). Launched in 1999, Schools to Watch began as a program to identify middle grades schools across the country that were meeting or exceeding a set of strict criteria for excellence. Click here to view the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform Web site featuring online tours of schools, as well as detailed information about the selection criteria used in the recognition program. For more information, please contact Dr. John Harrison, Executive Director, NC Middle School Association, 910/235-3761, or the NCDPI¹s Communications division at 919/807-3450.

Read Across America Cat-A-Van Stopped at Hampton Leadership Academy

If you’ve heard about Green Eggs and Ham, and read about dear Sam-I-Am, then let a child read with you, and meet the Cat in the Hat, too!  Students at Hampton participated in an exciting afternoon when the Cat-A-Van tour stopped at their school. The tour, sponsored by the National Education Association, included a special visit by the Cat in the Hat, a free book for each student and a $1,000 grant for the school’s media center.  During the event, Sheri Strickland, Vice President of the North Carolina Association of Educators, lead the students in the reader’s pledge, which is a Dr. Seuss style oath where students promise to read as often as possible.  The Cat-A-Van tour is part of Read Across America, a national reading incentive program honoring Dr. Seuss.  For more information, please contact Principal Michelle Thigpen at 370-3220.

Reading and Competing Go Together at the GCS Middle School Battle of the Books

Some area middle school students are preparing to compete using their reading comprehension skills. On Wednesday, March 7, teams of students will put their knowledge to the test at the annual Battle of the Books. The competition will take place in the Penn-Griffin School for the Arts auditorium. Registration is at 8:30 a.m. and the event will take place from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Participating team members have each read 27 books this year. They will be quizzed on the settings, plots and characters from the books to determine winners. This reading incentive program encourages students to read different styles and genres and aims to instill a love of reading in students. The competition is sponsored by The North Carolina School Library Media Association (NCSLMA). The winners will compete at the regional level, which will hopefully earn them a spot at the state competition. For more information, please contact Sheryl Lieb-Kaplan, Mendenhall Middle Media Specialist, at 545-2000.

Penn-Griffin School for the Arts to Host Open Houses

Penn-Griffin is set to help parents and students make decisions about magnet and option schools for the fall. The school has scheduled open houses and tours during the enrollment period to give parents and students more information about the benefits of Penn-Griffin. School tours will take place each Tuesday and Thursday at 9:15 a.m. through March 15. Additionally, two open houses are scheduled during March. The first open house will take place on Sunday, March 4 at 3 p.m. followed by a student performance. The second open house will take place on Tuesday, March 13 at 6:30 p.m., followed by a faculty recital. For more information, please contact Principal Bobby Ann Hayes at 819-2870.

Local Students Selected for On Stage! Talent Showcase

Students from across Guilford County auditioned for On Stage!, a showcase of the county’s most talented cultural arts students, presented by The Guilford Education Alliance and GCS. The event will take place on April 19 at 7 p.m. at the Greensboro War Memorial Auditorium. The talent showcase will highlight the artistic ability of students in the district and will also serve as a fundraiser to support the missions and initiatives of the Guilford Education Alliance and arts education programs within GCS.

Students from the following schools will participate in the event: Alamance Elementary, Alderman Elementary, Bessemer Elementary, Bluford Elementary, Jesse Wharton Elementary, Parkview Elementary, Peeler Open Elementary, Pilot Elementary, Wiley Elementary, Eastern Middle, Kiser Middle, Lincoln Middle, Penn-Griffin School for the Arts, Welborn Middle, Andrews High, High Point Central High and Page High. For more information, please contact Pam Farlow, Arts Curriculum Specialist, at 370-3273.

Sumner Elementary Partners with Two Local Universities

Sumner has partnered with NC A&T State University and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) to enrich the lives of their students. On February 14, Sumner hosted a luncheon with student athletes from NC A&T State, which gave Sumner students an opportunity to meet with positive role models outside of their daily setting. The students involved had a chance to talk and ask the athletes questions during the luncheon.

Sumner has also teamed up with UNCG to form a conflict resolution club. The purpose of the club is to help students become independent problem solvers. Graduate students and professors from UNCG will work closely with Sumner teachers and students, providing them with the knowledge and skills necessary to help peers solve problems. Students will learn how to cope with problems through means other than fighting, name-calling or other inappropriate behavior. Students will hopefully become more productive in the classroom and community. For more information, please contact Principal Brian Clarida at 316-5888.

Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year Nominations Needed

Sam’s Club will accept nominations for the Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year from now through March 12. The award is open to any public school teacher in Guilford County. The winner will receive a $1,000 education grant donated to the teacher’s school on behalf of the winning teacher.  To nominate a teacher, simply write why that teacher deserves to be selected as the Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year and mail your nomination to Sam’s Club, Attention: Steve Drewery, 4418 W. Wendover Ave., Greensboro, NC 27407.  For more information, please contact Lillian Govus, Program Administrator-Communications, at 370-8997.

GCS Provides the Latest Technology for Special Needs Students

It comes as no surprise that GCS is using the latest technology to its advantage, employing a variety of tools to help its students with special needs.

The technology at work focuses on augmentative and alternative communication and aiding the visually impaired (VI). Both low- and high-tech devices are currently used in classrooms.

At GCS, visually impaired students are equipped with some of the most remarkable technology on the market.  They use everything from screen reading software called JAWS to talking calculators and portable Braille computers.  JAWS is a software program that works with a personal computer to allow students to hear the information shown on the screen. This program gives students the opportunity to access information from the Internet as well as other computer applications that they would not otherwise be able to access.

Teachers working with visually impaired students are also equipped with Braille embossers and scanning software.  Braille embossers allow teachers to transform text documents into Braille documents. The documents are embossed directly from the computer through translation software. Scanning software does the opposite by scanning Braille documents into a computer to create text. These devices save teachers time by automatically translating documents, thus giving them more time to focus on teaching.

The other focus at GCS is augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Augmentative communication refers to the techniques that people use to communicate other than speech. Most of the techniques are common in everyday life and some of the basic examples include facial expressions, gestures and writing.

The staff at GCS uses these common techniques along with advanced technology to help students with severe speech or language problems learn to communicate more effectively. In addition, AAC techniques help students participate more socially in the school environment as well as in the community.

Some of the devices used by AAC students are advanced software, talking photo albums and various dynamic displays. A talking photo album is an easy to use device that records speech and then associates it with a picture.  It can be used to give instructions, tell stories or facilitate daily conversation. Dynamic displays are similar, more high-tech devices, that allow students to put together phrases using pictures and vocabulary from the device’s memory.  These are only a few devices used for AAC. Each student’s needs are different and the AAC system is custom programmed for that student.

There are currently 15 schools in the district that regularly use either AAC or VI technology for students. One of the schools, Gateway Education Center, relies on this technology heavily to allow its special needs students to communicate with the teachers and staff.

GCS is committed to providing its students with the best possible education, and the exceptional children staff embraces innovation while providing the latest tools for its special needs students.  For more information, please contact Betty Anne Chandler, Executive Director-Special Needs, at 370-2328 or Haley Henderson, Program Administrator – Communications, at 370-3200.

Employee Relations

On February 28, the Human Resources office completed the fourth and final training session on Sexual Harassment for principals, assistant principals and central office administrators.  Over the past month, more than 175 participants have attended these sessions conducted by Jill Wilson, Board Attorney.  These sessions have provided staff with information on current case law as well as a review of the district’s policies and procedures related to the topic.  For more information, please contact Carla Alphin, Program Administrator - Employee Relations, at 378-8821.

Rookie Teacher of the Year

The Office of Induction and Success has received 65 nominations for “Rookie Teacher of the Year.”  Portfolios are due Friday, March 9.  A committee will review all portfolios and select five finalists.  The five finalists will be recognized at a breakfast on May 1.  The winner of the “Rookie Teacher of the Year” award will receive a scholarship for the master’s program at UNCG.  For more information, please contact Martha Snavely, Executive Director for Induction and Success, at 335-3290.

Office of Employment

On Monday, February 26, the district partnered with the Guilford County Association of Educators (GCAE) to host a Mission Possible Job Fair and a district-wide transfer fair.  The Mission Possible fair attracted more than 160 candidates that are willing to work in the 27 selected schools that attended the fair.  Immediately following the Mission Possible fair, the transfer fair attracted more than 200 participants.  For more information, please contact Alan Hooker, Director of Employment, at 370-8055.

Benefits Office

The State Retirement System will conduct a Retirement Seminar for the public on Tuesday, March 6 at 9:30 a.m.  The State Health Plan will conduct an informational meeting regarding the Annual Enrollment of Health Insurance on March 7 from 10 a.m. until noon.  Both seminars will be held in the Dillard auditorium of the Anderson Conference Center on the campus of Winston-Salem State University.  No registration is required.  For directions, go to http://www.wssu.edu/WSSU/About/Information/Maps.htm.  For more information, please contact Patty Kinkade, Director of Benefits, at 370-8092.

GCSTV 2

Tus Hijos y GCS Gears Up with Enrollment Season

Enrollment is now open for next year’s kindergarten classes, as well as Magnet Schools and High School Options. Join host Karin Young for the newest edition of our Spanish and English language program: “Tus Hijos y GCS.”  Karin provides the latest information on registering your child for school next year.  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 a teenager who is already driving or will be getting their license soon, don’t miss this program.  The video focuses on providing tips for reducing injuries and death, all told from the perspective of teens and parents who know the consequences a simple mistake can make while behind the wheel.  This program airs daily at: Noon, 9 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.

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.

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.

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).

Middle College of Entertainment Technology/Middle College at Bennett
Whether you’re a musician or an aspiring broadcaster, The Middle College of Entertainment Technology at GTCC is a great choice for your high school education.  Students can earn an associate’s degree in four entertainment related fields while studying in an environment that offers individual attention.  Smaller class sizes are also a hallmark of the Middle College at Bennett College.  Here, students can take college level courses with college students in the nurturing atmosphere of North Carolina’s first all female public school.  This Newsbreak airs Wednesday, March 7.

Greensboro College Middle College/The Middle College at GTCC Greensboro
An innovative school for independent minds is part of the philosophy at Greensboro College Middle College.  Here, small class size and a concentration on core academics are coupled with encouragement to pursue honors classes and college level courses.  For students who are already working, the Middle College at GTCC Greensboro offers a chance for more training to pursue a job or trade of their choice.  Courses of study include: Architectural Technology, Residential Carpentry, Civil Engineering and Air Conditioning-Heating Technology.  This Newsbreak airs Friday, March 9.

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

NON-GCS EDUCATIONAL NEWS

The Cost of Dropping Out

The High Cost of High School Dropouts: What the Nation Pays for Inadequate High Schools shows if the dropouts from the class of 2005-2006 had instead earned their diplomas, the nation’s economy would have benefited from an additional $309 billion in income over their lifetimes. Click here to read more.

Discarding the Deficit Model

University of Miami Professor Beth Harry, writing with Janette Klingner, an associate professor at the University of Colorado in Educational Leadership, says the traditional model of putting resources toward determining whether children have disabilities is often based on ambiguous criteria and has resulted in the over-representation of black and Hispanic children in special education classes. The intertwining of race and perceptions of disability are so deeply embedded in our way of thinking that many people are not even aware of how one concept influences the other. According to Harry and Klingner, a more progressive model of identifying specific instructional needs at early ages is beginning to emerge, posing a challenge to the deficit approach that has prevailed for so long. Many students have special learning needs, and many experience challenges learning school material. But does this mean they have disabilities? Can we help students without undermining their self-confidence and stigmatizing them with a label? Does it matter whether we use the word disability instead of "need" and "challenge"? Language in itself is not the problem. What is problematic is the belief system that this language represents. Why can't we see students' difficulties as "human variation rather than pathology"? Click here to read more.

Instructions for Educators to get $250 Federal Tax Deduction

The Educator Expense Deduction was reinstated by congress. However, the legislation made it into law in late December, long after the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) printed this year's official tax forms. This means that to claim the $250 deduction for out-of-pocket classroom expenses, educators will need to follow special instructions issued by the IRS -- or to file their tax returns electronically, which the IRS recommends. Along with the deductions for educators' out-of-pocket classroom expenses, lawmakers extended tax deductions for higher education tuition and fees and state and local sales taxes. The IRS has drawn up special instructions for claiming each of the three deductions. Click here to learn how to claim these credits.

MetLife Foundation Ambassadors in Education Award

The MetLife Foundation Ambassadors in Education Award recognizes teachers who have undertaken extraordinary, and voluntary, efforts to connect with their students' communities and to make themselves an active member of their community. Qualified nominees build partnerships and increase communication between the school, families, local businesses/nonprofits, and local government. Maximum Award:  $5,000. Eligibility: middle or high school teachers in one of 25 participating school districts. Deadline: March 14, 2007. Click here to read more.

Excellence in Teaching Awards

The 2007 Butler-Cooley Excellence in Teaching Awards honor classroom teachers who have changed the outcome of students’ lives and the communities in which they live. Maximum Award: $5,000. Eligibility: currently licensed, active primary or secondary school teachers with at least five years of teaching experience. Deadline: May 1, 2007. Click here to read more.