Friday Notes from Guilford County Schools

1067 page views

March 9 , 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.

Daylight Savings Comes Earlier!

Daylight Savings Time begins earlier than usual this year and will start on Sunday, March 11 at 2 a.m. Please remember to ‘spring forward’ and set your clocks ahead by one hour on Saturday night before going to bed.  This will help ensure that everyone arrives to school on time Monday morning.

New Principals Named

The following are new assignments:

Smith High Student Receives the Coveted Park Scholarship

Smith High Principal Dr. Noah V. Rogers would like to announce that Brianca German, currently at the top of her graduating class, president of the International Baccalaureate Program and secretary of the National Honor Society, is a recipient of the Park Scholarship. The Park Scholarship is awarded by the Trustees of the Park Foundation and the Chancellor of North Carolina State University.  North Carolina State University selected 51 students as Park scholars for fall 2007. Brianca is the only student from Guilford County Schools, Class of 2007 and the first student at Smith High to receive this prestigious award.  For more information, please contact John M. Brown Jr., Assistant Principal or Douglas Kilgore, Senior Counselor, at 294-7300. 

Page Drama Student Wins Top Honors 

Ayo Tushinde, a senior at Page High, won first place at the 17th Annual Guilford County National Shakespeare Competition. Sponsored by the Guilford Branch of the English Speaking Union, this competition is held annually.  As the winner, Ayo received $500 and an all expense paid trip to New York City to represent our region at the national level in April.   For the second time in two years, a Page student placed first in the event.  Second place honors went to Anne McCarty from Greensboro Day School and third place was earned by Rebecca Speas from Western High.  These students also received cash awards sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Greensboro.  Ayo is co-president of the Page Playmakers under the direction of Drama teacher Michael Parrish and will attend the Savannah College of Arts and Design this fall.  For more information, please contact Michael Parrish 370-8200 ext. 4911.

Weaver Academy Electrifies Regional Competition

Weaver Academy Electrical Technology Department took home first and second place in the Annual Triad Electrical Competition. The two winners, Edward Pegram (first) and Chris Atkins (second), will represent the triad in the State Skills USA competition in April at the Greensboro Coliseum.

Both high school and college students represented numerous counties throughout the triad. Local building inspectors and electrical inspectors judged the competition on-site. After four hours of reading, interpreting and installing a complex electrical system according to a given blueprint; the margin score separating first and second place was only a difference of two points. Along with the distinction of winning the Triad Trophy for Weaver Academy, the top two students were also awarded $100 gift cards to Lowe’s. For more information, please contact Principal Anna Brady at 316-5800.

Local Students Attend National Leadership Conference in Maryland

Mikal Davis and Ciara Miller, juniors at The Middle College of Entertainment Technology at GTCC, attended the Leadership Experience And Development (LEAD) Conference on March 2 through March 4 in Baltimore, Maryland. During the conference, Davis and Miller attended workshops devoted to improving leadership skills, problem solving, student project planning and student activity program development. Both students are members of the Middle College of Entertainment Technology at GTCC student council and were accompanied at the conference by Elizabeth Foster, student council advisor.

The LEAD conference is hosted by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), which sponsors the National Honor Society, the National Junior Honor Society and the National Association of Student Councils. For more information, please contact Ms. Foster at 819-4111.

GCS Student Awarded Second Place in District Rotary Against Drugs High School Speech Contest

The Rotary Against Drugs (RAD) High School Speech Contest asked local students to answer one important question: “What Must Be Done to Prevent Drug and Alcohol Abuse in the U.S.?” Nicolas Williams, a student at Dudley High, delivered an answer that earned him second place in the Rotary District 7690 contest on Saturday, February 24. Williams received $100 cash and he will compete at the multi-district level.

Six out of the 16 students who participated in the competition were GCS students. They included: Crystal Carter from Ragsdale High, Suraya Crook from Northwest High, Selita LeGrand from Andrews High, Lindy Long from Weaver Academy and Morgan Norfleet from Page High.

Students began the contest earlier this year in competitions at their individual high schools. The winners advanced to the Rotary District 7690 competition held at Guilford Technical Community College in Jamestown. For more information, please contact Dona Neal, coordinator of the district RAD competition, at 774-2350.

Effort Continues to have AEDs in all District Schools

The GCS Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Initiative was started by the Office of Athletics in 2004 with the goal of supplying AEDs to each district high school. Thanks to community partnerships and the district’s commitment to making this happen, not only was that goal achieved, but by fall 2006, AEDs were placed in all GCS middle schools. However, research shows that sudden cardiac arrest is not limited to any age group or level of activity; therefore, all GCS schools should be equipped. If your group or organization is interested in sponsoring an AED for an elementary school, please contact Linda Helle, Office Support, at 370-8962 or Cecilia Adams, Manager of Community Partnerships, at 370-8355.

New School Information Sessions

Members of the Human Resources team began conducting information sessions for the staff at each of the elementary schools that will be feeding new elementary schools.  The purpose of these meetings is to share information with respect to school openings, implications for a late start if Reedy Fork is delayed in opening, student projection information, staffing and transfer processes and next steps.  Steve Foster, Executive Director for HR Operations, conducted the first of these sessions with the staff at Laughlin Primary on Wednesday, March 7.  Sessions at the remaining schools will be completed by the end of next week.  For more information, please contact Mr. Foster at 378-8822.

Annual enrollment of Health Insurance

The Benefits Office will be offering informational meetings regarding Annual Enrollment of Health Insurance at the following sites:

March 14, 2007, 10 a.m.             900 English Road Boardroom (for those employees who work in late afternoon)

March 14, 2007, 4:30 p.m.          Kernodle Middle School Multipurpose Room

March 15, 2007, 4:30 p.m.          Alamance Elementary School Auditorium

For more information, please contact Patty Kinkade, Director of Benefits, at 370-8092.

Beginning Teacher Orientation

Sixty first-year teachers and lateral entry teachers who have joined GCS since October 2006 attended an orientation session at Western Guilford High on Wednesday, February 28.  Carla Alphin, Program Administrator for Employee Relations, reviewed GCS policies and procedures.  Martha Snavely, Executive Director for Induction and success, and Sue Renn, Beginning Teacher Coach, reviewed the evaluation process for new teachers.  A question and answer period followed the presentations.  For more information, please contact Ms. Snavely at 335-3290.

New PRAXIS II Test for Receiving “Highly Qualified” Designation for Kindergarten

The State Board of Education approved the use of Praxis exam 0022 (Early Childhood: content Knowledge) for Birth through Kindergarten (B-K) teachers to be designated highly qualified to teach kindergarten.  The passing score is 155, and this option is effective immediately.

This test is NOT required to receive a B-K license.  It is only for those teachers who already have a B-K license who want to become HQ so that they can teach kindergarten.  B-K teachers who are assigned to teach preschool (or below) are NOT required to HQ.  For more information, please contact Alison Yates, Director of Staffing, at 370-8094.

Teaching Fellows Visit

This week, 23 North Carolina Teaching Fellows selected GCS for their Senior Orientation.  The Senior Orientation Week is a requirement for all rising Senior Teaching Fellows.  The experience is designed to give the Fellows a first-hand look at the total school community and a view of public education from the system perspective.  The week also serves to inform prospective teachers of the various individuals and institutional support system working with and for the classroom teacher.  Students who attended were from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, NC A&T State University, East Carolina University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and University of North Carolina at Charlotte.  For more information, please contact Alan Hooker, Director of Employment, at 370-8055.

Safe & Drug-free Schools Program to Host Parent Workshops

GCS’ Safe and Drug Free Schools Program, along with Alcohol and Drug Services, will sponsor two district-wide parent workshops.  Current Trends in Substance Abuse: What Parents Need to Know will take place Tuesday, March 13 from 6 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. in the Smith High media center.  This workshop will be held again on Thursday, April 19 from 6 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. at the Millis Regional Health Education Center in High Point. Parents will learn about the most recent “drugs of choice” used by adolescents, recognize warning signs of drug use and obtain strategies to help strengthen your child’s ability to resist drug use. Both programs are open to the public, however, seating is limited. Therefore, we encourage you to contact Belinda Bolick at 621-4001 to reserve a seat. Safe & Drug-free Schools Program provides quality age-appropriate violence and substance abuse prevention programs and services for the entire school community to assure that all students become productive and healthy citizens in our schools and society. For more information, please contact Vernice Thomas, Safe & Drug Free Schools Program Supervisor, at 621-4026, or Gwen Willis, Executive Director for Student Services, at 370-8399. 

ECPAC and Exceptional Children’s Department to Host 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 first workshop took place on March 7. 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.

Project Re-Start

The University of North Carolina at Greensboro would like to invite any teaching assistants that have an interest in pursuing their undergraduate degrees in special education to apply for Project RE-START.
Project RE-START: Recruitment of Students Through Alternative Routes to Teacher Training will focus on the preparation of nontraditional undergraduate students in special education with licensure in special education: general curriculum. One of the highlights of this grant is the availability of stipends to support many of the students who meet program criteria for admissions. Dr. Stephanie Kurtts with the Department of Specialized Education Services at UNCG will be at the sites listed below to provide anyone interested with information about Project RE-START and to answer questions.

The Department of Exceptional Children is excited about the opportunity to work with UNCG in an effort to provide highly-qualified and well-prepared special education teachers.  For more information, please contact Stephanie Kurtts at 256-1080 or sakurtts@uncg.edu or Teresa Owens, EC Coordinator, at 370-8902.  

School Health Advisory Council

A School Health Advisory Council (SHAC) is an advisory group composed of community and school representatives from the eight areas of a Coordinated School Health Program. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) created a Coordinated School Health Program (CSHP) model that includes eight interactive components:  Health Education; Physical Education; Health Services; Nutrition Services; Counseling, Psychological and Social Services; Healthy School Environment; Staff Wellness and Family and Community Involvement.  The GCS Health Advisory Council serves as an entity of GCS to assist with the advocacy, development, implementation, and monitoring of a Coordinated School Health Program.  The SHAC recognizes the important role that physical, emotional and social health plays in attaining academic success.

The SHAC vision is that students will graduate from GCS with an optimal level of health, ready to become productive members of society.  The Guilford County SHAC has recently accomplished the following:

1. Restructuring Council membership with representation of the eight components of the CSHP
2. Revision of the SHAC bylaws
3. Formulation of a letter of support and Hill visits to the Federal House and Senate legislators for Safe and Drug Free Schools funding
4. Input and endorsement of two GCS policies/procedures: student wellness and head lice
5. Representation and dialogue at two Board of Education meetings to share recommendations and updates from the Council

Monthly SHAC Briefs are produced to keep key individuals aware of Council activities.  For more information, please contact Gwen Willis, Executive Director for Student Services, at 370-8397 or Robin Bergeron-Nolan, Director of Health Services, at 370-8333.

GCS Web Site Recognized Nationally 

The recent redesign of the GCS Web site is making an impact among national educators. WantToTeach.com, the nation’s premier Web site for posting teaching and administrative openings in school districts, found GCS’ new design to be one of the best in the nation.

Staff members from WantToTeach.com evaluated GCS’ Web site based on its functionality, design, creativeness and timeliness. The criteria for selection included: Web sites that display useful information and ease of access, a sharp design showing a sense of pride in one’s district, a sense of imagination and current, well-maintained pages.

WantToTeach.com chose GCS’ Web site because of its clean, fresh look and easy-to-navigate pages. The Web site’s design targets four main audiences: parents, students, employees and community. The site is color coded, allowing the user to quickly know where they are on the site at all times.  The Web site also includes sections where users can find the most up-to-date information. ‘District News’ and ‘District Events,’ located in the center of the home page, allows users to read about the most recent news and happenings in the district. The ‘Stay Connected’ section, located in the upper left corner of the site, provides users with continual access to electronic newsletters such as Friday Notes and the GCS Insider. Additionally, ‘Top Links,’ the most accessed pages on the site, are located in the left column under ‘Stay Connected.’ Both sections remain visible on every page throughout the site. On the right side of the home page, users can access ‘GCS Highlights,’ which contains the most important current and seasonal information.  To view the award-winning GCS Web site and learn more about the features described here, please visit www.gcsnc.com.

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 this new edition of Building Futures as hosts Lillian Govus and Dave Burnett provide updates on the building of new schools and improvement projects. 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).

The Academies at Smith and Central
Students ready to distinguish themselves from the rest commit to the challenges of The Academy at Smith and The Academy at Central.  These two high school options offer students a head start in medical careers, construction technology, culinary arts or public safety.  This Newsbreak airs Wednesday, March 14.
           
Future Scientists
It takes an analytical and a creative mind to excel in science.  GCS puts its students to the test at the annual Science Fair.  Will the best scientific minds of the twenty first century emerge from the third grade?  You bet!  This Newsbreak airs Friday, March 16.

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

NON-GCS EDUCATIONAL NEWS

Marcia Page Scholarship Nominations Needed

For the third consecutive year, the Council of the Great City Schools and Texas Instruments announce the Marcia Page Scholarship for African American Females for Mathematics, Engineering and Technology Excellence. A $5,000 scholarship will be awarded this spring to two African American graduating female students who plan to pursue a career in a math, engineering or technology-related field from among the 50 large school districts that represent the Council of Great City Schools. Deadline for 2007 scholarship entries is May 15.  Click here for the application.  For more information, please contact Henry Duvall, Director of Communications - Council of the Great City Schools, (202) 393-2427.

What Good is the Core Curriculum if Kids Can’t Read?

Curriculum is the engine of our public education system. To a large degree it shapes the allocation of financial resources and time, the preparation and assignment of teachers, and the formulation of academic standards and standardized tests. Despite its importance, curriculum doesn't get much attention from parents, politicians, or the media, writes Ronald A. Wolk for Teacher Magazine. What is the main purpose of the curriculum? The answer is hardly academic: If the main purpose is to designate specifically what every student should know, then the standards movement and core curriculum make sense. If the purpose is mainly to provide an essential component in learning to think and solve problems, then the specific knowledge is of secondary importance, and requiring all kids to learn the same things at the same time makes no sense. Being able to read proficiently is the crucial prerequisite to becoming educated. Schools fail to teach a great many of our children to read well enough to understand what they read. Yet they still require students to attend years of courses that they may lack the interest or skill to master. How reasonable is that? Click here to read more.

Charleston Education Network Pressures School Board for Change

The Charleston Education Network, a local education fund, has put pressure on the Charleston County (SC) School Board to adopt some of its ideas to enhance and accelerate the Charleston Plan for Excellence. Members of the advocacy group announced seven policies that they believe will improve the district: (1) Staff the lowest-performing schools first; (2) Ensure that teachers at below-average and unsatisfactory rated schools have at least three years of experience; (3) Assign only experienced principals to those schools; (4) Ensure every child without a profound disability is a proficient reader by the end of third grade; (5) Fully adopt student-based funding as the budgeting mechanism; (6) Identify ineffective employees. Improve their performance quickly or remove them; and (7) Improve the use of technology in delivering instruction. "There is nothing magic in these policies," said Johanna Martin- Carrington, co-chair of the Charleston Education Network board. "They are all common sense and they all go to the heart of the school district's mission: teach every child successfully to high standards." Jon Butzon, executive director of the network, said the proposed policies don't specify the way the district should operate but give guidance to the superintendent on the board's priorities. Click here to read more.

How Much Does a World-Class Education Cost?

For years, Ohio officials have been talking about the need to give each child in Ohio a world-class education, and finally a price tag has been attached to the idea: $2.4 billion to $4.8 billion in new money. The group that developed the plan is a team of researchers at the University of Washington, funded in part by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which has been sponsoring education research around the country. The study suggests that Ohio should spend as much as 31 percent more on public education for such changes as longer school years, lower pupil-teacher ratios and significant improvements in early education. Researchers generated recommendations for a variety of school settings by talking to education officials who were part of state- and school district-level teams. Poor urban districts preferred policies to lengthen the school year and meet the needs of the poor; rural districts preferred increasing teacher pay, reducing class size and extending the school year. Wealthy suburban districts were mostly satisfied with funding. The costs of eight scenarios were calculated, reports Dennis J. Willard in the Beacon Journal. Total spending would increase 16 percent to 31 percent, depending on the policy chosen, and the average spending for each Ohio child would increase from the current $9,300 to a range of $10,722 to $12,128 per pupil. In addition to longer school years, the study addresses early learning, more money and training for teachers, especially math and science instructors, and an effort to drive more dollars toward reducing teacher-student ratios in poor and rural districts. Although the price tag is high, the report notes ``the state team moderated the investments to bring the costs toward a more feasible range.'' Click here to read more.

Why do Hispanic Children Fall Behind?

The National Task Force on Early Childhood Education for Hispanics urges that Hispanic children be enrolled in high quality education programs as early as possible in order to make more rapid progress in closing the Hispanic-White achievement gap.  Hispanic children, especially those from disadvantaged circumstances, continue to lag behind non-Hispanic Whites on measures of school readiness and school achievement, including in reading and mathematics. At the same time, there is growing evidence that large state-funded pre-kindergarten (pre-K) programs are producing valuable school readiness gains for Hispanic youngsters who have the opportunity to attend them. Head Start also is beneficial.  In addition, high quality infant/toddler programs can contribute to greater school readiness. The earlier Hispanic children have access to high quality educational programs, the better. However, despite the benefits of greater access to such programs, Hispanic youngsters continue to be underrepresented among children who attend pre-K for several reasons.  Among them are inadequate supplies of affordable preschool seats in many Hispanic communities, a lack of information for Hispanic parents on the programs that are available, and language barriers with program operators.  A great deal of emphasis should be on pursuing more effective ways to improve early language development among Hispanic English language learners from disadvantaged circumstances,  owing to the importance of early language skills in predicting later success in school. Click here to read more.