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November 2007

November 28, 2007

Pearce Elementary to Host Canned Food and Blood Drives

More than 30 Pearce classrooms will collect canned food through Friday, December 1. The food will be delivered to Urban Ministries by a representative of the Pearce Parent Teacher Association. In addition, Pearce is hosting a blood drive for the American Red Cross on Saturday, December 2 from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the school gymnasium. Members of the community are encouraged to attend and donate blood. For more information, please contact Pam Misher, principal, at 336-605-5480.

Jackson Middle to Perform Winter Wonderland Concert

Jackson band and chorus students will perform a winter concert on Tuesday, December 11 at 7 p.m. in the school gymnasium. Attendees are requested to donate canned food. For more information, please contact Gregory Heath, choral director, at 336- 294-7350.

Peeler Open School for the Performing Arts to Play at Duke University

Peeler violin students will perform at Duke University on Wednesday, December 12. The fifth-grade students will perform at the Dr. John Hope Franklin Center at 11:30 a.m. during the center’s annual holiday luncheon. After a tour of the facility, the students will have the unique opportunity to perform in Duke Chapel at 1:30 p.m. The visit to Duke will give students early exposure to the benefits of higher education. For more information, please contact Marta Richardson, violin teacher, at 336-370-8270.

Kiser Middle and Andrews High Receive Parent Involvement Grant

The Kiser Middle and Andrews High Parent Teacher Association (PTA) units are two of only 10 schools statewide to receive a $1,000 Parent Involvement Grant from the North Carolina PTA. With the money, Andrews developed a quarterly newsletter and planned Parent Nights for students and their families.

The grant will allow the Kiser PTA to host a multicultural event for students, teachers and the community on Thursday, February 21 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Each team of teachers and their students will compete to best represent a different country, incorporating food, dancing, art and decorations. Students and their families will receive a passport upon arrival that will be stamped as they travel around the school.

Guilford County Board of Education members, school district personnel, community members and business partners will serve as judges. The event will not only be fun and educational, but it will also bring the community together. Additionally, the event will serve as a social studies lesson on cultures and history from around the world. To enhance the event, donations are needed from the community for door prizes and for the winning team of students and teachers. For more information, please contact Jessica Bohn, Kiser assistant principal, at 336-370-8240.

November 21, 2007

Hairston Middle Gives Exploring Marketing Students Real-Life Experience

In conjunction with Guilford County Schools (GCS)’ Career and Technical Education Department, Hairston is hosting the third annual “Interview Day” for Exploring Marketing students. Taking place November 27 and 28 from 10:30 a.m. until Noon, the event is designed to provide eighth-grade students with the real-life experience of interviewing for employment.

Although students will not receive an offer for employment, the knowledge and skills learned during this event will last a lifetime. For more information, please contact Bennie Bradley, Future Business Leaders of America – faculty advisor, at 336-378-8280.

Aycock Middle to Host Chess Tournament

Aycock will host a middle school chess tournament on Saturday, December 1 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The tournament is open to all local sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders. Tournament registration will be from 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., with the first of five rounds beginning at 9:15 a.m. All games will be touch move-based and will have a 30-minute time limit.

Trophies will be presented for first, second and third place rank in each grade level at 1:30 p.m. The school team that has the highest five combined scores, across all grade levels, will receive a team trophy. For more information, please contact Valerie Akins, principal, at 336-370-8110 or Herb Goins, GCS director of athletics, student activities and driver education, at 336-370-8950.

Oak View Elementary to Participate in Winter Celebration

Oak View kindergarten students will participate in a winter celebration organized by High Point University on Thursday, December 6 at 10:30 a.m. in the kindergarten classrooms. Each of the 93 students will receive a gift purchased from Toys “R” Us. The High Point volunteers will also provide lunch for all students and staff. For more information, please contact Dwayne Washington, assistant principal, at 336-819-2935.

Page High Participated in North Carolina College Application Week

Page was one of approximately 100 schools across the state selected to participate and host the North Carolina College Application week event November 13-15. During the week, more than 30 seniors completed and submitted online applications to North Carolina colleges and universities. The event provided an opportunity for more students to apply to North Carolina colleges early in their senior year. For more information, contact Barry Dooley or Stephanie Faison, senior counselors, at 336-370-8200.

Weaver Academy Fundraiser a Success for Local Camp

Weaver Academy science classes collected more than $700 in coins during a “Change for Change” campaign. At the request of the students, the money will be donated to the Victory Junction Gang Camp of Randleman, which enriches the lives of children with chronic medical conditions or serious illness. A representative from the camp will visit Weaver on Wednesday, November 28 to receive the student’s donation. For more information, please contact Michelle Allison, science teacher, at 336-370-8282.

Dudley High Student Selected for Disney’s Dreamer Academy

Xavier Ball, an 11th-grade student at Dudley, has been selected as one of 100 students across the nation to attend the Disney’s Dreamer Academy on January 17-20, 2008 at the Walt Disney World Resort. Radio personality Steve Harvey, community leaders, Disney representatives and educators across the country selected Ball and the other finalists from more than 3,000 nominations.

Ball and the other students, chosen for their power to dream, will be treated to complete immersion in career development. Sessions will include: interactive workshops, motivational talks with sports and entertainment celebrities and discussion led by Disney cast members and executives sharing their blueprint for success. Workshop topics will feature everything from business to architecture, animation to set design, show production to culinary arts, to learning the business behind sports. For more information, please contact Sheila Atkins, counselor, at 336-370-8130.

Southwest Elementary Students Collect Items for Animal Shelter

The Southwest Safety Patrol, under the direction of teachers Anneli Bennett and Terri Roberts, held its first service project of the year during the week of November 13-16. Through their “Wags and Whiskers” campaign, patrol members asked students and families to donate pet food, blankets, towels, litter and supplies to the Guilford County Animal shelter.

The dedicated students made posters advertising their campaign during the week leading up to the drive. Items were dropped in a large wheelbarrow near the main entrance to the school, and patrol members collected and sorted them daily. The drive netted 195 items for the shelter. For more information, please contact Libby Chestnut, technology assistant, at 336-819-2992.

November 14, 2007

Southwest Elementary to Host Internet Safety Program

Southwest will host an Internet safety program on Thursday, November 15 at 7 p.m. in the media center. Lindsey Deere, a representative of the North Carolina Department of Justice, will facilitate the program and lead group discussion. For more information, please contact Libby Chestnut, technology assistant, at 336-819-2992.

Alamance Elementary to Host Finale Celebration for United Way Campaign

All are invited to join Alamance Elementary on Friday, November 16 at 1:30 p.m. in the school gymnasium for the United Way Coins for a Cause Finale Celebration. Alamance students will present their donation of $4,327 to United Way during this time. Prize drawings for winning classes will also be announced. The class that donated the most money to the campaign has challenged Principal Pam Early and Assistant Principal Jill Hall to a sumo wrestling match. Using inflatable uniforms, borrowed from Rice Toyota and the Greensboro Grasshoppers, the sumo wrestling will be a feature of the event. For more information, please contact Assistant Principal Hall at 336-697-3177.

International Education Week Enhanced by Visiting International Faculty

The Visiting International Faculty (VIF) Program, the United States’ largest international exchange program for U.S. schools and teachers worldwide, has encouraged VIF teachers in the district’s schools to plan unique activities for International Education Week, November 12-16.

At Reedy Fork Elementary, Hannah Salmon will have her students create tourism brochures for North Carolina to send to students in Scotland. At Mendenhall Middle, Alexandra Riddell will display the traditional dress of Chile and guide students through a cultural exhibition of nine countries. At Southeast Middle, Pamela Arraras will use fun activities to enhance student knowledge on Argentina and a variety of other countries. For more information, please contact Denise Schroeder, Reedy Fork principal, at 336-656-3723, Julie Olson, Mendenhall principal, at 336-545-2000 or Karen Burress, Southeast principal, at 336-674-4280.

Penn-Griffin School for the Arts to Host High School Showcase

Penn-Griffin will host a High School Showcase on Monday, November 19 at 7 p.m. in the Burford Auditorium. Students from eight different arts disciplines will perform. Middle school students interested in learning more about the Penn-Griffin high school program are encouraged to attend. For more information, please contact Mary Ensley, treasurer, at 336-819-2870.

GCS to Host Student Teacher Fun Fair

GCS is attempting to attract the best possible teachers for the 2008 school year. The district is hosting the third annual Student Teacher Fun Fair on Tuesday, November 20 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Power Play Center in Greensboro.

Participants will be able to meet other student teachers from throughout the region while playing games, enjoying pizza and competing for valuable prizes. Student teachers are asked to wear jeans and their university attire at the event. Additional prizes will be awarded to participants best representing their colleges and universities.

The fair will give student teachers the exclusive opportunity to meet GCS principals and network with key hiring administrators. In addition, attendees will receive advance notice of 2008 employment opportunities while learning more about the hiring process, salary and benefits. For more information, please contact Alan Hooker, director of employment, at 336-370-8318.

The Middle College at GTCC - Jamestown Visited by Traveling Science Learning Program

Students of The Middle College at Jamestown had the unique opportunity to learn onboard one of the traveling laboratories from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s DESTINY Traveling Science Learning Program on Wednesday, November 14. The students performed a lab exercise called “The Crucial Concentration,” during which they assumed the role of laboratory investigators for a court case to determine the amount of protein found in three sports drinks. For more information, please contact Faith Brown-Johnson , science teacher, at 336-819-2957.

November 7, 2007

Frazier Elementary to Celebrate Reading

Every student at Frazier will receive a new book on Tuesday, November 13 through a grant from the Reading is Fundamental’s Book for Ownership program. This is the first of three book distributions scheduled for Frazier.

In addition, local celebrities have been invited to National Young Readers' Day Celebrity Read-In on Tuesday, November 13. Key community members will read to a class, including: Guilford County Board of Education members, a Guilford County Commissioner, the GCS Title I director, the Guilford County Association of Educators president and others who have agreed to participate. For more information, please contact Stephanie Hackett, literacy teacher, at 336-294-7340.

Gateway Education Center to Hold Canned Food Drive

Students from four of Gateway’s middle and high school classes will hold a canned food drive from November 13-15. Greensboro Urban Ministry will be the recipient of the food drive and Pat Spain, director of the food bank, will visit the school on November 20. For more information, please contact Bonny Allegro, media specialist, at 336-375-2575.

High Schools to Participate in North Carolina College Application Week

Dudley High and Smith High are two of approximately 100 schools across North Carolina that will participate in College Application Week. Seniors will have the opportunity to complete and submit online applications to colleges on Tuesday, November 13 at Dudley and Thursday, November 15 at Smith. In an effort to further expand college access initiatives, the event is co-sponsored by the College Foundation of North Carolina and the Carolinas Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers. For more information, please contact Camille Cates, Smith college advisor, at 336-294-7300.

Murphey Traditional Academy to Host American Education Week Activities

Murphey will host a series of activities November 13-16 in recognition of American Education Week. Teachers will emphasize the importance of higher education during “College Represent’N Day” on Tuesday, November 13 by decorating their classroom with memorabilia from their alma maters. On Wednesday, November 14, each class will honor a staff member for “Education Support Personnel Day.” Parents will have the opportunity to join their students for classes on Thursday, November 15 for “Are You Smarter than an Elementary Student Day.” The week will culminate on Friday, November 16 with “Real Men Read Day,” during which fathers, uncles, grandfathers and community leaders will visit and read to classes. For more information, please contact Vanessa Thomas, curriculum facilitator, at 336-294-7380.

Peck Elementary to Host “The Final Stretch for Sara” Fundraiser

Sara Hernandez, a sixth-grader at Mendenhall Middle, will receive a warm welcome from her elementary school, Peck, on Tuesday, November 20. Hernandez was diagnosed with leukemia in 2005 at the beginning of her fourth-grade year at Peck. Hernandez will complete chemotherapy next year and to celebrate, Peck social worker Joanna Flynn, will run more than five miles from Mendenhall to Peck. Students and staff from both schools will surround the school to “stretch out” for Hernandez. Fundraising events in 2005 and 2006 raised more than $3,400 to support her medical bills. Donations to Hernandez’s fund can be sent to the Peck Parent Teacher Association. For more information, please contact Francine Mallory, Peck principal, at 336-370-8235.

Sumner Elementary Awarded Grant from Local Organization

Sumner was recently awarded an $18,280 grant from a local organization to begin a pilot parent resource center in the school. The program will allow Sumner to hire three tutors twice a week to enhance student skills in reading and math. The grant will also provide students the opportunity to check out supplies to use at home. The organization that supplied the grant has requested to remain anonymous. For more information, please contact Dr. Brian Clarida, principal, at 336-316-5888.

Northwest High Raises Money for Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

The National Honor Society (NHS) of Northwest raised more than $1,500 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Nearly two-thirds of the money raised was collected through coin donations, as each member used plastic bottles as their fundraising instrument. One student alone raised more than $148. NHS at Northwest is comprised of more than 120 seniors with outstanding performance in the areas of scholarship, service, leadership and character. For more information, please contact Richard Thomas, NHS advisor, at 336-605-3300.

Current Good News

About Guilford County Schools
Guilford County Schools is the third largest school district in North Carolina serving more than 71,000 students at 119 schools. With approximately 10,000 employees, the district’s mission is to graduate responsible citizens prepared to succeed in higher education or the career of their choice.

Guilford County Schools is a national leader in providing specialized schools and instructional programs designed to meet the educational needs of a culturally diverse citizenship. For more information, visit the district’s Web site at www.gcsnc.com.