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January 2008

January 30, 2008

Star Day Celebration at Gateway Education Center

To celebrate students with “star” qualities, Gateway will hold a Star Day Celebration on January 31 and February 1. On both days, there will be two ceremonies taking place at 9:30 a.m. and at 10:30 a.m. in the school’s multi-purpose room. Students honored will receive a certificate and medallion. For more information, please contact Joanna Rudder, counselor, at 336-375-2575.

Northwood Elementary to Hold Literacy Night

Northwood will sponsor a school-wide Literacy Night on Thursday, January 31 from 6 p.m. until 7 p.m. All students, along with their families, are invited to attend this fun-filled and informative evening of learning together.

At the event, participants will play literacy games and construct “make and take” flash cards to help improve sight word knowledge and reading skills. For more information, please contact Scott Winslow, principal, at 336-819-2920.

Mendenhall Middle Will Host School Tours Starting February 5

To inform prospective parents, guardians and students about Mendenhall, the school will host school tours every Tuesday at 10 a.m. starting February 5. Tours will be given by administrators and counselors and will occur every week except for March 4. Prospective students will learn about the school’s goals, classrooms, teachers, activities and programs. For more information, please contact Julie Olson, principal, at 336-545-2000.

Gateway Education Center Named a “Golden Apple School”

Gateway has been named a “Golden Apple School” by the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT) for the school’s support of the 2006–07 annual fund. This is the fourth consecutive year Gateway has achieved this award.

The school received the award because every teacher on the school’s faculty who has ever attended a NCCAT seminar or a teacher-scholar residency made a contribution to the center’s annual fund-raising campaign. “Golden Apple” schools receive a certificate of appreciation and a congratulatory visit by a NCCAT official. Gateway is one of only 30 schools in North Carolina to achieve “Golden Apple” status in 2006–07 and the only school within GCS.

At Gateway, Vicki Simmons chaired the fund-raising effort on NCCAT’s behalf. Other NCCAT alumni who made contributions were Donna Denny, Jane Ann Kepley, Carmen Langley, Kim Scott and Betty Tarantelli. For more information, please contact Linda Lyon, principal, at 336-375-2575.

Sumner Elementary Students Collect Pennies for Pasta

Students at Sumner collected more than $1,050 for Olive Garden’s Pasta for Pennies program, which benefits the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The fundraiser, “Rock Out for a Cure,” lasted from January 14-24.

Ms. Hookway’s second-grade class raised the most money, bringing in more than $175. Ms. Hookway and her class will be treated to lunch at Olive Garden for their efforts. For more information, please contact Brian Clarida, principal, at 336-316-5888.

GCS Celebrates Youth Art Month with Exhibit at the Greensboro Cultural Center

With March being Youth Art Month, artwork by students across the district will be on display at the Greensboro Cultural Center in downtown Greensboro. The Youth Art Month exhibition will be open for viewing from February 29 through March 19.

Youth Art Month is a national celebration of art in schools that emphasizes the value of art education for all children. For more information, please contact Joy Hudson, Colfax Elementary art teacher, at 336-275-4332.

January 23, 2008

DESTINY Traveling Science Learning Program To Make Stops in Guilford County

The traveling laboratories from the University of North Carolina’s DESTINY Traveling Science Learning Program will stop at schools across the district. The DESTINY Program serves secondary schools in North Carolina by bringing contemporary science and technology to teachers and students at no cost to the school.

On Tuesday, January 29 from 8:20 a.m. to 9:48 a.m. and 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., the traveling lab will visit Northwest High. Students will perform a lab exercise, “Biological Bodyguards,” where they will examine the vital role that the body's immune system takes to fight illness and prevent disease. Assuming the role of medical lab technicians, students will use a simulated viral extract and perform an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to screen hypothetical patients for the presence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). For more information, please contact Angelo Kidd, principal, at 336-605-3300.

On Thursday, January 31 from 1:30 p.m. to 3:10 p.m. and 3:20 p.m. to 4:50 p.m., the traveling lab will visit The Middle College at GTCC – Jamestown. Students will perform a lab exercise, “The Crucial Concentration,” where they will assume the role of laboratory investigators for a court case to determine the amount of protein found in three sports drinks. Using the general concept of the Lowry assay and microanalysis skills, students will learn how to use a spectrophotometer, measure absorbencies, collect quantitative data and produce a standard curve to find the protein content in each sample. For more information, please contact Tony Watlington, principal, at 336-819-2957.

Also on Thursday, January 31 from 2:05 p.m. until 3:35 p.m., the traveling lab will visit Andrews High. Students will perform a lab exercise, “From Finches to Fishes.” Students will learn the fundamental principles of evolution and natural selection. Protein gel electrophoresis will be used to acquire molecular data with which students will construct an evolutionary tree for five fish species. Students will examine proteomics as the new frontier of molecular biology and its importance to understanding the structure and function of the human genome and the genomes of other organisms. For more information, please contact Monique Wallace, principal, at 336-819-2800.

The Early College at Guilford’s Speech and Debate Team to Compete in Raleigh

On Saturday, February 2, The Early College at Guilford’s Speech and Debate Team will compete in the Cary Charger Classic tournament held at Cary Academy. Students will participate in events such as: the Lincoln-Douglas debate, congressional debate, dramatic interpretation, and humorous interpretation, duo interpretation and original oratory. For more information, please contact Terri Fletcher-Herring, faculty advisor, at 336-316-2860.

College Night at The Middle College at NCA&T

The Middle College at NC &T will host a College Night for students and parents. The event will take place in the NCA&T Memorial Student Union (Stallings Ballroom) on February 4 from 6:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. For more information, please contact Duane Lewis, school social worker, at 336-691-0941.

Southwest High Student to have Composition Performed

Andrés Ballesteros, a student at Southwest High, responded to a call from the National Association of Music Education (MENC) for student compositions. Ballesteros was selected to have his composition performed at the MENC national conference taking place in April in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Ballesteros was the only student in North Carolina selected. For more information, please contact Kiyoshi Carter, band director, at 336-819-2970.

Alamance Elementary Chosen for 2008 Spirit of North Carolina Award

Alamance was recently chosen as the winner of the 2008 Spirit of North Carolina Award for United Way. Students at Alamance raised more than $4,500 and staff raised more than $5,000.

The Spirit of North Carolina Campaigning for Excellence Awards are sponsored annually by the United Way of North Carolina. The awards program provides statewide recognition for exceptional commitment and support to communities through local United Way involvement. For more information, please contact Jill Hall, assistant principal, at 336-697-3177.

January 16, 2008

Ferndale Middle Students Choose Pen or Pencil

Students at Ferndale are choosing a pencil (education), not a pen (penitentiary). These students are participating in the Pen or Pencil Building Unbalanced Systems (B.U.S.) Boycott, which kicks off at the school on January 18 at 2:30 p.m. with Darryl Hunt as a guest speaker.

The National Alliance of Faith and Justice through Communities in Schools sponsor the B.U.S. Boycott. For 40 days, students will participate in a campaign for non-violence and encourage others to choose education over incarceration. For more information, please contact Lori Garrison, principal, at 336-819-2855.

Toyota International Teacher Program Selects Weaver Academy Teacher

Debra Ramey, an information technology and ecommerce teacher at Weaver, was selected to participate in the Toyota International Teacher Program and will embark on a cultural and environmental learning expedition in Costa Rica in February. Only two other teachers from North Carolina were selected.

Ramey will have an opportunity to visit the unique biomes of Costa Rica. She will collaborate with other educators, exchanging innovative approaches to teaching environmental stewardship. For more information, please contact Anna Brady, principal, at 336-370-8282.

Weaver Academy Student Wins District “Poetry Out Loud” Competition

Kaitlin Lumpkins, a junior at Weaver, won first place in the district-level “Poetry Out Loud” competition, earning her a spot in the North Carolina semi-finals in February.

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) joined together with the Poetry Foundation to create the “Poetry Out Loud” National Recitation Contest, which encourages youth to experience poetry as an oral art form. Students learn about poetry by memorizing and reciting poems they self-select from the official list. In the 2006-07 school year, more than 100,000 students participated in the “Poetry Out Loud” program nationwide. For more information, please contact Anna Brady, principal, at 336-370-8282.

Colfax Elementary Student Fares Well in State Art Contest

First-grade Colfax student Jake Rogers’ entry in the North Carolina PTA Reflections Program is one of five entries statewide that will be entered in the national contest. The Reflections Program, sponsored by the National PTA, provides opportunities for students to express themselves and to receive positive recognition for their artistic efforts. For more information, please contact Michelle Thigpen, principal, at 336-275-4332.

January 9, 2008

Dudley High To Host Parent Meeting

Dudley will host a senior parent meeting on Thursday, January 10 at 6:30 p.m. in the Dudley auditorium. This meeting will cover critical information parents and students need regarding final preparation for senior graduation, college applications, financial aid, scholarships, NCAA Clearinghouse and resources available to students and parents for after-graduation plans. For more information, please contact Francine Scott, site coordinator, at 336-370-8130.

DESTINY Traveling Science Learning Program To Make A Stop At Eastern High

One of the traveling laboratories from the University of North Carolina’s DESTINY Traveling Science Learning Program will stop at Eastern on January 15 and 16.

Eastern students will be on board the traveling lab from 8:50 a.m. to 10:20 a.m. and from 10:40 a.m. to 12:10 p.m. both days to perform a lab exercise, “Get a Clue.” They will assume the role of forensic scientists and perform DNA restriction analysis (popularly known as DNA fingerprinting) to analyze drops of "blood" and other kinds of evidence found at crime scenes as they determine which suspects are guilty or innocent.

The DESTINY Program serves secondary schools in North Carolina by bringing contemporary science and technology to teachers and students at no cost to the school. For more information, please contact Dr. Travis Reeves, Eastern principal, at 336-449-6311.

Ferndale Middle To Hold Spotlight Breakfast For Students

Ferndale will hold a breakfast for students recognized as Spotlight Students on January 18 at 9 a.m. Once monthly, students are selected by their teachers as Spotlight Students for going the extra mile and/or exemplifying good character. The school secretly invites the students’ parents/guardians to a celebration breakfast where the student is treated to an inspirational speaker, a personalized verbal and written award, a token of esteem and a great breakfast provided by the Ferndale PTA. For more information, please contact Barbra Lassiter, school social worker, at 336-819-2855.

Page High Financial Aid Workshop

On January 23 at 7 p.m. in the media center, Page will host a financial aid workshop for all students and parents who will apply for financial aid in college. Deborah Tollefson, director of financial aid at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and Takeila Barnes from the College Foundation will conduct this workshop.

Discussion will include: applications for federal student aid and the loan programs that are available to parents and students. In addition, students and parents will be able to get answers to any questions they may have. Because of continuing changes in the financial aid process, this is an important and necessary meeting. For more information, please contact Barry Dooley, counselor, at 336-370-8200.

Guilford Elementary Presents Dignity Memorial ® Escape School ®

On January 24, Guilford Elementary students and their families are invited to Escape School ®, a nationally recognized abduction prevention program that empowers children and parents by providing them with ways to recognize, avoid or escape potentially dangerous situations. The event will take place in the school’s multi-purpose room.

The night will kick off with a pizza dinner at 6 p.m. and the event will follow at 7 p.m. Tickets for the dinner cost $3 per person; however, the Escape School event is free of charge. For more information, please contact Eunice Isley, principal, at 336-316-5844.

Frazier Elementary To Host Parent Workshop

Frazier will host a parent workshop in the media center on Tuesday, January 29 from 4:30 p.m. until 5 p.m. Children’s author Kimberly Johnson will be in attendance. The first 120 families to arrive will receive a free book, autographed by Johnson. For more information, please contact Laverne Bass, principal, at 336-294-7340.

Sumner Elementary Receives Grant From Lowe’s Home Improvement

To improve the reading instruction for all students, Sumner received $2,615 from Lowe’s Home Improvement. The money will be used to purchase supplies that offer students more hands-on learning opportunities. For more information, please contact Dr. Brian Clarida, principal, at 336-316-5888.

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.