Print

GCS Insider

Physical Education Teachers Keep Kids in the Running

 

Since the month of May celebrates not only National Teachers Appreciation Week but is also national fitness month, it seemed appropriate to talk to some of GCS P.E. teachers. Judy Fowler at Colfax Elementary has taken the sport of running and made it fun for kids.  Fowler is known for her running club called GOFAR, or “Go out for a run.” The fact that the number of kids in the program has tripled in the three years it has been around testifies to its effectiveness.  

The program teaches students to train for a 5K run, and Fowler stresses that the goal is to teach kids to finish the race and to get through the 10-week program.  “This program allows them to experience success,” said Fowler. “We don’t emphasize who wins; it’s more about finishing the race.”   The children get medals for running and are proud of their accomplishments.  What started as a once-a-year event is now twice a year.  Last fall the event was attended by 28 kids and jumped up to 90 kids in the spring.  

 “By the end of the program you have changed their mindset about exercise,” said Fowler.  “It is about guiding youngsters to be physically active for a lifetime.”

Kim Berg and Troy Berg at Alamance Elementary are using innovation to keep kids motivated to exercise.  They began a running club called the “Pacer Club,” a component of Fit America and Walk and Jog Across America running program and other sports and activities.  The school’s signature program is its Jazzy Jumper Jump Rope Team.  The Jazzy Jumpers are a state demo team for the American Heart Association, and the popular group performs at events throughout the county.

Kim reports that a boy with cerebral palsy wanted to join the group.   He learned to time his wheel chair to the turning ropes and even performed for the Women’s ACC Basketball Tournament. “The Jazzy Jumper team is an opportunity for students to excel and achieve,” said Berg.  “Ninety percent of kids say that P.E. is one of their favorite classes.”

All P.E. teachers agree that these programs and additional ones allow students to have choices and to start thinking about maintaining fitness as a lifestyle.

 

GCS Insider - Employee of the Month

Eastern Athletic Director Unites a Campus Divided

 

Following last year’s devastating fire at Eastern Guilford High, faculty and staff worked all hours of the day and night to get students back in class. Randall Hackett faced an equally daunting task of figuring out a way to keep the athletic program running with students split on two separate campuses and conflicting class schedules. Not only did he face the challenge of finding transportation for the students, but he also had to schedule practices and games around the students’ unique class schedules.

 
According to Assistant Principal Leigh Hebbard, who nominated Hackett: “With our school being separated, athletics has been the one common thread that has provided the Wildcat family many opportunities to see one another. Mr. Hackett is a credit to the school and community for all he has done to keep the athletic program fully operational during this stressful time for all of us.”


Because of his overwhelming Wildcat pride and his mission to find a way to keep students on the court and field, Hackett was selected as the May GCS Employee of the Month.


As Employee of the Month, Hackett received a $50 gift card from Sam’s Club, which has partnered with GCS to support the employee recognition program. During the month of May, his photo will hang at all GCS main offices as well as the Wendover Avenue Sam’s Club. In addition, the Guilford County Board of Education will recognize him at its May 8 meeting.

 

Do you know an employee who goes above and beyond the call of duty in his/her job? Let us know! Click on the following link to submit your nomination form online: http://www.gcsnc.com/emp_month/emp_month.htm

 

 

 

GCS Insider - GCS People

 

Marilyn Woods is 2007 North Carolina Administrator of the Year

The North Carolina Association of Educational Office Professionals (NCAEOP) is honoring one of our very own with their top honor. Marilyn Woods, a GCS program administrator for After-School Care Enrichment Services (ACES), is the 2007 North Carolina Administrator of the Year. Woods' wide range of leadership positions at the local, district and state level helped garner this recognition. As ACES program administrator, Woods is responisble for the accounting and business portion of the  ACES program. This dedicated employee provides technical support, guidance and training to the ACES directors in 62 elementary schools.

Congratulations, Marilyn!


Leah Carper is 2007 Rookie Teacher of the Year 

The 2007 GCS Rookie Teacher of the Year Award goes to Leah Carper, a first-year teacher at Western Guilford High. When asked about her teaching style, Carper is quick to reference Mary Poppins. This witty movie character once said: “For every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find that fun, and snap the job’s a game!”

As a rookie teacher, Carper incorporates this attitude into her classroom. “Through my teaching experience, I have learned that teens learn, and more importantly, want to learn, if the class is fun,” Carper said.

Carper also is the Secondary Rookie Teacher of the Year. She received $500 and a $10,000 scholarship toward a master’s degree to the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Richard Sherman from Foust Elementary was named the Elementary Rookie Teacher of the Year and received $500. 

Congratulations to Leah and Richard!

 

Transportation Professionals Appreciation Week

Can you guess how many miles our GCS bus drivers travel transporting students to school each day? You’d be surprised! May 7 through 11 is School Bus Driver Appreciation Week. However, it takes more than drivers to ensure our students get to school safely. Mechanics, transportation safety assistants, routing specialists, supervisors and other support staff play a vital role. Because of that, GCS celebrates Transportation Professionals Appreciation Week. On May 8, the Transportation Department recognized the best of the best at its annual Professional of the Year ceremony. 

To see all the honorees names, click here.

By the way, in Guilford County, 624 school and 62 First Student, Inc. bus drivers travel 52,241 miles transporting 38,761 students each school day! Hats off to all our Transportation staff!

National Child Nutrition Employee Appreciation Week

They are the ones in charge of providing more than 70,000 GCS students with nutritious and mouth-watering meals daily. A healthy meal is one of the keys to success, and thanks in part to the 725 GCS employees who work in the schools’ cafeterias every day, GCS has many successes to celebrate. On May 7 – May 11, GCS honors school nutrition employees with National Child Nutrition Employee Appreciation Week. Don’t forget to thank the valuable staff who feed GCS’ children every day, and let them know they are treasured.

 

 

 

Nurses Wear Many Hats
  

Janis Surratt, RN has seen a lot in her 13 years as a school nurse for GCS.  Currently, she is the nurse for Triangle Lake Montessori, Union Hill Elementary, Ragsdale High and Jamestown Middle.  The different schools allow her access to working with children of all ages from pre-K to seniors and all types of conditions.  
 

School nurses are needed more than ever, and she reports seeing an increase of chronic illness, in particular, juvenile diabetes. “I have eight diabetics that I keep close tabs on, with the youngest one in middle school,” said Surratt. “We give them their shots, calculate their carbohydrate intake, check their blood sugar frequently and monitor their insulin doses.”  This often means that school staff has to be trained to deal with children with special needs and chronic conditions since the nurse can’t be in the school every day. 

Surratt, like, most nurses wears many hats depending on school resources and need.  Being tuned into children is essential. Surratt noticed that a child had dilated pupils, and it turned out that the cause was a tumor. The child had surgery and recovered.

“Sometimes we have to do hard things that people don’t like, but we work on behalf of the child and do what is best for them,” said Surratt. “We are surrogate parents to many children.  We love our job, and somehow it seems to get done!”

 

Rebecca Van der Sommen  (Deane), RN and Connie Jones, RN have 45 years between them as school nurses at Gateway Education Center. Rebecca clocks in with almost 19 years, and Connie Jones has been at Gateway for 26 years.  Both women have worked only with developmentally disabled students.  Students at Gateway are severely, physically and mentally disabled, and many are in wheelchairs. 

These women are crucial for the daily needs and well-being of Gateway students.  Some of the needs at Gateway include students on daily or “as needed” medications, rectal Diastat for seizures, breathing treatments, Epi-pens and insulin.  Gateway also has students on tube feedings.

“We both really love our jobs and the children we work with,” said Vandersommen.  “If we didn’t, we wouldn’t have stayed this long!  Our wish is that in our lifetimes, we will see a nurse in every school, full-time, in North Carolina.”

For many children, the school nurse is their link to health and the difference between having a good day and a bad day.  For these students, school nurses are heroes.

 

 

GCS Insider - Quick Notes

 

May 2007

Better Hearing and Speech Month
National Physical Fitness and Sports Month

  •    7-11    Teacher Appreciation Week
  •    7-11    Transportation Professionals Appreication Week
  •    7-11    National Child Nutrition Employee Appreciation Week

  • 8           National Teacher Day

  • 9           School Nurse Day

  • 13         Mother’s Day

  • 13-19   Reading is Fun Week

  • 20-26   National Educational Bosses Week

  • 28         Memorial Day

  • 31         World No Tobacco Day

 

Office of Induction & Success - Right Start Orientation 2007-2008

The Office of Induction and Success is finalizing plans for the 2007-08 school year. Right Start Orientation is an effort to differentiate instruction for our new teachers and the Visiting International Faculty (VIF) /experienced teachers who are new to GCS.  We will have a different training model for next school year. Register online by going to the GCS home page and clicking on the link for new teachers to Guilford County.

  

Click here for dates and more information.

 

Five Tips For New Teacher Success

Is teacher retention an issue in your school ? Do you recruit or retain? Teacher retention should be a process, not a program. It is far better to retain a savable teacher than to train new ones year after year. With national attention focused on the number of teachers that will be needed over the next decade, schools need to take personal ownership of supporting and developing their new educators.  Since teacher quality is the greatest predictor of student success, support for new teachers should be a critical component in all school improvement plans.  Click here for five tips from author Lynn F. Howard to support new teacher success:

 

Employees Walk Their Way to Health and a Free Vacation
The GCS central office employees are walking or running their way to good health.  The Walk 100 or Run 200 miles wellness activity began on April 25 and will conclude on June 13, 2007.  Approximately 200 central office employees have registered to walk or run with their eye on the prize of a weekend at the mountains or the coast.  For more information, please contact Patty Kinkade, Director of Benefits, at 370-8092.

 

GCS Volunteers Make a Difference 

As you know, Guilford County Schools relies heavily on our volunteers and to show our appreciation we recognize an outstanding volunteer each month in our new Volunteer of the Month (VOM) program. 

 

Each VOM will receive a certificate of appreciation from the Board of Education and Superintendent Dr. Terry Grier. He or she will also receive a 25$ gift card from American Express. Additionally, their photo will hang on a plaque at their school during the month of recognition. Remember to watch for the Volunteer of the Month on GCSTV2!

 

To nominate a volunteer who you think goes above and beyond the call of duty, simply click on the following link: http://www.gcsnc.com/community/vom.htm

 

 

Employee Relations

School Board attorney Jill Wilson provided a training session for all principals in April on the topics of teacher evaluations, teacher rights and planning time.  This is the second training session she has provided for principals in an ongoing series.

 

School Board Meetings

Want to get the latest on the decisions and happenings at the Guilford County Board of Education Meetings? Click here for a synopsis of meeting summaries. 

 

GCS Insider - Cornerstone

Learning to Grieve "Well"

 

In view of the recent tragedy at Virginia Tech it seemed appropriate to talk about grieving and how to process through the various stages on the way to healing. Grieving is the physical, emotional and mental condition brought on by a loss, such as the death of a loved one (including pets). Grief is our body's natural ability to heal our emotional injury and provokes physical and emotional symptoms, as well as spiritual insights and turmoil.

Traditionally, the five stages of loss are: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Shock, pain and hope have also been added by some writers on the subject. These stages are not stops on some linear timeline in grief; they overlap and circle back. Not everyone goes through all of them or in a prescribed order. There is no timetable for bereavement and each person’s experience is unique. For some, a few weeks or months time brings a sense of peace and renewed hope; others experience wave after wave of grief for years, with varying frequency and intensity. Regardless of the type of loss, whether sudden or after a prolonged illness, emotional support is essential.

Here are some suggestions to help you cope and ‘grieve well’:

  • Self-expression: talk, write, create and remember.

  • Emotional self-care: forgive, have fun, plan ahead (anniversaries, holidays)

  • Talk to a caring friend, pastor or counselor

  • Join a bereavement support group

  • Read books on grief

  • Write letters to the person you have lost to express your feelings or as a way of saying goodbye. You can then keep these in a safe place or bury them under a bush you plant in their memory

  • Keep a journal as a record of your own journey of grief

  • Create a memorial for the person who died: plant a tree, create a memory book or photo album. Children often like to collect items for a memento box

  • Commemorate the person you lost on special days, such as birthdays and holidays. Light a candle, eat their favorite food and talk about them. Then go and do something special for yourselves. Plan these activities with the rest of the family

Self care is important to prevent further stress to the body. The following can be helpful in coping with grief:

  • A regular daily routine. Have set times for getting up, meals and going to bed.

  • A balanced diet that includes breads and cereals; meat, fish and dairy products; fruit and vegetables

  • Avoid too much coffee and tea so you can sleep at night

  • Outdoor activities, such as going for a walk or gardening take you away from the stress and refresh you mentally

  • Exercise, such as swimming, walking and team games, will produce chemicals called endorphins in the body which help to counteract depression and make you feel good. The exercise does not need to be strenuous. If you have doubts about your fitness consult your doctor.

  • Relaxation: meditation, massage, music

  • A relaxing pre-sleep routine: winding down before bed and not watching television.

  • Avoiding seeking relief through alcohol, smoking, medication and other drugs

Be patient, tolerant and gentle with yourself as you grieve. It is important to seek professional help when you feel overwhelmed by your grief or memories. No one has to bear it all alone. There is help available.

John Holt, Cornerstone Psychological Services (CPS). CPS is the district’s Employee Assistance Program that offers five free counseling sessions per year to eligible employees and/or immediate family members. Call CPS at 540-9400 for information.