GCS News Briefs

October 24, 2008

This is What You Said to Mo

A few weeks ago, we asked you to send us your thoughts for formulating a multi-year plan that would make Guilford County Schools the nation’s leading public school system. We are thankful to the several thousands of you who responded. Over the next two months, we will be posting a variety of your suggestions in this newsletter.  In today’s edition, we are publishing a couple of suggestions.

“I think principals should stay at schools longer if they want to by remaining at a school for a period of time. This would give the principals time to build a trusting relationship with students, parents, siblings and other family members. I think this would help out a little with discipline issues in the school system. Thanks for listening.”

“I would like to see a full-time advanced learner teacher in all elementary schools, especially Title I. There are bright and talented students in every school. A full-time AL teacher would better serve their needs. This would greatly help in setting up a more consistent schedule. We are all well aware that this population of students is often overlooked as we tend to focus all efforts on 1's and 2's. It's the 4's who usually grow the least. We must also pay attention to their needs.”

Red Ribbon Week Events

Next week, the GCS Safe and Drug-Free Schools program kicks off Red Ribbon Week with two activities. Elementary students will receive a red ribbon to wear that states “Better things to do than drugs.” In addition, each middle and high school S.M.A.R.T. team will receive red tulip bulbs to “Plant the Promise” to remain drug free.

Red Ribbon Week observes the death of Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, an agent of the Drug Enforcement Administration, who was killed in 1985 while working undercover to gather information on local drug traffickers in Mexico. For more information, please contact Vernice Thomas, supervisor, safe and drug free schools program, at 621-4026.

“MIX IT UP at LUNCH DAY”

On November 13, join thousands of schools for the seventh annual Mix It Up at Lunch Day. Mix It Up at Lunch Day is a simple call to action: take a new seat in the cafeteria. By making the move, students can cross the lines of division, meet new people and make new friends.
Today's schools are more diverse than ever before, and social scientists have long known the contact between diverse groups helps alleviate tensions and reduce prejudice. So why do social boundaries persist?  Students often choose to hang out only with people who they believe share experiences, interests or backgrounds that can help them define and better understand themselves. Such divisions can make it hard for different student groups to understand each other and can lead to challenges and difficulties in school communities.
Mix It Up seeks to break down the barriers between students, improve intergroup relations and help schools create inclusive communities where there are fewer misunderstandings that can lead to conflicts, bullying or violence. For more information, go to www.teachingtolerance.org or contact the Diversity Office at 370-3284.

SOY UN LIDER (I Am A Leader) Conference at Guilford College

Guilford College announces the Second Annual Soy un Lider (I Am A Leader) Conference to be held on Saturday, November 15 at Guilford College. This conference will provide Latino students and their parents with important information about the application and admission process at colleges and universities, how to obtain scholarships, how to prepare for college and what to expect of life in college, among other topics. An essay competition will award scholarships ranging from $100 to $500 to the top four essays. For information about registration forms, please contact Mayra Hayes, ESL director, at 370-8982, or Monica Walker, diversity officer, at 370-3284.  For more information, please contact Jorge Zeballos, Latino community coordinator, Guilford College, at 316-2128 or jzeballo@guilford.edu.

Teaching American History

Year two of the Teaching American History (TAH) three-year grant project is off to a great start.  Designed for 11 th-grade US History teachers, the October Colloquium focused on “Becoming a US Industrial Society.”  Professors from Guilford College and UNCG presented scholarly information and pedagogical demonstrations. This TAH project, funded by the federal government, but designed and implemented by the district’s social studies high school curriculum staff, has three more colloquia scheduled in November, February and April. The focus of each upcoming session includes the following North Carolina Standard Course of Study US History topics:  The Emergence of the US in World Affairs, the Progressive Era and World War I and its Aftermath. The value of the October session can be heard through the voices of the participants in comments, such as “(the professor) provoked thought, which is what we attempt to do when we present lessons for students.”   For more information about the TAH grant, please contact Maureen Robinson, TAH grant coordinator, at 370-2349 or robinsm2@gcsnc.com.

FLANC 08 Taking Flight: Languages for Life

The Foreign Language Association of North Carolina (FLANC) recently conducted its 42nd Annual Conference in Winston-Salem. Approximately 600 teachers attended representing school districts throughout the state. The annual FLANC conference is devoted to aiding teachers in gaining tools, techniques and knowledge in effective world language instruction. This three-day conference proved to be beneficial and informative not only for world language teachers, but also for world language specialists and coordinators. The conference participants enjoyed workshops, forums, meetings and an exhibit hall containing a plethora of resources and materials. For more information contact Juliana Saad, world languages specialist, at 370-2349 or saadj@gcsnc.com.

Music in the Middle

Recently, nearly 5,000 seventh graders from across the county attended performances of "Around the World with the Greensboro Symphony." This project, titled "Music in the Middle," is a joint partnership between GCS and the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra. Students had the opportunity to attend a professional symphony concert, a luxury in which many students may not have had the opportunity to participate otherwise. The students were attentive and well-behaved. Teachers and Symphony Guild volunteers facilitated the entrances and exits of students with high efficiency. Thank you to the principals who allowed their students to gain a valuable experience and view the cultures of the world through a different medium. If you have questions or comments in reference to Music in the Middle, please contact Nathan Street, arts curriculum specialist, at 574-2645 or street@gcsnc.com or Jocelyn Becoats, middle school curriculum officer, at 370-2311 or becoatj@gcsnc.com.  

Hairston Middle Observes International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

Students and staff at Hairston Middle, a prospective International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (IB MYP), participated in a variety of activities and learning experiences leading up to International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. All classes integrated skills and objectives with a special emphasis on world poverty and how to make a difference in the world. Activities included a study of the G8 summit, analysis of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its progress, examination of the different types of poverty and the underlying causes, a feasibility study focusing on the resources available to developing countries and much more. October 17 marked the date of school-wide “Poverty Walk” which allowed students to experience living conditions modeled after some of the most deprived countries and communities in the world and also allowed students to make authentic connections and apply the lessons learned throughout the week. Students from neighboring Falkner Elementary visited the school for the “Poverty Walk.”  For more information, please contact Principal Teresa Daye, Ashauna Short, IB MYP Coordinator, at 378-8280 or Bobby Hayes, instructional improvement officer, at 370-8000.

Math Night Adds Up for Sumner Elementary

MathNight was held at Sumner Elementary providing an opportunity for students and parents to learn how to help one another at home when doing math problems. Also, parents learned strategies to use at home when helping their child complete homework assignments. There were many opportunities for parents to do hands-on activities with their child. Math Night was a great success with more than 200 parents attending.  For more information, please contact Principal Brian Clarida at 316-5888, or Sandra Culmer, instructional improvement officer, at 370-2336.

GCS Teacher Receives Local WalMart Teacher of the Year Award

Mary Kmetz, eighth-grade science teacher at Northeast Middle, has been recognized as the local WalMart Teacher of the Year. Mary was nominated by a number of her students from last year and this year.  She received a monetary award from the Wendover Avenue WalMart store and Northeast received a check for $1,000 from the store on her behalf. Mary is now eligible to compete for the National WalMart Teacher of the Year award. She is in her second year with GCS and taught middle grades science in Florida prior to joining the staff at Northeast. She has also been featured on WFMY News 2’s “What’s Right with Our Schools,” in which she and her students were featured performing inquiry-based lessons funded through a grant she wrote that allows students to study the absorption capacity of various types of baby diapers.  She is an active member of the Northeast Middle School Positive Behavior Support/Character Education Team, serves as the eighth-grade advisor for the Student Council and is Team Leader for the Tracker team. For more information, please contact Principal Johncarlos Miller at 375-2525 or Bobby Hayes, instructional improvement officer, at 370-8000.

Teacher Supply Warehouse

Teachers, if 50 percent or more of you school’s students qualify for free or reduced price lunch, you are eligible to shop at the Teacher Supply Warehouse! The warehouse is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3-6 p.m. for teachers to stock their classrooms with free supplies. Teachers can click here to register to shop.

We still need your help! If your business or community group has gently used items, such as books, notebooks or office supplies, please join us in our effort to recycle and give back to the schools and students that need them most. While some items may seem unusable to you, they can become valuable in the hands of a creative teacher. The Teacher Supply Warehouse also accepts new products.

GCS is thankful for our partners - Guilford Education Alliance, Welfare Reform Liaison Project and Leadership Greensboro - that work together to make the warehouse available to our teachers. For more information, contact Cecilia Adams, manager of community partnerships, at 370-8355.

GCSTV 2      

Experience “MetamorphaSEUSS”

The members of the Northwest High School Viking Marching Band take you on a journey of the band’s metamorphosis as they travel into a magical land inspired by stories written by Dr. Seuss.

This performance earned the band the first place award at the Scotland High School Highlands Competition in Laurinburg.  In addition, the band swept the awards at the Albemarle competition and came home the sweepstakes champion. GCSTV 2 brings you this great performance in its entirety each day at noon.

Aycock Middle Joins the Dell Team

Dell Computers in Winston-Salem has formed a partnership with Aycock Middle. On October 7, Valerie Akins, principal of Aycock Middle, met with Dell officials to receive some gifts for her students. Dell employees donated three large boxes filled with school supplies to the students at Aycock. The partnership also will focus on a mentoring relationship between the employees of Dell and the students at Aycock. This newsbreak runs daily on GCSTV 2 at 8:56 a.m. and 8:56 p.m.

Friday Night Rivalries

GCSTV 2’s new show, Friday Night Rivalries, is sure to delight GCS high school football fans!  This fast-paced half hour highlights top team matchups and is hosted by Walter Johnson and Alan Hooker. The program is produced by Mike Crenshaw’s TV group at Weaver Academy. Currently featured: Page Pirates vs. Ragsdale Tigers at 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. daily. 

GCSTV 2 & ABC-45

GCS continues its partnership with ABC-45 television to share the following 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.

Summerfield Fire Safety
The men and women of Fire Station #9 recently welcomed 100 Summerfield Elementary first graders. The students took a walking field trip as part of fire safety month and experienced a smoke-filled room in “The Smoke House.” The firefighters shared many valuable lessons in fire prevention and fire safety. This newsbreak will air October 29 on ABC 45.

Hairston Poverty Walk
As part of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, Hairston Middle held a “Poverty Walk.” Students from Hairston and Falkner Elementary experienced this very visual presentation on how people deal with living in poverty. Learn how they, and you, can make a difference in the world. This newsbreak airs October 31 on ABC 45.

For more information, please contact Leonard Simpson, broadcast production manager, at 370-8167.