GCS News Briefs

October 31, 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 one of those suggestions.

“Mr. Green, I would just like to request that the school system set aside more money for school music programs and, specifically, orchestra programs. The one at my school is woefully underfunded. I am a bassist, and, out of our six basses, two are literally falling apart at the seams, and the other two are also in need of serious repair. We would also appreciate more funding for opportunities to perform outside of school, which we can currently only afford to do every other year.”

GCS Encourages Parents to “Be There”

On Monday, GCS joined with school districts throughout the Piedmont Triad to ask parents to “Be There.”  Be There is a multimedia campaign designed to inspire parents to make ordinary moments extraordinary by connecting with children during the daily routines of life. Parents will soon learn ways to make that connection through information provided by schools and a video on GCSTV 2. The Guilford County Council of PTAs endorsed this campaign at its last meeting. For more information, please contact Cecilia Adams, manager of community partnerships, at 370-8355 or go to http://www.bethere.org/

Classroom Grant Opportunities

The Junior League of Greensboro is funding $7,500 worth of classroom projects in Guilford County for the 2008-09 school year. GCS projects listed on DonorsChoose.org will be considered for funding.  Teachers must place their proposal on DonorsChoose.org by Friday, November 28.  For more information on how to submit a proposal, go to www.donorschoose.org or e-mail JLG.Projects@gmail.com.
 
In addition, the Enrichment Fund Mini Grants provide funds for student-powered classroom projects - up to $300 for single-teacher projects and $1,000 for group projects. The deadline for submission is November 14th.  For more information, go to www.enrichmentfund.org.

2008 Education Summit

Pulitzer prize-winning columnist Leonard Pitts will headline the Guilford Education Alliance's Education Summit on Thursday, November 13 at the Koury Convention Center. Doors open at 7 a.m. with breakfast and a program beginning at 7:30 a.m.
 
The summit’s theme is: "Educating Our Children: What Works." Come ready to learn what we must do as a school district and as a community to make certain our children are prepared for the globally competitive 21st century. Tickets to the breakfast are $25, and reservations must be received by November 10.  For more information, contact the Guilford Education Alliance at 841-4332 or info@guilfordeducationalliance.org.

“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.

Smith and Dudley High Schools to Host Online College Application Day for Seniors

Smith and Dudley High Schools will participate in the statewide College Application Week cosponsored by College Foundation of North Carolina (CFNC) and the Carolinas Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (CACRAO) during the week of November 10-14, 2008. Smith will host the day on Thursday, November 13 and Dudley on Friday, November 14.

As part of the CFNC-CACRAO college access initiative, Smith and Dudley will work with seniors to complete and submit at least one college application each online using the career and college information and planning site, CFNC.org.

The goal of the program is to get more students applying to North Carolina colleges early in their senior year, with a focus on first-generation college students and those with college potential.  As an extra incentive, participating students are entered into a random drawing for college gear from a college of their choice. For more information, please contact Camille Cates, site coordinator, at 370-8130 or catesj@gcsnc.com.

Welborn Academy Hosts NXE’s Mobile Cinema Park Presentation

This week, Welborn Academy became the first school in the U.S. to host NXE’s Mobile Cinema Park Experience. This remarkable new educational tool provides educators with a fun way to enrich curriculum. The presentation utilized 3D projection, smart lighting and interactive wireless remotes for students. Welborn’s auditorium was transformed into an edutainment theater. For more information, please contact Tavy Field, magnet coordinator/science electives instructor, at 819-2880.

Hairston Middle Hosts a Coat Drive 

Hairston Middle is participating in the “Give a Kid a Coat” drive now through Friday, November 28. Hairston staff members are asking for donations of gently used and unworn coats. Their PTA will give coats to students in need. For more information, please contact Tiara Matthews, parent liaison coordinator, at 378-8280.

Northwest High Partnered to Host Unity Day

The National Conference for Community and Justice of the Piedmont Triad (NCCJ) partnered with Northwest High to hold the second annual Unity Day. Members of the student Leadership Class facilitated the day, and many are graduates of ANYTOWN, NCCJ's weeklong summer program for rising juniors and seniors. During Unity Day, teams of student facilitators lead each ninth-grade class through interactive exercises and small group discussions.

NCCJ commonly hears from young people how its activities are eye-opening. Students say that they feel better prepared to be leaders in an increasingly diverse world. ANYTOWN graduates tell personal stories of how they learned to overcome stereotyping and become champions for inclusion and respect.

Unity Day is an introduction for younger students to the idea that they have the power to make a difference, using customized activities that bring ninth-graders together to understand their role in encouraging equality. "Unity Day helps students see that even small steps can make a difference," says Susan Feit, executive director of NCCJ. "The activities have a beneficial influence on students, showing them it's important to take action and stand up for what's right. We believe Unity Day can lead to dramatic improvements in school climate and start cultivating our youth as community leaders." Unity Day helped students understand and respect diversity, as well as overcome stereotyping. For more information, please contact Principal Angelo Kidd at 605-3300.

Project: Success

On Friday, October 24, the Mendenhall Middle seventh and eighth grade pep band took to the field with the Page Marching Band.  Led by high school band director Eddie Deaton and supervised by Mendenhall Middle band director Brent Davis, students performed the Star Spangled Banner and the Page Alma Mater in the pre-game show. The students also played a wide variety of pep band music in the stands with the "Marching Pirates." The event gave middle school students the chance to experience the pride and camaraderie of a high school marching band and become directly involved in a performing ensemble that encourages positive school spirit. The collaboration between Mr. Davis and Mr. Deaton is part of the new Project: Success initiative launched by Nathan Street, arts curriculum specialist. Project: Success is a program designed for elementary, middle and high school arts teachers to align the NC Standard Course of Study for arts education. The initiative promotes collaboration between teachers in each school zone and ensures students will have a smooth transition from one grade level to the next. Congratulations to the middle and high school students who worked together to make it a very special night for both schools!  If you have questions, please contact Nathan Street, arts curriculum specialist, at 574-2645.

“American Soles for Brazilian Souls” at Jamestown Middle

“American Soles for Brazilian Souls” is a philanthropic activity founded by Rebecca and Roger T. Pareja and made possible by the faculty and students of Jamestown Middle.  In September, drop off sites were setup in multiple classrooms throughout the JMS campus in hopes of collecting a broad array of shoes.  With unbelievable donations over the past two months, the shoes have been counted and exceed 100 pairs!  The “American Soles for Brazilian Souls” co-founders will be delivering the donated shoes to the city orphanage in São Paulo, Brazil this December as an unexpected gift to the children.  Due to such successes over the past months, the campaign may become an annual, philanthropic activity held at JMS each fall – exponentially increasing in the collection of shoes each year.  This year’s “American Soles for Brazilian Souls” campaign has been an outstanding success due to the commitment, advocacy and positivity instilled by the administration, staff and students.  Jamestown Middle will soon touch the hearts of many children in São Paulo – one pair of shoes at a time.  For more information, please contact Principal Denise Richmond at 819-2100, or Bobby Hayes, instructional improvement officer, at 370-8000.

Sumner Elementary Program Mentors Young Males

Sumner Elementary recently began a quest to connect male students from homes without a father present with positive adult male role models. The program has been a great success with over 25 men now mentoring our future leaders. The participants agreed to read to students, have breakfast or lunch with them, check on their academic progress, or email the students using the students’ GCS email accounts. The program is expected to continue to grow throughout the school year.  For more information, please contact Principal Brian Clarida at 316-5888, or Sandra Culmer, instructional improvement officer, at 370-2336.

GCS Teachers Present at NCETA Conference

Four English teachers and an English language arts curriculum specialist representing GCS presented at the 2008 North Carolina English Teachers Association (NCETA) Conference in Winston-Salem on October 23-25. English teachers Chris Merriman, Northwest High, and Sherri Raeford, Southern High, presented Shakespeare for 21st Century Learners, a workshop on getting Shakespeare “off the page and onto the stage.” John York, Penn-Griffin School for the Arts, presented Water, Sunlight, Manure, Fresh Air...Hoes and Pruning Shears Too, a session on helping students learn how to revise their poetry to be better writers.  Angie Kratzer, curriculum specialist, presented Differentiation Made Easy: Small Group Learning Centers to Remediate Writing Skills, a session on grouping students by skill instead of overall ability. For more information, please contact Fannie Bratcher, curriculum specialist, at 370-3272, bratchf@gcsnc.com or Angie Kratzer, curriculum specialist, at 370-3272 or kratzea@gcsnc.com.

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 from stories written by Dr. Seuss.
This performance received the first place award at the Scotland High School Highlands Competition in Laurinburg. The band also swept the awards at the Albemarle competition and came home the Sweepstakes Champion. GCSTV 2 presents this great performance in its entirety each day at noon.

Celebration of Excellence

Sixteen GCS schools are honored as most improved at the Celebration of Excellence. War Memorial Auditorium in Greensboro is the site of the festivities that partners the business community with our public schools in rewarding hard work with kudos and cash.  This program runs daily at 3:01 p.m. and 11:01 p.m.

Teacher of the Year/Principal of the Year

GCS honors its educators in a ceremony during which Rodney Morgan and LaToy Kennedy are named Teacher of the Year and Principal of the yea respectively.  All of the ten finalists are profiled in these video features that run back-to-back at 10:01 a.m. daily.

Employee of the Month

Math teacher Dana Carpenter gets a surprise from her colleagues and her family as she is honored at Alamance Elementary as GCS Employee of the Month for October 2008.  This program runs daily at 7:27 a.m., 9:39 a.m., 12:57 p.m., 3:58 p.m., 7:58 p.m. and 9:58 p.m.

Volunteer of the Month

Heather Jones devotes a lot of time to helping out at Reedy Fork Elementary.  Her latest assignment there is as storekeeper at Rudymart.  See this dedicated parent surprised and rewarded for giving of her time.  This program runs daily at 8:58 a.m., 1:58 p.m., and 8:58 p.m.  

Inside Out

This documentary is a stark reminder of the importance of staying in school. Inmates ponder the world outside prison walls as they talk about how dropping out of school dramatically changed their lives for the worst. GCSTV 2 presents these emotionally gripping stories told by those who live with the consequences every day daily at 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Friday Football Highlights

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. Mike Crenshaw’s TV group at Weaver Academy produces the program, which can be seen at 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. daily. 

Driver’s Edge-Driver’s Education Special

Take this in-depth driver’s education course that gives real world examples and advice on how to safely handle a car. The advice is handed out generously by some of the drivers who should know best - Indy Series racers.  This program runs Friday through Monday at 5:59 a.m. and 4:59 p.m. and Tuesday through Thursday at 4:59 a.m. and 5:59 p.m.

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.

A Gift for Others
Students at Vandalia Elementary provide a chance at a happy birthday and a birthday party for other children who may not otherwise have that opportunity. This Newsbreak airs Friday, November 7.

A Promise
Healthy and drug-free lifestyles are the goals students have set for themselves by participating in Red Ribbon Week. To honor their pledge, middle and high school students “Plant the Promise” to remain drug free. They will see results in the spring when the tulips they planted grow and bloom.  This Newsbreak airs Friday, November 7.

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