GCS News Briefs

October 9, 2009

GCS Enrollment Down Slightly But Trend Toward Global Diversity Continues

On the 20th day of school, GCS had 71,464 students on its rolls. This number is down by 188 students from last year, but 385 more students enrolled than projected. GCS staff projected a 20-day population of 71,079 students seven months ago. This was within half of a percentage point of the actual enrollment.

The district uses the 20th day school membership to monitor yearly student enrollment and to begin adjusting staff allocations as needed. The state bases its funding on the 40th day school membership.

Although student enrollment is down slightly overall, some areas and schools experienced significant increases. The Northern Region had a net increase of 213 students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Northern High, which added the 12th grade this year, experienced the largest growth in GCS with 317 more students attending on the 20th day. Union Hill Elementary, which opened in a new school facility, had 159 more students than last year.

Reflecting national demographic trends, which show the United States is becoming increasingly diverse, GCS has been a minority-majority school district since the 2000-01 school year. According to the 20th day figures, GCS is about 61 percent non-white and 39 percent white. The breakdown of district demographics is 40.4 percent black, 39.1 percent white, 9.2 percent Hispanic, 5.5 percent Asian, 5.3 percent multiracial and 0.5 percent Native American.

GCS serves students from 142 different countries who speak 150 different languages and dialects. The top languages spoken in the district after English are Spanish, Vietnamese, Arabic, Urdu and Korean.

Northeast High Gymnasium Named After Educator

The Guilford County Board of Education voted Tuesday to name the gymnasium at Northeast High after a longtime educator and faculty member. The Northeast gym is now called the John Primm Gymnasium.

A veteran in the Northeast community, Primm started his career with GCS at Northeast Junior High in 1972. Since then, he has served as a history teacher, mentor, coach and athletic director. Primm moved to Northeast High in 1981. For more than 20 years, he taught AP U.S. History and AP European History. He was the athletic director at Northeast from 1989-2008, and he served as the commissioner of the 3A Athletic Conference for the past four years.

“During his career at Northeast, John has been an inspiration to others and has exemplified fairness, integrity and high moral standards to all those around him,” said Gary Swing, former Northeast Booster Club president. “He has served as a mentor, coach and friend to his fellow teachers and coaches as well as to students and parents.”

For more information, please contact Dr. Anitra Walker, principal, at 375-2500.

High School Media Day Workshop at North Carolina A&T State University

North Carolina A&T State University’s Department of Journalism and Mass Communications, in cooperation with the North Carolina Scholastic Media Association, is hosting the 12th Annual High School Media Day Workshop next Thursday, from 8 a.m. until 2:15 p.m.

This year’s workshop includes sessions on yearbook, newspaper writing, layout and design, television, photography and video editing. An “Editors Only” session allows yearbook and newspaper editors to participate in a roundtable discussion sharing ideas, challenges and solutions faced by student editors. Sessions also are available for yearbook and newspaper advisers. For the first time, the workshop features sessions on social media, including the legal and professional ramifications of certain types of texting. 

Registration opens at 8 a.m., and the program starts promptly at 9 a.m. The $10 registration fee covers the cost of meals, handouts, mailings and supplies.

For more information, please contact Dr. Linda Callahan, N.C. A&T professor, at 334-7221.

GCS Celebrates Red Ribbon Week

GCS is celebrating Red Ribbon Week October 26-30. Red Ribbon Week observes the death of an American DEA Agent, Enrique Camarena, who was killed in 1985 while working undercover gathering information on local drug traffickers in Mexico. Each year schools and communities across the nation take the time to honor Camarena’s memory by celebrating healthy and drug-free lifestyles for students of all ages through a variety of activities. 

This year, GCS’ Safe & Drug-Free Schools Program is providing each school with a packet of ideas for activities to carry out during the week.  Each elementary student will receive a red ribbon to wear with the slogan “Drug Free is the Key”.  Each middle and high school Student Mentoring and Resource Team (S.M.A.R.T.) will receive a banner to display within their school that reads “Show Good Character by Being Drug Free.”  The S.M.A.R.T. teams are student led groups that raise awareness on their campuses and encourage their peers to be drug-free.  Middle and high school S.M.A.R.T. teams will provide students with information about living a healthy, drug-free lifestyle as well as encouraging students to take a pledge of being drug-free and healthy.

For more information, please contact Vernice Thomas, supervisor, Safe and Drug Free Schools Program, at 621-4026.

Free Homework Help Webinars Offered October 27-28

Did you know that the Greensboro Public Library offers free online tutoring and resources for all students? Find out more at a free webinar! Learn how this innovative service manages thousands of tutors to serve our students, the methodology behind the tutoring, and see how students work with tutors in the online classroom.  You'll also see how the Learning Suite works and how it can help students with homework, studying, projects, essay writing and more in math, science, social studies and English.
 
Simply visit www.tutor.com/suite  to register for one of the webinars.  You will receive an email with a link to login to the session. For more information, contact Jen Worrells, Greensboro Public Library Web manager, at 373-4157.

NARIOP Accepting Students

New Light At Risk Intergenerational Outreach Program (NARIOP) is now accepting students for the 2009-10 school year. NARIOP is a partnership of GCS and New Light Missionary Baptist Church and was designed to benefit high school students who have been short-term suspended.

Students are referred to the program by the school principal or designee with permission from the students’ parents or guardians. Through the program, students received counseling, encouragement, educational enrichment, anger/conflict resolution skills and community agent involvement. Its goal is to reduce the number of students with recurring suspensions from school. Although the student only attends the program for the duration of the suspension, support services may extend beyond that timeframe as needed.

For more information, please contact Yvonne Hunt Perry, program director, at 273-9671

GCS College Night 2009

Guilford County Schools’ annual College Night on Tuesday, October 6, 2009 at the Greensboro Coliseum Pavilion attracted more than 3,500 participants. Students were “Dressed for Success” and came prepared with transcripts, SAT/ACT scores and educational resumes aspiring to make a great first impression. 

 Admissions counselors from more than 150 post-secondary educational institutions such as universities, colleges, community and technical colleges, junior colleges and the military answered questions and provide the participants with applications and scholarship information.  In addition, students and parents consulted with financial aid experts about how to pay for education.  A representative from the College Foundation of North Carolina (CFNC) held mini-sessions during the evening on post-secondary financial aid opportunities. 

The Kiwanis Club of Greensboro sponsors College Night each year for students of Guilford County and surrounding counties.

For more information, please contact Gwen Willis, interim chief student services officer, at 370-8397 or Samara Johnson, supervisor of high school counseling in the counseling services office, at 370-2332. 

The Latest News from GCS:

The latest edition of GCS Newsbreak features a Penn-Griffin School for the Arts instructor’s musical talent on the harp. Also, see what happens when Sumner Elementary invites the community to school.

GCS Board of Education

See last Tuesday’s GCS Board of Education meeting this Saturday at 1 p.m., or watch at your convenience.  The meetings are now archived and available online www.gcsnc.com.  See them here.

Teacher of the Year-Principal of the Year

Watch profiles of the Teacher of the Year and Principal of the Year candidates as GCS once again honors some of the best among our faculties and staffs.  This program runs daily at 7:31 a.m., 3:32 p.m. and 8:14 p.m.

Poetry Honors

Poetry competition winners read from their latest works in this GCSTV 2 “Spotlight” from Penn- Griffin School for the Arts.  Hear from these poets daily at: 10:03 a.m., 1:34 p.m., 9:03 p.m. and 10:04 p.m.    

MCHP Rocks!

Television production students at The Middle College at GTCC-High Point show their creativity in this production they wrote, videotaped and edited themselves.  See it daily at 1:02 p.m. and 8:22 p.m. 

Staying Healthy During Flu Season

Click on this link to check out the latest information on ways to prevent the spread of the flu virus and how to handle it if someone has the flu.

GCSTV 2

You can now watch GCSTV 2 on your computer. Click the link above to watch now.

GCSTV 2 & ABC-45

GCS continues its partnership with ABC-45 television to share current news and feature stories about our district. These Newsbreak segments are broadcast on ABC-45 (Cable Channel 7) during Good Morning America each Wednesday and Friday at 7:25 a.m. and 8:25 a.m.

For more information, please contact Leonard Simpson, GCSTV 2 production manager, at 370-8167.