GCS News Briefs

November 6, 2009

GCS to Hold Public Forums About Strategic Compensation

Guilford County Schools (GCS) is hosting four forums to discuss the idea of paying employees additional incentives based on performance and other strategic compensation issues. Two of the forums will be for teachers and GCS employees and two will be for community members.

The forums are part of the district’s efforts to inform the community about new research showing the relationship between teacher quality and compensation. During the forums, participants will talk about how to ensure GCS recruits and retains high-quality employees, and how to ensure employees are rewarded for improving student achievement.

In September, GCS hosted a forum for school board members, state representatives, school administrators and community members to discuss this issue. The forum, titled “Measuring What Matters: Paying for Teacher Quality,” was funded by the Center for Educator Compensation Reform through the U.S. Department of Education. GCS hopes the upcoming forums will allow the district to get more feedback about strategic compensation for all teachers and other school-based employees. For more information, please contact Dr. Amy Holcombe, executive director of talent development, at 335-3294.

Cynthia Sevier Recognized for School Nutrition Advocacy

Cynthia Sevier, the director of school nutrition services, received the annual Friend of Child Nutrition award from the N.C. Department of Public Instruction. An advocate for child nutrition at the local, state and national levels, she was recognized for her commitment to providing all students with nutritious meals at an affordable price.

Sevier has made a significant impact on school nutrition during her time with GCS. She joined the district as the director of school nutrition services in February 2005. In this position, Sevier oversees meal preparation and cafeteria operations for the district’s 120 schools. School cafeterias in GCS serve approximately 16,000 breakfasts and 45,000 lunches daily.

Sevier also spends much of her time lobbying for more funding to feed students at the state and national levels. She was nominated for the Friend of Child Nutrition Award for going above and beyond the call of duty to promote the child nutrition program in a positive light and help the program receive funding.

For more information, please contact Laurie Hogan, program administrator – communications, at 370-8307.

GCS Students Named AP Scholars

During the 2008-09 year, 934 GCS students at 19 schools earned AP Scholar Awards in recognition of their achievement on AP exams. This marks an increase of 107 students over the 2007-08 year.

The College Board’s Advanced Placement program (AP) provides motivated and academically prepared students with the opportunity to take rigorous college-level courses while still in high school and earn college credit for successful performance on the AP exams. About 18 percent of the 1.6 million students worldwide who took AP exams performed at a sufficiently high level to also earn an AP Scholar Award.

The College Board recognizes several levels of achievement based on students’ performance on AP exams. GCS had 482 students recognized as AP Scholars, 123 students recognized as AP Scholars with Honor, 267 recognized as AP Scholars with Distinction and 35 students recognized as National AP Scholars.

For a list of AP scholars by school, click here. For more information, please contact Guy Ferguson, AP/IB and PSAT/SAT program coordinator, at 370-8244.

Career Fair Contest for Students

Middle and high school students are invited to enter a career contest leading up to the GCS Career Exploration Fair on Nov. 19 at the Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center.

Interested students should complete an application, available through the Counseling Office, and a description of a business they would create to help others. The student with the winning entry will be invited to set up a booth at the Career Exploration Fair and will win a gift card to get his or her business started. Entries are due by Nov. 16.

Representatives from more than 65 businesses are planning to attend the Career Exploration Fair and will bring interactive activities to showcase their career field to students. For more information about the contest or Career Exploration Fair, please contact Judy Harrington, GCS Career and Technical Education department, at 370-8338 or Dr. Karen Meadows, supervisor middle school counseling services, at 370-2327.

Western Region Hosts Meeting at High Point Central High

Angelo Kidd, superintendent for the Western Region, will hold a town hall meeting Tuesday, Nov. 17 at High Point Central High at 6 p.m. in the auditorium. Teachers, staff, parents, community members and students are invited to meet Kidd, hear his goals for the region and get their questions answered. For more information, please contact Jennifer Landes, program administrator, at 370-8353.

Guilford County High Schools to Host College Application Week

All of the district’s high schools will participate in College Application Week. In an effort to further expand statewide college access, the College Foundation of North Carolina (CFNC) and the Carolinas Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (CACRAO) are pleased to announce that College Application Week is November 16-20, 2009. The goal of College Application Week is to provide every graduating high school senior the opportunity to apply to college online using CFNC.org. However, the focus is placed on first-generation students and students who may not otherwise apply to college.
 
During the College Application Week event, students are encouraged to apply to at least one college on CFNC.org. This initiative is made possible because of CFNC.org, the comprehensive statewide college access portal with applications accepted by all 110 colleges and universities in North Carolina.
 
Application fees vary by institution and several colleges have waived their application fee during College Application Week. If you used a fee waiver to take the SAT, you also may qualify for a college application fee waiver.

Contact your high school counselor for details about how your high school will participate in College Application Week. For more information, please contact Gwen Willis, interim chief student services officer, at 370-8397, or Samara Johnson, supervisor of high school counseling, at 370-2332.

Southern Elementary Makes a Change with Change

Students and staff members at Southern Elementary changed the lives of children with blood cancers by collecting money during the month of October. The program was called “Pasta for Pennies” sponsored by The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The total amount raised by the school was $1,020.44. During the three weeks of the campaign, the students competed for a pasta lunch party at Olive Garden. A fourth-grade classroom won the competition by raising $256.16. The campaign reinforced character education among the school’s students by encouraging them to help others. For more information, please contact John Lawrence, principal, at 674-4325.

Morehead Elementary PTA Sponsors “Let’s Play Some Music”

Morehead Elementary will hold the second concert in its 2009-10 Let’s Play Some Music concert series next week. Logie Meachum and Bubba Klinefelter will be in concert on Friday, Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. at Morehead.

The school’s concert series is part of an ongoing effort by the Morehead PTA to bring artists from the community into the school. The concerts are opportunities for the students to hear and see professional musicians perform live. They are meant to inspire, entertain and to help the students make connections between what they are doing in the classroom and what they hear from the stage.

The concerts are also about community – the school community and the larger community in the city, state and country. They offer opportunities for the school to connect its diverse student population through the arts and connect with local community performance groups that families and students are encouraged to experience outside of school. For more information, please contact Gay Citty, principal, at 294-7370.

The Latest News from GCS:

GCS Newsbreak

Dudley Band to the Gator Bowl; an Eagle Visits Jefferson Elementary and High School Media Day

GCS Newsbreak

“Read for the Record” at Jones Elementary and Hispanic Heritage Breakfast at Allen Middle

GCS Newsbreak

College Night

Measuring What Matters:

A forum on alternatives for “Paying for Teacher Quality”

Falcon Monthly

See the latest news from Southeast Middle with host Tyler Hardin. This program is broadcast daily at 4:30 p.m. 

All-County High School Chorus

Watch some of GCS’ most talented singers perform in the first of this school year’s All-County Concerts from Oct. 17 at Grimsley High. The program airs daily at 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. 

Superintendent’s Media Briefings

See Superintendent Green’s media briefings where he addresses topics important to GCS and answers reporters’ questions.

Staying Healthy During Flu Season

It is the number one flu threat this season. Check out the latest information on precautions to prevent the spread of the flu virus and how to handle it if someone has the flu.

GCSTV 2-LIVE
WATCH OUR LIVE BROADCAST!  

Now Streaming on the Internet.

Guilford County Board of Education

Watch Board of Education meetings live. Encore presentations of board meetings are telecast the day following the meeting and the following Saturday at 1 p.m. You also can watch board meetings at your convenience. The meetings are now archived and available online anytime at gcsnc.com. Watch them here.

Also on GCSTV 2:
 
GCSTV 2 Programming Guide

Find out what else is showing on GCSTV 2 here: GCSTV 2 Programming Guide

Showcase Your Talent on GCSTV 2

GCSTV 2 is now accepting student-, faculty-, staff- or parent-produced programming. See the details for submissions here or watch the video.

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, broadcast production manager, at 370-8167.