GCS News Briefs

May 15, 2009

Budget Questions Answered

For the past several weeks, we have featured answers to your budget questions in this newsletter. If you have a comment about the budget, please e-mail feedback@gcsnc.com .

Q. How many employees will lose their jobs because of budget shortfalls or reorganization?

A. We have a total of 161 classified and licensed employees that need placements for the 2009-10 school year.  Last week, we worked with displaced licensed employees and were able to place 54 of the 79 displaced employees, after accounting for resignations or retirements.  Currently, we still need to place 19 licensed employees. 

We have 82 displaced classified employees.  We currently have 37 positions that these individuals are able to obtain.  We will provide you with another update once we have completed the placement process.

GCS Announces Contract Renewals and Principal Reassignments for 2009-10

GCS announced Tuesday the renewal of contracts for 36 principals and 49 assistant principals to be effective July 1. In addition, the district announced principal changes for three schools for 2009-10.

Rodney Wilds will be assigned to the principal position at Andrews High. Wilds, who is currently the principal at Jackson Middle, was a GCS Principal of the Year finalist in 2008. In his first position with GCS in 1993, he was a social studies teacher at Page, where he was Teacher of the Year in 1999.

Gay Citty, an instructional improvement officer for the district, will be principal at Morehead Elementary. In 2008, she received the Central Office Administrator of the Year award from the North Carolina Association of Educators. Prior to serving in central administration, Citty was the principal at Gibsonville Elementary from 2003 to 2006.

William Laine, principal at Kernodle Middle, will be the principal at Northern High, effective July 1. Since 1998, Laine has held positions as a science teacher, assistant principal and middle school principal. This year at Kernodle Middle, he worked to create a staff culture built around collaboration and strengthened community relations by establishing a monthly parent communication forum.

For more information, please contact Dr. Peggy Thompson, chief human resources officer, at 370-8340.

HPU to Provide Scholarships to GCS First-Generation Scholars

High Point University (HPU) announced Tuesday a new $2 million scholarship program for first-generation college-bound High Point students attending Guilford County Schools. HPU President Dr. Nido Qubein, joined by GCS Superintendent Maurice “Mo” Green and High Point Mayor Becky Smothers, made the special announcement in the university’s Slane Student Center.

HPU will award two prestigious scholarships valued at $100,000 over a four-year period, beginning in 2010. In order to qualify, an applicant must be the first generation in his or her family to pursue a college degree, a student at a GCS school and a resident within the city limits of High Point. 

This scholarship opportunity will include books and other related expenses during the academic year and is expected to be highly competitive. The awards will be renewable for an additional three years, provided that all academic renewal requirements are met and a clear social record is maintained.

For more information, please contact Haley Miller, media relations manager, at 370-3200.

GCS Releases Results of Athletics Investigation at Northern High

GCS announced Wednesday that the Northern High varsity boys basketball team must forfeit its state championship.

The decision was made after two basketball players were declared ineligible and after the district determined that school officials had not properly monitored the program.

GCS also announced that the school’s varsity wrestling, baseball, junior varsity (JV) softball and JV cheerleading teams had also played ineligible athletes.

As a result, the varsity baseball team must forfeit its season and won’t be allowed to advance to the state tournament this weekend.

The varsity wrestling team will forfeit every match in which an ineligible athlete competed, and the team score will be recalculated to determine whether the match will be recorded as a win or a loss. The JV softball team will forfeit every game in which an ineligible athlete participated. Junior varsity cheerleading did not compete in any events sanctioned by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA), which governs high school sports.

In all, five athletes at the school in five different sports were declared ineligible because of the investigation, which district officials say will now look at football and other sports at Northern. The NCHSAA is placing the entire athletic program at Northern on probation for one year. While on probation, all athletic teams will be permitted to participate in all events including playoffs and championships as appropriate during the 2009-10 school year, so long as further violations do not occur in 2009-10.

According to the state association, falsifying residency in order to meet eligibility requirements carries a 365-day penalty for student athletes. If school officials fail to manage eligibility requirements properly, teams are also penalized.

The state association penalty for using an ineligible player is $500 per team. Since Northern reported the violations, the penalty has been reduced to $250 per team or $1,250. Northern must also return any playoff revenue from gate receipts for basketball – about $7,828, according to the NCHSAA. Any awards, plaques or medals awarded to the team or players will have to be returned.

The investigation began shortly after Superintendent Maurice “Mo” Green’s arrival in August in Greensboro, when allegations of impropriety at Northern began surfacing during his “listening and learning” tour of the community.

At a parent meeting held last week at Northern, Green said the investigation was simply a “search for the truth.”

“Sadly, the search for the truth led us to where we are today,” said Green. “It’s deeply unfortunate that young people are being hurt in this process, including the vast majority of student athletes and their families at Northern who are playing by the rules and have done nothing wrong.”

Green said he plans to overhaul athletics at Northern and district-wide. “This kind of behavior simply won’t be tolerated,” said Green. “We want our student athletes to demonstrate excellence in character as well as excellence on the field or on the court. We want all of our programs to be above reproach.”

Students and staff at the school should continue to “hold their heads high,” according to Green. “Northern is an excellent school with tremendous community support. While this is a difficult blow, my hope is that the students, families, staff and community will rally around the new principal and work through the healing process together.”

To read the letter from the NCHSAA, click here.

Veteran Teacher Honored as Mentor of the Year

To ease the transition for beginning teachers, veteran educators throughout the district serve an important and necessary role as mentors. These experienced teachers assist with lesson plans, classroom management and teaching strategies, while helping rookie teachers become acclimated to their new environment.

Stephen Lee, a technology education teacher at Northern Middle, was named the 2009 Dr. Martha A. Sharpless Mentor of the Year. His experience, patience and constructive criticism gave his mentee, Dorand Blackston, the confidence to lead a successful classroom.

Lee received $1,000 for winning the award, while the remaining four finalists received $100 each. The finalists included: Cathy Danford from Parkview Elementary, Lou Ann Gaffney from Jones Elementary, Julie Nichols from Southwest High and Frances Szafran from Southern High.

The award is made possible by the Endowment for Excellence in Education of the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro. Dr. Martha A. Sharpless, a retired developmental pediatrician, was a tireless advocate for children and their families in Guilford County.

Principals Receive Achievement Awards

Two GCS principals received achievement awards from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro during an alumni reception last week.

Benita Lawrence, principal at Monticello-Brown Summit Elementary, was selected for the School of Education Outstanding Achievement Award. According to the school’s dean, Dale Schunk, Lawrence is “a dedicated educator who has made significant contributions to education.” In March, Lawrence was named Principal of the Year by the North Carolina Association of Educators.

Travis Reeves, principal at Eastern High, received the 2009 Young Alumni Award. The award recognizes exceptional achievement and significant contribution to the recipient's profession or community. Since 2007, Reeves has led Eastern as students attended class in pods while the new school was being built. The original Eastern burned down Nov. 1, 2006. In April, after overwhelming community support, the new school facility opened.

For more information, please contact Dr. Lawrence at 656-4010, or Dr. Reeves at 449-6311.

GCS Students Win at State and National PTA Reflections Competition

The PTA Reflections Program is an arts recognition and achievement program, which provides opportunities for students to express themselves creatively and to receive positive recognition for original works. This year’s theme was “WOW.”

We are extremely proud of all of the students who participated in the PTA Reflections program at all levels of competition. Students submitted entries in six categories: Literature, Visual Arts, Musical Composition, Dance Choreography, Film Production and Photography. Out of hundreds of GCS entries, 24 first-place winners from grades pre-K through 12 were forwarded for state-level judging. Out of those 24, five talented Guilford County students received recognition. They are:
 
Dance - 1st Place, Demetria Hall, Lindley Elementary
             3rd Place, Talie Patalano, Nathanael Greene
            
Literature - 3rd Place, Anjali Kapil, The Academy at Lincoln
 
Music - 1st Place, Lauren Easter, Millis Road Elementary
 
Photography - 1st Place, John Hudgins, Southwest Elementary
 
All first-place state winners’ entries went on to the National PTA to compete with students from all 50 states and several countries. One of our own received the highest national Reflections award, the "National Award of Excellence”: Lauren E. Easter of Millis Road Elementary; Musical Composition, Primary Division, "Wow is everywhere."
 
At its awards banquet, the Guilford County Council of PTAs also recognized three local schools for outstanding participation in the reflections program: Triangle Lake Montessori, Kernodle Middle and Weaver Academy.
 
It is not too early to start thinking about next year’s theme, "Beauty is..." For more information on starting a Reflections program at your school, contact PTA Council Reflections 2008-09 chair Katie Sayani at katiesayani@yahoo.com or 2009-10 chair Lisa Gregory at gregory.lisa@yahoo.com.

Guilford County Council of PTAs Award Winners

Promoting the power of parental involvement is one of the major roles of the Guilford County Council of PTAs (GCCPTAs). At its annual awards banquet on May 5, the importance of the parent/school partnership was celebrated as more than 500 parents, teachers and administrators gathered to honor some of the district’s best work in this area. Click here for a list of the winners.

In addition, the GCCPTA honored one of its own, Vice President of Membership Connie Bruffey, with the Sandy Carmany Board of Directors Award, which honors a GCCPTA board member who has shown outstanding commitment to the council. For more information, please contact Cecilia Adams, manager of community partnerships, at 370-8355.

Arts Education Summit

GCS arts educators are holding a summit Monday to celebrate the district’s strides in providing arts education. Local college and university representatives, community arts supporters, parents and students are invited to attend the summit at 4:30 p.m. in the Northern High auditorium. Those in attendance will hear from keynote speaker Karen Wells, registered lobbyist and executive director of Arts North Carolina. Arts educators are also presenting a formal resolution on the valuation of arts education. For more information, please contact Nathan Street, arts curriculum specialist, at 574-2645.

Correction: Annual GCS Elementary Battle of the Books

Monticello-Brown Summit won third place in the GCS Elementary Battle of the Books competition held on April 20, 2009.  The third-place winner was erroneously identified in the April 24, 2009 News Briefs.  For more information, please contact Jean Howard at 370-2357 or howardb@gcsnc.com.

Gibsonville Elementary to Celebrate Reaching Accelerated Reader Goal with Radio Disney

“Reading Rocks!” at Gibsonville Elementary.  Students have been working hard all year to reach a school-wide goal of 15,000 Accelerated Reader points.  Accelerated Reader is a national reading incentive program, which increases student-reading achievement.  According to Stacy Pielow, media specialist, "having our students participating in Accelerated Reader ensures that we will have better readers, so we are delighted to celebrate our 15,000 points!" 

As of May 1, the students met their reading goal, so the school PTA and Reading Incentive Committee awarded them for “Rocking the Points” with an outdoor dance party on May 8th hosted by Radio Disney. 

The Reading Incentive Committee designed a year-long motivational plan around the “Reading Rocks!” theme to encourage students to read on grade-level and test their reading comprehension.  For more information, please contact Principal Cathy Batts or Stacy Pielow, media specialist, at Gibsonville Elementary at 449-4214.

UNCG Hosts 20th Piedmont Young Writers’ Conference

The 20th Annual Piedmont Young Writers’ Conference (PYWC) was held on the campus of UNCG on April 25.  The conference is hosted yearly by the Center for Educational Studies Development (CESD) at UNCG and is open to area Piedmont school districts for students in grades 3-8. 

GCS had 170 students participating in two interactive writing sessions where they showcased their team-created books. Students worked in teams of three to seven members, along with a project coordinator, to write and illustrate their own books using the guidelines of Scholastic’s Kids Are Authors contest.

The following schools participated:  Alamance Elementary, Brooks Global Elementary, Claxton Elementary, Irving Park Elementary, Jesse Wharton Elementary, Jones Spanish Immersion Magnet, Millis Road Elementary, Oak Ridge Elementary, Brown Summit Middle, Guilford Middle and Southern Middle. 

For more information, please contact Debbie Carson at www.uncg.edu/soe/cesd or Cheryl Lynch, Guilford County PYWC district coordinator, at 574-2645 or lynchc@gcsnc.com.

GCS Students Win Big in State Career and Technical Education Competitions

GCS was well represented at the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) State Leadership Conference, April 23-25 in Raleigh. Students from Weaver Academy and Ferndale Middle brought home eight first place wins in categories such as desktop application programming, network design, business math, public speaking and community service.

In addition, Weaver Academy students placed well in the North Carolina Skills USA Leadership and Skills Conference, April 21-23 in Greensboro with 13 wins including three first place titles. Ferndale Middle had three students teams and Page High school had one student team score well at the North Carolina Technology Student Association (TSA) Conference.

Click here to see a full list of the winners and their advisors.  For more information, contact Robert White, director of college tech prep and career-technical education, at 370-8358 or whiter@gcsnc.com.

GCS High School Science Teachers to Participate in Grant Partnership

A grant partnership with NC State University Science House will provide a select group of high school science teachers the opportunity to participate in an “inquiry science” training project during the 2009-10 school year. 

With The Science House Presents Sustained STEM Support grant, teachers will plan and implement inquiry lessons during the year with the support of the Science House staff.  As a follow up to the project, the selected science teachers will present their work to other GCS high school science teachers at the end of the school year. 

For more information, please contact Debbie Kraszeski, high school science curriculum specialist, at 370-3274, ext. 5, or kraszed@gcsnc.com.

Lindley Elementary Hosts Sneak Peek Night

Lindley Elementary hosted Sneak Peek Night to provide students and parents with a glimpse of the curriculum and expectations for their next grade level. Students were “promoted” to the next grade level for the evening so that they could meet teachers, see classrooms and participate in learning stations as they prepare for the 2009-10 school year. Teachers provided parents with summer reading lists, enrichment and remediation activities and answers to frequently asked questions.  For more information, please contact Principal Merrie Conaway at 294-7360.

GCSTV 2

Here’s a sample of what you can see on GCSTV 2 on Time Warner Cable.

The Latest News from GCS- GCSTV 2 Newsbreak:

GCSTV2 Newsbreak

Also on GCSTV 2:

Singing Success

Rising country music star Jason Michael Carroll stopped by Stokesdale Elementary recently to treat students to a concert and to remind them that success is within their reach if they stay in school.  This segment runs daily at 6 p.m., 8:04 p.m. and midnight.         

Tdap Alert – Vaccinations Required to Attend School:
GCSTV 2 NEWS ALERT-Tdap  These news alerts run at 10 a.m., 11:16 a.m., and 7 p.m.  

New Rules for Kindergarten:
Kindergarten Kickoff Newsbreak Video

New Regional Superintendents:
New Regional Superintendents Named

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

“Keeping Teachers Teaching and Students Learning”

This newest program from the U.S. Department of Education explores the impact on education of the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act” The program airs daily at 11 p.m.

NASA 360

NASA explores new frontiers in science, helping to develop and inspire technological innovation.  This program runs daily at 3:35 a.m., 9:02 a.m. and  7:30 p.m.

All County Chorus

The All County Chorus performed recently at Western High. See their performance daily Friday through Monday at 6:13 a.m., 5:05 p.m. and 10:05 p.m. 

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.