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Stay ConnectedRecognitionsDirectoriesGovernanceTop Links
GCS Media Room
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GCS News Briefs
June 12, 2009 We Want to Hear from YouAt GCS, we are constantly trying to improve our methods of relaying information to you. You can help us by taking this short survey. We will use the results to improve our communication and help keep you on top of what’s going on in our schools. We appreciate your participation! GCS Budget UpdateThis week, the legislative process continues on the 2009-10 budget, which proposes a $40 million cut for GCS. With 60 percent of the GCS budget coming from state funds, these debates are especially pertinent. The GCS budget is simple:
If our lawmakers do not add a tax package to the budget, the plan will be debated on the floor of the House this week. Should they add a tax package, the budget will go back to the House Committee on Finance, meaning budget negotiations could be delayed until next week. Click here for more details on the cuts we are expecting and what we may have to do to address them. You still have time to contact state representatives to comment on these budget cuts, but you must do so very soon. We’ve been told that at this point, our representatives need to see letters instead of emails, so addresses are provided here. In addition, the Board of Education room at the district main office at 712 N. Eugene St. is available today until 6 p.m. for individuals or groups who would like to participate in a letter writing campaign. A limited number of laptops will be available along with paper and envelopes if needed. You’re welcome to bring your own. If you decide to contact one or more representatives, please let us know by sending an e-mail to feedback@gcsnc.com . As always thank you for your support and for everything you do for our students. GCS High Schools Rank Among America’s Top 100The Early College at Guilford and Weaver Academy are two of the top 100 high schools in the United States according to Newsweek magazine. The Early College at Guilford ranked 19th in the nation, up two spots from last year, and Weaver Academy ranked 81st, jumping 43 spots in this year’s rankings. Fourteen of the district’s schools were included in Newsweek’s Top High Schools list. The list includes about 1,400 public schools that are in the top 6 percent of the schools Newsweek measured according to its Challenge Index. To determine a school’s rank and calculate the index, Newsweek divides the number of Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) and/or Cambridge tests students take by the number of graduating seniors in a school. The magazine’s annual list includes schools that have an index of at least 1.000, which means students within a school took as many placement tests in a year as the school had graduates. The Early College at Guilford is North Carolina's first early college high school. The school offers a writing-intensive, fast-paced curriculum in partnership with Guilford College. Weaver Academy offers GCS students the opportunity for focused study in performing and visual arts or advanced technology and career education. More information about all of the district’s ranked high schools is available at www.gcsnc.com. The 2009 Newsweek rankings include the following schools from the district:
For more information, please contact Laurie Hogan, program administrator – communications, at 370-8307. Education Week Includes GCS in “Overachiever” ListThe graduation rate for the GCS class of 2006 was 14 percentage points higher than experts expected according to a report released Tuesday by Education Week. Diplomas Count 2009, a report by Education Week and the Editorial Projects in Education (EPE) Research Center, included GCS on a list of graduation rate “overachievers.” Districts making the list were defined as the nation’s largest urban school systems that posted the highest graduation rates and strongest growth relative to expectations based on district characteristics. The report says that most school districts are meeting expectations based on characteristics like their size, poverty rates, concentrations of minority students and per-pupil spending levels. However, GCS and 32 other urban districts exceeded expectations by at least 10 percentage points in 2006. The EPE Research Center places the national graduation rate at 69.2 percent for the class of 2006 in the report, which is its most current analysis of high school completion. The organization lists the GCS expected graduation rate for 2006 at 53 percent and the district’s actual rate for that year at 68 percent. The organization calculated graduation rates for the report using the Cumulative Promotion Index method and data from the U.S. Department of Education’s Common Core of Data. Its list of “overachievers” was part of a larger, 10-year look at national, statewide and district graduation rates. For more information, contact Haley Miller, media relations manager, or see the Diplomas Count 2009 report on the Education Week Web site. Nominations Accepted for Naming of Special Education Center WestGCS is now accepting nominations for the naming of the Special Education Center West. This school, a 2008 bond project, will serve exceptional children in the western part of the school district. The district will accept nominations until 5 p.m. on Monday, June 22. Nominations may be submitted electronically via this Web site, via fax at 336-574-3863 or through U.S. mail at: Guilford County Schools Recommendations should be submitted using the format outlined here. In accordance with Board Policy FDCA-P, special consideration will be given to requests to honor distinguished persons who have made an outstanding contribution to a school, the district, the community, the county, the state or the nation, and who are either deceased or retired from active participation in the school, community, county, state or national affairs for which they are being recognized. These nominations shall include supporting materials that address:
Once the nomination window is closed, the superintendent will share nominations with the Board of Education. Possible names approved by the board will then be open to public comment for 30 days. For more information, please contact Lillian M. Govus, program administrator – communications, at 370-8997. GCS Announces Teacher of the Year SemifinalistsThe Teacher of the Year Reading Committee has reviewed and scored the portfolios submitted by school-level winners from across the district. The top scorers from the portfolio round will meet with the Interview Committee on June 24 and 25, and the winner will be announced at an awards presentation this fall. The teachers selected to move forward to the interview round are: Carla Flores-Ballesteros – Jones Elementary Congratulations to these outstanding educators and all of our school-level winners. For more information, please contact Carla Alphin, program administrator for employee relations, at alphinc@gcsnc.com or 378-8821. Pre-K Classrooms Score Above Standard on ECERS AssessmentsThe following classrooms received recognition from the N.C. Division of Child Development and Partnership for Children for earning above standard scores on the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS) assessment:
The scoring is based on teacher/child interactions, teacher/parent interactions, language and reasoning skills, appropriate behavior support, developmentally appropriate learning centers with access a substantial portion of the day and a safe and healthy environment. For more information, please contact Linda Olinger, pre-K coordinator, at 370-2362. Weaver Students to Attend Theater Festival in ScotlandTheater students from Weaver Academy will represent the state of North Carolina at the 2010 Fringe Festival in Scotland. This is a prestigious honor in recognition of the specialized arts training Weaver Academy has committed to providing for Guilford County students. To receive this honor, the group completed a long application process and earned recommendations from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. After a rigorous screening, festival organizers selected the Weaver student from a large body of applicants. Next is the challenge of funding the trip. The cost is about $5,000 per student, and the school would like to make the trip as affordable as possible for the theater students who want to go. The American High School Theatre Festival, which organizes the trip, will help the school with fundraising ideas and support, but the school is looking for other creative fundraising ideas as well. More information is available at http://www.ahstf.com/AHSTF/pages/index.asp. Also, for more information, please contact Pete Kashubara, principal, or Keith Taylor, theater teacher, at American Express Recognizes Sumner Elementary VolunteerBefore becoming an elementary school, Sumner served students in kindergarten through high school. Mary Beth Winfree graduated from the old Sumner School, and now she has returned to share what she learned with a new generation of students. For more than seven years, this outstanding community member has been sharing her time in a third-grade class, mentoring students, reading aloud in class, proctoring exams and even providing snacks for special occasions. She’s not alone – her sister and husband both volunteer at the school, as well. Sepideh Gregory, the teacher Winfree assists, can’t help but feel spoiled by all of the tender loving care this volunteer provides. “Mrs. Winfree is the model of patience and kindness to all the students and teachers in this school,” Gregory wrote in her nomination of Winfree. American Express and district officials surprised Winfree with Volunteer of the Month honors in a brief ceremony at the school. As Volunteer of the Month, Winfree received a gift bag and $25 gift card from American Express, which has generously partnered with GCS to support the volunteer recognition program. Her photo will hang at Sumner as well as the district’s central offices. In addition, the Guilford County Board of Education recognized her at its June 9 meeting. Know a volunteer who goes above and beyond? Nominate him or her to be the next GCS Volunteer of the Month here. For more information, contact Lillian M. Govus, program administrator-communications, at 370-8997. Sam’s Club Recognizes Travis Reeves for Outstanding ServiceIn the fall of 2007, Dr. Travis Reeves stepped up to reunite the Eastern High family, and since that time, he has dedicated himself night and day to make sure that every transition has gone off without a hitch. Whether working with the building advisory team, setting up a positive behavior support system, attending his students’ after-school activities or leading graduation intervention teams, Reeves threw his heart and seemingly endless energy into each and every project. In honor of his tremendous efforts and exceptional commitment to achieving educational excellence, Reeves has been selected as the district’s June Employee of the Month. Reuniting a school after a devastating fire might be a daunting task to some, but Pam Dawson, the parent who nominated Reeves, explained that he jumped right in. “He accepted this challenge with a gracious and positive attitude and was excited about bringing everyone back together,” she said. Reeves’ significant contributions to Eastern and the district as a whole gained the attention of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro last month and earned him with the 2009 Young Alumni Award. This recognition is bittersweet for the Wildcat family – on July 1, Reeves will assume the role of superintendent of Ashe County Schools. Know an outstanding employee like Reeves who leads by example and settles for nothing less than excellence? Nominate him or her to be the GCS Employee of the Month here. For more information, contact Lillian M. Govus, program administrator – communications, at 370-8997. Middle College Senior Defeats Challenges and Heads to CollegeBy the time Ronnie Mock entered the ninth grade at The Middle College at GTCC-Jamestown, he’d attended three elementary schools, one alternative school and three middle schools, lived in three different group homes and stayed with almost every adult member of his extended family. According to Ronnie, he was so troublesome that in the fifth grade he had his own desk in the principal’s office. Teachers gave up on him, and he worked hard to keep it that way. Incredibly, Ronnie, who graduated from The Middle College at GTCC-Jamestown with 21 college credits late last month, is on his way to North Carolina A&T State University (N.C. A&T) in the fall. He plans to study animal science and hopes to become a veterinarian. Ronnie credits two factors with turning his life around dramatically. The first is his grandfather and legal guardian, Dr. Alexander Erwin, a professor at N.C. A&T. The second is The Middle College at GTCC-Jamestown. Susan Kimbrough, a history teacher at the middle college, made this observation about Ronnie: “Ronnie is a survivor. He’s vivacious. He’s smart. And he’s charismatic.” For more information about Ronnie and other outstanding GCS graduates, please contact Lekan Oguntoyinbo, district relations officer, at 370-8389. See the Teacher Supply Warehouse in ActionHave you ever wondered what happens to some of the donations to the Teacher Supply Warehouse? Next Wednesday, art students from Weaver Academy show what can be done with your recycled products when put in the hands of creative GCS students! Take a look around your workplace and at home, scoop up all that old stationery, those pens with the pre-merger logo, magazines, fabric samples, storage containers and other items that only an inventive teacher and an imaginative student could find a use for. Bring them to the Kress Building at 212 S. Elm St. at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, June 17. At the Kress Building, we will collect your donated stuff and use it to kick off our summer drive to stock up the Teacher Supply Warehouse. At the same time, we’ll give you an example of what creativity can mean when expressed by GCS students and teachers. The Teacher Supply Warehouse takes donations of office supplies, paper products, trade show giveaways and other items you may have in surplus and makes them available to teachers for use as teaching aids and materials in the classroom. Most of these items are used as teaching aids in the classroom or to help supply students whose family can’t afford basic school supplies. But as you’ll see on Wednesday, some items find a more “non-traditional” new use. This event is a collaboration of the Guilford Education Alliance, GCS, Bouvier Kelly Advertising and Public Relations and Lomax Properties. We hope you will join us as we help fuel the creativity of students and teachers across Guilford County. For more information, please contact Cecilia Adams, manager of community partnerships, at 370-8355. Are You the Fastest Kid in Guilford County?It’s not too late to sign up for this exciting event for elementary and middle school students! On June 18 at 7 p.m., the National Scholastic Sports Foundation (NSSF) in conjunction with the Nike Outdoor Nationals will host a race to determine the Fastest Kid in Guilford County. Any student in elementary or middle school is encouraged to submit an entry to run in the 100-meter dash. Finalists from Thursday’s races will compete on Friday night during the Nike Outdoor Nationals. The winners of each race on Friday evening will also receive two tickets to the UniverSoul Circus. All elementary and middle school students are welcome to join NSSF and the Nike Outdoor Nationals for a free track clinic on June 18 from 3-6 p.m. taught by running professionals. The first 150 children who register receive a free t-shirt. All entries for the Fastest Kid must be completed online. Click here to register. For more information, please contact Jennifer Landes, program administrator – communications, at 370-8353. GCSTV 2Graduation GalleryHighlights of GCS Graduations – click here. On StageGuilford County students show off their many talents in this entertainment showcase sponsored annually by the Guilford Education Alliance. This program airs nightly at 8 p.m. GCSTV 2 Now Streaming on the WebThe Latest News from GCSGCSTV2 Newsbreak Also on GCSTV 2:GCSTV 2 Media CenterWatch GCS Board of Education Meetings on Your ScheduleIn addition to watching GCS Board of Education meetings live on GCSTV 2, the meetings are now available on-line anytime. Tdap Alert – Vaccinations Required to Attend SchoolGCSTV 2 NEWS ALERT-Tdap These NEWS ALERTS air at 10 a.m., 11:16 a.m., and 7 p.m. New Rules for KindergartenKindergarten Kickoff Newsbreak Video New Regional SuperintendentsNew Regional Superintendents Named GCSTV 2 Programming GuideFind out what else is showing on GCSTV 2 here: GCSTV 2 Programming Guide NASA 360NASA explores new frontiers in science, helping to develop and inspire technological innovation. This program airs daily at 3:35 a.m., 9:02 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Showcase Your Talent on GCSTV 2GCSTV 2 is now accepting student-, faculty-, staff- or parent-produced programming. See the Details for submissions here or Watch the video. GCSTV 2 & ABC-45GCS 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. |
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