GCS News Briefs

September 4, 2009

County Approves Use of Recovery Funds for School Repair Projects

The Guilford County Board of Commissioners approved for GCS to use approximately $17 million in no-interest bonds for school repair projects. The bonds are part of the federal government’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

The direct allotment of the Qualified School Construction Bonds (QSCBs) for 2009 is $17.147 million, with the same allotment available for 2010. The Guilford County Board of Education adopted a resolution and approved an application to state officials to secure the direct allotment.

GCS plans to use QSCB funds for two schools on the 2008 School Bond list, potentially saving about $6 million in interest. The bond money could be used to help fund qualified portions of the upgrades planned for Allen Middle and Grimsley High, totaling $20.8 million. The district plans to use 2008 School Bond funds to make up the difference.  

A new $9 million classroom wing and auxiliary gym are planned for Allen Middle. The Grimsley project includes $11.7 million for a cafeteria addition, conversion of the existing cafeteria to classrooms, renovations to the main gym and improvements to Jameson Stadium. If the application is not approved, school officials could still fund the two upgrade projects from 2008 School Bond funds. The high school gym and Jameson Stadium are not eligible for the QSCB program and were not included in the application package that was sent to the state. This portion of the Grimsley project will be funded separately.

Commissioners also approved $2.1 million for heating and air conditioning upgrades at Hunter Elementary and Archer Elementary; $290,000 from 2008 School Bond proceeds for five acres for Northwest Middle and High and $1.2 million from “red light” camera proceeds for equipment and furniture replacement.

For more information, please contact Leo Bobadilla, chief operations officer, at 370-3482.

Additional Changes Approved for the Budget

The Guilford County Board of Education approved additional changes to the 2009-10 budget during its meeting on Aug. 27. The district anticipates that the budget will be finalized in the next few weeks.

The changes approved are as follows:

• An increase in funding to $338,458.62 for Advanced Placement (AP) exams. While GCS paid the full cost of AP exams in the past, the cost of the exams will be shared this year with GCS funding 50 percent, Businesses for Excellence in Education funding 25 percent and parents responsible for the remaining 25 percent, or $21.50 per exam. This model was approved by the board at the Aug. 11 meeting, but the dollar amount had to be adjusted.

• $1.1 million for the addition of a minimum of 20 additional teacher positions to account for 10th and 20th day enrollment and class size adjustments.

• Reinstatement of funding for PSAT tests. As a part of a previous cut, the board had approved funding for PSAT tests for 10th-grade students only. An additional $55,200 was approved, and the district will now test 11th-graders as well.

The board will work to allocate an additional $4.9 million and pass the final budget for 2009-10 at an upcoming meeting. For more information, please contact Sharon Ozment, chief financial officer, at 370-8343.

AP Participation and Performance on the Rise

GCS student participation and performance on Advanced Placement (AP) exams has continued to increase steadily, according to the most recent AP data.

In 2009, GCS students took 9,470 AP exams, a 7.6 percentage point increase over the number of exams taken in 2008. The number of exams taken has increased 30 percent since 2005. Additionally, the number of students taking AP exams rose to 4,906 students in 2009.

The percentage of exam scores of three or higher increased 2.2 percent. Success on an AP exam is defined by the College Board as a score of three or higher on a scale of five. Research shows that scores of three, four and five are predictive of college success and college graduation.

To view the district’s report on AP exams, click here. For more information, please contact Guy Ferguson at fergusl@gcsnc.com or 370-8244.         

GCS Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of Integration in High Point

On Sept. 1, 1959, two brave sisters became the first African-American students to integrate High Point City Schools. On the 50th anniversary Tuesday, the Guilford County Board of Education recognized this historical event, which changed the course of education in High Point and brought about the later integration of the entire city.

On Aug. 27, 1959, the High Point City Board of Education approved the reassignment applications for sisters Brenda and Lyn Fountain after their mother requested that they attend the schools that are now Ferndale Middle and High Point Central High. They enrolled in their new schools on the first day of class, Sept. 1, accompanied by Dr. Perry Little, a family member, and Rev. B. Elton Cox, their pastor.

The courage of these two sisters led the way for integration not only of High Point City Schools, but of the entire community, the state and ultimately, the nation. The Fountains also participated in the sit-in at the F.W. Woolworth store on S. Main Street in High Point on Feb. 11, 1960.

For more information, please contact Cecilia Adams, manager of community partnerships, at 370-8355.

New Athletic Participation Policy Posted Online

The new policy on student participation in athletics, JI - Student Participation in Interscholastic Athletics, is now posted on the district’s Web site for student, parent and staff reference. 

The policy sets the standards for student eligibility to participate in athletics. It is based on guidelines developed by the district and rules established by the N.C. High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) and the N.C. Department of Public Instruction.

In addition to NCHSAA academic requirements, GCS students will be required to have a grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 to participate in athletics. This will be phased in, with students being required to earn a 1.5 GPA in 2009-10 and then a 2.0 GPA in 2010-11.

The policy also defines a “base school” for students for the purpose of athletic participation according to their domicile or GCS assignment. Prior to participating in sports each year, students and their parents will be required to complete a residence verification form as proof of domicile. Cases of alleged impropriety related to a student’s residence will be investigated by an Athletic Eligibility Committee and students who are improperly enrolled will lose athletic eligibility for a period of up to 365 days.

Policy JI accompanies other recent initiatives by GCS to promote sportsmanship, fairness and character development through interscholastic athletics. In July, the Guilford County Board of Education also approved a policy on athletic coaches, and the district launched the Fair Play program, which seeks to educate students and parents about athletic eligibility and asks them to pledge through an honor code to play by the rules.

To read the full text of the policy, go to http://www.gcsnc.com/policies/pdf/JI.pdf.

Penn-Griffin Students Produce Award-Winning Poetry

Chelsea Hansen and Rachel Thompson, juniors at Penn-Griffin School for the Arts, both won prizes in the N.C. English Teachers Association Student Poet Laureate Awards. Hansen won second prize and Thompson received an honorable mention. Both students have won awards for their poetry in the past. Hansen earned honors in a haiku contest sponsored by the N.C. Poetry Society and Thompson has previously won prizes from the Phoenix Festival at High Point University and Muse on Greensboro. Both are students of English teacher John York. For more information, please contact Shelley Nixon-Greene, principal, at 819-2870.

Local Business Brightens the Day for Sumner Elementary

Bernard Robinson and Company LLP is adopting Sumner Elementary for the school year. The employees from the company donated a van full of school supplies ranging from glue sticks to composition notebooks to start off the school year. This partnership provides support to school staff and in turn helps students excel academically. This is just one way businesses can support schools. For more information about business and community partnerships, please contact Cecilia Adams, manager of community partnerships, at 370-8355. For more information about Sumner, please contact Principal Brian Clarida at 316-5888.

Northeast Navy JROTC Cadets Complete Leadership Programs

Four Navy JROTC cadets from Northeast High are bringing their summer experiences back to school after attending selective leadership programs. Chris Jackson and Kevin Mitchell completed a leadership academy hosted by Coastal Carolina University and run by NJROTC Area 6, featuring the top three percent of cadets from more than 65 units in North Carolina and South Carolina. Jackson, along with Raven Williams, completed the Aerospace and Technology Leadership Seminars at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and the University of San Diego. Only 450 cadets of approximately 80,000 from the United States, Japan, Spain and Guam had the opportunity to participate in this week-long science, technology, engineering and math workshop. Michael Emmett completed the Cadet Commander Course at Shaw Air Base in South Carolina. Each of the programs is intended to boost the students’ leadership skills and encourage them to reach for higher education. For more information, please contact Anitra Walker, principal, at 375-2500.

Applications Due to United Arts Council of Greater Greensboro October 1, 2009 

The United Arts Council of Greater Greensboro (UAC) announced the annual Teacher Art Grant program with an application deadline set for 5 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2009. Teacher Art Grants from the UAC are available to schools in the Greater Greensboro area. Schools located in Jamestown and High Point may apply for Teacher Art Grants from the High Point Area Arts Council.
 
Teacher Art Grants are designed to emphasize learning in the arts, through the arts and about the arts by:

• enhancing and strengthening integration of the arts into core curriculum
• broadening offerings for K-12 students
• encouraging collaboration between artists, arts organizations and schools
• promoting professional development for teachers

 All those in Greater Greensboro who are interested in applying for the Teacher Art Grant program may download an application at www.uacarts.org or call the UAC at 373-7523, ext. 256.  All applications must be received into the UAC office by 5 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 1. 
 
For more information, please contact Altina Layman at 373-7523, ext. 242 or alayman@uacARTS.org.

GCS Science Teachers Receive Hands-On Experience

Supported by the North Carolina Quality Educators through Staff Development and Training Grant (NC QUEST), a group of GCS science teachers spent seven days this summer learning inquiry-based science in the classroom and in the field. NC QUEST is a two-year grant partnership between The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) and Smith High.  During the workshops, teachers traveled to Hanging Rock and Haw River State Parks, the Chestnut Ridge Environmental Center in Efland and North Carolina-area wetlands. Professors of chemistry, biology, physics and earth science from UNCG presented integrated science lessons each day and teachers completed the week with their own science-inquiry presentations.  For more information, please contact Debbie Kraszeski, secondary science curriculum specialist, at kraszed@gcsnc.com or 370-3274 ext. 5.

English as a Second Language Participate in Professional Development

The English as a Second Language (ESL) Department leads monthly workshops for teachers throughout GCS. On Friday, Aug. 21, their session highlighted procedures and forms found in the ESL Handbook. Staff focused on best practices, which included an interactive group activity based on Kagan. Additional presentations illustrated effective classroom strategies and a systematic approach to maximizing vocabulary instruction. They also participated in a hands-on activity to explain and create formative and summative performance indicators using The Resource Guide to the World Class Instructional Design Assessment (WIDA) for the English Language Program (ELP) standards. For more information, please contact Mayra Hayes, director of ESL, at hayesm2@gcsnc.com or 370-8982.

The Latest News for the new school year from GCS

H1N1 (Swine Flu) Update
See the latest information on precautions to prevent the spread of the flu virus and how to handle it if someone has the flu.

Fair Play
The new school year brings a new initiative to encourage sportsmanship and raise awareness of adherence to the rules of eligibility in athletics.

A New School Year
Follow this link to news and information specific to back to school for the 2009-10 school year.

Superintendent’s Media Briefings
Click here to see the latest Media Briefings hosted by GCS Superintendent Maurice “Mo” Green.

Teachers Shop for Free!
Here’s more about this year’s opening of the Teacher Supply Warehouse and how former professional football players are encouraging GCS students to stick with their studies.

GCSTV 2-LIVE
WATCH OUR LIVE BROADCAST!  
Now streaming live on the Web!

GCS Board of Education

Watch the latest GCS Board of Education meeting LIVE Tuesday, Aug. 11 at 6 p.m. 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. Meetings are now archived and available 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, contact Leonard Simpson, GCSTV 2 production manager, at 370-8167.