Friday Notes from Guilford County Schools

June 8, 2007

Our Vision, Mission/Thematic Goals and Core Values

Our vision – what we will become, Our mission/thematic goals- how we will get there -- Our
core values - what we believe -- solidify the underlying foundation for all Guilford County Schools’ decisions and actions.

Last Day of School

The end of a school year marks a time for reflection, relaxation and renewal for students, parents and staff. As many of you prepare for summer vacation, I hope that the next few months are restful, safe and fun! We look forward to seeing you again in the fall.

New Principal Named

The following principal change will be made effective July 1, 2007:

For more information, please contact Dr. Peggy Thompson, Chief Human Resources Officer, at 370-8340.

Teacher of the Year Semifinalists
The 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 25 and 26, 2007. This year’s Interview Committee members are: Principal Denise Francisco, Executive Director Lee Ann Segalla, School Support Officer Phil Mobley, 2006 Elementary Teacher of the Year Rhonda Blue and Principal Marilyn Foley. The teachers selected to move forward to the interview round include:

Scott Bennett – Northwest High
Kristal Britton – Dudley High
Michael Butler – Ferndale Middle
Janice Clark – Aycock Middle
Tressa DiGiorgio – Madison Elementary
George Eckart – The Middle College of Entertainment & Technology at GTCC
Carolyn Hiatt – Hunter Elementary
Michael Joncas – Summerfield Elementary
Natarsha McKoy – Foust Elementary
John Meyer – Page High

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 378-8821.

Principal of the Year Nominations
Nominations for the 2006-07 GCS Principal of the Year are currently being accepted. In order to meet the Department of Public Instruction’s qualifications, the nominee must have at least four years experience as an administrator (years may be a combination of assistant principal, principal and central office experience). They should be active, not only in their schools, but also in the communities where they distinguish themselves as leaders. Candidates should demonstrate the ability to improve the achievement of students from various backgrounds and with differing capabilities. Anyone can make a nomination including staff, students, parents or community members. Nomination forms are located on the GCS homepage at www.gcsnc.com. Once completed, send the form to Carla Alphin in the Human Resources department, 712 North Eugene Street, Greensboro, NC 27401 or E-mail to alphinc@gcsnc.com. Nominations must be received by 5 p.m. on July 13, 2007. For more information, please contact Carla Alphin, Program Administrator for Employee Relations, at 378-8821.

School Talk Meeting
On June 5, members of the Board of Education met with representatives of the Transportation Department in just one of a series of School Talk meetings. The meeting gave transportation personnel the opportunity to speak face-to-face with board members about their concerns as well as their accomplishments. For more information, please contact Cecilia Adams, Manager of Community Partnerships, at 370-8355.

Grimsley High Student Awarded Enrichment Fund Eberhart Scholarship
Julian James Groover is the Enrichment Fund’s 2007 Eberhart Scholarship recipient. Julian was awarded the $1,500 scholarship because of his demonstrated scholastic achievement as well as his commitment to his community. In addition to graduating with a 4.5 weighted grade point average, he volunteered for five years with the Triad Health Project and was a member of Grimsley’s photography club. Julian has also competed at both the regional and national levels as a member of the Piedmont Speed Inline Skating team. In the fall, Julian plans to pursue a degree in business at Appalachian State University. For more information, please contact Cecilia Adams, Manager of Community Partnerships, at 370-8355.

Step Team Champions
The Blaque Queens Female Step Team from Dudley High is the 2007 High School National Champion. Not only did they receive this title, they also placed second in the 2007 State Championship. Dudley has previously won the national title over the past several years under the leadership of Coach Chris Goins.

Below are the members of the team. Please congratulate them on a job well done.

Members

• Jassmin McIver-Jones, (four-year member), senior (Captain)
• Shannon Woodson (co-captain)
• Tyesha Wynn (co-captain)
• Ashley Taylor, senior
• Dominique Clayburn, senior
• Chiaka Pratt-Kollure, senior
• Akrishon Kirk
• Mary Ukattah
• Alex Hogue
• Vivian Brown
• Jasmine Owens

For more information, please contact Mr. Goins, at 370-8130. 

Championing the Arts for Everyone
The United Arts Council (UAC) of Greater Greensboro is conducting an arts opportunity study and they welcome your participation. The UAC annually supports many GCS classroom initiatives by way of arts grants. As they work to “champion the arts for everyone in our community,” they want to ensure they are meeting the needs of the community. Click here to participate in a needs assessment survey. For more information, please contact Liz Summers, at 373-7523, ext. 242 or Cecilia Adams, Manager of Community Partnerships, at 370-8355.

Donation Toward Gillespie Park’s New Playground
One of Guilford County’s most historic schools received a new playground today through the generosity of a local patron. HFC Beneficial presented Principal Gail Brady, the Gillespie Park PTA and students with a $5,000 donation to go toward a new playground at Gillespie Park Elementary. Not only will the money provide new recreational opportunities, so will the volunteers who will help build it. For more information, please contact Cecilia Adams, Manager of Community Partnerships, at 370-8355.

Northwest Middle Students Perform in All-State Chorus Event 
Northwest Middle performed at the All-State Chorus event on May 18-19 at the Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center. A final performance was held in the War Memorial Auditorium conducted by Dr. Tony Guzman, Dr. Lisa Fredenburgh and Ms. Sandy Holland. Students from more than 100 middle schools across the state participated in this special event. The following students from Northwest Middle were selected to sing:

Sixth Grade: Ariel Forgett, Zack Weiner, Tahtiana McAuley, Annabel Brunk and Allie Martin
Seventh Grade: Kastie Basey, Ashley Judge, Hannah Davidson, Rebecca Kidrosky, J. D. Myers, Megan Odom, Kenny Peters, Katharine Wallner and Autumn Pence
Eighth Grade: Caroline Hudson and Kristin Diemer

This was a great accomplishment for all middle school students. Congratulations to Northwest Middle. For more information, please contact Principal Bill Stewart at 605-3333, or Lewis Ferebee, Instructional Improvement Officer, at 370-8301.

Central Office Summer Schedule

GCS central offices will operate on a summer schedule from June 11 through August 17. Office hours will be 7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. on Friday. Normal office hours will resume on Monday, August 20. 

GCSTV 2

The Home Field Advantage
Changing schools during the year creates a disadvantage for students when it comes to their studies. Research indicates that children who study at one school throughout the school year do better academically than those who change schools one or more times during the year. GCS offers students at select schools the “Home Field Advantage.” The initiative gives children a chance to stay at their original school if their family moves during the academic year. Get the latest information on this program that helps students stay in the game. Home Field Advantage airs five times daily at 7:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Tus Hijos y GCS (Your Children and Guilford County Schools)
The Guilford County Board of Education has authorized a new school for the coming year. The Newcomer School is being established to serve newly arrived immigrant students and it will open August 28 on the current campus of Guilford Primary. Join host Karin Young for this latest edition of our Spanish and English language program. “Tus Hijos y GCS.” Karin provides the latest information about the Newcomer School and how it will serve students and their families. Tus Hijos y GCS airs daily at 1 a.m., 7 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 7 p.m.         

Young Drivers -The High Risk Years
If you have a teenager who is already driving or will be getting a license soon, don’t miss this program. The focus is on ways to reduce injuries and death among our young. It is told from the perspective of teens and parents who know the consequences of a simple mistake made behind the wheel. This program airs daily at noon, 9 p.m. and midnight.

Sci-Vis
It’s a modern day art. Sci-Vis is short for scientific visualization, and it’s a field that is wide-open for students enrolled in GCS. Come along as students at The Middle College of Entertainment Technology at GTCC explain their Sci-Vis class and how the technology has an effect on everything from medicine to architecture and entertainment. This program airs daily at 8 a.m., 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.

The Middle College of Entertainment Technology at GTCC
The Middle College of Entertainment Technology at GTCC is one of the exciting educational choices students have within GCS. It’s here where they can get hands on experience in television production and other aspects of the entertainment industry. This program is a sample of how students apply their skills to producing, videotaping, reporting, editing and ultimately creating their own show. This program airs daily at 9 a.m., 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.

GCS/ABC 45 Partnership Continues
GCS continues its partnership with ABC 45 television to share the current news and feature stories about our district. The segments run on ABC 45 (Cable Channel 7) during “Good Morning America” each Wednesday and Friday at 7:25 a.m. and 8:25 a.m. Also, learn more about GCS by tuning in to GCSTV 2 (Cable Channel 2).

Eastern High Tour
Modular classrooms are being placed at the original campus of Eastern Guilford High in preparation for the next school year. It’s a monumental undertaking to get students back to the site following the fire last fall that destroyed the school. Get a look at the Wildcats’ temporary home as crews start the work to build a new high school. This newsbreak airs Wednesday, June 13.

Gillespie Park’s New Playground
Through a patron’s generosity, one of Guilford County’s most historic schools will get a new playground. But not only will the money provide new recreational opportunities, so will the volunteers who will help build it. This newsbreak airs Friday, June 15.

For more information, please contact Leonard Simpson, Broadcast Production Manager, at 370-8167.

NON-GCS EDUCATIONAL NEWS

U.S. Data Show Rapid Minority Growth in School Rolls
Driven mainly by an extraordinary influx of Hispanics, the nation’s population of minority students has surged to 42 percent of public school enrollment, up from 22 percent three decades ago, according to an annual report issued yesterday by the government. The report, a statistical survey of the nation’s educational system, portrays sweeping ethnic shifts that have transformed the schools. The changes, with important implications for educators and policy makers, have been most striking in the West, where, the survey says, Hispanic, black and Asian students together have outnumbered white students since 2003. But all regions have seen growth in minority student enrollment, particularly by Hispanics, who accounted for one of five public school students in 2005, the last year for which data were available. Click here to read more.

Autism Program at Central Library
With the CDC reporting that one in 150 children have autism, the condition and its symptoms have become more known in recent years. The Greensboro Public Library will host Anne Clinard Barnhill, author of At Home in the Land of Oz; My Sister, Autism and Me on Tuesday, August 14th, 12 noon, as part of the Central Library Brown Bag Series, 219 N. Church St., Greensboro, NC 27401.
In the 60’s, when Anne Clinard Barnhill was growing-up, an autism diagnosis was rare and doctors were often unaware of the symptoms. Barnhill’s sister, Becky, did not receive the diagnosis of autism until she was 37. She was considered “emotionally disturbed” throughout her childhood. Anne watched her sister spend time in institutions where she improved but was subject to questionable care and bouts of homesickness. Her parents carefully concealed their problems in order for Barnhill to have a more carefree childhood, though Anne struggled with her adolescence while missing and worrying about Becky. Her parents endeavored to find Becky the best care despite financial barriers, and Barnhill demonstrates the family’s attempts using excerpts from her father’s letters to the state requesting aid. Ultimately, At Home in the Land of Oz is a heartwarming and well-written memoir. Becky grows up and finds her own independence. Anne finds peace of mind knowing that her sister has found a place for herself in the world.

Anne Clinard Barnhill lives in North Carolina. She has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and has published hundreds of short stories, features and reviews in a variety of newspapers and magazines.

Patrons may bring lunch. Drinks will be provided. This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Library.