Friday Notes from Guilford County Schools

July 6, 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.

Administrative Assignment

The following administrative appointment is effective immediately:

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

GCS Transportation Requests Deadline Approaching

The July 12 deadline for submitting transportation requests for students enrolled in traditional schools is quickly approaching. Completed request forms should be returned to the GCS Transportation Department, 131 Franklin Blvd., Greensboro, NC, 27401. Faxed applications can be submitted to 336-370-8932.
 
Students enrolled in traditional schools who received transportation last year and will attend the same school do not need to submit a request form unless:

• The child did not ride the bus last year
• The child moved to a different address
• The child’s morning or afternoon transportation address is different

Transportation request forms must be submitted to the GCS Transportation Department by the July 12 deadline to ensure a transportation assignment is made for the first day of school.  Once school bus routes are announced, additional stops will not be added until the tenth day of school. During this time, parents who have not received an assignment will be responsible for providing transportation for their children. 

Transportation request forms for traditional schools may be obtained at the individual schools or from the GCS Transportation Department. In addition, parents and students can download the form from the following link: http://www.gcsnc.com/transportation/transmain.htm

The deadline for submitting transportation request forms for magnet schools is July 9.

Transportation request forms for magnet schools are included with the student’s acceptance letter to the program. If needed, a duplicate letter and transportation request form may be obtained at the GCS Student Assignment Office, 120 Franklin Blvd., Greensboro, NC, 27401. For more information, please contact Haley Miller, Program Administrator – Communications, at 370-3200.

All-Star Students Work Hard at Challenging Camp

Advanced rising ninth-graders attending a camp in July will have the opportunity to develop leadership skills, explore an academic area of interest and learn test-taking strategies regarding the PSAT and SAT. These GCS students were invited to the camp based on their PSAT scores taken in the seventh grade.

The camp takes place at Guilford College and Guilford Technical Community College (GTCC) - Jamestown and GTCC - Greensboro. Campers will have the opportunity to attend Team Quest sponsored by the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG), which is a leadership training course located at Piney Lake.  Additionally, the students will go to the Witherspoon Art Gallery and tour UNCG.

Throughout the three weeks, teachers will work with the campers in language arts, math, science or social studies, depending on the student’s area of interest. Campers will complete a hands-on project, which can be anything from building a hot air balloon, to writing and performing a play or creating a science fair exhibit. The camp runs from July 9 through July 27 and will conclude with a closing ceremony on July 29 at the Koury Hospitality Careers Center at GTCC – Jamestown. For more information, please contact Haley Miller, Program Administrator – Communications, at 370-3200.

GCSTV 2

Reading Comprehension

Join faculty and staff at Monticello-Brown Summit Elementary for this look into the “Power of Retelling.”  It is an in-depth illustration of a comprehension strategy that helps children more fully enjoy reading and listening to stories and ultimately, develop into lifelong readers.  This special program airs nightly at 10 p.m.

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. 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 their licenses 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
A new school year is just two months away, and GCS is planning for Eastern students to return to their campus.  Modular classrooms are being placed at the campus after fire destroyed the main building there last November.  It’s a monumental undertaking, but work is on schedule.  Get a look at the Wildcats’ temporary home as crews start the work to build a new high school.  This newsbreak airs Wednesday, July 11.

Montlieu’s New Park
It has playground equipment, lighted soccer and softball fields and a walking track leading to the High Point Greenway.  It’s also the latest partnership between GCS and local governments in helping to improve physical fitness and the quality of life for all.  Located next to Montlieu Math and Science Academy, this new park will honor the memory of a well-known member of the community.  This newsbreak airs Friday, July 13.

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

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. 

NON-GCS EDUCATIONAL NEWS

Segregated Schools Hinder Reading Skills

Children in families with low incomes who attend schools where the minority population exceeds 75 percent of the student enrollment under-perform in reading.  This is true even after accounting for the quality of the literacy instruction, literary experiences at home, gender, race and other variables, according to a new study. The majority of black and Hispanic children in the United States attend such "minority segregated" schools, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. "Good instruction is essential, but it’s not enough," said Kirsten Kainz, an author of the study. "Most current reading instruction initiatives and policies are aimed at improving classroom instruction," Kainz said. "This research shows that characteristics of the child, the home, the classroom and the school influence reading development, and that maximally effective reading policy should address all four systems simultaneously." Kainz and her colleagues found that classroom and school characteristics had a larger affect on low-income students’ long-term reading abilities than the method of instruction or a child’s background, such as the parents’ employment patterns or size of the household.  Click here to read more.

Success Rate Still Lags for Blacks Who Take AP Tests

Participation in the Advanced Placement program has more than doubled in 10 years. But this surge in college-preparatory testing has not reached most African-American students, according to a Washington Post analysis of 2006 exam results in 30 school systems with about 5,000 or more black high school students... The AP program began in 1955 as a means for top high school students to take college courses. A national surge in AP testing began in the late 1990s as a quest for greater rigor for a broader spectrum of high school students... Participation among black students has tripled in 10 years. But the numbers were so low 10 years ago that by 2006, none of the largest school systems in the country could meet the goal of having 1,000 passing tests from black students. Click here to read more.