Good News

Goal 2008: WCPSS is committed to academic excellence. By 2008, 95 percent of students in grades 3 through 12 will be at or above grade level as measured by the State of North Carolina End-of-Grade or Course tests, and all student groups will demonstrate high growth.


March 28, 2006

WCPSS NAMES 2006 TEACHER OF THE YEAR SEMI-FINALISTS
WCPSS has named 20 semi-finalists for Wake County Public School System's 2006-2007 Teacher of the Year. WCPSS schools selected a Teacher of the Year and from those honored, the selection committee determined 20 semi-finalists to be recognized for their dedication to children and quest for personal and professional excellence. The semi-finalists include:

Stephanie Blocher, West Millbrook Middle
Jeffrey Derda, Apex High
James Bart Elliott, Forest Pines Drive Elementary
Jennifer Facciolini, Fuquay-Varina High
Lynn Flood, East Garner Middle
Melinda Fox, Leadmine Elementary
Anna Goodrum, Farmington Woods Elementary
Lisa Huffman, Garner High
Julaine Kammrath, Wake Forest Elementary
Gladys Madauss, Brentwood Elementary
Robert Matthews, Mt. Vernon Middle
Patrick McArdle, Holly Ridge Middle
Elizabeth Price, Centennial Middle
Annette Stegner, Wakefield Middle
Kevin Steidinger, Combs Elementary
Angela Stephenson, Leesville Road High
James Stuart Vickery, Martin Middle
Laurie Toreson, Knightdale High
Susan Wiedenman, Salem Elementary
Melinda Wilkinson, Powell Elementary

The next step in the process for the semi-finalists is a classroom observation by committee members to determine the ten finalists. A reception will be held in April to honor the semi-finalists and name the finalists. The 2006-2007 Teacher of the Year will be named at the Teacher of the Year banquet on Thursday, May 11.

WCPSS CREATES ONLINE GROWTH RESOURCE CENTER
WCPSS has just put online a Growth Resource Center which addresses the issues facing the school system related to the dramatic growth in our county and our schools. Next year, 127,513 students are expected to crowd into the school system - a gain of 7,000 new students for a district already short 15,000 classroom seats today. Projections indicate the rate of growth will continue. This new resource center details the incredible growth; the existing overcrowding; and the health, safety and instructional needs driving the upcoming November 2006 school bond referendum. The Growth Resource Center can be found at http://www.wcpss.net/growth/

WILBURN PRINCIPAL NAMED NCAE STATE PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR
Wilburn Elementary School Principal Darryl Fisher was named the N.C. Association of Educators' 2006 State Principal of the Year. Fisher received the award at the NCAE awards banquet in Winston-Salem. The association represents more than 65,000 active, retired and student members.

TWO WCPSS STUDENTS NAMED 2006 MOREHEAD SCHOLARS
Two WCPSS students, Kevin Robert Kiley of Green Hope High and Charlotte Jo Lloyd of Enloe High are among the 53 students from across the nation named Morehead Scholars at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Kiley is a high achieving student who is vice president of National Honor Society and has played an instrumental role in the school newspaper. He has been voted by his peers to be the captain of three athletic teams. Lloyd chose to pursue an International Baccalaureate diploma because of her strong interest in global issues. She has been a member of Enloe's swimming and diving team since her freshman year, also playing varsity women's lacrosse and running cross-country. The Morehead pays all expenses for four years of undergraduate study, including costs of a laptop computer and four summer enrichment experiences. The value of the Morehead is about $80,000 for each in-state student.

THREE WCPSS STUDENTS NAMED 2006 PARK SCHOLARS
Three WCPSS high school seniors - Amrita Prakash Devalapalli and Naudereh Bozorgi Noori of Enloe High and Courtney Alyssa Mallow of Apex High - have earned Park Scholarships. The Park Scholarship pays expenses for four years of study at NC State University, and includes a computer stipend and funds for academic enrichment activities. Devalapalli attends Enloe High School where she is president of Model United Nations, co-president of Science Olympiad, and a National Honors Society member. Noori attends Enloe High School where she is president of A Team, Enloe's Peer Tutoring Organization, as well as a senior representative of Key Club and a co-founder of Enloe's Beta Club, an honorary service society. Mallow attends Apex High School where she is student body vice president, editor-in-chief of the newspaper, the Legacy, and secretary of the National Honor Society. Selection criteria for the merit-based Park Scholarships include academic achievement; personal characteristics such as character, integrity and motivation; exceptional leadership potential; and commitment to the betterment of one's community.

WAKE EARLY COLLEGE OF HEALTH AND SCIENCES OPENS THIS FALL
WCPSS will open its first early college high school in 2006-07 school year. The Wake Early College of Health and Sciences (WECHS), a partnership of WCPSS, Wake Technical Community College, and WakeMed Health & Hospitals, will be a small, non-traditional high school offering students the opportunity to graduate in five years with a high school diploma and an associate degree or two years of college credits. WECHS will open with less than 100 ninth-graders and grow to no more than 400 students over the next four years. Students will follow an integrated curriculum of high school and college courses, allowing them to simultaneously fulfill the requirements for a high school diploma and a two-year degree from Wake Tech. WECHS will provide an individualized high school experience for each student that will include academic support, internships and job shadowing opportunities, career counseling, and community service activities. WECHS will prepare students for post-secondary study or for employment in healthcare, science, and other emerging fields. For more information contact Richard Murphy at rmurphy@wcpss.net or 850-1793.

GREEN HOPE AND MIDDLE CREEK EARN AWARDS FOR COUNSELING
The school counseling programs at Green Hope High School and Middle Creek High School have received the Recognized ASCA Model Program (RAMP) Award from the American School Counseling Association (ASCA). This recognition is awarded to school counseling programs that demonstrate a results-based, comprehensive, data driven school counseling program that measures results in improving student achievement, attendance and behavior.

WCPSS STUDENTS NAMED FOR GOVERNORS SCHOOL
More than 60 students from 16 WCPSS high schools have been named to attend Governor's School this year. There were more than 11 students named from Enloe High. Green Hope High had eight. There were seven each at Leesville Road High and Southeast Raleigh High. The full list of students can be found at http://www.wcpss.net/news/poston/2006_governors_school/index.html

WCPSS SCHOOLS TAKE TOP HONORS AT STATE MATHCOUNTS
WCPSS school captured three of the top five places in the state Mathcounts competition held March 4 at the School of Math and Science in Durham. Martin Middle finished in first place. Ligon Middle placed second. Carnage Middle was fifth. Top WCPSS students in the competition included Akash Ganapthia of Carnage, Jeff Kochuk of Carnage, Shreyas Tikare of Carnage, Marshall Lochbuam of Martin, Alex Chin of Daniels, Wonyong Chung of Ligon and Saumil Jariwala of Ligon.

WCPSS STUDENTS EARN HONORS IN STATE PTA ARTS COMPETITION
Seven WCPSS students earned honors in the NC PTA's 2005-06 State Reflections Arts competition. Three students earned first place awards. Hannah Elizabeth Frederick of Athens Drive High earned first place for senior photography. Will Loren Reece of East Millbrook Middle earned first place for middle/junior visual arts. Lucas Riley Bobay of Lincoln Heights Elementary earned first place for intermediate photography. Two students earned second place awards. Maitreyi Muralidharna of Fuller Elementary earned second place for intermediate music. Abigail Holly Arends of Highcroft Drive Elementary earned second place for primary music. Christian W. Spencer of Reedy Creek Middle earned third place in middle/junior photography. Courtney Jo Reynolds of Root Elementary was honored as a Hackney-Good President's Choice Award Recipient. Student's Visual Arts Piece will be showcased in the NCPTA office for one year.

WCPSS students who won at the district level of the NC PTA Reflections competition included:
Photography
Lucas Riley Bobay: Lincoln Heights Elementary
Christian W. Spencer: Reedy Creek Middle School
Hannah Elizabeth Frederick: Athens Drive High School
Amanda Saunders Dworaczyk: Wakefield High School

Literature
Lydia Thurman: Daniels Middle School

Music Composition
Abigail Holly Arends: Highcroft Dr. Elementary School
Maitreyi Muralidharan: Fuller Elementary School
Brian Andrew Fayle: Green Hope High School
Francesca Nicole Pilarinos: Wakefield High School

Visual Arts
Courtney Reynolds: Alder Root Elementary School
Will Loren Reece: East Millbrook Middle School
Katie Jean Booker: Apex High School

CARNAGE CARRIES REGIONAL HISTORY COMPETITION
Forty-four Carnage Middle students won in the regional competition for National History Day held March 17 at Elon University. Students design individual or group exhibits, write a paper, produce a documentary, create individual or group performances, or develop a web site centered around the annual theme Taking a Stand in History: People, Ideas, Events. Students earned the following recognitions:

First Place - Group Performance : Audrey Chang, Patrick Clanton, Sarah Clayton, Eileen Coffey, Arlie Honeycutt, Sarah Klawiter, Erin Warren and Kristin Yde. Individual Performance: Anne Hutchinson, Jenna Everly and Nathan Shepherd. Group Exhibit : Akash Ganapathi, Daniel Piedrahita, Deannae Jones, Carrie Polovino, and Kim Grace. Individual Exhibit: Elle Law. Group Documentary: Evelyn Kahihu and Natalie Grant.

Second Place - Individual Exhibit: David Hash. Individual Performance: Tabithia Poteat. Group Exhibit Megan Rodgers and Tara Spencer.

Third Place- Group Documentary Staci Cooper, Marshall Phillips, Sean Rothenbuhler Adam Raby Individual Performance: Ben Everett, Max Mayha and Nathaniel Shepherd. Group Exhibit: Emily Henderson, Mansi Jamindar, Anna Torres and Greyson Smith. Individual Exhibit: Ryan McGarvey, Matt Mollenkopf.

Fourth Place - Individual Exhibit: Felicia Blow, Group Exhibit: Andrew Moghaddam, James Nicholson, Srinivas Shashank.

Fifth Place - Individual Exhibit : Ashley Kelly. Group Exhibit : Robin Sayres, MacKenzie Neighbors, Lauren Kepke, Judy Ugwuegby and Olivia Vander Heuvel.

The state competition that will be held on Saturday, April 29 at the NC Museum of History.

WAKELON RECEIVES LIBRARY BOOKS
The Wakelon Elementary library is one of 2,000 schools nationwide selected to receive the We the People "Becoming American" Bookshelf. The National Endowment for the Humanities has sent the school books, materials and a certificate recognizing the library's participation in the We the People "Becoming American" Bookshelf project. Wakelon Media & Technology Assistant Dave Trudeau submitted the NEH grant proposal to help stock the new school's library with books on becoming an American.

MOORE SQUARE HOLDS SPRING GALLERY WALK
Moore Square Museums Magnet Middle School will hold a Spring Gallery Walk 6:30 p.m., Thursday, April 6 at the school. The event will highlight Moore Square's unique role as a downtown magnet school with comments on the theme "Making an Impact" from Roger Krupa of the Raleigh Convention Center; Kris Larson of the Downtown Raleigh Alliance; and Wake County Superintendent Bill McNeal. The special guests will talk about the important role of the school in downtown Raleigh. Visitors to the student galleries, which open at 5:30 p.m. will see displays of several new downtown projects exhibited. For more information, contact Dawn Daria, Museums Coordinator at Moore Square Museums Magnet Middle School at ddaria@wcpss.net or 856-8195.

BROOKS PRESENTS ORIGINAL OPERA
Brooks Elementary fifth graders presented an original opera March 23 and 24 at the school. Students dedicated their performance to a classmate who is undergoing chemotherapy treatment. The opera was a total student-created project in conjunction with the Metropolitan Opera Guild's Original Opera Program. Brooks is one of the first schools in the state to take part in the program and the first in Wake County. It put on the project with the help of the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County and our PTA.

PERCUSSION ARTIST TO VISIT OLDS
Nationally recognized percussion artist Beverly Botsford will visit Olds Elementary as an artist in residence April 24-28. Botsford will be working with kindergartners and third-graders to interpret the ancient cultures of the Mayan and Incan civilizations. Students will be making related visual art products for display on Olds Family Fun Night April 28. For more information contact Olds Elementary principal Mary Anne Wheeler at 856-7699.

LEESVILLE PTA SPONSORS PROGRAM FOR PARENTS
The Leesville Road High School PTSA is offering all parents the opportunity to learn how to prepare themselves AND their children as time draws closer for their children to leave home. Psychologist Karen Devane will speak 7 p.m., Monday, April 10 at Leesville Road High on "It's Time For You To Step Back, So They Can Step Forward" If you've asked yourself, 'What happened?' because it seemed like yesterday you dropped your son or daughter off at kindergarten and now they are graduating from high school, the PTSA hopes that Devane will be able to offer some answer to parents who are anxious, sad, stressed out, and ambivalent about letting go. Devane will share thoughts from her professional and personal experience.

COMMUNITY ESTABLISHES SCHOLARSHIPS FUND TO HONOR MCNEAL
Wake County PTA leaders, community leaders and educators are joining together through the Triangle Community Foundation to thank Bill McNeal for his contributions and dedication to the Wake County Public School System through a donation to the Superintendent's Leadership Scholarships Fund. This fund has been set up for the sole purpose of recognizing Bill McNeal upon his retirement from the WCPSS through the establishment of eighteen one-time scholarships that will be given to a 2006 graduating senior from every single public high school in Wake County The criteria for this leadership scholarship is taken from Bill's favorite story, The Wizard of Oz. Those criteria are academics, character, courage and community service. Secure, online donations can be made to the Superintendent's Leadership Scholarship through the Triangle Community Foundation at:
https://www.trianglecf.org/basket/cart.xpl?id=12147&type=organization

PARENT ADVISORY COUNCIL ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
The Superintendent's Parent Advisory Council (SPAC) is seeking 10 new members to join the Council, which shares input, ideas and concerns to the Superintendent on issues and challenges facing the school system. The Council meets six times throughout the year for a minimum of three hours each meeting. Most terms are three years, but one- and two-year terms are also available. If you are interested in serving on the SPAC, please email parkervg@earthlink.net to request an application. Deadline for applications is April 7, 2006. If you have additional questions regarding SPAC, please contact Virginia Parker, SPAC coordinator, at parkervg@earthlink.net or 846-1928.

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WCPSS Good News is published electronically every other week for everyone interested in the Wake County Public School System. Is what you read in this edition helpful? What information would you like to see in future editions? Contact me by calling 850-1829 or e-mailing bposton@wcpss.net.

Bill Poston
Wake County Public School System
Communications Department
3600 Wake Forest Road
Raleigh, North Carolina 27611

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