Good News
Feb. 22, 2007 |
NATIONAL BOARD CERITIFIED TEACHERS HONORED
 Dr. Joe Aguerrebere congratulates WCPSS teachers for being number one in the nation. |
Superintendent Del Burns congratulated the latest class of WCPSS teachers to earn certification from the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards at a reception held for the teachers Feb. 21 at the North Raleigh Hilton. Burns held up a full page ad from the News and Observer that listed each of the 186 teachers who earned certification this year and told the teachers he was proud of their accomplishment and what it meant for teaching and learning in WCPSS schools.
WCPSS has more teachers and counselors who have earned National Board certification than any other school district in the nation. Dr. Joe Aguerrebere, President of The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, spoke at the reception congratulating the teachers and the school district for such an accomplishment.
Dr. Aguerrebere told the teachers that as school leaders they can work with new teachers and in professional learning communities to strengthen their schools. He told them that you and your students are the proof National Board certification is having an impact.
7 WCPSS SENIORS NAMED PARK FINALISTS
North Carolina State University has named seven WCPSS high school students as finalists for the Park Scholarships for fall 2007.
The WCPSS students are Julia L. Wofford of Athens Drive High; Brandee Nicole Woolard of Athens Drive High; Jonathan L. Wormald of Apex High; Victoria J. Ma of Broughton High; Jenny Z. Jin of Green Hope High; Sindhura Varna Sevala of Green Hope High; and Brian Christopher McKearney of Leesville Road High.
The seven are among 106 students North Carolina State University has named as Park Scholar finalists. Fifty of the finalists will be named Park Scholars by March 1.
The WCPSS students include:
-Jenny Jin of Green Hope High School, where she is co-captain of the varsity tennis team, president of Art Club and senior class representative. She also mentors special needs students at her school, tutors students at Green Hope Elementary and is a member of Cary Teen Council.
-Victoria Jane Ma of Broughton High School, where she is president of the Human Rights Club, co-president of the Oh Snap Photography Club and member of the varsity swim team. She is an active volunteer at the North Carolina Museum of Art and Capital Area Teen Court and, she also helps clean the environment with Student Action for the Environment.
-Brian Christopher McKearney of Leesville Road High School, where he is crew head of play and musical sound, director of school broadcasts and vice president of the news team. He is also the Owner of Performance DJ, fundraising specialist for the A.E. Finley YMCA Leaders Club and program director for the A.E. Finley YMCA.
-Sindhura Varna Sevala of Green Hope High School, where she is corresponding secretary of International Club, one of the captains of Science Olympiad and an AP Scholar with Distinction. She performs folk and classical Indian dance, plays violin and volunteers at Sri Venkateswara Temple.
-Julia Lee Wofford of Athens Drive High School, where she is senior class treasurer, Key Club secretary and co-captain of the dance team. She is also involved in the Westwood Baptist Church youth group and is the 2007 Cary-Apex Junior Miss.
-Brandee Nicole Woolard of Athens Drive High School, where she is an NC Honor's Scholar, president of the Key Club and member of the National Honor Society.
-Jonathan Lawrence Wormald of Apex High School, where he is tenor saxophone section leader in marching band, member of the mathematics team and member of the National Honor Society. He works at Affordable Portables and tutors students in mathematics.
The Park Scholarship is a four-year, undergraduate merit scholarship that emphasizes scholarship, leadership and service. These prestigious awards are valued at $59,000. The scholarship covers tuition and fees, books and supplies, room and board, personal/miscellaneous expenses and transportation. Each Park Scholar will receive a one-time stipend for the purchase of a personal computer.
Park Scholars are selected according to four criteria: scholarship, character, demonstrated leadership and service and the potential for further leadership and service.
WCPSS STUDENTS HEADED TO STATE GEOGRAPHY BEE
There will be 21 students representing WCPSS middle schools seeking to compete in this year’s North Carolina Geography Bee sponsored by the National Geographic Society. The competition will be held March 30 at the Exploris Museum in Raleigh.
The 21 students earned their way into the competition by winning their schools Geography Bee. The WCPSS students include Taylor Adcox of Apex, Andrew Wu of Carnage, Chris Merritt of Carroll, Tahsin Zaman of Daniels, Anita Simha of Davis Drive, Graham Howell of Dillard Drive, Paul Rill of Durant Road, Shelby Hammerstein of East Garner, Alex Vinson of East Millbrook, Matthew Newman of Heritage, Ben Kelly of Holly Ridge, Austin Hunt of Leesville Road, Natan Holtzman of Ligon, Roman Cacha of Lufkin Road, David Hasenauer of Martin, David Winegar of Reedy Creek, Nathan Guerin of Salem, Logan Ritchey of Wakefield, Michael Finegan of Wake Forest-Rolesville, Oam Bhate of West Cary and Patrick Balogh of West Millbrook.
Geography Bees were held in various WCPSS middle schools in December and January after registering nationally. After local bees, students take a written test to determine the top scorers in each state. These top scorers are invited to the Statewide Bee to be held on March 30 at Exploris Museum. Melinda Stephani, WCPSS Senior Administrator for Social Studies, will serve as a moderator for the state Geography Bee.
MILLBROOK HIGH LESSONS OF VIETNAM CLASS RECOGNIZED BY VETERANS
A recent publication of the Viet Nam Veterans of America, VVA Veteran, recognized the work of Millbrook High students in the Lessons of Vietnam class. The publication stated that Millbrook teacher “Lindy Poling continues to run one of the nation’s top high school Vietnam War history classes. Two of the noteworthy aspects of the course: an annual trip to Washington, DC, where students visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (among other things) where the names of men from Wake County, NC, who perished in the War are read, and the publication of Bridges, a high-quality, student-produced newsletter.” The most recent edition of the student publication can be found at
http://mhs.wcpss.net/academics/poling/Bridges/2007/feb07_bridges.pdf
SOUTHEAST RALEIGH HIGH STUDENTS PAINT MURALS
More than 100 students and staff at Southeast Raleigh High have stamped and painted murals on a banner more than 50 feet long and on the walls of one of the school’s stairwells. The school has used a theme of West African textile art to integrate visual arts curriculum with leadership. The students were led in the project by artists in residence Maisha and Baba Shabu.
APEX MIDDLE SCHOOL PRESENTS CINDERELLA
Students of Apex Middle School will present Cinderella in performances March 22, 23 and 24 in the school auditorium. Performances begin at 7 p.m. There will be an understudy performance 2 p.m., March 24. Tickets may be purchased at the door.
EAST WAKE MIDDLE SCHOOL SUPPORTS DUKE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
Students at East Wake Middle School collected change to support the children in Duke Children’s Hospital. Staff and students worked from November to January collecting money to donate during the hospital’s annual radiothon. Student Council Officers Chelsea Sumner, Taylor Burt, Brittney Westmoreland and Candice Holmquist, along with Beta club representative Michaela Jones, Guidance Counselor Pauline Hardy-Evans and Assistant Student Council Advisor Jamie Henton traveled to Duke Children’s Hospital Feb. 13 to make a presentation. The girls presented a check for $1,600 representing the school’s months of hard work to the radiothon coordinator. The school’s contributions were part of $1 million raised in the radiothon this year. More information about the radiothon is available at http://dukehealth1.org/childrens_services/radiothon.asp
TEACHERS AND STUDENTS PAINT WORLD MAP AT CREECH ROAD
Creech Road Elementary students armed with paint brushes, guided by international-exchange teachers from Ecuador and South Africa, will paint a large and colorful world map on the blacktop at the school on Feb. 28. The teachers who were employed through the Visiting International Faculty Program are leading an effort to spark students’ curiosity about the world and help prepare a new generation of students for success in the global economy.
EAST MILLBROOK SERVES PANCAKES TO HELP GUATEMALA SCHOOL
Throughout this year, East Millbrook Middle School students have been studying the essential question, “To What Extent is the Ocean a Wall or a Highway?” The International Baccalaureate school’s focus on these strong international connections has led the school to give back to students at a sister school in Guatemala.
East Millbrook will have a Pancake Breakfast for Guatemala on Saturday, Feb. 24 from 7:30 – 10:00 a.m. at the Crazy Fire Mongolian Grill on the corner of Spring Forest and Capital Blvd. This will support the Santiago de Zamora School in Guatemala and its efforts to better the lives of students in Antigua, Guatemala.
Staff, parents and special guests will flip pancakes while students will serve as waiters and display information about Guatemala and the Santiago de Zamora School. The students’ African Drum Ensemble will perform as well.
For more information on the Pancake Breakfast, contact Principal David Ansbacher at 850-8755 or dansbacher@wcpss.net
SERGEANTS VISIT DURANT ROAD ELEMENTARY
Two US Army Sergeants visited Durant Road Elementary School to discuss self-discipline, a trait that was part of the second-graders’ Character Education curriculum. Sgt. Liles and Sgt. Hopkins shared stories with the students that illustrated the importance of self-discipline.
WCPSS PURCHASING DEPARTMENT HONORED
The WCPSS Purchasing Department has been awarded the Sustained Professional Purchasing Award for the year 2006. This is the highest award a purchasing department can obtain within the Carolinas Association of Governmental Purchasing. In order to receive this award, purchasing departments must meet and maintain high standards in several areas including professional development, continuous improvements programs, environmental awareness, minority participation and automation and electronic commerce.
POE ELEMENTARY HOSTS LOCAL AUTHOR FOR READING EVENT
Poe Montessori Magnet School will join more than 45 million readers nationally to celebrate Read Across America Day. Sponsored by the National Education Association, Read Across America is a national event in which students celebrate reading and how much fun it can be. Students at Poe Montessori Magnet will join their peers across the country to celebrate the ninth annual reading event on March 2.
Poe’s celebration will include readings by local children’s author Johnny Ray Moore and WCPSS Assistant Superintendent of Student Services Marvin Connelly. Moore, who launched his writing career with poetry writing as a second grader, is the author of Howie has a Stomachache and The Story of Martin Luther King Jr., among other books. He will speak with students about the writing process, how he turned his ideas into books, and how he works with illustrators. Following the event, he will also be available to sign his books that have been purchased by Poe families. Connelly will read a Dr. Seuss book to the PK and Kindergarten children to encourage their love of reading and celebrate this outstanding children’s author.
POE ELEMENTARY CELEBRATES MONTESSORI EDUCATION WEEK
The week of Feb. 26 is Montessori Education week. The staff and students at Poe Montessori Magnet School will be honoring Maria Montessori and her educational legacy. Montessori believed children were the future of this world and that creating a better world begins with the child.
During Montessori Education week, students will create booklets of quotes from Maria Montessori and discuss how her ideas impact their day-to-day learning in a Montessori environment. Since the first Montessori school was founded in Italy 1907, students will learn information about this country, such as geographical regions, currency, and government systems.
The week will conclude with a celebration where students will write their ideas for how to create a peaceful school environment on pinwheels. Students and staff will participate in a sing-along featuring the song “I am A Child of This World” as a tribute to a peaceful Montessori environment. Finally, Montessori Education week will conclude with an outdoor school-wide parade of pinwheels. These messages of peace will be sent to a neighboring Montessori school.
NATIONAL SCHOOL BREAKFAST WEEK STARTS MARCH 5
School lunchrooms will open their doors bright and early from March 5 - 9 to welcome children to 2007 National School Breakfast Week (NSBW) celebrations.
“Research conducted by the University of Minnesota and Harvard University concludes that students who eat breakfast are more alert, have improved memory and problem-solving skills and perform better on standardized tests: that is why we say school breakfasts provides a link to learning,” said Janey Thornton, president of the School Nutrition Association.
National School Breakfast Week was launched in 1989 to raise awareness about the importance of breakfast for all students at school and to draw attention to the link between eating a good breakfast and cognitive growth.
School breakfast provides at least one-fourth of the nutrients needed by a growing child and less than 30 percent of their calories from fat, and less than 10 percent from saturated fat, meeting the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans. According to the US Department of Agriculture, School Breakfast Program participation is associated with higher intakes of food energy, calcium, phosphorous, and vitamin.