Good News
March 27 , 2007 |
2007-08 TEACHER OF THE YEAR SEMI-FINALISTS NAMED
WCPSS has named 20 semi-finalists for the Wake County Public School System's 2007-08 Teacher of the Year. Each WCPSS school 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:
Lisa Gray, Cedar Fork Elementary
Kathy Snapp, Green Hope High
Maria Olds, Apex Elementary
Lexa Kaplan, Athens Drive High
Grace Mandap, Ballentine Elementary
Paige Elliott, Fuquay-Varina High
Jennifer Koch, West Millbrook Middle
Katie Ewing, Sanderson High
Leigh Ciancanelli, East Wake School of Health Science
Sonia Solomon, Forestville Road Elementary
Tracy Donohue, Powell Elementary
Sally Zenick, Reedy Creek Middle
Tonya Wicker, Vance Elementary
Peggy DeBruhl, Garner High
Jaime Mousty, Poe Montessori Magnet School
Maria Castro, Yates Mill Elementary
Kathleen Judson, North Ridge Elementary
Kimberly Harrison, Knightdale High
Christopher Lyerly, Enloe High
Stephen Elrod, Wake Forest Elementary
Selection committee members will visit the semi-finalists for a classroom observation in the next step in the process to determine the 10 finalists. A reception will be held in April to honor the semi-finalists and name the finalists. The 2007-08 Teacher of the Year will be named at the Teacher of the Year banquet on Thursday, May 17 at the Embassy Suites in Cary.
The WCPSS Teacher of the Year program is sponsored by Wachovia.
FOUR WCPSS STUDENTS NAMED 2007 MOREHEAD SCHOLARS
Four Wake County Public School System students were among the 70 students named Morehead-Cain Scholars at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The value of the Morehead-Cain Scholarship is about $80,000 for each in-state student.
The four WCPSS students are:
William McElwee Clayton of Broughton High;
Elizabeth Landon McCain of Broughton High;
Daniela de Lima Nogueira of Wakefield High; and
Gregory Forest Randolph of Broughton High.
The winners were selected through a nomination and interview process that began last fall. Approximately 1,655 high school seniors nationwide and in Great Britain were nominated by their high schools or applied for the Morehead-Cain.
From those nominees, the foundation and regional committees chose 111 finalists: 64 in-state, 44 out-of-state and three from Great Britain. The process concluded with interviews of the finalists in Chapel Hill March 5-6.
Selection criteria are leadership, academic achievement, moral force of character, and physical vigor. Morehead-Cain recipients are chosen by merit and accomplishments, not financial need. Winners have until April 16 to accept the scholarship.
Among the largest and most competitive scholarship programs in the US, the Morehead-Cain -- formerly the Morehead Scholarship -- pays all expenses for four years of undergraduate study, including the costs of a laptop computer and four summer enrichment experiences.
WCPSS ELEMENTARY STUDENTS PERFORM IN HONORS CHORUS CONCERT
Seventeen WCPSS elementary schools had students perform in the 2007 annual Elementary Wake County Honors Chorus Concert March 24 at Athens Drive High School. The schools participating included Baileywick, Bugg, Combs, Farmington Woods, Olds, Fuller, Heritage, Holly Grove, Jeffries Grove, Lead Mine, Oak Grove, Olive Chapel, Rolesville, Root, Salem, Weatherstone and Yates Mill. Each school has 9-10 students who perform in their chorus. The event was under the direction of Dr. Lisa Fredenburgh, director of choral activities at Meredith College.
DANIELS WINS WCPSS 2007 BATTLE OF THE BOOKS
The team of students from Daniels Middle School emerged winners among the 18 WCPSS middle schools that competed in the Wake County Public School System Battle of the Books March 10 at Garner High School.
The Daniels Middle School team included Audrey Bowden, Thomas Kweon, Abigail Thurman, Lydia Thurman, Katelyn Schubel, Maitreyee Singh, Rob Sprankle and Rachel Willis. Dorothy Carter was the advisor. The Daniels team will compete in a regional competition later this month.
The West Cary Middle School team finished second. The West Cary team included Andrew Biscoe, Hailey Cusimano, Smitha Iyengar, Cindy Kang, Ben Kucmierz, Morgan Malone, Julia Shen, Mounika Somisetty, Stefanie Stewart, Lisa Wong and Allen Yang. Media Specialists Jan Garrett and Sheila Pattee were advisors.
The semi finalists included the teams from Martin and Zebulon middle schools.
In the Battle of the Books, teams of students represent their schools in a quiz bowl-style elimination competition. Students answer questions based on reading the 2006 North Carolina School Library Media Association list of books, which included Watership Down, Little Women, Chasing Vermeer, Peter and the Starcatchers and Tarzan of the Apes.
In each round of competition, teams representing two schools will compete. After three rounds of competition, the eight teams with the highest point totals will compete to enter the semi finals. Winners meet in the finals.
The Battle of the Books program seeks to encourage reading by all students at the middle school level. Students, regardless of ability, are exposed to quality literature representing a variety of literary styles and viewpoints by prominent authors in the area of young adult literature. The game format creates interest and excitement in reading. Through the fun and excitement of the competition, students improve reading skills, mature in their choices of reading materials, and acquire a broader knowledge base.
The Battle of the Books steering committee members included Kathy McDaniel, Kelli Schneider, Rita Thurman, and committee chair Carol Shearin. WCPSS Instructional Services helped. Joni Richardson and Linda Mathis were instrumental in providing guidance, support, and resources for the steering committee. Tom Huffstetler and Sharon Pearce served the entire day as Battle Facilitators. Sarah Jordan acted as the Battle of the Books official. Parents and teachers served as volunteers, judges, and moderators. Each school team worked with a teacher and media specialist from their school.
MARTIN STUDENTS EARN HONORS AT REGIONAL PLAY FESTIVAL
Students from Martin Middle School's Drama Production, Honors Orchestra, and Technical Theatre II earned honors at the N.C. Theatre Conference Eastern Regional Middle School Play Festival on March 24 at East Chapel Hill High. The Martin students shared their collaborative student-written play, "Caught in the Middle", which is based on the Civil War. They came back with the following awards:
Excellence in Playwriting
Excellence in Choreography
Outstanding Ensemble Acting
Honorable Mention Acting: Annabel Butler
Honorable Mention Acting: Kevin Schaefer
Honorable Mention Acting: Sarah Melvin
Excellence in Directing
Superior Rating
Prior to this event, an excerpt from this play was accepted into the 2007 Wake County Pieces of Gold production and performed as a collaborative work by the Drama Production and Honors Orchestra students.
Teachers leading this group are Judy Dove, Theatre Arts Director; Anita Hynus, Orchestra Director; and Kirt Landry, Technical Director.
YOU CAN JOIN THE SUPERINTENDENT’S PARENT ADVISORY COUNCIL
Parents of WCPSS students can now apply to serve on the Parent Advisory Council. The Superintendent’s Parent Advisory Council (SPAC) is a diverse group of engaged and informed parents who serve as a sounding board and problem solving entity to the Superintendent of the Wake County Public School System. The group meets four times a year for six hours each meeting. The parents meet as part of a summit with the superintendent, along with the superintendent’s cabinet, the Principal Advisory Council, the Teacher Advisory Council, and the Support Advisory Council. The topics are interesting, the discussion is lively, and it is important that all areas are represented. The deadline to apply is April 13. If you would like more information, contact Virginia Parker at parkervg@earthlink.net.
WCPSS HOLDS HISPANIC/LATINO MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL CONFERENCE
The Hispanic/Latino Middle and High School Conference was held on March 17 at Southeast Raleigh High. This was the second annual conference provided by the WCPSS Office of Prevention Services. The conference introduced students to motivational speakers from schools and the community who have achieved success in their professional fields. It provided students and parents information about different educational opportunities and school programs. Students were empowered to make informed and productive decisions about their future. The conference
helped middle school students prepare for the transition into high school.
GREEN HOPE ROBOTICS TEAM WINS REGIONAL F.I.R.S.T.
The Green Hope High School team, the Awkward Turtles, was one of eight rookie teams at the regional FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) robotics competition held in Richmond VA March 3. The competition was attended by teams from as far away as Ontario, Canada as well as other teams from North Carolina, Virginia, Washington DC and Maryland. The Awkward Turtles claimed first place at the regional championships and will attend the national championship in Atlanta GA in April.
The team members were: David VanLeeuwen, Tim Konst, Brian Li, Spencer Perry, Micheal Saylor, Karoon McDowell, Micheal Nokes, Kurt Spencer, Sarah Hatfield, Kelsey Kelly, Hannah Harmon, Catherine Harmon, and Rob Collis.
EAST MILLBROOK STUDENT WINS SPEECH COMPETITION
Sixth-grade East Millbrook Middle School student, Mitchell Burgess, won the 2007 North Carolina Central University Oratorical contest. "What Makes a Great Society" was the essay topic for this contest as students were instructed to write a two-minute speech. Mitchell delivered his speech and won the $1000.00 prize. The purpose of the project was to encourage and support critical thinking, expository writing, and public speaking among North Carolina students. Mitchell, along with the high school winner, was featured in a recent commercial on the UPN television station, reciting a small section of his essay.
APEX STUDENTS PROMOTE THEIR COMMUNITY’S SMALL TOWN CHARM
What do you get when you ask middle school students to explore a small railroad town? Mirka Christesen, a Lufkin Road Middle School National Junior Honor Society Adviser and AG Resource Teacher, presented a challenge to her students. She asked them to create a better awareness of Apex, the town where their school is located.
 Students who worked on the Apex project included Amishi Desai, Ashley Spruill, Dorian Davis, Jessica Suggs, Lindsey Johnson and Jack Wingo. |
“I got the idea because I see new families coming to the area every day knowing hardly anything about the town and its history.” said Christesen.
After researching basic facts about Apex and after interviewing shop owners on Salem Street in Historical Downtown, the students were to come up with a slogan for and a symbol of the town.
The final products are a brochure and a poster. The brochure is entitled “Apex-Our Home” with highlights of the history of the town, its population growth, a small map and important contact numbers, etc. The poster reflects the caboose and the railroad as a symbol of the town’s humble beginnings in 1873.
Thanks are due to Tammy Wingo Photography, Landmark Printing of Raleigh, and especially to Mrs. Kim Lowe, a dedicated Lufkin parent volunteer, for her contributions to this project.
Did you know that the population of Apex has grown since 349 in 1900 to over 31,000 in 2007? Kids came up with the slogan - a brief statement capturing the town’s essence – after interviews with local citizens. As they summed it up: Apex is indeed “Small Town Charm Where Growth Shoots Out of the Stars!”
WCPSS STUDENTS TAKE PART IN EV CHALLENGE
Teams of Wake County students participated March 23-24 in the 12th annual EV Challenge Final Event at Historic Oak View County Park in Raleigh, where several hundred students represented schools from throughout the Southeast.
The competition is the culmination of a year-long program designed to teach sixth through twelfth graders the importance of alternative fuel development and application. Fifteen schools from North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Florida participated in this year’s program.
The EV Challenge is the country’s premier alternative fuel education program, unique because of its integration of several disciplines, including math, science, engineering and language arts. The EV Challenge is sponsored by the nonprofit Carolina Electric Vehicles Coalition, Inc. (CEVC), based in Wake County.
One of the most exciting components of the high school program is the student design and construction of a street-legal electric vehicle, which will be entered into a series of range and autocross events throughout the weekend. Students also compete in community initiatives, web-site design and public speaking.
Middle school students also apply a multi-disciplinary approach to their design and construction of model solar race cars for competition. The middle school program is based on the Junior Solar Sprint (JSS) program, developed and sponsored by the US Department of Energy. The NC Solar Center coordinates the JSS program for the CEVC and works with participating schools to provide curriculum and instructional support.
This year’s EV Challenge program is dedicated to the memory of the organization’s co-founder Ralph Goodwin, who died last year. His daughter, Jennifer Goodwin Whitley, stepped up to assume leadership responsibilities for the program so it would continue.
For more information, |
DAVIS DRIVE STUDENT EARNS STATE HONORS IN PTA REFLECTIONS
Davis Drive Middle student Naveen Iqbal won first place at the State level in the PTA Reflections competition for Musical Composition. Iqbal will now compete in the National Reflections Program.
GREEN HOPE STUDENT EARNS STATE HONORS IN PTA REFLECTIONS
Green Hope High student Kelsey Myers won first place at the State level in the PTA Reflections competition for Dance Choreography. Myers will now compete in the National Reflections Program.
GREEN HOPE PRESENTS MUSICAL
Green Hope High School presented the musical "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" on March 22 through and 24.The satire of big business follows the rise of J. Pierrepont Finch, who uses a little handbook called "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" to climb the corporate ladder from window washer to executive, tackling various challenges along the way including true love.