Enloe High students in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, their parents and some of their teachers gathered at Pullen Park to celebrate completing the two year course of study.

The program includes a series of IB exams that many colleges and universities provide course credit for just like Advanced Placement testing, as well as extended research essays and group projects.

While the celebration was winding down, several students and teachers talked about their IB experience.

Click here to listen to Enloe High IB Students Celebrate

This is a 7.5 minute mp3 file.

A Millbrook High graduate tells the story of being inspired by a class to seek her masters degree at NC State University and then travel to Vietnam. The story is on page two in the latest edition of Bridges, the newsletter written by Millbrook High students of the Lessons of Vietnam class.

You can see the entire newsletter here.

Students at Douglas Elementary School have taken their learning outside as a part of the school-wide In Nature’s Eye grant project. Students across the school used nature photography to explore and reinforce curricular objectives. As part of a weeklong residency at the Creative Arts and Science themed magnet school with writer Mimi Herman, 4th graders took close-up, medium and long shots of things in nature, then added writing based on their subjects. Third grade students worked with photographer, Charles Thomas of Charlotte’s Light Factory, to explore properties of shadow and light through their photography. Fifth graders worked with the laws of motion during a residency with dancer, Martha Connerton, and their photography demonstrated these laws. Even the kindergarten, first and second graders have used photography during this project to experience curricular objectives such as sorting by attributes, looking at communities and experiencing prepositional words and opposites. Throughout the project, Douglas students have created amazing nature imagery through their photography. The students’ photography is currently on display in the new student photography gallery at Douglas that will permanently house a rotating display of student photography. The funding for the grant project was generously provided by the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County and by the North Carolina Arts Council.

East Millbrook Middle School families are preparing for a night of art and music as the East Millbrook Department of Visual and Performing Arts presents ART JAM ’09 with a Silent Art Auction on Thursday, May 28 in the school auditorium. They’ll enjoy an evening of music, art, and theatrical spoken word.

The Silent Art Auction containing 50 works from student artists begins at 6:00 p.m. with cash bids being accepted in the 900 Building Gallery. At 7:00 p.m. the East Millbrook Jazz Ensemble, Orchestra, Choral, and Theatre troupes will perform. Admission is $5.00 at the door with proceeds supporting the school’s arts programs through the Arts Boosters Organization.

Southeast Raleigh High School’s balance and strength in the relays propelled it to the NC High School Athletic Association state 4-A women’s track and field championships at the Irwin Belk Track on the campus of North Carolina A&T State University.

The champion ships is Southeast Raleigh High’s second in the past four years.

Southeast Raleigh tallied 54 points to 48 for runner-up Charlotte Myers Park. There were 45 teams which tallied points in the women’s meet.

Southeast Raleigh won both the four by 100 and four by 200 relays while senior Chrishawn Williams helped her team toward the crown by capturing first in the long jump and second in the triple jump.

WCPSS Athletics Administrator Bobby Guthrie congratulated Coach Elizabeth Gary and her team on winning the NCHSAA 4A State Championship.

In the state 4-A men’s track and field championships, Green Hope High and Southeast Raleigh High tied for third with 32 points. A total of 52 schools scored in the men’s meet.

Millbrook High School’s Quinn Carmean won both his singles and doubles matches Saturday afternoon to lift his team to a 5-3 victory over Winston-Salem R.J. Reynolds in the 4-A championship in the 19th annual NC High School Athletic Association state dual team tennis championships at the Burlington Tennis Center.

Carmean, who was selected as the Most Valuable Player of the title match, won at number two singles and teamed with Sean Weber to take the top doubles point. The teams split the six singles matches, with two going to a tiebreaker after the players split sets.

Millbrook completed an unbeaten 22-0 season in winning its second dual team crown but first since 1999.

For seniors Srini Iyengar, Tom Orban, Nick Orban, and Mark Zurawel, a state championship will be the perfect memory to take with them to graduation ceremonies.

WCPSS Athletics Administrator Bobby Guthrie offered his congratulations to Coach Chris Grimes and the team on winning the NCHSAA 4A State Mens’ Tennis Team Championship

CLASS 4-A: Raleigh Millbrook 5, Winston-Salem R.J. Reynolds 3

Singles: Robbie Mudge (RJR) def. Sean Weber 6-1, 6-4; Quinn Carmean (M) def. Dillon Segur 6-4, 4-6, (10-8); Parker Chang (RJR) def. Mike Allan 6-1, 6-7 (7), (10-7); Chad Hoskins (RJR) def. Jeff Cobb 6-3, 6-2;

Srini Iyengar (M) def. Max Swindle 6-2, 6-0; Tom Orban (M) def. Tommy Healy 7-6(4), 6-3.

Doubles: Weber-Q. Carmean (M) def. Mudge-Chang 10-7; Allan-Mickey Carmean (M) led Segur-Hoskins (RJR) 8-6 when match halted with championship decided; Cobb-Iyengar (M) def. Swindle-Healy 10-2.

Athens Drive High students Stephen Page, Ryan O’Keefe, Matthew Reeves, Nicolaus Jordan, Zack Bennett, Jay Hughey, Rich Palka, Ethan Johnson and Jessica Wirsing have been named Certified Solidworks Associates. Solidworks is 3D CAD design software. The students are industry certified and can proficiently navigate and use Solidworks Constraint Based software to an industry set standard. Athens Drive High School Career Technical Education teacher Nolan Fahrer teaches these students. They are the only Certified Solidworks Associates listed in the Certified User Directory for Raleigh, NC.

Thanks to Athens Drive High teacher Penn Pace for sharing this story with GotNews.

Information about the 2009-10 Before And After School Programs, including the fee schedule for the new Wednesdays-Only After-School Program, is now available online.

At a gathering of the teachers who lead social studies instruction at WCPSS high schools and middle schools, the WCPSS senior administrator for social studies instruction Melinda Stephani recognized Millbrook High teacher Lindy Poling.

Recently, Stephani and Poling met at Millbrook High to talk about Poling’s social studies class, Lessons of Vietnam.

Click here to listen to Social Studies Administrators Honor Millbrook Teacher

This is a 21 minute mp3 file.

You can read more about Lindy Poling’s class here.

Churches and other faith communities are establishing relationships with schools under an initiative begun this year by the Wake County Public School System.

Board of Education members received a briefing on the new initiative and heard about partnerships Dillard Drive Elementary and Millbrook High have established this year.

Click here to listen to Schools and Faith Communities Partner

This is a 10 minute mp3 file.