Classroom Connection - Feb. 24, 2009
Wake County Students Honored for Volunteer Efforts
On Feb. 10, Wake Forest-Rolesville High School student Austin Shaw was named one of North Carolina’s top two youth volunteers for 2009 by the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. This nationwide program recognizes young people for outstanding community service. Austin organized a 5K race and raised thousands of dollars to provide bunk beds and scholarships for children at a vocational school in Uganda.
Austin learned about the dire conditions at this school through the organization Embrace Uganda, he said, “I felt compelled to contribute my talents and efforts to those children in need.”Austin worked with town planners, business sponsors and the media to plan and promote the race.
Austin will receive a $1,000 award, an engraved silver medallion, and a trip to Washington, D.C. for several days of special recognition events in early May. Only 102 young people nationwide, one middle level and one high school student in each state and the District of Columbia, receive this honor.
Mason Park, an eighth-grade student at West Millbrook Middle was named one of the top runners-up in the 2009 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. He has helped raise thousands of dollars to fund blood cancer research and patient services, and formed a volunteer club at his school that has provided theatre seats for the school's auditorium, raised funds to send a local theatre troupe to France, and collected toys and books for patients at a local children's hospital. Later in the year, he will receive an engraved bronze Distinguished Finalist medallion to commemorate this award. Mason also qualified for the President's Volunteer Service Award.
Carnage Middle Wins First Place in Regional Science Olympiad Tournament
On Feb. 14, 2009, the Carnage Middle School Science Olympiad teams took first place in both the Junior Varsity division and the Varsity division for the fourth year in a row. The teams are coached by Beth Lucas and Pat Weber, science teachers at the school. The Varsity team qualifies for the state competition which will be held at NC State University on April 24 and 25.
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Matthew Monk learns how to put a computer together at Lufkin's computer giveaway.
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Computer Giveaway at Lufkin Road Middle
Over 30 Lufkin Road Middle school students received computers free of charge! On Feb. 10, Lufkin Road Middle School partnered with the Kramden Institute to ensure that all students at Lufkin have working computers in their homes. After Lufkin staff surveyed the entire school, Kramden awarded several students with refurbished computers that were donated by local businesses. Volunteers from the Kramden Institute help to collect and refurbish computers and then award them to local students. Kramden will make sure the Lufkin Road students have working computers through 12th-grade. Kramden's website is www.kramden.org
Dillard Drive Middle Roadrunners Win Poetry Award
Earlier this year, Mrs. Duerr’s 8th-grade Roadrunner students from Dillard Drive Middle entered a poetry contest. Forty-six poems were accepted for publication in an anthology of poems called A Celebration of Poets! Based on the quality of the entries and the high number of acceptance, they were awarded a “Poetic Achievement Award.” The poetry contest is sponsored by Creative Communication which showcases young poets. If you would like to vote for the top 10 poems go to www.poeticpower.com/judge to cast your ballot!
Dillard Drive Middle Future City Wins Award
Congratulations to the Dillard Middle Future City Team! They received the $250 "Best Use of Energy" award at the regional Future City competition held at NC State University, Saturday, January 10th, 2009. Their city, Pier Itaqui, a super skyscraper, located on the northeast coast of Brazil, utilized tidal turbines, wind turbines and an Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion plant for power. Fourteen middle school teams went head to head, competing for the top prize, a trip to the national competition and a cash prize of $1,000. Dillard Drive Middle has won the top prize in regional competition twice before, and although the team didn't take home the top award this year, they were right in the thick of the competition. The team is coached by Dr. Jim Brooks, AG resource specialist. The presentation team included Fred Albano, Alexandra Hewson and Eduardo Talavera. Other team members who helped build the model city and complete the Sim City component were Zach Steckmann, Alan Madelena, DeQuan Stevens, Robert Hewson, Luis Rios, and Riley Mahn. Charley Townsend, former DDMS student, helped out tremendously as a student mentor. Follow this link to the story in the January 11th News & Observer: http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1362424.html .
Penny Road Receives NC Bluebird Society Grant
Penny Road Elementary School was selected by the NC Bluebird Society for an education grant of $200.00. The award is part of the NC Bluebird Grant Program, which supports North Carolina organizations, schools and/or individuals promoting bluebird conservation. The school will use the award to add feeding stations, birdbaths and bird house accessories to its existing bluebird program
East Millbrook Middle Teacher to Present at Conference
East Millbrook Magnet Middle School teacher Teryn Bivens has been chosen to present at the NCTIES (NC Technology in Education Society) Conference March 4-6 at the new Raleigh Convention Center. She will be presenting "Blogging for Students (& Teachers): A session to discuss reasons for blogging, curriculum integration, how to create a blog, and multiple uses for the blog in the classroom and beyond."
Kindergarten Class Orffestrates Book Written by Local Author
As a part of an “informance” involving kindergarten and first-grade, tracks 1 and 2, students at Holly Grove Elementary, a kindergarten class will “orffestrate” a book written by Sarah Deal of Fuquay-Varina. Sarah is a senior at Campbell University and will be doing her student teaching at Holly Grove Elementary beginning in February. She has written and illustrated "The Spotless Ladybug." The students will demonstrate how music can be involved in literacy by using instruments to produce appropriate sounds as the book is being read. At the informance, Mrs. Dickens, the music specialist, will read the book as the pictures are projected for the audience to see while the students provide instrumental accompaniment they created. The book is about accepting each other with our differences and being proud of our individuality and not trying to be like everyone else. Books will be available for purchase following the informance and Ms. Deal will do a book signing. Other classes will also share examples of what they are learning in music class. Tracks 3 and 4 of the same grades will present their informance on Feb. 24 at 6:30 p.m. and another kindergarten class will give their version of "The Spotless Ladybug" Orffestration. Ms. Deal will be present for a book signing at this informance as well.
Ligon Middle Sponsors Road Race
Get ready for an exciting fun-filled, healthy event for the whole family as Ligon Middle School sponsors it's second annual road race called Ligon Middle School's "Bolt for the Blue." The race will be held on Saturday, March 21 at 9 a.m. at the school site at 706 East Lenoir Street, Raleigh, NC 27601.
The race is a USATF certified 5-K Road Race/Fun Walk and is the school's only student-sponsored schoolwide fundraising event. Its primary purpose is to acquire funding for all student supported activities and to increase awareness about the importance of student/family wellness and fitness.
The cost for participation is $20 and informational brochures with applications and donor information are available at the main office front desk or on the Ligon website at ligon.wcpss.net.
If you would like to participate in the road race, make an early donation or sponsor a student, please make a check in any amount payable to Ligon Middle School and send it to the attention of Christine Gregory at the above school's address. If you have additional questions or concerns, please contact Ronnie Rico Sharpe at rrsharpe@wcpss.net or phone (919) 856-7938.
Forestville Road Elementary Named National Title I Distinguished School
Forestville Road Elementary has been named the state’s National Title I Distinguished School, an honor recognizing Title I schools that improve student achievement through innovative approaches.
National Title I Distinguished Schools are recognized for working to improve citizenship, character, and enjoyment in arts and community spirit. For three consecutive years, the school has achieved adequate yearly progress in 25 student subgroups with a five percent yearly gain in mathematics proficiency scores. The school has been recognized as a School of Progress for high student growth under the North Carolina ABCs model.
The school will receive an engraved plaque and $7,500 and will be recognized at the National Title I Conference and the North Carolina Association of Compensatory Education Conference this fall.
Fuquay-Varina Band Director Honored
Fuquay-Varina High School Band Director Matt Edwards was named the 2008-2009 Central District Band Director of the Year. This award is presented by the North Carolina Bandmasters Association, and it recognizes the band director who has the best total music education program, which includes marching band, concert band, various solos and ensembles as well as All-District and Honors Band participants. The Central District is the largest district in North Carolina covering 12 counties and approximately 100 schools.
Nine Park Scholar Finalists
Nine Wake County Public School Seniors are Park Scholar Finalist. The students are Ryan Alexander Collinsworth and John Michael Turner of Middle Creek, Tyler Andrew Confrey-Maloney of Broughton, Adam Carswell Dunn of Holly Springs, Alyse C. Flick of Athens Dr., Ebunluwa Ololade of Wake Forest Rolesville, Patrick Joseph Short of Sanderson, Ashwin Paul Srikrishna of Enloe and Gretchen Louise Stoles of Apex. The Park Scholarships program is among America’s most prestigious undergraduate merit scholarship programs, paying all expenses at NC State for 4 years. Selection criteria is based on academic achievement; personal characteristic, and commitment to better one’s community.
Eight National Achievement Scholarship Award Finalists
Eight Wake County Public School seniors are finalist for the National Achievement Scholarship Awards. They are Lariah Ijames of Apex, Kelly Wyche of Broughton, Jacob Besigel, Amelia Lumpkin and Mariah Moore of Enloe, Mariah Hukin of Knightdale, Kaiya Arroyo of Middle Creek and Jasmine Clark of Panther Creek. The National Achievement Scholarship Award is to recognize outstanding Black American high school students. Approximately 150,000 students from across the country applied for this award and these 8 students are among 1,300 finalist. 700 students will be awarded the scholarship this spring.
Holly Springs and Millbrook High Student Help Less Fortunate
Students at Holly Springs and Millbrook High schools were recently given the opportunity to help poor children in Haiti and sharpen their dress making skills, all in one class. The project was organized by retired art teacher, Karen Thorensen, who donated the fabric for the dresses and delivered them to Haiti on a recent mission trip. Family and Consumer Science students worked on the dresses as part of their curriculum and were excited to be helping out teenage girls in this poor country.
New Principals Named
Scott Lyons has been named principal of Leesville Road High School in North Raleigh, replacing Stephen Gainey, who became assistant superintendent for human resources.
Lyons had been principal of Ligon Middle School since 2005. Before that, he was a teacher and assistant principal at Enloe High.
Charles Langley was chosen to fill in as interim principal of West Lake Elementary School in Apex. The retired principal of Willow Springs Elementary replaces Mary Warren, who is now principal of Herbert Akins Road Elementary.
News for Parents
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