Classroom Connection – August 3, 2010
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Back-to-School: Traditional Calendar Schools Prepare to Open
Welcome to the 2010-2011 school year! Traditional calendar schools start August 25. You can find the latest information and news about events connected to the start of school, including our downloadable Back-to-School Guide, right here.
Sales Tax Holiday Begins Next Weekend
Wake County families can save money on eligible back-to-school items by participating in North Carolina’s sales tax holiday weekend on August 6-8. If basic school supplies, clothing, and a new computer are on your back-to-school shopping list this year, then taking advantage of the state's sales tax holiday weekend will be a great time to bargain shop.
Clothing, footwear, and school supplies of $100 or less per item; school instructional materials of $300 or less per item; sports and recreational equipment of $50 or less per item; computers of $3,500 or less per item; and computer supplies of $250 or less per item will be exempt from sales tax. The holiday begins at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 6 and lasts until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 8.
Go to http://www.dor.state.nc.us/taxes/sales/salestax_holiday.html for more details on the 2010 sales tax holiday, including a technical bulletin that specifies the items that are exempt from sales tax. Click here for more back-to-school shopping savings tips.
WCPSS Preliminary Graduation Rates Hold Steady
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Preliminary North Carolina graduation rate data show that the Wake County Public School System’s overall rate held steady at 78.4 percent for a second year in a row. Additionally, seven student subgroups showed improvement, while three subgroups had a lower graduation rate. The three student subgroups with the largest four-year graduation rate gains are:
- American Indian – 9 percentage points
- Economically Disadvantaged – 5.5 percentage points
- Hispanic – 3.3 percentage points
Read the rest of the story here.
Garner Magnet High School Senior Named to National Advisory Board
Carleen Wray, executive director of the National Association of Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE), has announced that Casey Story, a senior at Garner Magnet High School, has been selected as one of nine high school students from across the country to serve on the 2010-2011 National SAVE Youth Advisory Board (YAB). Members of the board will meet throughout the year to discuss school violence issues and develop action plans for SAVE chapters across the nation. Casey recently traveled to Florida to present at the National School Safety Conference on school violence prevention strategies and participated in the National Youth Advisory Board Leadership Training Institute.
Casey has been an active member of SAVE for seven years and has been elected to serve as chair on the 2010-2011 National SAVE YAB. She served as co-chair on the National YAB for the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 school years, and has held leadership positions in her school’s chapter including president. As a SAVE member, Casey performs community service projects and gets others involved to make her community more violence-free. Casey was awarded the National SAVE Middle School Student of the Year for 2006-2007, as well as the Presidential Volunteer Service Award. In addition to being a member of SAVE, Casey has been active with Chorus, Choral Council, Invisible Children, Beta Club, Spanish Club, various Drama productions, Girl Scouts and her Church Youth Group.
Triangle Philharmonic Association Fall Auditions
Extracurricular musical opportunities are available for students in grades 4-12 who are interested in learning a string instrument or advancing their skill level. The Triangle Philharmonic Association will hold auditions for its beginner, intermediate and advanced orchestral classes during their 2010-11 season. Auditions will take place at Athens Drive High School, August 23 - 26. Online registration for auditions for Triangle Youth Orchestra, Triangle Youth Symphony, and Triangle Youth Philharmonic is now open and can be accessed from the Auditions page. If you need more information visit http://philharmonic-association.org/ or please call the Philharmonic Association at 919-645-8434. Auditions are scheduled by instrument and most instruments are scheduled on one day only. Students participating in the Philharmonic Association classes will be practicing for the fall concerts at downtown Raleigh’s Meymandi Concert Hall.
How to Become a Volunteer
Volunteering at a school is a great way to make a difference in the lives of students. Individuals who wish to volunteer may visit any school or WCPSS facility and complete an on-line application located on the WCPSS intranet site by going to "Business Applications" and then to "Volunteer Registration." Once an on-line application is completed, it will generate a criminal record check. No individual may begin as a volunteer in any capacity on WCPSS property until the principal/department leader has received notification of the volunteer's approval status. This volunteer approval process applies to all volunteers for the 2010-2011 school year, including individuals approved for volunteer status in past school years. For more information about the volunteer process, please contact the school that you wish to volunteer.
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ADTSEA President Chuck Lehning (L) and AAA Manager of Driver Training Programs Dr. William Van Tassel congratulate award-winning teacher William Powell. |
Wake County Driver's Ed Teacher Named Tops in the Nation
North Garner Middle School teacher William Powell who also works with Jordan Driving School as a driver's ed instructor has been presented the 2010 American Driver and Traffic Safety Education's Teachers Excellence Award sponsored by AAA. The award honors outstanding driver and traffic safety educators. Powell was in the running for the award as the North Carolina Driver's Ed Teacher of the Year. Powell received the award at the 2010 ADTSEA conference in St. Louis, Missouri. Award recipients receive a complimentary conference registration and plaque from ADTSEA, a monetary award from AAA and identification to wear during the conference.
Recalculation Adds Wake High Schools to Best Schools List
After being inadvertently left off Newsweek magazine’s Best High Schools list, eight Wake County high schools have been added to the roster following a recalculation of the data. In all, 12 Wake County Public High Schools are on the news magazine’s list of best high schools in the United States. They are:
- Apex
- Middle Creek
- Cary
- Panther Creek
- Holly Springs
- Wakefield
- Millbrook
- Enloe
- Broughton
- Athens Drive
- Leesville Road
- Green Hope
“When we first saw the list, we were alarmed only four of our schools made the list,” said David Holdzkom, assistant superintendent for Evaluation and Research. “Using the Newsweek criteria, we re-examined all WCPSS high schools to see if any met the test used by Newsweek. We discovered eight of our schools had been left off the list in error,” Holdzkom said.
The authors of the story acknowledged the error in their calculations and have reposted the corrected results on their Web page. www.newsweek.com/feature/2010/americas-best-high-schools.html
“We have great schools in Wake County, and we want to make sure they get the credit they deserve,” Holdzkom said. Our teachers, administrators and principals have worked hard for these results.”
According to Newsweek, just over 1,600 schools, or about six percent of all the public schools in the U.S., made the list.
Lifelong Learning Jumpstarts Education
The Wake County Public School System's Community Services Department has just released its mini-catalogue providing a sneak peak of exciting Lifelong Learning courses being offered this fall! Pick up the catalog at any WCPSS campus or Wake County library branch. Starting in August, the Lifelong Learning site at Southeast Raleigh High School will launch a new class for students and families called "Successful College Planning" as part of the fall semester for continuing education. The class will be offered every third Tuesday of each month from 6:30-9:30 p.m. and on Tuesday, December 7 from 6:30-9:30 p.m.
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Instructor Lauren Johnson will help high school students and parents understand college requirements, admissions, financial aid, and scholarships. Students will leave prepared to fill out college and financial aid applications while discovering additional resources to help with the cost of higher education. To secure seating, you may register online.
Register Online in 3 Easy Steps:
1. Go to http://cs.wcpss.net/lifelonglearning
2.Click the "Courses & Registration" tab
3. Click "Register Online Now!"
Many more opportunities in Lifelong Learning are right around the corner. To secure seating for any of the following Fall courses, you may register online. By visiting the Lifelong Learning website, you will also find out about other course listings, times and locations for courses in career development, personal enrichment and much more.
Students can enroll in evening classes hosted at eight Lifelong Learning school sites: Athens Drive High, Leesville High, Heritage High, Millbrook High, Knightdale High, Sanderson High, Southeast Raleigh High and Reedy Creek Middle. For more information, call 850-1807 or visit http://cs.wcpss.net/lifelonglearning
Families to Receive Calls About HPV Vaccine
General Statute 115C-47(51) directs all local education agencies in North Carolina to provide parents and guardians of students in grades 5-12 with "information about cervical cancer, cervical dysplasia, human papillomavirus and the vaccines available to prevent these diseases." To view the North Carolina law please visit this link.
Each year, WCPSS Central Services provides information to parents and guardians of students in grades 5-12 via a centralized voice message. Below is the 2010 schedule:
- All Year Round Calendar Schools: July 26 - 30, 2010
- All Modified Calendar Schools: August 9, 2010
- Wake Early College: August 23, 2010
- All Traditional Calendar Schools: September 9 - 17, 2010
This voice message will inform parents and guardians of all students in grades 5-12 of this legislation and where to obtain an informational flyer.
The flyer is accessible electronically by visiting our website at www.wcpss.net, clicking on the "Parents" tab located at the top of the website. Once on the parent's page, click on "Health & Safety" then click "HPV vaccine Information." There you will find the information in both English and Spanish.
Southeast Raleigh High Graduate Earns National Merit Scholarship
A Southeast Raleigh High graduate in the Class of 2010 is among more than 1,900 additional winners of National Merit Scholarships financed by colleges and universities.
Julie R. Robinson of Southeast Raleigh High plans to study chemical engineering and has been awarded a National Merit Scholarship from Clemson University.
College-sponsored awards provide between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study at the institution financing the scholarship. Each sponsor college awarded these scholarships to finalists in the National Merit Scholarship program who will attend their institution. This final group of winners brings the number of 2010 National Merit Scholars to approximately 8,400. These distinguished high school graduates will receive scholarships for undergraduate study worth a total of approximately $36 million.
Southeast Raleigh High Student Earns Congressional Award Gold Medal
Southeast Raleigh Magnet High senior Neel Mandavilli was one of four students from North Carolina honored by Congressman David Price with a Congressional Award Gold Medal this year. Over 250 young people from across the country were honored at an event held at the U.S. Capitol in Washington DC last month. As part of the program, Mandavilli volunteered with the American Red Cross, Raleigh Parks and Recreation, and Eva Perry Library. For his personal development, he attended NASA's summer collegiate program at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and participated in Sunday School conducted by Chinmaya Mission. For the exploratory trip, Mandavilli planned and visited Granada and Barcelona in Spain to study Spanish architecture and culture. For personal fitness, he set specific goals for table tennis, took lessons from his coach, and practiced the sport to accomplish his goals.
The Congressional Award Foundation was created in 1979 by Congress and President Jimmy Carter to recognize initiative, service, and achievement in young people. Guided by an adviser, students set measurable goals with a defined timeframe for volunteering, personal development, athletics, and an exploratory or expedition trip.
Helpful School Meal Videos
Learn more about school breakfasts and lunches - including how to easily pay for them and track your child's usage – by viewing this Parent Vision. You can also find out about how our cafeterias empower students to choose healthy food choices as they make their way down the servings lines by watching the August episode of The School Connection.
Board Names Interim Principals
At its July 20 meeting, the Board of Education named retired WCPSS principal Tom Benton as Interim Principal at the East Wake School of Integrated Technology and retired WCPSS principal Charles Langley as Interim Principal at West Lake Middle.
The board named as assistant principals Eric Betheil at Wakefield High, Christopher Cox at Martin Middle, Dimitrious Foster at Fuquay-Varina High, Brian Gwyn at Apex Middle, Aaron Marcin at Green Hope Elementary, Robert Morrison at Holly Springs High, Chrystal Regan at Sanderson High, Wallace Sellars at Wakefield Middle, Niko Schutte at Fuller Elementary, Ellen Wester at North Garner Middle, Karen Whiteman at Dillard Drive Middle, Raleigh Bame at Sanderson High, Kimberly Harrison at Phillips High, Kristine Harris at Cary Elementary and Susan Parker at Durant Road Middle.