Classroom Connection - June 8, 2010
More Than 8,200 Students in Class of 2010
The Wake County Public School System will award diplomas to 8,223 students in 21 ceremonies through Sunday, June 11.This year, WCPSS high schools will hold graduation ceremonies at the Raleigh Convention Center, the Progress Energy Center and in the Holiday Gym at Broughton High. With most schools having 300 to 500 graduates, there will be additional traffic and parking demands in the area during the ceremonies.
The WCPSS Security Department, Raleigh Police Department and Wake County Sheriff's Department will attend graduation ceremonies. Only persons with an admission ticket will be admitted to a graduation ceremony. In addition, no laptop computers, packages, artificial noisemakers, balloons, or other disruptive devices will be permitted.
The class of 2010 earned $65 million in scholarships, had 991 students qualifying for the North Carolina Scholars program and more than 1,200 Honor Society graduates.
Three high schools have senior classes with 500 or more students. Wakefield High has 621 graduates. Enloe Magnet High has 579. Broughton High has 509. The 8,223 graduates this year compares with 8,094 last year.
At Athens Drive High, there are 60 Presidential Academic Excellence Award Recipients. Eighteen students will be recognized as Graduation Project Scholars for continuing with their Graduation Project after the NC Department of Public Instruction removed it as a requirement for graduation. At graduation they will wear a special cord on their gown. The students include Abdul-Rahman Al-Hindi, Caitlin Alexander, Caleb Barnhart, Munir Bharde, Colleen Calliham, Megan Carroll, Hannah Gardner, Zahra Girnary, Laurel Hillen, Janna Hockaday, Rose Isadore, Carrie Lomelino, Mike Marvin, Ethan Miller, Asad Rahman, Chrystal Smith, Dan Tavalin and Alexa Wright.
At Cary High, Rebecca DeNardis became the school system's first winner of the Braxton-Craven Scholarship to Duke University. There are two National Merit Scholarship winners; a Robertson Scholar who earns a full four-year scholarship with classes at Duke University and UNC-Chapel Hill; and one Air Force Academy appointment.
At Garner Magnet High, there are six Presidential Excellence Awards, 17 International Baccalaureate Diploma Candidates and two NC Teaching Fellows. A State Employees Credit Union Scholarship was awarded to Hilliary Davis. The Susan Ellis Roberts Scholarship was awarded to Heather Tapp. The Wake Forest College Scholarship was awarded to John Walsh. The Elon University Presidential Scholarship was awarded to Matthew Wescoe. The Triangle Educational Advancement Foundation Scholarship was awarded to Cody Woodall. Olivia Bass earned the UNC-CH Covenant Award. Garner Magnet High students earned 97 academic, 10 athletic, and one band scholarship.
At Knightdale High, there were 72 Honor Students, two NC Teaching Fellows and one President’s Education Award recipient.
At Leesville Road High, there are five National Merit finalists and five NC Teaching Fellows. There are five students attending Duke University with one on a full scholarship. One student is going to MIT.
At Middle Creek High, one student earned an appointment to the United States Air Force Academy, one earned an Air Force Academy ROTC Scholarship, one was named a National Merit Achievement Scholar and four were named NC Teaching Fellows. There are 15 Presidential Scholars, 72 Distinguished Honor graduates and 46 High Honors graduates.
At Millbrook High, Kaosisochukwu Uzokwe received scholarship offers from Duke University, MIT, Cornell University, NC State University and the National Achievement Scholarship for a total of more than $850,000. He will attend MIT in the Fall of 2010. There are 46 students who earned Presidential Awards, one NC Teaching Fellow and one National Merit finalist.
At the East Wake School of Arts, Education & Global Studies, Ashley Stacy was the recipient of the State Employees Credit Union Scholarship and the East Wake Education Foundation Scholarship. Sarah Broadwell won the Zebulon Rotary Club Scholarship. Mary Carnes won an FBLA scholarship. Two students had more than $200,000 in various academic scholarships: Jessica Garcia and Ashley Stacy. Ajean Deloatch and Vaughn Carrington won scholarships from the Princess Network, a women’s leadership group.
At East Wake School of Engineering Systems, Amber Frazier and Kalen Bryant received The Counselor’s Award for Leadership Excellence. Drew Geib was presented the first PTSA Ralph A. Shipp Memorial Scholarship, created by the PTSA to honor the father of the school's principal, Sebastian Shipp. Emily Baker, Aaron Little and Jordan O’Brien competed in the FFA’s local, district or state competition and received several awards for Leadership and Career Development. Nine students were FFA Honor Graduates and also completed 20 hours of community service.
At East Wake School of Health Science, Marlenee Abreu, Cherrell Jenkins, Dominique Kelly, Brooke Proctor and Jenny Shiver earned scholarships over $30,000. Rachel Nicole Duke was the recipient of the State Employees’ Association of NC Scholarship. Morgan Goettge is the recipient of a scholarship from Catawba College for her participation in Girl’s State, which teaches young women about state government. Bernadine Okoroji was awarded the Alberta P. Smith Scholarship, honoring one of the school's former social studies teachers who was an advisor for the African American Culture Club. Shelley Bishop and Victoria Hamm were FFA Honor Graduates completing 20 hours of community service. Bishop also received the Annie Mae Horton Scholarship for Horticulture. Hamm was recognized in prepared speaking and earned a Certificate of Outstanding Service in the FFA. Morgan Piner was the recipient of the Gene D. Yeargin Choral Award and will have her name engraved on a permanent plaque at the school.
At East Wake School of Integrated Technology, Veronica Stanberry received a scholarship for $88,000 from Johnson C. Smith University. Johnathan Barnes-Smith received the Student Athlete Award sponsored by the Triangle Chapter of The National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame, the Wendell Rotary Scholarship and the Kappa Beautillion Scholarship. Kristen Bolick received a scholarship from State Employee’s Association of North Carolina.
The first $500 Gary Dixon Memorial Scholarships created by the East Wake high schools' Business Alliance in honor of the late Gary Dixon, who served as the school's career development coordinator for 11 years, were presented to Lillian Barrett of East Wake School of Arts, Education & Global Studies, Emily Baker of East Wake School of Engineering Systems and Brittany Holley of East Wake School of Integrated Technology.
Enloe Magnet High had 21 National Merit Finalists and four National Achievement Finalists. Three students are NC Teaching Fellows: Porcelain Cheek, Lauren Kepke and Adam Raby. George Ramsay earned the Morehead-Cain Scholarship and was offered the Davidson College Bryan Scholarship. Madhulika Vulimri received the Morehead-Cain Scholarship and was offered the Park Scholarship. Peter Alfredson was awarded the Pogue Scholarship; Shikha Singh received the Centennial Scholarship. Kayee Au was one of 50 Cocoa-Cola National Scholarship finalists. Five students received full-ride athletic scholarships. The school had 30 students complete the Medical Bio-Science Academy and 44 International Baccalaureate Diploma Candidates. Rachel Harris was a Presidential Scholar semi-finalist. A total of 121 students earned the President’s Education Award. Ten students completed the Graduation Project.
At Phillips High, four students received scholarships. Nichelle Lanier, Rosa Leyva and Katashia Platt received Guardian Ad Litem Scholarships and Cushandra Burnette received a GlaxoSmithKline Opportunity Scholarship.
At Green Hope High, Elijah Baik received a US Air Force Academy appointment and Claire Kilmer earned a SECU scholarship. Ashley Byrd, Kyle Chalker, Andrea Estes, Linelle Gorman, Leigh Iler, Calais Johnson, Corey Roe, Bryan Warwick, Katherine White and Bethany Wilcox were named NC Teaching Fellows. There were 323 Honor Graduates, and 23 students completed the Graduation Project.
At Broughton High, Ellen Corbitt Currin earned a Morehead-Cain Scholarship and Alex Jin-Wei Chin earned a Park Scholarship. There was one West Point appointment, and one student earned a Duke Alumni Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship. Six students were named NC Teaching Fellows, and there were 12 athletic scholarship offers. The school has 67 students who are candidates for IB Diplomas. Over their four years, seniors completed 78,800 hours of community service.
At Fuquay Varina High, Callan Andreacchi earned a Air Force ROTC Scholarship valued at $100,000. Shane Lympany was a National Merit finalist. Bethany Irwin and Lydia Jones were NC Teaching Fellows. Emily Guy received a State Employees Credit Union Scholarship. Seniors earned 103 academic scholarships, four athletic scholarships, four fine arts scholarships, two military scholarships and one band scholarship. There were 13 Presidential Scholars, 74 Honor Graduates and 18 seniors completed the Graduation Project.
15 Seniors Earn National Merit Scholarships
Fifteen WCPSS seniors have earned 2010 National Merit College-Sponsored Scholarships. The 15 students are from eight high schools:Apex High: Mary E. Koenig
Enloe High: Matthew A. Baltzell, Tyler P. Grant, Alexandra Kuznetsov, Ryan T. McGarvey, Madeline L. White
Fuquay-Varina High: Shane V. Lympany
Green Hope High: Amanda L. Gurkin
Leesville Road High: Jessica N. Golden, Brian F. Jackson
Panther Creek High: Mary E. Mudd, Gayatri Surendranathan, Elizabeth A. Whitfield
Sanderson High: Christopher G. Schaeffer
Wakefield High: Burton J. Westermeier
The students are among more than 2,800 winners of National Merit Scholarships financed by colleges and universities. Officials of each sponsor college selected their scholarship winners from among finalists in the 2010 National Merit Scholarship Program who plan to attend their institution. These awards provide between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study at the institution financing the scholarship.
Magnet Schools Honored by Magnet Schools of America
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| Magnet school leaders recognized by the Board of Education. |
The 14 WCPSS schools were selected from a national field of more than 2,000 magnet schools. The schools choose to be considered for the competition which looks at innovative instructional strategies, student achievement, diversity goals, and parent and community involvement in the magnet school.
Schools are recognized as 2010 Magnet Schools of Excellence which are considered for the top magnet school in the nation. Schools also earn recognition as Magnet Schools of Distinction.
This year the Magnet Schools of America recognized these 14 WCPSS magnet schools:
2010 National Magnet Schools of Excellence
Bugg Creative Arts and Science Magnet Elementary
Conn Active Learning and Technology Magnet Elementary
Joyner Center for Spanish Language / International Baccalaureate PYP Magnet Elementary
Millbrook International Baccalaureate PYP Magnet Elementary
Wiley International Studies Magnet Elementary
Ligon Gifted and Talented Magnet Middle School
Garner International Baccalaureate MYP/DP Magnet High
2010 National Magnet Schools of Distinction
Brooks Museums Magnet Elementary
Combs Leadership Magnet Elementary
Douglas Creative Arts and Science Magnet Elementary
Hunter Gifted and Talented Magnet Elementary
Washington Gifted and Talented Magnet Elementary
Centennial Campus University Connections & Leadership Magnet Middle
East Garner International Baccalaureate MYP Magnet Middle
High School Summer School 2010
Each high school will offer a site-based summer school program for their base students. High Schools will use their NovaNET labs to provide individualized instruction to students for repeat credit only. NovaNET will not be used for original credit. Summer school begins on July 6 and ends on Aug. 10. Schools may determine the operating hours of their NovaNet labs.Students are admitted in the following priority order:
- Seniors needing to graduate (2010)
- Juniors needing to graduate (2011)
- Sophomores needing a class to be promoted
- Freshmen needing a class to be promoted
The number of seats in summer school is limited to 30 at each site. Courses will be identified by the school principals, based on the needs of their students. Registration for WCPSS students will take place at their base schools. Each school will establish the dates in which applications will be accepted. Any student wishing to take a course in the summer should submit a completed copy of the summer school application to his or her school.
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WCPSS Educator to Serve on National Council
Nancy Mangum, K-5 Instructional Technology Coordinator for the Wake County Public School System, was recently selected to serve on the National Council on Digital Citizenship and Creative Content. The Council, formed earlier this year, aims to understand and address K-12 school systems' needs to teach appropriate, educational, responsible, and fair usage of digital content - the music, movies, software, and other digital media with which students interact every day. The Council, made possible by Microsoft sponsorship, includes roughly 50 educators and administrators across the nation.The Council will evaluate current levels of awareness and understanding around the concept of digital citizenship, establish best practices for digital content development and usage in K-12 environments, and advocate for relevant local, state, and regional academic standards. Council members will collaborate on various initiatives including a blog, white paper, and resources for other educators that provide ideas for how best to encourage responsible digital citizenship among students and schools. For more information about the Council, please visit www.digitalcitizenshipcouncil.com/.
Award-Winning Salem Middle's Dancers and Jazz Choir in Concert
Salem Middle School students will be performing the dance routines and jazz songs that have earned the students recognition. The Spartan Dancers and Salem Blue Notes will share their award-winning performances on June 8 at 7 p.m. at Salem Middle School. The Blue Notes will have a repeat performance on June 9 at 7 p.m. at the Cary Barnes and Noble as part of a benefit for the Salem Middle Media Center.Earlier this year, Salem Middle's Spartan Dancers were accepted into Disney's Magic Music Days program. They traveled to Orlando in May to put on a 25-minute performance for a standing room only crowd at Downtown Disney's Watershed Amphitheatre. The 15 dancers were also invited to participate in a private workshop with a professional Disney Dancer/Choreographer. This was a magical experience for the dancers and their directors.
In April, the Salem Blue Notes jazz choir also received recognition when they traveled to Williamsburg and received superior ratings for a middle school jazz choir. The 30 girls were praised for their professionalism and vocal quality.
Holly Springs High Teacher Named Economic Educator of the Year
Holly Springs High social studies teacher Lisa Lamb is North Carolina's Economic Educator of the Year for 2009-10. Lamb was honored at the 24th Annual Awards Banquet in Greensboro on May 26, sponsored by the NC Council on Economic Education, Fidelity Investments, and BB&T.Lamb received the award from Sandy Wheat, Executive Director of the NC Council on Economic Education, and Randy Weaver, Sr. Vice President of BB&T Area Executive.
Civics and Economics is a required 10th-grade course that includes basic principles of economics. A number of economics-based questions are on the state's End-of-Course exam for Civics and Economics. Lamb has instituted what she calls Financial Literacy Fridays and a project called “That's Life” to be sure her students are prepared for the economic portion of the EOC. Lamb dedicates one day to introduce economic principles embedded into the current unit.
At a time when the state of the economy and personal finances are on everyone's mind, Lamb reminded everyone at the banquet of the importance of economic and financial education. She encouraged people to write Congress and the state legislature to keep quality teachers in the classroom. Lamb received a plaque for her classroom and a check for $2,500 which we expect will be invested wisely.
Davis Drive Band Earns Recognition
The Davis Drive Middle School Band and Orchestra captured multiple awards in a competition on May 22 in Williamsburg, Virginia. The orchestra earned a Superior rating and placed first in their class. The band placed first in their class, won the Grand Champion in the festival and had several students honored. Solo awards were given to Emily Kennedy, piccolo; Ruth Yeh and Nicole Keyser, clarinet. The percussion section was also recognized for outstanding achievement.Enloe Students Earn Honors at International Sustainability Competition
A team of Enloe Magnet High students earned honors in an international sustainability competition. Ivan Kuznetsov and Yash Mehta were silver medal winners in the Senior Engineering Division of the International Sustainable World Energy, Engineering and Environment Project Olympiad or I-SWEEEP in Houston, Texas. The Enloe students were among 1,200 young scientists and project supervisors from 70 different countries displaying 450 projects. They earned honors in the engineering category for their project, "Enhancing Solar Cell Efficiency through Coating by Flame-Synthesized Transitioned Metal-Oxide Nanoparticles." Dr. Alexei Saveliev from NC State University was the sponsor for the project. In addition to their medal, Kuznetsov and Mehta won a cash prize.The students earned their way into the I-SWEEEP by winning a top prize at the N.C. Student Academy of Science annual statewide competition. At the state competition, Kuznetsov and Mehta earned the NCAS Nanobusiness Talent Award.
Millbrook Lessons of Vietnam Students Publish Bridges Newsletter
Millbrook High students in social studies teacher Lindy Poling's Lessons of Vietnam class have published a new edition of the Bridges newsletter. In it, students Emily Bower and Alysa Citero describe the recent visit the class made to Washington, DC. For the 13th time, Poling took a class of students to the Vietnam Memorial where they met David Rabadan, Bill McGrady, Dr. Ric Vandett, and Colonel Bill Mayall, veterans who shared their stories of the conflict. You can read these stories and more in the students' four-page newsletter.Holly Grove Middle Ribbon Cutting
A ribbon cutting has been planned for the opening of Holly Grove Year-Round Middle School. The ceremony will take place on July 1 at 6 p.m. The community is invited to come enjoy the celebration and program and then tour the building. Holly Grove Middle is adjacent to Holly Grove Elementary and is located at 1401 Avent Ferry Road in Holly Springs.
Bobby Guthrie Named National Coach Educator of the Year
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Guthrie was recognized for being a national leader in the coach education program developed by the National Federation.
North Carolina ranks sixth in the country for the number of nationally certified coaches even though the N.C. High School Athletic Association does not require its coaches to take the certification courses.
Guthrie was one of the first athletic directors in the country to promote the NFSA's coach education program. Over the years, he has taught the fundamentals of coaching to hundreds of North Carolina coaches. More than 250 of Wake County's 700 high school coaches have taken at least one of the courses offered by the federation. Guthrie has taught the coach fundamentals class in Wake County and throughout the state.