Classroom Connection - September 28, 2010
WCPSS Students’ 2009-10 SAT Scores Top NC and US
Wake County Public School System seniors continue to achieve high scores on the SAT, according to results released by the College Board. While WCPSS seniors saw their average scores dip slightly, participation rates rose by five percent, and WCPSS students continue to outscore other students around the state and across the nation.
WCPSS compared to state and nation
The WCPSS average score of 1571 is 62 points higher than the US average and 86 points higher than the North Carolina average.
2009-10 SAT Scores for WCPSS, NC and US |
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|
Critical reading |
Math |
Writing |
Total |
WCPSS |
524 |
543 |
504 |
1571 |
NC |
497 |
511 |
477 |
1485 |
US |
501 |
516 |
492 |
1509 |
The WCPSS participation remained high with 69 percent of graduating seniors taking the exam. That’s up from 64 percent last year. The WCPSS participation remains higher than the North Carolina participation rate of 63 percent and the U.S. participation rate of 47 percent. The College Board reports 5,782 WCPSS students took the exam.
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Center for International Enrollment Marks First Anniversary
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More than 3,700 students were enrolled into the Wake County Public School System through the WCPSS Center for International Enrollment, providing families a central, convenient location to enroll and freeing schools from performing these complex tasks.
When English is not a student’s primary language, families visit the WCPSS Center for International Enrollment in the first floor of the WCPSS Central Services Building at 3600 Wake Forest Road in Raleigh and meet with an Enrollment Specialist.
In the Center for International Enrollment’s first year, staff has enrolled 3,708 students into the school system. Families arrive at the center speaking a variety of languages. The top ten languages are:
Spanish
Arabic
Korean
Chinese
Telugu
Vietnamese
French
Hindi
Portuguese
Nepali
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Enloe Magnet High Students Sing Their Way into Honors Chorus
Eight Enloe Magnet High students were chosen for the 2010 North Carolina High School Honors Chorus. Only 176 students were selected from the 1,200 from across the state that auditioned.
The Enloe students are:
Evan Adair (Bass II) with the highest score in the state!
Meg Aldridge (Alto I) with the second highest score in the state!
Victoria Cyzewski (Soprano I)
Robin Hardman (Bass I)
Alan Osuna (Tenor II) with the fourth highest score in the state!
Cory Arnold (Tenor II) with the sixth highest score in the state!
Connor Lillis (Tenor II)
Joey Osuna (Tenor II)
Enloe High had the largest number of students of any school in the state earn a place in the Honors Chorus. Congratulations to Enloe High Choral Music Educator Ann Huff and her students.
Longview School Opens Teich Garden
At Longview School, Agriculture teacher Patrick Faulkner is planning for a big event at 10 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 29 in the school's gardens. Faulkner says they'll have visitors for the dedication of the school's new Teich Garden, an enclosed garden area with built-in irrigation.
Faulkner is helping Longview students learn urban farming at the school and has been working with Will Allen of Growing Power in Milwaukee who mass produces food on small plots of land to provide fresh fruits and vegetables in urban food desert areas.
Click to listen to Longview School Opens Teich Garden
Dr. Hargens Visits Northwoods First-Grade Teachers
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Interim Superintendent Donna Hargens spent some time in the five first-grade classrooms at Northwoods Elementary on Sept. 16.
For Hargens, it's the second of a series of visits she plans to make to schools with Tama Bouncer of Wake NCAE to connect with teachers and get a firsthand look into the classroom.
In the coming weeks, she plans to visit classrooms from kindergarten through high school. At Northwoods, Dr. Hargens visited the first-grade teaching team as they met in their professional learning team meeting before the start of school. After spending time with the teachers, Hargens was interviewed by students on the school's close circuit television newscast that goes into classrooms. Then she visited each of the first-grade classrooms where she found the teachers using technology and manipulatives helping students to count.
Click to listen to Dr. Hargens Visits Northwoods First-Grade Teachers
This is a 19 minute mp3 file.
You can see photos of Northwoods first graders working on math skills here.
LEGO Car Challenge Puts Engineering Skills to the Test at Brentwood Magnet Elementary
Students at Brentwood Magnet Elementary School of Engineering were able to design and construct miniature race cars out of LEGOs during the school's kick-off engineering event for the 2010-11 school year. The LEGO car challenge was held at the school on Sept. 21-24.
The school's second- through fifth-grade students participated in interactive sessions to create workable model cars that demonstrate basic engineering principles. The students then raced the cars to see which designs were the most effective.
As an engineering magnet, Brentwood Elementary focuses on the integration of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to solve real world problems and improve learning in all subject areas. Students work in collaborative teams engaged in the engineering design process: Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create and Improve. The engineering component is incorporated throughout the school's curriculum.
16th Annual Search Underway for Nation’s Top Youth Volunteers
This week the search begins to identify students in grades 5-12 who have made meaningful contributions to their communities over the past 12 months. Prudential Financial, Inc. in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) is kicking off its 16th annual awards program honoring young volunteers.
Over the past 15 years, Prudential Spirit of the Community Awards have been given to more than 90,000 middle and high school students across the country for helping the less fortunate, promoting health and safety, protecting the environment, and serving their communities through many other volunteer activities.
Young volunteers can apply online at http://spirit.prudential.com or at www.principals.org/spirit. Applications must be completed by November 1, 2010, and then submitted to a middle or high school principal, Girl Scout council, county 4-H agent, American Red Cross chapter, YMCA, or affiliate of HandsOn Network. Those without Internet access can get a paper version of the application form by calling 877-525-8491.