Classroom Connection - February 9, 2011
Sanderson Student's Essay Wins Teacher Appreciation Contest
Sarah Morgan, a Sanderson High School ninth-grader, recently won WRAL's teacher appreciation contest by writing an essay about her choral teacher, Marshall Butler.
Students were asked to write an essay about an "Inspiring Teacher" they thought deserved to win a $1,000 gift certificate to Crabtree Valley Mall. Sarah’s essay about Mr. Butler was chosen as one of 10 finalists.
In order to win, both she and Mr. Butler had to attend a luncheon at the food court at Crabtree Valley Mall on Feb. 6. The 10 finalists read their essays, and Sarah's was chosen as the winner. Mr. Butler won the $1,000 gift certificate and Sarah received a $500 gift certificate to Crabtree Valley Mall. Congratulations to Sarah and Mr. Marshall Butler.
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Underwood Students Unveil Story Quilt
Students at Underwood Magnet Elementary recently unveiled a Story Quilt in a celebration of months of hard work at their school.
Fourth-grade students began working in September with visiting artist Susie Wilde in a series of collaborative writing activities. Wilde’s creative writing process links and builds until students have invented and developed a main character, organized a complete plot, developed scenes, conceived colorful language, and then revised and edited their original story. Twenty-four drafts into their writing process, students produced the story, "Woody's Miracle."
Fifth-graders then used the story as they began working in November with textile artist Peg Gignoux who taught them to see as illustrators. With Gignoux’s help, students designed and created a whimsical textile to illustrate "Woody's Miracle," which will permanently hang at the school.
For more information on the Collaboration Celebration Project, please go to http://blogs.wcpss.net/underwoodcollaborativeproject.
Leesville High Choir to Perform at Carnegie Hall
The Capital Pride of Leesville Road High is one of two high school choirs invited to participate in the Carnegie Hall Choral Workshop Feb. 8-13 in New York City as the Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall commemorates the 20th anniversary of the Carnegie Hall Choral Workshop.
During their stay, members of the Capital Pride will participate in music workshops and perform the "Berlioz Requiem" in the prestigious Carnegie Hall. They will perform with The Concorde Vocal Ensemble of the York County Senior Honors Choir of York County, Pennsylvania, and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorale.
The workshop's culminating performance is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Feb. 13 and will feature the Carnegie Hall Festival Chorus, the National High School Festival Chorus, tenor Thomas Cooley and the Orchestra of St. Luke's. Robert Spano will serve as conductor, and the choral director is Norman Mackenzie.
Founded in 1990 by the late Robert Shaw, the Carnegie Hall Choral Workshops are tuition-free and gather choral professionals to prepare and perform great masterworks.
Cyber Challenge Competition Open to High School Students
The Wake County Public School System is encouraging students to participate in the 2011 Cyber Foundations Competition. Sponsored by the United States Cyber Challenge, the Cyber Foundations Competition is a nation-wide competition designed to find students interested in computer science, and expose them to cybersecurity. The competition utilizes quizzes written by the world's foremost cybersecurity experts. Students are allowed to work on the quizzes alone or in teams. Top performers win prizes and are eligible for awards and scholarships!
“Cyber-security will be critical to our 21st century economy and understanding how to protect data from cyber attacks is vital to our security as a state and nation,” Governor Bev Perdue said in a letter to WCPSS.
No prior computer knowledge is necessary. Training material is provided as part of the competition. For more information, contact the WCPSS Information Security Officer and district coordinator Eric Hoth at 431-8143. For more information, visit www.uscyberchallenge.org. Registration ends February 18.
Apex Middle School Band Honored
Four Apex Middle School students participated in the Central District Honors Band and represented the school at the band clinic on Feb. 4 in Greensboro. Following auditions on Saturday, January 29, Rick Shocket, Jennifer Rankin, Julian Weller and Sam Voytko were among the youth musicians selected as the best middle school band students in central North Carolina, an honor that earned those four students seats at the Central District Honors Band. In addition to this honor, Sam Voytko was awarded first chair violin in the top ensemble, qualifying him to audition for the All State Middle School Honors Band! Erik Riggs directs the Apex Middle School Band.
Beginning Summer Camp Planning 
If you are ready to start planning for the summer, don’t wait! The best time to make arrangements is now. A number of camps start their registration process in February, making this is a great time of year to begin exploring opportunities.
“I think now is a great time for parents to start looking in to it, because a lot of the programs begin enrollment on February 1; and sometimes if you wait till almost summer, it can be too late to get into the program you’re interested in,” said Davis Drive Elementary counselor Paige Everson.
The internet is a great resource to begin summer camp planning. There are a variety of camps, from half-day programs to an overnight camp lasting one- to two-weeks.
Another great resource is the Summershine catalog available at any Wake County Public school or library. You can download Summershine electronically by visiting the WCPSS Community Services website at http://communityservices.wcpss.net/.
“Summershine is a catalog that we produce two times a year, and you can find information in it about camps, activities, daycare and track-out programs for children. It really gives local parents an opportunity to find out just what’s going on in the area and what would be a good fit for their children’s interest.,” said Natasha Baldwin-Garcia, Summershine coordinator.
This year’s Summersine is bigger than ever. It has a record number of providers listed inside, which means more summer camp options for parents and their children to choose from, and it includes a new feature that allows you to determine which camps are closest to your home or work.
To learn more about planning for summer camps, watch the February 2011 School Connection video.
Kids Helping Kids
Students at Douglas Elementary School will be raising money to help orphans in Afghanistan by selling Valentine's Day candygrams. The candygrams are sold for 25 cents each and are distributed on Valentine's Day.
Each year, the student council at Douglas chooses a worthy charity to support with their annual Valentine's Day fundraiser. The theme for this year’s fundraiser is Kids Helping Kids, and the students decided to use the money raised through the fundraiser to support the children who are victims of war in Afghanistan.
Russ Myers, the technology teacher at Douglas, assisted the students in their decision by researching the needs of children in Afghanistan. All proceeds raised will be donated to "The Afghan Child Education and Care Association," which builds orphanages throughout Afghanistan that provide housing, food, clothing, health care, education, and life and vocational skills to the orphans.
In addition to the candygram sale, the school plans to raise additional funds through two raffles on Feb. 7 - 11 and Feb. 14 – 18. During the raffle, students will have the chance to win Mr. Myers' dragon kites made in Bali. These spectacular dragon mascots have lived in the school's computer lab for years. Tickets are 25 cents each.
NC Opera Performs at Daniels Middle School
On Friday, Feb. 4, the NC Opera Company gave two performances in the Daniels Middle School Auditorium. The free program was open to all students and visitors and introduced famous and familiar music from the world of Opera. The NC Opera Company provided and discussed the four main voice types: soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, and baritone. They also performed a MadLib, in the style of Mozart recitative, with audience participation followed by an ensemble where all were singing different text.
Reedy Creek Middle Donates to Kay Yow Cancer Fund
The NC State-UNC rivalry achieved new heights last week at Reedy Creek Middle School. In honor of the January 29 basketball match-up, Student Council co-sponsor Katy Stanley came up with an idea of a Penny War as an opportunity to support local charities through the college basketball rivalry. Students were encouraged to donate their change during lunch to their "team" in order to help them win the Penny War. NC State had a designated charity as did UNC. The winner of the war would receive all donations to support the designated charity. After the three-day Penny War, RCMS was able to donate $212 in support of the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. Reedy Creek students are to be commended for their generosity.
East Millbrook Middle Students Learn About Finance
State Employee Credit Union employees visited East Millbrook Magnet Middle School Feb. 2 to talk with students about career possibilities in financial services. Students heard about services offered, career opportunities and what qualities and skills are necessary for a job in the world of finance.
The visit was part of the Students@Work Week program that targets middle school students to encourage them to stay in school. State Employees Credit Union has worked with First Gentleman Bob Eaves and other businesses across North Carolina on Students@Work Week to focus on raising the state graduation rate by giving middle school students a chance to connect their classroom learning with the real world of work. For more information about SECU’s participation in Students@Work Week, contact Amy Lee at 919.790.9091.
WPCSS Librarians Present at Networking Summit
Six WCPSS school librarians recently shared their expertise with their colleagues from across the state at the 6th Annual Librarian to Librarian Networking Summit, sponsored by the the Teaching Resources Center of East Carolina University's Joyner Library, Mackin Library and Classroom Services, and Mumford Library Book.
Evelyn Bussell of Douglas Elementary, and Deanna Harris of East Cary Middle, presented a session, Collaboration and Evaluation: Supporting Classroom Teachers and the Teacher Evaluation Process, discussing how library media coordinators can support classroom teachers in meeting the objectives of the five standards of the new TEP.
Harris, who is also the president of the NC School Library Media Association, participated in a panel discussion on Advocating for Your School Media Center, discussing the importance of teaching information literacy skills, of building both face-to-face and online learning communities, and of leading within the school.
Amy Myers and Joan Vey, both at Wake Forest – Rolesville High, presented a session, Best Practices for Staff Development, sharing their best staff development practices and leading a brainstorming session of best practices.
Karen Waller of Timber Drive Elementary, co-presented a hands-on session, Why Use GPS in the Classroom, on integrating the GPS devices in instruction.
Mindy Tomasevich of Mills Park Middle, co-presented a session, Graphic Novels: Blazing Across the Curriculum in Grades 6-12, highlighting some of the latest graphic novels and strategies for integrating them into the classroom.
Thanks to East Cary Middle librarian Deanna Harris for sharing this story.
National Teen Dating Violence and Prevention Month
One in three adolescent girls in the United States is a victim of physical, emotional, or verbal abuse from a dating partner. At its February 1 meeting, the Wake County Board of Education joined the North Carolina Governor's Crime Commission in proclaiming this month as National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month. The school board asked Wake County citizens to support "our communities' efforts to empower teens to develop healthier relationships," helping victims access the resources they need, and promoting awareness and prevention of teen dating violence.
East Cary Middle Going Bald for a Cause
When a student at East Cary Middle School was diagnosed with cancer, sixth-grade teacher Gino Sardiello, decided that he could make a difference. How? By shaving his head! And now Coach Sardiello, athletic director Kevin Jerrett, and other P.E. teachers and coaches are encouraging teachers and students to do the same.
Staff and students at East Cary Middle School are joining together to support childhood cancer research by participating in the St. Baldrick’s Foundation efforts to raise money. “Team IMPs” includes teachers, staff, and students who have agreed to shave their heads at the St. Baldrick’s event in Raleigh on March 5. Those not willing to go bald are encouraged to support those shaving their heads and to support the research to hopefully find a cure for cancer. You can find the team website here.
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Millbrook Magnet High teachers Genevieve Capers and Will King in King’s science lab after discussing CMAPP and how it can benefit teachers and students. |
CMAPP Provides One-Stop Website for Teacher Needs
The Curriculum Management Audit that looked at the Wake County Public School System made a number of recommendations. One was to provide a place where teachers could find what they needed to teach the NC Standard Course of Study.
When Chief Academic Officer Donna Hargens discusses meeting teachers’ instructional needs, she tells the story of putting the rocks in the jar, the ISD Rocks. The large, important rocks go in the jar first. One of those is curriculum design: learning and teaching guides that provide aligned resources for enrichment and remediation.
The online website, known as CMAPP, the Curriculum Management Application, is being built by school administrators and teachers. Millbrook Magnet High teachers Will King and Genevieve Capers discussed their experience with the one-stop website that provides teachers the curriculum design tools they needed to teach the NC Standard Course of Study.
Click to listen to CMAPP Provide One-Stop Website for Teacher Needs
2011 Scripps National Spelling Bee
Students from 51 elementary and 18 middle schools in the Wake County Public School System competed in spelling bees held at their schools to earn their school spelling title and the chance to compete Feb. 26 at NC State University in the Scripps National Spelling Bee competition.
The competition is sponsored in Wake County by the Partnership for the Advancement of Gifted Education, or PAGE. You can find more about PAGE at the group’s website at http://www.pagepage.org/. The winner of the countywide event will get an all-expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C., to compete in the national bee.
You can find the list of student winners here.
STEM Schools Provide Technical Instruction
Brentwood Magnet Elementary School of Engineering is one of the WCPSS schools focused on science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) instruction.
“STEM works for every child because it teaches them how to handle anything that they are going to see in life, any kind of problem that will come up, they have a process for handling it,” said Pamela Johnson, Brentwood’s principal. “Throughout that process, they get the opportunity to ask questions, to imagine what are the possibilities, to create what they are going to do. Then they test it and improve it depending on whether there are some changes they need to make.”
Brentwood has a STEM lab where projects are integrated into hands-on, real world tasks that allow Brentwood students to take risks, make connections and apply skills they will need for the future. Emily Hardee is the school’s STEM lab teacher.
Click to listen to Brentwood Elementary STEM lab teacher Emily Hardee talk about STEM instruction
9 minute mp3 file
Brentwood has recruited engineering students from NC State University to visit their school and mentor students. Andrew Layton is a senior studying civil engineering and Madison Hobbs graduated from Southeast Raleigh High where she completed the Project Lead the Way engineering program.
10.5 minute mp3 file
You can learn more about STEM instruction in our schools here.
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New Superintendent Tata Sworn into Office
On Feb. 1, a swearing in ceremony for new Superintendent Anthony J. Tata preceded the Board of Education’s regular meeting. NC Appeals Court Judge Douglas McCullough administered the oath of office as Tata placed his hand on a Bible held by his wife, mother and sister. His father watched from the audience.
Read More: http://www.wcpss.net/news/2011_feb1_tata_oath/
Click to listen to Tata Sworn in as Wake County Superintendent of Schools
This is a 10 minute mp3 file.
Board Chair Reports on the State of the School System
At the Feb. 1 Board of Education meeting, Board of Education Chair Ron Margiotta reported on the State of the School System.
Transcript of Board Chair's Speech: Feb. 1, 2011
Listen to Board Chair Reports on the State of the School System
Board Names School Principals
At its Feb. 1 meeting, the Board of Education named Anne Marie Johnson as principal of Yates Mill Elementary and retired Principal Diane Payne as interim principal at Carroll Middle School.
Johnson has served as assistant principal at Wildwood Forest Elementary since 2009. Prior to that, she worked as an assistant principal and instructional resource teacher at Farmington Woods Magnet Elementary, a teacher and assistant principal intern at Davis Drive Elementary, an assistant principal intern at Olive Chapel Elementary and an elementary school teacher in Florida and Illinois.
Payne has served as an interim principal at Leesville Road High. She retired from the school system after serving as principal of Broughton High for 14 years. Prior to that, she served as principal of Enloe High and West Millbrook Middle, as well as interim principal at Poe Elementary. She was a WCPSS Special Assistant for Leadership and Staff Development, NC Department of Public Instruction administrator and NC State University Assistant Dean of Student Development. She was WCPSS Principal of the Year in 1990.
The board named as assistant principals Jacqueline Grant at Hodge Road Elementary, Keisha Rock at Cary High and Melva Scott at Carroll Middle School. Last month, the board named as assistant principals Robert Barbour at Apex High and Robert Pope at Leesville Road High.