Classroom Connection - March 29, 2011
Virtual Town Halls Will Connect Superintendent and Community
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Supt. Tony Tata |
WCPSS Superintendent Tony Tata welcomes Wake County parents and citizens to an ongoing conversation beginning Friday, April 1, through a monthly online "Virtual Town Hall" on the school system's website.
Participants in the first live, interactive chat session with the superintendent may submit questions at the WCPSS website, www.wcpss.net, beginning at 9:45 a.m. Friday, April 1. The superintendent will begin the Virtual Town Hall at 10 a.m. A chat moderator will select representative questions while screening for confidential student or employee information, as well as abusive or off-topic language.
The WCPSS Communications Department will maintain transcripts of each monthly Virtual Town Hall on the website. The WCPSS website's front page will display a link to the chat session 15 minutes prior to its start.
Sanderson's Student Council Receives State and National Recognition
Sanderson High School's student council received two prestigious awards during the week of March 20. First, Sanderson was named a Louise Hunter Honor Council at the 85th annual State Convention hosted by Terry Sanford High School. The award and the convention are sponsored by the North Carolina Association of Student Councils (NCASC). Sanderson was one of only 24 schools in the state to receive this honor. Sanderson's council has received this state honor every year since the 2001-2002 school year.
Sanderson's council also received national recognition by being named a National Gold Council of Excellence sponsored by the National Association of Student Councils (NASC). Sanderson received this honor based on its exemplary record of leadership, service, and activities that serve to improve the school and community. Sanderson is one of only 144 schools nationwide to receive this recognition. Sanderson has received this national recognition since the 2006-2007 school year.
Lemonade Wars Lead to Charitable Giving
The third-grade teachers and students at Washington GT Magnet Elementary School are having a Lemonade War to earn funds for "Alex's Lemonade Stand," a charity that benefits pediatric cancer research. The event will occur on the school grounds on Saturday morning, April 2. Students will hold a walkathon and other family friendly events and sell lemonade to earn money for the charity.
From students' study of the book, The Lemonade War, came the idea for classes to run competitive lemonade stands to raise money for Alex's Lemonade Stand. Before her death at age 8, Alex sold lemonade to fund cancer research for children like herself who had cancer. Now, students at Washington, while learning about literature, economics, and the meaning of service learning, join others across the United States to carry on Alex's mission to help other children who have cancer.
Beijing Royal School Principal Visits Millbrook Magnet High
Wang Guangfa, businessman, philanthropist, educator and the driving force behind the Beijing Royal School of Beijing, China, visited Millbrook Magnet High on March 24. Wang visited classrooms as part of his research on US teaching styles and discussed a possible exchange program with a group of interested students.
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Wang visited the Chinese II class taught by Jing Shen and then met with Shen, some of her students, Principal Dana King and other WCPSS administrators.
Six Millbrook students took part in the discussions with Mr. Wang after expressing an interest in exchange study in China.
Dr. Grant Holley, executive director of the International Distance Education Alliance for the College of Education at NC State University, has visited the Beijing Royal School and believes WCPSS students could benefit from studying abroad.
The Beijing Royal School, regarded as one of Beijing’s top 10 educational brands, has earned recognition for combining teaching methods of the East and the West with the goal of educating exceptional students qualified for the world’s best universities.
Audio Podcasts:Click to listen to Millbrook Principal Dana King and Dr. Grant Holley of NC State University discuss Wang's visit and the potential student exchange opportunity
This is a 7.5 minute mp3 file
Click to listen to Wang Guangfa with the help of his translator address the WCPSS students
This is a 7 minute mp3 file
Martin Students Earn Honors at French Festival
Martin Magnet Middle School French students participated in the annual Wake County French Festival on March 17. Students from schools throughout Wake County came together to share their love for French by participating in activities that were designed to enhance the students’ experiences with the French Language. The Martin students were recognized in the following categories:
NOVICE Level (grades 6 and 7)
French I, Cultural Exhibit – interactive display of monuments and landmarks in Paris – 1st place
French II, Original Group Dramatics – 1st place
French II – Spelling Bee – Adam Geringer – 3rd place
French II — Theatre Performance – 1st place
French I — Theatre performance — 2nd place
French II — Traditional Songs — 2nd place
French I — Traditional songs — 3rd place
BEGINNING Level (grade8)
French III, Non-Vocal Talent category for musical trio playing Offenbach — 1st place
French III — Spelling Bee — Emma Richardson — 1st place
French III — Theatre performance — 1st place
French III — Theatre performance — 2nd place
French III — Traditional songs — 3rd place
Ligon Students Earn Honors at French Festival
Ligon Magnet Middle students Malay Shah, Lahari Pullakhandam, Claire Rose, Mia Chapman, Ananya Talikoti, Lily James, Lily Cui, and Keerti Challawar competed in the WCPSS French Festival, performing an original dramatic scene that they wrote and produced. They won 1st place for their skit after competing against eighth-graders and high school French 1 students from all over Wake County.
Students Use Ethical Hacking Skills in Round Two of the US Cyber Challenge
Three WCPSS high schools and four students were recognized as tops in the nation in the second round of the US Cyber Challenge. Green Hope High School’s team, The Black Falcons, placed third. The Enloe Magnet High School’s team placed sixth. The Panther Creek High team finished ninth.
Ivan Panarusky from Enloe High finished in 10th place; Bryan Palmer from Panther Creek High was 11th; Chris Snyder from Panther Creek High was 16th; and Hunter Riley from Panther Creek High was 18th.
The US Cyber Challenge will enable young Americans to demonstrate their skills, make them aware of educational opportunities, and help them develop those skills to contribute to a safe cyber environment. Cyber Challenge organizers are developing online community resources, including a cyber professional talent bank that will help pair promising candidates with exciting cybersecurity jobs.
The third and final round of the competition will be “Scripting for System Administrators.”
Millbrook Magnet High Authorized to Offer Diploma Programme
Millbrook Magnet High has earned authorization from the International Baccalaureate Organization to become one of 720 US high schools offering the IB Diploma Programme. Students can opt to take the new two-year, college-level course of study in the fall of 2011.
The school received official notification from the Geneva, Switzerland organization, according to Assistant Principal Kelly Aman.
Other WCPSS high schools offering the Diploma Programme include Broughton High, Enloe Magnet High and Garner Magnet High.
There are 3,160 International Baccalaureate schools in the world offering elementary, middle and the diploma programs.
Audio Podcast:
Listen to Millbrook Magnet High Authorized to Offer Diploma Programme
This is a 31 minute mp3 file.
Semifinalists Named for WCPSS First Year Teacher Award
The Wake County Public School System Diane Kent-Parker First-Year Teacher Award recognizes outstanding first-year elementary, middle, and high school teachers who are nominated by his or her principal and school and have shown significant professional success during his or her first year of teaching.
Semi-finalists for the Diane Kent-Parker First Year Teacher of the Year Award are:
Courtney Allen- Farmington Woods Elementary School
Joann Blumenfeld- Dillard Drive Middle School
Kayley Brabender- Ballentine Elementary School
Julia Davis Weaver- Fuquay-Varina High School
Marielena Gesualdo Ciampini- Southeast Raleigh High School
Sarah Hale- Creech Road Elementary School
Ekaterina Kotik- Salem Middle School
Douglas McCullough- Cary High School
Kimberly McSorley- Fuquay-Varina Elementary School
Caroline Miles- Durant Road Middle School
Aaron Moyer- Heritage Middle School
Adriana Pardo- Joyner Elementary School
Jerren Pittaluga- West Lake Middle School
Katie Quigley- Wake Forest-Rolesville High School
Brian Regis- Cedar Fork Elementary School
Amy Scholten- Salem Elementary School
Jonathan Todd- Ligon Middle School
Lindsay Wall- Brooks Elementary School
Abbey Wood- Athens Drive High School
Jeffrey Worthington- Zebulon Middle School
Cary JROTC Students Earn Honors
Students in the Cary High School Navy JROTC competed in the Bartlett-Yancy “Buccaneer Bonanza” Drill and Academic Meet on March 19.
The Cary Academic Team with Cadets Brian Schmid, Donna Supple, Josh Moore, Daniel Lowry and Layton LaCorte won first place in the Academic Competition.
The Cary Drill Team finished in third place overall in the Drill Competition. Cary commanders who led their team to place in the event were Austin Cobb with second places in the NS-1 Squad and Color Guard competitions, Nereida Rodriguez, third place in the Unarmed Squad completion and Brian Schmid, third place in the Armed Squad competition. Cadet Malcolm Roston finished in third place overall in the Knock Out Drill competition out of the 98 cadets who entered.
Martin Magnet Middle Drama Students Earn Honors
Martin Magnet Middle School drama students earned honors with their production of Celeste Raspanti’s “I Never Saw Another Butterfly” at the N.C. Theatre Conference Middle School Play Festival in Charlotte on March 19.
Drama teacher Judy Dove was honored with Excellence in Directing.
Student Ciara Travis received the Excellence in Acting Award. Haley Chapman received Outstanding Female Actor. Jac Larin received Outstanding Male Actor.
The group received a Superior Rating and earned the Outstanding Achievement in Ensemble Acting Award.
The play recounts the story of Terezin, a concentration camp in Czechoslovakia during WW II. Of the 15,000 Jewish children who entered Terezin, only 100 survived. The poetry and drawings on which this play is based were found hidden in a suitcase after the war. This play is closely aligned with the middle school Social Studies curriculum.
Wendell Magnet Elementary Congratulates Young Authors
Two students from Wendell Creative Arts & Science Magnet Elementary were recognized by the North Carolina Reading Association as state level winners of the annual Young Author contest. Keona Edwards, second grade, and Hannah Finch, fifth grade, were among the honorees who received medals and had their work published in a compilation of winning non-fiction entries submitted by reading councils across the state.
Hannah and Keona both wrote along global awareness themes based on their travels. Hannah was further recognized at the local level for her artwork and another Wendell Elementary student, Jennifer Shirley, fifth grade, also placed in the local competition.
West Millbrook Student Moves Closer to $25,000 Scholarship
West Millbrook Middle eighth-grader Jared Stewart won the school-level competition of the National Geographic Bee. In the next step of the competition, Jared took a written test and scored in the top 100, making him eligible to compete at the state level. The Bee will be held on April 1 at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. One winner from each state will advance to the national competition in May in Washington, D.C. The final round of the 2011 National Geographic Bee, featuring Alex Trebek, will air May 25, where the first-place national winner will receive a $25,000 college scholarship. Jared is the first student in the history of the Bee at West Millbrook to make it to the state competition.
Apex High Students Create Wall Murals with Sticky Notes
Sticky note murals created by Apex High students are featured on the front page of the latest edition of SchoolArts magazine, a national art education magazine committed to promoting excellence, advocacy, and professional support for educators in the visual arts since 1901. Apex art teacher Ian Sanders describes the project in a three-page article and provides a time lapse video that shows students at work on a John Lennon mural in the school. In the article, Sands describes how the sticky notes project grew over semesters so that students can now use computer photo software to create a gradient map of their project that matches up to the sticky note colors available. Sands says the project originated from a desire to incorporate original materials into assignments and to inspire collaboration between students. You have to see it to believe it, and Sands provides that opportunity here.
Panther Creek High Student Earns Prestigious Arts Award
Panther Creek High junior Catherine Kennedy Garrett is the winner of a National Gold Medal in The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in the U.S. and the largest source of scholarships for young artists and writers. Garrett was one of three North Carolina students selected by professionals in the arts as gold medalists from the 185,000 nationwide submissions.
Catherine’s submission is a photograph entitled Tender Bones. Paula Hansen is her visual arts teacher at Panther Creek High. Catherine and other national medalists are invited to the national celebration in New York City May 31-June 1, where winning students will be recognized at Carnegie Hall. On June 1, winners will have the opportunity to meet with professional artists, and the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers will showcase award-winning works at the ART.WRITE.NOW. national exhibition.
Southeast Raleigh High Student Receives Outstanding Service Award
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Neel Mandavilli |
Neel Mandavilli, a senior at the Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School, was presented with the Josh and Jaime DeBottis Outstanding Service Award at the 41st North Carolina Youth Legislative Assembly Awards Banquet held at the Marriott City Center in Raleigh on March 12.
Josh and Jaime DeBottis, a brother and sister who were active with the Youth Legislative Assembly, established the award to recognize youth leaders who contributed a tremendous amount of dedication and service to the legislative assembly program and their local youth council. In presenting the award, Josh DeBottis praised Mandavilli’s leadership, his fun-loving spirit, and his immeasurable service throughout the year as a tri-speaker for the legislative assembly program. Mandavilli has contributed to the legislative assembly program as a delegate and committee co-chair, and recently as a tri-speaker. In addition, he volunteered for several Cary Teen Council projects.
General sessions of the 41st North Carolina Youth Legislative Assembly program were held March 11-13, at the Legislative Office in Raleigh. Hailing from 46 counties and 91 high schools, 245 students participated this year in the program by presenting or debating legislative bills. The mock legislature is sponsored by the Youth Advocacy and Involvement Office of the North Carolina Department of Administration.
Holly Grove Middle Teacher Selected to Travel to China
Holly Grove Middle School seventh-grade social studies teacher, Darren Segool, is a proud recipient of the Borchardt Award given by the Center for International Understanding. The award includes a trip to China for the China: Then and Now professional development program.
The China: Then and Now program provides the opportunity for educators to explore the historical, political, and socio-cultural dimensions of technological innovation in past and present-day China; to understand the current state of communications and clean energy technologies in China today; and to use technology to collaborate with other program participants on ways to infuse global perspectives and technology into the classroom.
Segool is planning to have a live blog to communicate with staff and students during his visit. He is also planning on doing a live video-chat with his students during his stay.
China: Then and Now is designed for North Carolina K-12 teachers from all grade levels and subject areas. Classroom teachers from Chapel Hill-Carrboro, Chatham, Durham, Orange and Wake County school systems were eligible to apply for the Borchardt Award. Ten recipients were selected from among these school districts.
Board Names School Principals
At its March 15 meeting, the Board of Education named Corey Moore as principal of the new Walnut Creek Elementary and Cynthia Keech as principal at Carroll Middle School.
Moore has served as assistant principal at Middle Creek High since 2008. Prior to that, he worked as a principal in three school districts and served as an assistant principal and assistant principal intern in three school districts. He also worked as a teacher at Wake Forest-Rolesville High and in the Forsyth County Schools.
Keech has served as a principal at Stough Elementary since 2006. Prior to that, she was assistant principal at Leesville Road Middle. Earlier, she worked as a principal, assistant principal, dean of students and teacher in California school districts. She was a WCPSS teacher at Phillips High before moving to California.