Classroom Connection - October 27, 2011
Magnet Schools Fair Set for Nov. 5
Families will have the opportunity to learn about magnet school options for their children at the Wake County Public School System magnet fair from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 5 at Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School.
The fair begins the process for families to receive information about schools that may best fit their child’s needs. Families can investigate the many magnet themes in one place, and meet principals, teachers and students from the many magnet schools in WCPSS. After this introduction, parents can determine the schools they would like to visit open houses.
The WCPSS Magnet Program offers three learning pathways: gifted and talented, leadership and technology and International Baccalaureate. In each pathway, there are six to seven elementary schools with similar themes that feed to related middle and high schools.
Representatives of each school will offer presentations for their pathways and be there to answer questions and share information. Representatives from application schools such as Partnership Elementary and the two early colleges will also be at the fair. Families will be able to talk with representatives of the new Girls' and Boys' Leadership Academies which will be early colleges as well.
After the magnet fair, families can visit magnet schools when they conduct their open houses in November. In December, parents may apply for a magnet program.They will receive notification about their application prior to the Round 1 Choice Selection Period in mid-January.
Oak Grove Elementary Promotes Healthy Habits
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| Left to right: Parker Ajax, Lauren Schwartz and Casey Cervenka. |
Students at Oak Grove Elementary enjoyed a fun-filled performance by Food Play this month. FoodPlay is a national award-winning theater show promoting healthy eating and exercise habits. Children followed the antics of Johnny Junkfood, whose dream is to become a national juggling star, but he keeps dropping the balls. The problem is his poor eating habits. With the help of the coach of the juggling team and the audience of enthusiastic elementary school children, Johnny learns how to juggle the foods he eats to end up with a balanced diet.
Oak Grove students learned how to see through TV commercials, decipher food labels, and make choices that are good for their health and good for the health of the planet. The performance was sponsored by Oak Grove PTA.
Stough Elementary Wins Grant Money
Stough Elementary celebrated earning a $25,000 grant in the Pepsi’s September Refresh Everything Program on Oct. 27.
"I am so incredibly proud of our Stough community,” said Stough Principal Cheryl Stidham. "The effort that went into winning this Pepsi grant speaks to the commitment of the staff and of the parents to guarantee a successful learning environment for ALL students."
The Pepsi Refresh Grant is a competitive, nationwide contest based on voting numbers alone using a social networking platform. Supporters voted via the Pepsi Refresh website, again on the Refresh website with their Facebook account, and finally via text on a mobile phone.
Students, parents and teachers also collected thousands of yellow Pepsi bottle caps and boxes which were logged into the website for extra "PowerVotes."
"We are thrilled and would like to thank all of the parents, teachers and friends who participated in this wonderful team effort," said Stough PTA President Cheryl Hibbs.
Stough will use the money to fund technology, such as interactive white boards, for four Special Needs classrooms.
Schools Honored for Recycling Achievements
Five schools received top recognition for their efforts in the county-sponsored school recycling program, Feed the Bin. The schools will be honored for their efforts at the Board of Education meeting on Nov. 1.
Through a partnership between Wake County Environmental Services, WCPSS Child Nutrition Services, and Auxiliary Services, 1.3 million pounds of paper was collected among students and staff in 2010. Each school’s contribution to the paper recycling program helped to save more than 1,986 cubic yards of landfill space.
The Top five awards in paper recycling will go to the following schools:
Outstanding Recycling Coordinator
This year’s Outstanding Coordinator of the Year goes to Scott Perry, who was the coordinator for Creech Road Elementary before transferring to his assignment at Penny Road Elementary School this year. He facilitated a group of 20 students who collected paper, cans and bottles, and won the third quarter school recycling contest for the most pounds collected. In total, they recycled 11,098 pounds – or 5.5 tons – of paper in one school year!
Highest Total Pounds of Paper Recycled
Millbrook High School had the highest total pounds of paper recycled at 17,065 pounds. This is the second year in a row Millbrook has won this category. Brian Murphy is the on-site school recycling coordinator, and Dana King is the principal.
Highest Total Pounds of Paper Recycled per Student (calculated based on enrollment)
Partnership Elementary had the highest total pounds of paper recycled per student with 25.9 pounds. This is Partnership’s third year in a row for this recycling achievement. Students and staff have also improved their collection from the previous school year’s total of 23.6 pounds. In addition to recycling paper, cans, bottles and cafeteria trays, Partnership Elementary also participates in TerraCycle® recycling and other fundraising initiatives. Mandy Speer and Pam Feamster are the school recycling coordinators, and Mark Kenjarski is the principal
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Largest Increase in Total Pounds Collected from the Previous Year
North Forest Pines Elementary demonstrated a 41.7 percent increase over the previous school year. Altogether, students and staff collected an additional 3,684 pounds of paper in 2011. Head Custodian Cesar Monroy is the recycling coordinator, and Christopher McCabe is the princiapal.
Largest Increase in Pounds per Student Collected from the Previous Year
Zebulon Middle School increased its recycling efforts by 33 percent in 2011 by recycling 8.7 pounds of paper per student. Linda Lloyd is the recycling coordinator, and Dalphine Perry is the principal.
Other school recognitions include:
Highest Total Pounds of Paper Recycled in a Year-Round School
West Lake Elementary School collected 16,192 pounds of paper. For several months out of the school year, West Lake was in the top five highest recyclers in the Feed the Bin program. In the 2009-10 school year, they were number two in this category. Their recycling coordinator is Lydia Schlenker. She is supported by her principal, Chell Smith.
Highest Total Pounds of Paper Recycled in an Alternative/Optional School Setting
The Mount Vernon/Bridges Program collected 6,347 pounds of paper. Fran Hughes helps to facilitate the collection. The school principal is James Hargett.
Mills Park Media Coordinator Publishes Book
Mindy Tomasevich, media coordinator at Mills Park Middle, recently had her new book published. Tomasevich co-authored Connecting Comics to Curriculum: Strategies for Grades 6-12 with Karen Gavigan. Connecting Comics to Curriculum is about using graphic novels to support the curriculum in middle and high schools. The publisher calls the book an essential guide for librarians and teachers who want to develop a quality, curriculum-based graphic novel collection and use its power to engage and inform middle and high school students.
Davis Drive Middle Orchestra Performs with Fiddler
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When fiddler Patrick Clark came to Raleigh with the Darius Rucker Band, he visited with Davis Drive Middle School Orchestra students.
Clark spent several hours at the school. The orchestra students shared the music they’ve been playing. Clark listened to their performance and then performed with them. He also took time to answer questions from an audience of students. Then he worked with the orchestra helping students to hone their skills.
On his Facebook page, Clark noted he had a nice clinic day with one of the best middle school orchestras with which he had worked. “We had an awesome time,” responded Davis Drive orchestra teacher Johanna Rogers.
Watch Clark work with the orchestra students in this video podcast: Davis Drive Middle Orchestra Performs with Fiddler Patrick Clark It is a 3-minute mp4 file.
West Cary Middle Wears Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness
West Cary Middle Pinked Out! on Oct. 28. Staff and students wore pink to school to observe Breast Cancer Awareness. At 9 a.m., the school body assembled on the practice field on campus in the formation of a “human” pink ribbon. Additionally, students and staff honored West Cary Breast Cancer survivors
During the month of October, West Cary has participated in collecting funds and other items to benefit Breast Cancer research and prevention. Morning announcements have included several key facts and data regarding current research and the “race” for a cure. West Cary will also participate in the Breast Cancer Walk-A-Thon in Southeast Raleigh on Saturday, Oct. 29
Two WCPSS High Schools Honored for High Graduation Rates
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| Dr. Atkinson presents a plaque to Panther Creek High Principal Rodney Nelson and Wake Superintendent Tony Tata. |
The state honored Green Hope and Panther Creek high schools in ceremonies for the state’s school districts and high schools with high graduation rates.
State Superintendent June Atkinson joined Lt. Governor Walter Dalton and State Board of Education Chairman Bill Harrison in a ceremony in the Research Triangle Park where they recognized Green Hope and Panther Creek high schools for having top graduation rates in the state in 2010-11.
Green Hope and Panther Creek had the highest four-year cohort graduation rates for high schools in the state with 500 seniors or more in the 2010-11 school year. Green Hope had 500 graduates in the four-year cohort and Panther Creek had 575.
Green Hope had a rate of 95.2 percent, the highest of high schools of its size in the state. Panther Creek had a rate of 93.4 percent, second highest among these schools.
The state began this recognition program in 2008. The state has recognized Green Hope every year. Panther Creek earned the honor two years in a row with its first two graduating classes.
The principal of Green Hope High is James Hedrick. The principal of Panther Creek High is Rodney Nelson.
Overall for WCPSS schools, the four-year graduation rate is 80.9 percent. Last year, the WCPSS rate was 78.2 percent.
Carroll Middle Students Earn Top Honors at State Fair
Carroll Middle students earned top honors in competitions at the NC State Fair. Vera Martinez earned a First Place award and the school’s team of Tazadi Elliston, Michael Hildago and Roangela Almanzor earned a Second Place award. The students built the projects they entered in Michael Hall’s Exploring Technology Systems class. Martinez won first place for a woodworked toy in the Handicrafts and Hobbies competition. Elliston, Hildago, and Almanzor won second place for woodworked miniatures in the Handicrafts and Hobbies competition. The students competed against other students in middle and high schools across the state.
WCPSS Schools Earn Art Awards at State Fair
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Forest Pines Elementary earned first place for elementary schools, and Wake County public schools earned 18 of the 24 awards in the State Fair art and photography competition for schools this year. Eight awards are presented to schools in each of three categories: elementary, middle and high school.
In the elementary school category, Forest Pines finished first. Willow Springs was third, followed by Combs Magnet, Brier Creek and Mills Park. Barwell Road finished eighth.
In the middle school category, Mills Park finished second, followed by Dillard Drive, Zebulon Magnet, Salem and Apex. Martin Magnet finished eighth.
In the high school category, Cary finished second, followed by Apex, Southeast Raleigh Magnet, Panther Creek and Enloe Magnet. Broughton finished eighth.
Congratulations to our teachers and students for their creativity and hard work.
Athens Drive Fine Arts Department Receives Grant
The Watercolor Society of North Carolina (WSNC) and Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff of Boone partnered to honor Athens Drive High as this year’s recipient of their Keep the Arts Alive Award.
The society recognized Athens Drive High fine arts teachers Margaret Roth and Farrall Hilton at its awards ceremony at the Cary Arts Center on Oct. 9. Roth and Hilton wrote the grant that earned the school $2,000 in art supplies.
Powell Magnet Elementary Honored as Good Neighbor
In April, tornadoes devastated parts of our community. One was the neighborhood around Powell Magnet Elementary.
The Raleigh Citizens Advisory Council recognized Powell Elementary and the Powell Elementary PTA as winners of its 2011 Neighborhood Recognition Awards, which honor individuals, organizations and institutions for significant contributions to neighborhoods across Raleigh.
Principal Charles Miller says the award reflects the strong connection between the school and its neighbors.
Listen to Powell Magnet Elementary Honored as Good Neighbor
This is an 8.5-minute mp3 file.
Lord Mayoralty of the City of Westminster Visits Broughton High
Broughton High School welcomed the Lord Mayoralty of The City of Westminster for a special visit during which the former Lord Mayor Catherine Longworth personally presented the Broughton Vocal Music Program with an invitation to perform and participate in the 2012 London New Year’s Day Parade and Festival.
The former Lord Mayor Longworth visited the school to present the invitation, speak with students and their parents and to meet Raleigh and North Carolina leaders at a special reception. Broughton’s award-winning choir performed a short program in honor of the occasion.
Broughton’s Vocal Music program is under the direction of Christine Conley and performs and competes annually in various events. In 2009, the aCAPella chorus of the school represented the City of Raleigh in visits to Hull, England, and Compiegne, France — Sister Cities to Raleigh.
Each year in the late autumn the Lord Mayoralty decides upon a select number of groups that it wishes to visit in the United States of America in connection with London’s New Year’s Day Parade and Festival. The visit from the Lord Mayoralty is designed either to inspire and reconfirm the importance of the invitation to groups already invited, or to render invitations to participate in future events. It is considered a great honor to receive such a visit.
Leesville Elementary Teacher Named Outstanding Science Teacher
The NC Science Teachers Association named Leesville Elementary teacher Jennifer Browndorf the Outstanding Elementary Science Teacher for District 3 for 2011.
The association will present Browndorf the award, a brass and walnut plaque and a year’s membership in the NC Science Teachers Association, at the organization’s annual professional development institute on Nov. 10.
Browndorf earned the award for implementation of best practices such as the inquiry process. She sponsors many clubs that enhance the Leesville students’ knowledge of going green, recycling and preparing for the Science Olympiad.
Leesville Elementary Principal Cecelia Chapman and six of her peers nominated Browndorf for the award.
Dillard Drive Middle Students Exercise for World Record
Dillard Drive Middle students devoted a minute on Oct. 12 to the National Geographic for Kids Let’s Jump challenge.
Between 3 p.m. on Oct. 11 and 3 p.m. on Oct. 12, National Geographic encouraged students to break a record for the number of people doing jumping jacks in a 24-hour period.
At Dillard Drive, PE teacher Julie Mardis announced on the school public address system that all students and teachers would join together in doing jumping jackets at 2:54 on Oct. 12 for one minute so the school’s students could take part.
Mardis and her students were excited to participate in this worldwide event.
Listen to Dillard Drive Middle Students Exercise for World Record
This is a 4-minute mp3 file.