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Classroom Connection, January 26, 2012

School Choice Selection Process Is Underway

If you are a parent wanting to choose a new school for your child to attend next year, the new school choice selection process is underway and continues until Friday, Feb. 24. During that time, if you are new or returning to the school system, the parent of a rising kindergartner, or a parent who wants to change schools for next year, you may visit the student assignment website, investigate your options and make your choices. You can find more here.

Elementary Schools Plan Kindergarten Registration Events for Feb. 2

Many Wake County elementary schools are scheduling special events on Thursday, Feb. 2 for families who need to register and enroll their child to begin kindergarten in 2012-13.

In order to attend kindergarten, a child must be 5 years old on or before August 31 of the current school year.  In accordance with state law, gifted children who are age four by April 16 also will be considered for admission.

Please encourage families with children who will be in kindergarten this fall to register and enroll their child now. The school system moved registration and enrollment for kindergartners earlier this year to prepare families to participate in the school choice selection plan. We need everyone to help get the word out.

You can read more about kindergarten registration events here.

Mobile Enrollment Locations to Help Families Choose Schools

On the road and in communities around Wake County, the Wake County Public School System is rolling out help for families who need to enroll their children or choose a school for next year.

To assist families in areas of low response to previous student assignment tests, WCPSS is offering a number of mobile enrollment events where student assignment staff will provide computers and assistance in helping parents choose.

You can find a list of locations and more information about the mobile enrollment events here.

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The Mobile Enrollment team visited the Chavis Heights Community Center

In addition to these mobile enrollment events, some larger-scale activities are scheduled:

Apex High Partners with Lenovo for Mobile Apps Development Class

Apex High students will soon begin developing mobile apps, thanks to a new partnership with Lenovo, the National Academy Foundation (NAF) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Apex High students are building their technology background in the school’s Academy of Information Technology. This new partnership with Lenovo will encourage greater student interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) subjects and will strengthen 21st century skills.

The mobile apps course is designed to be implemented as either a 12-week after-school or “out-of-school time” activity to supplement the NAF-developed IT courses students take during the school day, or as an in-class curriculum.  Student teams will develop an idea for a new mobile app and a plan to bring it to market. Each school will select one idea to be judged by a panel of experts, and Lenovo will work with the winning school to possibly bring their app to life.  

To help Apex High implement the curriculum, Lenovo provided a package of technology products, including Android-based ThinkPad Tablets and large format ThinkCentre HD All-in-One desktops, among other items.

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Superintendent Tata talks with Apex High principal Matt Wight and Academy of Information
Technology coordinator Julie Oster in the school's media center

WCPSS Students Earn 2012 NC Scholastic Art Awards

Art students in the Wake County Public School System earned more than 80 awards in the 2012 NC Scholastic Art Awards held at Barton College.

Fourteen WCPSS students earned the competition’s Gold Key award including Athens Drive High student Aliza Weintraub who earned two. Weintraub is a student of Athens Drive High art teacher Margaret Roth.

Three of the WCPSS Gold Key award recipients earned additional honors.  Ming Wong of Southeast Raleigh Magnet High was the American Vision Nominee. Joshua O. Taylor of Enloe Magnet High earned the Edward C. Brown Award. Rachel Ducher of Zebulon Magnet Middle earned the NCAEA Award.

Green Hope High and Zebulon Magnet Middle each had three students earn a Gold Key award.

You can see the complete list of award recipients here and read more about the Scholastic Arts Awards here.

WCPSS Middle School Students Earn Top Honors at Future City Competition

Teams of students from three WCPSS middle schools earned honors in the NC Regional National Engineers Week Future City competition.

The teams of WCPSS student teams earning honors were:
Martin Magnet Middle School - Second place
Ligon Magnet Middle School - Third place
Centennial Campus Magnet Middle School - Fourth place

The Martin team created a virtual city, named “New Vaca”, using SIM City software, and then built a scale model to reflect the theme, “Fuel Your Future:  Imagine New Ways to Meet Our Energy Needs and Maintain a Healthy Planet”. 

You can read more about the Future City regional competition here.

Combs Magnet Elementary Wants Families to Get Real, Get Healthy

Combs Magnet Elementary held a Get Real, Get Healthy event Jan. 24 at the school. Parents and their children were encouraged to eat healthy and move. Families heard from Bon Apetit Executive Chef Eric Foster and 2008 US Olympian Michelle Lewis Freeman in the first hour.  Then they visited a variety of exhibits in the cafeteria featuring organic food and gardening, opportunities to have blood pressure and blood sugar checked, Zumba and Yoga exhibits and the Natural Learning Initiative, which plans outdoor play space. You were able to get healthy snacks and to hear about scholarships for students to participate in city recreation leagues. Combs used the Bodies and Brain Award grant it earned last year to fund the event while the Combs PTA planned the event and parent volunteers worked it.

East Wake Students Earn Honors in Health Occupations Competition

East Wake School of Health Science students Selena Quinteros and Katie Nenez won the District Three Regional Competition in Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA). Quinteros will compete in nursing assistance and Nenez in job seeking skills in the State HOSA competition in March. Seven members competed in the regional competition. Topics included health care posters, medical math tests, CPR/first aid, nursing assistance, job seeking skills, and medical terminology testing. Quinteros and Nenez have a chance to compete in the nationals in Orlando, FL in June.

Jeffreys Grove Student Earns Recognition in International K-12 Invention Challenge

Jeffreys Grove Elementary student Camden T. earned Honorable Mention for his concept of an Indoor Dog Exerciser in the international K-12 Invention Challenge. You can see a video of his invention here.

ePals Corporation and the Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation recently announced the 15 student winners and five students receiving Honorable Mention in the competition. Three of the winners and three of the students earning Honorable Mention were from the US.

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