Good News
Goal 2008: WCPSS is committed to academic excellence. By 2008, 95 percent of students in grades 3 through 12 will be at or above grade level as measured by the State of North Carolina End-of-Grade or Course tests, and all student groups will demonstrate high growth.December 8, 2005
165 WCPSS TEACHERS EARN NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION
The Wake County Public School System had the second largest number of teachers
in the nation to earn certification from the National Board of Professional
Teaching Standards this year. 165 WCPSS teachers and counselors earned certification,
according to a report released by NBPTS. The 165 teachers and counselors
earning certification were the most of any school district in the NC, which
once again led the nation in the number of teachers earning certification.
The 165 teachers who earned National Board certification this year brings
the total for WCPSS to 985. National Board certification is the most accepted
symbol of teaching excellence in the U.S. To earn certification, teachers
must demonstrate teaching practice, content knowledge, and professional
growth through submission of portfolio entries and on a computerized assessment.
Impact on student learning is the basis of all components of this certification.
WEST LAKE PRINCIPAL EARNS TECHNOLOGY AWARD
Dr. Gregory S. Decker, principal of West Lake Middle School, was named the
"2005 North Carolina Technology Educator's Award" as a principal
nominated by NC Department of Public Instruction.
HULSANDER RECEIVED NC YOUNG PROFESSIONAL AWARD
Ann Hulslander was awarded The Edgar W. Hooks Young Professional Award at
the North Carolina Alliance for Athletics, Health, Physical Education, Recreation,
and Dance fall convention. Hulsander has been instrumental in coordinating
WCPSS's $1.3 million Carol M. White PEP Grant and helping implement new
and innovative programs for elementary, middle and high schools. She has
helped make sure the children of Wake County benefit from being physically
active and healthy each day. NCAAHPE is one of the oldest education associations
in NC dedicated to the advancement of research and education within the
fields of Athletics, Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.
OAK GROVE RECEIVES TECHNOLOGY PRIZE
Oak Grove Elementary was one of the winners of the second annual Hope For
Education essay contest, a philanthropic program created by Samsung to benefit
children's education with the latest technology. Oak Grove was one of 101
US schools that shared a total of $2 million in prizes. Winning essay submissions
earned the school $20,000 in technology and software.
BOARD RECOGNIZES SPOTLIGHT ON STUDENT AWARDS
At its meeting Dec. 6, the Board of Education recognized students who earned
the Spotlight on Student Award. The students honored were Samantha Jenkins
of Apex Elementary; Halida Wicaksana of Combs Elementary; Sarah Newby of
Jeffreys Grove Elementary; Zykeria L. Hall of Rand Road Elementary; Rufus
Poole, Jr. of Brentwood Elementary; Aki Regan of Millbrook Elementary; Paris
Sanders of Swift Creek Elementary; Matthew Harvey of Washington Elementary;
Michael J. Hines of Zebulon Elementary; Lindsay Erin Lombardi of Reedy Creek
Middle; Victoria Jones of Ligon Middle; Jennifer Nicole Hodshon of Salem
Middle; Mayra Moreno; Juana Morales Torres of West Millbrook Middle; Benjamin
Turner Smith of Cary High; Pedro Hernandez of Wake Forest Rolesville High;
and Lindsay Brianne Via of Sanderson High
BROUGHTON STUDENTS TRAVEL TO GUATEMALA
Fifteen Broughton students, one parent, a former teacher/translator, and
five chaperones traveled to Antigua, Guatemala Nov. 18-26 for the fourth
year of Proyecto Quetzal, an international experience open to all Broughton
students. On the trip, students studied Spanish with a native speaker at
Centro Linguistico Spanish School in the mornings and visited children's
centers and a local hospital in the afternoon to volunteer their time and
talents. Art teacher Myra Smith led Guatemalan children in art projects
with the help of student assistants from Broughton. Others interacted with
disabled children at the Hermano Pedro Hospital or played games with the
children at El Buen Samaritano. Side trips included visits to the Mayan
ruins at Tikal and Iximche and a trip to the famous markets of Chichicastenango,
where a parent sent the students by groups to buy items to bring back to
school to resell. The mercado at school raises the awareness of our school
population to the needs of the poor in Guatemala and raises much needed
funds that will be sent back to the children's centers where the students
volunteered. The Capital Foundation, an organization that supports Broughton
educational experiences, provided financial support for the chaperones and
several students to travel with the group.
LIGON STUDENTS PERFORM AT CARNEGIE HALL
Ligon Middle School's orchestra had a jam-packed trip to New York City.
Teacher Ruth Johnsen said, "The trip went smoothly, and they played
extremely well." After Johnsen submitted cd recordings and programs,
the Ligon students were chosen to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York.
The concert was a Hurricane Katrina benefit and included the chorus of the
University of Southern Mississippi, a school hard hit by Katrina. The Ligon
students from the Silver Strings and Philharmonic orchestras performed their
portion of the concert, a full program entitled "Music of the Fairest
Isle." The performance included a world premiere of a work by English
composer Roy Marks commissioned by Johnsen. Marks will do a short residency
at Ligon in February.
The 80 Ligon students ice-skated at Rockefeller Plaza, toured the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Empire State Building, attended Fiddler On the Roof on Broadway, and took a celebratory midnight cruise around the harbor to see the Statue of Liberty.
GREEN HOPE HIGH CHORUS AND ORCHESTRA PERFORM
The annual Green Hope High "Holiday Performance" will be 7:30
p.m., Thursday, Dec. 8 in the school's auditorium. The performance will
combine beautiful music from both the chorus and the orchestra departments.
Instrumentalists and vocalists along with guest soloists will perform selections
from the Vivaldi "Gloria." The orchestra will be performing works
by Grieg, von Suppe, Mozart, PDQ Bach, Rachmaninoff, de Victoria, and others.
Tickets are $5.
MOORE SQUARE DOWNTOWN DANCERS PERFORM AT STATE SHOWCASE
Cindy Hoban and her Downtown Dancers pulled off another wonderful performance
at the Annual DANCE Showcase. The 18 Moore Square Middle School performers
truly shined as they took the stage dancing to "Time Is Running Out",
from the soundtrack of Apollo 44. Hoban and a senior from SRHS, Andre Williams,
choreographed this motivating dance. Some of the other WCPSS schools performing
included Broughton, Southeast Raleigh High, Ligon Middle, Leesville Middle
and Underwood Elementary. The dancers had a very long day, but filled every
minute with fun and excitement.
JUDGE SPEAKS TO MARTIN MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS
Retired Associate Justice Robert Orr of the NC Supreme Court of North Carolina
will speak Dec. 16 to students in teacher Sharyn West's class at Martin
Middle School. Justice Orr retired last year after 16 years of service on
the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court. Justice Orr has help create
a new organization know as the NC Institute for Constitutional Law that
works to educate and inform the public and fellow lawyers about issues regarding
the state constitution.
MOORE SQUARE STUDENTS MAKE BLANKETS
Moore Square Middle School Beta Club members have been making blankets for
Project Linus, which is a non-profit organization that provides comfort
and security to children that are seriously ill, traumatized or needy. Volunteers
helped to teach students how to knit and crochet. The students have been
working hard to make several squares, which will turn into beautiful blankets.
Work will continue on this project throughout the school year and the blankets
will be delivered in the spring.
LINCOLN HEIGHTS STUDENTS HELP FOOD BANK
Students at Lincoln Heights Elementary took part in the 13th annual Empty
Bowl Project. The school had 20 fourth- and fifth-graders create ceramic
bowls with the help of Highwater Clays, Seagrove Potters, and local business
donations to help in the fight against hunger. The bowls, done in a special
raku firing technique, were bartered off for non-perishable food items,
which were boxed up and delivered to local food banks.
MOORE SQUARE STUDENTS TRAVEL TO WESTERN NC
Moore Square Middle School's NC Mountains to Sea Club will make its first
trip to explore the history of NC. First up is Biltmore Estate in Asheville
NC. The club embarks Dec. 9 for a full weekend of touring the great estate
and village and learning about Asheville and its current culture. On the
way home, the club will stop at Old Salem Village to see the historic sites
from the 1700's and in a Moravian settlement that was founded. The group
will also stop to see the recently restored Tanneberg pipe organ, which
is over 150 years old and the largest built by David Tanneberg. This is
the first of two trips planned by the group for the year. They will be bringing
back stories to tell to their classmates for their study of North Carolina
in the 8th grade.
-wcpss-
WCPSS Good News is published electronically every other week for everyone interested in the Wake County Public School System. Is what you read in this edition helpful? What information would you like to see in future editions? Contact me by calling 850-1829 or e-mailing bposton@wcpss.net.
Bill Poston
Wake County Public School System
Communications Department
3600 Wake Forest Road
Raleigh, North Carolina 27611
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