Good News
May 9 , 2007 |
WCPSS HONORS VALEDICTORIANS
The 21 valedictorians representing the Wake County Public School System’s high schools were honored by the Board of Education and Superintendent Del Burns with a luncheon.
The valedictorians include:
Jonathan Lawrence Wormald of Apex High
Julia Wofford of Athens Drive High
Victoria Ma of Broughton High
Mark W. Pratt of Cary High
Lindsey Tyndall and Keith Richardson of East Wake High
Jody Ann Oakley of East Wake School of Health Sciences
Anusuya Ramasubramanian of Enloe High
Catherine Hughes of Fuquay-Varina High
Rhiannon Leola Blalock and Mary Nicole Holmes of Garner High
Bhumi Purohit of Green Hope High
Paige Elizabeth Griffin of Knightdale High
Dasha Karelov of Leesville Road High
Yuan Katie Zhu of Middle Creek High
Claire Emery of Millbrook High
Clark Charles Pixton of Sanderson High
Wayneho Kam and Waynekid Kam of Southeast Raleigh High
Sarah Safley of Wake Forest-Rolesville High
Akul Patel of Wakefield High
You can read more about WCPSS valedictorians at http://www.wcpss.net/news/2007_valedictorians/
BROUGHTON STUDENTS NAMED 2007 NATIONAL MERIT $2,500 SCHOLARS
Two Broughton High students have been named as 2007 National Merit $2,500 Scholarship winners. Victoria J. Ma and Gregory F. Randolph of Broughton High have received 2007 National Merit $2,500 Scholarships. The two Broughton students were among 2,500 students who were selected for this scholarship from the 15,000 finalists in the 2007 National Merit Scholarship Program. National Merit $2,500 Scholarship winners are the finalists in each state judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills and potential for success in rigorous college studies. They were selected by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors.
ENLOE STUDENT EARNS SHELTON NATIONAL LEADERSHIP SCHOLARSHIP
Enloe High School Senior Sam Lazoff has been named the General Hugh Shelton National
Leadership Scholarship recipient for the 2007-08 at NC State University.
At Enloe, Lazoff has served as Student Body Treasurer on the Student Council; served as Team Manager for the Swimming and Diving Team; served as vice-president and co-founder of Peer Mentors, a group that “adopts” at-risk Freshmen and helps them succeed in their classes; and was a founding committee member of the Freshmen Camp, a unique way of orienting Freshmen to the needs and demands of high school. He has contributed to his community through three years and over 400 hours of volunteer service at a local hospital. He plans to enter the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at NCSU to study History.
The national scholarship is supported by the General Hugh Shelton Leadership Endowment in the NC State Foundation. It includes a $10,000 annual support toward NC State tuition, fees, and housing, etc. In addition, the recipient receives a stipend to fund student leadership
enrichment experiences including leadership retreats/seminars, internships, Study Abroad, the Shelton Leadership Forum, and self-designed learning experiences.
Information about the NC State Leadership Initiative can be found at www.ncsu.edu/sheltonleadership.
ENLOE CHOIR SINGS AT WILLIAMSBURG CELEBRATION
The Enloe High School Chamber Choir and Advanced Women's Ensemble will be official representatives of the state of NC in the performance at America's 400th Anniversary Weekend, commemorating the 400th anniversary of the founding of the Jamestown settlement in Virginia - America's birthplace.
Members of the Enloe choirs will perform in the anniversary's signature event - a finale musical performance to take place on Sunday, May 13th. This concert will include nationally recognized talent, and current plans are to provide national television coverage. Former US Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor will serve as Honorary Chair of the Anniversary Weekend, and invitations have been extended to Queen Elizabeth II and President George Bush.
A commemorative choir of 1,067 singers will perform alongside a commemorative orchestra of 400 musicians for this event. In addition to being part of the festival, the Enloe choirs will also have the opportunity to perform a stand-alone, featured performance for the many thousands of visitors that will be present for the Anniversary Weekend.
CARY HIGH STUDENT PERFORMS AT MEYMANDI CONCERT
Cary High School Junior Steven Metcalf presented a double bass solo performance as winner of the 2007 Philharmonic Association Concerto Competition. Metcalf’s performance May 6 at Meymandi Hall was part of the Triangle Youth Philharmonic Spring concert. Metcalf is principal bassist of the Cary High orchestra and first chair in the NC All State Symphony Orchestra.
WCPSS STUDENTS EARN HONORS IN WRITING COMPETITION
Students from WCPSS high schools earned some of the top honors in the Phi Beta Kappa Association of Wake County’s 40th annual high school writing contest. Juniors and seniors are allowed to submit literary analysis that was written as part of English class. There were 48 essays this year. In the senior division, Emma Guild of Enloe High earned second place with her article “Tragedy: Thy Name is Woman: Shakespeare’s Heroines.” Gregory Randolph of Broughton High earned honorable mention for his article “Depictions of Murder and Plot Progression in Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Macbeth.” In the junior division, David Horton of Enloe High earned second place with his article “Wedding Bands Do Not Always Shine: Marriages within A Streetcar Named Desire and Their Eyes Were Watching God.”
NINE WCPSS SCHOOLS EARNING COUNSELING RECOGNITION
Nine Wake County Public School System schools will be awarded the RAMP designation by the American School Counselor Association at a national conference in June. The nine WCPSS schools include Baileywick Elementary, Broughton High, Garner High, Martin Middle, Millbrook High, Pleasant Union Elementary, Timber Drive Elementary, Wake Forest-Rolesville High and Zebulon Middle. The association recognizes schools with the Recognized ASCA Model Program designation when schools deliver a comprehensive data-driven counseling program and an exemplary educational environment.
EXPANSION MAGAZINE GIVES WCPSS A GOLD MEDAL
The Wake County Public School System earned a Gold Medal in Expansion Management Magazine’s 16th Annual Education Quotient™ Ranking of 2,800 School Districts.
Superintendent Del Burns recently received a letter of congratulations and the Gold Medal certificate from Expansion Management chief editor Bill King.
Gold Medal schools rank in the top 16 percent of those districts the magazine evaluated. Unlike many other educational ratings, which equate excellence to the level of public funding received, the Educational Quotient™ or EQ focuses primarily on results. Although it includes data on spending, teacher salaries and the socioeconomic background of the surrounding communities, by far the most important factors are the test scores and the graduation rates.
The magazine rated WCPSS at 83 for an Education Quotient™, the highest of any North Carolina urban school district. In comparison, the magazine gave an EQ of 37 to Forsyth County; 36 to Guilford County; and 33 to Charlotte-Mecklenburg.
PHILLIPS HIGH USES CHARACTER EDUCATION IN ART
Students at Phillips High School are taking part in two arts projects funded by grants that use character education as a foundation.
In the first project, the students have worked with the Shabu family, and used Adinkra West African Stamp painting, African drumming, drum making, African Dance, and writing for the stage. Students identified WCPSS character education traits with the Adinkra Stamp symbols, which they represent (Good Judgment, Integrity, Courage, Kindness, Perseverance, Respect, Responsibility and Self-Discipline). School faculty and staff joined in African drumming, African dance and Adinkra stamp painting of a character t-shirt and trained in character education as part of their school wide Improvement plan. The grant that provided these activities was from the United Arts Council and NC Arts.
In the second project, students worked with local artist Andre Leon Grey in painting their silhouette on panels which will be inserted over trash receptacles in the historic downtown Raleigh City Market. The students used the information they learned about Adinkra Stamp symbols that represent the character education traits to decorate the panels. The students worked with Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker and Wake Superintendent Del Burns to trace their silhouettes on the panels. Through the project the students have learned the history of the City Market and how it developed. They’ve also talked with local artists, architects, teachers, and business leaders in the community to see how the process of public art is cultural and historical in nature. This grant was funded by the United Arts Council. The students work was first displayed as part of the May 4th First Friday celebrations of galleries all over Raleigh.
CARNAGE STUDENTS WIN AT NC HISTORY DAY COMPETITION
A team from Carnage Middle School was recognized as junior division finalist at the NC History Day in Raleigh, an event designed to promote interest in history among students. Students Ashley Smith, Kristen Reed, Alia Barnes and Serina Durrett created an exhibit on the Greensboro lunch counter sit-ins. The students now travel to the National History Day competition held at the University of Maryland on June 10-14.
Carnage students earned individual recognition during the NC event. Karina McKorkle won a prize for outstanding use of primary sources for her paper on prohibition. Dalton Marshall won a prize for Outstanding Civil War project on drummers in the civil war.
LUFKIN STUDENTS TAKE PART IN NEUSE RIVER PROJECT
Lufkin Road Middle School had three students earn the opportunity to participate in the Neuse River Project, sponsored by the NC Museum of Natural Science. Only twelve sixth grade girls are accepted each session and this year three of the students were from Lufkin. The students are Rachael Hiltscher, Piyanka Saha and Megan Poth. The project was established to encourage young women to pursue careers in science, especially in the areas of research. This is accomplished by attending weekly meetings at the Museum and at the Prairie Ridge Field Research Station off Blue Ridge Road. The girls were able to collect scientific data on water quality, make detailed observations of birds, and bring sixth grade science concepts on ecology into a real world context. Female scientists from Caterpillar and the NC Museum of Natural Sciences interact with the students and serve as mentors during the program.
The highlight was an overnight experience at the Prairie Ridge facility. For the first time in the history of the program, the young ladies got to “mist net” for bats. Imagine their surprise to capture a large brown bat that night! The girls also had the opportunity to take a “trust walk” across a field in the dark, make s’mores over a candle, study animal tracks, and canoe in Lake Wheeler. During the closing ceremony, parents and teachers were treated to presentations and skits that showed what the girls had learned. Ms. Vetter and Mrs. Van Keuren were very impressed with the fine quality of the presentations and their students’ enthusiasm for science.
CONSTRUCTION CAREER DAY 2007
Almost 300 students from many of the Wake County high schools participated in the 2007 Construction Career Day at the NC State Fairgrounds on May 1. Students from across central North Carolina met with construction personnel to discuss careers and participate in hands-on learning experiences. Students rode on personnel lifts (like a mini elevator), papered and shingled a roof, learned the complexities of climbing harnesses, wired electrical outlets, and tried their hand at welding. The outdoor exhibit area was a large field of heavy equipment typical to a construction site. Students operated bulldozers, backhoes, front-end loaders, and a giant construction crane. Over 50 businesses participated in Construction Career Day. This included several community colleges as well as Habitat for Humanity. The construction businesses benefit by interacting with their future employees. You can read more at Construction Career Day.
CEDAR FORK STUDENTS SOLVE MATH PROBLEMS TO HELP HOSPITAL
Students at Cedar Fork Elementary School raised nearly $8,000 in a math marathon to help St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Memphis, TN. Teacher Carol Hill found students were inspired to work on their math for a good cause. Students solved math problems and puzzles in books supplied by St. Jude and asked family and neighbors to sponsor their computations.
SINGING STUDENTS COMPETE TO BE LIGON IDOL
Ligon Middle School students competed in Ligon Idol May 4 in the Ligon Auditorium. There were 16 student contestants who sang for a panel of three judges: Tia Epps and Doug Fogg, both of whom have sung professionally and are teachers at Ligon, and Vanna Fox, of WRAL FM Radio. The students sang on stage with a microphone, some acapella, some with piano or cd accompaniment, and the judges made comments on their performances. The students in the audience cheered loudly in support of all of the performers. Some exceptional singers earned standing ovations. There were even signs in the audience, just like on American Idol. Students in the audience were allowed to vote for one student of their choice, and after a brief intermission, a combination of audience favorites and judges' favorites were chosen to be Ligon's Idols. They were Molly Marcotte, Connor Lillis and Jessica Wicksel. All three students received a WRAL FM gift bag, and a $10 gift certificate to Burrage Music. The students will also be featured in the Ligonfest Talent Show, to be held at the end of the school year.
LIGON STUDENTS DRAW PORTRAITS OF CHILDREN IN HONDURAS
Students at Ligon Middle School are taking part in the Memory Project, a worldwide creative effort founded by Ben Schumacker at the University of Wisconsin. Schumacker invites skillful young artists to paint portraits from photos of young children in an orphanage in Honduras. This is the second year that Karen Thoreson’s art students have taken part in the project. Students Clay Trotter, Stephanie Liu, Chelsea Masters, and Natalea Ehrlich have just sent in their pastel portraits to be delivered to the orphanage. Last year, Meredith Gillespie and Connie Chu (both eighth graders at Ligon and now freshmen at Athens Drive and Enloe respectively) participated.
This project gave the Ligon artists not only a chance to practice working with portraiture, but the opportunity to use their talents in offering a beautiful gift to another young person.