School Connection
Dec. 11, 2002
2003 Goal: By 2003, 95 percent of students tested will be at or above grade level as measured by NC End-of-Grade testing at grades 3 and 8.
WCPSS EMPLOYEES WORKED TO CLEAR ICE AND DEBRIS
With winter weather procedures already in place, WCPSS maintenance
employees worked through the weekend to ensure schools would
be safe, warm and accessible for students and staff after
a devastating ice storm left one million Triangle residents
without power for several days.
WCPSS maintenance employees and contractors were on standby Wednesday afternoon as weather alerts began calling for ice to accumulate on trees, power lines and roads. By 5 a.m. on Thursday, employees were already checking on schools. Staff worked from early in the morning to late at night to clear ice, fallen trees and other debris from school entrances, bus and parent drop off lanes and parking lots.
WCPSS staff worked closely with crews from Progress Energy to make sure all schools had electric power.
Because of their efforts, students reported to 123 of Wake's 125 schools Monday morning with only a two-hour delay; while Underwood Elementary and Centennial Campus Middle were closed for a day because of heating issues.
Schools had closed one hour early Dec. 4 as the storm began late that afternoon with a mix of snow and freezing rain. With widespread power outages and traffic disrupted by powerless signal lights and downed trees, schools had remained closed Dec. 5 and 6.
MAKE UP DAYS
The days missed on Dec. 5 and 6 due to inclement weather will
be made up by traditional calendar schools on Feb. 17, 2003
and April 21, 2003.
SATs POSTPONED
The SAT exams scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 7, and Sunday,
Dec. 8, have been postponed until Saturday, Dec. 21, and Sunday,
Dec. 22, respectively. For more information, please contact
your school's guidance counselor.
2002 WCPSS PARENT AND STUDENT SURVEYS PUBLISHED
The Wake County Public School System Evaluation and Research
Department has published its survey of parents and students.
The parent survey indicates:
-Almost all parents at all levels agreed that school is a
safe place to learn.
-More parents gave their child's school a grade of A or B
than in previous surveys.
-Over the past six years, parent respondents have been more
positive regarding the high quality educational programs at
their child's school.
-There has been a significant positive trend over the past
six years with regard to parent perception that their children
are receiving challenging work in all classes.
-More parents agreed that their child's school promotes understanding
among students of
various backgrounds.
-96% of parents indicated they receive courteous attention
when they call the school.
You can read more about the parent survey at http://www.wcpss.net/evaluation-research/index_reports/2002/0237_parentsurvey.pdf
In the survey of students, WCPSS administrators found:
-An increasing number of students at all levels agree that
their school is a safe place to learn.
-Over 80% of all students feel it is easy to get help from
the adults at their school, with responses ranging from 84%
of elementary school students to 73% of high school
students.
-Over 75% of high school students feel adults help students
learn how to make good decisions and plan for the future.
-About two-thirds of middle and high school students are involved
in after-school activities.
You can read more about the student survey at http://www.wcpss.net/evaluation-research/index_reports/2002/0238_studentsurvey.pdf
140 WAKE TEACHERS EARN NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION IN
2002
140 teachers from the Wake County Public School System earned
certification from the National Board of Professional Teaching
Standards this year - the largest number of WCPSS teachers
to earn the honor in the program's eight-year history. Fifty-one
of the WCPSS teachers to earn certification this year teach
at high schools. There were nine from Apex High and six each
from Fuquay-Varina, Leesville, Sanderson and Wakefield high
schools. East Wake, and Enloe each had four; Cary, Millbrook
and Southeast Raleigh three; Athens Drive and Garner two;
and Green Hope, Middle Creek, and Wake Forest-Rolesville one.
You can read more at http://www.wcpss.net/news/2002_nat_board_teachers/index.html
BOARD OF EDUCATION NAMES HEALTHY SCHOOLS TASK FORCE MEMBERS
The Wake County Board of Education named 28 members to a Healthy
Schools Task Force Tuesday (Dec 3) to examine a variety of
educational issues that will impact the future of public education
in Wake County. Board chair Kathryn Watson Quigg said Dick
Daugherty and Dudley Flood have agreed to co-chair the task
force and will hold the first meeting of the task force Dec.
12. You can read more at http://www.wcpss.net/news/healthy-schools/index.html
THREE-PART TELEVISION SERIES TO EXAMINE THE ISSUE OF DIVERSITY
IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
The first installment of a three-part television series entitled,
"Making Choices: Diversity, Student Assignment and Quality
in Wake's Public Schools," began airing on Dec. 2 on
Time Warner Cable's channel 24. Superintendent Bill McNeal,
Raleigh Chamber of Commerce President Harvey Schmitt and UNC-CH
Professor Jack Boger served as panelists for the first installment
of the series, which airs throughout December: Mondays at
noon and again at 8 p.m.; Thursdays at 9 a.m. and at 9 p.m.;
and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.
BUSINESS VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR 2003 GROUNDHOG JOB SHADOW
DAY
Wake County's future doctors, graphic artists, technicians
and teachers will have the chance to explore their future
careers by following business volunteers during Groundhog
Job Shadow Day on Friday, Jan. 31, 2003. Superintendent Bill
McNeal invited Wake County employers to open their doors and
their arms to students. "Our business leaders have been
incredibly generous with their time and attention to our children,"
McNeal said. "I'm eagerly looking forward to their involvement
in Groundhog Job Shadow Day this school year, because they
give the gift of a glimpse into the future to students."
CARVER ELEMENTARY CALENDAR APPROVED
At its Tuesday (Dec. 3) meeting, the Board of Education approved
the 2003-2004 calendar for Carver Elementary School. Students
will begin school July 21, 2003 and the last day of school
is May 26, 2004. Spring break is the week of April 5, 2004.
If for any reason, the school district must close schools,
this adopted 2003-2004 calendar may be amended by the board
to provide additional days the first week of fall break, the
second week of spring break, and at the end of the year to
meet legal requirements.
BOARD NAMES ARCHITECT FOR NEW SCHOOL
At its Tuesday (Dec. 3) meeting, the Board of Education named
an architect to design the new "Heritage High School."
The board selected Boney, PLLC for the project. They will
be using the Knightdale High prototype.
ENERGYSAVERS UPDATE
After six years, the Wake County Public School System EnergySavers
program is shifting gears from reducing costs to stabilizing
costs. Mazie Smith of WCPSS EnergySavers gave the Board of
Education an update on the program at the board's Monday (Dec.
3) meeting. Smith reported that the 2001-2002 heating and
cooling degree data remained nearly the same as the year before
at 91 cents per square foot. She noted that is significantly
below the industry standard of $1 per square foot at a time
when there was an increase in the student population of 3,494
students, an increase in square footage of schools by 254,017
square feet, and an increase in after-hours and weekend use
of facilities. It was also the first year that rebates were
suspended which are generally given back to the schools as
an incentive to participate in the program. Smith told the
board the program has helped educate students about energy
efficiency and earned the school system and some of its schools
national recognition for its efforts.
GRANTS SUPPORT INNOVATIVE TEACHING
Wake Electric Membership Corp. awarded $50,000 in grants to
area teachers through the Bright Ideas program to help fund
innovative teaching projects.
Grants were awarded to Terry Purvis and Edye Morris-Bryant
of Carroll Middle, Leah Perry-Lawless and Sara Belskie of
Conn Elementary, Marian Wheless of Creech Road Elementary,
Catherine McCluskey of East Wake High, Julie Crain of Fuquay-Varina
High, Kelly Hylton of Jones Dairy Elementary, Jillian Vitolo
of Knightdale Elementary, and Carolyn Moser and Patricia Schweigert
of Leesville Road Middle. Teachers Corey White and Paul Lucas
of Ligon Middle, Samuel Bellezza of Longview School, Carrie
Jones of Middle Creek High, Sharon D. Winzeler of Broughton
High, Patty Latham of North Garner Middle, June L. Blackwell
of Sanderson High, David M. Sander of Wake Forest-Rolesville
High, Barbara Wiggins of Wakefield High, Jan Kidwell of Washington
Elementary and Julie Carnes Poyer of Fox Road Elementary were
also awarded grants.
Wake Electric is a nonprofit utility based in Wake Forest
that serves Durham, Granville, Franklin, Johnston, Nash, Vance
and Wake counties.
INSIDE THE NEWS
U.S. Department of Education reports "Education
Department Issues Final Regulations for No Child Left Behind
Act"; "Statement
of Secretary Paige Regarding Title I Regulations";
and "The
Facts About... A Guide to the Future"
The National Center for Education Statistics reports "Indicators
of School Crime and Safety, 2002"
NC Department of Public Instruction reports "North
Carolina Tops in National Board Certified Teachers"
Education Week reports "Final
Rules Give States Direction, Little Flexibility";
"Study
to Compare Six Reading-Intervention Strategies";
"Teacher-Quality
Rules Challenge Ed. Schools"; and "Sen.
Edwards Lays Out Plan for Education"
Denver, CO Rocky Mountain News reports "Separating
for success"
The Sacramento, CA Bee reports "Monday Morning: Combined schools put to the test"
The Beacon of LEARN NC reports on education
CNN reports on education
The National School Board Association reports the School Board News
CALENDAR
|
Dec. 12 5 p.m. |
The Healthy Schools Task Force will hold its first meeting at the Harriet B. Webster Professional Development Center, 4401 Atlantic Avenue, Raleigh |
|
Dec. 17 |
2 p.m., Board Committee of the Whole; 4 p.m., Board Meeting, Board Room |
|
Dec 18 |
12 p.m. - 1:30 p.m., Joint Luncheon, Wake County Office Building, 3360 Fayetteville Street Mall; 2 p.m., Facilities Committee Meeting |
|
Dec 23- Jan 1 |
Winter Break for students |
You can find more information on school events at http://www.wcpss.net/Calendars
School Connection is published electronically every other week for everyone interested in the Wake County Public Schools. 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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