The School Connection
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.June 7, 2005
WCPSS PRINCIPALS RETIRE
Eight long-time WCPSS principals retired at the end of the school year.
Retirees included Diane Payne of Broughton High; Kevin Hill of Green Hope
High; David Coley of Cary High; Leonard King of Carnage Middle; Clint Johnson
of East Wake Middle; Kay Evans of West Millbrook Middle; Betsy Roundtree
of Wendell Elementary; and Linda Reynolds of Baucom Elementary.
WCPSS GRADUATES MORE THAN 6,500 STUDENTS
The Wake County Public School System awarded diplomas to 6,524 students
in 17 ceremonies that begin May 25. Most of the students will continue their
education in college, while others will enlist in the military or join the
workforce. The class of 2005 earned more than $36.6 million in scholarships,
had more than 2,700 qualifying for the North Carolina Scholars program and
more than 1,100 National Honor Society graduates.
This will be the first class to graduate at Middle Creek High, which opened in 2002-03 with ninth and tenth grade students. The 256 seniors worked to establish the traditions that future classes will follow. The first graduating class earned more than $1 million in scholarships. The class is graduating 30 students with Distinguished Honors, a grade point average higher than 4.25.
Enloe High had the largest graduating class with 496. Broughton had 482; Cary 475; and Apex 470.
BOARD HEARS POTENTIAL REDUCTIONS TO PLAN FOR STUDENT SUCCESS
A list of proposed cuts to balance the Plan for Student Success with Wake
County's proposed county appropriation was presented to the Board of Education
in a special meeting May 26.
The Plan for Student Success requests $265,760,610 in county appropriations. The Wake County proposed budget provides $248,711,000. The potential unfunded requested is $17,049,610.
Superintendent McNeal said the drivers for the 2005-06 Plan for Student Success were high population growth, accelerated academic achievement, and quality teaching and learning. McNeal said potential budget cuts and reductions were developed to prioritize security and quality teaching.
The school system identified an additional $1 million in fund balance that can be used to help balance the budget, leaving potential reductions of $16,049,610. New programs were reduced by $5.41 million. Growth-related items were reduced by $1.57 million. The base budget was reduced $9.069 million.
The County Commissioners are scheduled to hold a budget work session on Monday, June 13 and consider adoption of the budget on June 20.
BOARD DISCUSSES PROVIDING PLACES FOR CHILDREN TO LEARN
In the May 17 committee of the whole meeting, Board of Education members
heard from Associate Superintendent Don Haydon on facility needs and Dr
Ramey Beavers of WCPSS Growth Management on the possible expansion of the
year-round calendar. Haydon said the projection of 187,000 students by 2020
will require 96 new schools by 2020, or 23 new schools in the next building
program. Haydon said increasing the use of the year-round calendar, building
larger schools or using more mobile classrooms would have an impact on the
schools needed. Dr. Beavers described several options for increasing the
number of schools on the year-round calendar, noting the impact various
options would have. One option included establishing a cluster of schools
designed with a combination of year-round and traditional calendar elementary
and middle schools to meet the space needed for students. Beavers said the
school system will have to consider community response, impact on existing
schools, family child care needs and the ability to recruit year-round teachers.
The board asked for additional information as they continue to study these
issues.
SUPERINTENDENT MCNEAL SUPPORTING 2005 WALK TO CURE DIABETES
WCPSS Superintendent Bill McNeal has been named the Corporate Recruitment
Chair for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's 2005 RTP Walk to Cure
Diabetes. McNeal said the Walk to Cure is important because of the growing
number of diabetes diagnosis around the world, and the hundreds of children
affected with diabetes in WCPSS schools. This year's walk is scheduled for
Saturday, Oct. 29, and will be held at Nortel Networks in the RTP. WCPSS'
Walk to Cure 2004 team of 307 walkers raised $24,076.49. Bobby Guthrie of
WCPSS is seeking help in identifying team captains from WCPSS schools and
departments. You can contact Bobby Guthrie at 850-1887 or blguthrie@wcpss.net.
APPOINTMENTS
At its May 17 meeting, the Board of Education named six new principals and
a central office administrator. The board named David Holdzkom Assistant
Superintendent for evaluation and Research. The board named as principal
James Hedrick at Green Hope High; Delores Fogg at Carnage Middle; Scott
Lyon at Ligon Middle; Lisa Spaulding at Green Hope Elementary; Mary Warren
at West Lake Elementary; and Ve-Lecia Council at Baucom Elementary.
-Holdzkom has served as an educational policy and evaluation consultant
since 2000. Prior to that, he worked with the Durham Public Schools as Assistant
Superintendent for Research, Development and Accountability.
-Hedrick has worked as a principal, assistant principal and teacher in high
schools in Virginia. Most recently, he was principal at Millbrook High in
Winchester, Virginia. He's served as an adjunct professor at George Mason
University since 2003.
-Lyons has served as assistant principal at Enloe High since 2002. He has
worked as a teacher at Enloe High and in the Durham Public Schools. As a
teacher, he earned National Board certification.
-Fogg has served as a central office administrator in the Guilford County
Schools where she has worked as Chief Students Services Officer, Chief Academic
Officer and Associate Superintendent. She worked in WCPSS as principal of
Lynn Road Elementary, assistant principal of Brassfield Elementary and teacher
at Apex Middle, Apex Elementary and Smith Elementary.
-Council has served as assistant principal at Leesville Road Elementary
since 2002. She was an assistant principal intern and teacher at West Lake
Elementary and a teacher at Rand Road Elementary.
-Spalding has served as assistant principal at Green Hope Elementary since
2002. She was also a teacher at Green Hope Elementary, Morrisville Elementary
and Baucom Elementary.
-Warren has served as assistant principal at Adams Elementary. She was an
assistant principal and teacher at West Lake Elementary from 1992 to 1999.
The board named as assistant principals Nancy Houston at Wakelon Elementary; Jennifer Spain at Zebulon Elementary and David Newkirk at Fuller Elementary.
EAST WAKE PLANNING FOR TECHNOLOGY SCHOOL
East Wake High School has received a grant from the New Schools Project
to develop a small, technology-based program patterned after a California
high school that has succeeded in cutting dropout rates and boosting student
skills. Along with six other NC high schools, East Wake will adopt an approach
used by New Technology High School that makes extensive use of technology
to promote high levels of self-directed study and teamwork among students.
The school stresses learning through "projects" that require students
to research topics, often in groups, and to develop presentations.
NC schools will apply this approach to the NC curriculum. Students will be subject to the same testing and graduation requirements as other high schools. This approach will help students learn how to demonstrate skills such as problem solving, research ability, teamwork, and oral and written communication.
WCPSS OUTSTANDING FIRST YEAR TEACHERS
Four teachers have been named Outstanding First-Year Teachers of the Year
by the Wake County Public School System. WCPSS recognized Justin Osterstrom
of Combs Elementary, Sarah Carson of Rand Road Elementary, Eric Riggs of
East Millbrook Middle and Mary-Kathryn Pate of Broughton High.
TIMBER DRIVE TEACHER HONORED
Julie Carroll of Timber Drive Elementary has been named Wake County's Outstanding
Elementary Mathematics Teacher of the Year. WCPSS Elementary Math Administrator
Joyce Gardner said the selection committee was impressed by Carroll's eight
years of classroom experience and expertise with Cognitively Guide Instruction
(CGI). She has served as a CGI workshop leader at district, state and national
levels encouraging teachers to explore and deepen their own mathematical
understandings. These teachers are then more effective in promoting the
development of mathematical thinking in their classrooms. Carroll also took
part in the Math Trailblazers Teacher Leader Institute and served as a Teacher
Leader at Timber Drive. Carroll has earned National Board certification
and has served Wake County's teachers as a mathematics workshop presenter
for several years. Gardner praised Carroll's enthusiastic approach to promoting
best practices in teaching mathematics. Carroll will receive a year's free
membership in the NC Council of Teachers of Mathematics and will be recognized
at its 2005 fall conference.
WAKEFIELD BAND DIRECTOR NAMED DISTRICT'S BEST
Wakefield Middle School's band director Tony Robinson has been named an
Award of Excellence winner by the NC Central District Bandmasters Association.
The award celebrates his excellence in music and a career dedicated to children
and music education. Robinson will be recognized by the state organization
at the Music Educator's Convention in November and will have the opportunity
to conduct an All-District Honor Band in January.
DANIELS STUDENTS VISIT JAPAN
Students From Daniels Middle School have visited Tokyo and Shiwa Town, Japan.
They toured Tokyo for three days and then took the bullet train to Shiwa
Town in the Iwate Prefect in Japan. The students include John Burleson,
Kimmie Cook, Leighanna Duggan, Jake Gibbons, Nick Johnston, Kevin Knaup,
Matt Masueti and Jonathan Schenck. They stayed with 11 host families for
3 nights in Shiwa Town, touring the area and attending school with their
hosts. In October of 2004, eight students from Shiwa Town Junior High School
visited Raleigh, attended classes at Daniels and stayed in the homes of
eight Daniels's students. This is the beginning of a three-year partnership
between the two schools.
ADAMS SELECTED FOR MIRACLE LEAGUE FIELD
Adams Elementary has been selected as a site for a new Miracle League field
where a baseball league for special needs children will play. Completion
of the field is scheduled to coincide with the opening day of Major League
Baseball, April 2006. WCPSS will use the field during the school week, and
have priority use of the field at all times. Miracle League games will be
scheduled on Friday nights, Saturdays and Sundays. The Miracle League is
responsible for funding the construction and ongoing operations of the field,
as well as relocating Adam s existing playfield and walking track.
ENLOE STUDENT WINS EMMY AWARDS
Enloe High student Eric Notarnicola has won two regional Emmy awards in
the student television journalism competition. Notarnicola won the technical
achievement category for the Midwest region of the National Academy of Television
Arts & Sciences. He's also a member of Enloe's Eagle Production Team
that won the Public Affairs/Community Service/Public Service category. Other
team members are Emre Cilem, David Leb, Kevin Moore, Aaron Motsinger, Scott
Snyder and Andrew Zucchino. The student adviser is Curry Leslie.
ROBERTS SCHOALRSHIP AWARDED
Millbrook High senior DeMysha Daniels, has been named the winner of the
Susan Roberts Scholarship. Daniels will receive a $5,000 scholarship. She
plans to attend Bauder College in Atlanta. The Susan Ellis Roberts Scholarship
was established to annually award a graduating Wake County public high school
senior who has demonstrated a creative gift and is planning to pursue post-secondary
education. The scholarship is dedicated to the memory of Susan Ellis Roberts,
a former Wake County teacher who sought throughout her life and career to
encourage creativity and leadership, particularly in those students she
described as "diamonds in the rough."
SANDERSON ROTC RECOGNIZED
The Sanderson High Air Force Junior ROTC unit received the Distinguished
Unit Award from Col. H.B. McCarraher. The award recognizes the personal
growth and accomplishments of cadets, the contributions of the instructors
as mentors of the cadets and the support of the school and community.
SUMMER INSTITUTE TO TRAIN WCPSS TEACHERS
WCPSS teachers are taking part in the third annual Summer Teacher Training
Institute, a four-day institute designed to enhance teacher effectiveness
in working with all students, using technology as a foundation. Literacy,
ESL issues and enhancing the rigor of instruction will be addressed as participants
create a technology-rich product for classroom use. Wake Education Partnership
and the Wake County Public School System have coordinated the institute
at Southeast Raleigh High. More than 140 teachers and administrators from
more than 56 WCPSS schools are taking part.
CALENDAR
| June 14 | 12:30 p.m., Committee of the Whole-Board Conference Room. |
| June 21 | 2 p.m., Committee of the Whole-Board Conference Room; 4 p.m., Annual Board Meeting-Board Room |
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 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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