PRINCIPALS' MESSAGES 2009
PRINCIPALS' MESSAGES 2009MAY 7, 2009 - Principals' Biweekly Message
Earlier today, you received an email invitation to provide input in the first five sets of Essential Standards that have been drafted by the educators at the NCDPI and statewide who are working on the Accountability and Curriculum Reform Effort (ACRE). I hope you will take that invitation seriously; we want your feedback. While that happens, we are beginning Phase II of the Essential Standards review. In Phase II, the NCDPI will revise both Social Studies and Healthful Living Standards. To this end, we would like to get feedback on the current Standards in these two areas, what might be missing, areas of overlap, and opportunities for improvement. Your input is critical to developing the best set of Essential Standards for North Carolina students. To provide feedback on the Social Studies Standards, please go to: http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB228Z3QJWVSD . To provide feedback on the Healthful Living Standards, please go to: http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB22948FJUDMN .
Regards,
June Atkinson
In this Biweekly Principals' Message:
- State Board Highlights
- Draft Essential Standards Survey
- Arts Education Standard Course of Study Revisions
- The Choice Bus Visits North Carolina General Assembly; State Leaders Highlight the Importance of Dropout Prevention Partnerships
- Garner Named 2009-10 AT&T North Carolina Teacher of the Year Named
- Elementary Students Benefit from USDA Grant
- Science Competition Winners Announced
- VIF Honors Six North Carolina Teachers
- VIF Honors Six North Carolina Teachers
- VIF Honors Six North Carolina Teachers
- Seventh Annual Shelton Challenge
- LEARN NC Offers Stress Release
- Progress Energy SolarSchools
State Board Highlights
At yesterday's Board meeting, members approved adjustments to the 2009-10 Writing Instruction plan, removing the Grade 3 pretests in reading and mathematics from the state's testing and accountability program for the 2009-2010 school year, grant disbursements to 62 elementary schools so that they can participate in the USDA's Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, and using a random sample of principal and teacher evaluation instrument ratings for validation purposes and to help improve classroom instruction and administration. Board members discussed aligning the Academic Scholars program to the Future-Ready Core and allowing middle school students the opportunity to take high school social studies courses for credit. Complete Board highlights will be posted online at www.ncpublicschools.org/sbehighlights later next week.
Draft Essential Standards Survey
The NCDPI is seeking input on the "Draft Essential Standards for North Carolina Public Schools." We value your opinion, and we know that feedback from across the state is critical to developing the most relevant and high-quality set of standards for teaching NC students. The NCDPI has requested that school districts compile feedback on the Draft Essential Standards; however, we are interested in receiving feedback from individuals as well. To provide feedback, please go to http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB2295BE3HQKL . The Draft Essential Standards can be found at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/acre/standards/ .
Arts Education Standard Course of Study Revisions
In order to effectively fulfill the State Board of Education's mission, NCDPI staff is conducting surveys in each of the arts education disciplines (dance, music, theatre arts and visual arts) to collect data that will be used to re-examine and redesign the NC Arts Education Standard Course of Study, K-12. The surveys, which will be open until 5 p.m. May 6, may be accessed at the following links:
- Dance: http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB2293Z9HPZ7A
- Music: http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB2293ZQJQACY
- Theatre Arts: http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB2293YURPRE6
- Visual Arts: http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB2293Z4DPW35
The Choice Bus Visits North Carolina General Assembly; State Leaders Highlight the Importance of Dropout Prevention Partnerships
Members of the North Carolina General Assembly had an opportunity to tour one of North Carolina's more visible dropout prevention tools, The Choice Bus, when it visited the state's capitol on Tuesday. The Choice Bus provides public school students a powerful image of what could be a very real consequence of failing to graduate from high school: prison. In addition, a press conference was held at the North Carolina General Assembly to focus attention on the importance of public/private partnerships in addressing the state's dropout problem.
Garner Named 2009-10 AT&T North Carolina Teacher of the Year
Jessica Garner, a Spanish teacher at Porter Ridge High School, Union County Schools, was named the 2009-10 AT&T North Carolina Teacher of the Year at an awards ceremony held Tuesday in Raleigh. Garner has been a public school teacher for 11 years and has spent the last four years teaching in North Carolina. She will spend the next school year traveling the state as an ambassador for the teaching profession. In addition, she received a personal automobile, one-time cash award of $7,500, a trip to the National Teacher of the Year conference, the opportunity to travel abroad through an endowment at the North Carolina Center for International Understanding, and a technology package valued at over $14,000 from the SmarterKids Foundation. She will serve as an advisor to the State Board of Education for two years. Garner succeeds Cindi Rigsbee from Gravelly Hill Middle School, Orange County Schools.
Elementary Students Benefit from USDA Grant
Students at 62 North Carolina elementary schools will have access to fresh fruits and vegetables during the school day next year thanks to an almost $1.8 million grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The primary purpose of the grant is to promote healthier food choices by introducing a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables through daily snacks and incorporating nutrition education in lesson plans. For more information, including which schools will be participating, please go to the NCDPI Web site at www.ncpublicschools.org and click on the appropriate link under "News."
Science Competition Winners Announced
The NC Student Academy of Science (NCSAS) recently announced the winners of its 2009 competition. About 200 middle and high school students from across the state showcased their original science research papers through an oral presentation. NCSAS, an organization for students in grades 6-12, is allied with the North Carolina Academy of Science. Its objectives are to promote the study of science, technology, and mathematics, assist students to pursue careers in science and technology, and encourage students to use their talents for the improvement of themselves, their schools, and their communities. The winners, their project titles and their awards are available online at www.ncsta.org/sciencefair/students/winners/2009.html.
Congratulations also to six North Carolina public school students who demonstrated their excellence in science, engineering and technology during the Second Annual International Sustainable World Project Olympiad in Houston, Texas. Almost 1,200 young scientists and project supervisors representing 60 different countries displayed 450 highly qualified projects. Students receiving awards were: Nicole Shaw (Aycock Middle, Guilford County Schools), Zebulon Amrol-Davis (South Brunswick Middle, Brunswick County Schools), Morgan Neely (Asheboro High, Asheboro City Schools), Taylor Courier, North Carolina School of Science and Math (Durham), Xavier Joyner (Wake Early College of Health and Sciences, Wake County Schools), Victoria Jones (Wake Early College of Health and Sciences, Wake County Schools). Complete competition information and winners are available online at www.isweep.org.
VIF Honors Six NC Teachers
Congratulations to the following six North Carolina public school teachers who were recently honored by the Visiting International Faculty Program for "creating opportunities for their students to explore other cultures and countries, master new languages and discuss and contribute to solutions for global challenges." National Winner: Helen Crompton, Carrboro Elementary (Chapel Hill-Carrboro Schools); State Winner: Fabrice Fresse, Bailey Middle (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools); Honorable Mentions: Pamela Arraras, Southeast Guilford Middle (Guilford County Schools), Fiona Mitchell, Rockingham County High (Rockingham County Schools), Patricia Rodriguez Abreu, West Greene Elementary (Greene County Schools) and Lirong Want, International Studies School at Garinger High (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools). Beside their awards, the national and state winners' schools receive free educational materials. These winners were chosen from 70 nominees in six states.
Students Receive Scholastic Art Award
Congratulations to South Mecklenburg High School student Katie Stout (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools) and West Forsyth High School student Zach Vestal (Winston-Salem/Forsyth Schools) for receiving the Governor's Student Excellence Award during the national Scholastic Art and Writing Awards program. The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards is the nation's longest-running student recognition program for the visual and literary arts.
Information to Share with High School Counselors
CFNC Offers College Redirection - Does your district have high school seniors left without a college admission offer at the end of the application process? If so, please let them know about College Redirection, a service that connects high school seniors with North Carolina colleges and universities that still have open admission slots. This service is provided by CFNC and is open through Aug. 31. Please have your high school counselors advise students to visit CFNC.org and click on "College Redirection Now Open" for more information and/or to participate.
CFNC Transfer Navigator Release - CFNC recently announced the launch of the first phase of its Transfer Navigator. The Transfer Navigator allows students to explore how courses will transfer between North Carolina's colleges and universities. The phase one release encompasses the transfer of over 600 courses from any of the 58 North Carolina Community College System campuses to any of the 16 four-year University of North Carolina institutions. Future phases will incorporate the 36 North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities, as well as expanded functionality. The CFNC Transfer Navigator is located on the Transfer Student Planner portion of the CFNC Student Planner. For more information, please contact David English at englishdj@northcarolina.edu
Seventh Annual Shelton Challenge
The General H. Hugh Shelton Leadership Center recently announced the dates and locations for its Seventh Annual Shelton Challenge for youth. High school students are encouraged to register for one of the following three one-week sessions: July 12-17 at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, July 12-17 at North Carolina State University and July 26-31 at North Carolina State University. The sessions will focus on Leadership Roles and Accountability, Team Building, Leadership Styles and Situations, Motivating Others, Citizen Responsibility, Integrity as a Leader, Public Speaking, Changing Behaviors and Goal Setting. Reflection is a key component for each exercise and daily review. Students are placed in leadership roles and participate in a 360° evaluation conducted by the Coach, Mentor, Trainers (CMTs) and Peer Leaders. The cost to attend is $550, which includes lodging, meals and materials needed for the sessions and a graduation ceremony at the end of the week. For more information, including registration, please visit http://www.ncsu.edu/extension/sheltonleadership/leadership-programs/challenge.php . Questions may be directed to Debbie Reno at debbie_reno@ncsu.edu or 919.513.0150.
LEARN NC Offers Stress Release
Teaching can be stressful. LEARN NC helps alleviate the stress by offering valuable resources such as lesson plans for all subjects and grades, multimedia and learning materials, all aligned to the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. New teachers also can find tips for building a support network in the workplace, as well as a guide for classroom management. A flyer outlining how LEARN NC can make teachers' lives easier is available online at http://www.learnnc.org/lp/media/pr/LEARNNCbigflyer2009-spreads%20-%20new-teachers.pdf. Additional information also can be found online at www.learnnc.org.
Progress Energy SolarSchools
Progress Energy's SolarSchools program gives middle school students and faculty a unique, hands-on opportunity to learn more about solar energy. Five winning schools will receive a two-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system installed by Argand Solar on their campus along with Internet tracking equipment that shows the real-time energy output. Interested schools must complete a solar site assessment and an application, which are available online at www.progress-energy.com/solar, by July 1. Only middle schools served by Progress Energy Carolinas are eligible to participate in this program.
If you'd like to review past Principals' Biweekly Messages sent to the listserv
group, just go online to http://www.ncpublicschools.org/principalsarchive/.