Around Our Schools Shout Outs March 2014, Volume 3

Graham High Jenny DelosSantos, Lead OCS Teacher Our GHS Occupational Course of Studies students are beginning a new project! GHIS OCS is the first to model this program in our county. Our juniors and seniors, OCS Peer Pals, will be going to Graham Middle School to share short presentations to selected students. The purpose of these presentations will be to discuss ways students can maintain a positive work ethic, which will be indispensible to their future success in school and in careers.

Our students receive School Based Training on campus hours and will also record an entry in their portfolios.

We are excited to be accepted by Graham Middle for this inaugural community cooperative

program, and our GHS students are excited about the opportunity to lead other students! We expect that our discussions with students will bring about awareness of ways in which they can set goals for future success. Our high school students have worked hard to become examples of positive work ethic, and this is a huge opportunity for them to be able to lead other students.

Around Our Schools Shout Outs March 2014, Volume 3

The purpose for this program is to provide students that are candidates for the OCS/MU/AU program insight of the expectations of these high school tracks of study. We will include presentations of all 10 areas of work ethics. These concentration areas are as follows:

Attendance Teamwork Appearance Organization Attitude

Cooperation Respect Character Productivity Communication

The program boosts self-confidence for all students involved, meet IEP goals, and senior portfolio presentations.

GHIS OCS is the best! We were the first to host job coach luncheons, sponsor a float in the Christmas parade, use power points in senior presentations and now we can be the first to set an example to middle schools.

Around Our Schools Shout Outs March 2014, Volume 3

Western High NJROTC Rod Butler, Master Chief USN (Ret) NJROTC Area Six Academic Brain Brawl Championship On Saturday, 22 March 2014, the Western Alamance High School NJROTC Academic Team competed in the NJROTC North Carolina and South Carolina Academic Brain Brawl Championship. The competition took place at Silver Bluff High School in Aiken, South Carolina. Led by Team Captain Cadet Yuuki Butler team members Cadet Brooke Cox, Cadet Jacob Halacheff, and Cadet Joseph Halacheff won fifth place overall and were awarded a trophy out of 20 teams competing! The competition is set up similar to Jeopardy. The cadets are given categories to choose from and then they receive a random question relating to the category. The first team to buzz in must answer the question. If the team does not answer correctly, the team will lose points and another team is allowed to buzz in and answer the question. The cadets started slowly with the opening round but came back strong in the second round to continue advancing through the semi-finals and into the championship round. The WAHS NJROTC proved their mental strength, skills, and determination at the NJROTC Area Six Brain Brawl Championship. The cadets are very proud to have won fifth place in the competition and are hoping to do even better next year. Congratulation on a job Well Done! Way to go, Warriors!

Around Our Schools Shout Outs March 2014, Volume 3

Newlin Elementary Holly Houglan, School Counselor

The Distinguished Gentlemen’s Club and Newlin’s 4th Grade Leadership Group recently visited Elon University and toured the beautiful campus! We attended the University with a group of students from Smith and Andrews Elementary. We had two Elon students as tour guides. We learned a lot about the buildings on campus, the history of Elon University, various majors, college life, and recent events at Elon! We were also able to

experience “the feel of college life” by eating on campus with Elon students!

This was a very enriching experience for our students and a wonderful way to raise college awareness and motivate students to want to go to college!

This trip was made possible through the ABSS Mentoring Program and ABSS Mentoring Consultant, Gian Spells.

Around Our Schools Shout Outs March 2014, Volume 3

North Graham Elementary Charlotte Lee-Russell, Technology Teacher & Tech Club Advisor

The North Graham Tech Club presented on March 6, 2014 at the state technology conference (North Carolina Technology in Education Society-NCTIES)! This is the third year that North Graham has had a Tech Club and the second year that club members have been selected to present at this conference.

Tech Club consists of fourth and fifth grade students and 10 members had the opportunity to present at the Student Showcase in Raleigh. The presentation topic was: Managing mLearning Models which allowed students to discuss how they are learning to use mLearning tools like iPads to extend their knowledge.

Around Our Schools Shout Outs March 2014, Volume 3

The students showed educators and students at the conference specific apps on iPads from the iPad cart that houses 32 iPads. Students are learning how to manage and select apps that are fun and educational. Tech club members showed iPad apps such as Toontastic, Prezi, Gaggle, and Voicethread.

Special thanks to Tracy Taylor and Joy Rust for assisting Tech Club members during the NCTIES conference!

Around Our Schools Shout Outs March 2014, Volume 3

Future Business Leaders of America Robin Bowers, CTE Program Specialist

Students in the Future Business Leaders of America from Southern and Williams competed in the State Leadership Conference this past weekend in Greensboro. The State Leadership Conference is a two and a half day conference held annually in the spring. The finalists from each regional conference are eligible to participate in the competitive events at the state conference. Ten students from Southern and Williams were able to participate and attended the event along with their Advisors, Susan Crane and Daphne Parker. Chandler Posey from Williams placed in the top ten students in the state in the Accounting category!

In addition to the competitive events, the conference includes business meetings, election of state officers, special-interest sessions, and other planned activities. The State Leadership Conference culminates with a formal awards program during which awards are presented to the finalists in each of the competitive events. Congratulations to all who participated!

Around Our Schools Shout Outs March 2014, Volume 3

Participating students included: Southern High Katie Durham Anthony Galan Corey Goldman Brandon Huff Rachel Hunt Kimberly Mills Angel Scales Sara Snelling Catherine Whitesell Williams High Chandler Posey

National School Social Work Week Danielle Woodall, Lead School Social Worker

Thanks to the ice storm, Happy (Belated)

School Social Work Week 2014! “BE”:

Inspired Teambuilding was a success!

Around Our Schools Shout Outs March 2014, Volume 3

Newlin Elementary Holly Houglan, School Counselor

Students in my Distinguished Gentlemen’s Club, a male mentoring group that consist of ten fifth grade males, were excited to have two high school students from Cummings serve as role models and mentors to them this week! The Cavaliers talked about staying on a positive path and shared stories on how they were able to be successful and achieve their goals and aspirations. The two students that visited Newlin to share their stories with us are Seanessee West and Isaiah Moore. Seanessee West has been featured in the local newspaper on his achievements as a positive rapper! He is also a football player at Cummings and is planning on attending college in the fall. Isaiah Moore is a very successful track star, who has also been featured in the local paper and has been offered several scholarships from various universities. The high school students discussed the hard work and perseverance it has taken in order to become the young men they are today, getting into college, and working towards their long-term goals!

Around Our Schools Shout Outs March 2014, Volume 3

Eighth Grade Career Fair for Woodlawn and Hawfields Middle Schools

Check out the great story on a fabulous 8th grade career fair held at Woodlawn Middle for all eighth graders at Woodlawn and Hawfields on Fox

8 with Cindy Farmer for a What’s Right With Our Schools segment:

http://myfox8.com/2014/03/27/mebane-eighth-graders-learn-about-different-careers/

Nearly 70 different career fields were represented, thanks to the partnerships developed between the schools, school counselors and local

business community!

Superintendent’s Shout Out Dr. Lillie Cox

Congratulations to our Alamance-Burlington Association of Education Office Professionals for participating in continuing professional development on behalf of our district, offices and schools!

Vicki Stafford was awarded with a certificate for earning renewal in the Professional Standards Program at the annual North Carolina Association of Education Office Professionals conference held in Greensboro at the Koury Convention Center on March 27 and 28.

Pictured with me are several of our ABSS professionals: Tammy Dove, Vicki Stafford, Valerie Cooper, Marion Bynum, Faye Roberts, Iris Scott and Marie Chavis

Around Our Schools Shout Outs March 2014, Volume 3

Clay Yarborough, Western High, Headed to Carnegie Hall, NYC

Congratulations to Western High Senior and Serious Artist, Clay Yarborough! Clay’s Gold Key and American Vision Nominee entry entitled “Frustration” has been awarded a national American Vision Award! Clay is headed to New York City to be honored at Carnegie Hall in May for this outstanding accomplishment! Congratulations to Clay for his outstanding talent and to WAHS art instructor, Beth Wertz, for her expert guidance. We are proud to know that you both will be representing our outstanding art program in ABSS!

Around Our Schools Shout Outs March 2014, Volume 3

Smith Elementary Julie Hancock, Principal, and David Vaughn, Health/P.E. Teacher

In February, the students and staff of Smith Elementary School participated in yet another successful year of being heart heroes! Since 1996, Smith has been the top fundraiser for the American Heart Association in all of Alamance County! We have now surpassed

over $130,000.00 in 18 years of participating in Jump Rope for Heart, raising $2,200 this year! Way to go Sea Bees!

Ms. Paez’s second grade splash class raised the most of all classes with $340.00, while Ms. Waller's fourth grade class was second place with $236.08, and the third place class was Mrs. Sharpe’s fifth graders with a total of $214.00. Great job!

Individually, there was a tie for the top three spots. Tied for third place was Xander Bethea & Christian Scott, both with $75.00. Tied for second place with both girls raising $85.00 was Kiley Williams & Holden Hall. Finally, with each participant raising $100.00, in a three way tie for first place fundraisers were Kenzie Talhelm, Kenna Talhelm, & our very own Smith's finest, first grade teacher, Mrs. Donna Campbell. Congratulations to each of you, and thank you for your life saving work!

Around Our Schools Shout Outs March 2014, Volume 3

Broadview Middle Brie Butler, Principal

We have all had obstacles in our lives to overcome. Eighth grade Bobcats have studied survivors through literature, writing, and informational text. As a part of their unit, they were honored with a presentation from Dr. Zev. Harel. Dr. Harel presented to students about his experiences as a young man surviving in the concentration camps and how it was his positive attitude and hope for the future that he attributes to his survival.

The Bobcats had the opportunity to ask Dr. Harel many in-depth questions on his experience and life. The opportunity was incredible and students were excited for the chance. Dr. Harel left the Bobcats thanking them for their attentiveness and bidding them do work to make their world a little better every day.

Special thanks to Mrs. Brunner who organized this event for the Bobcats!

Around Our Schools Shout Outs March 2014, Volume 3

Federal Consolidated Audit Completed Dr. Angela Bost, Assistant Superintendent School Improvement

Our ABSS Federal Consolidated Audit concluded Friday, March 14! Below is a summary of the audit team’s feedback. The emphasis on teaching and learning in ABSS is very impressive. Areas specifically noted were:

· Data driven instructional decision making (data teaming process) · Focus on providing students and teachers what they need as a

district · Targeted professional development · Triads · Collaboration with funds, resources, and supports to ensure

curriculum focus · Proactive attitude towards continuous improvement

Thank you to everyone who assisted with this audit and to the successes listed above! Pictured L to R the central office team that spearheaded the audit process: front row: Michele Woodson and Kim Scales second row: Dr. Rhonda Schuhler and Trish Wilson