VGCC Pharmacy Technology students train foster parents
Students in the Pharmacy Technology program at Vance-Granville Community College recently helped provide important training to Granville County foster parents.
Under the supervision of Pharmacy Technology Program Head Dr. Erica Fleming, students conducted medication management training, which is a state requirement for family foster home licensing, at the Granville County Department of Social Services (DSS). In such training, foster parents learn about understanding prescription labels, administering drugs, record-keeping, medication disposal, medication storage, psychotropic medications and medication errors. 
“VGCC offered an excellent training opportunity,” said LaVerne Smith, licensing and adoptions social worker for Granville County DSS. “The presentation was very informative and the handouts and visuals were excellent. It addressed all areas that our families need to know. This resource will be a great addition to our training repertoire. We are hoping to work in partnership with the Vance-Granville Community College Pharmacy Program to continue Medication Management training on a yearly basis.”
Fleming said that the partnership with Granville County DSS not only helped local foster parents, and in turn, foster children, but also formed part of the VGCC students’ study of community pharmacy practice.
For more information on the VGCC Pharmacy Technology program, call Dr. Fleming at (252) 738-3482.
From left, VGCC Pharmacy Technology student Tamika Everett of Creedmoor, Kristen Honaker of Henderson, Lesli Miranda of Henderson, Licensing and Adoptions Social Worker LaVerne Smith of Granville County DSS, program head Dr. Erica Fleming, Emily Adcock of Oxford and Ashley Hobgood of Henderson.
Troxler to host Food Safety Forum
RALEIGH – Helping small farms prepare for new federal food safety rules will be among topics covered at the 13th annual Commissioner’s Food Safety Forum on Aug. 15 at the State Fairgrounds.
Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler will host the event from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Expo Center. It is open to farmers, food businesses, regulators, health professionals and other interested people. Admission is free and includes lunch, but pre-registration is requested.
To register, go to www.ncagr.gov/ncfoodsafetyforum by Aug. 11. Individuals with questions should contact Derek Wagner at derek.wagner@ncagr.gov or 919-707-3011.
As the federal Food Safety Modernization Act is implemented across the country, farms of all sizes will be subject to on-farm inspections and other food safety rules. Roland McReynolds, executive director of the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, will talk about the importance of training collaborations for small farms to comply with the rules. And Chuck Ross, extension director with the University of Vermont’s College of Agriculture and Life Science, will give an update on FSMA implementation.
In addition, Dr. Steven Taylor, professor at the University of Nebraska, will talk about incorporating allergen controls within food-processing facilities. Taylor is founder and co-director of the university’s Food Allergy Research & Resource Program. His research has focused on developing methods to detect residues of allergenic foods, and he has worked with numerous companies on a wide range of allergen-related topics.
Other speakers include Dr. Clint Stevenson, assistant professor of food science education at N.C. State University. “Dr. Stevenson and his team have developed virtual reality training sessions that allow students and professionals to interact with virtual representations of real-world food manufacturing facilities and look for food safety problems,” Troxler said. “Stevenson will demonstrate how he brings the factory into the classroom.”
The forum is organized by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and sponsored by Harris Teeter.
VGCC Franklin Campus salutes Child Care Center graduates
Six new graduates of the Child Care Center on Vance-Granville Community College’s Franklin County Campus were honored in a ceremony on July 12 as they prepared to enter kindergarten. The students were Cody Collier of Henderson; Arianna Abbott, Colton Leonard, Joshua Stallings and Aiden Zalewski, all of Louisburg; and Chase Snelling of Youngsville.
Welcoming remarks were provided by Bobbie Jo May, the dean of the Franklin County Campus. She thanked and applauded the staff of the five-star center, and said that the VGCC mission of educating, inspiring and supporting a diverse community of learne
rs to achieve success starts at the pre-school level. “Your children have developed a love of learning here,” May told the assembled family members. “Our staff’s patient instruction and love for these children have helped to turn them into strong, confident kindergarten students.”
Child Care Center manager Michelle Patterson Jones and child care center teacher Teresa Gallatin presented the children with diplomas. Jones also handed out unique “personality certificates” to the students.
Abbott was honored with certificates for “Creativity” and for being a “Math Monster.” Leonard received the “Reading” and “Lawyer” awards. Zalewski was presented with certificates labeled “Enthusiastic Learner” and “Wild Kratts” (after the educational television series about animals and the environment). Stallings was named a “Peace Maker” and a “Creative Thinker” and received a certificate for “Giant Improvement.” Collier received the “Active Athlete” and “Most Dramatic” awards. Snelling was recognized for being “Quiet as a Mouse” and the “Academic Whisperer.”
Lila Johnson of Louisburg, a younger student at the center, served as marshal for the graduation, carrying the American flag as the students processed and recessed.
With the departure of the graduates, spaces for several children are currently available. Parents from among the general public can enroll their children there, as can parents who are VGCC students or employees. For more information, call Michelle Patterson Jones at (919) 496-1567.
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