Meeting Student/Parent Needs in the 21st Century

/by

The following is a letter to the editor provided by Granville County Public Schools.

Letter to the Editor:

Submitted by Dr. Alisa McLean, Superintendent, Granville County Public Schools  and Dr. Tom Houlihan, Chairman, Granville County Public Schools Board of Education

Meeting Student/Parent Needs in the 21st Century

We are excited about the future of Granville County Public Schools.  However, a critical moment in time is at hand as aging buildings, declined student enrollment, and few instructional options confront us.   While student achievement is slowly improving, it still is not at the rate we would like to see.

As such, we know that now is the time for change – BIG change!  With new leadership and vision in place, we believe we can make significant improvements for students and families, but it  will require support from the entire community.  In order to gain this support, we believe it is important that our citizens understand our plan for the future.  Here it is in a nutshell:

First, we need to revitalize our school buildings.  In partnership with the County Commissioners, we plan to make every one of our schools safe and inviting places to work and learn.  Already, $15 million has been promised to assist with this, focusing on critical areas of roofing and HVAC, initially.  We hope much more aid will follow to assist with additional needed improvements in security, athletics, and renovations to classrooms and other learning spaces.  However, keep in mind this is only one part of the puzzle and this type of funding can only be used for physical buildings.   These dollars cannot be used for salaries, classroom supplies or educational programs, which brings us to our next priority – CHOICE!

Our second step in the plan is to expand choices for ALL parents, students and teachers this upcoming school year, in ways that should only minimally impact our budget.  For example, offering more “Choice” is always exciting!  “Choice” can look like a different school calendar, where students have options to attend either, a traditional schedule, or a ‘balanced’ or year-round schedule. In fact, initial survey and Kitchen Table Conversation information revealed that several parents are interested in a year-round calendar option because of their work schedules and interest in creative solutions for blending academic, enrichment and remediation efforts.  Another “choice” could consist of a blend of online and custom face-to-face instruction.   As such, the new Granville Academy has sparked some traction, which seems to be a popular consideration for students who learn best that way. We even heard interest from students in schools across Granville County who want to attend the J.F. Webb School of Health and Life Sciences.  Thus, this school has been added to the “choice” lineup of offerings for any student in our school system.

We understand that parents have high expectations for their children and so do we.  We want GCPS positioned to respond to the needs and desires effectively and efficiently.  Therefore, we are working now to make all of these ideas and suggestions a reality in a manner that should only minimally impact our budget.  For example, we will ensure teaching positions travel where student enrollment demands.  We will also only offer choice options with proper student enrollment.  We believe options are good for all and offer opportunities for families to select what works best for their children but affordable “quality” in choice is just as important as quantity.

It is our sincere desire that Granville County Public Schools will, once again, be the FIRST choice in education for all families in our community.  By improving the quality of our school environments, expanding choices and increasing academic achievement, we plan to reverse the trend of downward enrollment.  This, in turn, will increase state and federal funding to the district.  Every student that returns to us from a charter, private school or home school generates about $5500 in lost funds.  This increase in funding can then be invested right back into the schools and programs, where it helps our students the most.  The more we grow, the more funding we will generate to improve and bring more opportunities, experiences and  “choice” into our schools.

Of course, there are many details and complicated issues to manage.  We hope you find this summary helpful in describing our strategy for how funding will impact our plans.  Further, we hope you will choose to join us in this effort.  Please support our local schools.   Join our Parent Teacher Organizations, Booster Clubs and School Improvement Teams, just to name a few.  Please volunteer today!

If interested in helping us with our new strategic plan, feel free to join us on February 22nd at 6:00 pm at the Masonic Home for Children.  Come visit and see us in action!  Also, our doors are open all month for school tours by appointment.  We look forward to serving everyone.

Thanks to all who continue to support our schools and we pledge to bring “choice” to raise student performance in the most cost-efficient way we can.  Our district leadership and Board of Education will expect no less.  Our hope is that you will join us in embracing our new motto, “Committed to Excellence and Achievement for All!”

Free, Fresh Food Distribution Thurs, Feb 15, 2018

/by

Free, Fresh Food Distribution Thurs, Feb 15, 2018

The First Baptist Church of Henderson, NC will coordinate a fresh food distribution on Thursday, February 15 from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m.  It will take place at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market, located at 210 Southpark Drive, off Beckford Drive.

First Baptist volunteer Betty Boyd said, “This is the same distribution that St. James Missionary Baptist Church has organized and coordinated. They have been offering this service every other month. They asked First Baptist to partner with them to bring this food distribution to the area all year. We are excited about the opportunity to supplement food resources for around 200 families each month.”

The food distribution is open to anyone and is on a first come/first served basis.  Citizens coming to the distribution are asked to remain in their car.  Police and Sheriff’s Department personnel will direct traffic into the Farmer’s Market parking lot.

Boyd said, “The distributions that I have volunteered for with St. James Baptist have usually ended around 11:15 a.m. when they have given out all boxes. If a car has two adults, they will receive two boxes of food. We are very excited to be able to bring this supplement of fresh vegetables and fruits to our community!”

Families Living Violence Free

FLVF – Domestic Violence 101 Class Tues, Feb 13, 2018

/by

Peggy Roark, with Families Living Violence Free, provided the following information to WIZS News:

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 101 CLASS

Tuesdays at 6 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Come to one class or as many as you can. If you complete all 6, you will receive a certificate of completion.

THIS WEEK: WHY DO WOMEN STAY IN ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIPS?

Offices of Families Living Violence Free

125 Oxford Outer Loop

Oxford, NC

Call 919-693-3579 to register or register on our website www.flvf.org

Call by 4 p.m. if you need a sitter for class time.

VGCC names Farmer to lead programs

/by

— press release courtesy VGCC

VGCC names educator to lead programs

Vance-Granville Community College recently named Delton Farmer of Durham to head three academic programs: Accounting, Business Administration and Supply Chain Management. Farmer has been a VGCC faculty member since 2007.

Farmer is a veteran of the U.S. Army, in which he served as a logistical specialist. He earned an associate degree at the University of Maryland, College Park, a bachelor’s degree at North Carolina Wesleyan College, and master’s degrees in both Business Administration and Health Administration at Pfeiffer University.

After completing six years of military service, Farmer entered the business world, working as an accountant, financial analyst and manager, primarily in the health-care and clinical research industries in the Research Triangle area. In his more than a decade at VGCC, he has taught a variety of Business Administration and Supply Chain (formerly known as Global Logistics) courses at multiple campuses and online. Farmer is also the pastor for Covenant Presbyterian Church in Durham, and he has completed his Master of Divinity degree from Shaw University.

The three curriculum degree programs that Farmer will oversee prepare students for a variety of careers in business, accounting and logistics industries. Students may complete the Business Administration and Supply Chain Management programs completely online if they choose. Supply Chain Management has two degree track options: Global Logistics Technology and Trucking Operations Management.

The VGCC Accounting program, meanwhile, was recognized as one of the ten best associate degree programs in its field across the United States by Accounting.com in 2017.

“Delton brings a wealth of real-world experience from the military and the private sector to his position, along with his many years in the classroom, educating, inspiring and supporting VGCC students,” said Angela Gardner-Ragland, VGCC’s Dean of Business and Applied Technologies. “We look forward to his leadership in continuing to grow our programs in these exciting fields that offer numerous employment opportunities for our graduates.”

For more information on the Accounting, Business Administration or Supply Chain Management programs, contact Farmer at (252) 738-3295 or farmerd@vgcc.edu.

–VGCC–

KVA State Playoffs Tues, Feb 13, 2018

/by

KVA State Playoffs Tues, Feb 13, 2018

Kerr Vance Academy will host Wayne Christian Academy in the first round of the NCISAA State Basketball tournament.  The varsity girls and varsity boys teams will both play Tuesday, February 13 beginning at 5:30 p.m.  The ladies team will play at 5:30 p.m. and the men’s team will play at 7 p.m.

WIZS is scheduled to broadcast beginning at 7 p.m. on 1450 AM and online at wizs.com for the varsity boys team, including a full update on the girls game.

Admission is $7 for adults and students including KVA students are admitted for $5.  Children under eight years old are free.

Headmaster Frank Wiggins has asked WIZS News to invite everyone from the community to come out and support KVA.

Vance County NC

Vance County Properties Committee Meeting Tues, Feb 13, 2018

/by

The Vance County Properties Committee will meet Tuesday, February 13 at 4 p.m.  Commissioners Brummitt, Taylor and Wilder form the County Properties Committee.  They are scheduled to discuss elevator repairs in the Administration Building.  The consultant will be present.  The committee will also review several offers to purchase REO properties (Real Estate Owned).

All commissioners are invited to attend.

News 02/12/18

/by
YMCA

Henderson Family YMCA Changing Pay Structure; Planning Annual Campaign

/by

By: Kelly Bondurant, Freelance Writer for Hire

Under the leadership of CEO Paul Ross, the Henderson Family YMCA recently underwent a voluntary association audit and assessment aimed at uncovering ways the organization could better respond to the unique socio-economic challenges of the local community.

The YMCA’s Membership Committee began reviewing membership structure and pricing last spring to determine if the organization was meeting the needs of the local area. Upon contacting the YMCA of the USA, the parent company of the organization, Ross discovered that auditing assistance provided by an outside team of YMCA professionals was available.

The Henderson branch took advantage of the offer and a team of five professionals recently met with a focus group of YMCA members, parents with children in after-school care, community leaders and Henderson Family YMCA staff members. “This team looked at what services we offered and how we were meeting the needs of the community. This was not about how healthy we were financially, but how we do business,” said Ross. “They looked at everything; nothing was hidden or held back.”

According to Ross, the team recommended approximately 25 areas for improvement upon completion of their review, with the majority being smaller, internal items. The team’s two major findings included the need to reexamine membership structure and pricing to be more affordable for the population and the need to hold an annual fundraising campaign.

The YMCA had already begun to address the need to reexamine membership pricing prior to the audit and have since reduced the initial joining fee by half and are adding additional membership structures.

In addition to the previous individual and family categories, the YMCA will offer a young adult membership for ages 13-26 and a senior membership for individuals 65 and older. Ross reports that the young adult membership fee will be a savings of approximately 20 percent off the individual fee, with the senior fee being a 10 percent savings.

The new monthly membership structure and pricing includes:

Young Adult (ages 13-26): $38.50

Individual (ages 27-64): $48.50

Senior (ages 65 and older) $43.50

Family: $67

Aware of the socio-economic challenges of the community and the Tier 1 determination of Vance County, the YMCA’s previous individual and family dues have not increased in four years. “We have held membership dues steady since 2014. We are trying not to burden the community with membership price increases,” said Ross.

The second recommendation made by the audit team encouraged the YMCA to begin an annual fundraising campaign. Ross reported that the Henderson branch is the only YMCA in North Carolina that has never held an annual campaign. As a non-profit organization, funding in the past came predominantly from collected membership dues and as gifts from community benefactors.

Ross explained that other communities comparable to Henderson’s size typically raise between $50-$100K in funding through their annual campaign. This money is often designated for scholarships and financial assistance for members in need. “The YMCA is in the planning process of our first annual campaign now,” said Ross. “Our staff will be trained by outside YMCA staff with experience and we will be kicking off the campaign this fall.”

As Ross stated, reaching out to the community for support and donations is part of a larger need for the YMCA to focus more externally and “move past just our four walls.”

Ross believes that making monthly dues more affordable and offering discounted membership structures combined with funds raised in the annual campaign will help the YMCA reach its overall goal of making fees, programs and facilities more accessible to the public.

###

(The Henderson Family YMCA is an advertising client of WIZS.  However, this is not a paid advertisement.)

9 SVHS Students Earn Masonry/Carpentry Certifications

/by

 

Congratulations to nine Southern Vance High School students who recently earned masonry/carpentry certifications.

Each has earned his/her certification in Core Curriculum and Green Environment in masonry/carpentry under the direction of teacher Ben Arrington, according to a press release from Vance County Schools.

They are shown in the accompanying photo and include, seated from left, Cody Patton, David Vargas, Haudtavis Cordell and Jaylen Shearin. Others, standing from left, are Jhaiiheeim Wilkins, Miliak Hudson, Tremecia Smith and Logan Boyd. Jesse Gupton also received his certification in both areas, but was unavailable for the photo. Arrington is standing at far right.

They earned their certifications through the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER).

City of Oxford Commissioners Meeting Tues, Feb 13, 2018

/by

The City of Oxford Commissioners meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 13, 2018.  Please click here for the agenda.

One of the items WIZS News will be following up on is agenda item number eight, unified development ordinance, and its local impact.  In speaking with Mayor Jackie Sergent, she was not ready to offer full comments prior to the meeting or before speaking with the boards and committees.  However, the gist of what she did say to WIZS News was many communities already have this and that it’s a modern-day times thing to do.

Item 8 reads:

Consider contracting with McAdams out of Durham NC in creating a UDO (unified development ordinance). The purpose of the City creating a Unified Development Ordinance is to combine the zoning, subdivision and all other regulations into one user-friendly set of development regulations. This will be an 18-month process involving various boards and creation of a Steering Committee. The current zoning ordinance was last revised in 2003. With the downtown revitalization efforts as well as the other projects moving forward, it is necessary to have a Unified Development Ordinance that is clear and easily understood, while also creating standards that uphold the community’s vision for the future. Recommended action: Staff & Planning Board recommends moving forward with McAdams in creating a Unified Development Ordinance.