VGCC Inducts Five New Apprentices in Signing Ceremony

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-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

Five Vance-Granville Community College students were among 14 who committed to participate in the North Carolina Triangle Apprenticeship Program (NCTAP) at a signing ceremony in Wake Forest in August.

In addition to the signings, five students were honored as the first graduates of the program, which was held in the Wake Forest Renaissance Center on August 14.

“This evening marks the beginning of 14 new careers and the next chapter of the careers of our first five apprentices,” said Mark Bertoncino of Bühler Aeroglide Corp. of Cary, chairman of NCTAP and master of ceremonies for the ceremony. “It is the culmination of years of hard work by the many people in this room and the first real living proof that our program is not only a success but that our apprentices are destined for great things.”

The students are now apprentices with nine industries in Granville, Franklin and Wake counties as they finish high school and earn their associate’s degrees at either VGCC or Wake Technical Community College. VGCC students Jacob Pitts of Durham will be working at Dill Air Controls Products LLC in Oxford; Marshall Cook of Youngsville, Jared Gladki of Roxboro and Joseph Peace of Oxford will be working with Revlon Inc. of Oxford; and Isaac Wier of Franklinton will be at Superior Tooling in Wake Forest.

Above: The five latest VGCC apprentices inducted to the North Carolina Triangle Apprenticeship Program joined with representatives of their new employers and Vance-Granville Community College officials on Aug. 14 at a signing ceremony in Wake Forest. From left are Dr. Gordon Burns, VGCC interim president; Vanessia Alvarado of Dill Air Control Products; Ken Wilson, TechHire grant project manager for VGCC; Jacob Pitts, Dill apprentice; Steve Tsotsoros of Dill; Marshall Cook, Revlon apprentice; Jared Gladki, Revlon apprentice; Mike Jones of Revlon; Joseph Peace, Revlon apprentice; Isaac Weir, Superior Tooling apprentice; Craig McLean of Superior Tooling; and Tiffani Polk, TechHire academic and career coach for VGCC. (VGCC Photo)

Working through Wake Tech, the signees and the other companies were: Lariston Pierce, Accu-Fab Inc. of Raleigh; Grace Leapley, Josey Baker, Jacob Ganzzermiller and Greg Smith, Bühler Aeroglide Corp. of Cary; Marc Dickerson, CaptiveAire Systems of Youngsville; and Michael Benjamin and Brian Sublette, Schunk Intec Inc. of Morrisville.

As each made a commitment to follow the program, the students were joined on stage for the signing ceremony by their parents and employers from the participating industries.

“Because of our collective efforts, these students have a new seamless career pathway to better futures,” said VGCC Interim President Dr. Gordon Burns. “While in school, these apprentices have the opportunity to receive real-life, on-the-job training skills and related training, and simultaneously to earn high school credits and college credits toward a degree. Following their graduation, they are offered opportunities for continued workforce learning as they progress towards their journeyman’s credential and advance in their careers.”

“Students win and so do parents,” he added. “Businesses and industry representatives certainly win. Having this apprenticeship program is a pipeline for new workers.”

The program gives industry a chance to train the young workers on the latest equipment, to use their employees as mentors and to develop future leaders in the companies and in the communities, Dr. Burns said.

NCTAP is a partnership that seeks to provide new opportunities for local students and to prepare a skilled workforce. Typically starting in the junior year of high school, NCTAP is a four-year program that leads to a student obtaining an associate degree at the community college and paid, on-the-job training at the participating employer. Eligible students’ tuition is covered by a waiver from the state of North Carolina. After they graduate from high school, students in the program will be employed full-time by the company.

In the graduation portion of the ceremony, Wake Tech students Luke Fouts, Alex Gaither, Mason Hurlbut and Simon Mitchell, apprentices at Bühler Aeroglide, and Dylan Beckwith, at Schunk Intec, were recognized as the first graduates of the apprenticeship program.

Also on the program were N.C. Sen. Chad Barefoot, R-Wake; Dr. Stephen Scott, president of Wake Tech; and Maureen Little, vice president of economic development for the North Carolina Community College Systems.

Sen. Barefoot, who has announced his plans to retire from the North Carolina Legislature, was presented with a special recognition for his support of the apprenticeship program statewide. He has been praised for helping in getting legislation changed to boost the apprenticeship program. Whereas companies previously had to pay the state to have an apprentice, Barefoot helped enact legislation that now has the state providing reimbursement for tuition.

Representing VGCC’s NCTAP participating industries at the ceremony Steve Tsotsoros and Vanessia Alvarado of Dill Air Controls and Mike Jones of Revlon. Also present from the VGCC TechHire program were Ken Wilson, project manager, and Tiffani Polk, academic and career coach. All schools participating in NCTAP can send students to the educational partner institution that best meets the needs of the industrial partner, Wilson said.

More photos: Check out VGCC’s album on Flickr!

Granville County Public Schools

Granville Co. Finance Budget Committee to Meet Thurs., Sept. 27

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-Press Release, Granville County Public Schools

NOTICE TO PUBLIC AND PRESS

The Granville County Finance Budget Committee will meet Thursday, September 27, 2018, at 4:30 p.m. at the Granville County Public Schools Central Office, 101 Delacroix Street, Oxford, North Carolina.

The next regular scheduled Board meeting is Monday, October 1, 2018, at 6 p.m.

Five VGCC Students Join RIBN Program in NC A&T Ceremony

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-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

Five Vance-Granville Community College students were formally inducted into the North Carolina Piedmont “Regionally Increasing Baccalaureate Nurses” (RIBN) program in a ceremony in August at North Carolina A&T State University’s Union Square Campus in Greensboro.

RIBN is a partnership involving the university, VGCC, Davidson County Community College (DCCC) and Guilford Technical Community College (GTCC).

This year’s inductees from VGCC are Jolina Chiong of Henderson, Madison Hetrick of Henderson, Jaslin Renteria of Henderson, Chris Trotman of Durham and April Zuniga-Trejo of Henderson.

At the induction ceremony, the A&T School of Nursing welcomed students from VGCC and the other community colleges who will be simultaneously enrolled at the university. RIBN students earn associate’s degrees in nursing over three years (while also taking A&T courses online) and then continue for one year of additional courses at A&T required for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree.

Above: Shown celebrating the induction of five new students in RIBN at NCA&T in Greensboro, from left, are VGCC Academic/Career Coach Seletha Pherribo, VGCC Dean of Health Sciences Angela Thomas, RIBN student inductees Jolina Chiong, Madison Hetrick, Chris Trotman, Jaslin Renteria, and April Zuniga-Trejo, VGCC Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Levy Brown, and Nursing Department Chair Erica Jastrow. (VGCC photo)

Erica Jastrow, the Nursing department chair for VGCC, presented each college’s student inductees with a certificate of induction as part of the ceremony, while Academic/Career Coach Seletha Pherribo read a brief biography of each one.

With five out of the 11 students selected for this year’s cohort, VGCC again had the most inductees among the three community colleges in the partnership. In 2017, VGCC had 11 of the 18 students selected, more inductees that the two other community colleges combined. In the first year of the partnership, 2016, the initial cohort consisted of three students, one from each community college.

The North Carolina Piedmont RIBN initiative is one of nine such partnerships that have been launched in North Carolina since 2008 under the direction of the Foundation for Nursing Excellence (FFNE) to increase the educational preparation of North Carolina’s nursing workforce.

In addition to recognizing the RIBN Advisory Board members, Jastrow thanked employers who have met with RIBN students to outline employment opportunities that lie ahead for graduates. “This really shows how desirable our RIBN students are,” she said. “The employers are seeking them out, wanting to come and talk with them.” She also thanked the community and university administrators for providing the fiscal and human resources to support the RIBN students.

Dr. Terry Ward, director of the A&T School of Nursing, praised the students for enrolling in RIBN. “You are going to reduce the impact on the financial debt for our country by saving money and creating a bridge to your education,” she said. “That’s extremely important in today’s times.”

Citing the rising cost of education for young people and the impact it is having, she added, “It’s amazing to see that so many people are doing what they need to do to create the future nurses that we need, to create people who will have economic stability and power. You are showing people it can be done.”

In addition to RIBN, VGCC has a partnership with A&T to allow graduates of its Associate Degree Nursing program to transition easily to the university’s four-year Bachelor’s program. For more information about Nursing at VGCC and bachelor’s degree options, contact academic/career coach Seletha Pherribo at (252) 738-3518 or Nursing department chair Erica Jastrow at (252) 738-3457.

More photos: Check out VGCC’s album on Flickr!

Granville County Public Schools

Granville Co. Board of Education to Meet for Work Session – Thurs., Sept. 27

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-Information courtesy Dr. Stan Winborne, Public Information Officer, Granville County Public Schools

NOTICE TO PUBLIC AND PRESS

The Granville County Board of Education will meet for a BOE Work Session on Thursday, September 27, 2018, at 5:30 p.m. at the Granville County Public Central Office, 101 Delacroix Street, Oxford, North Carolina.

The purpose of the meeting will be to receive information and discuss long-term planning options to address school facility needs and capacity in light of declining enrollment. The board will also meet in a Closed Session for Personnel/Attorney-Client Privilege in accordance with N.C. General Statute 143.318.11 (a)(6), 143-318.11 (a)(3), 143.318.11 (a)(5) and Section 115C-321 on this evening.

The next scheduled board meeting will be held Monday, October 1, 2018, at 6 p.m.

VGCC Trustees Approve Firm For Presidential Search, Adopt 2018-19 Budget

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 -Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

The Vance-Granville Community College Board of Trustees approved a firm to assist in the search for a new president, adopted a budget for the current fiscal year, and welcomed a trustee who is returning to the board after being away for two years. The actions came at the bi-monthly meeting on Monday, Sept. 17, on the college’s Main Campus.

The Trustees selected the firm of Executive Leadership Associates (ELA) LLC of Emerald Isle to assist in the search for a replacement for Dr. Stelfanie Williams who left the college in August to take a job with Duke University.

ELA describes itself as “a consortium of former North Carolina community college presidents who are committed to ensuring that our internationally recognized community college system continues its proud tradition of excellence — one community college at a time.”

VGCC’s newest Trustee, Dr. Doris Terry Williams, was sworn in for a four-year appointment on the college board by retired District Court Judge J. Henry Banks. From left are Judge Banks, Dr. Williams and Jerry Stainback, the attorney for the Board of Trustees, who assisted with the swearing in. (Photo Credit: VGCC)

The firm will help the VGCC Board of Trustees by guiding the search process, creating a presidential profile of the ideal candidate needed, and recruiting and screening applicants as needed. The search will begin in October with plans to have the new president in place in March 2019. The trustees are expected to present finalists to the State Board of Community Colleges for evaluation early in 2019, according to Dr. Gordon Burns who is serving as interim president for the college. Dr. Burns served as president of Wilkes Community College in North Wilkesboro for 18 years before retiring in 2014.

Six firms responded to the requests for proposals, according to Trustee Deborah Brown, chair of the Trustees’ presidential search committee. Serving with Brown are Trustees Herb Gregory, vice chair; N. Annette P. Myers, Abdul Sm Rasheed, Donald C. Seifert, Sr., and Sara C. Wester.

Budget Adopted

The Trustees adopted a budget of $33,166,414 for the new fiscal year, approving VGCC’s budget resolution for Fiscal Year 2018-2019 on a recommendation from the Budget Committee of the board, chaired by Trustee Abdul Sm Rasheed.

On the Current Expense side of the budget, $19,438,484 comes from the State of North Carolina, $2,587,868 from the four counties served by the college, and $9,273,716 from institutional funds. In the Capital Outlay budget, $1,726,846 comes from the State and $139,500 from the counties.

At the county level, Vance County is contributing $1,151,597 to the current operating funds; Granville, $752,184; Franklin, $369,168; and Warren, $225,625, with an additional $89,294 coming from institutional funds. Among capital improvement funds from the counties, Vance is contributing $73,874; Granville, $39,626; Franklin, $20,000; and Warren, $6,000.

The 2018-2019 budget is allocated as follows: institutional support: $5,433,372; curriculum instruction: $10,362,152; continuing education: $2,705,504; academic support: $1,368,526; student support: $2,075,516; plant operations and maintenance: $2,018,035; proprietary/other: $2,272,851; student aid: $5,064,112; capital outlay, excluding capital improvements: $786,141; and capital improvement projects: $1,080,205.

Dr. Doris Terry Williams Appointed To Board

Dr. Doris Terry Williams was sworn in to a four-year term on the VGCC Board of Trustees after being selected by the Vance County Board of Education to fill the vacancy created when long-time Trustee L. Opie Frazier, Jr., retired.

Dr. Williams, a retired educator and administrator, returns to the Board of Trustees after being off the board for two years. She was previously appointed to the board by the Governor’s Office in 2010 to fill an unexpired term and was reappointed in 2012 for a full four-year term.

As the owner and chief executive officer of EdComm, LLC, her own consulting group, Dr. Williams provides consultation regionally and nationally on education and community development issues.

A Vance County resident, she lived in Warren County and served on the Warren County Board of Education for 12 years, including five as the board chair. She has served as executive director of the Rural School and Community Trust and director of the Trust’s Capacity Building Program. She is now a senior fellow with the Rural Trust, which is a national non-profit dedicated to addressing the crucial relationship between good rural schools and thriving rural communities. She also has served as assistant dean and associate professor in the School of Education and director of University-School Partnerships at North Carolina Central University.

In other action:

  • The Trustees voted to close the Child Care Center on the Franklin Campus no later than June 1, 2019. The decision comes after an extended evaluation leading to the conclusion that the center is not financially sustainable, Dr. Burns told the board. Information packets that list other options for child care in the Franklin County area have been prepared for parents who currently have children at the center. The center, which currently has nine children, was originally created to provide Vance-Granville’s curriculum students with an environment to advance their Early Childhood experiences and to provide child care services for our students and staff. The center has been used mostly by the public in the past several years, Dr. Burns said.
  • In an update on capital projects, Trustee Donald C. Seifert, Sr., said a design contract was executed in August for $320,400 for fire alarm replacements and renovations to heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems on the Main Campus. Fire alarm replacement work will be bid out in February 2019 with work expected to begin the following May. The HVAC renovations will begin in the summer of 2020. Meanwhile, renovation work is scheduled to start this month on the second phase of renovations to Building 10. Space is being renovated to add a Practical Simulation Lab for Law Enforcement, Fire/Rescue and Emergency Medical Services programs.
  • Steve Graham, VGCC’s vice president of finance and operations, reported for the Investment Committee, citing a 12 percent growth in the college’s investments since the beginning of 2017.
  • Trustee Sara Wester, chair of the board’s Personnel Committee, provided an informational report on new employees, retirements, resignations and changes in positions.
  • The Curriculum Committee, chaired by Trustee Barbara Cates Harris, presented new appointments to the Advisory Committees for college programs for the 2018-2019 academic year. The appointments were approved by the Trustees.

Presiding over the meeting was Board of Trustees Chair Danny Wright.

The Board of Trustees will hold its next regular meeting on Monday, November 19 at the Main Campus.

All Campuses of Vance-Granville Community College Closed Sept. 13-16

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-Information courtesy Vance-Granville Community College

Due to the threat of inclement weather, all campuses of Vance-Granville Community College will be closed and all classes and activities are canceled Thursday through Sunday, September 13-16.

VGCC Nursing Students Hosting Blood Drive on Sept. 18

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-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

Members of Vance-Granville Community College’s Student Nurses’ Association are partnering with the American Red Cross to host a Blood Drive for the college campus and the community. The drive will be held in the Civic Center on Main Campus from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, September 18.

“The VGCC SNA is leading this initiative because our students know this drive can have such a lifesaving impact on many people,” said Heather Wilson, a nursing instructor at VGCC. “We want to show our community and the patients in need of blood just how much we can do to save lives.”

The Red Cross has more than 130 years of experience providing humanitarian aid – including more than 70 years of supplying blood to those in need, Wilson noted. “Each pint of blood we collect can help save up to three lives and will touch the lives of so many more,” she said. “What a great way to pay it forward and make an impact on people in our community and across the country.”

Everyone wishing to help the drive can schedule an appointment at the web address https://www.redcrossblood.org/give/drive/driveSearch.jsp using the sponsor code VGCC. Anyone with questions about the blood drive can contact Wilson at wilsonh@vgcc.edu or Erica Jastrow, VGCC’s department chair of nursing, at jastrowe@vgcc.edu.

An American Red Cross representative works with a donor at a recent Blood Drive on one of Vance-Granville Community College’s four campuses. The VGCC Student Nurses’ Association is hosting a drive at the Main Campus of the college on Tuesday, Sept. 18, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Photo VGCC)

The Red Cross has also started a new campaign called RapidPass, a new tool that allows blood donors to help save lives in less time. Completed on the date of the drive, RapidPass allows donors to complete their pre-reading and donation questions online from the comfort and privacy of home or office, reducing the time spent at the blood drive by up to 15 minutes.

The steps for RapidPass are: (1) visit redcrossblood.org/RapidPass, (2) read the information, (3) answer the questions, and (4) print the pass or email it to yourself. RapidPass cannot be completed prior to the date of the drive, Jastrow noted. Donors who do not bring the printed pass with them to their donation or cannot show it on a mobile device will be asked to complete the questions again.

“RapidPass does not take the place of scheduling an appointment,” Jastrow said. “An appointment must still be scheduled. Saving lives is important to everyone, and everyone’s time is valuable. We hope donors will make the most of it with RapidPass.”

In addition to the normal whole blood donation, the American Red Cross will also have two double red cell machines, noted as Power Red appointments. Double red cell donations from Type O donors and donors with Rh-negative blood types play an important role in maintaining blood supply levels, the Red Cross says. Donors need to meet slightly higher hemoglobin and body height/weight requirements in order to be able to give a double red cell donation. Double red cell donation takes approximately 30 minutes longer than a whole blood donation and allows the donor to give two units of red blood cells.

“You lose less volume when donating if you give via the double red cell machine because you are actually returned all your products except the red cells,” Wilson said. “This means you feel better after giving blood via a double red cell than a ‘regular donation’ and are not as prone to dehydration.”

Jastrow added, “We look forward to seeing students, staff and members of the community at the blood drive, and we encourage everyone to share this information with friends, family and others who also would be interested in helping us save lives.”

Pope Foundation Honors Retired President Sawyer With New VGCC Award

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-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

The Pope Foundation has created a new Academic Achievement Scholarship at Vance-Granville Community College in honor of retired Variety Wholesalers, Inc., President Wilson Sawyer of Raleigh.

The scholarship will award $500 per year to a deserving student enrolled at Vance-Granville. Priority will be given to students who are employees of Variety Wholesalers (home store, distribution center or retail stores) and members of the families of those employees. Preference will be given to students who are pursuing a degree in Business Administration.

“Our business roots in the area go back many years and we are proud to call Henderson and Vance County ‘home,’” said James Arthur “Art” Pope, chairman of Variety Wholesalers. “Wilson never lost sight of our customers and our promise to deliver great value and prices. We’re grateful for his friendship and dedication over these many years. We hope this scholarship inspires a new generation of leaders who share Wilson’s commitment to service.”

Wilson Sawyer, center, the retired president of Variety Wholesalers, Inc., in Henderson, has been honored by the Pope Foundation with the creation of an Academic Achievement Scholarship to benefit students of Vance-Granville Community College. With him, from left, are Eddie Ferguson, director of the VGCC Endowment Fund, and Kay Currin, endowment specialist. (VGCC Photo)

“There are two reasons I’m excited about this scholarship,” said the honoree, Sawyer. “Number 1, if it helps folks in the company that helped me for many years, that’s a plus. Number 2, I’m a big supporter of the community college program and I think it’s important to encourage folks to start their education here.”

Sawyer knows about the community college experience first-hand, he said. His daughter was a student at Central Carolina Community College in Sanford before transferring to a four-year institution when the family moved to Raleigh. “She excelled in college and I think it’s because of the basis that she got at the community college.” His daughter is now a school teacher, he said.

Following a lifelong career in retail, Sawyer retired as president of Variety Wholesalers in February.  He started his career in the Maxway store management program, rising to hold various roles. When Variety Wholesalers acquired Maxway in 1990, Sawyer stayed with the company as president of the Maxway division. After years of leading multiple store brand divisions, he was named president and chief operating officer of Variety Wholesalers Stores in 2003. When Bruce Efird joined Variety Wholesalers Stores as president in 2017, Saywer moved to holding company leadership. He remains on Variety’s board of directors and is assisting the company in an advisory capacity.

“We are excited that the Pope Foundation and Variety Wholesalers have chosen to honor Mr. Sawyer with this new scholarship,” said Eddie Ferguson, director of the VGCC Endowment Fund. “Both have been stalwart supporters of our students and the college through contributions to scholarships and activities such as our golf tournament which also benefit students.”

“I’ve been so impressed with the community support that has come to my attention since becoming Vance-Granville’s interim president,” added Dr. Gordon Burns, who assumed the new role in mid-August while VGCC searches for a permanent president. “This gift from the Pope Foundation will continue to honor Mr. Sawyer and help students each and every year, serving as a reminder of the importance of a community and its institutions getting involved in the education of our citizens. We are so grateful.”

Founded in 1986 and located in Raleigh, the Pope Foundation makes grants to advance individual freedom, personal responsibility and encourage opportunity for all North Carolinians. The Pope Foundation’s lifetime giving totals more than $145 million directed to over 400 nonprofits. The Pope Foundation receives its support from the Pope family, owner and operator of the Henderson-based Variety Wholesalers, Inc.

The new scholarship will add to the more than 9,000 scholarships that have been awarded to students since 1982, funded by interest earned on the Endowment Fund and Scholarship Program. Scholarships have been established by individuals, industries, businesses, civic groups, churches and the college’s faculty and staff to assist deserving students. Tax-deductible donations to the VGCC Endowment Fund have often been used to honor or remember a person, group, business, industry or organization with a lasting gift to education. In the Fall of 2017, Vance-Granville awarded scholarships to 306 students.

For more information, the Office of the Endowment can be reached by calling Endowment Specialist Kay Currin at (252) 738-3409.

Granville County Public Schools

Granville Co. Public Schools Continues to Make Progress in Improving Student Achievement

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-Press Release, Granville County Public Schools

On Wednesday, September 5, 2018, the NC State Board of Education released standardized test data for all public schools across the state for the 2017-2018 school year. The results for Granville County Public Schools (GCPS) show that overall, the district continues to make progress in improving students’ academic success. Generally speaking, 15 schools met or exceeded growth: 7 of 19 schools “exceeded growth”, and 8 of 19 “met growth” as measured by the state.

Additionally, students’ proficiencies increased in 9 out of 17 EOG and EOC tested grade level and content areas. Furthermore, 9 schools achieved double-digit increases in proficiency in at least one tested area, and 4 schools experienced 20+ point gains in proficiency in at least one tested area.  Finally, our 12th-grade students across the district also outperformed other students from across the state by six percentage points on the ACT WorkKeys Assessment, which is designed to measure workplace readiness. GCPS students performed at 74.2% on the assessment while the state average was 68.2%.

Letter grades assigned by the state fluctuated slightly compared to previous years.  The following graph shows letter grade distribution for all schools since the state began assigning letter grades:

 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18
A  –  0 A  –  1 A  –  1 A  –  1  A  –  1
B  –  2 B  –  1 B  –  3 B  –  4 B  –  4
C  –  9 C  –  8 C – 10 C  –  9 C  –  7
D  –  6 D  –  6 D –  6 D  –  4 D  –  6
F – 2 F – 3 F – 0 F – 0 F – 0

As reported by the NC Department of Public Instruction, “school grades continue to correlate closely with the poverty levels of schools. Among schools where more than 81 percent of students come from low-income families, 69 percent of the schools received a D or F.”  This correlation also held true for all of the schools in Granville County that received a letter grade of “D”.

Superintendent McLean provided her perspective on the results, “While I am certainly pleased to see many positive areas in this data, there is still much room for improvement. Our goal is for every student to experience significant growth in every area. We believe that ALL students are capable of reaching their full potential, and we will not rest until this goal is achieved.”

With changes in school leadership and modified instructional supports in place, academic improvements are expected in the coming school year. For additional information, please visit the NCDPI Accountability website, which provides detailed data.

https://www.ncpublicschools.org/accountability/reporting/

Granville County Public Schools

Granville Co. School Superintendent Addresses the Community; Announces Important Dates

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-Press Release, Granville County Public Schools

Superintendent Dr. Alisa McLean’s Message to the Community:

Dear Community,

The beginning of a new school year always creates a sense of excitement, hope, and great anticipation for students, families and educators. This year has been no different and we are all energized as the result of it. We are even more elated by the wonderful students who have reported to our schools! Granville County Public School System is excited to launch into the 2018-19 school year with our amazing educators and students! While we have now completed the first week of school for traditional students, several of our schools began earlier this summer and are well underway. This is the first year Granville County Public Schools offered a year-round calendar option to parents/guardians and pupils have been in session since mid-July. As usual, our GCPS Early College began classes early August, as it operates on the VGCC calendar. This is also the first year for our Granville Academy whereby students receive instruction through a blended model of learning. The GCPS Board of Education and I are thrilled such options for students and their families are alive and well in our school district!

This year, we could not be more excited about the opportunity to work with every child who reports to our schools. In fact, our motto, which is “Committed to Excellence and Achievement for All,” is not just food for thought; it is our Call to Action and one we take seriously. Through standards-based teaching, layered with character building and the use of the Multi-Tiered System of Support, we aspire to individualize our approach to ensuring all students reach his/her full potential.

In our effort to strengthen home, school and community relationships this year, we have the following district-wide Impact Dates. Individual schools will be forwarding more information, as we get closer to each date. We welcome our families and our community to join us.

GCPS 2018-19 Impact Dates:

Grandparents Day September 14, 2018

All School Day

 All Schools
Strategic Plan Community Day September 18, 2018

6:30 – 8 p.m.

 Masonic Home for Children
Safety Summit October 13, 2018

9:30 – 11 a.m.

 Northern Granville Middle School
Day of Service/Caring November 2, 2018

All School Day

 All Schools
Night of Kindness April 23, 2019

6:30 p.m.

 South Granville High School
Evening of Excellence May 3, 2019

TBA

 South Granville High School
Granville Early College Graduation May 17, 2019

7 p.m.

 VGCC Civic Center
South Granville High School Graduation June 15, 2019

9 a.m.

 SGHS
Granville Central High School Graduation June 15, 2019

1 p.m.

 GCHS
Granville Academy Graduation June 15, 2019

4 p.m.

 Board of Education
JF Webb High School Campus & JF Webb HLS Graduation June 15, 2019

7:30 p.m.

 JFWHS

After reuniting with all GCPS educators at Convocation 2018 and with families at Open House, the energy was so positively elevated that I know the 2018–19 school year is going to be extraordinary! Our teachers and staff are ready, willing and well able, regardless of the school. In fact, if last year’s honors, accolades and student outcomes are any indication, our educators in Granville County Public Schools are definitely “On the Move” and we will keep forging ahead in our work with students, regardless of their needs. Our school leaders and educators are second to none. In fact, we all stand ready to move the academic needle and the real-life experience barometer to the next level for every pupil in our care. Further, our schools are without a doubt “Keeping the main thing; the main thing” by making certain our students’ safety and needs are our top priorities. We want everyone safe, every day.  As such, we are pleased to share that ALL of our schools now have buzzer systems for entrance, safety hotline numbers posted and routine air quality checks, just to name a few of the safety measures.

Last year, we proudly prepared students for acceptances at colleges, universities, community colleges, the Naval Academy, various branches of the military, the workplace of choice and for programs that required certain certifications. Our athletic coaches prepared youngsters so well that we won conference, regional and state championships. Our Arts teachers have pupils showcasing all over and one group even had the opportunity to perform at the state capitol and another, for the Department of Public Instruction! The internship and apprenticeship opportunities in GCPS are so awesome that our students graduate with real job skills and credentials deeming them ready for specialized jobs in the workplace. This year, our district-wide emphases on literacy and student engagement are areas of focus that are designed to take us even higher.

So, to all of our students, parents, families & community….let’s continue striving to have an extraordinary school year! Please join us in moving ahead in every way possible! While we are far from perfect, we certainly commit to doing our best. Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank our numerous community partners, neighbors, businesses and friends for any role you may have contributed in helping us successfully open school. From the incredible beautification efforts on our campuses, to the individuals who helped with bulletin boards and other school tasks, your support is priceless!  Our district is grateful to have you, your talents, skills and time. Let’s stay “On the Move” as a school system and community. All will be needed on this journey. Please feel free to join us when you can.

Sincerely,

Dr. Alisa R. McLean, Superintendent

Granville County Public Schools