-Information and flyer courtesy Rick Kenner, Athletics Director, Oxford Preparatory School
Oxford Preparatory School will hold its first Annual 9-11 Memorial 5K run on Saturday, September 8, 2018, at the school, 6041 Landis Road, Oxford. The race starts at 10:30 a.m. Participants are asked to park between 9:45 and 10:15 a.m.
Cost for adults (18 and over) is $20; children are $15. Each adult ticket comes with a free raffle ticket.
You may pay on site the day of the race or send payment to the attention of Rick Kenner – Oxford Preparatory School, 6041 Landis Road, Oxford, NC 27565.
Registration is available online by clicking here. For additional details, including contact information, please see flyer below.
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Fifteen Practical Nursing graduates were honored for their completion of the one-year program at Vance-Granville Community College during a pinning ceremony on July 25 in the Civic Center on the college’s Main Campus.
Upon receiving their diplomas, the graduates are now eligible to sit for the national exam for licensed practical nurses (NCLEX-PN).
Among the Practical Nursing graduates recognized at the ceremony were Reuben Aluoch of Raleigh, Eunice Ayaa of Creedmoor, Christopher Ellis of Wake Forest, Nikitra Hall of Wake Forest, Jason Hurley of Youngsville, Rumana Ibrahim of Raleigh, Cassidy Ivey of Henderson, Tiffany Lemay of Warrenton, Eric Luckenbaugh of Durham, Charles Ngeve of Durham, Joyce Nyaanga of Morrisville, Rose Nyagaka of Raleigh, Wyverta Rawls of Raleigh, Cherrie Satterfield of Rougemont, and Youlanda Simpson of Durham.
Welcoming remarks were offered by Dr. Levy Brown, VGCC’s vice president of academic affairs; Erica Jastrow, the college’s chair of the Nursing Department; and Eunice Ayaa, president of the Practical Nursing Class of 2018.
Above: Graduates honored at the VGCC Practical Nursing pinning ceremony included, first (front) row, from left: Cassidy Ivey, Tiffany Lemay, Joyce Nyaanga and Nikitra Hall; second row, from left: Cherrie Satterfield, Eric Luckenbaugh, Wyverta Rawls; third row, from left: Christopher Ellis, Jason Hurley, Eunice Ayaa, Reuben Alouch, Youlanda Simpson and Charles Ngeve. (VGCC photo)
“Our Nursing program goes all the way back to 1970, almost to the founding of this great institution of which will celebrate 50 years of existence next year,” said Dr. Brown. “Now we are proud to add to that history the Practical Nursing Class of 2018, a diverse group of students from several towns in our region.” While many members of the class have chosen specific nursing specialties for their careers, many also plan to continue their education, he said. He encouraged the graduates to “aspire, accelerate and achieve in every walk of life.”
“With success comes great responsibility,” Jastrow noted in her remarks. “These students will have the responsibility of preparing for a challenging licensing exam. So if they tell you they still have to study, they really are telling you the truth…. I also hope they will take the opportunity to share their success so that others might be inspired to take the same journey they did.”
Ayaa, the class president, offered thanks to the instructors both at VGCC and in the clinical sites where the students received on-the-job experience. “You all have taught us what will help our patients the most,” she said.
“To our family and friends, thank you for listening to us,” she said. “Thank you for letting us perform skills on you. Thank you for lending us money. I hope we will pay them back!” she added, to laughter from the room. “Thank you for helping us accomplish our dreams. We could not have done it without you — not forgetting the North Carolina taxpayers and our donors. Thank you for your generosity, for the scholarships and the financial aid we received when we could no longer work and pay for our tuition. We are so grateful.”
Heather Wilson, Nursing instructor and SimLab Coordinator, shared the story of the distinctive Nursing Pin which was awarded to each student by Jastrow during the ceremony. During the pinning, biographies were read by Kathy Bray, nursing instructor, and Vanessa Ramseur, nursing instructor, presented lamps to the graduates. The story of the lamp was shared by Patsy Pegram, nursing instructor, and the lighting of the lamps was initiated by Brande McIlroy, nursing instructor, while Crystal Senter, nursing instructor, led the Nursing Pledge.
-Information courtesy Vici Bradsher, Oxford Preparatory School
Thanks to a grant from the Granville County Parks and Recreation Advisory, Oxford Preparatory School, under the guidance of Rick Kenner and other school staff, will be building an outdoor fitness trail. The trail will be accessible from Salem Rd and will be open from dawn to dusk. There will be two bridge sites spanning the lovely stream that is on the site. A butterfly garden will be planted to complement the wide variety of wildflowers already growing in the area.
The trail will be 1.1 miles long and pass by the Oxford Preparatory School’s outdoor classroom, an Eagle project completed by Sean Burch, already in place by the creek. It will traverse through shaded areas, up hills and across flat terrain. Ten fitness stations will be placed along the trail, including sit-up/leg raise, balance walk and reverse pull-ups.
The trail will be maintained by Oxford Preparatory School as a service to all of the citizens of Granville County. It is anticipated that the trail will be ready for use by August 2019.
Photo: Oxford Preparatory School
Photo: Oxford Preparatory School
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-Information courtesy Dr. Stan Winborne, Public Information Officer, Granville County Public Schools
On Friday, August 17, 2018, Granville County Public Schools, elected officials, and members of the community celebrated the arrival of NEW teachers to the district. These amazing educators from around the world joined the GCPS family to serve the students of our community.
The 2018 Teacher of the Year, Kimberly Allison (8th Grade Math GC Hawley Middle School) shared her thoughts with the new educators, “You will have great days, and you will have challenging days, but just remember the reason you are there is to make a difference in the life of a child. Go forth and be the inspiration!”
The Granville County Public Schools’ new hires for 2018 include: 1st row: Dani Labrada, Samantha Stewart, Jorge Castaneda, Ife Wilkins, Jennifer Garbutt, Devin Holman 2nd row: Karrie Holt, Brittany Hollowell, Shelbi Preston, Cynthia Wrenn, Roniecia Mack, Sonya Holloway, Tara Baker 3rd row: Bethany Young, Brittany Taylor-Wright, Katrina Tunstall, Holly Navo, Abby Henry, Pooja Vittal, Carol Jon Foxx 4th row: Sharetta Savage, Mary Breedlove, Tiffany Clawson, Morgan Forehand, Ann Peters, Brittany Perkins 5th row: Courtney Finley, Mallory Strelecky, Emily Parham, Abby Kate Lumpkins, Xan Sibley, Annabelle Goller, Leslie Canady 6th row: Andrew Lucas, Kevin Endres, Tivon Abney, Tyrone Fox. (Photo courtesy GCPS)
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-Information courtesy Dr. Stan Winborne, Public Information Officer, Granville County Public Schools
The Granville County Board of Education will meet for a BOE Work Session on Monday, August 20th, 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 is Monday, September 10, 2018, at 6 p.m.
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-Press Release, ATD Network and Vance-Granville Community College
Vance-Granville Community College today announced it has joined Achieving the Dream (ATD), a network of more than 220 colleges in 41 states dedicated to improving student success.
As an ATD Network institution, VGCC will innovate to implement, align, and scale cutting-edge reforms, work with ATD coaches to build institutional capacity and connect with peers to foster learning and share information, according to college and ATD officials.
“We are already making a difference in the lives of students,” said Dr. Levy Brown, Vance-Granville’s vice president of academic affairs. “Now as a college, it is time to take the next step in our work to improve student learning and success.” Dr. Brown is the leader of the college’s ATD Core Team.
Dr. Joanne Bashford, left, and Dr. Linda Hagedorn of Achieving the Dream make a presentation to Vance-Granville Community College’s administration, faculty and staff at the college’s fall convocation in the Civic Center on Main Campus. VGCC today announced it has joined the network of more than 220 colleges in 41 states dedicated to improving student success. (VGCC Photo)
“The strength of local and regional economies, our ability to rebuild the middle class, and the possibility that a new generation will achieve their goals depends on community colleges,” said Dr. Karen A. Stout, president and CEO of Achieving the Dream. “Colleges that join the ATD Network show an exceptional commitment to becoming the kind of institution that will lead the nation into the future.”
“Achieving the Dream will serve to accelerate and advance Vance-Granville’s ongoing efforts to assist students in achieving their goals,” said Dr. Gordon Burns, VGCC’s interim president. “Participating in Achieving the Dream with its holistic approach to student success will result in Vance-Granville identifying college strengths, prioritizing areas needing improvement and systematically determining and implementing actions that will lead to greater numbers of students and graduates achieving their personal and career goals.”
ATD offers a capacity-building framework and companion self-assessment that allow colleges to pinpoint strengths and areas for improvement across seven institutional capacities in areas such as leadership and vision, teaching and learning, and data and technology.
With the capacity framework as a guide, ATD’s approach integrates and aligns existing college success efforts and offers valuable support in preparing for accreditation, fostering conversation about goals, and making bold, holistic institution-wide changes because initiatives that don’t reach most of a college’s student body have not shown strong results.
A team from Vance-Granville and teams from the other colleges joining ATD this year met in June to plan for the launch of their ATD work, which will initially focus on student learning and success.
Dr. Joanne Bashford and Dr. Linda Hagedorn were on VGCC’s Main Campus on Thursday and Friday to meet with the Core Team, administration, staff and faculty for Vance-Granville’s launch of the initiative. Dr. Bashford serves as a Higher Education Services Consultant and Leadership Coach for ATD. Her career in community colleges spans 25 years and includes serving as the President of Miami Dade College’s InterAmerican Campus, a diverse campus of 19,000 students located in historic Little Havana, until retiring in 2017. Dr. Hagedorn is Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs, International Programs, Student Services, Diversity and Equity, and Community Program at Iowa State University and a data coach for ATD. As an Achieving the Dream Data Coach, Dr. Hagedorn has been consulting with community colleges since the initiative’s inception and is currently working with six community colleges.
ATD Network colleges report data using metrics that answer critical questions about who attends college, who succeeds in and after college and how college is financed. To advance goals of social mobility and equity, the metrics provide information on how low-income and other underserved students fare. These metrics are categorized into performance metrics, efficiency metrics and equity metrics at points during the student experience from access through post-college outcomes.
As colleges in the new cohort progress, they may apply to participate in initiatives supported by philanthropic funding and managed by ATD. These initiatives help incubate new ideas that help colleges refine practices based on evidence of what works and allow ATD to disseminate knowledge to the broader network and the field. New initiatives address the challenge of engaging adjunct faculty more deeply as key members of colleges’ workforces and implementing degree programs using only open educational resources (OER).
Achieving the Dream, along with more than 100 experienced coaches and advisors, works closely with ATD Network colleges to reach more than 4 million community college students.
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Granville County Public Schools has a long, proud history of partnering with the Chamber of Commerce and the community at large to celebrate and support our newly appointed teachers at the beginning of each school year. Together, we have enjoyed many decades at the Annual New Teacher Breakfast, sponsored by the Granville County Chamber of Commerce, to welcome educators from far and wide to join our public school system and our communities. We have always enjoyed this exciting time of year together and are grateful for the generosity and outpouring of support for our staff and students.
This year, however, Granville County Public Schools staff recently learned that for the first time ever in the history of the Chamber-sponsored event, teachers and administrators from outside of our public school district would be attending and participating in the program for that morning, which was to be held in one of our elementary schools. This event would no longer be held to just support the educators of Granville County Public Schools but was to include a presentation to GCPS teachers from the leadership of a competing charter school that drains much-needed resources from our school district.
Charter schools are not part of the Granville County Public School system and are exempt from many of the requirements placed on public schools, including the requirements to provide meals and transportation, to employ only licensed teachers, and to accept and instruct any student who lives in the district.
This change in the nature of the event gave the Granville County Board of Education serious concerns about the message the event would send to our new GCPS teachers, in a time when recruiting and retaining qualified teachers is increasingly challenging for our public school system. After careful consideration and discussion, board members voted unanimously to not participate in the breakfast this year. This decision was a strong indication of support for our community’s public education system and sends a message that we fully declare our schools to be the first and best choice in education for all of the children of our county. The school system will instead sponsor a new teacher breakfast to welcome Granville County Public Schools teachers.
We hope that members of the community, local businesses, industry groups, and citizens will understand this need for our school board to take this position, and know that it does not reflect in any way on our tremendous gratitude toward their support of our schools and the prior support we have received from the Chamber. We are hopeful that over the next year we may be able to work with the Chamber to find a resolution to our concerns. Together, we can achieve excellence and achievement for all!
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Davis-Royster Funeral Service, Inc., of Henderson has endowed a new Vance-Granville Community College Endowment Fund scholarship to help area students pursue an education.
The Davis-Royster Funeral Service Academic Achievement Scholarship is named for the family-owned and operated funeral service that has been operating in Vance County since 1991. The company, founded by James H. Royster and owned by Mary Davis-Royster, provides a variety of funeral and memorial services and resources customized to meet the needs of families.
“We have demonstrated through our funeral business a commitment to service based on sensitivity and integrity,” said Mary Davis-Royster. “The people of our service area have been so supportive of us for nearly three decades. We want to give something back to these communities through this educational opportunity to show our appreciation.”
Members of the staff of Davis-Royster Funeral Service, Inc., celebrate their new scholarship with representatives from Vance-Granville Community College. From left are James H. Royster, founder of Davis-Royster Funeral Service; Mary Davis-Royster, owner; Paul Crews Jr., director’s assistant; Robert L. Wright II, funeral director; Dr. Stelfanie Williams, Vance-Granville’s president; the Rev. Richard Henderson, member of the VGCC Endowment Fund Board of Directors; and Eddie Ferguson, director of VGCC’s Endowment Fund. (Photo VGCC)
Through the new scholarship, preference will be given to students enrolled for nine credit hours or more in the Business Administration curriculum program at Vance-Granville. A minimum grade point average of 2.5 will be required.
“The leaders of tomorrow for our community are turning to Vance-Granville today and will be doing so for years to come to secure the education and skills training they need to run area businesses. Our scholarship will serve as an encouragement and a valuable means of support,” Mrs. Davis-Royster added.
Mrs. Davis-Royster also serves as the licensed mortician for the company, and Mr. Royster is the funeral service assistant. Also leading the staff are Paul Crews, Jr., who is the director’s assistant, and Robert L. Wright II, licensed funeral director and embalmer.
“We are appreciative of the extended Davis-Royster Funeral Service family for their support of Vance-Granville’s students,” said Dr. Stelfanie Williams, VGCC’s president. “Their gift today will be meeting the needs of future business leaders for generations to come.”
Eddie Ferguson, the director of the VGCC Endowment Fund, added, “The funeral service has chosen a meaningful way to honor their legacy of decades of service to the community. We are proud they have chosen to partner with us to help our students succeed.”
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.
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Vance-Granville Community College will hold “Enrollment Day” on Wednesday, August 8, from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. at its Main Campus between Henderson and Oxford.
VGCC staff members will be available during those hours to provide information on the enrollment process, academic programs and student support services, including financial aid. Advisors and academic coaches will be available to help students register for Fall classes. In addition, refreshments will be available for visitors who attend Enrollment Day.
The regular Fall Semester begins Monday, August 13, and a 12-week semester starts on Tuesday, September 11.
Cathy Davis, right, a counselor in VGCC’s Student Services, assists a Vance-Granville Community College student with registration on the college’s Main Campus. VGCC is offering an Enrollment Day for the Fall Semester on the college’s Main Campus on Wednesday, Aug. 8, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (VGCC Photo)
“Vance-Granville Community College offers more than 40 curriculum programs to help students earn certificates, diplomas and degrees in preparation for careers or transfer to a university for a four-year degree,” said Jeff Allen, VGCC’s dean of enrollment and outreach. “Enrollment Day is the perfect time to get ready for the new semester. We invite students to bring their parents with them to get more details on the enrollment process.”
Students attending Enrollment Day at the Main Campus will be able to register to attend classes at any of the college’s four campuses. VGCC’s Main Campus is located on Poplar Creek Road in Vance County (about midway between Henderson and Oxford) at the intersection with Interstate 85 (Exit 209). Vance-Granville also has campuses in southern Granville County, Franklin County and Warren County.
For more information on Enrollment Day, call (252) 738-3234 or visit Student Services in Building 8 on the Main Campus. Additional information about the upcoming semester is available at www.vgcc.edu/enroll2018.
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Seventeen new cadets graduated from the Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) program at Vance-Granville Community College in a ceremony held in the Civic Center on Main Campus. After passing the state certification exam, all are authorized to work in any law enforcement agency in North Carolina.
Honored during the May 15 ceremony in VGCC’s 106th BLET class were Tyima Barbara Johnson, William Gant Sipfle and Dylan Blake Wilson of the Henderson Police Department; Lauren Elizabeth Matthews and David Alan Watson of the Granville County Sheriff’s Department; Jonathan Cameron Burnette, Alan Gregory Mitchell and Devin Antonio Younger of the Oxford Police Department; Michael Patrick Burns and Torrance Danyel Terry of the Vance County Sheriff’s Department; Dontravious Marques Harrison, Darnell Anthony Powell and Kenneth Latrel Richardson of the Warren County Sheriff’s Office; Brice Anthony Warren of the Roxboro Police Department; Randy Dale Parrott of the Crabtree Special Police Department; and Margaret Alyssa Bailey and Brian Nicholas Vermilya, VGCC students.
Shown above are the latest graduates of the VGCC Basic Law Enforcement Training program with the program administrators: front row, from left, Andrea Hyson, VGCC Law Enforcement/BLET director and graduates William Douglas, Torrance Terry, Margaret Bailey, Michael Burns, Lauren Matthews, and VGCC Law Enforcement/BLET coordinator/instructor Glen Boyd: second row: graduates Tyima Johnson, Devin Younger, Johnathan Burnette, Alan Mitchell, Randy Parrott, Brian Vermilya, and Dylan Wilson; and back row, graduates Dontravious Harrison, Darnell Powell, Kenneth Richardson, David Watson, William Sipfle, and Brice Warren. (VGCC Photo)
Also recognized were graduates of VGCC’s 105th BLET class: William Furman Douglas of the Henderson Police Department; and Stephanie Paige Covell and Angel Rosemaria Tanner, VGCC students.
In his welcoming remarks, Dr. Levy Brown, VGCC’s vice president of academic affairs, applauded the graduates and thanked their families for providing support during the 16-week program. Dr. Brown expressed his appreciation to the faculty and staff who had instructed Class 106 and thanked the area law enforcement agencies who sponsor and hire the cadets.
“These cadets of Class 106 vary in age, background and experience, but they are united by their common desire to protect and serve their respective communities,” said Dr. Brown. “They now join the ranks of the 105 classes before them who have given this program its excellent reputation for preparing law enforcement professionals.”
Speaking as leader of the class, Cadet Devin Younger added his thanks to the instructors and introduced Capt. James Champion of Butner Public Safety, representing the instructors of the program, who was chosen by the cadets as the keynote speaker for the graduation.
“We cannot change the past, but we can affect the future,” Capt. Champion told the cadets. “One way we can affect the future is to maintain and protect our own integrity. Building trust with the community is fundamental to effective policing. Sound conduct by law enforcement officers such as yourself improves community interaction and enhances communications. No matter how much good you do, people will only remember the bad.”
Citing a variety of synonyms for the word “integrity” — honesty, honor, good characters, strong morals, among them — Capt. Champion said, “Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is watching. Your personal choices in your life and in your career are the only things that can make you lose your integrity.”
“Please remember, it’s OK to fail,” he said. “When you make a mistake, admit to the mistake, learn from it and get better.”
Citing Proverbs 10:9, Capt. Champion concluded, “People with integrity walk securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out.”
In recognition of National Police Week, May 13-19, and Peace Officers’ Memorial Day, being observed on the day of the cadets’ graduation, the Butner Public Safety captain led a moment of silence for 129 officers who were killed in the line of duty in 2017.
Glen Boyd, coordinator and instructor of Law Enforcement programs and BLET at VGCC, presented awards to several students. Lauren Matthews took home the Academic Achievement Award for having the top grade average in the written tests each cadet must pass. Torrance Terry earned the Physical Fitness Award for scoring highest in the various fitness tests the cadets undergo during physical training. David Watson won the “Top Gun” Award for having the highest accuracy score in firearms qualification.
Certificates were presented to the graduates by Andrea Hyson, the director of Law Enforcement programs and BLET at VGCC, and Boyd. Abidan Shah, pastor of Clearview Church, provided the invocation and the benediction for the ceremony.
For more information on the BLET program, contact Hyson at hysona@vgcc.edu.
