GCPS Announces Teacher, Principal of the Year

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The Granville County Board of Education announced winners of the Teacher of the Year and Principal of the Year at its May meeting. Samala Dawson-Robinson, a teacher at G.C. Hawley Middle School in Creedmoor, and Courtney Currin, principal at Tar River Elementary are this year’s honorees.

GCPS Human Resources Director Jamar Perry announced the winners during a virtual presentation. Each school puts forth the name of one teacher to vie for the honor of teacher of the year. District principals nominate their colleagues to be considered for the award.

Dawson-Robinson, a Career Technical Education (CTE) teacher, received a trophy and flowers from Superintendent Dr. Alisa McLean the day after the announcement, in addition to $1,000 from the Granville Ed Foundation. Two runners-up each receive a trophy, as well as a $500 check from the Granville Ed Foundation.

McLean commended Dawson-Robinson for her accomplishments. “We are sure that Samala Dawson-Robinson will be a shining star among the others recognized across the country for this top honor.  We are proud of her and all she represents,” McLean stated.

Board Chair David Richardson  “I am so proud of all of these teachers and the dedication and love they have for their students.  I know that Ms. Dawson-Robinson will represent our district well in this coming year as a true ambassador for our county and the profession itself.”

Currin has been a principal since 2015. She graduated from the North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program at Meredith College in 2004 and taught English for eight years at J.F. Webb High School and got a master’s degree in school administration in 2012. She was an assistant principal at Northern Granville Middle School before being named principal at Butner-Stem Elementary in 2015. At Tar River, she is leading the school’s transition to project-based learning in a competency-based education framework.

School districts from across the state choose a principal of the year (POY). District winners compete for state-level honors, and the state winner goes on to the national competition.

McLean congratulated Currin for being selected. “We are proud of you and thank you for your service to our students and leadership at Tar River Elementary School,” she said.

The Local Skinny! Annual Spring Cleanout Granville

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GRANVILLE COUNTY GOVERNMENT PRESS RELEASE:

The Annual Spring Clean Out is scheduled for 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 15 at the Granville County Expo and Convention Center. This event provides an opportunity for residents to recycle and/or properly dispose of unwanted household items during spring cleaning.

On-site vendors will be accepting scrap metal, electronics, batteries of all types, polystyrene/styrofoam, outdated prescriptions, books, paper documents for shredding, pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, flares, ammunition and other items. New to the spring event is the collection of paint and household chemicals, which has typically been accepted at fall recycle/collection events only.

“This event provides an opportunity for everyone to properly dispose of and potentially recycle waste in our county,” said Granville County’s Recycling and Sustainability Coordinator Teresa Baker. “We have had much interest in the past, and participation continues to build each year. We invite everyone to come out and bring their recyclables and waste materials on May 15 as we work together to protect our environment.”

Last year’s county-wide event resulted in the collection of more than 5,000 pounds of shredded paper, 4,500+ pounds of electronics and televisions, 800 pounds of hardback books, 185 pounds of medication/sharps, almost 1,000 pounds of scrap metal and an entire pallet of batteries.

The 2021 event will include a convenient drive-through collection service, so that participants can remain in the safety of their own vehicles. The Humane Society of Granville County will also be available to collect dog and cat food, crates, dog houses, leashes, collars, towels and flea/tick prevention.

As in previous years, a follow-up event is also being planned for the Fall of 2021 at the same location.

For more information, please contact Granville County’s Recycling and Sustainability Coordinator Teresa Baker at 919-725-1417 or at bakertd@gcs.k12.nc.us.

Granville Board of Education To Consider School Closures, Announces Principal Changes

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The Granville County Board of Education is a step closer to determining whether to close one or more school campuses in the southern end of the county as it continues to define its school reorganization plan. During its May 3 meeting, the board voted unanimously to begin a study to close Granville Central High School and repurpose the campus.

Dr. Stan Winborne, district public information officer and assistant superintendent of operations & human resources, said in a press release that the campus, located off Sanders Road in Stem could possibly be used to house students from G.C. Hawley Middle School or South Granville High School.

In other action at the meeting on Monday, the board announced some district leadership changes. Lisa Tusa, currently principal at South Granville High School in Creedmoor, will become the new principal at Northern Granville Middle School in Oxford. She replaces Dr. Brenda Williamson, who will take over as principal at C.G. Credle Elementary in Oxford. Sherrie Burns, current principal at Credle, recently announced her resignation for the upcoming school year.

Tusa has been principal at SGHS for 13 of the 22 years she has been an educator. Williamson was principal at Mary Potter Middle School in Oxford and moved to NGM when the two campuses merged a few years ago.

The board also voted to direct district staff to review and update the possible closing of two elementary schools – Wilton and Creedmoor – those studies were paused back in the fall pending additional input from a strategic task force.

Board Chair David Richardson formed the task force, which presented findings to the board in April. “Their findings were presented to the board in April, which helped inform the Board’s current course of action,” Winborne stated.

Next steps of the school reorganizations may be determined at an upcoming board work session on May 17. “The goal of the is to finalize any possible reorganization decisions prior to July 1, 2021,” according to Winborne, but the actual closing or mergers likely would take effect for the 2022-23 school year.

New Process to Get “Work Permit” in NC

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— press release courtesy NCDOL

NCDOL today announces the rollout of a new process for obtaining youth employment certificates that aims to streamline the process and better ensure youths are working in safe jobs. After a soft launch in April, the new process takes effect today, May 3.

The NCDOL Wage and Hour Bureau administers youth employment certificates, which are required under the N.C. Wage and Hour Act. The certificates, commonly referred to as a work permit, are designed to alert parents, teens and employers of certain prohibited jobs and hour limits for workers under the age of 18.

“We changed the process for obtaining youth employment certificates to better ensure that our state’s young employees end up working in safe and acceptable jobs,” Labor Commissioner Josh Dobson said. “We understand this will be a big change for employers, but we are ready to assist any employer, parent or youth who have questions about the new process.”

Any questions about the new process should be directed to the Wage and Hour Bureau Call Center at 1-800-625-2267. To learn more about youth rules and regulation, please visit the NCDOL website.

The Local Skinny! May 3 Vaccines At Your Location

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How about if the vaccine comes to you?

According to Granville Vance Public Health Director Lisa Harrison in her latest email update, the local health department is shifting strategy away from mass vaccination clinics to in-house and outreach clinics.

Meaning, if you haven’t been vaccinated and don’t want to go to the public health department in Henderson or Oxford, there may be a way the shot comes to you.

Harrison wrote, ” In addition to having vaccines at the health department every day, our teams are going to businesses, farms, fire stations, churches and special events across the two counties to make it easier for people to access vaccine without having to come to us. Kelsey Accordino at the health department is coordinating local outreach events so feel free to reach out if you would like to request an outreach event at an organization you’re affiliated with. Kelsey can be reached by phone at 919-277-1485 or by email at kdickman@gvdhd.org.”

Calling the main number at the health department or the vaccine hotline should put you in touch with someone who can make an appointment for vaccine.  In Vance county call 252-492-7915 and in Granville County call 919-693-2141.

The health department continues to receive Moderna as its primary vaccine type.

Harrison wrote, “So… why is demand slowing down so much? We are asking ourselves that as well. It’s natural for us to see a slower uptake of vaccine over time. There are a number of things at play for a number of reasons, but overall, I believe we have made it through the first three stages of an adoption curve. There is a model called the “Diffusion of Innovation” that a professor in communications named Everett Rogers made popular as a theory in his book, Diffusion of Innovations in 1962. This curve can explain how the population takes on any new technology or behavior. It explains well the difference between ‘early adopters’ and those who adopt a new technology or behavior later after they have thought about it more and watched to see how others did with the innovation. This is the case anytime something new comes out. A short video on Youtube provides more about the Diffusion of Innovation theory. I think we are finishing up with the early majority and are going to be working a bit more slowly and deliberately on the late majority in the coming months.”

Granville Masons To Honor First Responders, Hold Open House May 8

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Granville area Masonic chapters are hosting a couple of events on Saturday, May 8 at the Masonic Center in Oxford. The first is an appreciation breakfast for the area’s first responders; the second is an open house designed to share information about Masons and their role in the community.

First responders in the area are invited to stop by the Masonic Center in Oxford on Saturday, May 8 to pick up “breakfast on the go” as a show of appreciation for the work they do in the community, said Kevin Otis, director of the Masonic Home for Children in Oxford. Otis said the event is being hosted by Oxford Lodge #122, Grainger Lodge #412, and the local Rainbow Girls Chapter 90. Breakfast will be available from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Masonic Center, located at 105 W. College Street, just down the street from the MHCO campus.

“The Masonic bodies want to thank each of you for your dedicated commitment to keeping us safe, especially in these difficult and perilous times,” Otis said in a statement to WIZS News. “Your commitment to others is an example for all to follow,” Otis said.

The second event, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., is designed to answer questions about Masonry, from York Rite bodies and the difference between Amran and Sudan Shrine to the connection between Shriners and Masons, he said.

Representative from the local lodges, as well as the local Rainbow Girls chapter will be on hand during the open house.

Otis said it’s a great way to find out what each group is doing to help the community and help each other be their best. Visitors can tour the lodge room, see the imagery, and get ask questions. But, Otis added, “No Masonic secrets will be shared – only how joining any of these Masonic bodies will help you shine your light for others and guide you to a better tomorrow.”

NCCare360 Works To Match Clients With Providers, Resources

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It sounds ambitious, but doable: NCCare360 is a public-private partnership designed to provide streamlined support for those who are looking for help with finding resources for everything from health care to housing, access to transportation and other challenges that people are faced with.

Quinny Sanchez Lopez, community engagement manager, spoke to the Vance County Community Collaborative earlier this week and shared information about joining the partnership.

Attending the monthly meeting were representatives from education, governmental and non-profit agencies, according to information from Triangle North Healthcare Foundation.

Executive Director Val Short welcomed the group, which convened to learn more about the public-private partnership between the NC Department of Health and Human Services and the Foundation for Health Leadership and Innovation.

There is no fee to register to join the partnership, Sanchez Lopez said, which reaches all 100 counties in the state.

NCCare360 is “the first statewide network that unites health care and human services organizations with a shared technology that enables a coordinated, community-oriented, person-centered approach for delivering care in North Carolina,” according to the statement.

The idea is to have a group of health and human services providers in one network to connect clients with community resources. Unite Us powers the technology platform, which is used for feedback and follow-up and ensuring accountability of service delivery.

Included in the model is a community engagement team that works with local organizations such as social service agencies to independent providers to get resources to those who need them.

Referrals can be made by providers or by the client himself or herself. A NCCare360 “navigator” connects the client to resources in their area. A resource directory is available at www.nccare360.org.

Agencies that partner with NCCare360 receive training and are responsible for responding to referrals and reporting outcomes.

Granville Vance Public Health is a NCCare360 partner and Director Lisa Harrison said Thursday that it is exciting to see technology evolve in a way that can further the mission of public health.

“We are eager to incorporate NCCare360 technology as our social workers and nurses at the health department continue to connect people in our communities to needed resources,” Harrison said in a statement to WIZS News.

Improving the health of people in the community goes beyond a doctor’s office or making good food choices at the grocery store. “For decades… health department staff have valued working with children and families to navigate opportunities for improved transportation, housing, child care, health care services including mental health services, healthy food resources, small business support, and community outreach,” she said.

But it takes more than a computer network to be successful. It also takes people who know about the local community to be involved and informed as well.

“While this technology is robust and transformative, technology is just technology unless all network partners are trained and empowered to use it to better serve their patients and clients,” Harrison said.

For more information about joining the partnership, contact Sanchez Lopez by email quinny.sanchezlopez@uniteus.com.

Visit www.nccare360.org to learn more.

Kerr Tar Workforce and NCWorks

Employment for Graduating Seniors, Class of 2021 Career Expo

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High school seniors who will graduate in a little over a month have choices to make, whether it’s choosing a college or university to attend or beginning a career. A regional career expo targeting the Class of 2021 will be held next week and it is designed with the Gen Z’er in mind.

The virtual event is scheduled for Wednesday, May 5 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., according to Desiree Brooks, business services manager of the Kerr-Tar Council of Governments workforce development board.

Brooks told WIZS News Tuesday, April 13 that several area workforce development boards, along with NC Works and the NC Department of Public Schools’ Career Technical Education (CTE) program have collaborated to put on the event.

“We have been coordinating with the CTEs in the five counties and they are working on getting students ready for the event,” Brooks said. “They are targeting students who are ready to enter the workforce upon graduation – we are all very excited about this event.”

The expo – tagged as the “Gen Z Edition” – will allow students and employers to communicate using a platform that young people are comfortable and familiar with, according to a flyer promoting the event. Students who have developed technical skills, have hands-on experience and earned credentials through their high school CTE program can use the expo as a way to showcase those skills for prospective employers. Employers can share job descriptions and other details of their business in interviews using text or video chat.

“One of our goals is to make sure the parents of seniors see the importance of this so they can encourage them to take part in this event,” Brooks noted. “Another goal is to get employers that are willing to hire graduating seniors with little or no prior work experience.”

Sign up for the event at trianglecareerexpo.com.

More First Shots in the Last Month than in the Month Before

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Vance County has 33.4% of its population at least partially vaccinated against covid.  The amount in Granville County is 35.7% partials.  And as of Monday according to information for Granville Vance Public Health, the state is at 48.2 percent of the adult population having received a partial vaccination.

Vance County is lagging about 15% behind the state while Granville County is 12.5% back.

Of fully vaccinated adults, it’s Vance 26.8%, Granville 28.4% and NC 38.1%, which represents slightly smaller gaps.

Lisa Harrison, public health director, wrote in her email update, “We continue to update and shift our approach to vaccination to align with demand and meet people where they are, while working behind the scenes to re-open more of our core public health services and programs in the coming weeks and months. We want to make vaccine super easy for people who are not among the groups we initially vaccinated who were more than willing to come find us wherever we were. Coming up, we will deploy our team in new ways to be available for people at work, at school, and different locations across our communities to reach those without transportation options.”

Looking back at past emails from Harrison, WIZS News can determine 5,280 first shots were given from March 21 to April 26 whereas from February 25 to March 21 there were 3,355 first shots administered in Vance County.  The figures indicate 1,925 MORE people in Vance County received a first shot in the last month than in the month prior.

Looking back at data in emails from Harrison for Granville County reveals 8,660 first shots were given from March 21 to April 26 whereas from February 25 to March 21 there were 3,888 first shots administer in Granville County.  These figures indicate 4,772 MORE people in Granville County received a first shot in the last month than in the month prior.

Vaccine in the health district is about to be easier than ever to get.  Just Tuesday, there was a walk-up vaccination clinic in Townsville.  No appointment was required.

Harrison wrote, “We want to be available to answer questions and make easier the access points for vaccine and are working hard to lead this shift in demand as well as our approach to reach people who want the vaccine. If you have ideas, let us know. Please help us out by sharing our web site information widely where we have lots of good information, frequently asked questions, and ways to schedule a vaccine appointment at GVPH here: https://gvph.org/covidvaccines/.“

Granville Crime Stoppers

Granville Crime Stoppers Golf Tournament Set For May 20 – Sponsors, Players Needed

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The 3rd annual Granville County Crime Stoppers golf tournament is scheduled for May 20, 2021 at South Granville Country Club. The tournament is a major fundraiser for the group, which provides cash rewards for people who provide information that leads to the arrest and indictment of criminals.

The Granville Crime Stoppers, part of the North Carolina Crime Stoppers Association program and a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, needs sponsors for the tournament, according to information from tournament chair Bobby Wheeler.

There are two levels of sponsorship:

  • Corporate Sponsorship – $500 – includes a four-person team, with your name included on a banner displayed on tournament day, with additional recognition in print and social media, as well as the Crime Stoppers banquet in October.
  • Hole Sponsorship – $100 – your name will be posted at one of the 18 holes on tournament day, with additional recognition in print and social media, as well as the Crime Stoppers banquet in October.

Teams also can register for $200 – $50 per player. Registration begins at noon and tee time is at  1 p.m.

South Granville Country Club is located at 2539 Sam Moss Hayes Road, Creedmoor, NC 27522.

Frank Sossamon is the chair of the Granville Crime Stoppers, and David Smith is the vice-chairman.

Contact Wheeler at 919.691.0526 to learn more about becoming a sponsor or how to register for the tournament.

Make checks payable to Granville County Crime Stoppers.  Submit payment with application to:

Bobby Wheeler 607 Forrest Lane Creedmoor, NC 27522.