GCPS Passes Budget, Includes $2.78 million in Budget Cuts

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Tuesday, May 2, 2017

For Immediate Release

On Thursday, April 27, the Granville County Board of Education approved the budget for the 2017-2018 school year.  This year’s budget process was particularly difficult as the Board faced both increased costs and projected decreased revenues, which made necessary substantial cuts in personnel and program expenditures.  As a result, this budget includes more than $2.78 million dollars in total cuts from the previous year’s budget.

Specific areas where these cuts have been made include a reduction of the leadership positions in Central Services, including the elimination of two director positions and that of the Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources and Operations, which will be made vacant by the retirement of Dr. Gillespie after July 1, 2017.  The following positions and job duties will be reorganized as a result of these changes:

 

Staff Member Current Position Title New Position Title and Responsibilities Effective July 1, 2017
Betty Crute Pre-K Coordinator Retired
Nancy Russell Principal, Creedmoor Elementary School Pre-K Coordinator
Ann Grey Newcomb Director of Professional Development Principal, Creedmoor Elementary School
Helen Lindsey Principal, CIL School Guidance Counselor
Calvin Timberlake Director of Innovative Services Principal, CIL

District Athletic Director

Driver’s Education Coordinator

 
Dr. Tonya Thomas Director of Middle Schools & AIG Director of Professional Development,

Student Services, &

AIG Services
Beth Cook Director of Testing & Accountability, The Arts Director of Testing & Accountability,

The Arts &

Community & Volunteer Coordinator

 
Dr. Lela Baldwin Director of Elementary Education,

Federal Programs &

Afterschool Programs

 Director of Elementary Education,

Federal Programs,

Afterschool Programs &

McKinney-Vento Coordinator

 
Dr. Stan Winborne Director of High Schools, CTE & Public Information Officer Director of Secondary Schools (6-12),

Career and Technical Education &

Public Information Officer
Dr. Vanessa Wrenn Director of Instructional Technology Director of Instructional Technology &

District Webmaster
Russell Dixon Student Information Coordinator &

District Webmaster

 Student Information Coordinator &

Student Transfer Coordinator

 

 

Additional cuts will be made in funding for Technology, Granville Online, teacher substitutes, and Central Services general expense items.  Projected reductions in student enrollment will also result in an accompanying reduction of the allotment for teacher assistants, teachers, custodians, guidance counselors, clerical positions and assistant principals.  No specific positions have been identified as the department of Human Resources will seek to accommodate these cuts through attrition first.

Superintendent Howard and Board Chair Dr. Tom Houlihan issued a joint statement, saying “This budget proposal is the result of conscientious steps taken by the Board and administration to provide human and material resources needed while at the same time reducing our dependence on fund balance.  For four years the school district has made significant budget cuts in an effort to be financially responsible, particularly with declining student enrollment and the fiscal limitations that are brought on by negative state and national budget changes.”

VGCC students inducted into honor society

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Vance-Granville Community College recognized 75 students who were inducted into Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for students of two-year colleges, on April 18 in the Civic Center on the college’s Main Campus. VGCC students honored with induction into Phi Theta Kappa must have a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.5 in associate degree curriculum programs and have completed at least 12 credit hours toward their degrees.

As advisors for VGCC’s PTK chapter, instructors Olu Ariyo, Isaac Talley and Maureen Walters conducted the ceremony. Walters, the head advisor, told the new inductees and their families and friends in attendance that since VGCC’s chapter of PTK, “Alpha Sigma Chi,” was chartered in 1991, more than 1,900 students have been selected for induction. She said that while scholarship is the first aim of PTK, the society also encourages fellowship, leadership development and service to others, and she noted that the letters Phi Theta Kappa stand for the Greek words for “Wisdom,” “Aspiration” and “Purity.”

Serving as guest speaker for the ceremony was Danny Wright of Henderson, a retired Vance County commissioner and the current chair of the VGCC Board of Trustees. “On behalf of the trustees, we salute you for your accomplishments and achievements,” Wright said. “The most important element of a democratic society is the education of its citizens. The greatest anti-poverty program this country has ever administered is a good education. The foundation for any nation to become a peaceful, ordered society is the education of its people. Each of you has demonstrated how much you value and how much you believe in education, so you are well on your way.” Education, he noted, does not, in and of itself, make students better people. “Life is a constant exercise in self-improvement,” Wright said, and the most important thing in life is the cultivation of relationships. “Technical competency alone is not enough to achieve career success,” he added, but rather, students must develop their interpersonal skills as well.

This year’s inductees into the Alpha Sigma Chi chapter of Phi Theta Kappa are:

From Franklin County

Rebekah Glasheen, Christopher Plumley, Charles Sawyer and Mya Wilson, all of Franklinton;

Madison Waddle of Kittrell;

Loganne Driver, Michael Gokee, Katelyn Jensen, Mark Meinhart, Katlyn Riley and Charmaine Sutton, all of Louisburg;

Hope Crute, Skylar Davenport, Jordan Dowdy, Lindsay Henry and Sydney Venezia, all of Youngsville.

 

From Granville County

 

Jordan  Ligon and Katie Weary, both of Bullock;

Debra Duncan of Butner;

Caitlyn Good, Carlos Matinote, June Matinote, Sara Reid, Martin Spencer and Hunter Thompson, all of Creedmoor;

Cedric Rodebaugh of Franklinton;

Cecilia   Barrenechea, Nicole Bowman, April Brogden, Larecia Bullock, Kristel Dehart, Timothy Farley, Keodric Grant, Aaron McNeill, Sharon Ray, Francis Scotland, Sydney Towers, Alana Towles, Johnathan Williamson and Ymani Yancey, all of Oxford;

Alex Jackson of Stem;

Kellyann Cook of Stovall.

 

From Vance County

 

Lauren  Beauchamp, Angela Burrell, Anthony Henderson, Victoria Inscoe, Jacquella Jones, Lindsey Perry, Katelynn Ray, Janet Rodriguez-Morales, Fatima Saleh, Melissa Simmons, April Thompson,

Bailee Tippett, Makala West and Shanetta Wright, all of Henderson;

Beverly Ellis, Renee Jackson, Leslie Leake and Allison Long, all of Kittrell.

 

From Warren County

 

Shima’a Hauter of Norlina;

Ellen Denning, Nubia Lockett, Amanda Miller, Raina Mills, Rowan Morris, Daniel O’Malley, Hannah Ortiz and Joshua Taylor, all of Warrenton.

 

From Wake County

David Jeanblanc and Charles Keith, both of Raleigh;

Kathryn Catlett of Zebulon.

From other counties

Joshua Jacobs of Durham;

Brian Stevenson of Gastonia;

Brianna Lynch of Hollister.

Boys & Girls Clubs Name Club Members of the Month

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Meet Chris Blue 


Chris is the North Central North Carolina Region’s Youth of the Year for 2016 and 2017!
Chris grew up in Henderson and became a member of the Vance County Unit at a young age and is getting ready to graduate from high school and heading off to college. He will leave high school with two Associate degrees as well as his diploma. Currently he’s mulling offers between Fayetteville State University, UNC Greensboro, and UNC Charlotte. We are so proud of Chris and the amazing young man he has become.

Meet Nyree


Nyree is 8 years old and has been a member of the Franklin County Boys & Girls Club for one year. She is a 3rd grader and enjoys drawing and building with Legos. Nyree’s favorite subject in school is math and her favorite book is Geronimo Stilton. Nyree’s favorite video game is Super Mario Bros. and her favorite game to play at The Boys & Girls Club is dodgeball. Her favorite thing about the Boys & Girls Club is the awesome people and the awesome staff. She hopes to grow up and work as a staff at the club one day!

Meet Terrance


Terrance  is a club member at the Mariam Boyd Extension of the Warren Unit! He is an exceptional young man, always willing to help other club members and staff.  Very respectful and a model club member! He was chosen to be featured by club staff as member of the month! Terrance is a great joy to be around and admired by his peers.

Meet Lucas


Lucas is the member of the month at the Halifax Unit! Lucas is a first grader and the oldest of three boys. His favorite color is blue and favorite subject at school is math. Lucas loves karate and computer games, but his favorite thing to do is spend time with his family. When asked what is his favorite food, he said “anything my momma is making.” Lucas is the son of Clarissa and Christopher. You can see why Lucas is our member of the month!

Meet Landon


Landon is the Granville County Boys & Girls Club member of the month! He has been a member since August 2016 & has loved every second! He is in 3rd grade & very active in the club. His favorite activity at the club is Triple Play Dodgeball. He also enjoys hanging out with his buddies and eating snack. We are proud of Landon for representing us this month. He was chosen because he is often seen around the club completing random acts of kindness. He is always helping others & showing good character!

Author of “Blood Done Sign My Name” To Speak at VGCC Adult Basic Skills Commencement

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Vance-Granville Community College will hold commencement exercises dedicated exclusively to new graduates of Adult Basic Skills programs on Thursday, May 4. The ceremony will begin at 6 p.m. in the Civic Center on the college’s Main Campus in Vance County.

Those being honored at the ceremony will include students who have completed either the Adult High School Diploma program or the High School Equivalency program in the past year.

Dr. Timothy B. Tyson, an author and professor who spent part of his childhood in Oxford, will serve as the guest speaker. Tyson is currently Senior Research Scholar at the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University and Visiting Professor of American Christianity and Southern Culture at Duke Divinity School. He also holds a faculty position in American Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His most recent book is The Blood of Emmett Till, published early this year.

Tyson is the author of Blood Done Sign My Name, a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, and winner of the Southern Book Award for Nonfiction and the Grawemeyer Award in Religion. His Radio Free Dixie: Robert F. Williams and the Roots of Black Power was the winner of the James Rawley Prize for the best book on race and the Frederick Jackson Turner Prize for the best first book in U.S. history from the Organization of American Historians. His Democracy Betrayed: The Wilmington Race Riot of 1898 and Its Legacy, published with David S. Cecelski with a foreword by Dr. John Hope Franklin, won the 1999 Outstanding Book Award from the Gustavus Myers Center for the Study of Human Rights. He serves on the executive board of the North Carolina NAACP and the board of advisors for the UNC Center for Civil Rights.

Speaking on behalf of the graduating students during the ceremony will be Spencer Bojan Boyd of Oxford. Boyd completed the Adult High School Diploma program online and is already enrolled in the College Transfer program at VGCC. Boyd is a native of Serbia and was adopted at the age of six by a family in Johnston County, who later moved to Granville County. He was born without a right leg and with a distorted left leg, which was later amputated. Boyd’s future plan is to continue his education at the four-year level and become a certified prosthetist in order to help other amputees.

–VGCC–

District Attorney’s Schedule May 2017

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Mon, May 1      Warren Trial Court (Hight) – Fuller, Gregory, Raymond

                                  **Franklin District Court (Keith) – Pelfrey, Roberson

Vance District Court (Stevenson) – Erdmann, Watson/Bristo

Granville District Court (Thompson) – Gardner, Allen

 

Tues, May 2              Franklin District Court (Davis) – Hunter, Roberson

##Vance District Court (Keith) – Louis, Watson/Bristo

Granville Juvenile Court (Thompson) – Putney

Granville County Clerk’s Office Hours, Attorneys 2:00 – 4:00 – Putney

 

Wed, May 3              Granville District Court (Davis) – Pelfrey, Allen

Warren District Court (Stevenson) – Erdmann, Gregory, Raymond

Granville County Clerk’s Office Hours, Public 2:00-4:00 – Putney

 

Thurs, May 4            Franklin Juvenile Court (Keith) – Putney

##Vance District Court (Burnette) – Erdmann, Watson, Bristo

Granville Dispo Court (Davis) – Gregory, Sellars, Louis

Vance Trial Prep – Pelfrey, Fuller

 

Fri, May 5                 Vance Juvenile Court (Banks) – Putney

Vance Trial Prep – Pelfrey, Fuller

 

Mon, May 8       Vance Trial Court (O’Foghludha) – Pelfrey, Fuller, Brickhouse

Franklin District Court (Stevenson) – Louis, Roberson

Vance District Court (Daivs) – Erdmann, Watson/Bristo

##Granville District Court (Keith) – Gregory, Allen

 

Tues, May 9              Franklin District Court (Thompson) – Erdmann, Gregory, Roberson

Vance District Court (Stevenson) – Louis, Gardner, Watson/Bristo

Warren Juvenile Court (Davis) – Putney

 

Wed, May 10            Granville District Court (Stevenson) – Sellars, Allen

Warren District Court (Burnette) – Putney, Raymond

 

Thurs, May 11           ##Vance District Court (Thompson) – Sellars, Watson, Bristo

Warren CMS Prep – Pelfrey

 

Fri, May 12               Warren CMS Prep – Pelfrey

 

Mon, May 15     Warren CMS Court (O’Foghludha) – Pelfrey, Pendergrass, Raymond

                                    Franklin District Court (Burnette) – Sellars, Roberson

Vance District Court (Thompson) – Hunter, Watson/Bristo

**Granville District Court (Keith) – Gardner, Allen

Vance CMS Prep – Pelfrey

 

Tues, May 16     Vance Probation Court (O’Foghludha) – Gregory, Pendergrass

##Franklin District Court (Keith) – Sellars, Roberson

Vance District Court (Davis) – Erdmann, Hunter, Watson/Bristo

Granville Juvenile Court (Burnette) – Putney

Vance CMS Prep – Pelfrey

Vance County Clerk’s Office Hours, Attorneys, 2:00-4:00 pm – Gregory

 

Wed, May 17     Vance CMS Court (O’Foghludha) – Pelfrey, Erdmann, Louis, Pendergrass, Brickhouse

                       Granville District Court (Burnette) – Gardner, Allen

**Warren District Court (Davis) – Putney, Raymond

Vance County Clerk’s Office Hours, Public, 2:00-4:00 pm – Gregory

 

 

Thurs, May 18    Vance CMS Court (O’Foghludha) – Pelfrey, Erdmann, Louis, Pendergrass, Brickhouse

Franklin Juvenile Court (Keith) – Hunter/Gardner

Vance Dispo Court (Thompson) – Gregory, Putney, Sellars, Watson, Bristo

Franklin County Clerk’s Office Hours, 2:00-4:00 pm – Hunter/Gardner

Franklin CMS Prep – Gardner, Hunter

 

Fri, May 19               Franklin Dispo Court (Davis) – Erdmann, Louis, Gregory, Tart, Roberson

Franklin CMS Prep – Gardner, Hunter

 

Mon, May 22     Franklin CMS Court (O’Foghludha) – Gardner, Hunter, Pendergrass, Johnson

                                   Franklin District Court (Davis) – Louis, Roberson

Vance District Court (Stevenson) – Erdmann, Watson/Bristo

Granville District Court (Burnette) – Fuller, Allen

Granville CMS Prep – Sellars, Putney

 

Tues, May 23     Franklin CMS Court (O’Foghludha) – Gardner, Hunter, Pendergrass, Johnson

                                   Franklin District Court (Stevenson) – Erdmann, Pelfrey, Roberson

**Vance District Court (Keith) – Louis, Fuller, Watson/Bristo

Warren Juvenile Court (Davis) – Putney

Granville CMS Prep – Sellars, Putney

 

Wed, May 24     Granville CMS Court (O’Foghludha) – Sellars, Putney, Pendergrass, Garrett

                                  ##Granville District Court (Stevenson) – Louis, Allen

##Warren District Court (Keith) – Erdmann, Raymond

 

Thurs, May 25    Granville CMS Court (O’Foghludha) – Sellars, Putney, Pendergrass, Garrett

                                    ##Vance District Court (Burnette) – Gregory, Watson/Bristo

 

Fri, May 26                Vance Juvenile Court (Thompson) – Putney

Granville Probation Court Prep – Sellars, Putney

 

Mon, May 29                                         HOLIDAY

 

Tues, May 30     Granville Probation Court/Grand Jury (Young) – Sellars, Putney

Franklin District Court (Burnette) – Louis, Roberson

Vance District Court (Stevenson) – Gregory, Watson/Bristo

 

Wed, May 31            Warren District Court (Stevenson) – Fuller, Raymond

 

**mediator available**

##9:30 am regular docket, PLUS POSSIBLE 2:15 pm DWI docket##

VGCC Radiography students seek local businesses for fundraiser

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Radiography students at Vance-Granville Community College are planning a fundraiser to help them attend a major conference, and they are inviting local businesses to join them in a vendor event. The event is scheduled for Saturday, April 22, from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. in the gymnasium at the First Baptist Church of Creedmoor (108 South Main Street, Creedmoor).

Students are seeking vendors of all sorts to participate, including local crafters. So far, they have enlisted a variety of direct sales and craft vendors selling products ranging from apparel and home décor to personal health items and cosmetics. Vendor fees start at $40.

Door prize drawings will take place every hour, and attendees must be present to win. The Radiography students will be selling light refreshments at the event as well. All monies raised will go directly to the VGCC Radiography Club for program-related student expenses to help students achieve their goal of attending the next Atlanta Society of Radiologic Technologists, Inc., Student & Radiographer’s Seminar & Educator’s Conference, scheduled for March 3-6, 2018.

“By attending this conference next year, students will be exposed to other imaging professionals and Radiography students,” said VGCC Radiography Clinical Coordinator/instructor Stacey Soles. “They will be able to actively participate in classes to prepare them for their national registry exam after graduation. The conference also includes opportunities for students to meet the authors of commonly used textbooks within the Radiography program.”

Based at VGCC’s South Campus between Butner and Creedmoor, the two-year Radiography degree program prepares graduates to be radiographers, skilled health care professionals who use radiation to produce images of the human body.

For more information or to apply to be a vendor, please contact Stacey Soles at soless@vgcc.edu.

–VGCC–

Month of April Offers Multiple Local Opportunities to Donate Blood

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RALEIGH, NC (April 3, 2017) – Eligible blood donors of all blood types are encouraged to give blood through the American Red Cross this spring to help ensure a sufficient supply for hospital patients.

Donated blood is perishable and must constantly be replenished to keep up with hospital patient need. Red blood cells are the blood component most frequently transfused by hospitals and must be used within 42 days of donation.

Eligible donors can give red blood cells through either a regular whole blood donation or a Power Red donation, where available. Power Red donors give a concentrated dose of red blood cells during a single donation, allowing them to maximize their impact. During this type of donation, red blood cells are separated from other blood components, and the plasma and platelets are safely and comfortably returned to the donor.

While donors of all blood types are encouraged to give blood, type O, A negative and B negative donors are urged to give Power Reds if they meet the additional eligibility criteria. Type O negative is the universal blood type and can be transfused to patients of any blood type in an emergency. Similarly, type O positive can be transfused to Rh-positive patients of any blood type. Types A negative and B negative can be transfused to Rh-positive or negative patients. Power Red donations help ensure a stable supply of these critical blood types.

Whole blood can be donated every 56 days, up to six times a year, and Power Red donations may be made every 112 days, up to three times per year.

Make an appointment to donate blood by downloading the free Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting redcrossblood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Upcoming blood donation opportunities:

Granville

Oxford

4/21/2017: 12:30 p.m. – 5 p.m., Oxford Prepatory School, 6041 Landis Rd.

Warren

Warrenton

4/24/2017: 8:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., Warren New Tech High School, 219 US Hwy 158 Bypasss

How to help

Simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

Blood donors can now save time at their next donation by using RapidPass to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, prior to arriving at the blood drive. To get started and learn more, visit redcrossblood.org/RapidPass and follow the instructions on the site.

Volunteers needed

Volunteers are needed to support the lifesaving mission of the American Red Cross. There are opportunities now to become a volunteer transportation specialist or blood donor ambassador. Transportation specialists deliver lifesaving blood products to local area hospitals. Red Cross blood donor ambassadors greet and assist blood donors to ensure the donation process is a positive experience. Each role is critical to maintaining an ample blood supply for patients in need. For more information and to apply for a volunteer transportation specialist position, visit rdcrss.org/driver.

About the American Red Cross

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

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Stolen Lawnmower reported in Oxford

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TO:                         News Media

FROM:                  Granville County Crime Stoppers  

DATE:                    March 31st, 2017

SUBJECT:             LARCENY

Sometime between Thursday, March 23rd early afternoon and Friday, March 24th,  2017 mid evening hours an unknown person or persons unlawfully went upon private property off US Highway 158, Oxford, NC and criminally removed a Murray 48 inch deck riding lawnmower from underneath the car port of a private residence.

If you have information concerning this incident, please contact the Granville County Sheriff’s Office at 919-693-3213 or call Crime Stoppers 919-693-3100.

THE GRANVILLE COUNTY CRIME STOPPERS BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAS AUTHORIZED THE PAYMENT OF A REWARD OF UP TO $1,000 FOR INFORMATION LEADING TO THE ARREST/INDICTMENT(S) OF PERSON(S) RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS CRIME.  IF YOU HAVE INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS CRIME OR ANY OTHER SERIOUS CRIME(S) IN GRANVILLE COUNTY.  YOU ARE ASKED TO CALL THE GRANVILLE COUNTY CRIME STOPPERS IN OXFORD AT 919-693-3100.

 

 

Masonic Home for Children Holds Strategic Planning Retreat

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A Strategic Planning Retreat was held March 24-25 with almost 50 personnel, board members, alumni, community partners, and other stakeholders in attendance.

Friday evening’s activities included reflecting on MHCO’s past, sharing resident and staff experiences, discussing the current organizational profile, and analyzing where MHCO stands currently including internal strengths and weaknesses and external threats and opportunities for growth.

Saturday’s activities included envisioning the future and strategizing how to close the gap between MHCO’s operations in 2017 and vision for 2021.

Breakout groups revised the mission, vision, and quality statements and developed a new tagline. Goals, objectives, and initiatives were developed to enhance the sustainability of MHCO including utilization and stewardship of resources, community partnerships, and recruitment and retention of employees.

The strategic plan ideas will be compiled and discussed at the May meeting of the Board of Directors for feasibility and implementation.

This retreat was the first of many discussions about the bright and promising future of MHCO.

Thanks to all who attending!

Oxford Preparatory School Hosts First Summer Camp

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Open to Rising 3rd through 8th Grade Students

This will be the first summer camp offered by Oxford Preparatory School. The camp is intended for rising third through eighth grade students within the surrounding area. Camp activities will be predominantly held at Oxford Preparatory school on Landis Road. The summer camp will run from June 19th through August 4th beginning at 8:30 AM and ending at 4:30 PM. There will be a one week break observing the Fourth of July Holiday. Parents can choose to send their child for a single week, specifically themed weeks, or for the entire summer.

For more information regarding the Oxford Preparatory Summer Camp, please visit Oxforprep.org, or contact Camp Coordinator, Krystle Fraser at (919) 690-0360 extension 131.