Consolidated Schools Named; Principals Named

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— information obtained by press release from Vance County Schools

The Vance County Board of Education has approved naming the newly combined middle and high schools for the 2018-2019 school year Vance County Middle School and Vance County High School.

The board members took the action during their regular monthly meeting held on Monday, April 16.

Also at the meeting, the board approved Rey Horner as the principal for the new Vance County High School and Heddie Somerville as the principal for the new Vance County Middle School for the 2018-2019 school year.

Horner currently serves as the principal of Southern Vance High School and Somerville is the principal of Pinkston Street Elementary School.

Horner has worked with Vance County Schools since August of 1997 when he began work as a science teacher at Southern Vance High School. He served as a teacher at the school until he was named an assistant principal/lead teacher in August of 2012. Horner became principal of the new STEM Early High School in July of 2014 when the school was located on the campus of Northern Vance High School. He remained in that position until becoming the Southern Vance principal in January of 2017. Horner was a finalist for the district’s Principal of the Year award for the 2017-2018 school year.

Somerville has worked in the school system since August of 1994. She began her career as a fifth-grade teacher at Pinkston Street Elementary School. She also became a lead teacher at the school in July of 2004. Somerville became the assistant principal at Pinkston Street Elementary School in November of 2011. She also has served as an interim principal at Pinkston Street Elementary. She became the principal of the school in July of 2012. In 2015-2016, Somerville was selected as the Vance County Schools Principal of the Year.

Horner and Somerville will now lead efforts to establish the new schools. They will be working collaboratively with their staffs to develop comprehensive school programs.

“I am excited that we have such talented leaders who are proven educational leaders at successful schools,” said Superintendent Anthony Jackson. “I’m extremely excited about the future of our new Vance County Middle School and Vance County High School.”

Vance County Middle School will be housed in the facility currently known as Northern Vance High School and will serve students who now attend Eaton-Johnson and Henderson middle schools.

Vance County High School will be located in the building now known as Southern Vance High School and will serve students who now attend Northern Vance and Southern Vance high schools.

Operations at all 10 of the district’s elementary schools will be unchanged for the new school year. The STEM Early High School will continue to serve students in grades 6-8 on the current campus of Southern Vance High. The Vance County Early College High School will remain in operation on the campus of Vance-Granville Community College near Henderson and the district’s alternative school, AdVance Academy, will remain in operation next door to the current Henderson Middle School on Charles Street in Henderson.

With combining the middle schools and high schools next school year, the Eaton-Johnson and Henderson middle school buildings will no longer be used by the school system.

Board members took action in naming the schools following a presentation by Superintendent Anthony Jackson who proposed several names for the new schools. Among the potential names offered for the middle school were: Vance Henderson, Vance Central, Vance Community and Vance County Preparatory. These names also were proposed for the high school in addition to Henderson High and Henderson Preparatory.

(The above information is a blending of two press releases written by Terri Hedrick, Public Information Officer, with Vance County Schools.)

$400K from Golden Leaf Foundation to VCS for Technology

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— Vance County Schools press release

Mark Sorrells, senior vice president of the Golden Leaf Foundation, presented Darlynn Oxendine, chairwoman of the Vance County Board of Education, and Superintendent Anthony Jackson with a check for $400,000 in grant allocations to fund technological innovations for students at the board’s meeting on April 16.

Jordan McMillen, county manager for Vance County, also participated in the presentation.

The grant funding from the foundation will be used to equip zSpace laboratories in our middle and high schools for the 2018-2019 school year.

The zSpace STEM Learning Initiative represents a new direction for instructional delivery and academic outcomes for the students in Vance County. This initiative will systematically and intentionally embed the technical and essential skills into our instructional programs to ensure student readiness for the local, regional and global workforce.

This funding will support the establishment of 24-30 digital student-learning stations in the middle school and high school, as well as 12-15 digital stations at the STEM Early High School.

Mark Sorrells, senior vice president of the Golden Leaf Foundation, far left, presents a large replica of the $400,000 grant check for Vance County Schools for technological innovations to, from left, Superintendent Anthony Jackson, Board of Education Chairperson Darlynn Oxendine and Vance County Manager Jordan McMillen.

Teachers will be trained on specific skills to utilize virtual reality technology in the delivery of their individual content areas. Wikis, blogs and an e-lesson repository will be constructed to allow teachers to share and collaborate as they train and implement new strategies. Business and industry partners will engage with our Career and Technical Education program teachers to develop a functional profile of the worker needed to support their industry. These skills and attributes will be embedded in the core competencies and outcomes of each learning module. Students will have direct interaction with virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) software to enhance their level of knowledge, understanding and application of science, career and technology course work.

“This partnership with Golden Leaf represents a game-changing opportunity for our schools, our students and most of all our community,” said Superintendent Anthony Jackson. “Implementation of the zSpace technology, along with the high quality professional development and support from our partners at the Friday Institute, will ensure our students are both future ready and workforce prepared. Once this project is fully implemented, Vance County will have the largest and most robust deployment of this cutting-edge technology in the state and potentially the country. We are indeed fortunate. I would like to thank the Golden Leaf Foundation, the Board of Education and especially our County Administrator and Board of County Commissioners for their support of this initiative.”

“Using artificial intelligence and virtual reality is a major part of the world of work today,” said Dr. Cindy Bennett, assistant superintendent for Student Support Services and Strategic Planning. “Students in Vance County Schools deserve the opportunity to experience firsthand the world today and the possibilities of tomorrow.”

News 04/17/18

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MADD’S HIGHEST HONORS TO TROOP C DISTRICT 4

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— submitted by Lorraine Watkins, MADD President

MADD’S HIGHEST HONORS BESTOWED
ON NC HIGHWAY PATROL
TROOP C DISTRICT 4

MADD’S 2017 Annual Awards Banquet was held Thursday, April 5th in Cary, North Carolina. Vance, Franklin and Warren counties “Troop C District 4,” led by 1st Sergeant Jeff Rowan, had three troopers to receive the highest honors for the number of arrests made for keeping our highways safe from drunk and impaired drivers. Flanked by the Governor’s Highway Safety Program Director Mark Ezzell, Col. Glen M. McNeill, State Highway Patrol Commander, a judge, district attorneys, lawyers as well as state police officers, sheriff’s and deputies and other state highway patrol officers, the “2017 Enforcer Award” was presented to three of our troopers: Trooper Joseph Thomas, 154 arrests; Trooper Joshua Southerland, 128 arrests; and Trooper Eugene Burrell, 122 arrests. These troopers will tell you it’s not about numbers but saving innocent lives from being ripped from families by senseless acts of an impaired individuals. Our sincere congratulations to all three of these deserving men for a job well-done.

The final highlight of the evening was the presentation of the “Trooper Brandon Peterson Hero Award.” This first-time award was in memory of Trooper Peterson who lost his life in 2017. 1st Sergeant Rowan and his troopers were the recipients of this prestigious award representing the sincere heartfelt compassion of an officer and his team during difficult times for the family of a lost one as well as the perpetrator.

It is very humbling for MADD of Henderson, as young as we are as an organization, to have the honor of such caring troopers at our fingertips. Thank you, 1st Sgt. Rowan, for your sincere dedication and compassion, as well as that of your troopers. It is an honor for me and our team of volunteers to initiate this program, to support you, your men and all law enforcement officers in our city and county that selflessly make the effort to keep our travels safe.

MPH Volunteer Services April Fundraiser

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— submitted by Lisa Radford, MPH volunteer coordinator

Volunteer Services of Maria Parham Health announce their April fundraiser. The Masquerade Sale, where everything is $5.00, will be in the JT Church Classroom Wed. April, 18 (7am-4pm) and Thursday, April 19 (7am-2pm). Necklaces, bracelets, ear rings, rings, scarves, watches, bags and so much more. Come check it out. Something for everyone…come experience the FRENZY!

(This is not a paid advertisement.  However, Maria Parham Health is an advertising client of WIZS Radio and WIZS.com.)

West End Baptist

West End Community Watch Meeting 4-17-18

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— submitted by Claire Catherwood

The West End Community Watch meeting will be held Tuesday, April 17th, 6:30 p.m., at West End Baptist Church on Dabney Drive.  The speaker will be Dennis Jarvis, the new Director of the Economic Development Commission.  Law Enforcement will be present to hear concerns and report events.  All are invited. This watch group regularly meets with three other groups; Westover Terrace, Deepwood, & Shirley. We would like the newly formed Lynnhaven area watch group to join us for meetings. Anyone may attend our meetings, regardless of place of residence.

Veteran Actors Join VGCC Students In Cast For Sixth Annual Dinner Theater

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VGCC Dinner Theater — press release

Vance-Granville Community College students will be joined by veteran theater actors for the college’s sixth annual Dinner Theater production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” a musical comedy, at the end of April.

A collaboration of Vance-Granville’s Drama and Culinary departments, the event is scheduled for the evenings of Thursday, April 26, and Friday, April 27. Dinner will begin at 6 p.m. each evening in the Civic Center on the college’s Main Campus. Tickets are being sold online for $30 each.

Among the veterans are Brian Westbrook of Durham, who is serving as guest musical director and choreographer while also playing the role of Comfort Counselor Mitch Mahoney; Andy Dickerson of Henderson, portraying Chip Tolentino; and Peyton Grissom of Oxford, who will portray Rona Lisa Peretti.

Westbrook, originally from Henderson, studied piano in Henderson under Angela Scott and Nella Holden and theater under the direction of Dwight Pearce. He spent nine years with Shadowbox Live in Columbus, Ohio, after studying piano at Appalachian State University. He worked as a band leader, vocal coach and choreographer in Ohio in addition to performing.

Since returning to North Carolina in 2010, Westbrook has been busy in the Triangle area as well as locally. He has served as a director for the Henderson Rec Players (HRP), a choreographer for Granville Little Theater (GLT) and has performed in several shows for the Raleigh Little Theater and Theater in the Park, as well as HRP, GLT and the McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center. Westbrook most recently played Corny Collins in McGregor’s production of “Hairspray.” His other roles include Lancelot in Monty Python’s “Spamalot,” Beadle Bamford in “Sweeney Todd” and Cosme McMoon in Theatre in the Park’s production of “Glorious!”

He currently works as a marketing manager for the Association of International Certified Public Accountants in Durham and, for the past six years, has been singing with the Duke Chapel Choir.

“I’m so pleased to have Brian work with us on music and choreography in addition to having him take a role in this production,” observed Betsy T. Henderson, director of this Dinner Theater production who also serves as the department chair for Fine Arts and Humanities at VGCC. “It is Brian’s deeply held belief that theater can and is a catalyst for positive change in the world. Brian’s appreciation of the talent and the passion that this area can boast in theater production gives us energy as we work to provide another outstanding live show for our community.”

Dickerson is a 20-year veteran of the Henderson Rec Players in addition to performances for GLT and Temple Theatre in Sanford. Grissom has performed with both HRP and GLT and currently is serving as a board member for Granville Little Theatre. Employed as a registered nurse at Duke University Hospital in Durham, she is an alumnus of Vance-Granville’s nursing program.

Among the students in the cast from VGCC, some of them dually enrolled at VGCC and Granville Early College High School (GECHS) or Vance County Early College High School (VCECHS), are sisters Allison Hines, a “super senior” at GECHS, and Samantha Hines, a junior at VCECHS, playing, respectively, Leaf Coneybear and Olive Ostrovsky; Brittney Patterson, portraying Logainne SchwartzandGrubeniere, in her last year at VCECHS; and VGCC students Nick Kurtz, who plays William Barfee; Blake Lee, portraying Vice Principal Douglas Panch; and Evan O’Geary, playing March Park.

Winner of the Tony and the Drama Desk Awards for Best Book, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” has charmed audiences with its effortless wit and humor. Featuring a fast-paced, wildly funny and touching book by Rachel Sheinkin and a vibrant score by William Finn, this “bee” is one unforgettable experience, critics have said.

The action in the comedy centers on an eclectic group of six schoolchildren who are vying to win the coveted spelling bee championship. The tweens candidly disclose hilarious, and often touching, stories from their home lives while spelling their way through a series of (potentially made-up) words, hoping never to hear the soul-crushing, pout-inducing “ding” of the bell that signals a spelling mistake.

For the occasion, Culinary Arts is preparing a menu featuring meatloaf and vegetables, chicken pot pie and a veggie pot pie in addition to salad and desserts.

Patrons are able to choose the table and specific seats they want at the same time that they buy tickets online. The online link to the ticketing service can be found at www.vgcc.edu/dinnertheater on the college’s website.

— VGCC —

(Not a paid advertisement.)

VGCC President honors Cosmetology department

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VGCC Cosmetology — press release

The president of Vance-Granville Community College, Dr. Stelfanie Williams, recently recognized a group of faculty members for excellence by awarding the “Vanguard Cup” to the college’s Cosmetology department.

The department became the third recipient of the cup, an honor created by Dr. Williams to recognize “exceptional team performance toward the college mission, vision and strategic plan.”

In this case, the president lauded the Cosmetology faculty for their outstanding work on promoting student success on the North Carolina Board of Cosmetic Art Examiners licensure exam.

“In order to help students achieve professional success, the Cosmetology department set a goal of having 90% of its students pass the state board exam,” Dr. Williams noted. “With clear strategies to accomplish this, they initiated faculty professional development to better prepare students, training videos for students, online modules for student preparation, and a mock state exam review. As a result, this past year, the department exceeded the original goal and achieved a 100% passing rate across all four VGCC campuses.”

Members of the VGCC Cosmetology faculty pose with the “Vanguard Cup.” They include, from left, instructor Wallace Evans, Warren Campus coordinator/instructor Magnolia Terry, program head/instructor Tomeka Moss and Franklin Campus coordinator/instructor Tammy Johnson-Dudding. Other instructors for the program include Vivian Smith, Rhonda Gibbs, Linda Foster, Dorothy Godfrey, Nancy Jackson, Emily Coburn and Salina Alston. (VGCC photo)

The president added, “The Cosmetology faculty are to be commended for their creativity and their commitment. The education, inspiration and support that they provide empowers students to start rewarding careers.”

“We have an exceptionally dedicated team of instructors in the VGCC Cosmetology department who work really hard to ensure our students’ success,” said Program Head Tomeka Moss, who is also a graduate of the program. “Our program’s success is without a doubt a team effort, of which I am extremely proud.”

VGCC offers diploma and certificate programs in Cosmetology, along with a Cosmetology Instructor certificate program. These curriculum programs provide competency-based knowledge, scientific/artistic principles and hands-on fundamentals associated with the cosmetology industry. Students develop their skills in a simulated salon environment at each VGCC campus, located in Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren counties. For more information, contact Tomeka Moss at (252) 738-3357.

–VGCC–

News 04/16/18

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Special Date Pre-K and Kindergarten Registration

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— Vance County Schools press release

Special Date Pre-K and Kindergarten Registration

Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten registration for 2018-2019 is continuing! Our elementary schools have special registration events planned April 16-19. The events are from 1 to 6 p.m. at each of the schools.

The schedule for the school events includes:

Aycock Elementary – Thursday, April 19
Carver Elementary – Thursday, April 19
Clarke Elementary – Thursday, April 19
Dabney Elementary – Wednesday, April 18
E.M. Rollins Elementary – Tuesday, April 17
E.O. Young, Jr. Elementary – Tuesday, April 17
L.B. Yancey Elementary – Tuesday, April 17
New Hope Elementary – Tuesday, April 17
Pinkston Street Elementary – Monday, April 16
Zeb Vance Elementary – Thursday, April 19

Parents registering their children should bring a document with proof of the child’s age (birth certificate, medical record), their immunization record, Social Security card, proof of residence and proof of income. Pre-kindergarten children must be four years old on or before August 31, 2018, and kindergarten children must be five years old on or before August 31, 2018.