Walmart Distribution Presents $5,000 to Boys and Girls Club

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Around 100 Walmart Associates gathered today at the Walmart Distribution Center in Henderson to present the Boys and Girls Club of North Central North Carolina a check for $5,000.

Walmart and the Boys and Girls Club enjoy a unique partnership. Last month, a number of Walmart Associates volunteered their time to help paint much of the Boys and Girls Club on Clark Street in Henderson.

Robert Avery, maintenance operations manger for the Walmart Distribution Center, said, “We appreciate the opportunity to help in the community. We want to thank the 53 associates that volunteered around 260 hours at the Boys and Girls Club last month. We are grateful to be able to help the Boys and Girls Club.”

Mary Ann Avery, Resource Development Director for the Boys and Girls Club of North Central North Carolina, said, “Thanks Walmart for your continued support both financially and with the volunteers you provide. We’re so thankful that Walmart took the lead in helping us revitalize the Boys and Girls Club on Clark Street. We thank them for coming back to volunteer again in August.”

Pictured from left to right are Mary Ann Avery, Evelyn Taylor, Curtis White and Elaine Chavis-Young. All of the above represent the Boys and Girls Club of North Central North Carolina in varying capacities.

Vance County Early College High School holds Orientation

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Vance County Schools

For Immediate Release

July 20, 2017

 

Ninth-grade students and their parents attended the orientation session on July 20 for the Vance County Early College High School in preparation for the start of the new school year.

 

Classes begin at Early College on August 3.

 

A large turnout of parents and students gathered in the Civic Center on the campus of Vance-Granville Community College near Henderson for the opening of the orientation session. Vangie Mitchell, college liaison with Vance-Granville Community College, led the session and shared an abundance of important information with those in attendance.

Pre-K Dabney Students Complete Mi Centro Program

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Vance County Schools

For Immediate Release

July 20, 2017

 

Pre-kindergarten students who participated in the Mi Centro program this summer at Dabney Elementary School completed their participation in the camp on July 19.

 

A total of 35 Hispanic students completed the summer program this year and are now ready to begin the new school year.

 

The students participated in sessions to prepare them for the new school year in three classes that were taught by Deris Mora, Kelly Smith and Tamekia Thompson, all teachers in Vance County Schools. They were assisted by Sherry Compton, Lesli Miranda, Kathy Pernell, Malinda Puckett, Janet Rodriguez and Connetta Terry. One student volunteer, Reina Banda-Orozco, also helped in the classes.

 

The Mi Centro program is coordinated through the school system’s English as a Second Language (ESL) Program and is designed to provide educational services to pre-school Hispanic children to help them prepare to begin the school year.

 

Each of the students was recognized during a “graduation” ceremony held in the multipurpose room at Dabney Elementary on the morning of July 19. Their teachers presented them with certificates for their participation in the program. Each student wore a light blue cap and gown and came up to accept their certificate from their teacher.

Home and Garden Show 07/19/17

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VGCC Completes Renovation of Histotechnology Lab

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A laboratory has been renovated to house the new Histotechnology program on Vance-Granville Community College’s Main Campus, the VGCC Board of Trustees was informed at its Monday, July 17, bi-monthly meeting.

The renovation, which cost $15,230, was part of a project covering miscellaneous repairs and renovations on the college campus between Henderson and Oxford, according to Trustee Donald C. Seifert, Sr., chair of the board’s Building Committee.

The Bioprocess Technology laboratory that was previously located in Building 8 was retrofitted to house the health sciences curriculum program. The Bioprocess program has moved to the Franklin County Campus.

The Histotechnology program prepares students for the medical laboratory field. The two-year associate’s degree Histotechnology program provides students the knowledge and skills necessary to prepare tissue specimens for microscopic examination using various stains and dyes to identify tissue and cell structures in medical laboratories. Course work covers scientific concepts related to laboratory testing, microscopy and quality assurance. Graduates may be eligible to apply to take the American Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Certification national examination.

In other Building Committee updates, Seifert said roofing replacement is progressing on Building 6 on the Main Campus, and repairs and the resealing of the parking lots at South Campus are expected to be complete by the end of July.

Board Officers

Trustee Danny W. Wright of Henderson was re-elected as the chair of the board, Trustee Herb Gregory of Oxford was re-elected as vice-chair, and Trustee Deborah F. Brown of Henderson was re-elected as secretary after nominations from a committee chaired by Trustee L. Opie Frazier, Jr.

North Carolina Ninth District Court Judge Henry Banks, who is working part-time after his recent retirement, swore in Trustee Brown for a third four-year term on the board. Brown was appointed by the Vance County Board of Commissioners. She first joined the Board of Trustees in 2009 and will serve though 2021.

Moment of Silence

At the start of the meeting, Trustee Chair Wright acknowledged the recent death of Trustee Emeritus John King Nelms of Oxford. Nelms, who died at the age of 95 on June 22, served on the Board of Trustees in an advisory capacity from 1971 to 1973 and as an active member from 1973 until 2005. He served as chair in 1983-84 and from 1999 to 2003. He was named VGCC’s first — and to date, only —Trustee Emeritus upon his retirement.

“He just loved this college and did so much for it,” said Wright before leading the board in a Moment of Silence.

Nelms, who served for three decades as director of the Granville County Economic Development Commission, was instrumental in getting Granville involved in supporting what was originally Vance County Technical Institute, leading eventually to VGCC’s main campus near the Vance-Granville county line.

Budget Amendments

Upon recommendation from the Budget Committee, chaired by Trustee Abdul Rasheed, the 2016-2017 Budget Resolution was amended. The State Current Fund increased $1,915,633 to $22,460,933, the County Current Fund was unchanged at $2,515,573, and the Institutional Fund increased $436,178 to $11,202,582, for a combined Amended Operating Budget of $36,179,088. The Capital Improvement Budget was unchanged at $746,068. The total Combined Amended Budget is $36,925,156.

Fall Semester

In her report to the board, VGCC President Dr. Stelfanie Williams informed the Trustees that the new Fall Semester starts Monday, Aug. 14, with signs pointing to an increase in enrollment compared to last fall. Registration for curriculum classes runs through Thursday, Aug. 10.

Among various events and activities since the last board meeting, Dr. Williams updated the Trustees on VGCC receiving high national rankings from various national organizations. The college placed seventh on the list of top community colleges in North Carolina by BestColleges.com and 19th among online schools in the state by the Community for Accredited Online Schools. She also reported on VGCC’s recently signed agreement with North Carolina Central University to offer two bachelor’s degree programs on Main Campus. The new Eagle Voyage offerings include a bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education and a bachelor’s in Family and Consumer Sciences with a concentration in Child Development and Family Relations.

Dr. Williams announced the Trustees will have a Board Retreat on Monday, Aug. 28.

Other Action

In other action:

  • New and amended board policies for the 2017-2018 Policy Manual were approved by the Trustees on recommendation from the Executive Committee, chaired by Trustee Wright. The policies cover areas of institutional governance, public information and campus safety, personnel policies, academic affairs, institutional research and technology, and finance and operations.
  • Trustee L. Opie Frazier, Jr., chair of the Investment Committee, reported on the progress of the college’s investments.
  • An informational report on new employees, retirements, resignations and changes in positions was given by the Personnel Committee, chaired by Trustee Sara C. Wester.

The next meeting of the VGCC Board of Trustees will be held on Monday, Sept. 18, at the Main Campus.

–end–

Vance County Economic Development Update 7/18/17

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VGCC Pharmacy Technology program ranked in top five nationwide

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The Pharmacy Technology program at Vance-Granville Community College was recently recognized as one of the top five programs of its kind in the nation.

VGCC placed fourth in the list of the top 50 pharmacy technician programs published by Seattle-based TheBestColleges.org and was the highest-ranked North Carolina community college. “This year, we reviewed all accredited pharmacy technician programs in the US to select 50 that provide students with the best learning experiences,” said Rachel Wagner of TheBestColleges.org. “VGCC stood out with an outstanding pharmacy technician program.”

Wagner said her organization looked at the most important factors to prospective students, mainly common predictors of future success and a school’s commitment to online programs. All data points are taken from information provided by colleges and universities to the National Center for Education Statistics, including graduation and retention rates.

“With a constantly growing elderly population, there is a growing need for pharmacy technicians in the workforce,” according to TheBestColleges.org. “The field has a projected growth rate of 9%, which is faster than the national average. Technicians help maintain the medication profiles, assist pharmacists, organize file systems, and compound the medications.”

The Pharmacy Technology program, based at VGCC’s Main Campus, trains pharmacy technicians for positions in hospitals, nursing homes, private and chain drug stores, research laboratories, wholesale drug companies and pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities. The college offers both a three-semester diploma and a five-semester associate degree option. Faculty members include program head Dr. Erica Fleming, a pharmacist; full-time instructor Brenda Harvey, a Certified Pharmacy Technician and IV Sterile Compounding and Aseptic Technique Educator; and adjunct instructor Leah Abbott, M.Ed., a Certified Pharmacy Technician.

“We are proud of this national honor for our outstanding Pharmacy Technology program, which prepares students for professional success in a growing, changing health-care field while also promoting opportunities to reach out and serve our community,” said VGCC Dean of Health Sciences Angela Thomas.

Registration is going on now for the fall semester at VGCC, which begins Aug. 14.

For more information on the VGCC Pharmacy Technology program, call Dr. Fleming at (252) 738-3482.

–VGCC–

Eaton-Johnson Students Attend First Ever Camp Discovery

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This year, rising sixth, seventh and eighth graders had the opportunity to experience the first ever Camp Discovery at Eaton-Johnson Middle School.

Partnering with the Henderson chapter of Triangle Literacy Council, Eaton-Johnson was able to offer a new and exciting summer bridge camp opportunity for students. Over the course of three weeks, campers participated in reading and literacy activities, created hands-on math, science and technology projects, and took a Character Education Course designed specifically for middle school students. Campers also participated in several sports and recreation mini-blocks throughout the camp session, including a trip to the movie theater to see animation in action.

The inaugural Camp Discovery season concluded with a very special awards ceremony on July 13. At the ceremony, parents and other family members shared in recognizing the incredible accomplishments of EJMS campers. Each camper received a Certificate of Program Completion and many campers also won individual awards. As part of Eaton-Johnson’s ongoing collaboration with Triangle Literacy Council, every camper was given a new personal computer. The summer program represents the third segment of a year-long collaboration between Eaton-Johnson Middle School, Henderson Middle School and Triangle Literacy Council. To date, the program has served over 200 middle school students in Vance County and awarded more than $50,000 worth of new computers to students. Most of the students received their new computers in June, following their completion of academic work in the second semester of last school year.

Vance County Schools Show 07/17/17

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Parents endow VGCC scholarship in memory of daughter

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Joann Thomas and Nathan Fleming, both of Williamsboro, recently established a new Vance-Granville Community College scholarship, which they named in memory of the daughter they lost at the age of three.

The new academic achievement scholarship honors the memory of Joy Nicole Fleming, who passed away in 1975 due to complications from a brain tumor. Thomas recalled that her daughter, befitting her first name, was “smart and talkative and never found anybody she didn’t like.” She also noted that Joy loved attending church at Island Creek Baptist Church. 

Thomas is a retired nurse. She attended nursing school at Grace Hospital in Morganton, N.C., on a full scholarship herself, so she appreciates the value of helping students and told VGCC officials that she wanted to give back to today’s students. Thomas, who also holds a bachelor’s degree from Meredith College, had a long career in nursing, including stints at Granville Medical Center and in public health and hospice care in Granville, Vance and Warren counties. She added that she has always been “inspired by nurses.”

In awarding the new scholarship, preference will be given to female students who are enrolled in VGCC Health Sciences programs, such as Nursing, Radiography, Medical Assisting and Pharmacy Technology.

Fleming worked as a bookkeeper in the tobacco industry and later became a truck driver. The couple have another daughter, Amy.

“We are grateful to Nathan and Joann for honoring VGCC with such a generous gift in memory of their precious daughter, Joy,” said Dr. Stelfanie Williams, president of VGCC. “For generations to come, her name will be associated with supporting our students as they prepare for rewarding careers serving our communities in the health care field.”

Through the Endowment Fund, VGCC has awarded more than 8,800 scholarships to students since 1982. Scholarships have been endowed by numerous individuals, industries, businesses, civic groups, churches and the college’s faculty and staff. Tax-deductible donations to the VGCC Endowment Fund have often been used to honor or remember a person, group, business or industry with a lasting gift to education. For more information about the Endowment Fund, call (252) 738-3409.

–VGCC–