Vance Charter School Pep Rally
Monday night the Vance Charter School held a pep rally to help kick off its capital campaign. The event was held at McGregor Hall in downtown Henderson and was well attended by students, teachers, staff and other interested members of the community. The building seats about 950 people and the room was very full.
The Vance Charter School, which is now located on Dabney Drive inside the Henderson Mall, will move in the fall to its new location on Ross Mill Road. At the present time, local general contracting firm H.G. Reynold is retrofitting the former Clayton Homes building for the school’s use.
The overriding intent of the Charter School’s capital campaign is to help complete certain areas of the building such as the gymnasium.
The school will also be expanding to cover high school grades over the next few years with the intent to increase the school population by 20 percent per year until it reaches the capacity of the new building, which is figured to be around 1000 students. Enrollment presently is about 550 kids.
The theme of the pep rally and of the capital campaign is “Taking Excellence To The Next Level.” A 15-minute documentary-style news and information video was shown which described the school’s beginnings and how the school’s board of directors, staff and teachers intended to continue to improve.
A math experiment was conducted, for fun but also to prove a point. A couple of buckets were passed through the crowd and those in attendance dropped about $3,000.00 into those buckets. They added it up on the spot. Vance Charter School board member Josh Towne then took the stage and described the economic impact of each person giving that same amount, a dollar or two each day, for the next year. It would add up to over $1 million and nearly $5.5 million over the next five years. That kind of money would not only help cover the debt of the new building but also help complete discretionary parts of the building like the gym as well as help with the high school grade level expansion.
#VANCECoProud – New Access Control System
New Access Control System Begins May 16 at Six Schools
Vance County Schools will pilot its new Access Control System at six schools beginning on Monday, May 16, 2016.
The Access Control System, custom made by top locksmiths Arlington, involves having all school entrances locked during the school day and requires all visitors to identify themselves at the school’s main entrance before being allowed to enter the building.
The system will be operational on May 16 at Aycock Elementary School, New Hope Elementary School, L.B. Yancey Elementary School, Henderson Middle School, STEM Early High School and Northern Vance High School.
The school system is using these six school sites to test the effectiveness and operation of the new school entry security system before it is implemented at all schools at the beginning of the 2016-2017 school year.
The focus of the new Access Control System is to provide safety for everyone in our schools. While the implementation process may be somewhat inconvenient for visitors at the beginning, school system officials believe this new system will be worthwhile in ensuring the safety of all of our students, school system employees and visitors.
Beginning on May 16 at the six schools that are pilot sites, all school entrances will be locked after the arrival of students to begin the school day, and they will remain locked until student dismissal in the afternoon.
Throughout the school day, all visitors to these six schools must follow these procedures to enter the building:
- All visitors at the schools will be directed to the front, main entrance of the school. This will be the only entrance available to visitors. Video systems will be operational at the schools, so that front office staff members can see all visitors as they approach the building.
- Front office staff members will use access control to permit entry into the schools. School doors will be locked which will require that all visitors use the access control system to be “buzzed in” at the main entrance by office personnel.
- At the front, main entrance to the school, all visitors must press a button on the access control box. Once school office personnel have responded, visitors must state their reason for entering the school prior to being admitted to the building.
- Visitors will then be required to show some form of photo identification. This identification will confirm the visitor’s entrance into the building. Once inside the school, all visitors must go to the school’s main office to sign in for a visitor’s badge. All visitors are required to wear their visitor badge during the entire time they are in the school.
Signs at the main entrance of each school with instructions in English and Spanish will be clearly visible beside the access control box to all visitors as they approach the entrance.
For those visitors who do not have a valid photo identification card, officials at each school will work with individuals to get a photo and issue an identification card to them.
All visitors to these six pilot schools must remember to bring their photo identification with them each time they come to the school. No one will be admitted to the school without proper identification. There will be no exceptions.
Vance Couny Schools is asking for the complete cooperation of everyone in the community as the school system works through implementation of this new system.
(Press Release from VCS)
#VANCECoProud Give Five – Read Five
Vance County Schools is now conducting its annual “Give Five – Read Five” book donation campaign.
The campaign, which will end on Friday, May 27, involves encouraging local residents to donate new or gently used books for students in our 10 elementary schools.
Residents who want to donate books may simply take their donations to any of our elementary schools, which include:
Aycock Elementary
Carver Elementary
Clarke Elementary
Dabney Elementary
New Hope Elementary
Pinkston Street Elementary
E.M. Rollins Elementary
L.B. Yancey Elementary
E.O. Young Jr. Elementary
Zeb Vance Elementary
School office personnel will be happy to accept donations and keep them in a central location, so that they can be counted out during the last week of school and given to students before they go home for the summer on June 3.
The Give Five – Read Five campaign is sponsored by State Superintendent June Atkinson and the N.C. Department of Public Instruction in an effort to seek books for students to read during the summer months. Statistics show that if students continue to stay engaged in reading during their summer vacation their reading skills will not decrease, but will actually increase and help them to become better readers.
Book donations also certainly will be accepted at our middle and high schools, however, our campaign is focusing on our elementary age students because they are at the most important stage of their educational careers to become strong readers.
The book donation campaign has its name, because state leaders hope that each donor will give five books per student so that they will have five to read over the summer. However, Vance County Schools will be happy to accept any amount of book donations.
Any of the Vance County Schools will accept donations. Two other book donation sites are The Daily Dispatch office at 304 S. Chestnut Street and the United Way office at 212 Dabney Drive in Henderson.
We hope our local community will support this effort with book donations that resulted in our campaign last spring providing approximately 4,000 books to elementary students.
VGCC holds Banquet to honor Student-Athletes
Vance-Granville Community College celebrated Vanguard student-athletes at its annual Athletics Banquet, held on April 18 in the Civic Center on the college’s Main Campus.
VGCC Director of Student Activities & Athletics Jeffrey Allen started the event by praising the hard-working students for meeting their academic requirements while also keeping up with a packed schedule of home and away games, and, in many cases, jobs and other responsibilities.
Women’s volleyball coach Christopher Young started the presentations of awards by recognizing his players. He presented the award for “Most Outstanding Player” to Kara Reese of Henderson for the second straight year. Meanwhile, Jesse Edwards of Henderson received the “Vanguard Leadership Excellence” award. Other volleyball team members recognized included Avery Allen, Morgan Carter, Melissa Elliott, Kiyanna Kearney, Caitlyn Robins and Rachel Thomas.
Next, Vanguards men’s basketball head coach DeMarcus Oliver presented awards to members of his team. Raekwon Hall of Raleigh received the “Most Outstanding Player” award. Tyrek Beverly of Oxford received the “Vanguard Leadership Excellence” award. Oliver also recognized players Antonio Adams, Joseph Avery, Hunter Carter, Mycal Elam, Donal Gooch, Dy’quan Marrow, Anthony Mims, Alcyone Moore, Christopher Pernell, Tyquon Reid and Wesley Whitley.
For the first time, members of the “Vanguard Spirit” Pep Squad were also recognized. Tina Ragland, who (along with fellow VGCC staff member Glynnis Wilson) serves as one of the advisers for the squad, presented the “Most Outstanding Team Member” award to Seniqua Turner of Henderson, and the “Vanguard Leadership Excellence” award to Latessa Wilkerson of Henderson. Three other squad members were recognized: Brooklyn Davis, Jakara Steed and Bali Reavis.
Allen recognized three students for their service as support staff for the VGCC athletics program this year: Keyante’ Lindsey, Jasmine Richardson and Angelique Taylor.
In closing remarks, Stacey Carter-Coley, VGCC’s vice president of employee and public relations, congratulated the student-athletes on making “great progress, both on and off the court.” She added, “You are now part of Vance-Granville Vanguards history, and are setting the bar higher for those who come after you…We find inspiration in your determination to achieve professional and personal success.” Carter-Coley thanked the athletes’ family members, coaches and staff for their support.
Current or prospective students interested in participating in VGCC athletics during the 2016-17 year should contact Jeffrey Allen at (252) 738-3405 or allenjl@vgcc.edu.
Award named in honor of VGCC Vice President Graham
A new award has been named in honor of Vance-Granville Community College Vice President of Finance and Operations Steven Graham by the Carolinas Association of Governmental Purchasing. The association has established an award for outstanding candidates seeking to become Certified Local Government Purchasing Officers, and has named it the “Steven C. Graham Achievement Award” in recognition of Graham’s commitment to developing current and future government purchasing professionals. He was instrumental in developing a training program for purchasing officers with the UNC School of Government.
The Carolinas Association of Governmental Purchasing (CAGP), organized in 1953, is a group of state and local government employees in North and South Carolina whose duties consist of purchasing and contracting of public goods and services. The CAGP is an affiliate of the North Carolina League of Municipalities and a chapter of the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing (NIGP). Since 1986, the CAGP has offered a voluntary certification program for governmental purchasing officers called the Certified Local Government Purchasing Officer (CLGPO) that requires completion of core courses and the passing of a certification examination administered by the UNC School of Government. The purpose of the certification program is to recognize achievement of an established level of competency and proficiency among purchasing officials.
“I obtained my CLGPO designation in 2004,” Graham recalled. “At the time, there was no formalized instruction to assist in prepping for the exam, and the pass rate for the exam was only 40%. After obtaining my certification, I decided to develop a course that could be taught to future governmental purchasing officers seeking this designation. Through sponsorship from the CAGP and the UNC School of Government, I founded and developed the CLGPO Examination Review Course in 2005, which I have taught for the past 12 years. Since offering this course, the pass rate for the exam has increased to 80%.”
In recognition and appreciation of his service and his significant contributions to the success of CLGPO examination candidates, the CLGPO Committee established the Steven C. Graham Achievement Award, which will be presented annually to the certification examination candidate who achieves the highest passing score. The first annual award was presented on March 8, 2016, at the CAGP Spring Conference in Wilmington, N.C., to Julia Vosnock, Procurement Manager with the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority. “Julia was a student of mine and the first candidate to ever receive a perfect score on the examination,” Graham said.
“We congratulate Steve Graham on this well-deserved recognition for his leadership in supporting education, training and excellence in public service,” said Dr. Stelfanie Williams, the president of VGCC. “As our colleague and a VGCC alumnus, it is fitting that the award bearing his name will recognize professional development and achievement.”
A resident of Oxford, Graham joined VGCC in 2013 after serving as Finance Officer for the Vance County school system. Prior to joining Vance County Schools as purchasing and distribution manager in 2000, Graham worked in banking in the Henderson and Hillsborough areas. Graham graduated from VGCC with an Associate in Arts degree in 1986 and then transferred to N.C. State University, where he completed degrees in Accounting and Business Management. He is currently completing a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from the Rutgers University School of Public Affairs and Administration, one of the top programs in the United States in public management and administration.
In 2005, Graham also earned the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) designation of Certified Purchasing Manager (C.P.M.), which is recognized globally by industry and government as the top level of competency in professional purchasing. He continues to serve as a Guest Lecturer at the UNC School of Government, teaching public purchasing and contracting laws and practice.
As VGCC Vice President of Finance and Operations, Graham leads a division that includes the Business Office, the Bookstore, the Endowment office, the Civic Center, Plant Operations, and purchasing.
VGCC Students inducted into Honor Society
Vance-Granville Community College recognized 55 students who were inducted into Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for students of two-year colleges, on April 19 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 (3.75 for part-time students) in associate degree curriculum programs and have completed at least 12 credit hours toward their degrees.
As advisors for VGCC’s PTK chapter, instructors Dan Miller, 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.”
The ceremony featured remarks from a student, Dianna DeWeese of Creedmoor, who serves as chapter president. DeWeese lauded the chapter’s new inductees on their hard work and the wise choices they had made that led to their academic success. “Scholarship is more than just getting good grades,” DeWeese said. “It is a lifelong love of learning.”
Serving as guest speaker for the ceremony was Jackie Sergent, the mayor of Oxford and retired Health Education Supervisor for the Granville-Vance District Health Department. Sergent congratulated the college on the 25th anniversary of its Phi Theta Kappa chapter and remarked that “we are blessed to have Vance-Granville Community College in our area.” She added her words of congratulations to the honored students on their success, which was “not only in your achievements but in the journey you took to get here,” she said. “Our personal growth depends more upon the struggle than the reward.” Sergent noted that many students juggle jobs and other responsibilities in addition to their studies. “Because of your academic excellence, you are in a position to continue on the path to being a leader in your community,” the mayor told the students.
This year’s inductees into the Alpha Sigma Chi chapter of Phi Theta Kappa are:
From Franklin County
Ashleigh Ray of Bunn;
Jasmine Blacknall, Anita Fuller, Pamela Swanson, Benjamin Taylor and Heather Taylor, all of Franklinton;
Adair Avila Soria, Cassidy Hinkle, H’Kera Ktul, Allison Leonard, Kelly Persinger and Kevin Tart, all of Louisburg;
Katrina Hodges, Stephanie Hommel, Lisa Sullivan and Christopher Worner, all of Youngsville.
From Granville County
Kaleb Williamson of Bullock;
William Unger of Butner;
Dylan Breedlove and Anna Tilley, both of Creedmoor;
Loren McCuiston of Franklinton;
Kristy Ball, Pamela Barker, Angelica Bridges, Schnail Bynum-Daniel, Doris Cable, Amy Greene, Ashley McEntee, Lane Phipps, Meghan Rossi and Thomas Thompson, all of Oxford;
Randy Bullock and Kevin Rumsey, both of Stem.
From Vance County
Donnie Ayscue, Jennifer Burns, Mary Elberson, Emory Gant-Hawkins, Harli Sams, Jakayla Thorpe and Hayya Wright, all of Henderson.
From Warren County
Marshella Ashby and Pamela Campbell, both of Littleton;
Shawn Miles of Manson;
Joseph Lambertz and Melissa Tucker, both of Norlina;
Meri Blake and Jamisha Twitty, both of Warrenton.
From Wake County
Lauren Dorn, Lori Eitel and Haley Watkins, all of Wake Forest;
Donna Pearce of Zebulon.
From other counties
Trevor Houston and Jessica Huffman, both of Durham;
Maria Govea and James Lea, both of Roxboro.
VGCC to offer Private Pilot Ground School
Vance-Granville Community College will soon offer a course that prepares area residents to take flight with a private pilot’s license.
The Private Pilot Ground School is scheduled to be held on VGCC’s South Campus, located between Creedmoor and Butner, on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 until 9:30 p.m., May 18 through July 27. In this course, students gain the knowledge they will need to take the FAA private pilot written exam, under FAA-certified flight instructors from Blue Line Aviation. Students who complete the course will also receive a discount on an introductory flight lesson with Blue Line.
The instructor, Blue Line Aviation president Charles “Trey” Walters of Wake Forest, has deep connections to VGCC, even though this is his first time teaching the course in partnership with the college. His grandmother, Reba Walters, was a VGCC Nursing instructor. His father, Ray Walters (who is also a longtime pilot), taught business classes at VGCC after retiring from SAS in Cary.
Trey Walters took VGCC criminal justice courses through a dual-enrollment program while in high school. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force Reserve. He also served in the Civil Air Patrol, and was awarded the Billy Mitchell Award for becoming a cadet officer. During his career in the Air Force Reserve, Walters was a member of the Security Forces, which included duties in the military police with some air base defense functions. He served a six month deployment to Iraq.
Walters continued taking online courses at VGCC while serving in the Air Force, even while in Iraq. When his tour of duty ended, he went back to classes at the Main Campus, became a Raleigh police officer and then completed his VGCC Criminal Justice degree after taking additional online courses.
Simultaneously, Walters continued to work on pilot training. He started flight training when he was 13. His first solo flight was on his 16th birthday, and he obtained his private pilot license when he was 17. He flew recreationally until 2011, when he decided to get more advanced certifications. Walters earned his Commercial Pilot license, Flight Instructor license, Instrument Instructor license, Commercial Multi-Engine license, and multi-engine instructor licenses in 2012.
In August of 2012, he founded Blue Line Aviation with his wife, Kelsey. The business grew rapidly, leading Walters to resign from the Raleigh Police Department to work there full-time in early 2013. Walters also rejoined the Civil Air Patrol in 2014. Currently, he serves as a Captain in the Raleigh Unit. He volunteers as a search and rescue mission pilot, instructor pilot and check pilot. “I believe that using our resources to give back and make a positive difference in the world is one of our most important duties as Americans,” Walters said. He is excited about the new venture with VGCC.
“There is a huge demand for pilots, mechanics, air traffic controllers, and training for drone operators. Through our partnership, we can build the programs and infrastructure to fill those jobs by veterans and members of the local community,” he said.
The cost of the Private Pilot Ground School, including all materials, is $280.
“We are excited about having a private pilot ground school here at VGCC, which is advantageously located near several airports,” said VGCC Personal Enrichment Coordinator Gail Clark. “Our partnership with Blue Line Aviation gives us the opportunity to offer this program and help students move to the next level with a team.”
The deadline to register for this class is May 17. Prospective students can register online at www.vgcc.edu/ped or in person at Main Campus (in Henderson), Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more information, contact Gail Clark at (252) 738-3385 or ped@vgcc.edu.