Butner-Stem Elementary Google EXPEDITIONS @GCPSchools
Butner-Stem Elementary School Participates in Google EXPEDITIONS Pioneer Program
Students at Butner-Stem Elementary School are taking part in a pioneer program from Google, called Expeditions. Butner-Stem Elementary teachers, Carolyn Vickers, a 4th grade teacher and Teacher Technology Leader and Shannon Norton, a 5th grade teacher, signed up for this program. The program allows students to take virtual “Expeditions” around the world, using Google Cardboard and a mobile device. On Monday, March 21st, a Google expedition team member, Brendan Dermody, came to show the teachers and classes how Google Cardboard can take them to places they could not otherwise visit. The Google representative indicated that high interest is what brought the program to Butner-Stem Elementary.
The fifth grade classes visited monuments around the United States just before they take a field trip to Washington, D.C. Fourth grade classes visited the moon and some went to the Galapagos Islands and explored under the sea. Third grade classes explored exciting places around the world like Thailand, Antarctica, and Egypt.
The teachers guided the tours with an iPad as helpful facts are presented on their screen, meanwhile the students see the location through the cardboard viewers in a 3D virtual world. Students learn about the world while seeing it virtually. It is the next best thing to being there. Students were engaged and excited to be going on these virtual tours from their classrooms. The excitement was contagious. Besides the constant “Oohhs” and “Aahhs”, we overheard one student shout, “I can’t believe my eyes!”.
Expeditions, a virtual reality platform built for the classroom, are guided tours of places school buses can’t go. They are comprised of virtual reality panoramas, which are led by a guide or teacher. Using a tablet, teachers can guide up to 50 students wearing virtual reality viewers. Teachers can guide their class and point out highlights while referring to editable notes.
Google worked with teachers and content partners from around the world to create more than 100 engaging journeys – making it easy to immerse students in entirely new experiences.
Expeditions teams visit selected schools around the world, including the United States, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Canada, Singapore, Denmark and Mexico. Each team brings a complete Expeditions kit with everything the teachers need to take their students on journeys anywhere. The team or representative shows teachers how Expeditions works and helps set it up before class.
(Information received in a press release from Stan Winborne, Ed.S., Director of High Schools, Director of Career & Technical Education Program, Public Information Officer with Granville County Schools.)
STEM Grant for Summer Programs
Granville County Public Schools Receives STEM Grant for Summer Programs
Cognizant recently announced it is awarding 40 grants to expand afterschool, in-school, and summer programs across more than 60 sites in 25 states through its Making the Future education initiative. Designed to promote creativity and inspire interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) among young learners, the initiative supports fun, hands-on “making” programs for students from grade school through high school. The 2016 grants will provide approximately 175,000 hours of making activities, including projects on electronics, robotics, computer programming, digital fabrication, 3D printing and wearable technology.
Granville County Public Schools will be using the $25,000 to hold a summer STEM camp for elementary, middle and high school students. Details and registration information about the camp will be released soon. “We are super excited to once again offer creative and cutting-edge technology projects to our students this summer. Last year’s camp was a huge success, and we look forward to serving even more students this summer,” said Brynn Pendrak, District Math Specialist. “Giving our students the opportunity to collaborate with hands-on projects develops math and science concepts, critical thinking skills, problem-solving techniques, and is just plain fun!”
Cognizant’s Making the Future initiative, part of the company’s overall efforts to promote skills that help ensure a competitive American workforce, was launched in 2011. Through the annual grants and other programs, Making the Future has introduced more than 260,000 children nationwide to over 1.9 million hours of making activities focused on STEM disciplines.
“Numerous studies show that in addition to developing their creativity, confidence and motivation, making is an excellent way for children to gain exposure to the STEM disciplines and gain experience with the types of workforce skills required to succeed in our evolving digital economy,” said Steven Schwartz, Executive Vice President and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Cognizant. “The talent shortage in the STEM fields is real. Through Making the Future, Cognizant is giving young learners an avenue for developing interest and passion for STEM subjects across socio-economic barriers and stereotypical gender divides. As a U.S.-based company and technology leader, Cognizant is committed to developing and supporting education initiatives that promote skills for the 21st century knowledge economy, helping American workers thrive today and in the future, and preparing our youth to capitalize on STEM career opportunities going forward.”
Making programs continue to be facilitated predominately by museums, libraries, Makerspaces and youth-focused non-profits. However, the 2016 Making the Future grant applications indicated increasing interest from a broader set of stakeholders, including: schools seeking to incorporate making as an integral part of classroom instruction; non-profit real estate development corporations investing in making incubators to grow creative economies; and colleges committed to collaborative projects with youth organizations in underserved neighborhoods.
Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp is an American multinational corporation that provides custom information technology, consulting, and business process outsourcing services. It is headquartered in Teaneck, New Jersey, United States. www.cognizant.com
(Information received in a press release from Stan Winborne, Ed.S., Director of High Schools, Director of Career & Technical Education Program, Public Information Officer with Granville County Schools.)
VGCC Student recognized for Academic Excellence
Vance-Granville Community College has named student Elizabeth M. Caulfield of Louisburg as its recipient of the North Carolina Community College System’s Academic Excellence Award for 2016. One student from each of the 58 colleges in the state system is honored with the award each year.
Caulfield will be officially recognized at Commencement in May, when she is scheduled to graduate from the college with an Associate in Arts degree. That same month, Caulfield will graduate from Franklin County Early College High School. She is the first student from an Early College high school to receive the Academic Excellence Award in VGCC history. The college partners with four Early College high school programs, one in each county of the VGCC service area.
Caulfield said that her high school experience has been “unorthodox” but “thrilling.”
“I would never change my decision to attend the early college,” she said. “With the help of counseling and advice from VGCC staff and teachers, as well as some tutoring here and there, I was recently accepted into the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Looking back, I know my solid foundation at VGCC has set me up for success when I transition into university-level classes. I have learned to manage stress, stay organized, communicate with instructors, take notes, and above all, make the most of my college experience.”
Caulfield was inducted into the college’s chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society last year, and has made the Dean’s List and the President’s List. She has excelled in both her high school and college classes while also working part-time at a local restaurant and taking part in student organizations. At the high school level, Caulfield is a member of the National Honor Society and the Early College student newspaper staff. As a VGCC student, she has participated in the campus Earth Day cleanup for several years and is helping to establish the Equality Club. Outside of school, Caulfield has volunteered with the Franklin County Animal Shelter and Clearview Baptist Church.
She plans to major in Sociology at UNC-Chapel Hill.
“We are proud to recognize Elizabeth among the top students in North Carolina,” said Dr. Stelfanie Williams, the president of VGCC. “She is an excellent representative of both Vance-Granville and Franklin County Early College High School, and we know she will continue to excel as she completes her baccalaureate degree.”
VGCC to hold 32nd Benefit Golf Tournament on May 3rd
Vance-Granville Community College’s 32nd Annual Endowment Fund Golf Tournament, presented by Union Bank, will be held at the Henderson Country Club on Tuesday, May 3, 2016. All event proceeds support the mission of the college, the Endowment Fund and student scholarships.
With the support of numerous golfers and sponsors, the annual event has raised more than $650,000 since its inception in 1985. The 2015 tournament alone generated a record-breaking $100,318.
This year’s morning and afternoon rounds will begin with shotgun starts at 8 a.m. and at 1 p.m. The afternoon round is sold out, but there are openings in the morning round.
The format is four-person “Captain’s Choice Super Ball.” Golfers can form their own teams of four, or sign up and be put on a team. Teams will be handicapped based on handicaps supplied by each player. Trophies will be awarded for first through third place teams in both rounds. Other awards will be given for “closest to the pin” and “longest drive.”
A hole-in-one on Hole 9 will be rewarded with a 2016 Toyota Avalon, courtesy of Toyota of Henderson, while a player who hits a hole-in-one on Hole 16 will win a 2016 Mahindra 1533 Tractor with Loader, courtesy of Vanco Outdoor Equipment.
Other special bonus prizes for both holes-in-one include PING golf clubs and bag (Hole 4), an iPod Touch and gift card (Hole 9) and an HDTV (Hole 11). Even if there is no hole-in-one, there will be special prizes for the golfer who comes closest to the pin on these holes.
The cost for one golfer to enter the tournament is $150. In either round, that fee includes greens fees, cart, meals, gift bag, and practice balls.
A light breakfast, lunch, and dinner (immediately following the afternoon round) will be served in the HCC clubhouse. A silent auction and door prize drawings will be held in conjunction with dinner.
Businesses and individuals can take advantage of sponsorship opportunities at various levels. Businesses may also donate products or premium items featuring the company’s logo to be placed in golfers’ gift bags, or to be given as door prizes.
For more information, contact Kay Currin at currink@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3409.
Carnetta Thomas Earns Doctorate #VANCECoProud
Congratulations to Carnetta Thomas, principal of L.B. Yancey Elementary School! She has successfully completed work for her doctoral degree.
Thomas learned in early January that she had met all requirements to earn her doctorate in Education in Curriculum and Instruction. She received her degree through the University of Phoenix with most work done online.
“I am really happy about this,” Thomas said. “I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. It was not easy at all.”
Like most educators who seek their doctorate, Thomas was working full time when she began work for the degree in January of 2011. During the almost five-year period to complete the required work, Thomas became assistant principal for a year at Pinkston Street and was then assistant principal at Zeb Vance Elementary for two years before becoming the principal at L.B. Yancey this school year.
Her dissertation was about parent involvement in public schools with a focus on the need to develop partnerships with parents. Thomas interviewed 10 parents at Zeb Vance Elementary to do her research.
“I focused mostly on low-performing Title 1 schools and learned that we have to inform our parents,” Thomas added. “We have to look at our parents as a partnership for our schools. We have to communicate with one another. Many of our parents really don’t know what to do. We also have to make them feel warm and welcomed!”
Thomas also stated she received lots of support from colleagues, including Valerie Hairston, counselor at Zeb Vance, who was “a great reader,” and Dr. Jacqueline Crosson at Pinkston Street, who went through the doctoral process at the same time.
“I received so much positive support,” she noted.
(WIZS News received this information in a press release dated February 5, 2016. While it was broadcast at that time on 1450 AM, this is the first time it has been published on wizs.com.)
April Pre-K and Kindergarten Registration
Vance County Schools are offering parents a variety of opportunities to register their children for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten classes for the 2016-2017 school year.
Children who will be four years old on or before August 31, 2016, may apply for pre-kindergarten and children who will be five years old on or before the same date should register for kindergarten for next year.
For the convenience of parents, the school system will announce soon public locations for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten registration for next school year.
In addition, special registration events will be held at each elementary school in April. At each school, the registration sessions will be from 1 to 6 p.m. in a central location of the school. Parents who come to register their child or children are asked to bring: proof of the child’s age (birth certificate, medical record, baptismal record); immunization record; proof of Social Security number (Social Security card, official records); and proof of residence (utility bill, rental lease or mortgage statement). Parents who don’t have these documents can still begin the registration process.
The schedule for the special pre-kindergarten and kindergarten registration events at the elementary schools includes:
- Aycock Elementary: Tuesday, April 12
- Carver Elementary: Monday, April 11
- Clarke Elementary: Tuesday, April 12
- Dabney Elementary: Wednesday, April 13
- E.M. Rollins Elementary: Thursday, April 14
- E.O. Young Jr. Elementary: Monday, April 11
- L.B. Yancey Elementary: Tuesday, April 12
- New Hope Elementary: Wednesday, April 13
- Pinkston Street Elementary: Thursday, April 14
- Zeb Vance Elementary: Monday, April 11
Parents also may go to the school located in the district where they live and register their children for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten at any time. All parents are urged to register their children as early as possible.
(VCS Press Release)
Southern Vance National Beta Club
The National Beta Club chapter at Southern Vance High School has inducted 39 new members into the prestigious, academic organization.
Each new inductee was recognized during a special ceremony held in the school’s gymnasium on March 24.
They each were presented certificates and lapel pins by Principal Stephanie Ayscue and senior members of the National Beta Club chapter.
New members include: Hakeem Agbele, Zachariah Alexander, Jordan Alston, Nigoria Alston, Allison Ayscue, Carlos Barajas, Samaria Carter, Viridiana Chavez, Christian Clark, Katie Currin, Krystal Daye, Alyssa Dickerson, Christopher Dominquez, Chermella Durham, Cody Edwards, Adriana Evans, Lorenz Evans, Malayia Glover, Jemari Hargrove, Shatonii Hayes, Walter Hernandez, Janiy’er Hester, Destiny Hill, Jason Lowman, Brandon Loyd, Shamond Lyons, William Massenburg, Lizeth Nieto-Mata, Yahnae’ Quinn, Karen Sandoval, Bryanna Simril, Keyunia Smith, Jordan Thomas, DeSean Thorpe, Tiara Walker, Antoinette Watson, Brittany West, Destiny Williams and Joshua Williams.
(Press Release from Vance County Schools)