#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)
Faith Spa Essentials Joins HV Chamber
A ribbon cutting was held on Friday, April 22nd for Faith Spa Essentials to celebrate the company’s membership with the Chamber and to showcase the business and all that it has to offer. They were joined by friends, family and local dignitaries to celebrate their opening. All guests were treated to a tasteful treat and beverage after the ribbon cutting.
Faith Spa Essentials is excited to welcome you to their brand new store located at 634 Dabney Dr. Henderson NC 27536. They have a variety of male and female products to include: fragrant oils, shower gels, hand lotions and butters. Their store also carries handbags, wallets, men’s socks, ties and more!
Stop in and meet owner Gloria McDuffey and check out this new business. For more information, please contact them at 252-572-2229 or by email at customerservice@faithspaessentials.com. You can also check the business out at www.faithspaessentials.com.
#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 Golf Tournament Postponed
Vance-Granville Community College’s 32nd Annual Endowment Fund Golf Tournament, presented by Union Bank, which was scheduled for Tuesday, May 3, 2016, has been postponed due to the forecast of inclement weather.
The tournament, held at the Henderson Country Club, has been rescheduled for Monday, May 23, with a rain date of Monday, June 6. Morning and afternoon rounds will begin with shotgun starts at 8 a.m. and at 1 p.m. All event proceeds support the mission of the college, the Endowment Fund and student scholarships.
For more information, contact Kay Currin at currink@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3409.
(Written and Supplied to WIZS News by Andrew Beal, Public Information Officer, VGCC)
Monday Morning Pick-Me-Up with Java Dave’s
Java Dave’s Coffee and Internet Cafe and WIZS have teamed up for another new contest. Every Monday morning, Java Dave’s and WIZS will be traveling to a local business to reward employees for working hard (and showing up on time). Java Dave’s Coffee and Internet Cafe will supply free coffee and some type of treat, and WIZS will bring t-shirts.
The third Java Dave’s Monday Morning Pick-Me-Up winners were Sandling Golfcars & Trailers and Perry Brothers Auto Service of Oxford. Employees were treated to free coffee and Java Dave’s signature cinnamon rolls.
Who knows where Java Dave and WIZS will be next week.
To nominate your business just submit an email to kevin@wizs.com, and who knows, Java Dave and WIZS might get your Monday off to a good start!