If all goes according to schedule, parents with children currently in 4th grade in Granville County Public Schools will have one more option to choose from when it comes to middle school. G.C. Hawley Middle School is scheduled to become part of the International Baccalaureate program in fall of 2022.
Although planning is in initial stages, the Granville County Board of Education approved the designation for the school earlier this month, according to Dr. Stan Winborne, assistant superintendent for operations & human resources and public information officer.
Leading the effort is Dr. Chris Ham, current principal at Hawley Middle School, located in Creedmoor. “My team and I are excited to have the opportunity to bring this world-renowned program to Granville County in the near future. The IB program, in my opinion, is the absolute best learning opportunity available,” he stated.
The board authorized Superintendent Dr. Alisa McLean to research implementation of the IB program at a retreat held in the fall of 2020. The IB program, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, “offers a rigorous, engaging curriculum that relies on a different approach to teaching and learning,” according to information provided by the school district. The curriculum extends across content areas and has an additional focus on multilingualism.
Although there is no cost to the students, the district has to pay for the curriculum, as well as invest in additional training for staff. In making its decision to proceed with the IB designation, the board cited “the necessity to offer new, competitive programs in an effort to increase opportunities for the students of Granville County,” Winborne’s statement noted. The program will be offered as a “Choice Program” to all middle school students in the county for the fall of 2022.
Parents will receive more information as planning continues.
Ham was the first principal at Granville Early College High School, and he established the district’s Choice Program. He has been an educator for more than 25 years; 14 of those years have been spent as a principal.
McLean said only a handful of districts in North Carolina offer the IB program. “Bringing this to our district will be an amazing opportunity for our students,” she stated. “I am so excited about being able to give our students the best there is to offer. This will truly be a win for our students and their families.”
Next steps for Ham and his staff will be setting up meetings and training dates with members of the IB organization to create a timeline for implementation. The IB program, he said, “will greatly enhance the learning experience for our students and will help prepare them to engage in the world they will be a part of after their education is complete.
Board Chairman David Richardson said he is looking forward to the possibility of extending the IB program to the high school level as students move from the middle school to the next level.
Learn more about the IB middle years program at https://www.ibo.org/programmes/middle-years-programme/ .
Latest Local Virus and Vaccine Update (2-25-21)
/by WIZS StaffThe following has been cut and pasted from email correspondence from Lisa Harrison, director Granville Vance Public Health:
There have been 5,157 cases of COVID-19 in Granville County and 4,258 cases of COVID-19 in Vance County for a total of 9,415 across the health district.
Sadly, there have been 76 deaths as a result of COVID-19 in Granville County and 80 deaths in Vance County.
As our focus shifts to vaccine efforts, we will begin reporting updates about the numbers vaccinated in each of our counties. This information, as well as demographic information, can also be found at https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/dashboard/vaccinations.
Total Doses Administered: 10,119
First Doses Administered: 6,259
Second Doses Administered: 3,860
Percentage of Population Received 1st Dose: 14%
Percentage of Population Received 2nd Dose: 8.7%
Granville County —
Total Doses Administered: 14,324
First Doses Administered: 9,041
Second Doses Administered: 5,283
Percentage of Population Received 1st Dose: 15%
Percentage of Population Received 2nd Dose: 8.7%
We held our biggest mass vaccination clinic to date yesterday at Ritchie Bros Auction facility in Butner/Creedmoor. We were able to vaccinate over 1,200 individuals including many of our school and child care employees. We are grateful for the hard work of our GVPH team and the support of the Granville County School Nurses, Vance County School Nurses, NC National Guard, Granville County Sheriff’s Dept, Granville County Emergency Management and many other partners in protecting our residents 1 shot at a time!
Over the past two weeks, we have also been administering a lot of second doses, including large clinics at the Granville County Expo Center and the follow-up event with Vance County Schools and Maria Parham Hospital for the event we had in January. GVPH is scheduling second dose appointments when we administer the first vaccine. A reminder about second doses, both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines may be scheduled up to 6 weeks (42 days) after the first dose. If you do not get your second dose within 6 weeks, you do not need to start again at the first dose. If you do not get your second dose at the recommended time, you should still get it. The vaccine can be given up to four days early and still work. See more information about vaccine products at the CDC website.
We will continue to add other members of Group 3, Frontline Essential Workers, on March 10th. We are already working together with local child care centers, schools, church partners, court systems, businesses, and large industrial groups to ensure we can plan well. Keep in mind, we only have appointments available one week at a time since the delivery of vaccines varies somewhat. We (usually) get new doses in each week, and, related to that number of doses we receive, open up more appointments each week.
VGCC is Workforce Development, Community Engagement, Entrepreneurship Haven
/by Laura GabelWith the stroke of a pen, Vance-Granville Community College President Dr. Rachel Demarais joined more than 200 of her colleagues across the country to show support of entrepreneurship.
Demarais was joined by Tanya Weary, dean of South Campus and Dr. Jerry Edmonds, vice president of Workforce Development and Community Engagement on Tuesday, Feb. 23 for the virtual signing of the “Presidents for Entrepreneurship Pledge,” which took place at the community book read and discussion for Who Owns the Ice House: Eight Life Lessons from an Unlikely Entrepreneur.
The pledge outlines five action steps to increase focus on entrepreneurship and the impact community colleges have on the economic well-being of the communities they serve, according to information from the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE).
In signing the pledge, more than 200 community colleges across the country are making a commitment to play a greater role in stimulating economic development in their communities. “An entrepreneurial mindset is critical to solving today’s challenges for tomorrow,” Demarais said.
“As a lead workforce developer in our region, it is imperative that VGCC support economic development through both skills and entrepreneurial training,” she added. Programs offered through the VGCC Small Business Center as well as incorporating entrepreneurial thinking in the school’s trades programs contribute to promoting the idea of entrepreneurism, she said.
According to NACCE President and CEO Rebecca Corbin, the pledge is a way for community colleges to advance entrepreneurship and create jobs across the country. Community college presidents who take the pledge commit to these five action steps:
The National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) is the nation’s leading organization focused on promoting entrepreneurship through community colleges. The association represents more than 300 community and technical colleges who serve more than three million students. For more information, visit www.nacce.com. Follow NACCE on Twitter at @NACCE and like NACCE on Facebook at National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship.
Cooperative Extension with Jamon Glover 02-25-21 – Authoritative Style Parenting
/by CharleneListen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 2 PM Monday – Thursday.
SportsTalk 02-25-21 Hunter Jenks, Vance Co. High School and George Marshall, Henderson Collegiate
/by Bill HarrisHosts Trey Snide and Ron Noel talk with George Marshall, Head Coach of Henderson Collegiate’s basketball team, about the cancellation of their playoff game and with Vance Co. High School’s Head Football Coach Hunter Jenks about the season opening game against Chapel Hill.
Coach Marshall called into Sports Talk this afternoon just after learning about the cancellation of tonight’s basketball game against West Columbus due to Covid 19 protocols. “We were thirty minutes outside of Henderson when we got the call,” Marshall said. Marshall also commented his wishes for the West Columbus team, “We are praying for them.” Due to the forfeit by West Columbus, Henderson Collegiate will now advance in the state playoffs to the elite eight. The next game for the team will be on Saturday against either Princeton or Wilson Prep Academy.
Vance Co. Head Football Coach Hunter Jenks was also on SportsTalk today and he spoke about tonight’s kick off of the football season against Chapel Hill which begins at 6:30 at Vance Co. High School. Coach Jenks said, “When you think about how much we’ve overcome, you’ve got to be happy,” in reference to the challenges his team has faced due to Covid 19 and the delay the pandemic has caused.
In preparation for tonight’s game, Vance Co. played in a scrimmage in Goldsboro this past Saturday. Jenks was happy with how that scrimmage went. The preparation and process for the scrimmage and tonight’s contest have been good, according to Coach Jenks. “Now we just have to go out and make the best of it,” Jenks said about tonight’s matchup.
When asked about standout players Coach Jenks said to watch for Malik Williams who could be a difference maker for the Viper’s defense. According to Jenks, Williams was all over the field. Jenks also said the team improved offensively during Saturday’s scrimmage.
Next week the Vipers were scheduled to play East Chapel Hill but that school has forfeited its entire season leaving Vance Co. a hole in their schedule. Coach Jenks said that he and athletic director Joe Sharrow are looking at other schools to fill next week’s slot.
For those planning to attend tonight’s game, it has sold out. All tickets have been purchased.
Kick off for tonight’s matchup between Vance Co. and Chapel Hill is at 6:30 and, for those who don’t have tickets, you can hear Trey Snide and Doc Ayscue call the the game here on WIZS 1450am and 100.1 FM and online at wizs.com.
“The Local Skinny!” Thurs, Feb 25
/by Bill HarrisOn “The Local Skinny!” today, with the podcast audio below:
“The Local Skinny!” will always take your calls at 492-5594. Call with items to buy or sell. Call with a gripe or praise or question or comment. Let us know about something in the news you’d like to know more about.
Mark Pace, director of the North Carolina Room at the Richard H. Thornton Library in Oxford was the guest on The Local Skinny! on Thursday. He said that while the library has limited access and hours the library is open to the public from 10am to 12 Noon and 2pm to 4pm Monday through Friday and the North Carolina Room is also open, by appointment only, from 10am to 12 Noon and 2pm to 4pm Monday through Wednesday and Friday. The Library is currently allowing 30 minute access to computers along with access to copiers. Tax forms are also available and patrons can use curbside service to check out books.
The North Carolina Room is currently allowing one person or one couple at a time to come into the room to conduct research. Those interested in making an appointment to visit the North Carolina Room can call 919-693-1121 to do so. Pace says, “I’m twice as busy as I was before the pandemic and I’ve doubled the number of patrons.”
Recent additions to the collection at the North Carolina Room include 355 genealogy books from an estate in Maryland, eight boxes of film negatives from the J.B. Clay estate, 100 books from the estate of Elizabeth Hicks Hummel who was a local historian active in the 1950’s and 1960’s, along with what Pace called, “nice cash donations”.
With 46 years of genealogical research experience Pace is available through the North Carolina Room at Thornton Library to help with all types of historical and genealogical research. Once again the phone number is 919-693-1121. Thornton Library is located at 210 S. Main St. in Oxford.
WIZS Local News 02-25-21 Noon
/by Bill HarrisWIZS Your Community Voice — 100.1 FM / 1450 AM
Click Play for today’s Local News Audio.
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Local News Airs on WIZS M-F at 8 a.m., 12 Noon and 5 p.m.
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All Vance Co. School Staff Have Opportunity To Get Vaccine; Slight Shift for In-Person Learning
/by WIZS Staff— Courtesy of Vance County Schools
As we continue preparing for our return to face-to-face interactions with students, Vance County Schools is working diligently to ensure we are providing all of the necessary safety protocols for the health and wellness of our everyone, prior to student re-entry.
On Friday, March 5, all Vance County Schools staff will have the opportunity to receive the COVID-19 vaccination. Due to the vaccination schedule, VCS will delay the re-entry of students to the week of Monday, March 8. The only change to the re-entry is that students in Pre-K, Kindergarten, and 1st grade, as well as all self-contained students will begin their re-entry the week of Monday, March 8 rather than March 4 and 5.
Thursday, March 4 will be a remote learning day as scheduled for all grades, with students logging in at their assigned times. Friday, March 5 will be an asynchronous learning day for all grades, allowing students to complete assignments in their online learning platform throughout the day.
We are grateful for this added layer of protection being afforded to our district and appreciate your understanding as we work to finish the 2020-2021 school year strong!
Granville Co. Public Schools to Offer International Baccalaureate Program at G.C. Hawley
/by Laura GabelIf all goes according to schedule, parents with children currently in 4th grade in Granville County Public Schools will have one more option to choose from when it comes to middle school. G.C. Hawley Middle School is scheduled to become part of the International Baccalaureate program in fall of 2022.
Although planning is in initial stages, the Granville County Board of Education approved the designation for the school earlier this month, according to Dr. Stan Winborne, assistant superintendent for operations & human resources and public information officer.
Leading the effort is Dr. Chris Ham, current principal at Hawley Middle School, located in Creedmoor. “My team and I are excited to have the opportunity to bring this world-renowned program to Granville County in the near future. The IB program, in my opinion, is the absolute best learning opportunity available,” he stated.
The board authorized Superintendent Dr. Alisa McLean to research implementation of the IB program at a retreat held in the fall of 2020. The IB program, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, “offers a rigorous, engaging curriculum that relies on a different approach to teaching and learning,” according to information provided by the school district. The curriculum extends across content areas and has an additional focus on multilingualism.
Although there is no cost to the students, the district has to pay for the curriculum, as well as invest in additional training for staff. In making its decision to proceed with the IB designation, the board cited “the necessity to offer new, competitive programs in an effort to increase opportunities for the students of Granville County,” Winborne’s statement noted. The program will be offered as a “Choice Program” to all middle school students in the county for the fall of 2022.
Parents will receive more information as planning continues.
Ham was the first principal at Granville Early College High School, and he established the district’s Choice Program. He has been an educator for more than 25 years; 14 of those years have been spent as a principal.
McLean said only a handful of districts in North Carolina offer the IB program. “Bringing this to our district will be an amazing opportunity for our students,” she stated. “I am so excited about being able to give our students the best there is to offer. This will truly be a win for our students and their families.”
Next steps for Ham and his staff will be setting up meetings and training dates with members of the IB organization to create a timeline for implementation. The IB program, he said, “will greatly enhance the learning experience for our students and will help prepare them to engage in the world they will be a part of after their education is complete.
Board Chairman David Richardson said he is looking forward to the possibility of extending the IB program to the high school level as students move from the middle school to the next level.
Learn more about the IB middle years program at https://www.ibo.org/programmes/middle-years-programme/ .
TownTalk 02-24-21; VGCC Personal Enrichment
/by Laura GabelVance-Granville Community College is again offering a variety of personal enrichment classes beginning in early March at several of its campuses. Whether you’d like to brush up on your motorcycle-driving skills or want to learn how to create a TED Talk, there is a class for you, according to Cherrelle Lawrence, VGCC dean of the Franklin Campus and dean of corporate learning and professional development. You’re out of luck if you wanted to learn how to make a porcelain doll, however; that class has been filled.
Lawrence and Denise Miller, personal enrichment coordinator for VGCC, spoke on Town Talk Wednesday with John C. Rose about plans to re-open the personal enrichment classes that had been on hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Membership in the classes is limited due to COVID-19 safety protocols, but registration is open now. Visit vgcc.edu/coned/ped to see the complete listing and to register.
Click Play for Audio of VGCC Personal Enrichment as well as Henderson-Vance Recreation and Parks program information about “Know Your Rights.” “Know Your Rights” will also be presented here on WIZS.com Friday. Story continues below.
The two-day motorcycle skills class is “really, really fun,” said Lawrence. Whether you’re a novice biker or just someone who hasn’t ridden in a while, this class could be for you, she said.
The class is next weekend – Mar. 6-7, and costs $180. Upon successful completion of the class, participants will have received all necessary training for a motorcycle certification. VGCC provides the motorcycles for the class.
A couple of popular classes, Lawrence said, are two adult defensive driving classes. The Alive@25 class is for those under the age of 25 who want to take the class as a way to reduce points against them for lesser traffic charges such as speeding. The four-hour course is quick, she said, allowing drivers to complete the program in one session. This program is through the local district attorney’s office. The other defensive driving program is for drivers older than 25. Check with your attorney to see whether this program is right for your situation.
The cost for the defensive driving courses is $65. The first will be held on Mar. 9 at the Franklin campus and the second at Main campus on Mar. 23. Each class is from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.
The Alive@25 classes will be held on Mar. 11 at Main campus and Mar. 25 at the Franklin campus.
Jamica Whitaker is the instructor for the Art of Public Speaking class. Participants will have the chance to put their newly honed speaking skills to work and produce a TED Talk presentation by the end of the class, which runs from Mar. 9 to April 13, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. A TED Talk is a video presentation, less than 18 minutes long, that combines Technology, Entertainment and Design.
Contact Miller at millerD@vgcc.edu or 252.738.3631 for more information or help registering for a class. Visit vgcc.edu to learn more.
“The Local Skinny!” Wed, Feb 24
/by John C. RoseOn “The Local Skinny!” today, with the podcast audio below:
“The Local Skinny!” will always take your calls at 492-5594. Call with items to buy or sell. Call with a gripe or praise or question or comment. Let us know about something in the news you’d like to know more about.