Tag Archive for: #GCPSchools

Granville County Public Schools

Granville School Board Work Session April 19 To Review Budget, Get Task Force Update

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The Granville County Board of Education will meet for a work session on Monday, April 19, 2021 at the Mary Potter Center of Education. The board is expected to receive and approve the 2021/2022 budget proposal that will be presented to county commissioners and hear a task force update related to further school consolidation.

The meeting is scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m. To join the livestream meeting, please use the following link: https://live.myvrspot.com/st?cid=MDhkZj. Members of the public wishing to attend the meeting will be required to wear face coverings, undergo health screenings before entering the building, and cooperate with social distancing requirements. There will be limited seating available. The Mary Potter Center of Education is located at 200 Taylor St. in Oxford.

Board Chair David Richardson convened a strategic task force last year to navigate the process of increasing efficiency of current facilities. Dr. Stan Winborne, GCPS public information officer and assistant superintendent of operations & human resources, said more details should be available in the next couple of months and perhaps a decision about school mergers or closings could come in the summer.

“The board of education realizes that we have a problem with empty classrooms. We’ve got more space than we do students and so they’re trying to increase our operational efficiency with our facilities,” Winborne told WIZS News.

The board of education held a joint meeting with county commissioners on Mar. 29 to discuss the issue, which included a $ 23-30 million proposal for construction and renovation at Hawley Middle School in Creedmoor.

Winborne said both boards have the basic information needed to continue the decision-making process.

“The real obstacle is trying to find the best solution for children – that we can afford,” he said.

Joe Toler Oak Hill School Building Sold

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Granville County Public Schools announced the sale of the former Joe Toler Oak Hill School today (Monday). The brief written statement said the buyer, Tae Joo Rim, paid $305,000 for the property, which was closed at the end of the 2018-19 school year. It has been vacant since then, although the board entertained the idea of leasing the property for a time before ultimately deciding to sell.

“While we do not know of any definite plans for the property, the buyer’s agent mentioned the possibility of using the property for an adult day-care facility,” according to Dr. Stan Winborne, assistant superintendent of human resources & operations and public information officer for the school district.

No further information was disclosed about the sale of the property.

Residents of northern Granville County rallied to keep the school in operation, but the school board agreed to close the school in 2019.

Granville Board of Education announces graduation dates, Plan A for middle and high schools

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The Class of 2021 in Granville County Public Schools may have a “normal” graduation after all following a called meeting of the board of education Monday. The board voted 7-0 to allow modified, outdoor, in-person graduation ceremonies, as well as bringing back middle- and high school students to in-person learning beginning April 19.

Graduating seniors will have the option of participating in the in-person graduation ceremony OR a district-wide drive-through ceremony on June 5 if families are not comfortable attending the graduation ceremony at their child’s high school, according to Dr. Stan Winborne, assistant superintendent for human resources & operations and public information officer

Seniors will NOT have a traditional senior prom this year; the board voted 7-0 to follow state DHHS recommendations and cited COVID-transmission risks associated with a dance celebration. Instead, high schools will plan “special socially-distanced outdoor events to celebrate the senior year experience,” Winborne said, which will be linked to positive school attendance and focus on the senior class. Details would be shared with the public no later than April 15, 2021.

Below is the list of schools and graduation dates and times:

  • Granville Early College: May 21 at 7 p.m.; rain date, 5/22, 10 a.m.
  • Granville Central: June 4, 9 a.m.; rain date, June 11, 9 a.m.
  • Granville Academy: June 4, 11 a.m.; rain date, June 11, 11 a.m.
  • F. Webb: June 4, 7:30 p.m.; rain date, June 11, 7:30 p.m.
  • South Granville: June 5, 9 a.m.; rain date, June 12, 9 a.m.

Granville Central, Granville Early College and Granville Academy will hold their graduations on the Granville Central football field, weather permitting; Webb and South Granville also will have their ceremonies on their respective football fields, weather permitting.

The drive-through graduation is scheduled to be held at Northern Granville Middle School. Individual high schools will release more information as details are finalized.

The approved motion directed staff to prepare for students in grades 6-12 to shift from in-person learning from two days a week to four days a week, according to Winborne.  Currently, students in grades 6-12 who attend school in-person are assigned to 2 groups (A or B), each physically reporting to school two days a week.  Both groups attend school virtually for the other three days they are not physically in school.

Beginning on Monday, April 19, the two groups will merge into a single group and all in-person students will attend school Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.  Wednesday remains a remote learning day for all students.  All families who previously chose to have their students remain on full virtual learning will do so for the remainder of the school year, Winborne said.

Granville County Public Schools

GCPS PK-Grade 5 Students to Move to 4-Day In-Person School Mar. 29

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Elementary school students in Granville County will shift to four days of in-person learning at the end of March, but middle and high school students will remain under Plan B or Plan C of remote instruction.

The Granville County Board of Education met on Monday, Mar. 1 and voted 7-0 to allow students in grades PK – 5 to move to the four-day in-person learning, according to Dr. Stan Winborne, assistant superintendent of operations & human resources and public information officer.

Currently, elementary students in prekindergarten through Grade 5 attend school two days a week – either a Monday/Tuesday attendance or a Thursday/Friday attendance, according to Winborne. The two groups attend classes virtually the other three days of the week.

Beginning on Monday, Mar. 29, the two groups will merge into a single group and all in-person students will attend school each weekday except Wednesday.  Wednesday remains a remote learning day for all students.  Currently, the state only allows students in grades PK-5 to shift to Plan A, according to Winborne; students in grades 6-12 are only allowed to attend school under plan B or C.  Plan B  calls for two days of in-person learning; Plan C is all virtual learning.

All families who previously chose to have their students remain in Plan C – all virtual learning – will do so for the remainder of the school year.

Granville County had a mass-vaccination clinic on Feb. 24, when more than 430 educators got their first dose of the Moderna vaccine. The second dose is scheduled for Friday, Mar. 26, which Winborne said will mean the day of remote learning will switch from Wednesday to Friday for that week.

Parents will receive details about this change soon, he added.

The board also approved a 10 percent increase in the daily substitute pay in hopes of attracting more qualified candidates to the pool of substitute teachers. Starting pay is now $90 a day for subs with minimum experience, and can go as high as $116 a day for experienced or licensed teachers.

“If you love children, are 18 years or older, have a GED or high school diploma and can pass a full background check, then please consider becoming a substitute teacher,” Winborne said.  “We need you and will train you prior to entering the classroom.”

Although all schools currently need additional substitutes, elementary schools typically experience a higher demand for substitutes, Winborne said.

Interested candidates must complete an application which can be found on our district website.  Questions can be directed to Kathy Bradley, HR specialist at bradleyk@gcs.k12.nc.us.

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Granville Co. Public Schools to Offer International Baccalaureate Program at G.C. Hawley

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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/ .

Therapy Dog Riley Assists GCPS Social-Emotional Learning Programs

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Butner-Stem Middle School celebrated Kindness Week recently by sending ValenKIND messages to each other. Students and staff completed 368 ValenKIND messages, according to information from the school and from Dr. Stan Winborne, Granville County Public Schools Assistant Superintendent for Operations & Human Resources and public information officer.

Each ValenKIND contained a message of kindness and support that were sent to students, and was one way to support students while they are learning remotely.

“It was really fun to play cupid this month and spread a little cheer. It was touching to see the kind messages students wrote to each other and their teachers,” said Raisse Ward, a BSMS guidance counselor.  It’s really obvious that we have built strong relationships with our students,” Ward said.

Jan Leiner, Career Technical Education (CTE) teacher at the middle school, said she received several ValenKIND messages from students and colleagues, and she said she especially appreciated the expressions of support as a way to offset the stress of remote learning and teaching.  Students and staff were able to create a valentine like pictures with personal messages to another person, Leiner explained. “Each day I would find a new post and it warmed my heart to receive such kind and wonderful posts,” she said.

The kindness activity is one example of efforts that BSMS has undertaken as part of a school-wide effort to meet student needs during the school year. Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) programs, including the ValenKIND activity, as well as another program to help teachers build relationships with their students.

Teachers lead Restorative Practices activities and Second Step lessons for 20 minutes each weekday as a way to help them get to know their students.

Apryl Holbert, 8th grade math teacher, said she enjoys Morning Meetings, “Morning Meetings are a great way to get to know my students, especially while we are virtual! I love that they will be open and share their opinions. It is really cool to see that I have things in common with middle schoolers and it gives me insight on how to keep them interested in my class!”

The BSMS campus also gets visits from a therapy dog named Riley as part of the SEL program. Riley is a therapy dog with PetPalsNC and visited the school each week before students moved to remote learning. During the pandemic, Riley, with the help of his human partner Cathy Allen, sends the students weekly updates on what he’s been up to. Allen is a retired teacher with Granville County Public Schools.

Camirra Williamson reads his letters weekly. Williamson is a Project Lead the Way teacher at BSMS and said she enjoys reading the letter.  “They are like a nice pick-me-up during this quarantine and winter weather! His little stories are cute and fun,” she added.

Until students can return to in-person learning, Riley visits virtually with students. Bradley Bullock, a student in Christeanna Friend’s 6th grade English Language Arts class, said “I like that he is always adorable and makes me feel happy and calm.”

A therapy dog is a dog that has completed training and assessments and receives a certification to work as a team with its handler to help children and adults.

Riley visits groups of students and enjoys the company of some students in individual sessions. Students have learned about how to care for a dog and they enjoy reading to him.

Granville County Board of Education Financial Committee Meeting Wednesday

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The Granville County Board of Education Financial Committee will meet virtually on Wednesday, February 10, 2021, at 1:00 p.m. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss Consideration of Adjustment to Sub Pay, 2020-2021 Budget Update, Update on Covid Funding and Other Financial Topics. For more information or a link to the virtual meeting, please contact Elizabeth Day, Assistant Superintendent of Finance at dayb@gcs.k12.nc.us or Mrs. Lisa Preddy at preddyl@gcs.k12.nc.us to receive a link to the meeting.

GCPS NOTICE TO PUBLIC AND PRESS

Granville County Public Schools

South Granville and JF Webb Create Sharp Business Plans

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Two Granville County high schools scored big in a statewide contest of the Virtual Enterprise International (VEI) Business Plan Competition. South Granville High won first and third place honors, and JF Webb High placed second in the recent competition.

The VEI teams create, compose and present a ‘real world’  business plan to a panel of business and industry professionals, according to information from Dr. Stan Winborne, GCPS Assistant Superintendent for Operations & Human Resources and public information officer. These teams of students ‘pitch’ their virtual firm’s ideas and compete with other groups of students from across the state.  Based on strict international criteria measuring the quality and effectiveness of the plan, the volunteer judges determine the winners, Winborne explained.

South Granville took first-place honors with the virtual firm, “Adrenaline Rush,” which operates much like a virtual Airbnb. The firm developed and marketed virtual vacation rental properties around the country.  The team of students has purchased (with virtual money) and renovated six properties in the United States:  two in Niagara Falls, two in Yosemite Park, and two in the Grand Canyon.

Second-place honors went to the team at JF Webb, which presented the business plan for its virtual firm, “AceIt.” This plan involved the design, creation and marketing of a variety of virtual printing and promotional products.  This team, under the direction of teacher Marcy Winborne, has recently begun translating some of their designs into real-world applications for its school.

Third place also went to South Granville for its firm’s plan called “Carnava”, which runs a virtual carnival-food themed food truck.  Virtual menu items include deep-fried Oreos, ice cream and a selection of pies.

Mark Jones teaches VE at South Granville High School. “Of the many courses I’ve taught in my 15 years in education, Virtual Enterprises is truly my favorite,” Jones said. “The students who enroll in VEI have the opportunity to not only travel to different states, but also to interact with other students around the globe who are doing exactly what they are doing daily.”

GCPS has partnered with VE since 2010. In that time, more than 500 students have participated in the program, which is offered at all three high schools.

Funding and support for VE is provided through the Career and Technical Education (CTE) led by Assistant Superintendent Dr. Myrick and Angela Salisbury, secondary coordinator and CTE instructional management coordinator. February is Career and Technical Education month.

Superintendent Dr. Alisa McLean said she is proud of the teams’ accomplishments at the competition. “I am so incredibly proud of our talented students’ performance in this incredibly rigorous and cutting-edge program,” McLean stated. “Congratulations to our students and the wonderful teachers and administrators who helped make this possible,” she added.

The Virtual Enterprise International program is guided by an industry-driven, educational framework in which students launch and manage the growth of a company in a digital, international economy of 7,000+ student-run businesses in 40+ countries. Students learn how their skills, knowledge, and mindset as employees, workgroup members, and department teams contribute to the success and challenges in meeting company goals.

Granville County Public Schools Back to Plan B March 1

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— Press Release

At their regularly scheduled meeting on February 1, 2021, the Granville County Board of Education voted (6-0 with one member absent) for students to return to Plan B, or in-person learning on a modified schedule, beginning March 1, 2021.  The approved motion directed staff to prepare for students to return to their schools under the same Plan B schedule that was in place prior to December 16, 2020.  Students will be assigned to the same 2 cohorts (A or B), each physically reporting to school two days a week.  Group A will attend school on Mondays and Tuesdays, and group B will attend schools on Thursdays and Fridays.  Both groups would attend school virtually for the other three days they are not physically in school.  All families who previously chose to have their students remain on full virtual learning will do so for the remainder of the school year.  When students return on March 1, they will begin their Plan B schedule immediately and will not follow the staggered entry that was previously shared.

Superintendent McLean offered her perspective, stating, “We stand ready to serve our students and look forward to them returning.  We will be vigilant in making sure that all screening and safety protocols are followed meticulously.  It is imperative that we put the health and safety of our students and staff as a priority as we shift back to Plan B.  We ask our families and community to support us in this effort and to please follow the guidelines and directives provided by our health experts.”

During a presentation shared at the meeting, Lisa Harrison, MPH, Health Director of GVPH and Dr. Shauna Guthrie, MD, MPH, and Medical Director of GVHP, provided data on the spread of COVID in our community.  In addition, they provided updates on the progress of the efforts to vaccinate the public.  Progress continues to move forward in this effort yet is limited by the amount of vaccine doses made available by the state.  Discussions are already underway to plan mass vaccination events in the community, some of which could be targeted to educators, who are considered “frontline essential workers” and part of phase 3 of the state’s vaccination plan.

Throughout the pandemic action report, Dr. McLean, Board members and senior staff urged community members to join the ranks of substitute teaching to help the district maintain safe levels of staffing. Assistant Superintendent Dr. Stan Winborne explains, “If you love children, are 18 years or older, have a GED or high school diploma and can pass a full background check, then please consider becoming a substitute teacher.  We need you and will train you prior to entering the classroom.”  The need for substitutes varies by school, with elementary schools typically experiencing higher demand.  All schools currently need additional substitutes.  Starting pay is $82 a day for those with minimal experience.  Compensation can be as high as $105 a day for those with teaching experience and credentials.  Interested candidates must complete an application which can be found on our district website.  Questions can be directed to Kathy Bradley, HR Specialist at bradleyk@gcs.k12.nc.us.

Chairman Richardson offered his thoughts on the shift to Plan B, saying, “It is my hope that we can meet the needs of the students, educators and families while keeping safety a top priority.  We are thankful for the support of Granville County Public Schools and its students as we continue to finish out this year successfully.  The Board remains committed to hearing feedback from all points of view of our stakeholders and encourages our citizens of all ages to stay engaged with us. ”

— by Dr. Stan Winborne
Assistant Superintendent of Operations & Human Resources
Public Information Officer
Granville County Public Schools

School Choices in Vance County and Granville County

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Two local school districts have announced virtual events to share information with families about the variety of choices available for students in the 2021-22 school year. The Vance County Schools event is scheduled for Feb. 4; Granville County Public Schools will host a Choice Fair Saturday to showcase its school options.  (See both graphics at bottom of page.)

Vance County Schools Innovative School applications will be available beginning Monday, Feb. 1, said Aarika Sandlin, public information officer for Vance County Schools. Interested parents or students can download the application from the district website www.vcs.k12.nc.us. Printed copies also are available at the district office, located at 1724 Graham Avenue, Henderson. The virtual event is set for Thursday, Feb. 4 at 6 p.m. Interested participants can find information about how to attend by visiting the district social media sites or the district website, Sandlin said.

Completed applications are due no later than February 28 and should be returned to the district office, Sandlin said in a statement provided to WIZS.  February 28 is a Sunday, so applications should be returned to the district office no later than Friday, Feb. 26. Schools included in the Innovative Schools are EM Rollins STEAM Academy, STEM Early High, Vance County Early College and Advance Academy. The Vance Virtual Village Academy has an online application, Sandlin said, so those completed applications should be returned online no later than Feb. 28.

The Granville County Public Schools Showcase will be held virtually from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Jan. 30, according to Dr. Stan Winborne, Assistant Superintendent of Operations & Human Resources and public information officer for the district. “We invite the community to come and meet the administrators and staff,” Winborne said, giving individuals “an opportunity to explore, chat and ask any questions that you have to learn about the many choice programs our schools have to offer.” The virtual event will help families choose which program best meets their educational needs, he added.

Registration is required, Winborne said. Visit the GCPS website at www.gcs.k12.nc.us to find a link to the registration page.