Tag Archive for: #granvillecountypublicschools

GCPS Students Get Extra Day Off On Nov. 12 Following School Board Work Session

/by

Students in Granville County Public Schools will get a break on Friday, Nov. 12, following a work session today (Monday) of the Granville County Board of Education.

The day also be a non-instructional day for students and will be a remote optional workday for staff, according to information from Dr. Stan Winborne, associate superintendent of curriculum & instruction and student services and district public information officer.

The school board voted unanimously to make the calendar change at a work session on Monday, Oct. 25. All GCPS students, including Granville Early College High School, will have the day off.

Veterans’ Day is Thursday, Nov. 11, which is normally a day off for students and staff. By making the calendar adjustment, Winborne said it will allow the district “to avoid a potentially unsafe shortage of staff on a day that falls between a holiday and a weekend, and it would give our students, families and staff an opportunity to focus on their mental health and personal well-being.”

All employees will have the option to either work remotely on this day to engage in professional development sessions, or take appropriate leave.

 

The district will implement this change by using surplus instructional time to ensure the required 1025 minimum instructional hours are delivered for the 2021-22 school year.

Granville School Board To Meet Sept. 13

/by

The Granville County Board of Education will meet for a regular board meeting on Monday, Sept. 13, 2021 at 6 p.m. at the Mary Potter Center of Education, 200 Taylor Street, Oxford. The The livestream link is https://live.myvrspot.com/st?cid=MDhkZj.

The Board also will meet in closed session in accordance with N.C. General Statute 143.318.11 (a)(6), 143-318.11 (a)(3), 143.318.11 (a)(5) and Section 115C-321 for Personnel, and Attorney/Client Privilege.

Public comments for this meeting can be made  in one of three ways:

  • In person at the board meeting
  • In writing by placing comments in a box that will be located outside of the board room at the Mary Potter Center of Education from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
  • In writing by using the following link: https://tinyurl.com/y37evl6zComments made using the link must be submitted between the hours of `12 noon and 4 p.m. on Sept. 13, 2021.

A copy will be distributed to the board of education members.  A maximum of 30 minutes in total will be allotted for public comment.

Members of the public wishing to attend the meeting will be required to wear face coverings and cooperate with social distancing requirements. There will be limited seating available.

This information comes from Dr. Stan Winborne, associate superintendent of curriculum & instruction and public information officer for the school district.

JF Webb Student’s Artwork Selected For NACo 2022 Calendar

/by

A local teenager’s artwork has been chosen from entries submitted from across the country for a 2022 calendar that will be distributed across the country by the National Association of Counties (NACo).

Brim Royster, a junior at J.F. Webb High School, is one of 18 winners selected from a pool of entries submitted through local county governments across the nation. The “I Love My County Because…” art competition, sponsored by NACo, was held for students in grades 1 through 12, who were asked to explain in words and in art why “their county matters.” Royster’s entry depicts his strong family connections in the area.

J.F. Webb High School art teacher Ophelia Staton was recently notified of the selection, according to a statement from Lynn Allred, Granville County’s public information officer.

“I am so excited for Brim and for our art program,” Staton said in the statement. “We have some talented students, and this recognition means so much for our school and – of course – for Brim. We are very proud of him. His talent is sure to take him very far.”

Students from J.F. Webb, Tar River Elementary and Creedmoor Elementary submitted artwork for the 2021 competition, which was introduced this year as part of the “Counties Matter” campaign. All entries are currently on display at the Harris Exhibit Hall of the Granville County Historical Society Museum, 1 Museum Lane in Oxford.

In addition to being featured in the NACo calendar, Royster will receive prizes and a certificate, as well as having his artwork published in the NACo newspaper “County News,” which is distributed to county members in all 50 states. More than 3,000 U.S. counties are active NACo members, including Granville County Government.

“Granville County was well represented in this contest,” said Sue Hinman, chair of the Granville County board of commissioners. “We thank all the students who participated, as well as the art teachers who submitted entries on behalf of their students. We are also grateful to Granville County Public Schools, who assisted us in this project.”

Granville Board Of Education Work Session Aug. 16 To Continue School Closure, Consolidation Discussion

/by

The Granville County Board of Education will meet for a work session next week to continue discussions on potential school closures and school consolidation, according to information from Dr. Stan Winborne, associate superintendent and public information officer.

The meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m. Monday, Aug. 16, 2021 at the Mary Potter Center of Education, 200 Taylor Street in Oxford. In addition to the ongoing school reorganization, the board will have a closed session to discuss personnel matters.

The meeting is open to the public, and also will be livestreamed at the 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.

Bring Your Mask: GCPS Students, Staff Must Wear Face Coverings To Begin School Year

/by

All Granville County Public Schools students and staff will be required to wear face coverings on all school property when school starts later this month, following a board of education decision made during its regular monthly meeting on Monday, Aug. 2.

The decision came following a presentation from Granville-Vance Public Health Director Lisa Harrison and GVHD Medical Director Dr. Shauna Guthrie about the COVID-19 Delta variant.

The new variant is more contagious and has caused a spike in hospitalizations – 97 percent of those hospitalized are unvaccinated. Citing guidance from the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics, the health department officials recommended that GCPS follow the mask requirement while students, staff and visitors are indoors.

Masks must be worn except when students or staff are eating or drinking.

Masks will be provided free of charge to all students and staff as needed. The district has an ample supply of additional PPE, including gloves, gowns and face shields for staff which also are available upon request.

Individuals may apply for a mask exemption based on a medical condition or physical disability, according to Dr. Stan Winborne, GCPS associate superintendent and public information officer. Applications are available at each school and Winborne added that documentation verifying the condition must accompany the application.

Adults should remain six feet apart from others when possible, and students should maintain three feet of physical distancing and school staffs will continue regular and thorough cleaning and disinfection of high-touch surfaces and common areas will continue, Winborne said.

The board will revisit the topic at future meetings to determine if adjustments are needed, and the board will consider at its September meeting policies for visitors, volunteers and indoor facility rentals and indoor events or performances. Right now, none of these are allowed. The board is set to review each topic and adjust policies as needed, Winborne said.

Donations Of School Supplies Part of Oxford’s Back To School Bash Aug. 6

/by

Teachers get as excited as schoolchildren when it’s time to get back-to-school supplies. There’s just something about opening a new box of…black dry erase markers?

It doesn’t evoke the same feeling as when opening a new box of crayons, but dry erase markers, loose-leaf paper and index cards are a few of the items that folks in and near Oxford are encouraged to donate to a “Stuff the Bus” event scheduled for Friday, Aug. 6, beginning at 5:30 p.m.

It’s part of a Back to School Bash in the Littlejohn parking lot from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. There will be food trucks on site and a Cruz-In. The movie Inside Out will be shown beginning at 8 p.m.

The Granville Ed Foundation and the Downtown Oxford Economic Development Corporation (DOEDC) are joining forces to collect the school supplies for teachers.

The complete list of items to donate for teachers is:

looseleaf paper
graph paper
single-subject spiral notebooks
pencils
pens
glue sticks
staples
construction paper
student scissors
dry erase markers (black)
white board cleaner
highlighters
crayons
paper clips
plastic spoons/forks
index cards
boxes of facial tissue
disinfectant wipes
tape
colored copy paper
laminating sheets
multi-colored card stock

Hearings Set For Public To Comment On Granville Schools Reorganization Plan

/by

Granville County residents will have the chance to voice their opinions about school reorganization and consolidation during two public hearings that will be held early next week.

The county’s board of education will hear public comment on Monday, July 26 regarding the possible closure of Creedmoor Elementary or Wilton Elementary, according to information received from Dr. Stan Winborne, associate superintendent and public information officer for GCPS.

Then on Tuesday, July 27, the school board will receive comments about the reorganization of secondary schools in the district.

The board voted at a called meeting on Thursday to present two options in advance of the Tuesday meeting regarding secondary school reorganization, according to Winborne:

(1) Closure of Hawley Middle School, reassignment of 7th and 8th grade students from Hawley Middle to other schools, and relocation of all Granville County sixth-grade students to elementary schools; OR

(2) Relocation of Hawley Middle School to the South Granville High School campus and consolidation of South Granville High School and Granville Central High School into one high school on the current GCHS campus.

Both meetings begin at 6 p.m. and will be held at Tar River Elementary School, 2642 Philo White Road, Franklinton, NC. The school is located off Hwy 56 South in Granville County. In addition, Winborne said anyone wishing to address the board may sign up beginning at 5:15 p.m. on the day of the hearing. Each person who has signed up before 6 p.m. will have up to three minutes to  speak.

Written comments also may be submitted electronically to publiccomment@gcs.k12.nc.us or may be hand-delivered to GCPS Central Office at 101 Delacroix Street, Oxford, NC 27565.

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, Winborne stated.

The hearings will be available online as well via the following link: https://live.myvrspot.com/st?cid=MDhkZj.

Holding public hearings was a next step for the board as it continues to discuss options for the district, which faces a $1.7 million budget deficit and many empty classrooms in its schools. The board discussed in its called meeting Thursday afternoon results of a survey that was created to get feedback from the community about the possible closings and consolidation.

Literacy Tutors To Help K-3 Students Overcome Loss Of Instructional Time During Pandemic

/by

 

The plea from N.C. Education Corps is as simple as A-B-C: school children in grades K-3 need literacy tutors to help overcome lost instructional time during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Applications for paid, part-time tutors are being taken now, but the deadline is July 20, 2021 to be considered for the next wave of tutors that will work in specific counties across the state, including Vance and Granville.

Tutors will commit to work for nine months, according to information received from the non-profit organization, which is “committed to helping all NC students have the support they need to thrive.”

Vance County Schools has openings for 16 literacy tutors; Granville County Public Schools has 6 slots open. The organization hopes to send 250 literacy tutors to more than 20 N.C. counties to work directly with K-3 students during the school day. There also are 3 positions open at Henderson Collegiate; applicants should have a high school diploma and some college experience. The pay rate is $13.15/hour.

The pay in Vance for the tutor position is in the $13.15 – $25 per hour range, depending on experience. Applicants must have at least a high school diploma. In Granville, the pay range is $15-$25 per hour, depending on experience. Applicants must have a minimum of 48 hours of college credit.

The group recruits community college and university students, recent college graduates, retirees, and adults who are actively engaged in their community, with a “special focus on recruiting students from universities and community colleges with teacher prep programs,” according to the statement, with the hope that “young corps members consider a career in public education and public service after working with NCEC and our school partners.”

Visit www.nceducationcorps.org to learn more.

 

 

 

 

 

Granville Schools Announce More Leadership Changes As Streamlining, Consolidation Efforts Continue

/by

The Granville County Board of Education approved more leadership changes at a called meeting on Tuesday, June 29, further consolidating programs and services at the district level as it continues to focus on efficiency and making best use of resources.

The board also announced that Kevin Ferrell will be the new principal at South Granville High School. Ferrell began his education career at the Creedmoor school in 1994 as a social studies teacher. He returns to the district after serving nine years as an assistant principal in Wake County.

Two assistant principals also were named at the meeting. Shana Harris will serve at Butner-Stem Elementary and Sophelia McMannen will be at SGHS, according to information from Dr. Stan Winborne, associate superintendent for the district and public information officer.

In addition to these school-based changes, the board also approved staffing changes to the district’s leadership structure. “The changes made represent significant reduction in staff and reassignment of duties which will increase efficiencies, reduce costs and better strategically position the district for the future,” Winborne stated.

The board approved the changes, which includes elimination of one assistant superintendent position, as well as reducing from 16 to 12 director-level positions, all based at the district offices. The curriculum & instructions and student services departments underwent a restructure as part of the process and additional district-based positions were shifted to school-based positions, Winborne stated. The district will use grant funding to pay for school-based positions, he added.

The following changes in personnel and roles were approved:

  • Lauren Curtis – Senior Director of Student Services (Central Services)
  • Anikko Gorham – Senior Director of Exceptional Children’s Program (Central Services)
  • Shelby Hunt – Grants Manager and Special Projects Manager (Central Services)
  • Michele Robinson – Northern Regional Lead (based at CG Credle ES)
  • Tonya Thomas – Southern Regional Lead (based at SGHS)
  • Pauletta Thompson – Senior Director of Federal Programs and Strategic innovation (Central Services)
  • Felisha Whitaker – Director of Elementary Education (Central Services)
  • Angie Salisbury – Director of Career and Technical Education and Secondary Education

In the press release, Superintendent Dr. Alisa McLean stated, “Just as our board is taking on the difficult task of school reorganization, so too must we streamline staffing in our central services.  These changes will also eliminate our reliance on state and local dollars. We must capture efficiencies and reduce staffing while maintaining quality support and excellent services for our students and staff.”

Local News Audio

WIZS Noon News 12-30-20: Arrests, Garbage Collection; School Audit; Gold!

/by

WIZS Noon News 12-30-20:

 

Vance County Sheriff’s Office Charges Against Suspects

New Year’s Garbage Collection in Henderson

Granville County Public Schools Good Audit

GOLD!! Local Gold in Franklin County

 

Click Play For WIZS Local News Audio…