Tag Archive for: #VanceCountyMiddleSchool

Vance County Middle Students Shift To Remote Instruction To Start School Week

/by

Vance County Middle School is the latest area school to fall victim to the raging omicron variant and school officials announced that middle school students will shift to remote instruction for the first part of next week.

According to information posted Friday afternoon on the school system’s social media page, which stated, in part: “In an effort to mitigate the rapid increase of staff and student COVID-19 cases” reported at VCMS, students will not have in-person instruction on Monday, Jan. 10 and Tuesday, Jan. 11.

Families with students at VCMS will be contacted over the weekend with details, according to information posted about 3 p.m. Friday.

At this time, all other VCS schools will continue on a normal schedule with in-person instruction.

VCMS students are instructed to login with their teacher at their designated class time.

DA’s Office Not Pursuing Charges in Second VCMS Assault Allegation

/by

100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

Statement from the Office of District Attorney Mike Waters:

On December 16, 2019, I learned a parent had made more allegations about the use of inappropriate force against school resource officer, Deputy Warren Durham and Assistant Principal Kevin Ross. These allegations were first detailed in a short statement written by the female juvenile student and provided by the minor child’s mother to the Vance County Sheriff’s Office late in the day on Friday, December 13, 2019, after a video of Warren Durham became widespread through social media and news outlets.

At the request of Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame and the mother of the minor child, I undertook a review of the evidence provided in this case including the minor child’s initial statement, the statement taken by Vance County Sheriff’s Office investigators, medical records, and video footage provided by the Vance County School System.  Additionally, with the assistance of Ellington Digital Forensics, I was able to more closely examine the video of the incident. After reviewing the evidence available, and carefully examining the relevant law, I have determined that no charges will be filed against former School Resource Officer Warren Durham or Assistant Principal Kevin Ross related to this incident.

In summary, the investigation revealed that on December 11, 2019, shortly after 11 a.m., a female, sixth-grade student was changing classes, and during that time accessed her backpack to retrieve a cell phone in violation of school policy. The student was in the vicinity of the School Resource Officer Warren Durham who appeared to tell her something as he walked by.  Within a few seconds, the student is approached by Vance County Middle School Assistant Principal Kevin Ross and he extends his hand to retrieve the cell phone. The student initially pulls the phone away but then hands the phone over.  At that point, a verbal exchange between the student and the assistant principal begins and the student appears to try and push past Assistant Principal Kevin Ross. The School Resource officer steps over to the vicinity of the exchange and begins directing students around them. The student reported to Vance County Sheriff’s Office investigators at this time she intended to leave the school, but it is unclear as to whether she told Assistant Principal Kevin Ross her intentions. It appears from the video that Assistant Principal Kevin Ross directs her to retrieve her belongings and the student reported that he told her to go upstairs to his office. At this point, Assistant Principal Kevin Ross physically redirects her to retrieve her belongings, and, at that point, she complies.

Assistant Principal Kevin Ross was acting in his official capacity and thus his actions are governed by NCGS 115C-390.3, which states school personnel may use reasonable force to force or control behavior for the purpose of 1) correcting students or 6) to maintain order on educational property. This use of force must be reasonable and cannot be excessive as to cause any serious or permanent injury to the student.  After review of the video and this juvenile’s medical records, it cannot be determined that she suffered any serious injury. Further, several hours of video were made available to this office and a review of the same tend to show that the sixth-grade student did not exhibit any signs of discomfort or injury in the hours following the incident.

Initial claims made by the juvenile that School Resource Officer Warren Durham pushed the student or pulled her hair are not supported by the video, as it appears that at no time was there ever any physical contact between the student and the school resource officer.

For these reasons, I met with the family and their legal counsel today and shared my decision not to pursue criminal charges in this matter.

Vance County Schools has issued the following statement:

Vance County Schools received the statement from District Attorney Mike Waters this afternoon.  At this time, we plan to meet with our attorney and Kevin Ross to bring closure to the personnel portion of this matter, as outlined in our school board policy.

As we committed to our community when this event occurred, to ensure that nothing like this ever happens again, district officials coordinated a training, led by the National Association for School Resource Officers, on January 14-15.  The two-day training was attended by all Vance County School Resource Officers, representatives from the Sheriff’s Office, County Government officials and school-based and district administration. Our work with the NC Center for Safer Schools will involve that our current MOU (memorandum of understanding) is aligned with the best practices included in our training. Our goal is to ensure that, as a district, we are maintaining the highest standards for school–based policing.

As always, safety is our top priority and we are committed to educating our students in an environment that is welcoming and safe.

Vance Co. Middle School Assistant Principal Suspended in Second Assault Investigation

/by

100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

Statement from Vance County Schools:

We, along with the Vance County Sheriff’s Office, have reviewed the footage from the second incident reported to us. District officials have met with the family and offered academic support, resources, counseling and other educational setting options to the student.

Vance County Schools did suspend the assistant principal in question, pending the outcome of the investigation.

The personnel directory information is as follows:

Employee Name: Kevin Ross

Age: 48 yrs

Date of Employment: January 11, 2018

– Mr. Ross has served as an assistant principal on the secondary level since being hired.

– Currently, he is an assistant principal at Vance County Middle School.

– He is on a standard administrative contract.

– Annual Salary $71,400.

– He is currently suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.

We want to give assurance to everyone in our community that we are following all local and state policies and reviewing procedures and processes. The safety and welfare of our students is always a top priority in Vance County Schools.

Vance Co. Schools Holds Press Conference on Middle School Incident

/by

100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

Vance County Schools held a press conference this afternoon to address the December 12 incident involving a school resource officer and a Vance County Middle School student.

In a video widely circulated on social media, a Vance County Sheriff’s Office deputy and a male student can be seen walking down the school’s hallway. The deputy then appears to turn to the student, pick him up, drop him to the ground and then repeat the process before dragging him down the hallway.

The name of the deputy and the student have not been released at this time. In a press release sent earlier today, the Vance County Sheriff’s Office stated that the deputy is no longer employed in its service.

In the press conference, VCS Superintendent Dr. Anthony Jackson addressed the community and the media by calling the incident an “unacceptable and egregious act.”

“As a school system, as an administrator, as a district, we are disappointed; as a community we are embarrassed. Most of all, we want to express our apologies to our community that this has occurred. We are better than this. This child deserved better than this. No child deserves to be treated in this manner.”

Jackson stated that the school system is providing support to the school, the student and his family and is modifying its agreement with the Vance County Sheriff’s Office in order to review all protocols and procedures.

“We’re seeking the support of the NC Center for Safer Schools,” said Jackson. “We’re going to make sure that we do what is necessary for every single child that attends a school in Vance County to do so in a safe environment without any fear of anything close to this happening.”

Vance Co. Middle School Eighth Graders Recognized at Year-End Ceremony

/by

-Press Release, Vance County Schools

Eighth graders for the 2018-2019 school year at Vance County Middle School were recognized for their achievements during a special year-end ceremony held in the school’s gymnasium on Tuesday, June 4.

Principal Heddie Somerville began the ceremony by welcoming everyone in attendance, including the approximately 350 eighth graders and an audience of about 1,000 family, friends and community members.

Eighth graders at Vance County Middle School march into the school’s gymnasium to begin their year-end recognition ceremony. (VCS photo)

Eighth graders who led the ceremony included: Zephaniah Young and Anayia Harris, who sang “The Star-Spangled Banner;” Devine Williams, who served as mistress of ceremonies; Kylie Newhouse and Breanna Kipp, who provided reflections on the school year; Makayla Terry and Isabel Cruz, who offered superlatives for their class; and Daniel Bolanos, who introduced the featured speaker Kimberly Jefferson.

Jefferson, who works for Pfizer Pharmaceuticals and is a Vance County native, made remarks to the students and audience during the ceremony. She encouraged all of the students to work hard as they begin their high school careers to be successful and achieve their goals.

She talked about her own past as a student going through Vance County Schools and eventually graduating from Northern Vance High School, in the same facility as the middle school today. Jefferson even mentioned her time as a student-athlete at Northern Vance and playing basketball games in the same gymnasium.

The eighth-grade class at Vance County Middle School for the 2018-2019 school year is the first eighth grade to complete its time at the newly consolidated middle school.

Principal Heddie Somerville welcomes everyone to the eighth-grade recognition ceremony. (VCS photo)

Vance Co. Middle School in Need of Volunteer Test Proctors

/by

Vance County Middle School is in need of volunteer test proctors to assist with upcoming State Testing.

As a proctor, you are required to attend one brief 30-minute training about what proctoring entails. Proctor training will be offered on Thursday, May 9, 2019, at 10:30 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. and Thursday, May 16 at 10:30 a.m. and 4:15 p.m.

If interested in helping, please sign up using the link https://bit.ly/VCMSproctors.

Thank you for your support! If you have any question, please feel free to contact Dr. Webster-Caroon at (919) 939-9877 or lwebster@vcs.k12.nc.us.

Vance County Middle & High School Win First Place in State Video Contest

/by

-Press Release, Vance County Schools

Vance County High School and Vance County Middle School each won first-place trophies in the N.C. School Boards Association State Conference video contests for schools across the state during the organization’s annual event held at the Koury Convention Center in Greensboro, November 12 – 14.

Vance County High School theater arts students, under the direction of their teacher Samantha Campbell, accepted their award during the evening of November 13. They went on stage in the Guilford Ballroom and patiently waited for the top video selection to be announced. Hoke County High School received the third-place trophy and A.L. Brown High School finished second.

N.C. School Boards Association officials present the first-place trophy and $3,000 check to Vance County High School students, starting third from left to the right, Jaida Lewis, Kahlil Kingsberry, Arianna Long and Isaac Bell McLean. (Photo Credit: VCS)

Accepting the award for the Vance County High Vipers were Jaida Lewis, Arianna Long, Kahlil Kingsberry and Isaac Bell McLean. Lewis made comments on behalf of her fellow students and her school. She thanked everyone who supported them and worked with students to produce the video. A special thanks went to Campbell and to Destiny Ross, a technology and curriculum specialist with the school system, who led the development of the award-winning video

At the end of her comments, Lewis noted, “We are all Vance County Proud!”

Vance County High School received a handsome trophy and a check for $3,000 as the first-place winner in the competition, which included impressive video entries from approximately 30 high schools across North Carolina.

The Vance County Middle School Jaguars were awarded first place in the middle school video competition during awards recognitions held on November 12. Darlynn Oxendine, chairperson of the Vance County Board of Education, accepted the trophy and a $100 gift certificate on behalf of the school and its students. There were over 50 entries in the middle school video competition, with the Jaguars’ entry selected as the best.

Both of the schools’ videos were about 60 seconds in length and followed the theme “What is Super about Public Schools.”

Darlynn Oxendine, chairperson of the Vance County Board of Education, center, accepts the first-place trophy on behalf of Vance County Middle School at the N.C. School Boards Association State Conference from NCSBA officials Minnie Forte-Brown, left, and Paige Sayles. (Photo Credit: VCS)

The Vance County High School video features the music of the popular song “This Is How We Do It” with new words and singing done by students at the school. Led by the theater arts students, the video shows a variety of locations and classes within the high school and includes a large number of students and some school staff. The video has lots of energy, bright colors and a good variety of classroom and outdoor scenes, with the words written by the students scrolling across the bottom of the screen

The Vance County Middle School video follows a “Star Wars” type of theme and has a futuristic look. With student narration, background music and lots of impressive special effects, the video explores the future look of public schools. It also features different students shown in areas throughout the middle school.

Edward Ortega, now the assistant principal at both L.B. Yancey and Pinkston Street elementary schools, led the efforts to produce the middle school video. He was assisted by teachers and administrators at the school, as well as having great cooperation and participation by students.

The Vance County Middle School and Vance County High School students and educators who produced the videos will be honored by the Vance County Board of Education at its meeting on Monday, November 19, beginning at 7 p.m. in the school system’s Administrative Services Center.

Vance Co. High School & Middle School Principals Reflect on Upcoming School Year

/by

Vance County High School Principal Rey Horner and Vance County Middle School Principal Heddie Somerville were the guests of honor on Thursday’s edition of WIZS’ Town Talk program.

Horner and Somerville, who are both set to welcome students on Monday, August 27 for the start of the 2018-19 traditional calendar year, engaged in a general discussion on the recent high school and middle school consolidation process and their hopes for the future.

Vance County High School

Occupying the former Southern Vance High School building on Garrett Road in Henderson, the new Vance County High School is set to welcome approximately 1,350 former Southern Vance Raiders and Northern Vance Vikings.

“There were some concerns about bringing the schools together because we have been rivals for so long,” said Horner. “I think what helped the process is that we still have members of the community that can remember when we only had one high school.”

Horner himself was a graduate of the last class of Vance Senior High School before it split into Southern Vance and Northern Vance and said he looks forward to the combined high school being the center of the community again.

He also referred back to his own experience with transitioning from middle to high school to explain that he expects any concerns regarding former rivals merging to be largely unfounded.

“I can remember when I was at Henderson Junior High and about to go to Vance Senior High. Our biggest rival was Eaton Johnson and everyone was worried about how we’d mix, but once we got to high school, we became one family.”

Horner said he looks forward to witnessing the Vipers become one team but admits the entire process will not happen overnight. “I’m seeing this consolidation as a three-year process; you won’t see all of the changes immediately. It’s going to be a couple of years before we’re where we want to be.”

During that time, Horner said the high school will be focusing on building up their performing arts offerings – including band and theater.

Building the athletic program has already been a full speed ahead process and Horner reported that the number of athletes who tried out for fall sports has grown exponentially.

While Horner is excited for the athletic program and the hard work of the coaches, he asks that the community set realistic expectations for the first year of the program. “We have extraordinary talent in Vance County and I’m glad we can showcase it. Everyone is assuming because we merged the two schools it is a no-brainer that we will sweep the conference, but there is a little adjustment period.”

Vance County Middle School

Located in the former Northern Vance High School building on Warrenton Road in Henderson, Vance County Middle School will welcome approximately 840 sixth through eighth-grade students this school year.

“We have a strategic plan to enforce a model of creating a culture of unity with the mindset of excellence,” said Somerville. “Sixth graders coming into middle school are combining with students from 10 elementary schools.”

In addition to getting to know new classmates, Vance County Middle School students will also have to acclimate to wearing required school uniforms.

For girls, the uniforms will include white or navy blue collared shirts and blouses and navy blue or khaki uniform pants, skirts or jumpers. Boys’ uniforms include white or navy blue collared or dress shirts, as well as navy blue or khaki uniform pants.

Though there has been some pushback from the community, Somerville, the former principal of Pinkston Street Elementary School, said she has seen firsthand how positive uniforms can be for learning and student behavior. “When we implemented uniforms at Pinkston Street, I saw the difference in the mindset of the children. It levels the playing field and it allows them to come in with the mindset of academics.”

Somerville expressed her appreciation and admiration for how well staff members have worked together to prepare the building for opening day. “There is still some construction work to be done and we are moving quickly to be ready on time. Teachers are coming in to assist with moving furniture and setting up classrooms.”

This camaraderie adds to the “one family” feel that the school hopes to nurture and has Somerville looking forward to being “the new cats in town.”

* Vance County High School will hold an Open House on Thursday, August 23, 2018, from 3 – 7 p.m. at the school – 925 Garrett Rd, Henderson. In addition to students and parents, the entire community is invited to attend. Food trucks will be available on site.

New Vance Co. Middle School to Require Uniforms

/by

-Press Release, Vance County Schools

Students who will attend Vance County Middle School in 2018-2019 will be required to wear school uniforms.

The school uniforms will include white or navy blue tops and navy blue or khaki bottoms.

For girls, the uniforms will include white or navy blue collared shirts and blouses and navy blue or khaki uniform pants, skirts or jumpers. Boys’ uniforms must include white or navy blue collared or dress shirts, as well as navy blue or khaki uniform pants.

Khaki or navy blue jeans and sweat pants are not allowed. Shorts are not allowed. Shirts must be tucked in at all times and pants must be worn at the waist. No hats will be allowed.

More information will be shared at a later time with students and parents.

The school uniforms will be available for purchase at a variety of local stores including Rose’s Stores at the Henderson Mall and on North Garnett Street in Henderson; Dollar General stores in Henderson; Walmart Supercenter in Henderson; JCPenney at Henderson Square in Henderson; and Burlington Coat Factory on Capital Boulevard in Raleigh.

Vance Co. Middle and High School Announce Mascots and School Colors

/by

The mascots and school colors for Vance County High School and Vance County Middle School were revealed on Thursday, June 7, 2018, at school assemblies for the students who will be attending the schools in 2018-2019.

The high school mascot is the Vipers and the school colors are green, black and white.

The middle school mascot is the Jaguars and the school colors are black and gold.

Let’s go Vipers and Jaguars!!!