Stories include:
– Death of Vance Co. basketball coach Wilton Baskett
– Davis Chapel partners with Raleigh Firebirds for basketball tournament
For full details and audio click play.
Stories include:
– Vance County Schools to resume online learning
– Blood Pressure and Diabetes conference
– ACTS Fish Fry
– Senior Bingo to be held by Vance Co. Parks & Recreation
– Oxford Newsletter
For full details and audio click play.
— written from information courtesy of Vance County High School on Facebook
Vance County High School will resume online learning on January 6th.
In a Facebook post seen below, Principal Rey Horner has provided a number of timely and important reminders for students.
He wrote, “During third quarter, you will take whichever course is on your schedule for first and second period.” Teachers are reaching out Monday and Tuesday.
Attendance is important. Horner wrote, “All students will be expected to be present for their virtual class on Wednesday. Please remember that attendance does count and it is important that you earn these credits and do not fall behind.”
If a student is behind in his or her work, it will require extra effort and the time is now. Horner wrote, “We are now in the early stages of creating a plan for students who have fallen behind to catch up. It will require patience, determination and work on the students end… but it can be done. Please know that we are all in this together.”
Please consider reading Principal Horner’s entire message.
— press release courtesy of Vance County Schools, Public Information Officer Aarika Sandlin
Three Vance County Schools Board of Education members were recently re-elected to represent their districts: Mr. Edward B. Wilson, Mrs. Dorothy W. Gooche and Mrs. Linda S. Cobb. They each took their Oath of Office at the December 14, 2020 Board of Education meeting before Judge Caroline Burnette.
Mrs. Dorothy W. Gooche represents District 3 and has served on the Vance County Board of Education since November 2010. A Vance-Granville Community College retiree, Mrs. Gooche continues devoting herself to education in Vance County, sharing “I am honored to be re-elected to the Vance County Board of Education. Serving our students these past 10 years has been rewarding. I am constantly reminded of my role to provide ideas and recommendations that help meet the educational and developmental needs of all students, while also supporting the excellent faculty and staff that have a direct influence in the life of each student. I look forward to the continued work with the board, our schools, parents and community.”
Mr. Edward B. Wilson represents District 4 and has served on the Vance County Board of Education since November 2012. A retired Vance County Schools educator, Mr. Wilson continues to be dedicated to serving, sharing that “at first, I may have viewed it as a civic responsibility but now I view it as an opportunity to learn from the very best and most highly qualified school professionals in the state.”
Mrs. Linda S. Cobb represents District 5 and was first appointed to the Vance County Board of Education in September 2019. Retired from the Division of Social Services through the Department of Health and Human Services, Mrs. Cobb continues her commitment to serving our community. She shared “I am grateful to continue my service on the Board of Education, having the opportunity to represent our community and our students – this brings joy to me.”
The board also voted in a new chair and vice chair at the meeting. Mrs. Linda S. Cobb (District 5) will serve as the School Board Chair and Mrs. Margaret A. Ellis (District 6) as Vice-Chair.
The Vance County School system has been hard at work on a re-entry plan for students, and this week at the Vance County Board of Education meeting that re-entry plan was approved.
No date was set.
VCS Public Information Officer Aarika Sandlin provided the information in her latest board briefs. She wrote, “The Board of Education approved the re-entry plan for students; however, the re-entry date was not determined. The Board of Education will continue to review metrics, along with discussions with The ABC Science Collaborative, NCDHHS and Granville Vance Public Health.
“The re-entry plan approved allowed for two days of face-to-face instruction and a staggered entry, beginning with PreK, K and 6 grades, followed by grades 1 and 2 and then grades 3-5. Additionally, self-contained EC students in grades PreK-12 begin re-entry.”
The plan will allow any student wishing to remain fully remote to do so, with live instruction on specific days and times.
Sandlin can be heard each morning on WIZS at 7:45 and each afternoon during the WIZS Local News with school information.
Superintendent Dr. Anthony Jackson will join WIZS on TownTalk Tuesday, December 22 at 11am.
100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL
-Information courtesy Vance County Schools
Vance County Schools will permit a staggered phase-in of high school athletics beginning the week of November 2, 2020, as outlined in the schedule included below. This phase-in is consistent with expectations outlined by the NC High School Athletic Association and endorsed by the Vance County Board of Education.
Student-athletes involved in volleyball, cross country, cheerleading, basketball, football or swimming, along with their parent/guardian, MUST attend a required virtual orientation meeting via Zoom on Wednesday, November 4, 2020, at 6:30 p.m. All high school students will receive a zoom link in their school email. This meeting will provide important information for our student-athletes and their parents.
Should you have any questions, please contact the High School Athletic Director, Joe Sharrow at (252) 430-6000 or by email at jsharrow@vcs.k12.nc.us. The latest information will be updated on the VCHS website (www.vcs.k12.nc.us/vchs).
A decision regarding middle school athletics will be announced in the near future.
THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY
Four members of Vance County Schools’ Behavioral Health Team appeared on WIZS Town Talk Wednesday at 11 a.m.
Toni Fletcher, lead of the School Student Behavioral Health Team and Lead Social Worker, began the segment by announcing that VCS is kicking off its ‘Attendance Matters’ campaign with the slogan ‘In School, Logged In, Every Day.’
With the Vance County Board of Education’s recent vote to extend fully remote learning through December, Fletcher explained the importance of offering continued support during this unprecedented time in education.
“It is very important to us that we make the connections with our children and our families,” said Fletcher. “This is something we’ve never done before – teaching this way.”
Counselor Erica Wright, with the Student Behavioral Health Team, said VCS will recognize students for their hard work on billboards throughout the community, through local news and media sources and with school incentives as a way to encourage good attendance practices.
School Safety/District Hearing Officer Dr. Ralph Holloman said, “The National Dropout Prevention Center has recorded that family engagement is the number one key for attendance, and we want to send that message to parents. Keep on encouraging your child to participate, log in and be in school every day.”
Thanking parents for all they have done to keep their child engaged while also balancing work, family and other responsibilities, Holloman said, “Parents, your continued involvement is the key to our children’s success in Vance County schools.”
To address mental well-being, Dr. Latoria Fleming, counselor for the Student Behavioral Health Team, said school counselors and social workers are remotely available to provide social and emotional support.
“Please reach out to school support staff if you know of a student that’s struggling,” said Fleming. “Those staff members can provide short-term counseling or, if necessary, connect you with community resources or mental health agencies.”
While support is the key to continued motivation, Fletcher said completing remote schoolwork is difficult without reliable internet access. “Some of our families live rurally and don’t have access to the internet, and some are unable to afford access due to financial barriers.”
To combat this problem, VCS has placed WiFi rangers in fire departments, daycare centers, churches, apartment complexes and in some homes with five or more children throughout the county.
In addition, Fletcher said Kajeets, portable devices approximately the size of a cell phone, have been placed in over 150 homes to provide internet capabilities.
For those in need of technology assistance, Fletcher reminded listeners that a technology help desk with tech support is available to parents and students Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. To find the help desk phone number for your child’s school, please visit the VCS District website (click here).
To hear the interview in its entirety, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.
100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL
Dr. Anthony Jackson, superintendent for Vance County Schools, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Thursday at 11 a.m.
Jackson discussed the Vance County Board of Education’s 5-2 vote at its October 12 meeting to remain in Plan C – fully remote learning – for the remainder of the first semester. The first semester for the 2020-2021 school year is set to end prior to the Christmas holiday.
In July, NC Governor Roy Cooper announced public and charter schools could begin the school year under Plan B – a hybrid of online and in-person learning – or could choose the more restrictive Plan C.
In September, Cooper announced public and charter elementary schools (K-5) had the option to operate under Plan A – in-person, socially distanced learning – beginning October 5.
At its July Board meeting, the Vance County Board of Education voted to begin the year under Plan C, revisit the decision in October and review again in December.
The Board will meet in December to determine if the second semester, starting in January, will begin fully remote under Plan C or move to Plan A or B.
“Our Board is looking at the data and trying to determine the safe integration of students into the school environment,” Jackson explained. “Based on what they understood and were presented with, they thought it would be safer to keep our kids on Plan C until we know a little more about [COVID-19] transmission and local data.”
According to Jackson, the Board also took recent news reports of spikes in COVID cases and hospitalizations into consideration when making the decision to remain in remote learning.
Working with Granville Vance Public Health and Duke University, Jackson said the school system receives daily local COVID updates and seeks guidance from healthcare experts.
“The decision of how to start the next semester will be based on the data available on infection rates, hospitalizations and transmission in the community at that time,” Jackson said. “Our goal is to be back to some form of face-to-face interaction by the second semester. We are still hopeful, but we have to go with what the metrics tell us. Ultimately, the liability rests with them as the Board of Education; they’ve taken that very seriously.”
While seeking improvements to areas such as students’ access to online connectivity, Jackson said the strives are evident. “The positive out of this is that we have set up a remote digital learning framework in this short period of time. We have distributed over 5,000 devices and hotspots to our kids, provided over a half-million meals to this community and supported our teachers with a small model of childcare.”
Acknowledging it’s not the school year anyone expected, Jackson said he is encouraged by the teamwork and dedication on all sides.
“I want to thank our teachers for the work they are doing every day to make sure our kids are okay and learning. I also thank our parents for trusting us. This is not what we had planned, but it is what we have, so we are going to make the best of it.”
To stay updated on VCS’ decisions and announcements, please visit the District’s website or Facebook page.
To hear the interview in its entirety, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.
100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL
City of Henderson to Move Forward With Coronavirus Grant Application
Vance County Planning Committee to Consider White Goods Disposal at Hwy 39 Convenience Site
Vance County Schools Recognizes Teachers, Principals at Annual Excellence in Education Event
Click Play to Listen to Full Details…
THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY
-Press Release and photos, Vance County Schools
Vance County Schools held the annual Excellence in Education event on Tuesday, September 22, 2020. At the event, the District’s Beginning Teacher of the Year, Teacher of the Year, Assistant Principal of the Year and Principal of the Year were announced.
The event was a drive-in recognition at the VCS Administrative Service Center on Graham Avenue, where staff were presented their award in an outdoor ceremony, with social distancing in place and masks required. Dr. Anthony Jackson, VCS Superintendent, along with Assistant Superintendents Dr. Trixie Brooks and Dr. Cindy Bennett, recognized each honoree.
District award winners included:
2020-2021 Assistant Principal of the Year Shannon Bullock
Bullock is the assistant principal of Vance County Middle School and in her 9th year in education, spending every year with Vance County Schools.
A native of Henderson, Bullock shares, “It is with great humility that I serve the families of our community. I will forever embrace the opportunity to uplift all stakeholders of our school community so that all of our students will be adequately prepared for their next endeavors in life. My heart is filled with gratitude to be able to give back to my community.”
Bullock received her Associate’s from Vance-Granville Community College, continuing on with her undergraduate from East Carolina University and graduate degree from High Point University. She is currently working on her doctorate at Liberty University.
2020-2021 Beginning Teacher of the Year Sheneika Campbell
Campell teaches 7th-grade English Language Arts at Vance County Middle School. She has been with Vance County Schools for three years but has been in education for 12 years. Originally from Montego Bay, Jamaica, Campbell earned her undergraduate and graduate degree from the University of the West Indies.
She shared, “I am a passionate educator who has been called to this profession to effect positive changes and advance the welfare of all in my reach. I am honored and humbled to be recognized as BT for the district. This award has ignited an even stronger commitment to inspire, motivate, and serve the scholars of VCS.”
2020-2021 Principal of the Year Stephanie Ayscue
Ayscue is currently the principal of Advance Academy with 20 years in education. A native of Toledo, Ohio, Stephanie earned her undergraduate degree from Lourdes University, graduate degree from Western Carolina University and Ed.S from Liberty University. She is currently working on her doctorate degree from Liberty University.
Stephanie expressed, “Love and relationships are essential. The Dalai Lama states, ‘When educating the minds of our youth, we must not forget their hearts.’ That is what we do at Advance Academy and what I have always tried to do at every school I have been blessed to be part of.”
2020-2021 Teacher of the Year Sara Lilley
Lilley is a 3rd-grade teacher at Clarke Elementary School. Sara shared, “I’m blessed to work with such a wonderful group of educators. It is quite an honor to receive such a distinction when I consider the talent, skill, and experience that daily surrounds me.”
Sara is in her 11th year teaching, all with Vance County Schools at Clarke Elementary. Lilley, originally from Elizabeth City, NC, received her undergraduate degree from Campbell University and her graduate degree from NC State University.
The Principal of the Year Stephanie Ayscue and Teacher of the Year Sara Lilley will now move forward in competing for the regional titles. The North Carolina State Principal of the Year and Teacher of the Year will be announced in the spring of 2021 and selected from the regional winners across the state.
Vance County Schools Superintendent Dr. Anthony Jackson presents the 2020-2021 Assistant Principal of the Year award to Shannon Bullock.
Vance County Schools Superintendent Dr. Anthony Jackson presents the 2020-2021 Beginning Teacher of the Year award to Sheneika Campbell.
Vance County Schools Superintendent Dr. Anthony Jackson presents the 2020-2021 Principal of the Year award to Stephanie Ayscue.
2020-2021 Teacher of the Year Sara Lilley, a 3rd-grade teacher at Clarke Elementary School, poses with her awards in front of the district office.
