Tag Archive for: #vancecountyschools

VCS Board of Education Honors Students, Athletes & Staff at Jan. Meeting

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

-Information and photo courtesy the VCS Facebook page

The Vance County Board of Education recognized many students at its regularly-scheduled January 13, 2020, meeting.

Student-athletes and the Vance County High School tennis coach were honored for receiving all-conference recognitions. Artists with work selected for Arts Alive and the district holiday card were recognized. The Fall 2019 Student Spotlight recipients were presented plaques by The Daily Dispatch.

The Board of Education was also honored for National School Board Appreciation Month.

Student-athletes that were honored included:

Football Big 8 All-Conference selections: Samein Burwell (Offensive Player of the Year) Noah Terry, Phadol Jordan, TaQuan Lyons, Davonte Evans, Daunta Wimbush, Kemarreus Jones and William Hawkins IV. All-Conference Honorable Mention selections: Demarius Harris, Jy’Kavious Judkins, and Malik Williams.

Volleyball Big 8 All-Conference selections: Emani Foster (Conference Player of the Year). All-Conference Honorable Mention selections: Kyra Mitchell and Kynnedy Keel.

Tennis Big 8 All-Conference selections: Angel Durham and All-Conference Honorable Mention selection: Ashley Zuniga. Additionally, the VCS tennis team was selected for the conference’s Sportsmanship Award & Coach Andrews was the Coach of the Year!

Soccer Big 8 All-Conference selections: Jesus Zuniga. All-Conference Honorable Mention selections: Diego Vasquez and Miguel Garcia.

VCS also honored the students who were recognized as Student Spotlights during the fall semester. This recognition is made possible through community sponsorships and initiatives. All schools will have one spotlight student before the end of the 2019-2020 school year.

Spotlight recipients thus far include Miranda Royster, Carver Elementary; Nicholas Harris, AdVance Academy; Josiah Jones, Vance County Early College High School; Kamiyah Wimbush, STEM Early High School; Amiah Hargrove, Dabney Elementary; Samiya Reid, EM Rollins Elementary.

VCS is extremely proud of all that the students have accomplished and the staff that help each student reach those goals. VCS is also grateful for a Board of Education that cares for the district and works diligently on the district’s behalf.

We are truly #bettertogether!

For additional photos of recognized students, student-athletes and staff, please click here.

Town Talk 01/13/20: Ed Wilson Talks Vance Co. Board of Education, School Safety

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

Edward “Ed” Wilson, District 4 representative for the Vance County Board of Education and newly named Board Chair, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Monday at 11 a.m.

Wilson, who is running unopposed in the current election for the District 4 school board seat, discussed recent Vance County Schools (VCS) accomplishments and milestones, including the recognition in November of Dr. Anthony Jackson as the 2020 A. Craig Phillips North Carolina Superintendent of the Year.

“He’s excellent,” Wilson said of Jackson, who has served with VCS since 2015. “I think the results we see and how good the schools are doing speak for themselves. He brought a refreshing look at the school system. He didn’t make big changes early on; he assessed the situation and then went to work. He’s a blessing; we are very fortunate to have Dr. Jackson.”

Stating that Jackson emphasizes appropriate training for all those working with the school system – especially on new initiatives – Wilson reported that VCS is proud to say it was the first in NC to complete the second of two state-offered, week-long school board training sessions in 2019.

For their commitment, the Board received The Gold Bell Award, an honor that recognizes training excellence and commitment during the 2018-2019 North Carolina School Board Association’s Academy Year.

In other VCS news, Wilson discussed the Board’s recent decision to name him Chair, and District 5 representative Linda Cobb Vice Chair, for the 2020 year. Both were voted in unanimously by the Board.

Cobb faces challenger Clementine Hunter for the District 5 seat in the upcoming March 3 Primary. Hunter previously resigned from the District 5 position and Cobb was appointed to the Board.

For the 2020 election, Cobb is running as incumbent and Hunter filed to re-enter the race as the challenger.

The only other school board position that faces opposition is the District 3 seat, where incumbent Dorothy Gooche is running against challenger Sean A. Alston, Sr.

To hear the interview with Wilson in its entirety, including general discussion about school safety and the role of school resource officers, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.

VCS to Hold District-Wide Parent & Family Night at LB Yancey

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

-Information courtesy Vance County Schools

Save the Date! Tuesday, January 14, 2020, Vance County Schools will host District-Wide Parent and Family Night at LB Yancey Elementary School from 5:30 – 7 p.m. There will be snacks for all and childcare for those under 12.

Students will be performing, and two sessions will be offered. VCS is very excited about the sessions and hopes to see you there.

LB Yancey is located at 311 Hawkins Drive in Henderson.

Advance Academy Graduates 20 in Mid-Year Ceremony

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

-Press Release and photos, Vance County Schools

Advance Academy held its mid-year graduation on Wednesday, December 18, 2019, at the former Henderson Middle School Auditorium.

North Carolina Senator Erica Smith shared an inspiring message with the graduates – your future is calling! Dr. LaDonna Cooper led the Presentation of Roses, where each graduate honors someone who helped them on their journey towards their diploma.

With 20 students graduating, Principal Stephanie Ayscue proudly presented each with their diploma. The Air Force ROTC from Vance County High School assisted with the ceremony.

Vance County Schools is proud to have been part of their journey and all that each has accomplished.

For more pictures from the ceremony, please visit the Vance County Schools’ Facebook page. 

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

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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. Board of Education Urging the State to Take Action

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

-Information courtesy Vance County Schools

At its December 9 meeting, the Vance County Board of Education approved a resolution urging the State to take action to remit civil penalties unconstitutionally withheld from North Carolina public schools.

The North Carolina Supreme Court ruled that under Article IX, Section 7 of the NC Constitution, public schools are entitled to the clear proceeds of specific civil penalties collected by various state agencies.

The Vance County Board of Education respectfully requests the General Assembly to approve during its January 2020 session a multi-year plan to pay the remaining $729.7 million judgment for civil penalties that should have gone to public school units for school technology but were instead diverted to other purposes in violation of the North Carolina Constitution.

According to the Department of Public Instruction (DPI), in 2018-2019 only 38% of North Carolina’s 115 local school districts reported having achieved the State’s 4-year replacement goal for student devices.

More than 30% of school districts in 2018-19 reported having no resources budgeted for replacement devices.

VCS Staff Graduates From Virtual Labs ‘zSpace’ Credentialing Program

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

-Information courtesy Vance County Schools

Vance County Schools recently had staff graduate from the Vance Virtual Labs credentialing program. These forward-thinking educators committed to hours of professional development and in-lab coaching to be able to engage their students in the rich VR/AR learning experiences that zSpace has to offer.

(Vance Co. Schools photo)

Vance County Schools was also included in the zSpace Mid-Atlantic Holiday Highlight (excerpt below):

Vance County Schools’ leadership continues to find opportunities to move education forward with experiences and innovative practices in all areas of their educational programs. Recently, an 8th-grade science class at Vance County Middle School spent time in the zSpace lab with instructors from North Carolina State University, working on lesson extensions in their curriculum. This innovative space was designed to facilitate collaborative opportunities with higher education and industry partners.

Vance County Middle School, STEM Early High School, and Vance County High School all emphasize disrupting the normal educational environment by empowering students with experiences that are future-focused and personalized by topic and standards. zSpace provides the level of innovation needed to achieve that mission and foster collaborative relationships with industry partners in the community.

Vance Co. Schools Holds Press Conference on Middle School Incident

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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 County Sheriff's Office

School Resource Officer Under Investigation for Assault on VCMS Student

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

-Information courtesy the Vance County Sheriff’s Office and Vance County Schools

On December 12, 2019, the Vance County Sheriff’s Office responded to a complaint by Vance County Schools regarding the Assault on a juvenile by a law enforcement officer. The Vance County Sheriff’s Office reviewed the videotape and referred the matter to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. 

The Deputy involved in the matter was placed on administrative leave pending the investigation by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.

Vance County Schools released this statement regarding the incident:

We are aware of the incident that occurred at Vance County Middle School involving a school resource officer. We are deeply concerned about the actions that took place.

School and district officials are working closely and in full cooperation with the local authorities to address this matter consistent with school board policy and state laws. The safety of our students has been and continues to be of the utmost importance to our district.

Should you have further questions, please direct those to the Vance County Sheriff’s Office.

Vance Co. Schools Holds ‘Community to Schools’ Tour

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-Information and photos courtesy Vance County Schools

On Friday, December 13, Vance County Schools held its “Community to Schools” tour. Members from the community had an opportunity to tour Dabney Elementary School, Vance County Middle School and AdVance Academy.

This was a great opportunity for the community to see the teachers in action and the normal operations of our schools. It was a successful event that we continue to hold each year.