After consultation with school system leadership and the Vance County Board of Education, Superintendent Anthony Jackson has recommended, and the Board of Education has approved, a change in our school calendar to accommodate the N.C. Association of Educators’ Rally for Public Education planned for Wednesday, May 1, 2019, in Raleigh.
The day will be changed to an optional teacher workday in all Vance County Schools and a holiday for students.
This decision has been made because of the large number of educators in our schools who have asked for the day off to participate in the public education rally. The missed day of instruction will not be made up for students.
School system employees who want to be out of work on May 1 must use annual leave time or, if they don’t have available leave time, must take the day off without pay or report to work.
Friday, April 12, 2019, is an early release day for Vance County schools. Elementary schools dismiss at 12 p.m. and middle and high schools dismiss at 12:15 p.m. Early College follows its regular schedule for Friday.
Spring break for students is April 15 – 19. All Vance County schools and school system offices are closed on Friday, April 19 in observance of the Easter holiday.
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/wizsfbresize_0001s_0131_VCS-Proud-Logo-050316.jpg.png265504WIZS Staffhttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngWIZS Staff2019-04-11 16:56:442019-04-11 16:56:44Vance Co. Schools: Early Release Day, Spring Break Reminders
Vance County Schools has been named a 2019 District of Distinction by the National Beta Club for offering the academic recognition membership to students in all eligible schools in the school district.
In making the award announcement, National Beta officials praised the efforts of Superintendent Anthony Jackson, school chapter sponsors and deserving student members.
This national award recognizes Vance County Schools’ commitment to academic excellence, leadership development and service involvement, and illustrates the dedication to preparing students for college and career readiness. The students in the district understand the importance of these qualities and exemplify the Beta motto, Let Us Lead by Serving Others, National Beta officials noted.
Bobby Hart, chief executive officer for National Beta, contacted Jackson in a letter about the district’s recognition.
In the letter, Hart wrote, “Thank you for all you do as an administrator in supporting the success of your schools, staff and students. We appreciate your continued focus on fostering activities that ensure all students can achieve success.”
Beta Club advisors in Vance County Schools play a major role in the success of the program and recognition of eligible students. Those advisors include:
· Hollie Powell of Aycock Elementary School
· Teresa Hicks of Carver Elementary School
· Myron Duncan of Clarke Elementary School
· Michelle Foster of Dabney Elementary School
· Marian Faulkner of E.O. Young, Jr. Elementary School
· Shaunese Coombs of E.M. Rollins Elementary School
· Sharita Jones of L.B. Yancey Elementary School
· Cathy Oswald of New Hope Elementary School
· Eva Jennings of Pinkston Street Elementary School
· Ashley Pennington of Zeb Vance Elementary School
· Ben Mixer of STEM Early High School
· Vickie Fullwood of Vance County Early College High School
· Pamela Perry of Vance County Middle School
· Bobbi Parks of Vance County High School
National Junior Beta includes grades 4-8 and National Senior Beta includes grades 9-12.
With more than 500,000 active members and 9,000 chapters nationally and internationally, National Beta has become the nation’s largest independent, non-profit, educational youth organization. National Beta recognizes outstanding achievement, promotes character and social responsibility, encourages service involvement to school and community and fosters leadership skills.
The school advisors for the National Beta Club chapters in Vance County Schools are shown in the photo during their recognition at the Vance County Board of Education meeting on April 8. They are shown with Dorothy Gooche, board chairperson, and Superintendent Anthony Jackson, both standing at center. (Photo courtesy VCS)
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A total of 15 students at Vance County High School were inducted into the school’s chapter of the National Technical Honor Society (NTHS) during a special ceremony held at the school on April 4.
Each of the students was presented a framed certificate for their academic accomplishments in Career and Technical Education courses at the high school. Presenting the certificates were Principal Rey Horner, Career and Technical Education Director Willa Clark and Career and Technical Education Career Development Coordinator LaShawn Hawley. Amy Langston-Eley, Career and Technical Education instructional specialist, and Pamela Huff, a Career and Technical Education teacher and advisor to the NTHS chapter, assisted.
Pamela Huff, Career and Technical Education teacher at Vance County High School, presents a framed certificate to Zy’Shawn Appling in recognition of his induction into the high school’s chapter of the National Technical Honor Society. (Photo courtesy VCS)
Those students inducted as new members include America Alfaro, Tamia Alston, Zy’Shawn Appling, Amari Bennerson, Sha’Mya Bullock, Kristophe Burwell, Tammy Dang, Anasia Jones, Stephanie Salazar-Villa, Noah Terry, Tyere Wiggins, Destiny Weaver, Sydiahiah Williams, Bryton Yarborough and Phajja Yarborough.
Turner Pride, Jr., the director of the Vance County Cooperative Extension Service, was the featured speaker for the evening. He praised the new NTHS inductees for their accomplishments and hard work. He also gave them some advice on how to continue to be successful through the remainder of their high school careers and beyond.
Horner also addressed the students and let them know how proud he is of each one of them. He asked them to continue to be leaders among their fellow classmates and let them know that he is counting on them to help lead success at Vance County High School.
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Parents of children eligible for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten for the 2019-2020 school year will have more opportunities to register their children with sessions planned on Tuesday, April 9, and Thursday, April 11, both days from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., at the school system’s Administrative Services Center at 1724 Graham Avenue in Henderson.
Elementary schools have been hosting registration events all of this week.
Parents should take advantage of the sessions on April 9 and 11 to register and enroll their children for the new school year. It’s a great way to get a head start on the new year and prepare your child for success in school.
An outstanding group of 15 educators with Vance County Schools were honored during the evening of March 28, for their successful completion of the Vance County Teacher Executive Institute (TEI) program for the 2018-2019 school year.
They were each presented framed certificates for completion of the program.
An audience that included the educators’ special guests and each of their principals gathered to recognize their achievements.
Those educators honored included: Angela Cusaac of Vance County High School and the school system’s Teacher of the Year; Christine Francis of Vance County High School; Davia Johnson of Vance County Middle School; Sherrie Evans-Bailey of AdVance Academy; Oscar Suarez of Early College High School; Tammy Barrow of STEM Early High School; Jessica Ayscue of Aycock Elementary School; Patricia Harris of Carver Elementary School; Kristy Martin of Clarke Elementary School; Pat Hughes of E.O. Young, Jr. Elementary School; Cherie Dixon of L.B. Yancey Elementary School; Taylor Evans of New Hope Elementary School; Jhaneille Downer of Pinkston Street Elementary School; Kimberly Holtzmann of Dabney Elementary School; and Vanessa Davis of Zeb Vance Elementary School.
The Vance County Teacher Executive Institute graduates for 2018-2019 include, from left, Jessica Ayscue, Tammy Barrow, Pat Hughes, Sherrie Evans-Bailey, Oscar Suarez, Patricia Harris, Jhanielle Downer, Davia Johnson, Cherie Dixon, Taylor Evans, Kristy Martin, Kimberly Holtzmann, Vanessa Davis, Christine Francis and Angela Cusaac. (Photo courtesy VCS)
Katie Eddings, a teacher at Lee County High School and the current N.C. North Central Region Teacher of the Year, was the featured speaker for the event. Eddings talked with the honored educators and guests about her passion for teaching and urged them all to focus on developing positive relationship with students. She also asked them to use their commitment to children to push for positive changes in public education and our society today.
The Vance County Teacher Executive Institute has been offered to local public school educators since 1993. The program is presented each year by the Vance County Public School Foundation and the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce. Vance County Schools is a sponsor and partner for the program. TEI is a professional development program for public school teachers, counselors and media specialists. It is designed to bring local educators and business leaders together to form strong relationships so that they can work together for the betterment of our students and future leaders.
Corporate sponsors this year for Teacher Executive Institute included: Duke Energy, Satterwhite Point Marina, Walmart Distribution Center #6091, KARTS, Quick Print, Vance County Farm Bureau, J.M. White Funeral Service, Henderson Family YMCA, The Daily Dispatch, Golden Skillet, Maria Parham Health, Chick-fil-A of Henderson, Wayne and Susan Adcock and Barnett Properties.
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Four weeks ago second graders and their teachers at Dabney Elementary School welcomed chicken eggs into their classrooms. Now, they have baby chicks hopping around in their incubator containers.
The learning experience has been a great one for the students and a truly collaborative effort among the four second-grade teachers.
Second-grade teacher Kerianne Owen began the project and got her colleagues, Kimberly Holtzmann, Trish Burroughs and Ellen Harris, to join in. The eggs were donated by a local farmer and the project was sponsored through the Vance County 4-H, with lots of help from Lina Lue, the local agricultural extension agent.
The students can easily answer questions about the process, including how they rotated the eggs three times a day for 21 days and made sure the eggs were always kept warm in the incubators. They can discuss how the chicks made their way out of their eggs and how they have changed in the few days since they hatched.
The chicks’ journey at Dabney Elementary is coming to an end. This week, they will be taken home by Owen and Holtzmann, who plan to raise them on their farms.
“The children have been so excited through this whole process,” Owen said. “Each day, they would come into the classroom and go over to the incubator to say hello to the chicks, even when they were still inside their eggs. Once we saw them starting to peck their way out of their shells, the students’ enthusiasm really went up.”
“This has been an amazing learning experience for our students,” Holtzmann added. “We as teachers have learned, also. It was quite a bit of work to care for the eggs, make sure they were turned enough times each day and kept warm enough. Now that they are out of their shells, the children have learned how to feed them and give them water.”
Of course, the students have given all of the chicks names. They’ve watched them go from “wet gooey messes” as one student described as they hatched, to now “furry” cute things ranging in color from dark brown to yellow.
The students say they will be sad to see the chicks leave their classrooms, but they’re looking forward to Owen and Holtzmann sharing pictures of the chicks as they grow into adult chickens.
Kerianne Owen, a second-grade teacher at Dabney Elementary, watches with four of her students as nine baby chicks move around in the incubator in her classroom. (Photo courtesy VCS)
Kimberly Holtzmann holds one of the 10 baby chicks in her classroom as some of her second graders take turns petting the chick. (Photo courtesy VCS)
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All 10 Vance County Schools’ elementary schools are hosting pre-kindergarten and kindergarten showcase events April 1 – 5, for registration for the 2019-2020 school year!
There will be two sessions held at each school – one session in the morning and a second session in the afternoon/evening to accommodate parents’ schedules.
The pre-kindergarten and kindergarten showcase times include:
Aycock Elementary:
April 3: 8:30-11:30 a.m.
April 4: 2-6 p.m.
Carver Elementary:
April 1: 2-6 p.m.
April 5: 8:30-11:30 a.m.
Clarke Elementary:
April 3: 4:30-5:30 p.m. and 5:45-7 p.m.
April 4: 8:30-10:30 a.m.
Dabney Elementary:
April 3: 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
April 4: 2-6 p.m.
E.M. Rollins Elementary:
March 25-29; parents welcome during and after school
E.O. Young, Jr. Elementary:
April 2: 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 2-6 p.m.
L.B. Yancey Elementary:
April 3: 2-6 p.m.
April 4: 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
New Hope Elementary:
April 1: 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
April 2: 2-6 p.m.
Pinkston Street Elementary:
April 3: 2-6 p.m.
April 4: 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Zeb Vance Elementary:
April 3: 8:30-11:30 a.m.
April 4: 2-6 p.m.
