Tag Archive for: #vancecountyschools
First of Six ‘Future Focus’ Sessions Held at AdVance Academy
-Press Release, Vance County Schools
The first of six “Future Focus” sessions for juniors and seniors at AdVance Academy was held on November 28, with Dr. James Hunter, a certified counselor with Vance County Schools, as the featured speaker.
LaShawn Hawley, career placement specialist with the district’s Career and Technical Education Program, is coordinating the sessions.
Hunter is shown in the accompanying photo as he talks with students at the school about their career choices. He told them their strategies for future success should include: researching colleges and careers; building and maintaining support from others; planning; setting goals; and persevering through obstacles.
The remaining “Future Focus” sessions will be held once each month January through May and are designed to provide diverse guest speakers who can discuss with the students their future plans and how to enhance their chances of successfully getting into college and beginning their vocational careers.
Dr. James Hunter, a certified counselor with Vance County Schools, talks with students at AdVance Academy about their career choices. (Photo Credit: Vance County Schools)
Arulappan Named Vance Co.Schools’ Exceptional Children’s Educator of Excellence
-Press Release, Vance County Schools
Selvaraj Arulappan, an Exceptional Children’s teacher at Vance County High School, was chosen as the Vance County Schools’ Exceptional Children’s Educator of Excellence for 2018-2019.
With his award, Arulappan represented our school system in the N.C. Exceptional Children’s Educator of Excellence Award competition at the state level and attended the N.C. Department of Public Instruction’s 68th Conference on Exceptional Children held in Greensboro November 15-16.
Selvaraj Arulappan, an Exceptional Children’s teacher at Vance County High School, was chosen as the Vance County School’s Exceptional Children’s Educator of Excellence for 2018-2019. (Photo Credit: Vance County Schools)
Arulappan has 13 years of experience as an educator and is a leader among his peers at Vance County High School. He received his master’s degree in special education from N.C. Central University.
He has a passion for working with students who are intellectually, physically and behaviorally challenged. He also is very successful in engaging and connecting with students.
He is a leader in the classroom and serves in multiple roles at Vance County High including on the Leadership Team, as a PBIS Committee member and a vocational rehabilitation counselor. He also collaborates with the music therapy and art staff to provide diverse experiences for his students. His colleagues describe him as caring, compassionate, supportive, proactive, dedicated and engaging.
“Mr. Arulappan has done such amazing work serving his students in preparation for transition into life after high school,” one colleague said.
Another colleague noted, “Mr. Arulappan stands out above others with his ability to engage and connect with students. He actively engages the parents in meeting the educational needs of their children.”
Several educators who work with him said that Arulappan goes beyond the call of duty to support his students and colleagues.
Vance County Middle & High School Win First Place in State Video Contest
-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 Virtual’ Labs Officially Open in Vance County Middle, High School
-Press Release, Vance County Schools
Vance County Schools hosted ribbon-cutting ceremonies at Vance County Middle School and Vance County High School on November 9 to officially open the schools’ “Vance Virtual” or “V2” laboratories.
The laboratories, located in the schools’ media centers, feature approximately 24 digital learning stations each for students to engage in interactive three-dimensional instruction using special computer software applications (like the ones found on this website)in a wide range of subject areas including science, health and geography.
The establishment of the laboratories is being made possible through a $400,000 grant awarded to the school system from the Golden Leaf Foundation. The grant was awarded during last school year and following the completion of construction work the laboratories are now open.
Vance County Board of Education member Ruth Hartness watches as Vance County Middle School students explain how they are using the zSpace digital student learning center and three-dimensional software application in the new Vance Virtual lab in their school. (Photo: VCS)
“Vance Virtual” has the largest number of zSpace digital learning stations of any school system on the East Coast of the United States and one of the largest deployments of the stations in the nation.
The zSpace STEM Learning Initiative represents a new direction for instructional delivery and academic outcomes for the students in Vance County. This initiative will systematically and intentionally embed the technical and essential skills into our instructional programs to ensure student readiness for the local, regional and global workforce.
The digital student-learning stations will be available for use by students in the middle school and high school, as well as the STEM Early High School.
Teachers will be trained on specific skills to utilize virtual reality technology in the delivery of their individual content areas. Wikis, blogs and an e-lesson repository will be constructed to allow teachers to share and collaborate as they train and implement new strategies.
Business and industry partners will engage with our Career and Technical Education program teachers to develop a functional profile of the worker needed to support their industry. These skills and attributes will be embedded in the core competencies and outcomes of each learning module. Students will have direct interaction with virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) software to enhance their level of knowledge, understanding and application of science, career and technology coursework.
Vance County High School students work with software applications on the zSpace learning centers in their school’s new Vance Virtual lab as the large digital screen on the wall follows their actions. (Photo: VGCC)
The school system received valuable support from the Vance County Board of Commissioners for the virtual reality project and the Golden Leaf Foundation grant funding.
“The launch of this project represents a seismic shift in the learning ecosystem of our school district,” said Dr. Anthony Jackson, superintendent of Vance County Schools. “This game-changing technology is cutting-edge and provides our students with real-world hands-on opportunities to engage collaboratively, think critically, communicate effectively and create authentically in a rigorous and challenging academic environment.
“Through our Vance Virtual Workforce Labs, we are confident that our students will leave us with the essential skills necessary to effectively navigate and compete in the local, regional and global workforce,” he continued. “This is yet another example of the academic ‘Vanceformation’ taking place in our schools and in our community. I am indeed Vance County Proud.”
“Students in Vance County Schools are ready to explore science, math and other content areas at a higher level of application in environments that are technology-based,” added Dr. Cindy Bennett, assistant superintendent for Student Services and Strategic Planning. “Vance Virtual labs will provide that opportunity with virtual and augmented reality experiences and investigations in an interactive learning environment. As educators, we continue to seek to bring the brick and mortar models of education into the 21st Century. Vance Virtual labs do just that and our students will investigate tomorrow TODAY!”
Vance Co. Board of Education’s Nov. Meeting Rescheduled
-Information courtesy Terri Hedrick, Public Information Officer, Vance County Schools
The Vance County Board of Education meeting originally scheduled for Monday, November 5, 2018, has been rescheduled to Monday, November 19.
The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in the Board Room of the school system’s Administrative Services Center at 1724 Graham Avenue in Henderson.
Vance Co. United Way Holding Coat Drive for Local School Children
-Information courtesy Heidi Owen, Nationwide
Vance County United Way is holding a coat drive for local school children. Please drop gently used or new coats at one of the following donation sites:
- Century 21 – Dabney Drive
- Maria Parham Health – Information Desk, Front Entrance
- Nationwide – Ruin Creek Road
- Woodforest Bank – Walmart
Please drop coats off by Thursday, November 15 for distribution by Thanksgiving to Vance County Schools.
Dr. Anthony Jackson Talks School Consolidation Success, State of the Schools
Dr. Anthony Jackson, superintendent of Vance County Schools, was on Thursday’s edition of WIZS’ Town Talk program to discuss the success of the school consolidation process and his recent State of the Schools address.
Jackson began the show by thanking the community for the support the school system received throughout the entire consolidation process for Vance County Middle School and Vance County High School.
“From the day the school board made the decision to consolidate the schools to the opening of school, we had approximately 120 days,” said Jackson. “I’m so proud of this community, our students, our parents and our staff for the work that they did during that period of time to get us to what we like to call ‘the launch.'”
According to Jackson, the launch of the newly consolidated schools in August went smoothly and was a great start to the 2018-19 school year.
“What we have seen since is what we hoped would come to fruition – a community coming together. I was at the football game a few nights ago and it was a joy to see the number of kids on our sidelines participating and the number of parents in the stands,” Jackson said.
State of the Schools Address
In Jackson’s recent address to the public, he announced that the majority of the system’s 15 schools showed marked improvement during the previous school year. “When I arrived in Vance County, nine schools were designated as low-performing. This year, I’m pleased to announce that 11 of our 15 schools met or exceeded growth and received a school performance grade of a C or better.”
Jackson credits this success to a number of factors including a shift towards focusing on the best way to reach and teach each individual student. “We focus on high student achievement by figuring out how best to teach every child – not just the low or high performers. Every single child deserves the best education,” said Jackson.
Other factors, according to Jackson, include making the environment as safe as possible so teaching and learning can take place, hiring and retaining high-quality educators and being efficient with resources.
“We change mindsets about what we can do in this community and if we work together, we can accomplish our goals.”
To listen to the interview in its entirety, click here.