-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.