Johnston County student earns place in North Carolina Honors Chorus Matthew Tucker, a junior at West Johnston High School, is the only student in Johnston County to earn a place in the North Carolina Honors Chorus, a choir chosen from over 1,000 students across the state. Matt worked many afternoons after school and during lunch to learn a piece of music in the Latin language and to practice sight-singing (the skill of singing a melody without previously seeing it). He then traveled to UNCGreensboro's School of Music and was judged by a college professor on tone quality, knowledge of music, and overall presentation. In November, he will join the other students selected in this choir for rehearsals and performance with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's director, Craig Jessup, to open the North Carolina Music Educators Association Annual Conference. For more information, please call Brandon Garland, Assistant Principal, at 919.880.9344. Smithfield-Selma High School Band takes top honors The Smithfield-Selma High School Marching Band performed in the 14th annual Clinton Band Festival on Saturday, October 7, 2006, along with 19 other bands from around the state. The band received a superior rating and took top honors in all 4A captions including: 1st place Hornline; 1st place Percussion; 1st place Color Guard; 1st place Marching and Maneuvering; and 1st place Overall in Class 4A. The band was also crowned the Clinton Band Festival Grand Champion for having the highest overall score of the day. This week the band will travel to Jacksonville, NC, to compete in the White Oak Band Classic. The students and staff of the Spartan Regiment would like to thank all of the parents who give of their time to ensure that every student at Smithfield-Selma High School has a chance to participate in this wonderful activity. For more information, please call Shane Benson at 919.934.5191. Princeton recognizes students with perfect attendance This year at Princeton High School, the staff is recognizing students monthly for perfect attendance. Students in grades 9 – 12 who have perfect attendance at the end of each month will have their name placed in an envelope. Four names will be drawn from each grade level with each student receiving a prize. The prizes at this time include free nachos and cheese from the Spanish Club, free cookies from FBLA, one free concession item from the Art Club and a free pass to a home athletic contest. At the end of the school year, the winners from each month will be placed in a special envelope from which names will be drawn to be given athletic apparel from Princeton School. Each month, these students will be recognized by the Princeton News Leader. Princeton is proud of all its students who make the effort to be present each day. School leaders hope to be able to recognize more students from each grade level in the upcoming months. The winners for the month of September are: 9th grade Amanda Wise, Samira Rawling, Justin Collier and Jessica Smith A weekly media tip sheet of story and photo ideas produced on behalf of the Johnston County Schools ANNOUNCEMENTS 10th grade Matthew Stewart, Joshua Williford, Wes Bulluck, and Joshua Gabriel 11th grade Megan Peacock, Cierra Manuel, Austin Whitley, and Justin Woodard 12th grade Jennifer Tyndall, Dawn Owen, Tyler Creech, and Brittney Pierce For the month of September Princeton High School had 233 students with perfect attendance. 9th grade 72 10th grade 72 11th grade 47 12th grade 42 For more information, please call Kirk Denning, Principal, at 919.936.5011. More than a dozen Smithfield-Selma High School students named AP Scholars Thirteen students at Smithfield-Selma High School have earned the designation of AP Scholar by the College Board in recognition of their exceptional achievement on the college-level Advanced Placement Program (AP) Exams.The College Board’s Advanced Placement Program offers students the opportunity to take challenging college-level courses while still in high school, and to receive college credit, advanced placement, or both for successful performance on the AP Exams. About 18 percent of the more than 1.3 million high school students in 16,000 secondary schools world-wide who took AP Exams performed at a sufficiently high level to merit the recognition of AP scholar. Students took AP Exams in May 2006, after completing challenging college-level courses at their high schools. The College Board recognizes several levels of achievement based on student’s performance on AP exams. Five students qualified for the AP Scholar with Distinction Award by earning an average grade of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams. These students are Matthew Beamon, Lindsey Caraballo, Patricia Ryan, Robert Scott and Stephanie Williams. Four students qualified for the AP Scholar Award by earning an average grade of a least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams. These students are Hinton Armstrong, Bennett Narron, Frank O’Hale and Jane Royall. Thirteen students qualified for the AP Scholar Award by completing three or more AP Exams with grades of 3 or higher. The AP Scholars are, Copeland Barnes, Araceli Barragan, Mary Burgess, Hanna Daniels, Brittany Daughtry, William Eatmon, Amber McClure, Anna Parrish, Dev Patel, Paige Ridout, Christopher Runyon, Partick Williams, and Mary Youngblood. Of this year’s award recipients at Smithfield-Selma High School, six are sophomores or juniors: Copeland Barnes, Hannah Daniels, William Eatmon, Dev Patel, Raige Ridout and Frank O’Hale. These students have at least one more year in which to complete college-level work and possibly earn another AP Scholar Award. Most of the nation’s colleges and universities award credit, advanced placement, or both based on successful performance on the AP Exams. More than 1,400 institutions award a full year’s credit (sophomore standing) to students presenting a sufficient number of qualifying grades. In 2006, thirty-five AP Exams were offered in a wide variety of subject areas, each consisting of multiple-choice and free-response (essay or problem-solving) questions (except for the Studio Art exam which evaluates students’ original artwork). The College Board is a not-for –profit membership organization whose mission is to connect students to college success and opportunity. Founded in 1900, the association is composed of more than 5,000 schools, colleges, universities, and other educational organizations. Each year, the College Board serves 7,000,000 students and their parents, 23,000 high schools, and 3,500 colleges through major programs and services in college admissions, guidance, assessment, financial aid, enrollment, and teaching and learning. Among its bestknown programs are the SAT, the PSAT/NMSQT, and the Advanced Placement Program. The College Board is committed to the principles of excellence and equity, and that commitment is embodied in all of its programs, services, activities, and concerns. For more information, please call Michael Taylor, Assistant Principal, at 919.934.5191. Raffle winners name West Johnston High School as scholarship recipient The Johnston County Education Foundation sponsored a Scholarship Naming Raffle* this past August, drawing the winning ticket at the August 19, 2006, performance of the American Music Jubilee. The winning ticket was purchased by George and Helen Coates of the McGee's Crossroads community. They have chosen West Johnston High School to award the scholarship, which they've named: West Johnston High School Scholarship in Honor of West Johnston High School Band Students. The Scholarship recipient will be chosen by the West Johnston High School Scholarship Selection Committee using the following criteria: • Recipient must be a deserving student in the eyes of the committee • Recipient must be in the top 20% of the class • Recipient must be of good character with no out-of-school suspensions • Recipient must demonstrate community involvement, school involvement, or work experience *The Scholarship Naming Raffle is an annual fund raiser of the Johnston County Education Foundation. Tickets sell for $25 each. Each ticket entitles the holder to a barbecue dinner held at the Selma Fire Station, and a ticket to a designated show of the American Music Jubilee. The winner of the raffle gets to name a one-time $1,000 scholarship and designate the Johnston County public high school that will award the scholarship. For more information, please call Lorine Davis, Executive Director of the Education Foundation, at 919.934.7977. Selma Elementary names September Faculty of the Month Crystal Stewart was selected by the Selma Elementary School Improvement Team as the certified Faculty Member of the Month for her good attitude and excellence in the classroom. Stewart was a teacher assistant at Micro-Pine Level Elementary School for many years before going to Barton College on weekends to earn her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. She has just recently completed her Master’s degree. Crystal is a hard worker and certainly displays her dedication to her students and fellow teachers, as well. She has a picture and her nomination framed in the school lobby and received a gift card to Wal-Mart from the team. Sandra Pate was selected by the School Improvement Team as the classified Faculty Member of the Month for her good attitude and excellence in the classroom. Pate has worked diligently to give her kindergarten class a proper start to the year while waiting for a teacher. She has accomplished this with smiles, compassion, love, and lots of patience. She has a picture and her nomination framed in the school lobby and received a gift card to Wal-Mart from the team. Trudy Vinson was selected by the administration team at Selma Elementary for her commitment to the FISH philosophy and outstanding excellence in the classroom as a Master Teacher. For more information, please call Debbie Jacobs at 919.965.9434. Clayton Middle School to host Community Book Sale Clayton Middle School will host a Community Book Sale from 4-7:30 p.m. on Monday, October 16. There will be a special student poetry performance, the “Poetry Jam”, at 6 p.m. You will not want to miss this! Parents, children, teachers and the community are invited to attend. Also at Clayton Middle Students at Clayton Middle will host a Scholastic book fair called the Exchange, from 7:10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. to help raise funds for library and technology needs throughout the year. The Exchange will feature a wide range of books for young teens and adults, including mystery and adventure novels, fantasy trilogies, sports guides, anime, cookbooks, and the latest bestsellers from more than 150 publishers. Parents, children, teachers and the community are invited to attend. Fair attendees can help build classroom libraries by purchasing books for teachers through the Classroom Wish List program. Proceeds will also be used to purchase essential classroom resources and support school projects at Clayton Middle. Area businesses interested in making a donation for prizes are asked to contact Linda Dextre at 919.553.5811. Look for the One for the Books program at local businesses. Donate just one dollar to make a difference for our school children. Visit these local Clayton businesses to donate to the "One for the Books" Program: The Coffee Mill Pink Teacup Have a Good Day Cafe' Tiffany's Total Image Fancy That! Scholastic will match donations raised for Clayton Middle School to the "One for the Books" program. They donate books to National Literacy Organizations, "Kids in Distressed Situations", "National Center for Family Literacy" and "Toys for Tots". For more information, please call Linda Dextre at 919.553.5811. Corinth-Holders students to get lesson in Biotechnology On October 17, 2006, three professors and six students from NC A&T State University will introduce Biotechnology to the 7th grade and AVID students at Corinth-Holders. The presentation will include a demonstration on test-tube plant growth. The project is aligned with the 7th grade curriculum’s cell development unit. For a follow-up activity, Corinth's seventh graders will participate in a field trip to A&T. The program is an outreach activity sponsored by the University’s School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences. For more information, please call Paula Coates at 365-7560, Dr. Carolyn Turner, Associate Dean of Agricultural Research Station, at 336.334.7612, or Dr. Guochen Yang, renowned professor of Biotechnology, at 336.334.7779. SAVE THE DATE: upcoming events in the Johnston County Schools Oct. 17 10:45 a.m.--Group II North Carolina Symphony for 5th Graders Oct. 17 7:00 p.m.--School Advisory Council Association PTA/PTO Council Dinner Meeting at Clayton High School For more information, please call Lori Dixon or Carolyn Ennis at 919.934.6031 Muddy Buddy reads to Meadow Elementary Students Muddy Buddy from the Carolina Mudcats will be visiting Meadow School at 2 p.m. on Thursday, October 19, 2006, to read to students in kindergarten through fifth grade. Reading to students models reading strategies, but reading enthusiastically motivates students to read. Muddy will also share with students how they can read to earn free tickets to the Mudcats’ baseball games. Parents/guardians are always welcome at Meadow School. Visitors must sign in at the office and get a visitor’s pass. This event will take place in the school gym. UPCOMING EVENTS For more information, please call Darene Honeycutt, Reading Specialist and Parent Involvement Contact, at 919.894.4226, extension 117. Parent workshops on “How to Talk” with your children to be held this month The Johnston County Coalition is a group of individuals whose purpose is to promote community awareness about the prevention of teen pregnancy. The local Coalition has been funded for ten years by United Way. In addition to promoting community awareness about the prevention of teen pregnancy, the Coalition also provides services to local teens through the use of an abstinence based curriculum to help these teens make wise choices. During the month of October, Sarah Thompson, Parent Involvement Specialist with Johnston County Schools and a member of the Coalition, will host parent workshops on “How to Talk” with their children about sex, and other sensitive/tough issues. These workshops will offer parents research based strategies to assist them in talking with their children. Child care and a light dinner will be provided. Parents will need to preregister at their school, or by contacting Sarah Thompson at 934-4361 Ext. 376 for these events. The schedule for these parent workshops is: Mon., Oct. 23, 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Meadow Elementary Tues., Oct. 24, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Corinth-Holders Elementary Thurs., Oct. 26, 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Selma Elementary For more information about the local Coalition, please call Endra Pugh or Etta Marett at 934-9810, extension 227 or 228. Candidates forum to be held at West Johnston High School The West Johnston High School Parent Teacher Student Association will hold a forum for the Johnston County Board of Education candidates on Thursday, October 26, 2006, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the WJHS auditorium. All candidates have been invited to participate. The public is invited and encouraged to attend. For further information, email jgptsa@nc.rr.us Micro-Pine Level Elementary School to host Hispanic Parent Night Micro Pine-Level Elementary School hosts a Hispanic Parent Night on the third or fourth Thursday of each month. Parents are invited to get together in an informal setting to share needs, concerns or ask questions. They are also informed of school policies, upcoming events, etc. Parents are able to get to know each other and share information on how to help their children with daily routines and homework. Usually there are door prizes and refreshments. This month, the meetings are being held in conjunction with other schools in the area. The next meeting is October 26, in the Selma Elementary School Auditorium. The meeting will include a lecture from a motivational speaker. Families from Selma Elementary, Selma Middle and Glendale-Kenly are welcome. Some of the group’s past meetings, as well as its future meetings, will continue to have a speaker (volunteer parent usually) that talks about his country or region of Mexico. The guests bring artifacts, food, and pictures of the region to share with the group. In the past the topics have been about San Luis Potosi, Puerto Rico, Honduras and Colombia. For more information, please call Ana Tobar at Micro-Pine Level Elementary at 919-965-3323. Technology Showcase slated for next month The sixth annual Johnston County Schools Technology Showcase will take place October 26, 2006. The event will be held in the Great Hall at Johnston Community College in Smithfield and is scheduled to last from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The Technology Showcase is an opportunity to share some of the things the students in the Johnston County Schools are doing with technology and technology resources. For more information, please call Diana Freeman at 919.934.4361, extension 347. Buster the Bus to teach bus safety at Meadow Elementary (New) Buster the Bus will visit Meadow Elementary School on Friday, October 27, 2006, to teach students about bus safety. Kindergarten and 1st grade students will meet Buster at 9 a.m. and grades 2 and 3 will meet Buster at 9:45 a.m. The program will take place in the gym. Meadow students love Buster, a toy bus that talks and interacts with Ms. Sharon Fogleman, from the Transportation Department. For more information, please call Darene Honeycutt at 919.894.7064. River Dell Elementary School rounding up money for school equipment River Dell Elementary will hold its annual Round the Round-Up from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 28, 2006, on the school campus. The Round-Up will include four blow-up rides, several games, a silent auction, a cake walk, Book Fair and “Stormie” the Hurricane. This event is to raise money for playground equipment, computer equipment and a school sign. For more information, please call Kelly Huff at 919.550.5780. Superintendent to host Minister’s Meeting in North Johnston area Superintendent Dr. Anthony Parker will host a Ministers' Meeting at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, October 30, at North Johnston High School in the Media Center. Ministers from the North Johnston and Princeton attendance areas including: Micro-Pine Level Elementary, Glendale- Kenly Elementary, North Johnston Middle, North Johnston High, and Princeton, are invited to attend. For more information, please call Lori Dixon or Carolyn G. Ennis 934-6032, Ext. 242 or 257. Student artwork featured in Johnston Memorial Hospital Pediatrics Unit The Johnston County Arts Council and Johnston Memorial Hospital invite you to attend the “Student Art Exhibit for the Pediatrics Unit.” Artwork from students at the AIG Center will be on display from October 1 to November 25, 2006. Hours are from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, please call Sue Booker, Art teacher, at 919.934.9529. Exploration Day brings field trip presenters to South Smithfield campus Many local, state and national agencies will be on the South Smithfield Elementary School campus on Friday, November 3rd, to allow hands-on learning opportunities. Guest speakers will be on hand from Langley Space Center (NASA), the Museum of Life and Science, the Ava Gardner Museum, the Tobacco and Farm Life Museum and many local artists and musicians. Exploration Day allows students to experience many hands-on activities in science and social studies. Students also get to meet guest speakers who are very knowledgeable in areas such as music and art. For more information, please call Kathy Hamilton at 919.934.8979. Meadow Elementary sponsoring fundraiser to benefit Breast Cancer patient October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month. Meadow Elementary School has a 5th grade student, Lacey Blevins, whose mother is fighting breast cancer at this time. Chris Blevins, age 34, recently delivered a baby prematurely in order to start her chemo-therapy treatments. Family and friends are sponsoring a barbecue chicken dinner to raise funds for the Blevins family. Plates will include barbecue chicken, green beans, potatoes, a roll, cake slice and a beverage. The cost is $6 per plate. The fundraiser will begin at 11 a.m. on Saturday, November 4, 2006, at First Federal Bank on Highway 421 and 301 in Dunn. Please consider purchasing a plate or making a donation. Contact the office at Meadow to purchase tickets. For more information, please call Darene Honeycutt at 919.894.7064. Selma Middle School Students Participate in SIGHT NIGHT The students and staff of the Life Skills program at Selma Middle School are participating in the Give the Gift of Sight Foundation and Lions Club International service project called Sight Night. Beginning on October 1st and continuing through October 31st, this group will be collecting used eyeglasses for people in developing countries. The eyeglasses collected will be cleaned, repaired, classified by prescription and hand delivered to people who need eyeglasses in those areas. "We really wanted to have our students make a positive difference to others as they went about trick or treating on October 31st. We decided to extend the program for the whole month so that our collection efforts will be stronger in numbers," said Brenda Newsome, Life Skills teacher. For more information, please call Brenda Newsome at 965-2555 ext.458. For more information on Sight Night, visit www.sightnight.org or call toll-free 1-877-605-4242. Artists in the Schools will provide JCS over 50 artists for more than 150 cultural programs Cong Yuan will conduct a weeklong residency at Benson Middle from October 16-20, 2006. In this five-day residency, Cong Yuan will introduce students to many different aspects of the Chinese cultures, such as the language, calligraphy, Beijing Opera, Tai Chi, music, and the dance. Almost Recess will perform at East Clayton Elementary on October 20, 2006. Almost Recess will perform songs-both originals and covers- and band members describe how they create their music, incorporating explanations of vocal arrangements, songwriting, the history of a cappella, voice parts, vocal drumming, and types of a cappe Almost Recess will perform at Four Oaks Middle on October 20, 2006. Almost Recess will perform songsboth originals and covers- and band members describe how they create their music, incorporating explanations of vocal arrangements, songwriting, the history of a cappella, voice parts, vocal drumming, and types of a cappe Almost Recess will perform at Selma Middle on October 23, 2006 at 8:30 am and 9:30 am. Almost Recess will perform songs-both originals and covers- and band members describe how they create their music, incorporating explanations of vocal arrangements, songwriting, the history of a cappella, voice parts, vocal drumming, and types of a cappe Elise Witt will perform at McGee's Crossroads Elementary on October 27, 2006 at 9:15 AM. Through multiligual singing, students will gain a perception of the rich difference tht exist between cultures. The Shabu Family will perform at Smithfield Middle on October 27, 2006 at 9:30 AM. Young master drummers and dancers bring the fire of the djembe (drum), the dance, and all the music and drama that bring the African spectacle alive. Anyone interested in observing any performances should call the school to request permission and confirm the date and time of the performance. The Artists-in-the-Schools Program is supported by the Fred Smith Company, the Johnston County Arts Council, Johnston County Schools and corporate, foundation and individual donors. For more information, please call 919.553.1930.
