Career and Technical Education Week is February 7-11 Johnston County Schools will observe Career and Technical Education Week with various activities at the schools Monday, February 7 through Friday, February 11. For more information, please call David Wehbie, Director of Career and Technical Education, at (919) 934-4361, extension 385, or Margaret Martin, Career Development Counselor, at (919) 934-6481. South Johnston Students Earn All District, All-County Band Seats; Band Receives Invitation to Honolulu South Johnston students Brittany Warren and Daniel Page were selected out of hundreds of high school instrumentalists to participate in the 2004-2005 All District Band. After being selected through an audition process these students traveled to UNC Pembroke where they rehearsed with other selected students for numerous hours prior to performing a concert on Saturday, January 29th at noon for parents and guests. In addition, Leslie Barbour, Laura Tart and Brittany Warren were selected to participate in the 2004-2005 All County Band. These students will perform a concert on Friday, February 4 at 7 p.m. at West Johnston High School. *Note: The band has received an invitation to perform at the 65th Anniversary ceremony of Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii in December 2006. For more information, please call Dr. Bryan Martin, Principal, (919) 894-3146. South Johnston Names Special Education Ambassador Ester Garner, a National Board Certified Teacher at South Johnston High School, has been nominated as "Ambassador for Special Education." Garner has served in the Johnston County Schools for 22 years, including three at SJHS. As the Special Education Ambassador, Garner has agreed to take the lead in introducing others to the exceptional children's profession. Garner teaches Life Skills, which prepares students for employment, daily living, self-help and self-advocacy along with other academic pursuits. For more information, please call Marjorie Barber at (919) 894-3146. Buffalo Soldiers Drama Slated at McGee's Middle A dramatic performance about the Buffalo soldiers will be performed for McGee's Middle eighth graders on Friday, February 4 at 1:15 p.m. as part of the Artists-in-the-Schools program. Also at McGee's, Beverly Botsford will perform multicultural percussion with dance and storytelling for seventh graders on Tuesday, February 8 at 10 a.m. in the gym. Also at McGee's the school will be celebrating Career and Technical Education Week. Each day will have a theme and students will participate by dressing up. A speaker will be featured each afternoon from West Johnston to talk about vocational class offerings. On Friday, a Career Fair will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Approximately 20 representatives will be on hand. For more information, please call Charlene Bowling at (919) 894-6003. Four Oaks Elementary News Students at Four Oaks Elementary School are participating in a tsunami relief drive through February 11. For more information, please call Katy Gurash at (919) 963-2165. Also at Four Oaks, Arthur Watkins of Farm Bureau will make a donation to the school's physical education program for the purpose of purchasing bicycle helmets. Students are learning bicycle rules. On Friday, February 11, Four Oaks Elementary School will host its annual PTA Parent-Child Valentine Dance from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the gym. Admission is $2 per person. Kindergarten-age and under will be admitted free. All children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Music and refreshments will be provided. For more information, please call (919) 963-2165. On Friday, February 25, Tina Selden Cash will present "Notes on Character" to fourth and fifth grade students from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. SSS Students Raising Money for St. Jude's The HOSA club is raising money for St. Jude's Children's Hospital. Interested persons can purchase paper hearts and display a message on the heart, which will then be placed on the school's bulletin board in the main lobby. For more information, please call Pat Deese, Advisor, at (919) 934-5191. West Smithfield Students Show Compassion for Tsunami Victims The Student Government Association at West Smithfield Elementary has implemented a project to help the survivors of the Tsunami. They have begun a schoolwide project by collecting "health kits" that will include: a hand towel, washcloth, comb, file or nail clipper, one bar of soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, and band-aids. Students may also choose to donate money. All money collected will be used to purchase items for the health kits. Churches and civic groups are participating in this effort as well, which will continue through the month of February. Also at West Smithfield, members of the Smithfield chapter of the National Association of University Women visited West Smithfield Elementary School to place in each K-3 student's hand a book of their very own to read and enjoy. Literacy is a national goal for the association, so members felt it was important for them to demonstrate how important it is for students to read at home by giving them their own book. On February 17th, Jubilee Day, the association members will again visit to read to students in the classrooms. The members presenting the books were Lana Johnson, Carolyn Ennis, Shirley Cohen, Joyce Atkinson, and Hazel F. Sanders. For more information, please call Bridgette Spaulding, Assistant Principal, at (919) 989-6418 or Anne Koebley, ASP Coach, at (919) 989-6418. Cooper Hosting Kindergarten Information Session "Kindergarten, Here We Come!" will be presented for parents of upcoming kindergarten students on Tuesday, February 8 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The registration process, daily experiences in kindergarten, and activities parents can do at home are on the agenda. A pizza snack will be provided. For more information, please call Michee Olson at (919) 553-0256. Glendale-Kenly Collecting "Coins of Compassion" Second-grade teachers at Glendale-Kenly Elementary School have been collecting "Coins of Compassion" toward the tsunami victim relief efforts. Barton College student from Sri Lanka, Udesha Kotuwegedera, will present a Powerpoint presentation to the classes about the effects of the tsunami on February 8 at 10:15 a.m. in the media center. For more information, please call Elizabeth Willoughby or Amy Renfrow, Assistant Principal at (919) 284-2821.
