ANNOUNCEMENTS_________________________________________________ Four OaksMiddle School students participate in National Geographic Geography Bee (New) In early December 2006, the students at Four Oaks Middle School had the opportunity to participate in the National Geographic Geography Bee. The top 29 scorers were invited to participate in the second round of the bee on Dec. 19. A series of seven rounds with tie breakers was conducted to determine the top 10. The top 10 students from the second round were invited to enter the next round of competition to help determine the school winner. Sixth graders in this round were Chance Aube, Greg Lane, Tiffany Massengill and George Smith. Seventh graders were Lance Kapral, Brittany Kemp, Edward Woodall and Helena Yourse. Eighth graders were Adam Dale and Justin Lee. The two finalists were Tiffany Massengill and Edward Woodall, with Edward becoming the school winner. Edward took the written test on Friday, January 12, which was sent to the National Geographic Society in Washington, DC. If he is one of the top 100 scorers in the state of North Carolina, he will be invited to participate on the national level. As the school winner, Edward will receive a plaque from Four Oaks Middle School and a certificate from the National Geographic Society on Awards Day. For more information, please call Phyllis Edwards at 919.963.4022. Meadow Elementary teacher selected for NASCAR seminar (New) Darene Honeycutt will be attending the NCCAT seminar, NASCAR: Science on the Race Track at Victory Junction Gang Camp on January 28, 2007, through February 2, 2007. Mrs. Honeycutt applied to attend the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching earlier this fall and was accepted into the Nascar: Science on the Race Track seminar. Mrs. Honeycutt selected this seminar for many reasons: In 1966, her father leased a race track in Fayetteville from Bill France, founder of NASCAR and later purchased a track of his own. Honeycutt worked at this family business from 1966-1977. Dale Earnhardt and Ernie Irvin are two famous drivers that started their careers at Pete Fann's speedway, The Fayetteville Speedway. The Meadow community is also full of Nascar race fans. Honeycutt loves to be creative in her teaching and do hands-on projects. This opportunity will provide her the professional development she needs to make connections with the students about their passion for Nascar and their education. Honeycutt is also a life-long volunteer for many charities. She looks forward to learning more about the Victory Junction Gang Camp and their mission to assist sick children. For more information, please call Darene Honeycutt at 919.894.7064. GEAR UP students learn hands-on at JCC (New) (PHOTO-GEAR UP 1 & 2)This month, GEAR UP students from NorthJohnstonMiddle School traveled to JohnstonCommunity College in hopes of learning from the best. Bill Gregory, master artist and instructor at JCC, thrilled these students with his stories of selling his art online -- prospective buyers often paying in the range of $1000 for each unique signed and numbered print. All listened and watched as he carved the wood / vinyl platelet getting it ready to be painted and pressed. Mr. Gregory stressed the importance of safety while the students began the process of carving their own pieces. Each student worked hard to make sure their artwork was perfect. Finally, it was time to see the results. Each student rolled paint on their vinyl platelet and placed it on a press attached to a piece of art paper. The students were amazed at their creations. GEAR UP is a program which will assist the 8th grade students at BensonMiddle School and NorthJohnstonMiddle School from now until they graduate from high school. GEAR UP is always looking for partners to assist with funding. For more information, call Rose Pittman, GEAR UP Partnership Coordinator, at 919.284.3374 or 919.920.9238. UPCOMING EVENTS________________________________________________ Clayton High Coach to be recognized during college ball game (New) (PHOTO-BBall Team)On Saturday, January 20, 2007, during the St. Augustine’s vs. Shaw University college basketball game, the 1997 St. Aug’s Men's CIAA Championship team will be recognized in celebration of their 10th year. That team featured Marlon Lee (#34), Smithfield resident and current girls’ basketball coach at Clayton High School, and also the team’s coach and Smithfield resident, the late Norvell T. Lee. For more information, please call Marlon Lee at 919.553.4064. Artists-in-the-Schools sets January calendar of events (New events) Garry Krinsky will perform at River Dell Elementary School on Thursday, January 25, 2007, at 2 p.m. "Toying With Science" is a fast-paced performance that explores the principle of gravity, leverage, fulcrums, simple machines, and imagination through the use of mime, original music, and audience involvement. Solazo will perform at Benson Middle School on Friday, January 26, 2007, at 1:30 p.m. Solazo delivers a unique blend of soulful ballads and dance music consisting of a compilation of original tunes and tradional Latin music borrowed from Spain, Cuba, Argentina, Chile, Brazil, and Ecuador. Tony Peacock will conduct a residency at Meadow Elementary from Monday, January 29-Friday, February 2, 2007. Tony Peacock's five-day residency will increase student awareness of North Carolina writers and encourage the development of each student's voice. Felix Pitre will perform at West Smithfield Elementary School on Tuesday, January 30, 2007, at 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. Felix Pitre shares many of the Hispanic traditions that were passed down to him from his own family, bringing to life the culture of Latin America with puppetry, stories, songs, instruments and dance, performed in English interwoven with Spanish words. 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. “Toying with Science” to be presented at RiverDellElementary School (New) As part of the Cultural Arts Assemblies, Gary Krinsky will present, "Toying with Science", at River Dell Elementary School on Thursday, January 25, 2007, for 4th and 5th grade students. For more information, please call Susan Banks at 919.553.1977. Speaker’s hollerin’ to help students with writing (New) Tony Peacock, National Hollerin' Champ, will visit the 4th grade writing classes at Meadow Elementary School as a Writer in Residence from Monday, January 29, 2007, through Friday, February 2, 2007. Mr. Peacock will be refining writing skills in preparation for the state writing test. His focus is to teach students to narrow their writing topics and to use elaborate details. He also encourages students to express their individual voice as a writer. As a bonus, Mr. Peacock shares his personal stories and experiences as the National Hollerin' Champion with the students, coupled with a mini-hollerin' workshop. For more information, please call MaLinda Turnage, 4th grade writing teacher, at 919.894.4226. AIG Center celebrates 20 years The AIG Center's 20th year celebration will be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday, February 4, 2007, in the AIG center gym. The AIGCenter serves 23 schools in JohnstonCounty. The center has over 575 students attending during the week. The AIGCenter was one of three schools in the nation to receive animals from the Smithsonian. In the fall of 2004, the JohnstonCountyAIGCenter was the recipient of a generous donation from the Smithsonian Institute. The Center is the proud custodian of a springbok, bushbuck, roan antelope, two male lions, a leopard and a warthog. The collection was expanded in 2006, with the donation of two white-tail deer head mounts by the Ball family and a caribou head mount on permanent loan from the United States Forest Service. For more information, please call the AIG Center at 919.934.9529. David Parker to perform at RiverwoodMiddle School (New) David Parker will be bringing his upbeat and affecting performance in which he blends music, movement and humor with sign language to Riverwood Middle School on Monday, February 5, 2007, at 1 p.m. in the gymnasium. David has been performing and in constant demand since 1983. He has been traveling throughout the United States and Canada delivering his message of “breaking down barriers between people”. Mr. Parker is a veteran of television and theater. He has performed at the Kennedy Center and the Brooklyn Academy of Music among countless others. His awards include the “Distinguished Service Award of the National Council on Communicative Disorders.” He has made appearances on CBS, NBC, PBS, and Nickelodeon’s Nick Junior. He is also the author of a new children’s book series, “The Best Me I Can Be” available from Scholastic, Inc. For more information, please call Chris Germanoski, Band Director, at 919.359.2769. Johnston County School leaders asked to present at conference (New) Johnston County Schools’ Megan Shaner, Rose Pittman, Wesley Rich and Dr. Chris Godwin have been selected as presenters at the 2007 North Carolina College Access Conference to be held in Asheville on Wednesday, February 14 – Friday, February 16, 2007. The group will present, “We’re going to college: The GEAR UP/AVID Partnership of Johnston County Schools!” For more information, please call Chris Godwin at 919.934.4361, extension 372. Four OaksMiddle School to host first Dinner Theater (New) The Four Oaks Middle School PTA is pleased to announce its first dinner theater featuring the production of Cinderella. The main goal of the dinner theater is to feature the talents of the students and to present an opportunity for the community and school to come together for a unique experience of food and special entertainment. The program will take place at 6 p.m. on Friday, February 16, 2007, in the school cafetorium. PTA members will be selling tickets. For more information, please call Lisa Allen, chorus teacher, or Kim Robertson, PTA President, at 919.963.4022. WestClaytonElementary School’s Student Council to participate in a Book Drive The West Clayton Elementary School Student Council is conducting a book drive from Thursday, December 14 to Friday, February 16, 2007. The students plan to collect books from each classroom over the next several weeks and then distribute these books to shelters, hospitals, children’s homes, and various places where children are in need of books. The book drive will end the same week as the school’s Book Fair where the Student Council will have a basket on display for additionally purchased books. The students of the Student Council decided on this project because they believe that all students should have access to books and that reading increases academic success. For more information, please call Dorlisa Johnson, Assistant Principal, at 919.553.7113 Johnston County Schools Seeking Kindergarten Registrants Parents of upcoming kindergarten children are encouraged to reserve a seat for their children for the first day of school by registering at the child’s school starting Friday, February 23, 2007. Children must be five years old on or before October 16, 2007, to enroll. Parents are strongly encouraged to enroll their children on February 23 or as soon as possible after that date to assist the schools in planning for the upcoming school year. It is important for parents or guardians to go to the school that serves their address to register their children. Registration takes approximately 15 minutes. Please bring the following: Child’s Certified Birth Certificate Photo Identification (to match parent’s name on Birth Certificate) Child’s Social Security Number Physical Examination / Immunization Record Proof of Residence (utility bill, land contract, etc.) (A driver’s license is not adequate proof of residence.) Guest readers invited to 50th birthday celebration of The Cat in The Hat at McGee’s Elementary School (New) Guest readers have been invited to McGee's Elementary School to read and celebrate the 50th birthday of The Cat and The Hat from Monday, February 26 through Friday, March 2, 2007. Guests are invited to be a part of the school’s annual celebration to honor Dr. Seuss and Read Across America. The Cat and The Hat is 50 years old this year. Dr. Seuss' birthday is March 2, 2007. For more information about being a guest reader, call Vicky Temple-Rains, at 919.894.7161. Presenters needed for Career Day at Wilson’s MillsElementary School In preparation for Career Day for its fifth grade students, Wilson's Mills Elementary School is seeking interested adults who are willing to contribute 15 minutes of their time to present information about their jobs and careers to the students. Stations will be set up in the school's gym and small groups of students will be led from station to station to hear the presentations. The event is tentatively scheduled from 9:30 a.m. to noon on Friday, March 23, 2007. For more information, please call Chris Strayer, the school guidance counselor, at 919.934.2978.
