This is your regular source for a look at the people, places, and behind-the-scenes workings of the Wake County Public School System.

Dr. Hargens Visits Brassfield Kindergarten Teachers

Interim Superintendent Donna Hargens spent some time this morning in the four kindergarten classrooms at Brassfield Elementary. For Hargens, it's the first of a series of visits she plans to make to schools with Tama Bouncer of Wake NCAE to connect with teachers and get a firsthand look into the classroom. In the coming weeks, she plans to visit classrooms from kindergarten through high school.

At Brassfield, Dr. Hargens found the kindergarten teachers were working in centers with their students on literacy. After the classroom visit, the teachers had a few minutes to talk about the kindergarten classroom.

Click to listen to Dr. Hargens Visitis Brassfield Kindergarten Teachers

This is a 10.5 minute mp3 file.

You can see photos of different center activities in the Brassfield kindergarten classrooms here.

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Posted by Bill Poston at 4:22 PM on September 3, 2010 | Leave Feedback

Holly Grove Middle School Media Specialist Published in National Magazine

Holly Grove Middle School Media Specialist Kendra Allen was published in the September-October 2010 issue of School Library Monthly. This national magazine is distributed to over 10,000 schools nation-wide and is considered a leading source of current information for media specialists.

Allen co-authored the article, "Meeting the Needs of Students with Disabilities," with Dr. Sandra Hughes-Hassell, an associate professor for the School of Information and Library Science at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In the article, Allen and Hughes-Hassell examine if and how school librarians meet the needs of their students with disabilities through their professional information-gathering behavior and provision of services, resources, and information to both students with disabilities and to their parents. Current North Carolina school librarians were surveyed, and the results from the survey drove the article's reflection on special education best practices and actual school library environments.

"A school library media specialist must know how to meet the needs of all students in a school; the entire population is our responsibility," said Allen. "Our research showed that we must start with an awareness of the specific needs of the students we serve. It is only then that we can begin to implement services, accommodations, and modifications effectively as per best practice."

Holly Grove Middle School Principal Kenneth Proulx takes pride in having Allen as a member of the new Holly Grove Middle faculty.

"To be published in School Library Monthly is a great honor for Kendra and serves to recognize her as a leader in the field of school library media. In opening Holly Grove Middle, Kendra serves on our Leadership Team, chairs our Technology Committee, and created our library with over 11,000 titles," said Proulx. "For a brand new school that opened just seven weeks ago, we have already circulated over 6,500 books to our students. It is amazing the culture of reading and support that Kendra has created in a short period of time."

Prior to joining Holly Grove Middle School, Allen was the Media Specialist at Holly Ridge Middle. She earned her Master's Degree in Library Science with School Library Media Certification from the School of Information and Library Science at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Thanks to Principal Ken Proulx for sharing his story with GotNews.

Posted by Bill Poston at 8:59 AM on September 2, 2010 | Leave Feedback

NC DOT Ceremony Highlights Southeast Raleigh High Engineering Program

Southeast Raleigh High was the scene of a ceremony where NC Transportation Secretary Gene Conti and the presidents of the Charlotte Metro and Triangle chapters of the Women's Transportation Seminar signed an agreement to support the advancement of women in transportation careers.

The agreement supports educating women on transportation-related opportunities, attracting and retaining a highly qualified, diverse and technically advanced workforce for the 21st century, with specific attention to subject areas within Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

The event was held at Southeast Raleigh High because of the school's Engineering Academy that provides students the opportunity to tackle college-level Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics coursework.

Engineering Academy coordinator Jerry Ludington and student Dominique Koonce discuss the engineering program and the visit to the school by the NC Transportation Secretary and NC leaders of Women in Transportation.

Click to listen to NC DOT Ceremony Highlights Southeast Raleigh High Engineering Program

This is a 10 minute mp3 file.

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Posted by Bill Poston at 11:03 AM on August 30, 2010 | Leave Feedback

Holly Grove Middle Teacher Earns WCPSS Math Honor

Holly Grove Middle teacher Stacey Johnson has been named the Wake County Public School System Outstanding Secondary School Mathematics Teacher for 2010. Johnson is a seventh-grade math teacher, the school's math department chair and a member of the school leadership team.

"I feel very honored to receive this award," said Johnson. "My goal is to have all students enjoy math and feel successful in math. By the time students are in middle school many students do not enjoy math because they are not good at it. I break down problems to where they can understand it. Also, I like to incorporate games and hands-on activities to make class fun."

Holly Grove Middle School Principal Kenneth Proulx praised Johnson as a teacher and a school leader.

"Ms. Johnson is an outstanding educator and a very deserving recipient of this high honor. Ms. Johnson's talents in the classroom are amazing, and her leadership in the school serves all students," said Proulx. "Ms. Johnson's leadership in the opening of our new school has laid a foundation for the success of all students."

Lufkin Road Middle Principal Perry Graham Johnson nominated Johnson. Prior to assuming her leadership role at Holly Grove Middle, Johnson was a Math Teacher at Lufkin Road Middle for four years. She was selected by the more than 500 WCPSS Math teachers to receive the award.

You can listen to an audio podcast with Johnson about the opening of Hollly Grove Middle here.

Thanks to Principal Ken Proulx for sharing this story with GotNews.

Posted by Bill Poston at 9:33 AM on August 30, 2010 | Leave Feedback

Vandora Springs Elementary Beginning its Annual Empty Bowl Project

Vandora Springs Elementary will soon begin its annual Empty Bowl project, an art-based community outreach to fight hunger.

Fourth grade Art Club students will create unique bowls formed from recycled record albums. The completed bowls will then be bartered off by using an exchange of 20 non-perishable food items per bowl.

All food collected from this project will be delivered to The Garner Area Ministries' Food Bank in Garner.

For more information concerning this Empty Bowl project, please contact Art Specialist Jim Hunt at jhunt@wcpss.net, or Vandora Springs Elementary at 662-2486.

Thanks to teacher Jim Hunt for sharing his story with GotNews.

Posted by Bill Poston at 9:15 AM on August 30, 2010 | Leave Feedback

Online Comment Period Extended for Sample Assignment Zone Maps

In order to gather more feedback from our community, the comment period for the sample assignment zone maps presented to the school board's Student Assignment Committee has been extended. Online comments will be accepted through midnight, September 6.

Posted by Chip Sudderth at 9:29 AM on August 27, 2010 | Leave Feedback

First Day of School at Wiley Magnet Elementary

The first day of school ended smoothly at Wiley Magnet Elementary with parents there picking up their children at the front door, in the car pool lane along one side of the school and catching the school bus home along another side of the school.

Principal Erin Kershner and second grade teacher Stacy Bargren talk about the excitement of the first day of classes.

Click to listen to First Day of School at Wiley Magnet Elementary

This is a 5.5 minute mp3 file.

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Posted by Bill Poston at 10:05 AM on August 26, 2010 | Leave Feedback

First Day of School at Wake Forest Elementary

The first day of school began smoothly at Wake Forest Elementary with families walking to school together and students arriving in car pool and by bus.

Principal Denise Tillery, kindergarten teacher Deborah Dial and a grand parent of students at the school talk about the excitement of the first day of classes.

Click to listen to First Day of School at Wake Forest Elementary

This is a 4 minute mp3 file.

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Posted by Bill Poston at 9:19 AM on August 26, 2010 | Leave Feedback

Millbrook Prepares for IB Learners

A week before the start of school, the faculty at Millbrook Magnet High and East Millbrook Middle received a preview of the IB experience from the students' perspective in a highly interactive professional development training session at Millbrook High School. More than two-hundred teachers participated in the training on August 18 as they prepared for the Aug. 25 first day of school.

"Today is all about putting the polish on 18 months of diligent and committed hard work of the Millbrook High School faculty to deliver IB instruction to our students," said Assistant Principal Kelly Aman.

Millbrook is welcoming the Class of 2014 as members of its first class of magnet students. The school is in the process of seeking authorization from the International Baccalaureate Organization to provide the IB Middle Years Programme and IB Diploma Programme.

"This training has allowed me to think in a broader perspective which is ultimately what we want our students to do," said Ninth-Grade Counselor Shaunte Adams.

"IB training gives me the tools to provide relevant instruction to students with a holistic approach and a sense of community," said Visual Arts Teacher Elizabeth Stevenson.

While rotating into five different International Baccalaureate classrooms, teachers received demonstration lessons incorporating international-mindedness, inquiry-based instruction in the areas of science, Language A (English), Language B (foreign language), the Humanities and Visual Arts. Teachers leading each of the classes taught the lessons to their colleagues just as they would present the material to their students.

"It's only when we teachers become students that we have to think critically about what we do in the classroom everyday and after this training, it will be easier for all of us to enable rather than limit what our students can do," said Austin James, Math

Posted by Ashley Smith at 3:15 PM on August 23, 2010 | Leave Feedback

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