District SAT Scores Increase for 2012-13

The scores are in and Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS) high schools have raised the bar yet again. Among the public, non-charter and non-magnet schools, Chapel Hill High and East Chapel Hill High ranked first and second in the state with combined scores of 1,797 and 1,783 respectively. Carrboro High students averaged a very respectable combined score of 1,683, which ranked them fifth in the state. The district’s average score is 1,770, which is a four-point increase over last year and represents a 20-point increase in the last two years.

As a point of reference, North Carolina seniors in 2013 had an average combined SAT score of 1,479, which is a 10-point increase from the previous year, according to The College Board's annual SAT report released this morning. The national average combined score remained the same at 1,498.

“We recognize that this accomplishment reflects the culmination of the hard work that begins in kindergarten and continues through high school,” said Dr. Magda Parvey, Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Services. “As a district, we continue to strive towards instructional excellence with a goal of meeting the needs of every student to reach their full academic potential.” 

It is significant to note that the CHCCS participation rate was 86 percent, compared to 62 percent in North Carolina and 50 percent throughout the United States. 

The College Board also released summary results for the state's Advanced Placement (AP) program. North Carolina public school students once again shined, showing a 5.8 percent increase in the number of test takers, a 6.2 percent increase in the number of exams taken and a 6.7 percent increase in the number of scores in the 3-5 range. 

CHCCS students showed increases in all three areas as well, including a 7.7 percent increase in the number of students taking AP exams, a 7.9 percent increase in the number of tests taken, and a 6.7 percent increase in the number of scores in the 3-5 range.

To read more, as well as access local district and high school scores, please visit www.ncpublicschools.org and click on the appropriate link under “News.”

 2012-13

Chapel Hill High 1,797

East Chapel Hill High 1,783

Carrboro High 1,683

District 1,770

State 1,479

Nation 1,498

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Lindsey Linker - Hall of Famer

Congratulations to Lindsey Linker on her recent induction into the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) Hall of Fame.

Coach Linker has become known as one of the top tennis coaches in the history of North Carolina. A graduate of Myers Park High School in Charlotte, and then the University of North Carolina, Linker began her high school coaching at Chapel Hill High in 1981 and was there for ten seasons. Coaching both men’s and women’s teams there, her teams posted a 294-39 mark, won two NCHSAA state dual team titles and had four individual state champs.
                 
From 1998 through 2013, she guided the East Chapel Hill High tennis programs and continued her amazing success, with 11 individual state champions and a whopping 14 state dual team titles to go with almost 600 victories. She was named conference coach of the year during her career an incredible 39 times.
                 
Coach Linker has been very active in community activities and fundraisers and was the NCHSAA Doris Howard Coach of the Year in 2010. She is also a founding board member of the North Carolina High School Tennis Coaches Association.

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District Dedicates Newest Elementary School

September 21 was another historic moment in Chapel Hill as the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools dedicated Northside Elementary, its eleventh elementary school.

While the building is new, the spirit of Northside is not.  There was another school from another era that used to sit on the site.  In 1924, Orange County Training School was originally built on the lot.  A Rosenwald School, funds were raised by the African-American community in conjunction with a grant from Julius Rosenwald to build the school.  Through the years, classrooms were added and in 1951, the school took on the name Northside Elementary.  When the district became desegregated in the 1960s, Northside was closed as students went to other district elementary schools.

As the new Northside Elementary opens, it continues the proud tradition in education, combining its rich history with 21st Century technology.  Northside Elementary is a place where every student can think, learn and grow with purpose, persistence and pride.

The dedication was attended by former Northside alumni, community members and new Northside Elementary students and staff.

Northside accommodates 585 students and has art, science and music rooms.  The school also has a memory hallway, which has pictures from the original schools, as well as the school's 1924 cornerstone.  The building is over 97,000 square feet and is LEED Green Certified through the US Green Building Council.  Sustainable design includes:

• stormwater management plan to reduce runoff and a rainwater cistern;
• vegetated "green" roof area, which is also used for science classes;
• rooftop solar thermal panels to generate hot water for the building's kitchen and space heating needs; and
• windows and clerestories to maximize daylight in classrooms.

Original steps built in 1924 still lead to Northside Elementary

For more pictures from the dedication, visit our Facebook page.

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Stephanie Willis Honored as Champion of Health Education

Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools celebrates with Coordinator of Health Services Stephanie Willis as she has been named the 2013 Educator of the Year by the Alice Aycock Poe Center for Health Education. This award honors a champion of health education in the schools.

Willis has worked closely with the Poe Center and others to implement, enhance and institute programs and policies that are supportive of healthy behaviors.

“Stephanie is a very important component of the overall educational process in our schools and we are truly grateful for her efforts,” said Dr. Rodney Trice, Associate Superintendent and supervisor to Ms. Willis. “Her work as a candid and forceful advocate for health and wellness has shifted the paradigm for our student, parents, staff and community.”

The 2013 Educator of the Year Award was presented to Ms. Willis at annual meeting held on Wednesday, September 18.

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Community Invited to Northside Elementary Dedication on Sept. 21

Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools would like to extend an open invitation to the community to attend the dedication ceremony of our newest school – Northside Elementary.

Built on a well-known and historic educational site, this state-of-the-art facility promises to provide a world-class learning experience to students for decades to come.

The event will be held on Saturday, September 21 at 10 a.m. We will begin our program in the auditorium, then allow time for self-guided tours of the building, and end with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the flagpole near the school's main entrance.

Parking on the school campus will NOT be available to the public. Guests are encouraged to park at the Eubanks Road Park & Ride (1768 Eubanks Rd, Chapel Hill, NC 27516). We will provide free shuttles to the school beginning at 9:15 a.m. with the last shuttle leaving at 9:45 a.m. Shuttles will return guests to the same location following the ribbon-cutting ceremony. 

September 21 will be a great day for our community and our school district...and we hope you can join us.

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Katie Gulledge and Bill Melega Selected to Participate in Transatlantic Teacher Scholars Program

“I understood before, but not like this”, remarked a young student to her teacher as they walked around the graves of a World War I cemetery in Belgium.

These poignant words and understandings of a middle school student might similarly mirror the sentiments of those who visit World War I battlefields and memorials in Belgium and France as part of the Transatlantic Teacher Scholars Program.  Among the white marble gravestones of the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery to the quiet presence of the Douaumont Ossuary, these teachers will explore the question: “How should we remember war?” Words and reactions illuminate the power of place and, more specifically, historic memorials to bring the symbolism and significance of past events to the fore, where the number of real people who were impacted at that point, never mind for generations to come, becomes visible, and themes of honor, competence, courage, sacrifice, commemoration, memory and history are made more meaningful.

We are very pleased to share the announcement of the Transatlantic Teacher Scholars Program in partnership between LEARN NC at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, the School of Education at Virginia Tech, and the American Battle Monuments Commission.  This project will engage twelve educators from North Carolina and Virginia in a year-long training program that will bring the narratives and events of this contested landscape to life – with a particular focus on the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery.  This training will include a series of blended courses, culminating with a work trip to Verdun, France in July 2014. This hands-on, highly interactive curriculum will be made available to schools and students in fall 2014 in time to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of World War I.

Among the teachers chosen to participate in this project are Katie Gulledge of McDougle Middle and Bill Melega of Chapel Hill High School.  They were identified for their strong background in teaching and innovation, and we are thrilled that they will represent our school district on this international stage.

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2013 College Fair

Calling all high school juniors and seniors!

Looking for a great way to get loads of college information all in a single location? Then mark your calendar and join us at the College Fair. This one-stop shop will take place on the evening of Tuesday, September 17 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the Dean Smith Center on the campus of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. No registration is necessary. Below is a list of over 100 colleges and universities scheduled to be in attendance. Bring your questions, along with something that can hold lots of literature, and join us at the Fair!

Alamance Community College
Appalachian State University
Aveda Institute Chapel Hill
Averett University
Barton College
Benedict College
Birmingham-Southern College
Brevard College
Bridgewater College
Campbell University
Catawba College
Central Carolina Community College
Chowan University
Christopher Newport University
Clark Atlanta University
Clemson University
Coastal Carolina University
College Foundation of North Carolina, Inc.
Concord University
Converse College
Davidson College
DePauw University
Duke University
Durham Technical Community College
East Carolina University
Eckerd College
ECPI University - Raleigh NC
Elizabeth City State University
Elon University
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Fayetteville State University
Ferrum College
Furman University
Gardner-Webb University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Greensboro College
Guilford College
Hampton University
Harvard College
High Point University
Hollins University
Indiana University
Johnson & Wales University
Johnson C. Smith University
Lees-McRae College
Lenoir-Rhyne University
Liberty University
Lincoln College of Technology-Nashville
Living Arts College
Livingstone College
Louisburg College
Marquette University
Mercer University
Meredith College
Methodist University
Mid-Atlantic Christian University
Mississippi State University
Montreat College
Mount Olive College
Newberry College
Norfolk State University
North Carolina A&T University
North Carolina Central University
North Carolina School of the Arts
North Carolina State University
North Carolina Wesleyan College
Oberlin College
Pennsylvania State University
Pfieffer University
Piedmont College
Piedmont Community College
Presbyterian College
Queens University of Charlotte
Radford University
Randolph-Macon College
Regent University
Roanoke College
Salem College
Savannah College of Art and Design
Sentara College of Health Sciences
Shaw University
Siena College
St. Andrews University
The Citadel
The University of Arizona
UMBC-Univ of MD, Baltimore County
University of Alabama
University of Alabama in Huntsville
University of Georgia
University of Maryland
University of North Carolina at Asheville
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
University of North Carolina at Pembroke
University of North Carolina at Wilmington
University of South Carolina at Columbia
University of Tennessee - Knoxville
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Military Institute
Virginia Tech
Wake Forest University
Wake Technical Community College
Warren Wilson College
Watts School of Nursing
Wesleyan College
Western Carolina University
William Peace University
Wingate University
Winston-Salem State University
Winthrop University
Wofford College

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