Budget and Finance Office Awarded Highest Form of Recognition

Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools has been awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA). The award was presented to the school district's Finance Office for its comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR). The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government agency and its management.

An Award of Financial Reporting Achievement has been awarded to Ruby Pittman, Senior Executive Director of Budget and Finance, as her department is primarily responsible for preparing the award-winning CAFR.

"We are very fortunate to have Ms. Ruby Pittman heading up our Budget and Finance Office," said Superintendent Pam Baldwin. "Her team does a great job overseeing all financial operations. They are well-experienced and extremely helpful."

The CAFR was judged by an impartial panel to meet the high standards of the program, which includes demonstrating a constructive "spirit of full disclosure" to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the CAFR.


Government Finance Officers Association is a major professional association servicing the needs of nearly 19,000 appointed and elected local, state, and provincial-level government officials and other finance practitioners. It provides top quality publications, training programs, services, and products designed to enhance the skills and performance of those responsible for government finance policy and management. The association is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, with offices in Washington, D.C. 

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McDougle Dolphins Meet Quinoa (Keen-wah)

The mood was festive and bright on a chilly Thursday in McDougle Elementary School’s atrium, as class after class of Dolphins filed in, one or two at a time; they sat on the floor and learned about whole grains, MyPlate and especially, the star of the day, Quinoa. Advertised by Chartwells Child Nutrition as a sampling and education extravaganza, a full team of CHCCS Chartwells staff partnered with Chef Jay-Z from InHarvest to present a quinoa-palooza that was pleasing to both the palate and the eye.

March is National Nutrition Month, and Chartwells has been busy throughout the district with various special events, but the spotlight is on quinoa. The March lunch schedule notes that “Quinoa contains all 9 amino acids- a complete protein with 5 grams in one cooked cup.” It’s an intact grain, gluten-free - and there are 120 different types of quinoa. The signature dish presented by district chef Jordan Keyser, chef Jay-Z(iobrowski) and the team at Chartwells is Cilantro-Lime Quinoa, served in crunchy tacos with chicken or beef, or as part of the SONO lines in the high schools.

Lynne Privette, CHCCS registered dietitian, led the initial lesson and game of “Guess the Grains” when she showed the students displays of oats, wheat berries and mixed rice. They learned how to say “kamut” and “legumes,” but when it came time to introduce the children to the correct pronunciation of quinoa (with a large poster that spelled out “Keen-wah”), the Chartwells team smiled as most of their audience called out the perfectly inflected word, without the phonetic spelling assistance. “Only in Chapel Hill-Carrboro,” whispered one adult observer. 

Next up was Chef Jay-Z, who talked about the MyPlate app, and he showed them how a healthy plate contains at least a quarter of whole grains for each meal. “You want to eat a breakfast of whole grains instead of Pop-Tarts,” he told them. “You’ll stay awake longer, your brains will work better and you’ll get better grades.”

And how did students respond to the lesson on nutrition, and the follow-up sample of cilantro-lime quinoa and chips? Tamara Baker, communications and project director for No Kid Hungry NC, attended the full event and shared this feedback. "The excitement and joy on the children's faces at the whole grains nutrition learning event at McDougle Elementary sent an important message: They loved the tasty morsels! We need to spread the word that healthy foods that are both tasty and provide mega-fuel for growing bodies and minds are available at lunch and breakfast in our schools!"

Even the youngest children, the Pre-K students, sat rapt, waiting patiently to receive their portions, and most of them tucked right in. “Awesome,” and “so good” and “I love it” were the reactions from many.

As a kindergarten class filed back out of the atrium, one boy said, “For some reason I feel like running real fast now.” Another child said, “My grandma needs some ‘cause she broke her hip.”

Lessons learned, and when those quinoa tacos show up on the lunch line the next two Tuesdays at McDougle Elementary, there’ll be a lot of intact grain experts, ready to recap their knowledge and chow down.

Liz Cartano, the CHCCS director of child nutrition, shared her reminder about the importance of the Chartwells commitment to Eat Lean and Live.  “We are not only about the food we serve each day in the cafe but about how we impact the child through food, nutrition ed and the importance of being dedicated to the community that we live in.”

No Kid Hungry NC
InHarvest

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Counselors Visit Firefighting Training Center

The day started unlike any previous Friday for several Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools counselors as they checked into the firefighting lab at Chapel Hill High and received their “gear” for the morning: overalls, jackets, helmets, gloves and goggles - along with light refreshments. The inaugural class of eight firefighting cadets helped oversee the suiting up of those somewhat bewildered counselors, showing them how to loop their suspenders and fix their masks and oxygen tanks. Kathi Breweur, Director of Career and Technical Education, joined the guests and suited up as well. Public Safety Academies instructor Perry Hall guided everyone out into the sunshine, and then the well-padded group piled into an activity bus and set out for the Chapel Hill Fire Department Training Center on Weaver Dairy Road.
     
At the center, the group was welcomed by a large contingent from the fire department, including Fire Chief Keith Porterfield. Penny Rich, Orange County Commissioner, also spent the morning with the district team, and she energetically embraced the full experience like a new recruit. The fire academy cadets have already spent numerous sessions at the center, and they often took the lead in helping the guests learn the ropes (and the hoses). Commissioner Rich said, “I was pleasantly surprised, after I put on my fire gear, to see that the class was going to be led by some of the students who have already gone through some training. They were enthusiastic and eager to teach me what they have learned…and they did an awesome job!" 
     
The participants were divided into three groups, and during the next two hours, they learned the correct use of fire extinguishers, how to operate the fire hoses and then haul the hoses through the burn building (it’s not lightweight!) With academy cadets as their scouts and teachers, the guests crawled up, down and through the pitch dark of the brick tower maze, even as they wrestled with all of the extra pounds and bulk of their gear. Ken Lathan, school counselor and football coach at Carrboro High, said, “I was really impressed by the students’ knowledge of the course, and I have a newfound respect for the hard work that our firefighters and EMT workers endure on a daily basis.”
     
Clearly, one of the of the most enjoyable activities was learning to control and maneuver the biggest hoses, which often required two people to hold on from the sheer velocity and power of the water. On a very warm, sunny day, it appeared that a few of the guests could have happily spent the rest of the morning, practicing their “extinguishing moves” as the fine spray cooled them off.
      
“After participating in some of the exercises with the students, I now have a renewed respect for firefighters and first responders,” said Julia Royal, school counselor at Chapel Hill High. “I was impressed with our EMT and firefighting students. They were confident, helpful and knowledgeable.”
     
The session at the center wrapped up with an examination of the 110 pound dummy that’s used in rescue trainings. Lathan was the only counselor who undertook the exercise of learning correct carry of dead weight. The student cadets called out encouragement as the CHS football coach grappled with the dummy, and one of them called out, “You should try the one that’s 185 pounds!” 
     
When the students and counselors returned to the fire lab at CHHS, there was still time for the EMT students to present a skills demonstration. They showed different ways to clear a victim’s airways, as well as how to apply a tourniquet to stop bleeding.
      
“The public safety academies at Chapel Hill High School are amazing!” said Keneisha Jones, counselor at McDougle Middle School. “It was incredible to see young adults fully engaged with hands on life skills that translate far beyond the classroom. These programs provide incredible career options for students who are ready to engage in life, and want to use their skills to serve our community!  The reality of students graduating from high school with the potential to automatically earn $35,000 a year with vast promotional opportunities is inspirational, especially for students who may not be fully interested in the more traditional four-year college route. These programs provide students with opportunities to find their niche and capitalize on them.”
     
Director Breweur expressed her gratitude to everyone who dedicated the morning to the training experience. “A big thank you to Chief Porterfield and his staff, as well as our Public Safety teacher, Perry Hall and his students for putting together a GREAT morning of hands-on activities for us on Friday. Thanks to our brave counselors and county commissioner, Penny Rich, for participating and learning more about the firefighting and EMT programs offered at CHHS.”

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Chapel Hill High - Top Construction Priority

The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education met Thursday night at Smith Middle School to discuss next steps to addressing facility renovation and potential capacity needs in the district. 

Given the limited amount of available funding and the significant increase in construction inflation (driven by natural disasters around the country and rising construction demand in the region), the district’s concern is to balance elementary school capacity needs driven by the NC General Assembly mandate to reduce class sizes in grades K-3 with the current renovation needs of many of our facilities.

The General Assembly has mandated that class sizes in grades K-3 be reduced, but have provided no funding for this mandate. This presents significant challenges in capacity, recruiting teachers and staff, potential increases in class sizes for our fourth- and fifth-grades, redistricting and negative impact to world language, art and music. The investment in Lincoln Center was originally planned to provide elementary school capacity, which would allow phasing for renovations at elementary schools. This mandate increased our need for capacity to mitigate the above issues.

The board and administration, in consideration of input from the Orange County Board of County Commissioners, parents and community members, voted unanimously to move forward with addressing health and safety needs by reconstructing Chapel Hill High School.

It is important to note that upon completion of Chapel Hill High, there is still a significant need for resources to rebuild other schools.

Assistant Superintendent Todd LoFrese asked audience members for help with the following three areas:

1. Class size legislation. The new state law that reduces K-3 class size needs to change. It can’t be implemented without taking drastic measures or spending tens of millions of dollars. We need state legislative level advocacy and a unified statewide approach to get the attention of those in charge at the General Assembly. An active letter writing campaign and outreach to other districts’ PTAs would help.

2. We are navigating the Chapel Hill High approval process with the Town of Chapel Hill. We are seeking Town Council assistance in meeting our project approval date, and their assistance financially with required road improvements. Parents and community members should stay engaged as that process unfolds.

3. As a community we need to figure out how to become much more nimble. We started this process in 2009-2010. I knew then that the high school needed a complete overhaul.  Yet the funding and approval process is still occurring and we don’t have a shovel in the ground. It’s eight years later. No wonder the costs have gone up. We still have seven remaining older schools that also need a lot of work: Estes, Phillips, Seawell, Ephesus, Carrboro Elementary, FPG, and Culbreth.  At the rate we are on those won’t be completed for 50 years and someone (it won’t be me) will have to be figuring out how to renovate Chapel Hill High again. A discussion with the commissioners about another bond and additional funding needs to start now and we have to figure out a more expeditious way. This will take significant community engagement and resolve.

The Board, superintendent and staff would like to thank everyone for the input that has been so graciously provided, and the entire school district looks forward to future support as we pursue access to the necessary funding.

The meeting can be seen in its entirety at the following links:

Board of Education - December 7, 2017 - Part 1

Board of Education - December 7, 2017 - Part 2

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Bond Project Update and Capital Funding Needs

Rendering of the reconstructed Chapel Hill High

On Monday, November 27, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Todd LoFrese offered a community update on facility needs, specifically projects related to the 2016 bond referendum.

The event took place in the Chapel Hill High Auditorium. Approximately 120 people were in attendance. After a 30-minute presentation by Dr. LoFrese that featured the history, timeline and other information about the projects, the floor was open for a time of questions and feedback. The event was captured on video and can be seen in its entirety here.

The PowerPoint presentation used by Dr. LoFrese can be seen here.

During the time of questions/feedback from members of the audience, notes were taken on their comments. Those notes can be seen here.

The Board of Education is expected to address this issue at its December 7 meeting.

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Say Something

“Kids are the eyes and ears of a society.” This is the message and focus that Nicole Hockley and other Sandy Hook parents bring to their anti-violence work in American schools through the nonprofit Sandy Hook Promise (SHP). Last spring, SHP joined forces with the national student organization SAVE (Students Against Violence Everywhere). This month, the Chapel Hill High and East Chapel Hill High chapters of SAVE have been awarded $1,000 SHP/Allstate Foundation mini-grants to extend their peer education efforts to prevent suicides and violence in schools and communities. The first major initiative of the year was Say Something week, October 16-20, which overlapped with National Safe Schools Week.

      

Say Something Week was founded on the simple premise that a great deal of violence committed by young people toward others, or turned inward through suicides, could be prevented if their peers were more willing to step forward when they see or hear troubling signs. Three premises were shared over and over through the Say Something campaign: know the signs, take them seriously and tell a trusted adult.

       

“Teens don’t always know what to do if they see something is up,” said CHHS SAVE member Katie MacKinnon, “and hopefully we can provide resources for them to know how to properly say something and protect their peers.”

       

The statistics used in Say Something materials are startling and convincing - four out of five school shooters told at least one person about their intentions before taking action. Seventy percent of suicide victims spoke with their peers or posted warnings on social media. There is an average of nearly one school shooting per week in the U.S. and more than two million American students have suffered violence or crime at their schools. According to the SAVE website: youth between the ages of 12 and 19 are victims of crime twice as often as any adult age group in the United States...including the elderly.

        

As one Say Something slogan goes, “Saving a life is worth a broken promise,” emphasizing the crucial need to find a counselor, a teacher, a parent, with whom to share troubling concerns. SAVE Promise Clubs are student-created and led, but the adults involved highlight the unique roles that young people play in keeping their schools and communities safer. Jim Wise, SAVE adviser at CHHS, said that their club has traditionally focused on preparing for, and supporting, the Mock Crash as well as general youth safety, so joining forces with Sandy Hook Promise provides a flow of new resources and ideas.

       

The emphasis on building a culture of “looking out for one another” is one of the main reasons that several East SAVE members cited for joining the club this year. One student talked about the power of “all paying attention to each other.” Another said that even though she’s only been a member since September, she can tell that the club helps students feel less alone, and the club meetings give them more opportunities to interact with students of different ages or social groups.

       

At East this past week, the SAVE students, plus their adviser Shari Coveney, planned actions for all five days of the week, including handing out “I would be honored to be your Trusted Adult” signs for staff and encouraging students to sign a wall banner that reads, “If this person needed help, I would want you to say something.”

       

The culmination of the week at East was an all-school viewing of the Sandy Hook PSA “Evan,” followed by restorative circles led by 4th period teachers. In just over two minutes, the video illustrates how tough it can be to pay attention to signs of impending crises among fellow students.

       

As the students in Hans Hiemstra’s history class reflected on the action steps they can take to prevent bullying and isolation, many suggested starting with the basics: Be kind, Pay attention, Be friendly to everyone. One student said, “It doesn’t need to be some big intervention…just reach out when you see someone is struggling.” In Dominic Koplar’s class, students zeroed in on the goal of always being inclusive as well as “making an effort to open our eyes to those around us.” And when a classmate’s pain is apparent on social media or in the hallways, Say Something.

Sandy Hook Promise identifies the organization as “a moderate, above-the-politics organization that supports sensible non-policy and policy solutions that protect children and prevent gun violence.” Students participating in SAVE activities need not choose legislative sides, nor embrace specific gun controls.

It’s all about bringing awareness into their own lives, and the lives of their loved ones.

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FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER at Culbreth Middle School

On many weekday mornings at Culbreth Middle School, a cozy room called the Family Resource Center opens its doors to school and community visitors. The inviting environment looks less like a school space than a family room with packed bookshelves, a couch and a polished dining table. A jazz or salsa CD might be playing softly, and a coffeemaker sits ready for people to settle in with a cup and a book on parenting or common social/emotional challenges in children of all ages.

       

The Center was launched at Culbreth on March 3 with an all-day grand opening. Roslyn Moffitt, district director of Title I and Family and Community Engagement, believes that a school-based family resource center can, and should, be a priority when creating new engagement strategies. As she likes to say, “warm and welcoming” is the first mantra of family engagement. Slowly and steadily, the Center is gaining traction as a multi-purpose space for community sharing, support and education. Nationally, the value and flexibility of family resource centers is gaining prominence as a crucial element of building reciprocity and trust between schools and parents.

       

So far this year, direct publicity appeals have gone out to Culbreth families and the feeder elementary schools, including Scroggs, Glenwood and Frank Porter Graham, but anyone from the CHCCS community is welcome to drop by. The Center is open on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 8:30-10:30 a.m. and again from 1:30-3:30 p.m..

       

“This center will be built by our families,” said Stefanie Mazva-Cohen, Culbreth social worker and site coordinator. “We are nurturing it and letting it grow.”

        

The basic mission of the Center aligns with an increasing emphasis on family engagement, rather than the prior educational focus on “parental involvement.” The new federal education guidelines of Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) place more responsibility on school districts to cultivate ways to engage families through school activities, professional development for teachers and home visiting programs. Research shows that students attending schools that embed and prioritize family engagement have seen increased scores in both math and reading.

       

“Parents want their children to do well in school and to be a part of their child’s success,” said Meredith McMonigle of Orange County Family Success Alliance. “But sometimes parents don’t know how to help or how school works. A place like the Culbreth Resource Center is a welcoming place for parents to drop in, learn more about the school and find their own way to be a part of the school and the larger community. Parents need a place within the school to lend their voice and their commitment to the school’s success. The resource center at Culbreth does just that - kudos to them for making it happen.”

        

In keeping with the vision of developing and expanding resource options, Ms. Mazva-Cohen and Ms. Moffitt hope to schedule workshops several times a month, led by district staff, parents or community members. Topics will likely range from developmental psychology to basic workshops on citizenship or immigration services.

       

One recent host at the Center was Sandra Clifton, a local educational therapist. “I cannot say enough wonderful things about (the Center). It weaves in beautiful elements of outreach, education and inclusion.” She hopes to fill a host shift at least once a month and seek feedback as well as share information in her capacity as a Special Needs Advisory Council (SNAC) representative.

      

The selection of books, articles and DVD’s is already extensive, but Mazva-Cohen will keep building on existing materials in English, Spanish and a few Karen books, as well as accessing or creating handouts for parents who are English-language learners, or are simply new to the community.

     

Noa Stuchiner, now a math coach at Culbreth, arrived in Chapel Hill 18 years ago from Israel. Although she spoke English well, she was often assumed to be a Spanish-speaker and would receive school-based materials in that language. “What I needed were ways to understand the school system and the resources available to my children - and to me.” She says that now, after so much time, she still wants to say to new families, “Don’t lose who you are.”

    

“I think it is a great way to connect staff, families, and community members,” said Alisha Schiltz, Coordinator of Multi-Tiered System of Support in the district. “There are so many wonderful resources, not to mention how warm and inviting the space is. I’m eager to see more community members and families use this space to their benefit.”

Dr. Schiltz, like other CHCCS administrators and staff, has signed up to host shifts at the Center.

    

Carla Smith, the Parent Involvement Specialist with Parent University, summed up the prevailing opinions well. “This is a great space to engage families.”

   

“Please consider signing up to host within the next few weeks,” said Mazva-Cohen. “It's a great way to meet CMS families and staff. Please spread the word! The folks who are coming in are loving what is happening here and are returning to be a part of the action.”

                    

http://thefamilyresourcecenteratculbreth.weebly.com

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Roy Wilkins Featured in Public Service Announcement for Living Wage

CHCCS is pleased to have our very own Roy Wilkins, custodian at Ephesus Elementary, featured in a recent public service announcement promoting the importance of the Living Wage.

Thanks to Roy, and all of our custodians, for the important work they accomplish every day. Our schools could not function without them.

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Morgan Named Chartwells K12 National Associate of the Year

Ann Morgan, the café manager at Phillips Middle School was named National Associate of the Year for Chartwells K12, the foodservice provider for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools.  This award recognizes associates who go the extra mile in their school cafes.  Morgan has demonstrated her commitment to her students and her school time and again during her 20 years as the café manager at Phillips.

Under Morgan's leadership, Phillips café has:

• allowing classes to create their own pizza recipes, vote on their favorite and eat the winning pie during lunch; creations such as "Mac & Cheese Pizza" and "Fruit Pizza" are still served;
• celebrating National Nutrition Month (in March) by having students create edible garnishes around Chartwells' Asian noodle bowl, even providing gift baskets out of her own pocket for the winning teams; and
• involving her school in many activities, which shows in meal participation at Phillips - everyone loves to eat at Phillips Café; students sample many new foods, from sweet potato medley (three colors of sweet potatoes) to a wheatberry black bean salad.

"We are so pleased that all of Chartwells K12 now knows what we do - that Ann's excitement, fun and caring for her school and students is second to none," said Liz Cartano, director of child nutrition.  "She is never without a smile and a suggestion about how to improve what we do every day.  She pushes us to be better and has great ideas that she is willing to implement."

Morgan's nomination had to consider her contributions to her associates, school, community, and, most of all, her students.  Some excerpts from her nomination state:

• Ann Morgan's mind never stops working and that is no more evident than with her creative ideas to improve menus, recipes and promotions.
• She is a phenomenal trainer for new staff.  She provides her associates with knowledge and confidence for them to succeed.
• Ann Morgan's number one goal is to provide healthy, nourishing food for her middle school students.  She effortlessly combines her knack for creativity, friendliness with everyone, and never-ending enthusiasm and zest for her school in all that she does.

"Ann Morgan embodies the Eat.Learn.Live philosophy [Chartwells K12's motto] in all that she does.  Our promotions are stronger, our menus are healthier, and our associates are better trained because of Ann's ability to impact so many people through her enthusiasm and good deeds," Cartano added.

As the national award winner, Morgan will attend the Compass Night of Stars in October and receives an all-expenses paid three-day trip to Disney World to celebrate her success.

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Finance Awards

Ruby Pittman

Ruby Pittman, Senior Executive Director of Budget and Finance, has garnered awards for excellence in financial reporting for the 13th consecutive year. The awards from the Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO) and the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) represent the highest forms of recognition in financial reporting.

       

In the letter of notification, the GFOA applauded Ms. Pittman’s achievement. “Congratulations for having satisfied the high standards of the program. We hope that your example will encourage others in their efforts to achieve and maintain an appropriate standard of excellence in financial reporting.”

       

The ASBO Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting award also signifies exemplary fiscal accountability and transparency. Their website states that the certificate, “Shows your community that your district is credible and committed to fiscal integrity.”

"Ms. Pittman and the Finance team do a great job managing all of our school district budgets," said Assistant Superintendent Todd LoFrese. "They bring an extraordinary amount of experience and expertise to their work."

   

Congratulations to Ms. Pittman for once again upholding the highest standards in financial reporting!

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Blue Ribbon Mentor Advocate Graduation

Photo courtesy of Trevor Holman

Eleven Blue Ribbon Mentor-Advocate seniors celebrated their upcoming CHCCS graduations, and their completion of eight years in the program, on Sunday afternoon, June 4 at Carrboro High School. They had all attended previous celebrations, watching older siblings and friends deliver remarks and thanks, and finally their turns had arrived. They thanked their families, coaches, and Blue Ribbon staff, and they thanked their mentors. Each student left the stage with an oversized replica of a scholarship check, ready to move on toward a wide range of post-graduate goals; mentors and family members received bouquets of flowers.

      

The ceremony marked the 15th graduation celebration, although Blue Ribbon Mentor Advocate has served CHCCS students of color since 1995. The program integrates mentoring, advocacy, leadership development, tutoring, social and cultural enrichment and postsecondary scholarships and has been internationally acclaimed for its intervention model based in social work and educational theories. Above all, BRMA is a strengths-based program, one that celebrates the limitless potential of its children and young people. Currently 138 students participate in Blue Ribbon. Over 95% of program graduates enroll in some form of postsecondary education.

      

Photo courtesy of Trevor Holman

This year’s graduates are Joanna Salazar-Martinez, Priscah Oluoch, Akin Dunston, Kareem Patillo, Ana “Gabby” Dimate, Isiah Edwards, Marcus Edwards, Kenneth Motley, Jr., Tia Wade, Brian Kendall and Mujahid Turner; they’ve earned nearly $30,000 in scholarships. Each student received a Sponsor-A-Scholar award that applies to all kinds of postsecondary education, and represents donations from more than 200 community supporters. Funding for university or college is provided by the Haidt Family Foundation Scholarships. Haidt Scholars are required to attend a four-year college or university.         

      

The ceremony also honored the first Caroline Lindsay Student Advocate Scholar, Hsar Ree Ree Wei, given to a Blue Ribbon Youth Leadership Institute student who is committed to fostering human rights. The late Caroline Lindsay was a former mentor and long time friend of BRMA who “was not afraid to use her voice for the advancement of others.” The scholarship was created by her family as a tribute to her lifelong dedication to civils rights, especially those of children and women.

      

Mehki Dallas-Johnson, a 7th grader at Phillips Middle School, gave the opening welcome for the event. Each participant spoke from the stage, before their families and mentors joined them under the spotlights. Gabby Dimate, in her speech thanked her mother “for being an immense light in my life…” and her Papi, “for blessing me with an American education.” She, like others, offered advice to the younger BRMA students in the audience, “Don’t fixate on a number. There’s no better way to silence the haters than to succeed.”

       

Marcus Edwards told the younger students, “Be unique, be yourself, someone who stands out.” He acknowledged that “life can be stressful. Once I learned about taxes, Whew!” But even in the face of challenges, he counseled, “Be and do something that changes lives. Be that rock for somebody else.”

      

Mujahid Turner said, “I have discovered a passion to be a leader, whether in the classroom, on the football field or taking care of my three sisters. Never stop dreaming. Find whatever it is that makes you come alive.”

     

After the seniors were honored, nearly 90 students from 4th to 12th grade received certificates for academic achievement this year. Granvel Johnson, New Match Support Specialist, teamed with his 9th grade mentee, Kyrin Dallas and fellow East student, Mauricio Nunez-Jimenez to make a lively pitch for the benefits of mentoring. Granvel noted that each year between 20 and 30 students are unable to join Blue Ribbon because there are never enough mentors to match with the students who are nominated.

     

Over the years, these eleven seniors of 2017 have joined in countless service projects, summer enrichment camps, and alternative spring break trips to New Orleans and Washington, DC as well as to Spain and France. The current high school BRMA and Youth Leadership Institute students have already begun fundraising for a trip to Italy during spring break 2018.

     

Paul Lindsay, who organized the scholarship in his late wife’s honor, wrote in an email to Blue Ribbon, “To listen to the seniors who spoke is to realize how much you have accomplished in the lives of these young people, and how much they will take with them into the future.  It was an honor and privilege to be part of this celebration of so many good things with so many good people.”

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School Lunch Superheroes

School Nutrition Employee Appreciation Day is Friday, May 5.

Between preparing healthy food, adhering to strict nutrition standards, navigating student food allergies, and offering service with a smile, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools nutrition professionals have a lot on their plate. To celebrate their hard work and commitment, the School Nutrition Association (SNA) organizes School Nutrition Employee Day on Friday, May 5.

All across the school district, school nutrition professionals will be honored with thanks, cards, and recognition from students, school staff, parents, and the community. It always means a lot to the cafeteria staff when they receive letters, cards and drawings from the students at their school.

The importance and nutritional value of school meals are well documented. For many children, school lunch is the most important and nutrient-rich meal of their day. The role of school nutrition professionals is more important this year than ever before as more families rely on the federal child nutrition programs. Thank you to the school nutrition professionals in our schools for their outstanding work providing healthy, nutritious meals to children every school day.

Please join the school system in taking the time to say thank you to the Child Nutrition superheroes that work in our schools.

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Kara VanHooser - 2017 New Voices Award for Excellence

New Voices is a local non-profit with a mission to help children with severe communication and physical challenges maximize their learning potential. The ultimate goal of New Voices is inclusion in all aspects of life. The Lara Jane Parker Awards Program was established to provide both reward and recognition to those outstanding teachers, therapists, parents, education and health professionals and leaders who work daily to improve the lives of New Voices children. These individuals help improve their schools and their communities in ways that will allow these children to be fully included in all aspects of their daily lives.

The award for excellence recognizes individuals from the Alamance/Burlington, Chatham, Durham, Johnston, Orange, Wake counties school districts and the Chapel Hill—Carrboro City Schools, who have direct instructional or therapeutic contact with a school-aged child (or children) with communication and physical challenges.

Kara VanHooser, a speech language pathologist at McDougle Elementary School, is one of three winners of the 2017 Award for Excellence. Kara has over 20 years of experience and serves as the Exceptional Children’s team lead. Kara is proactive in engaging a child’s whole team, including families, private therapists and physicians to meet the student’s communication and other needs. She invites local and state politicians to meet her students and to understand their challenges. She maintains regular contact with them to discuss the issues that affect her students.

Kara received her Masters of Science in Speech/Language Pathology from James Madison University. She was nominated by Delia Hudson, her peer speech language pathologist, working at McDougle Elementary School. She will be honored at a ceremony on April 19 at the Friday Center in Chapel Hill.

Congratulations Kara!

read more "Kara VanHooser - 2017 New Voices Award for Excellence"

National School Social Work Week

The week of March 6-10 marks the celebration of National School Social Work Week. 

With the theme of "Be the Change," school social workers across the country will highlight their critically important role in helping students every day to meet the academic, social, and emotional challenges on the road to becoming successful and productive young adults.  

Join us in thanking our CHCCS School Social Workers for the very important role they play in the success of our students and our schools. 

read more "National School Social Work Week"