Chapel Hill HS Honors the Newtown Community

Students and staff at Chapel Hill High School decided to offer their deepest sympathy and condolences to the community of Sandy Hook Elementary.  For most at CHHS, December has always been a time of great joy and happiness; however this year, they are also thinking about the tragic shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary and the unexplained act of violence that took the lives of innocent children and adults.

CHHS decided to initiate a letter writing campaign to the bereaved citizens of Newton, CT.  Any student, faculty or staff member was welcome to write their own condolence letter.  The sympathy notes were mailed on December 21.  The CHHS community hope to alleviate the unimaginable pain that the citizens of Newtown are feeling and to show that they are not alone.

Also, after school on December 19, CHHS staff and students packed roses for each of the teachers at their neighbor school, Seawell Elementary.  The roses were delivered to the Seawell teachers on December 20 as a surprise.

Both of these acts of kindness were CHHS's way of showing that the students, faculty and staff have the people of Newtown in their hearts and the Seawell teachers in their thoughts every day.

Roses awaiting the teachers at Seawell Elementary with a note from Chapel Hill HS students and staff

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Volunteers Support Students in Our Schools

The Volunteers and Partners Office has had a busy year.  They placed 798 volunteers this fall, made up of UNC students, community members and retirees, as well as some CHCCS parents and employees.  These volunteers serve throughout all 19 CHCCS schools as PreK-12 grade helpers, School Reading Partners, ESL Helpers, Writing Coaches, AVID Tutors and BRMA Tutors.

In this semester's Volunteer Spotlight, Jean Goeppinger was named the Volunteer Extraordinaire!  She is a School Reading Partners (SRP) volunteer at McDougle Elementary.  Goeppinger is also an ESL Helper and a Blue Ribbon Mentor Advocate (BRMA) mentor for a student at Smith MS.

"Jean's relationship with the class and her students is one of the many things that makes her effective," said Linda Poythress, a second grade teacher at McDougle Elementary.  "The students respond to her caring attitude."

Julie Dermody, an ESL teacher at McDougle Elementary said, "We were thrilled when Jean said she'd come back to volunteer in our second grade co-teaching classroom!  She has become a valuable part of our classroom and builds relationships with our students as she patiently supports them."

"Jean also shares her travels with our students," added Dermody.  "Through her postcards and emails, she introduces other parts of our country and the world to our entire class.  We're fortunate to have her volunteer her time working with us."

SRP and ESL Book Giveaway
The Volunteer Office is continuously looking for ways to get books into the hands of children.  At the end of each semester, SRP and ESL volunteers give books to the students with whom they work.  The books are provided by CHCCS and are purchased through a special Literacy Partner grant with Scholastic.  Volunteers love having a semester-end parting gift for students and, of course, the children are happy to receive a book of their own.

Many Volunteer Opportunities Are Available
ESL, SRP, BRMA and CoachWrite volunteers all receive training before working with students.

As an ESL volunteer, English-speaking volunteers work one-on-one or in small groups with K-12 ESL students.  Volunteers work to engage students in simple interactions.  One, four-hour training session is required.

A SRP volunteer is paired with beginning readers in CHCCS schools.  SRPs support reading instruction by giving children opportunities to explore books and language.  A three and a half hour training session is required.

CoachWrite volunteers work one-on-one with students to improve their writing skills.  A one, three-hour training is required.

BRMA volunteers are paired with a student to help foster the full development of a child's academic, physical, emotional and social potential.  Volunteers make a two-year, two-hour per week commitment to their mentee.  Training is required.

Anyone interested in being a volunteer for CHCCS, should contact the Volunteer Office at 919-967-8211, ext. 28281 or email them at volunteer@chccs.k12.nc.us.  Please visit the Volunteer website for more information.

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Board of Education Meets in Closed Session on Dec.17

The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education will  meet in closed session regarding student matters on Monday, December 17, 2012, at 6 p.m. at Lincoln Center.

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Coretta Sharpless Named Assistant Principal of Northside Elementary

At its December 6 meeting, the Board of Education approved the hiring of Coretta Sharpless as assistant principal of the new Northside Elementary. Sharpless is an experienced educational leader who truly celebrates both the past and the future of Northside – she grew up in the same neighborhood and now has a chance to return in a state of the art school that is sure to be a community hub.

Sharpless has served in multiple roles in Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools since 2003 including as an assistant principal, assistant principal intern, teacher, gifted education specialist, intervention specialist, grade level chair and student support team chair. Previously, she worked with Alamance-Burlington City Schools for six years.

“Coretta Sharpless is ideally suited for Northside Elementary,” said Superintendent Tom Forcella. “Her experience in the classroom, in gifted education and as an administrator will be invaluable in creating the standard of excellence we are expecting at Northside.”

Sharpless earned her Master of School Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from North Carolina Central University. She also completed a Gifted Education Certification at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Prior to college, Sharpless attended our own Estes Hills Elementary, Phillips Middle and Chapel Hill High. She will remain at Estes Hills Elementary until another administrator is hired.

Coretta Sharpless

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Meyer Visits White House

Graig Meyer, director of student equity and volunteer services, spent Thursday morning, November 29, at the White House.

Meyer was invited by the White House to join a delegation of community leaders from across North Carolina to discuss the fiscal cliff.

Meyer  also met with staff from the White House Internship Office and the White House Mentoring Initiative to seek partnerships that might benefit CHCCS students.

Graig Meyer

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Board of Education to Hold Public Hearings Regarding Redistricting Plans

The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education will hold two public hearings on the proposed redistricting plans.  The hearings are official meetings of the district's Board of Education. The first public hearing is scheduled for Monday, December 3, 2012 at 7 p.m. in the Carrboro High School Auditorium. The second public hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, December 12, 2012 at 7 p.m. in the Chapel Hill High School Auditorium. Both auditoriums will open to the public at 6:30 p.m.

People interested in speaking at the Board of Education's public hearings can sign up in advance or at the meeting. Anyone wishing to sign up in advance is asked to do so by 3 p.m. on the day of the hearing and use the online form link found here. You may also sign up to speak in person at the auditorium beginning at 6:30 p.m. that evening.

Other Important Information:

• Typically the Board allows speakers up to 3 minutes of speaking time. Depending on the number of speakers signed up, the Board reserves the right to shorten the time amount to make sure everyone has an opportunity to share their comments.
• Each hearing is scheduled to end at 10 p.m. Depending on the number of speakers signed up, you may not have an opportunity to speak until the second public hearing on December 12. Anyone signed up to speak and not able to on the first evening will be given the first opportunity to speak at the second public hearing.
• Interpreters will be available and located in the rear of the auditorium.
• Placards, signs, demonstrations, etc. will not be permitted.
• Due to the anticipated volume of speakers and the desire to make sure everyone has a chance to speak, we are not able to project PowerPoints or other electronic information. If anyone is interested in sharing something electronically, please share it in advance by emailing attachments to allboardmembers@chccs.k12.nc.us. Speakers may also hand out paper copies to the Board when it is their turn to speak. They should consider bringing 10 copies.

 Northside Elementary, set to open in August 2013

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Bivins Named Principal of Dual Language Magnet School

Dr. Emily Bivins, currently the principal of Carrboro Elementary, will be the principal of Frank Porter Graham Dual Language Magnet School beginning July 1, 2013.  The magnet school will be the first ever for CHCCS.  The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education approved the hire at its November 15 meeting.

Bivins has been the principal of Carrboro Elementary since 2006 and was the district's 2009-10 Principal of the Year.  She has also served as the Carrboro Elementary assistant principal, the district's director of elementary instruction and staff development and the coordinator of elementary education for Cherokee County Schools.  She has also been a teacher in three elementary schools.

"Dr. Bivins is a proven and effective educator and we have full confidence in her ability to lead this exciting new educational journey," said Superintendent Tom Forcella.  "Her track record and her passion for student learning will drive that school's pursuit of sustained excellence."

Bivins holds a bachelor's degree from Wake Forest University, a master's degree from Elon University and another master's degree and a doctorate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Dr. Emily Bivins

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Board Approves 2013-14 School Year Calendar

The Board of Education approved the 2013-14 school year calendar at its November 1 meeting.  It meets the 1025 hours of instruction requirement within a 180 instructional day calendar.  There are 14 teacher workday, five of which are optional.

The first day of school is Monday, August 26 for students in grades 1-12.  The last day of school for all students is Wednesday, June 11, when school will be dismissed two hours early.

Other calendar highlights include:  eight delayed opening dates; Winter Break, December 23-January 3; Spring Break, March 31-April 4; and high school graduation, June 14.

To view the entire calendar, click here.  To see the board item, click here.

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ECHHS Field Hockey Team Wins State Championship

East Chapel Hill High School's Field Hockey Team captured its fifth consecutive championship, defeating Winston-Salem's RJ Reynolds High School 3-0.  It was the first time the team won a championship by more than one goal.  The goals were scored by Holly Dew, Caroline Kolk and Sydney Holman.  "I have never seen them play better," said Coach Susan Taylor.

The Wildcats finished the season with a 19-0-1 record, tying with Charlotte Country Day in a game called due to lightening.  "This is one of the best groups of girls I've had the privilege to coach," said Taylor.  "They have worked very hard all season.  They have a strong bond and play so well together."  Seniors Amanda DeMasi and Sydney Holman were team members for all four of the last championship games.

The team's most outstanding moment was defeating cross-town rival Chapel Hill High in double overtime in both games this season.  They won the first game 2-0 and then won 2-1 the second time these teams met.

ECHHS had six members selected for the All-Conference Team:  Marissa Creatore, Amanda DeMasi, Rebecca Halter, Sydney Holman, Caroline Kolk and Fiona Nelson.

There were seven members selected for the All-State Team:  Marissa Creatore, Amanda DeMasi, Grace Haley, Rebecca Halter, Sydney Holman, Caroline Kolk and Fiona Nelson.

Five members were named to the All-Star Team:  Marissa Creatore, Amanda DeMasi, Rebecca Halter, Sydney Holman and Fiona Nelson.

Taylor has coached the team the last four years.  Said Taylor, "The girls and I were very privileged this year to have help from my amazing assistant coach, Rachel Magerman, who is on the UNC Field Hockey Team, and Michelle Kasold, an ECHHS alumn, who was on the Olympic Field Hockey Team this year."

Members of the ECHHS Varsity Field Hockey Team are:  Sofia Bossut, junior; Rachel Cohn, sophomore; Kelsi Cornell, senior; Marissa Creatore, sophomore; Amanda DeMasi, senior; Bailey DeMuth, senior; Holly Dew, senior; Maddie Futch, junior; Elianna Goldstein, junior; Grace Haley, sophomore; Rebecca Halter, senior; Sydney Holman, senior; Mariana Jones, junior; Caroline Kolk, freshman; Christine Kolk, junior; Fiona Nelson, senior; Elle Richardson, sophomore; Ariel Smith, senior; Sarah Towne, sophomore; and Cassie Watters, senior.

Please see the link below to the Chapel Hill News story for more information on this incredible accomplishment.

http://www.chapelhillnews.com/2012/11/14/73789/wildcats-re-re-re-repeat-as-state.html

ECHHS Championship Field Hockey Team

ECHHS Championship Field Hockey Team Seniors pictured with their Coach 

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Mary Andrews - National Literacy Teacher of the Year

Mary Andrews is a dynamic teacher at Estes Hills Elementary, but also a cherished community volunteer. Now, she is the recipient of a large grant from the Random House, Inc. Foundation – the largest book publisher in the English-speaking world. Nominated by Nancy Zeman, a Board member for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Public School Foundation, Andrews was the first place winner for the nation and named Literacy Teacher of the Year.

"Both as a teacher in our school district and as a volunteer in conceiving and implementing these programs, Mary Andrews continues to make an impact that goes beyond measure," said Kim Hoke, Executive Director of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Public School Foundation." She continually finds innovative ways to reach out to our students and families."

The $10,000 grant will be divided among four initiatives: READ2ME: Tailgate Stories ($6,000); Family Reading Partners ($1,300); Book Babies ($1,500); and professional development ($1,200).

Additionally, Andrews was invited to attend the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) conference in Las Vegas on November 16 for the breakfast awards announcement at the MGM Grand Hotel.

Way to go, Mary!

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