N-CCS Winter Newsletter 2013-2014

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[Type a quote from the document or the summary of an interesting point. You can position Dr. David Stegall, Superintendent As you may know, we recently had a BOE election, and we now have three new BOE members. Joining our board in 2013 are: Tim Hayes: Captain Hayes is the second in command of the Newton Police Department. Leah, his wife, is a teacher at South Newton. Mr. Hayes has been active on South Newton's PTO and Parent Advisory Council in the past. Cooper, his son, is a student in N-CCS. Angie Harris-Ramseur: Mrs. Ramseur works for the City of Newton. She has a son and a daughter who attend N-CHS and are very active in clubs and sports. She has recently served as the president of the N-CHS Athletic Boosters. Her husband works as a coach at Winston- Salem State. next year from 16 to18. We will be doing a great deal of work preparing for this and know that everyone will contribute to finding solutions and strategies to engage students, prepare all students for college or career, and provide opportunities for students to gain valuable experiences that will help them find relevance. We are looking at grant opportunities, internship opportunities, externships, dual enrollment options, apprenticeships, and enhanced program offerings. Stay tuned. As you've heard me share multiple times, we want to be the best option for education in our region. We feel we offer a differentiated, personalized education to all students. Too often we don't communicate all of the many great things happening in N- CCS. To that end, on the following page, you will find a few of the many things we have done successfully that we ALL need to effectively communicate to our community. Please review and share our story and add any items that are specific to your school. Thank you for caring for our students and serving their needs every day. Dr. David Stegall, Superintendent Beverly Hall: Mrs. Hall is a former employee of N-CCS who retired this past June. She most recently served as a media specialist at N-CHS, but she has also served in many other roles in education. Mrs. Hall is married. She has several grown children, as well. Hopefully by now you've heard about our district being one of two districts in NC that will be raising the dropout age We extend our sincere appreciation to Ms. Betty Coulter and Mr. Bob Mullinax for their dedication and service as previous members of the N-CCS Board of Education. New N-CCS BOE Members: Captain Tim Hayes Mrs. Bev Hall Mrs. Angie Harris- Ramseur

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Newton-Conover City Schools' Winter Newsletter.

Transcript of N-CCS Winter Newsletter 2013-2014

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Dr. David Stegall, Superintendent

As you may know, we recently had a BOE election, and we now have three new BOE members. Joining our board in 2013 are: Tim Hayes: Captain Hayes is the second in command of the Newton Police Department. Leah, his wife, is a teacher at South Newton. Mr. Hayes has been active on South Newton's PTO and Parent Advisory Council in the past. Cooper, his son, is a student in N-CCS. Angie Harris-Ramseur: Mrs. Ramseur works for the City of Newton. She has a son and a daughter who attend N-CHS and are very active in clubs and sports. She has recently served as the president of the N-CHS Athletic Boosters. Her husband works as a coach at Winston-Salem State.

next year from 16 to18. We will be doing a great deal of work preparing for this and know that everyone will contribute to finding solutions and strategies to engage students, prepare all students for college or career, and provide opportunities for students to gain valuable experiences that will help them find relevance. We are looking at grant opportunities, internship opportunities, externships, dual enrollment options, apprenticeships, and enhanced program offerings. Stay tuned. As you've heard me share multiple times, we want to be the best option for education in our region. We feel we offer a differentiated, personalized education to all students. Too often we don't communicate all of the many great things happening in N-CCS. To that end, on the following page, you will find a few of the many things we have done successfully that we ALL need to effectively communicate to our community. Please review and share our story and add any items that are specific to your school. Thank you for caring for our students and serving their needs every day.

Dr. David Stegall, Superintendent

Beverly Hall: Mrs. Hall is a former employee of N-CCS who retired this past June. She most recently served as a media specialist at N-CHS, but she has also served in many other roles in education. Mrs. Hall is married. She has several grown children, as well. Hopefully by now you've heard about our district being one of two districts in NC that will be raising the dropout age As you've heard me share multiple times, we want to be the best option for education in our region. We feel we offer a

We extend our sincere appreciation to Ms. Betty Coulter and Mr. Bob Mullinax for their dedication and service as previous members of the N-CCS Board of Education.

New N-CCS BOE

Members:

Captain Tim

Hayes

Mrs. Bev Hall

Mrs. Angie

Harris-

Ramseur

Newton-Conover City Schools: Who Are We?

Safety/Wellness

1. Full-time school resource officer or an on-duty city police officer with an office in every school available every day

2. Upgrading safety measures including cameras, secondary entrances, ID badges, & background checks on all volunteers and panic alarms

3. Strong Backpack program, a public/private partnership which feeds over 250 families per week

4. Anti-bullying programs and initiatives at all schools 5. Kids in Need program (Program to help provide eye

care, doctor care, dentist visits, etc.) 6. Fire, tornado, and intruder/lockdown drills in all

schools (Safety Plans) 7. School Health Advisory Committee (SHAC)

promotes staff fitness challenges and facilitated the first Health Screening for staff, coordinated with Frye Regional Medical Center

Fiscal Responsibility

1. Identified by a consulting firm hired by the NC Department of Public Instruction as one of the Top 10 low spending/high achieving districts in the state

2. Zero audit findings in 2013 3. Transparency of all budgets and salaries of

employees 4. $1.3 cut since 2011 (Local, Federal and State)- No

teacher cuts in spite of this for 2013-14.

Community Partners Churches (backpack program and tutoring), Clark Tire (Rubber Meets the Road) (Pictured below), DLTee golf (KIN), NCEdFo (teacher grants), Biker’s Run (1000 participants), Area businesses (Apprenticeship Catawba), LRU (Little Read), CVCC, Chamber of Commerce (Innovate Catawba), Catawba County Parenting Network (Workshops), Catawba Science Center, City of Newton Police Department, City of Conover Police Department, Darkness to Light with Children’s Advocacy Center

Student Achievement 1. N-CHS Composite SAT scores in reading, math,

and writing increased 17 points. 2011/2012 – 1423, 2012/2013 -1440

2. N-CHS was the second highest high school in Catawba County for students scoring a 3, 4, or 5 on an AP test (62%).

3. N-CHS NJROTC placed in the top 17% in the nation on the National Academic Exam.

4. Four N-CHS students were accepted to the North Carolina School of Science and Math – Residential Program.

5. Four N-CCS students received perfect scores on the SAT.

6. N-CCS made 90.2% of federal targets measured on 61 subgroups and 87.5% of state targets measured on 112 subgroups.

7. N-CCS’ ACT results, a measure of college and career readiness, are above the state average.

8. N-CCS’ ACT Work Keys results, a job skills assessment that helps employers identify soft skills and work force preparation, are 14% above the state average.

9. N-CCS’ SAT scores are at an all-time high with an increase of 13 points.

Accomplishments/Opportunities 1. PD 360, a national training group who creates videos for

teacher professional development, were very impressed with N-CCS and selected 20 classrooms to video for their national training videos.

2. U.S. News and World Report named N-CHS the 14th

best North Carolina High School out of 607 high schools.

3. The N-CCS Graduation Cohort Rate grew to 88.8% for the 2012-2013 school year.

4. Annika Sorenstam, widely considered to be the greatest Female Golfer in history, Skyped to our students as N-CCS implement the “First Tee” program in the elementary schools. She talked to North Newton students about the value of the program.

5. N-CCS celebrates having one of the lowest dropout rates in North Carolina for the 2012-2013 school year (with the possibility that it will be the lowest in the state once final calculations are confirmed).

6. Five million dollars was earned in scholarships by the N-CCS Class of 2013.

7. N-CCS was the number one district in North Carolina for district AYP goals met in 2010. This is the Federal Government’s measure of district academic effectiveness.

8. Apprenticeship Catawba: A partnership between area businesses and schools that allows students to work apprenticeships while still being enrolled as a student.

9. N-CCS boasts strong arts partnerships with the Green Room Theater, Hickory Museum of Art, Western Piedmont Symphony, and N-C Auditorium Authority.

10. Students enjoy multiple high school options: N-CHS, Discovery, NC School of Science and Math (online or residential), Challenger HS (at LRU), HCAM, NCVPS

11. Students have multiple high school programs/pathways to consider: CNA, ServeSafe, Microsoft IT, Career Readiness Certificate, & Advanced Placement courses.

Clark Tire Rubber Meets the Road Winner 1

Clark Tire “Rubber Meets the Road” winner, David Schouweiler, with district and community supporters.

THE

COMPASS

The N-CCS

Curriculum Team

has spent the fall

semester

working with

principals,

teachers, and

staff to review

assessment

data, gauge

district strengths

and areas for

growth, and

develop

protocols and

processes for

long-term

implementation.

One way the

curriculum team

communicates

with faculty and

staff is through

The Compass:

The N-CCS

Online

Curriculum

Newsletter!

To keep up with

the latest and

most pertinent

curriculum and

instruction

information,

check out

The Compass at

www.nccscurricul

um.org

3200 students

7 schools and 1 program

66% of our students are on Free and Reduced lunch.

NCCS made 87.5% of state targets (112 subgroups) and 90.2% of

federal Annual Measurable Achievement Objective targets (61

subgroups) in 2013.

51.4% White

23.4% Hispanic

14.4% African-American

5.0% Asian

5.8% Other

100% valued and important!

ESL Updates:

Mrs. Tammy Brown, Director

State Board of Education policy GCS-A-012 states that LEAs, charter schools, or a consortia of LEAs that receive Title III subgrants are held accountable for meeting the following three Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives (AMAOs). The AMAO calculations reflect requirements based on the Notice of Final Interpretations (NOI) for Title III of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), published in October 2008 in the Federal Register by staff at the US Department of Education. • AMAO 1 (Progress) • AMAO 2 (Proficiency) • AMAO 3 (AMOs for the LEP Subgroup) (NCDPI/ASIS/MR/November 26, 2013)

N-CCS has preliminarily met all three of these targets!

The Newton-Conover City Schools District has been extremely fortunate over the years to have

had numerous dedicated individuals who have committed themselves to the success of the

district. These individuals have given of their time, effort, finances and other resources,

expecting nothing in return. The success of the district over the years is in no small part due to

these dedicated champions of the cause. A Red Blazer committee will select up to two

individuals annually to be recognized with a Red Blazer Award. Nominations for the award will

be accepted from February 3- March 10, 2014. The district will solicit nominations for

candidates on the district website, in the local newspapers, and through stakeholder groups.

Nomination forms are also available at the Newton-Conover City Schools administrative office.

Neither current Board of Education members nor current school system employees are eligible

for the award. Nominations may be made posthumously. Nominees do not have to have been a

former employee of the school district. The committee will then select and notify up to two (2)

recipients by the end of March. Candidates who are nominated, but are not awarded, will remain on a nomination list that will be maintained by the committee.

Please return all nomination forms to Dr. Betsy Rosenbalm at 605 N. Ashe Avenue,

Newton, NC 28658, no later than Monday, March 10, 2014.

Elementary Updates:

Mrs. Tammy Brown, Director

Read to Achieve Information for third grade

teachers and students Third grade teachers will begin administering reading passages on January 6, 2014. Answers to some of the most frequently asked questions regarding the Read to Achieve Act are detailed below: Q & A about the Read to Achieve ACT in Grade 3: Q - What happens to portfolios that are not needed for good cause exemption? Are we required to shred them? A-Yes this would be the best practice. Q-If a child has been retained in 3rd grade because his/her parent doesn't want him/her to attend Summer Camp, can you pick up with the portfolio process at the beginning of the school year, or does the child have to wait and start over on a new portfolio in January? A- All portfolios begin in January. Q-What happens if a child successfully completes a portfolio before the end of summer camp? A-If a student demonstrates proficiency, he/she does not have to complete the rest of the camp unless the parents want the child to have the extra support. Q-What kind of feedback are teachers allowed to give students after they have completed a passage? A-The teachers can use information from the student’s assessment to adjust instruction as needed, but they cannot review the passage with the student in detail. Q- Can you administer the three passages on the same day? A- Yes, just remember that only three passages can be administered in a week. For more information, please feel free to contact Mrs. Tammy Brown.

Digital Days, 2013!

Mrs. Cindy Geddes, Director

Newton-Conover City Schools hosted the district’s third semi-annual day of instructional technology learning, affectionately called Digital Days, on October 7.

Two hundred and seventy-two staff members each attended at least two classes. Thirty different tiered classes were offered. Staff members were excited with the variety of choices that were provided from Google Docs for Beginners to MineCraft.

This year, our emphasis was on classroom application. In reviewing the feedback provided following the sessions, we received 98.6% positive feedback from over 200 staff members. The staff members that facilitated these sessions should be commended for their leadership and instructional technology skills: Christy Buff, Billy Cannon, Kelly Cannon, Shannon Childress, Geoff Crosson, Jody Dixon, Candace Colson, Dr. Scarlet Davis, Pete Dragstrem, Mischele Glover, Amanda Griffin, Leah Hayes, Jessica Luby, Jayme Linton, Rae MacIver, Heather Mullins, Cierra Parker, Lynette Ryhal, Jeremy Ross, David Schouweiler, Angie Sigmon, Brittany Wilfong, and Andrea Ward.

We look forward to seeing these new tools and strategies implemented in classrooms across the district!

Accountability Information: Mrs. Cindy

Geddes

For the most up to date reports on state

performance standards and results

for NCCS, please access this link:

http://bit.ly/NCCSAccountability

Data Notes!

Ms. Joan Munday CECAS: December 1 Headcount is now complete! Our number of EC students is now at 341. Thanks to all EC staff and teachers for getting all of this information in on time. Powerschool: NCDPI is still uploading new information and working on areas that have not been working as expected in our new data management system.

Finance Updates! Mrs. Carmen Houston, Director

The NCCS Finance Department

received an unmodified audit report from our external auditor for

2012/2013. This was accomplished by the diligent work of the Finance Team

in conjunction with district wide efforts!!!

Middle School News

Ms. Heather Mullins,

Chief Academic Officer

New Clubs at N-CMS

N-CMS now provides even more opportunities for students to connect to school through introducing new clubs. In addition to clubs such as the Cadet Club, this year N-CMS has added Quill Club, Junior Beta Club, and Quiz Bowl to the list of options for middle school students. Kristy Smith and Andrea Ward are coaches for the N-CMS Quiz Bowl. The new Junior Beta Club sponsors are Amanda Crouch, Amanda McRary, Kelly Cannon, Ann Catchings, Kathy Clarke, and Amanda Griffin.

Student-Led Conferences

N-CMS students invited their parents to school this fall to take part in student-led conferences during the week of November 12-15. Student-led conferences provide students an opportunity to present their learning to their teacher and parents and formally reflect on the learning that has taken place over a period of time. This reflection occurs as students prepare for the conference as well as during the conference itself when students show and explain what they have learned to their parents.

Usually the evidence students produce is in the form of a portfolio, which students have prepared according to provided guidelines. The student, with teacher guidance, is the one who selects the work. The teacher makes sure the students understand the purpose of the portfolio. Parents attending a student-led conference should expect to see some of their child’s work, but not all of the work for the entire semester. Students share both strengths and weaknesses with parents. Students then reflect on what they have learned and where they still have room for growth, and they state clear learning goals for the future. Middle School Student Enjoy Football Frenzy

Over 40 N-CMS 8th graders who plan to attend college joined Dr. David Stegall, Ms. Kim Kaylor, Coach Fallon Sutherland, Marilla Carter, and Katrina Palozzi on Saturday, November 2nd for an opportunity to travel to Lenoir-Rhyne University to learn more about college life and to see the L-R Bears take on Carson-Newman. The students and faculty had a wonderful time!

N-CMS Students and Faculty

Performed

“Yes, Virginia The Musical”

This holiday season, under

the direction of Mr. David

Bozza, Newton-Conover

Middle School staged a

performance of “Yes, Virginia

The Musical,” an original

production based on a true

story of 8-year-old Virginia

O’Hanlon, who wrote a letter

to the New York Sun

newspaper in 1897, inquiring

about the existence of Santa

Claus. The school musical

program debuted last year as

part of Macy’s holiday

“Believe” campaign and was

performed by elementary and

middle schools nationwide.

Newton-Conover Middle

School welcomed the holiday

season with a special

performance of “Yes, Virginia

The Musical” on December

12th at 6:00pm.

Mrs. Griffin and Mrs. Cannon

show their school/holiday spirit!

Mr. Kevin Campbell Receives Award Mr. Bill Long, Director of High Schools, CTE &

Student Services

Kevin Campbell, principal of Newton-Conover High School, has been no stranger to recognition this year. Earlier this year, he was selected as the Newton-Conover City Schools Principal of the Year by his constituents in the district. Now he has been voted “Finest Principal” in the “2013 Voted Finest in Catawba County” recognition program, sponsored by the Hickory Daily Record (HDR).

Lori Snow, Multi-Media Account Executive for HDR, said that this certificate is awarded every year by the HDR to people and businesses in many categories. In July, HDR sends out a ballot with several categories. Voting occurs in July and August by residents of Catawba County. All votes are counted and category winners are sent out in October.

Mr. Campbell has been the principal of Newton-Conover High School for seven years. In the district, he has also been assistant principal at Newton-Conover High and Middle School. He also served as principal at Thornton Elementary and as an Exceptional Children’s teacher at the high school. Mr. Campbell is originally from Summersville, West Virginia and graduated from Ridgewood High School there. He received his undergraduate degree from Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia, as well as advanced degrees at Appalachian State University. His wife, Kim, is a teacher in the district, and their two sons both attend Newton-Conover City Schools.

United Way Celebration

Recently, NCCS honored their teachers

and staff members who gave generously

to the United Way this year by hosting

an evening of dinner and entertainment.

The meal was sponsored by Wellington

Benefits, and several schools were

rewarded certificates of appreciation

for exceeding their set goals for

giving this year. The guests were

reminded of the wide-spread impact of

their monetary gifts and the importance

of Living United! N-CCS would like to

say a special thanks to Mr. Bill Long,

Director of High School, CTE, and

Student Services, as well as Tefany

Major, his administrative assistant,

for their hard work in putting together

such a special event for N-CCS staff

members.

Wrestling Mania!

Quite possibly the most

amazing accomplishment

in Newton-Conover Sports

History…

Congratulations to Coach Clark, Coach Murray, Coach Shuffler and the N-CHS Wrestling Team!

Newton-Conover competed in the Lake Norman Duals on Saturday, December 7th. This is a very

competitive tournament. The team went 5-0 as a team and finished as tournament champions!

NCHS 51 - White Oak (2011 South Carolina 3A

State Champs) 19 NCHS 51 - Pope (2011, 2012, 2013 Georgia 5A

State Champs) 20 NCHS 63 - Pinecrest (2012 North Carolina 4A State

Tournament Champs) 16 NCHS 43 - Christiansburg (12x defending Virginia

2A State Champs) 25 NCHS 39 - Gilmer (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013

Georgia 3A State Champs) 24

Undefeated wrestlers of the day: 113 - Austin Klutz 5-0

132 - Franklin Wepner 5-0 182 - Collin Minor 5-0

195 - Junior Hewitt 5-0 285 - Ah'Ron Hope 5-0

The team has an exciting season

ahead!

Rubber Meets the Road!

David Schouweiler, science teacher at N-CHS, was recently

awarded the Rubber Meets the Road Award, given to one

local teacher in the N-CCS school district who is in need of a

car make-over, as well as recognition for his or her hard work

in the classroom. The Newton-Conover City School District is

thankful for the partnership and generosity that Clark Tire

has provided for our school system and proud of this

amazing teacher! We would like to extend a special thanks to

Clark Tire of Newton and their gracious, highly-skilled staff.

Conservation Pays Off! Mrs. Robin Rudisill, Director of Maintenance and Safety

This year, all schools will be rewarded for their energy conservation efforts. They will begin with a “pot of money” based on the square footage of their school. A total incentive of $20,000 is available for the 2013-2014 school year.

We will conduct three energy audits, which will take place after school hours. Our expectations are listed below. For each violation of these expectations found during the audit, a deduction will be made from the schools’ beginning amount. CONSERVATION TIPS:

Maintain set points of 70-76 for cooling and 68-74 for heating.

Avoid using space heaters.

Turn lights off in unoccupied spaces.

Turn off “evening lights” during the day.

Turn off and unplug TVs, VCRs, CD players, electric staplers and other non-essential classroom/office equipment over the weekend and holidays.

Turn off printers over weekend and holidays.

Turn monitors off when not in use and shut computers down over weekend and holidays (according to guidelines set by our Technology Dept.).

Turn off projectors when not in use.

Eliminate use of plug-in type air fresheners.

Enable the energy saver feature on copy machines. Turn copiers off over the weekends and during holidays.

Keep exterior doors closed as much as possible.

Let the sun shine in. Not only is daylight a free source of lighting, diffused daylight has been shown to improve student test scores. Open your blinds to let daylight into a room. During evenings and weekends you should close the blinds to buffer the room from heat or cold.

Keep heating vents and air returns unobstructed.

Ask vendors to remove bulbs from soft drink and vending machines.

Minimize the number of lights left on after school hours and when the building is being cleaned.

The best reason for conservation is to preserve and sustain the future for our students!

Congratulations to Michael

Townsley and Rochelle Medvec,

high school teachers at

Conover School, who

successfully delivered a

presentation to state EC

teachers and administrators at

the 63rd Annual Conference on

Exceptional Children in

Greensboro on November 22,

2013. The presentation focused

on strategies and processes for

implementing a successful

Community Based Instruction

program for students with

moderate to severe disabilities.

Coming in 2014…

All IEP paperwork, including DEC 1, 2, 3, 6, and

7, as well as Progress Notes, will need to be put

in CECAS. EC teachers are already putting their

DEC 4s and 5s in the CECAS system, and will

need to begin putting Initial paperwork, Re-

evaluations, etc. into the system, as they come

due in 2014. This will insure accountability and

alignment throughout the district’s

documentation system.

Casey Bumgarner, History

teacher at N-CHS, published

an interesting article on

President Kennedy in the

Hickory Daily Record on

November 18, 2013. Follow

this link to read this

informative piece!

http://www.hickoryrecord.com/news/article_e95c127e-5062-11e3-95d6-0019bb30f31a.html

Dr. Betsy Rosenbalm, Director of EC

Procedures for Loss of Driving Rights

Dr. Sylvia White, Director All NCCS Teacher Assistants (TAs) are employed as teacher assistants/bus drivers. There have been incidents where employees have lost their CDLs and cannot drive a bus. If this occurs, the TA will be asked to complete the requirements to work in the Pre-K classroom within one year. The TA will be/may be placed in a Pre-K setting. Refusal to complete this process will result in automatic dismissal based on inability to fulfill the requirements of the position. The requirements for a Pre-K teacher assistant employed by public schools are exempt from the requirement to hold an ECE/CD Associate Degree or CDA if they meet the employment requirements outlined by the federal “No Child Left Behind” (NCLB) legislation, and have one of the following: (1) Six documented semester hours of coursework in early childhood education, -OR- (2) Two years of work experience in an early childhood setting. (licensed facility) This operation procedure will go into effect January 1, 2014.

Operational Updates

Dr. Aron Gabriel

Assistant Superintendent

Continued positive progress has taken place at the South Newton Construction Site. The school is really beginning to take shape and the dream of having our students in a new school at South Newton by the opening of the next school year is starting to look more and more like a reality.

N-CCS recognized the positive work that has been done by our school administrators in October. We enjoyed breakfast provided by Waffle House, as well as a time of fellowship to let these folks know how much we appreciate them. School administrators were also given notes of encouragement and gratitude that were written by members of their respective staffs.

N-CCS gave an honorary diploma to Mary Louise Sigmon-

Harris who dropped out of Newton High School in 1936. As a 93

year old, her dream of being called a graduate, being given a

diploma (even if honorary), and being recognized in front of

others was finally realized. She was also interviewed by the

Observer-News Enterprise as well as Natalie Pasquarella of

Channel 9 news.

North Newton Elementary held a Toy Drive

on Tuesday, December 19, 2013.

Community members

donated gently used or new toys

to North Newton. These toys

went to needy children and

families for Christmas!

North Newton wishes to thank

those of you who made donations!

Special Thanks to

Stacey Mrazek and Emily Smith

for organizing this event! Twenty-two families and 43 children were

served, and special donations were given by Bryce Mitchell, in lieu of

receiving his own birthday gifts this year!

Conover School Biker’s Run 2013 The 23rd annual Conover School Biker’s Run took place on Saturday, December 14, 2013 at 1pm at the P.E. Monroe Auditorium on the LRU Campus. Although the weather was cold and rainy, many local bikers rode in to bring gifts to students and watch them perform in their annual holiday program . Dr. Stegall did a stellar job as the narrator this year, and the program was made possible by the dedicated efforts of Conover’s Leadership for Innovation Committee, Priscilla Palmisano, Michael Townsley, and Clarissa Hickman. The Conover Choir, comprised of Conover staff members and directed by Kim Lutz, also performed at this event. The students, staff, families, and bikers were once again all touched by this special event!

feast

N-CHS hosted their 3rd annual Community

Christmas Luncheon on Saturday, December

14th, from 11 a.m. to 2pm at the Calvary

Baptist Church Fellowship Hall in Newton. N-

CHS (N-C high school clubs with the support of

the elementary schools and private donations)

hosted the event for any individual or family

who was in need of a meal and fellowship.

Families enjoyed a wonderful home-cooked

meal. They also were able to visit with Santa,

and have their pictures taken with him. In

addition, there were "blessing bags" for

everyone who attended along with small gifts

for the children.

The entertainment for the event was provided

by the N-CHS chorus, band, and drama

departments. Everything was free, and a good

time was had by all!

Newton-Conover High School students from

Mrs. Isenhour-Essary’s Multimedia and

Webpage Design class and Mrs. Allen’s Sports

Marketing class visited the NASCAR Hall of

Fame. NASCAR Hall of Fame offers students

the ability to learn Digital Media, Marketing,

Math, Science and Social Studies. It provides

an educational experience that is an extension

to the classroom with lesson plans that adhere

to state and national learning standards.

Students brainstormed strategies to work as a

team in searching for information. Students

were engaged in taking pictures, shooting

videos and completing a scavenger hunt of the

NASCAR Hall of Fame. As students return to

the classroom, they will execute and create

what they learned during their visit. Students

in Multimedia and Webpage Design will create

a “mock” website for NASCAR Hall of Fame

using HTML coding, and Sports Marketing

students will create a marketing brochure.

Newton-Conover 8th Graders Attend Second STEM Tour

Newton-Conover Middle School eighth graders, along with their principal, teachers, and other

staff, attended an Extreme STEM Tour on November 14. STEM is an acronym that stands for

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. The tour, coordinated by Tracy Hall,

Catawba Valley Community College, and the Education Matters initiative, is an opportunity for

these students to visit businesses and industry that are rich in STEM occupations. Students

visited the sites of ZF Lemforder, Manufacturing Solutions, Catawba County Emergency

Medical Services, Technibilt, and Arcelor Mittal. They also visited CVCC around lunch time to

tour the campus and see additional STEM demonstrations on the campus while learning of

opportunities to get education in the areas that these businesses offer.

Each of the business tours included an opportunity for the students to see what different jobs require and also to ask about the potential income they could expect if they chose to pursue that job area. Students and teachers alike were very happy to be on the tour and said they had… “no idea the business existed or that there were jobs out there like that in our county.” This tour is provided to give students as eighth graders an opportunity to begin thinking about their future career before entering high school. This will help them to choose courses in the area that will direct them to jobs or college when they graduate and pursue their goals.

Congratulations to

Coach Glenda

Dellinger!

She is GenMove’s PE

Teacher of the Month

for utilizing the

GenMove Multi-Goal to

conduct success-driven

individual skill

development within a

group setting in her

Adapted PE Classes at

Conover School!

BIRTHS

*Brenda Harbinson celebrated the birth of her grandchild, Ella Grace Harbinson, on March 17, 2013. Brenda is an N-CCS Mentor for N-CMS and N-CHS. *Julianne and Aaron Surratte welcomed home a son, Beau Michael, on February 1, 2013. Julianne works at Shuford Elementary School.

*Adrianne and Adam Blackwelder welcomed home a daughter, Braelyn, on July 13, 2013. Adrianne works at Shuford Elementary School. *Shannon and Samuel Childress welcomed home a daughter, Samantha Marie, on April 7, 2013. Shannon works at Shuford Elementary School. *Betsy and Andy Rosenbalm adopted a daughter, Charlotte Esther-Lou, on October 6, 2013. Betsy works at the Central Office of N-CCS.

DEATHS

*Brenda Adams lost her son, Samuel Walker

Adams, age 27, on August 3, 2013. Brenda works

at Shuford Elementary School.

*Brenda Harbinson lost her sister, Frances Kincaid, on May 19, 2013. Brenda is an N-CCS Mentor for N-CMS and N-CHS. *Brenda Harbinson lost her sister-in-law, Mary Link, on July 19, 2013. Brenda is an N-CCS Mentor for N-CMS and N-CHS.

*Sharon Hartsoe lost her brother, Lanny

Hartsoe, on May 4, 2013. Sharon works at North

Newton Elementary School.

*Alicia Hollar lost her husband, Marty Hollar, on March 5, 2013. Alicia works at Conover School.

*Ashley Arndt lost her grandmother, Patricia Jones, on December 25, 2012 and step-grandfather Clyde Lutz in January of 2013. Ashley Arndt works at North Newton Elementary School.

*Kate Edwards’ lost her father-in-law, Tom

Edwards, on December 8, 2013. Kate works at

South Newton Elementary School.

*Caitlin Jones lost her grandmother, Peggy Jones, on March, 2013. Caitlin works at Shuford Elementary School. *Wanda Dellinger lost her father, Horace Clontz, on November 18, 2013. Wanda works at Shuford Elementary School.

MARRIAGES

*Caroline McCrary was married on June 15, 2013 to her husband, Justin. Caroline works at Newton-Conover High School.

ENGAGEMENTS

*Jonathan Tharpe was engaged to Katie Faulkner this past fall. Their wedding is scheduled for May 31

st,

2014. Jonathan works at North Newton Elementary School.

GRADUATIONS *Sylvia White graduated from Wingate University with an Ed.D. on September 4, 2013. Sylvia works at the Central Office of N-CCS. *Kimberly Noles graduated from UNC-C

with an M.A.T. in Elementary Education

on Saturday, December 14, 2013.

Kimberly works at South Newton

Elementary School.

*Danielle Gold graduated from Appalachian State University with a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education: Birth to Kindergarten with Special Education & Teacher Licensure on December 14, 2013. Danielle works at North Newton Elementary School. *Brenda Powell graduated from Appalachian State University with a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education: Birth to Kindergarten on December 14, 2013. Brenda works at Conover School. *Tracy Workman’s son graduated from

Appalachian State University in

December of 2013. Tracy works at

North Newton Elementary School.

*Jennifer Ingle graduated from

Appalachian State University on

December 14, 2013 with a Master’s

degree in Romance Languages

(Concentration in French.) Jennifer

works at N-CHS.

www.nccs.k12.nc.us