New Shoes for School

On Saturday, volunteers gave out 1,250 pairs of shoes for students in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools.

You can read the story at Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools

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Students Volunteer at SECU Family House

During the summer, four groups of middle and high school students have volunteered at the SECU Family House.

You can read the story at Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools.

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Winston-Salem Youth Chorus Holding Auditions for 2017-18 Season

The Winston-Salem Youth Chorus invites children in grades three through 12 to audition for the 2017-2018 season which begins on August 28th.

Auditions will be held on Monday Aug. 14, Tuesday Aug. 15 and Thursday Aug.17.

For more information and to schedule your audition time please go to Winston-Salem Youth Chorus or call the office at (336)703-0001.

The Winston-Salem Youth Chorus, a non-profit arts organization founded in 1993, has impacted the lives of hundreds of children and youth through music education and performance experiences in its mission to engage and develop youth from diverse backgrounds and enrich their lives by inspiring excellence in choral music. The WSYC now has about 80 members in four ensembles, ranging from grades 3-12 and representing more than 40 schools in Forsyth and surrounding counties.

The chorus has been endorsed by the mayor as the Premier Youth Chorus and Ambassadors of the city.

Members of the WSYC learn vocal technique, theory, singing in other languages, discipline, confidence and teamwork while performing beautiful choral arrangements. The chorus also often collaborates with the UNCSA, The WS Symphony, Piedmont Wind Symphony, Piedmont Opera and other groups in the region. They also travel and perform in other countries and around the nation.  Some tours in the past have included performances in Austria, Italy, France, Chicago, New York City and New Orleans.

Wiley Middle Teacher Headed to Rainforest

Betty Jo Moore, who teaches science at Wiley Magnet Middle, is headed to the rainforest.

She and the other teachers who are going will be posting on a blog. So you will be able to follow some of their adventures along the way. You can find out more about the those going at Trip to Belize

Moore is one of 12 educators from across North Carolina who will experience the natural world like never before as part of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences’ Educators of Excellence Institutes.  From July 25 to Aug. 1, they will be in Belize, Central America.  

Along with two educators from Belize, participants will learn about surprising similarities between the ecologies of the tropics and their own region of North Carolina.  During this 29th annual trip, they will study birds, butterflies, and other animals unique to the tropics, and have the opportunity to explore a rain forest, Mayan ruins and a coral reef. 

“I’m really, really excited about this,” Moore said by phone this morning.

Moore is having quite a summer. She just returned from a family trip to Germany to celebrate one daughter graduating from high school and another daughter graduating from college.

The adventure in Belize is going to start as soon as they arrive. Participants were told to wear whatever they plan to wear in the jungle on the plane.

“As soon as we get off, we get going,” Moore said.

Before the trip to Germany, she bought hiking boots so she would break them in in the Alps before heading to Belize.

Moore said she had been wanting to participating in one of the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences’ adventures for quite some time. The one to the one rainforest seemed perfect.

“I have never actually been to a rainforest,” she said.

“These trips have the power to change educators’ lives,” said Liz Baird, head of school and lifelong education for the musuem.  “Not only do the Institutes inspire and reward outstanding teachers, they also have a huge impact on how teachers teacher and relate to their students.”

Moore said she certainly plans to pass along what she learns to her students.

This will not be her last adventure of the summer.  On Aug. 6, she and fellow Wiley teacher Seth Henley are headed to San Diego for the Teacher in Conservation Science Workshop.

“We will be working with scientists connected to the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Safari Park for this experience,” Moore said. “We will be camping at night and working with scientists in the lab and in the field during the day.”  

The N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences’ Educators of Excellence Institutes aims to inform and empower educators to teach students about North Carolina’s ecological connections to the rest of the world.  All Institutes have an online component  that allows colleagues and students to follow along on the trip through pictures, journal entries and email Q&A. 

The find out more about the museum go to Museum of Natural Sciences

Institute alumni become part of the Educators of Excellence Network, which helps teachers exchange innovative ideas for teaching science and promoting conservation awareness.  More than 500 outstanding North Carolina science educators have participated in Educators of Excellence programs since 1987, while more than 355,000 North Carolina children have learned from these teachers.

Northwest Middle Student Earns Gold Medal at National Conference in Nashville.

Northwest Middle student DeMyah Griffin received a gold medal at the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA)’s National Leadership Conference in Nashville.

DeMyah received her medal in the FCCLA STAR Food Innovations Junior Competition.

“I enjoyed doing this STAR Event project. Even though it was time consuming, I would do it again because this experience has given me the opportunity to explore a different food and learn about the basics of marketing,” DeMyah said.

More than 7,500 advisers, alumni, and guests from across the country gathered in Nashville for the 2017 National Leadership Conference.

“The meeting provided Northwest Middle FCCLA members with the opportunity to attend leadership and program training, hear national speakers, meet the National Executive Council, explore colleges and careers, and impact a city with the Unlimited Possibilities of FCCLA,” said Khadija Edwards, who teaches Family and Consumer Sciences at Northwest Middle School. 

DeMyah competed in the Food Innovations-Junior event. Her project focused on the basic concepts of food product development. 

FCCLA’s STAR Events are based on the belief that every student is a winner. Competition, evaluation, and recognition all stress cooperation as the basis of success. Both youth and adults work together to manage the events and serve as evaluators of the participants. Throughout the year, FCCLA members tackle issues such as teen violence prevention, traffic safety, family issues, career exploration, and much more. FCCLA programs and competitions enrich student learning, improve self-esteem, and serve students with a range of ability levels, economic situations, and cultural influences.

FCCLA offers over 30 STAR [Students Taking Action with Recognition] Events. These events, which include Early Childhood Education, Job Interview, and Sports Nutrition, among others, represent college and career readiness skills taught in Family and Consumer Sciences classroom. Members compete at the District, State and National level. This year, DeMyah Griffin was among more than 4,200 STAR Event participants who competed in Nashville. DeMyah received a gold medal in the event.

About FCCLA

Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) is a dynamic and effective career and technical student organization that helps young men and women become leaders and address important personal, family, work, and societal issues through Family and Consumer Sciences education. FCCLA has more than 164,000 members and more than 5,300 chapters from 49 state associations, in addition to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

FCCLA: The Ultimate Leadership Experience is unique among youth organizations because its programs are planned and run by members, and it’s the only career and technical in-school student organization with a central focus on careers that support families.  Participation in national FCCLA programs and chapter activities helps members become strong leaders in their families, careers, and communities.

For more information on FCCLA, please contact Khadija Edwards at 336-703-4161 or kaedwards@wsfcs.k12.nc.us.

Mary Poppins: The Broadway Musical

Next week, students participating in the Summer Enrichment Musical Theatre will put on "Mary Poppins: The Broadway Musical."

You can read the story at Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools

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20th Annual Vic Johnson Junior Golf Clinic

On Friday, the 20th annual Vic Johnson Junior Golf Clinic wrapped up.

You can read the story at Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools

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Pathway to K

Today through July 26, students who are going to enter kindergarten are participating in a program designed to help them be ready for that day.

To read the story, go to Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools

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A Reading Party

This summer, ReadWS is holding reading parties to show parents games that can help their young children develop their literacy skills.

You can read the story at Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools

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