The Downtown School Now Has Service Club Affiliated with Lions Club

The oldest Lion’s Club in North Carolina has just established its newest student club.

On Wednesday, March 2, members of the Winston-Salem Twin City Host Lions Club came to The Downtown School to welcome its new Leo’s Club into the organization. After club member Alvin Atkinson made a presentation to Principal Janet Atkinson – yes, the two are married – club member John McKenzie swore in the officers.  

President is Zoe Brockenbrough. Vice president is Madison Buschek.  Annie Christina Potts is secretary, and her twin, Ellie Jane Potts, is treasurer.

For the most part, members of the new club were already members of the school’s Student Leadership Club, a middle school service club that had just finished overseeing a school drive to collect jeans for teenagers who are homeless.

“About a month or so ago, our teacher, Mrs. Hepler, found the Teens for Jeans organization that was encouraging schools to collect jeans to give to homeless teenagers in need of clothing,” Zoe said. “We were inspired by this to do our own jean drive. In the past few weeks, we collected donations from students and we ended up collecting 147 pairs of jeans! These jeans were recently sent to local homeless shelters in Winston-Salem who needed more jeans. Both me and the rest of Student Government hope that this jean drive becomes something our school does every year.”

The Lions Club is a service club, and the Twin City members will support the student club in its service projects.

Northwest Middle Sixth-Graders Create Sculptures Under Guidance of SECCA Artist

At Northwest Middle School, students have been creating sculptures out of foam poster board.

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

Here are some more pictures:

Diggs-Latham Elementary Closes Its Black History Month Celebrations with Assembly

On Friday, Feb. 26, Diggs-Latham Elementary School held its Black History Month assembly/celebration.

“It was our culminating event for our month of Black History celebrations,” said teacher Amanda Gordon. “I planned the event along with help from my committee.  Several staff and teachers were dressed in Afrocentric attire. 

“Students wore the colors of Kwanzaa or orange to represent unity. Several student groups performed including Band Honors, Orchestra Honors, and Dance Honors. The Art Honors group painted the backdrop and designed the program cover. The entire student body joined together in the songs and we wrote our own school ‘I Have a Dream’ speech. 

“Each classroom wrote one statement to go into the speech and I wrote the introduction and conclusion. We recited this before singing together ‘Free at Last.’ Retired speech pathologist Susan Ingram came back to sing a medley of Spirituals.  The dance teacher, Amanda Nelson, and her student teacher tap danced in honor of Sands. 

“Band teacher Zenyth Thomas, orchestra teacher Lisa Morris, and I sang together. Our keynote speaker was Endia Beal, director of Diggs Gallery and Art Professor from Winston-Salem State University. She talked about how we have art around us and how we can use art to convey messages. 

“Mr. Vic Johnson, Alexandra Hoskins, Steve Oates, and Jackie Pierson were in the audience. We also ended our program with a tribute to Mr. Oates for his recognition as a ‘Leader to Learn From.’”

Kindergarten Information Day

On Friday, about 200 families came to The Children's Museum of Winston-Salem for Kindergarten Information Day.

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

Here are some more pictures:

Southeast Students Pledge Not to Use the "R" Word

At Southeast Middle School, students have pledged not to use the “r” word.

Although most students are respectful of students with special needs, said Robin Douglas, the EC (Exceptional Children) case manager at Southeast, some people sometimes use the word “retard.”

“It’s more of a community problem,” Douglas said.

On Wednesday, students pledged not only to not use it themselves but also to discourage others from using it as part of the “Spread the Word to End the Word” campaign.

Thanks to a teacher grant from the Kernersville Chamber of Commerce, Douglas was able to buy posters promoting the campaign and, at the end of the year, she will hold a celebration for the 15 Southeast students who participate in the Special Olympics.

To read more about the campaign to end the r-word, go to http://www.r-word.org/

Jefferson Elementary Students Duct Tape the Physical Education Teacher to the Wall

On Tuesday, students at Jefferson Elementary School duct taped physical education teacher Sheri King to the wall.

Here’s how that came to happen:

“Last year Jefferson Elementary raised approximately $5,500 during their Jump Rope for Heart Campaign,” King said. “This year we set a goal of $10,000. If the students met that goal the top fund raisers would get to duct tape me to the gym wall. Needless to say, they met that goal!

“We had 205 students who raised almost twice as much this year than we did last year. As of right now, we have raised $10,771!

“As you can imagine, we are very proud of our students!”

 

Wiley Students Watch Documentary about Illegal Gold Mining in the Amazon

On Friday, Feb. 26, Michelle Klosterman, a board member of the Wake Forest University Center for Energy, Environment and Sustainability (CEES) and Sarah DuPont, a CEES fellow, joined students at Wiley Magnet Middle School for a screening of the movie River of Gold.

DuPont, who is president and founder of the Amazon Aid Foundation, produced the award-winning documentary, which chronicles the impact of illegal gold mining in the Peruvian Amazon. Its goal is to educate students and create awareness of the importance of the Amazon rainforest and the global effects caused by its destruction. CEES director Miles Silman, a tropical conservation specialist and expert on the Amazon, also served as a consultant for the film.

When asked about why she created the film, DuPont noted that, “The goal of Amazon Aid's film River of Gold is to not only educate audiences of all ages about the importance of the Amazon, but to inspire people to engage in long-term solutions for protecting this critical ecosystem. It is knowledge that gives you power. People often ask me what gives me hope. For me, it is the youth of the world, our future leaders, who not only have great skills for collaboration and problem solving, but can also think with their heart, carrying the capabilities for compassion to all living beings.”

Following the screening, Klosterman and DuPont answered questions about the Amazon and the Amazonian Center for Environmental Restoration and Sustainability (ACERS). CEES is partnering with the United States and Peruvian governments to create and implement ACERS to address the human ecological disaster caused by the illegal gold mining. Klosterman, a specialist in education and scientific communication, is leading the efforts of ACERS alongside Silman and Stanford colleague Luis Fernandez.

Klosterman, who also serves as Director of Academic Development and Assessment in the Provost Office for Global Affairs, shared the importance of building awareness of global scientific issues among adolescents, “We know that students’ attitudes toward and interest in science are developed at a very young age. We also know that with challenges like we’re seeing in the Amazon, we need long-term solutions that require us to engage the younger generation. That’s why it’s so important for scientists and artists like Sarah DuPont to collaborate to build global awareness among teens.”

Wiley Magnet Middle School uses a STEAM educational approach that combines the core subjects of Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics for guiding students’ curriculum. Principal Lisa Bodenheimer and Assistant Principal Leigh Walters agree that "STEAM has provided educators with the opportunity to assist students to make interdisciplinary and global connections using the design process of imagining, planning, creating, and improving the world through inquiry. What a wonderful illustration of the design process in action and at work through today's presentation."

Celebrity Read In at Kimberley Park Elementary School

On Tuesday, Kimberley Park Elementary School kicked off National Reading Month with a Celebrity Read In.

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

Here are more pictures:

Atkins High Runner-Up in 2016 State Chess Championship

The Atkins HS Varsity Chess Team finished a very tight race to clinch the Runner-Up spot in the 2016 N.C. K-12 State Chess Championship held the weekend of February 19-21 in downtown Winston-Salem. The team even hosted a chess team all the way Freeport, Bahamas in a special reception and tournament Friday evening as part of an online, global chess partnership. 

In the two-day NC Scholastic tournament, all of the 22 players from Atkins HS competed in the K-12 under-1600 Division II and was by far the largest high school team represented. Atkins had 17 players at the championship last year, and 12 the year before. Finishing in 6th place in the overall individual standings was William Odom, who went 5.5 and 1.5. Chess players get a full point for a win, a half a point for a draw, and zero for a loss. Completely sweeping the under-1100 Class were three Atkins players: Lorenzo Battigelli, Brady Richardson, and Arel D'Agostino. Also contributing to the Atkins team score was Ali MIrzazedah, the team's strongest player with a 1580 rating. 

Coach Scott Plaster said, "It was such a tight, exciting race and we should be proud of such a strong finish. I"m extremely proud of all our players. They truly represented Atkins well." In seven rounds of play, a team's score is the cumulative score of a team's top four scoring players. Going into Round 7, Atkins held a two-point lead, but Durham Academy battled back and went 4-0 in the final round. Durham Academy is a private K-12 school and has won the championship for several years in a row. 

The team is assisted by Coach Tony Sanders, a private chess coach who offers individual and small group instruction to players of all levels. He has assisted Ali Mirzazadah in achieving his high rating, and offers instructional videos and game analysis to Atkins players. "We are so grateful for Tony's help this year and look forward to his assistance in the future," said Coach Plaster. 

Another highlight of the weekend was the team's hosting of a chess team from the Bahamas, who made the trip all the way from Freeport to meet the Atkins team in person and attend a real American chess tournament. Atkins hosted a reception for their global comrades and then the two teams played an exciting three-round mini-tournament. The female player for each team (Asha and Lizzie) won their divisions. The championship division between two teams was too close to call, said Plaster, who directed the tournament. Over the course of the weekend, the two teams had side games, discussions, and friendships grew as the partnership continues. See the picture gallery.

Sharon Glover of the Sister Cities group representing the Bahamas said, "The Atkins students were consummate ambassadors for Atkins and the City of Winston Salem. They made us all very proud with their friendliness and generous hospitality. What an amazing group of people!" Atkins Chess Coach and teacher Scott Plaster was equally impressed with the Bahamas group. "The Bahamas students were intelligent, inquisitive, respectful, and adorable all rolled up into one. I also am very proud of Lizzie and Aasha being champions of their divisions at our Friday night tournament, showing "girl power" will be a major force in the chess world in years to come," said Plaster.

Bahamas chess coach Shawn Sorsby has built his school's team in a matter of months, fueled by a very motivated group of bright, young students. "I'm so amazed at how these students from different countries and cultures, who had never met each other, bonded so quickly over just a couple of days," said Sorsby. "Our students were asking at chess club yesterday how the tournament turned out for the Atkins team. They left really feeling like we were all one big team. I know a lot of that had to do with how welcoming Atkins was and the atmosphere that was set for everyone," he said about the Global partnership. 

Dangle Martin, one of the Bahamas players, said, "I am constantly amazed by the infinite number of moves that can be made in the game and the life lessons that can be learned through chess. When I lost the first round I was disappointed; however, it motivated me to do better and as a result I was able to get a draw on my next game and then win my final game by resignation." Mr. Sorsby added, “Confidence is key, not only in chess, but also in life. This is something I set to teach our players as they prepared for the trip. However, most did not learn this valuable lesson until they had the opportunity to experience it for themselves.”

Although there were many moments over the weekend that they will all cherish forever, one of the biggest takeaways for the teams will be the relationships they built. Usually in competition, players rarely speak, especially to an opponent, but this was different. Not only were students giving each other chess tips, but also they were exchanging their cultures as they exchanged contact information. These young people taught us all that we can be competitive, but we can also learn from each other and make one another better in the process. A valuable lesson indeed, for us all.

The global chess partnership began between Atkins HS in Winston-Salem, the Bahamas, and Moldova when the teams agreed to play online games on the online Chess.com website. 

Atkins Chess Coach Takes on the Coach of a Rival Team

By Scott Plaster

Atkins Academic & Technology High School

As a part of a friendly rivalry between two high school chess teams, Atkins High School coach Scott Plaster and Northern Vance coach Johnny Williams battle over a chess board in the Atkins team room at the 2016 NC K-12 State Chess Championship. In the words of Williams, the two schools are "like the Duke and Carolina of chess." 

Sitting over the board, a player from each team had been paired in an early round of the tournament and Plaster was walking his player through his moves (some good and some not). The analysis took a different turn when the Northern Vance player came in the room. Plaster got up and the player took his seat, with Plaster taking his spot behind the Atkins player. As Williams came in the room, no words were needed as the "general" of his team positioned himself in the prime spot at his player's shoulder. The battle began again...only this time, Part Three. This time, Plaster was assisted by his assistant coach Tony Sanders. In the end, Atkins proved that it would be impossible to prevent a passed pawn and the victory.

It all began two years ago when Plaster and Williams met at the state tournament in Raleigh. Plaster documented his experience meeting his remarkable rival in an article in the Camel City Dispatch. The two men returned to their schools holding a mutual respect for the other man's trials and path to the state tournament. Plaster's team battled in two separate divisions, and Williams' team finished higher in the Divison II that year.

The next year, the two teams battled more closely in the same division, but Plaster's team from Atkins finished third this time over Northern Vance in a closely packed heat in the top five. But the real battle was on the sidelines in a friendly game between Plaster and Williams. It took each coach's entire team's contribution, but the chess game between them was epic. The real victors were the kids, of course.

This year's battle was typical in a game between giants. Northern Vance's top player was accepted into NCSSM. Atkins has built strength and is stronger than ever. When Plaster beckoned Williams into the Atkins team room, the rival coach knew what was waiting. From his cooler, Plaster pulled two mini-jugs of orange juice; to the victor go the spoils. The Atkins HS team narrowly missed a state championship against behemoth Durham Academy, and Northern Vance had slipped out of third after day one. The traditional wager between the two coaches has been a simple jug of orange juice. Nothing fancy, but still as sweet. 

The Atkins team also hosted a school from the Bahamas this year, who came all the way to Winston-Salem, NC as a part of their Global Chess Partnership waged through the Chess.com website. Plaster and team hosted a reception for their guests on the Friday evening before the tournament, and the two teams played in a first-annual, three-round international tournament. The partnership, organized through the Sister Cities organization, continues with online play between the Atkins HS team, Freeport, Bahamas, and Ungheni, Moldova. Schools from Shanghai, China, Ghana, and Liberia might be added later. 

"This weekend has been an experience for us to remember for a lifetime," said Plaster. "Chess truly is a game that spans age, gender, race, creed, gender, and background."