Forest Park Elementary Celebrates BackPack Program

On March 21, Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina and its partners in the BackPack program at Forest Park Elementary School celebrated the program.

At Forest Park, First Baptist Church of Winston-Salem serves as the program sponsor. Forest Park is one of more than 20 schools in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County school system that participate in the BackPack program, which provides children from low-income families with backpacks full of nutritious, kid-friendly food items on weekends during the school year. Each back pack includes four kid-friendly meals comprised of nutritious items, such as cereal, shelf-stable milk and 100% juice boxes.

According to Feeding America’s most recent Map the Meal Gap report, almost one in four children in North Carolina lacks access to enough food to live a healthy, active life. In collaboration with Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools and other program partners, Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC is helping to turn the tables on childhood hunger across its 18-county service area through the BackPack Program and other initiatives targeted to addressing the problem of hunger among children. Targeted schools are those most in need, with 50% or more of enrolled students qualifying for the free/reduced price school meal program.

Technology Student Association at Hanes Magnet Named Chapter of the Year for the State

For the second year in a row, the Technology Student Association at Hanes Magnet School has been named Chapter of the Year for the state. And during a recent three-day state competition and members of the local chapter placed in many divisions.

The association is an after-school club that focuses on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics). Teachers Brian Mendenhall and Natalie Norman serve as coaches for the association.

Natalie Norman and Brian Mendenhall

More information about the association is available at Technology Student Association

Here is a list of  winners from Hanes:

Agriculture and Biotechnology Design

Second Place: Henry Chen, Leo Pang, Ethan Austin, Evan Johnson

Third Place: Akshat Dixit, Ethan Virgil, Shaurya Jamwal, Sahil Patel

Career Prep

First Place:  Jenna Barnes

Challenging Tech Issues

Second Place:  Henry Chen, Leo Pang

Third Place: Sung Girard, Evan Johnson

Chapter Team

Second Place: Anna Swartzel, Holden Armstrong, Kennedy Southern, Henry Chen, Evan Johnson, Leo Pang

Communication Challenge

First Place:  Ava Cox

Construction Challenge

Second Place: Ava Cox, Isabel Iturbide, Lauren Carroll

Digital Photography

Third Place:  Jenna Barnes

Electrical Applications

First Place: Henry Chen

Environmental Focus

Third Place: Pavan Meka, Kushagra Chopra, Jacob Hastings

Multimedia Production

Third Place: Ethan Cagle

Prepared Speech

First Place: Anna Swartzel

System Control Technology

Second Place: Evan Johnson, Ali Mirzazadeh, Akshat Dixit

Tech Bowl

First Place: Sung Girard, Ali Mirzazadeh, Richard Leary

Techno Talk

Third Place: Pavan Meka, Kushagra Chopra

Website Design

Second Place: Pavan Meka, Kennedy Southern, Sarah Jarrell,Cindy Liu

Hundreds Attend Second Annual "Family Literacy Night" at Griffith Elementary School

On March 14, Griffith Elementary School held its second annual "Family Literacy Night."

Hundreds of students and family members came to celebrate reading with teachers and other staff members, said Cynthia Needham, the media coordinator. Those attending traveled through the event using a ‘reading passport,’ stopping to shop at the Book Fair, or catch a picture with the Winston-Salem DASH mascot, Bolt, or participate in a literacy game or read-aloud with students majoring in education at Salem College.

“Families also had the opportunity to learn more about free programs offered at the Forsyth County Public Libraries and apply for a public library card,” Needham said. “Texas Roadhouse was there, too, with their mascot, Andy the Armadillo! Andy was passing out bookmarks for free meals to those students who read three books this month!

"No problem for our reading bulldogs! The Griffith Literacy Committee along with the Family Involvement Committee gave away draw-string back packs with the word "READ" printed on them in five different languages! Parents also received helpful handouts that included tips and tools to try at home with their struggling readers.”

Kenya Safari Acrobats Perform at Piney Grove Elementary

Earlier this week, members of the Kenya Safari Acrobats came to Piney Grove Elementary School to perform for students in the second and third grades.

The performance tied in with Akimbo and the Lions, a book by Alexander McCall Smith that the students have been reading.

For more about the acrobats go to Kenya Safari Acrobats

East Forsyth Senior Headed to Atlanta for Finals of Slam Dunk Competition

Craig Hinton

Craig Hinton, a senior at East Forsyth High School, will be going to Atlanta - the site of the Final Four for the NCAA men's basketball tournament. - to compete in the finals of the American Family Insurance National High School Slam Dunk Competition. The competition is scheduled for April 4-5, and it is scheduled to be shown on CBS television at 2 p.m. April 6.

In the Thursday, March 21, issue of the Winston-Salem Journal, reporter Mason Linker writes about Hinton. For the full story go to Winston-Salem Journal

Diggs-Latham Elementary Celebrates Black History Month

At Diggs-Latham Elementary School, Black History Month ended with a celebration of speeches, singing and dancing.  Community members, Central Office personnel, business partners, parents, teachers and students were engaged as Amanda Gordon, Black History Committee Chairperson, welcomed everyone just before introducing the Master of Ceremonies, fifth-grade student, Jahleel Deberry.

Here’s a report from Gordon, who teaches art at Diggs-Latham:

“Second-grade teacher Solomon Stover reminded everyone of the significance of Black History Month just before speech-language pathologist Susan Ingram sang the Negro National Anthem, ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing.’  Keynote speaker Linwaun Fulton brought a message of hard work as he explained his journey through the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County school system, college at Chapel Hill, and his current position at Wake Forest University.

“Mr. and Mrs. Damon presented Negro Spirituals as steppers from Winston-Salem State University celebrated their heritage as a transition into our student performances.  The Pep Squad, led by Ms. Green, Ms. Taylor and Mrs. Lallave, danced ‘Pata Pata’ just before the honors dance students performed ‘Our Circle of Life,’ an original choreographed piece by dance teacher Miss Amanda Stevenson.

“The School Honors Chorus concluded our time of celebration and reflection by singing ‘The Road to Freedom’ and ‘Free at Last’ as music teacher Ann Farthing prepared the entire student body to sing ‘We Shall Overcome.’  The Black History Committee planned the entire month of February as a time of learning, sharing, and expressing through hallway displays, special guests, visitors, and performances to remind students of the unfortunate circumstances of prejudice and injustice in the past. Students left the assembly understanding that history is everyone's history, and we must learn from our mistakes in the past to try and not repeat them in the future.”

For lots more pictures of the event go to Diggs-Latham Photos

Community Helping Fifth-Graders at Ashley Elementary Take a Trip to Washington

Assistant Principal Alicia Bailey

Fifth-graders at Ashley Elementary School are going to Washington on June 6-7, and people at the school and in the community are raising money to help get them there.“We want to give them the opportunity to go,” said Assistant Principal Alicia Bailey.

It will be the first time that a group from Ashley has made the trip, Bailey said. Students have been studying the foundation of American government and the trip will make it all more real to them. ”It’s a good hands-on experience,” she said.

On the first day, students will visit the Smithsonian, including the National Air and Space Museum. That night, students will take an “illuminated tour” that will include such stops as the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial and Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. Other experiences on the trip will include going to the U.S. Capitol.

The trip will cost $200 per child and people at the school and in the community are working to raise $6,000 to help cover the costs. One of the fundraisers coming up is a bowling tournament on April 9 at Creekside Bowling Lanes.

More information about the tournament and trip is available online at Ashley Elementary. There, you will also find a link to a story that WXII-TV did about the project.

You may also send Bailey an email at abailey@wsfcs.k12.nc.us or give her a call at Ashley at (336) 727-2343.

Photography by Reynolds High Students on Display at Community Day at Reynolda House Museum of American Art on April 27

Inspired by the photography of Edward Steichen, students in Phil Benenati’s honors photography class at Reynolds High School have been staging and taking their own photos.

Through May 19, the Reynolda House Museum of American Art has a Steichen exhibit called “Star Power: Edward Steichen’s Glamour Photography,” and the people at Reynolda House have invited the Reynolds students to show some of their photographs at the museum’s next Community Day, which is from noon to 3 p.m. on April 27.

On that day, admission to the museum will be free and, along with the work of the Reynolds’ students, families can see artists at work, create their own art and listen to live music. 

The Steichen exhibit includes more than 100 photos taken by Steichen from 1923 to 1937. According the museum website, “Star Power brings together Steichen's Condé Nast portraits of luminaries from the worlds of politics, literature, government, journalism, dance, theatre, music, fashion, and the opera.”

For more information, go to Reynolda House     

East Forsyth Senior in National Slam Dunk Competition

Craig Hinton of East Forsyth High School

In the Friday, March 15 edition of the Winston-Salem Journal, correspondent Daniel Braswell writes about Craig Hinton, a senior at East Forsyth High School, who has advanced to the championship round of the American Family Insurance National High School Slam Dunk Competition.

The winner will be announced March 20 and will go to Atlanta to compete in an event at the NCAA Final Four Weekend. Photographer Lauren Carroll took the photo. For the full story, go to Winston-Salem Journal

Harlem Globetrotters Visit Bolton Elementary and Other Schools

At Bolton Elementary, Harlem Globetrotter John "Jet" Williams shows kindergartener Mia Acevedo how to spin ball on her finger

In the Friday March 15 issue of the Winston-Salem Journal, reporter Arika Herron writes about Harlem Globetrotters visiting Bolton Elementary and other schools to talk with students. Photographer Walt Unks took the photographs.

For the full story, go to Winston-Salem Journal