A Living Wax Museum at Kimberley Park to Celebrate Black History Month

At Kimberley Park Elementary School, students portrayed notable African-Americans as part of a "Living Wax Museum" for Black History Month.

You will find the story at Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools

Here are some more pictures:

Students Do Well in Region V Elementary Science Fair

After the Region V Science Fair on Feb. 13, Benika Thompson, the school system’s K-12 science director, sent the following report:  

“I am excited to share that all our students did a great job sharing their research during today's Region V Science Fair hosted by Triad Math and Science Academy. It's been a long day and the competition was tough but WS/FCS students managed to earn the following:

“Eva Murea and Julia Kincaid (Brunson Elementary School) are our Elementary finalists, advancing to the NC Science and Engineering Fair in April.

“Rileigh Keeler (East Forsyth Middle School) received a Naval Science Award from the Office of Naval Research.

“Catherine Kim (Vienna Elementary School) and Eva Murea and Julia Kincaid (Brunson Elementary School) received a Water Works Award for their research with water.

“We are proud of all our young scientists and wish them all the best in their future research endeavors and those advancing to the state competition much success in April,” Thompson said.

To read a story about the elementary district fair, go to Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools

JROTC Drill Championship

On Sat. Feb. 6, the 2016-17 Army/Air Force JROTC Drill Championship was held at Atkins High school and all ten JROTC programs participated in this event.

“I would like to thank Mr. Childers for allowing us to host this event at his school,” said Lt. Col. Willie McCoy who serves as program director for the school system's JROTC program. “Also, I would like to thank Maj. Wallace and Sgt. First class Berry for their support as well.”

The following are the results from the Drill meet:

Regulation Drill Competition

PLT w/o Arms              PLT w/Arms                     Squad/Arms                Squad w/o Arms

1.       East                               1.Reynolds                         1.Atkins                         1.Reagan

2.       Mt Tabor                       2. West                               2. Reynolds                   2. Reynolds

3.       West                              3. Mt Tabor                       3. Mt Tabor                    3. Atkins

Color Guard                                   PLT Inspection                Indiv W/Arms       LET 1 Squad

1.       Mt Tabor                                         1.West                                1.Reagan                 1. Reynolds

2.       Carver                                             2. Reynolds                        2. East                      2. Mt Tabor

3.       West                                               3. Glenn                              3. Glenn                   3. Glenn

Fancy Drill Competition

Indiv w/ Arms           Duet w/o Arms   Duet w/Arms    Squad w/o Arms            Squad w/ Arms

1.       Reynolds                    1. Reynolds           1. Reynolds        1. Reynolds                       1. East

2.       Reagan                       2. Mt Tabor           2. Mt Tabor        2. West                                2. Mt Tabor

3.       East                            3. Atkins                3. East                3. Atkins                               3. Atkins

Knockout Drill

Armed event

                                                                          Unarmed event 

1. Evan Johnson, Atkins High School              1. Ben Floyd, Mt. Tabor High School

2. Shawn McKenzie, Atkins High School        2. Andrew Barr, Reagan High School

3. Samantha Rash,East Forsyth High School    3. Evan Johnson, Atkins High School

WSFCS 2015/16 Overall Drill Champions

1.Reynolds

2. Mt Tabor

3. West

Congratulations to LTC Reardon, Sgt. Major Maine and the entire Demon Battalion for being the 2015/16

WS/FCS JROTC Drill team champions.  Also, congratulations to Maj. Sugg, Master Sgt. Kearney and the Spartan’s  Color Guard unit for being the 2015-16 WS/FCS JROTC Color Guard champions.

LTC (R) Willie McCoy

Director of Army Instruction

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools

Lunch Lady with a Passion: Part III

From time to time, Cielo Kramer, who is the food service manager at Cash Elementary School, sends us some of her thoughts. Here is her latest:

My Food Awakening

By Cielo Kramer

(On Food Inspiration)

Coming from a Third World country, from a family of twelve, I grew up with scarcity of food.  I always thought that I needed to eat because I was hungry and that my grumbling stomach needed to be filled so that I could rest or sleep. Usual breakfast was rice porridge flavored with salt. Sugar was a luxury. I never tasted any kind of cake until I was in high school. Eating then was always a necessity and never for enjoyment. Food during my childhood was the greatest thing and meal times were the happiest moments. Not because I enjoyed it but simply because I was filled. I didn’t care what was served or what was the flavor or taste. (Saying this, I now think of the countless street children in Manila and Nairobi, cities I have done missions in.)

Time passed, my family surpassed the challenges, brighter days came!  I was given an opportunity to travel to many countries because of the calling that was placed into my life. (About 20 countries on four continents) My feet brought me to places where food was in abundance! Views and perception on food changed.

My initiation was in South Korea, the first country I ever traveled. Glassy noodles flavored with kimchi, meat prepared in different ways but always have a taste of chili paste or garlic, the whitest rice rolled in seaweed and egg wraps (Korean sushi) and many other dishes glamorized with different sauces and colorful garnishes. I was overwhelmed! Sweet, sour, spicy, my taste palate was greatly challenged.

Then the United Kingdom came into view, nine years of exposure to fish and chips, bangers and mashed green peas, stewed eel, jellied eel, cottage pies, shepherd’s pies,  scones and clotted cream, custards  and unending English teas in the afternoons. Not to forget Cadbury treats and apple crumble with custard. I still miss it to this day!

Three times in the land of the gods and goddesses, Greece offered their kebabs and shawarmas, pastitio, mousaka and baklava. Greek coffee and the sweetest rose delights. I almost decided to stay for good!

A side trip to Switzerland, Gruyere got in to contact with my inner taste on cheese. Their fondues captivated my tongue and I will never forget their creamy and smooth chocolates. 

Tarts, escargots, macaroons, bread heaven are the pride of France. Literally chasing a crepe smuggler, who snatched my crepe along the Champ Elysees was a run I never regret.

Kenya gave me an introduction to their hearty soups and stone ground corn meal, stewed cabbage, fresh unpasteurized milk straight from the cow, teas and variety of fruits.

To top all these, I married a cook and he took me to the land of giant servings and unending buffets! The land of milk and honey to many.  America! Name it and you can have it, ribs, steaks, ham, turkey, chicken, hamburgers, salads, seafood, veggie, fruits…Japanese, Chinese, Mexican, Vietnamese, Puerto Rican, Italian, French… East meets west, North meets South at Uncle Sam’s Table. I felt so lavished by its bounty!

On a different view, now that I am working in the cafeteria, dealing with food every day and serving it to those who needed it most – children, it gives me the utmost pride and opportunity to present food as one of the greatest contributions that creation gives us. My quick rounds to check on students about how they like our food give me pleasure when they gladly utter “You have the best food ever,” “I love the chicken tenders”, “Can you prepare more of the cheesy rice?,” “It tasted so good!”

Last holiday season my staff and I were showered with greeting cards from our students and I was so humbled by how much we touched  their young lives by simply serving food (that we prepared from our hearts.).

I was once a hungry child, I am continually filled, now it’s time to pay it forward.

You will find her first piece at Part 1You will find her second piece at Part 2

Hanes Magnet Team Places First in MATHCOUNTS Competition

Benjamin Armentrout, John Hubbar, Joah Macosko, Jackson Vandergriff with coach Adam Cross

On Saturday, the team from Hanes Magnet School – coached by math teacher Adam Cross - placed first in the MATHCOUNTS competition at N.C. A&T State University.

Team members are Benjamin Armentrout, John Hubbar, Joah Macosko and Jackson Vandergriff.

Benjamin also placed first in the Countdown Round.

“Congratulations to the Math Counts team at Hanes for their outstanding performance,” said Velvet Simington, the school system’s k-12 Mathematics Director. “Also, a special thank you to Adam Cross for serving as their coach and continuing to promote their annual participation in MATHCOUNTS.

Problem-solving opportunities in varied and rich forms provide a catalyst to deeper mathematical understanding. Way to go!”

The Hanes students will be compete in the state competition in March.

The competition was sponsored by the North Piedmont Chapter of Professional Engineers of North Carolina. All middle schools from Alamance, Caswell, Davidson, Forsyth, Guilford, Randolph, Rockingham and Stokes where invited, and more than 120 students from 17 schools competed in four rounds of math tests to determine the winners.

The event sponsors were:

ASHRAE North Piedmont Chapter

Greensboro Engineers Club

North Carolina A&T State University

General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems 

AC Corporation

IEEE Central NC Section

James M Pleasants CO, INC

KLEINFELDER

Xavier Barrett

Evonik Corporation

For more information about MATHCOUNTS please visit http://mathcounts.org

A Red Dragon Visits Reynolds High School

For several years now, Reynolds art teacher Emily Beach-Munday has overseen the creation of an art installation in an interior courtyard at Reynolds each year.

This year’s had a Chinese theme.

“It all started in December,” Beach-Munday said. “Art 1 students created Chinese paper cuttings (Jianzhi) while listening to traditional Chinese music. Mrs. Alexander stepped in during one class to see what was going on as the music echoed down the hallway. When she came in, she saw students diligently working away. Students researched and created their own designs, some from the Chinese zodiac and some used symbolic images and characters. Some students were having so much fun, they created multiple paper cuttings. These went up on the windows surrounding the courtyard.

“Down the hallway, Mrs. Robin Myers had her interior design students learning about the cultural decorative traditions associated with the lunar New Year. They created lanterns that were hung in both of the school’s courtyards. Door coverings with Chinese characters were placed on and around the courtyard doors, a common practice in China to celebrate the New Year.

“Meanwhile, 3-D Design students came up with the vision of a dragon, nearly 18 feet long. They worked as a group to turn discarded packing materials into a magnificent red dragon. Naira Zoe Raike, a German exchange student working on the project in the picture above, said, "I never knew when Chinese New Year was, and I thought it was interesting learning more about it."

“They later assembled it and hoisted it up into the air in the courtyard. It was really quite impressive to see the class work so well together and accomplish the construction and hanging of the dragon. This year we are implementing TAB (Teaching for Artistic Behavior) strategies into our visual arts classes and really letting the students take the reins and be responsible for the problem solving that artists use every day.”

Student Ayanna Hopper said "I think the dragon looks amazing. For us to all be working on different parts, it came out very well. I'm very proud of the class!"

Corrie Beck said "I think it is super cool that we built this out of that we've got in the studio. That made me happy! I was also pleased seeing it all come together.”

You will find a story about one of the other courtyard projects at Pegasus

Meadowlark Middle Band Performs at Charlotte Hornets Game

On Jan. 13, the Meadowlark Middle School eighth-grade grade band performed “The Star Spangled Banner” at the Charlotte Hornets home basketball game against the Atlanta Hawks.

Fifty-seven Meadowlark band members and forty-eight parents and family members participated in the event which included behind the scenes access in Time Warner Arena, an on court sound check and rehearsal, court level player warm-up, game tickets and a souvenir team t-shirt.

"Our invitation to perform the national anthem for the Hornets was a result of an application process that required audition recordings that were reviewed by the National Basketball Association headquarters in New York," said band director Matt Liner. "The Meadowlark eighth-grade band is the largest instrumental ensemble to perform the national anthem at any of this year's Hornets games.

"Playing the national anthem for the Charlotte Hornets was an amazing opportunity for our band members. It was really exciting to have the opportunity to showcase their talents by performing at a televised professional sporting event." 

You will find the band’s website at Meadowlark Middle Band

State Superintendent in Town to Honor School Bus Drivers

It's Bus Driver Appreciation Week, and, this morning, state superintendent June Atkinson came to Petree Elementary School to honor bus.

You will find the story at Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools

Here are some more pictures:

Dads Volunteering in Elementary Schools

At Jefferson Elementary and other elementary schools, dads are committing to volunteering at the school.

For the story and pictures from Jefferson, go to Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools

Here are pictures from Lewisville and Vienna elementary schools:

Lewisville

Lewisville

Lewisville

Lewisville

Lewisville

Vienna

Vienna

Lewisville

Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust and Grants Bring New Playgrounds to 23 Elementary Schools

In the Winston-Salem Journal, reporter Arika Herron writes about new playgrounds coming to Winston-Salem/Forsyth County elementary schools. Photographer Lauren Carroll took the pictures.

Here is an excerpt:

When Smith Farm Elementary School opened in 2013, it did so without a playground — or any outside activity equipment to speak of.

“It was actually kind of fun to watch them make do with very little, having no playground and still come up with inventive, fun, collaborative games to play,” said Amy Hobbs, the Smith Farm PTA’s playground chair. “I know they’ll be so excited to translate those activities to playground structures once they’re installed.”

The PTA worked for the last several years to raise enough money to purchase a playground for the school. But it turns out playgrounds are expensive and raising money is difficult.

In stepped the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust and two grants worth nearly $1 million.

“This is a game changer for the kids in our Title I schools and for the families who live around these schools,” said Darrell Walker, assistant superintendent of operations for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools.

The grants — part of a larger $40 million commitment the trust made to supporting children from low-income families — will provide a playground, not only for Smith Farm, but for 23 low-income schools throughout the district. And those playgrounds won’t just be open to students at those schools, but to any children in the school community. As part of the grant conditions, the school system agreed to open its grounds to allow the play areas to serve the entire neighborhood.

“The children deserve it, but most of all the community deserves it,” said Joe Crocker, director of the trust’s poor and needy division, which awarded the grants.

Each of the 23 schools is receiving a playground specially designed for young children, ages 0-5. Most school playgrounds are made for older students. Some schools — those that either didn’t have a playground for older children or that had one in poor condition — will also receive playgrounds designed for that age group. Some schools are having walking tracks installed as well.

For the rest of the story, go to Winston-Salem Journal