A Publication by Columbus County Schools Vol. 1 Ed. 2

CGES…Lovin’ it with Lovett!“Happy Birthday to the

BIG DOG!” appeared not long ago as a message outside the Cerro Gordo Elementary campus. School principal, Mr. Kenneth Lovett, known as “Big Dog,” recently celebrated a birthday, and continues to enjoy his second year at the helm of the Stinger nation.

To some, the charge of guiding three year olds to teenagers would be too daunt-ing. Mr. Lovett, however, relishes this fact, enthusi-astically sharing that the uniqueness of interactions with preschoolers to eighth graders is what he appreci-ates most about his position. This is evident daily as “Big Dog” makes his way around campus, perhaps kneeling to tie the shoes of a kindergar-tener, or reaching to “high five” a seventh grader for an academic or athletic accom-plishment.

Parents feel he has been a positive addition also, and admire his accessibility. Jo-vanna Bellamy, mother of fourth grader Anyla, articu-lates, “I like that Mr. Lovett is accommodating, making it comfortable to discuss any

number of matters. Never have I felt I could not approach him regarding any concern. I truly appreciate his leader-ship at our school.”

Approachability and rap-port with students is what new elementary science teacher

Rob Foringer observed, stat-ing, “I noticed immediately the respect Mr. Lovett has for everyone, and I have been impressed with how he truly cares about every child here.”

Anna Spivey, assistant in the prekindergarten class, feels fortunate to have joined the Big Dog’s team. “Mr. Lovett is an encouraging, thought-ful, and kind person, and he makes me proud to be part of the Cerro Gordo Elementary family!”

The students are easily the most eager to voice praises for their leader. Younger chil-dren enthusiastically shower him with hugs and artwork. Eighth graders Selena, Jade, and Zachary like his humor,

sharp sense of style, and “how his head shines.” They note he is “…respectful and jokes around, but when he gets serious he means busi-ness.” Darius, also an eighth

grader, adds, “Mr. Lovett is real and will tell you like it is. He will tell you what you need to hear, when you need to hear it.” The trait most strongly valued by students, however, speaks volumes about the Stinger skipper’s character. Acknowledging the compassion freely dispensed to each one of them, Darius continues, “Mr. Lovett is an honest, caring, all-around good dude. He is, well, just full of his name.”

www.facebook.com/Colcoschools www.columbus.k12.nc.us@ colcoschools

Football players and cheerleaders from SCHS visited GES during Red Ribbon Week.

SCHS Athletes Visit GES for Red Ribbon WeekWith Red Ribbon Week

upon us, South Columbus High School football play-ers and cheerleaders visited Guideway Elementary School to celebrate Red Ribbon Week.

Red Ribbon Week is the oldest and largest drug preven-tion campaign in the country. Red Ribbon Week generally takes place in October. Red Ribbon Week serves as a ve-hicle for communities and individuals to take a stand for the hopes and dreams of our children through a com-mitment to drug prevention and education and a personal commitment to live drug-free

lives with the ultimate goal being the creation of drug free America.

Drug awareness cheers were performed in the gym, and every class was read a book. The athletes also al-lowed time for students to ask them questions.

Additionally, a group of fifth grade students put on a skit at lunch for the younger grades. They acted out the dangers of peer pressure and drugs. All activities were held to help teach students the dan-gers of drugs.

In connection to this event, there were several contests.

The winner for “A Healthy Me is Drug Free” poster com-petition was third grader Emma S. A second contest asked students to estimate how many hot tamales were in a jar that was kept in the cafeteria. The winner was fifth grader Vanessa G., and the door decorating contest winner was Mrs. Strickland’s kindergarten class.

“Mr. Lovett is an honest, caring, all-around good dude.”

- Darius, Eighth Grader at CGES

Principal Lovett is well-known for his kindness and caring.

Tutor Buddies at HAES pairs younger and old-er students together for tutoring.

WTS choral students performing at the annual Performing Arts Dinner.

Civics and Economics at ECHS

Tutor Buddies at Hallsboro-Artesia

Performing Arts Dinner a Success at WTS

In Civics and Economics, students have learned about economic oppor-tunities that immigrants had in the New World. They created posters and presented them to their class-mates. Students also researched the presidential election process. Each student wrote a campaign speech addressing three issues facing our country and how they would solve the problem if elected president. Students also created PowerPoint

presentations to teach their peers how someone born in another coun-try becomes a citizen of the United States.

The newly trained “Tutor Buddies” are ready for action. Halls-boro-Artesia Elementa-ry School has developed a new program to help students make gains in reading. The Tutor Buddies program allows fourth and fifth grade students to be paired with kindergarten and first grade students. The Tutor Buddies work with students twice a week to reinforce reading and language arts skills. Each buddy works with one to two students dur-

ing a session.This new program

is proving to be ben-eficial for all of the par-ticipants. The older stu-dents are strengthening their leadership skills as well as deepening their understanding of organization and respon-sibility. The younger children thrive from the

opportunity to have in-dividualized instruction and work with older role models. The Tutor Bud-dies have also incorpo-rated critical thinking skills within their tasks. Their Tutor Buddy re-flection period after the tutoring sessions have allowed them to “think outside the box” about

new ways to reinforce the skills they are teach-ing. They are analyzing the children’s progress and searching for ways to accelerate growth. One tutor, Bobby Dw-yer, said he just wanted to help them get better. Lauren Register, a fifth grade tutor, summed up the program when she said, “They just make you want to give them a high five. It’s so much fun!”

Williams Township Elementary School host-ed its annual Performing

Arts Dinner on October 3rd. The event, spon-sored by the Williams

Township Educational Foundation, serves as both a fundraiser and as a means of highlighting the abundance of artis-tic talent evident among the school’s students at all grade levels.

Spectators enjoyed food, fellowship, and entertainment through-out the evening. “The students did an awesome job and the performanc-es were well planned,” said Sunnie Duncan. After much prepara-tion, students at each grade level performed musical selections for the audience. Middle school chorus and band also showcased their tal-ent and progress with a

few selections they have been actively working on this school year. In addition to the sched-uled perfor mances, student art work was displayed within the school’s gymnasium, including class projects and individual student posters that were recog-nized as school finalists in a state-wide poster contest.

Visual and perform-ing arts are a vital part of the educational expe-riences in which all stu-dents should participate. “I like having the oppor-tunity to perform with other students. Chorus is giving me a chance to show-off my voice,”

said Mahaleyann Jones, eighth grade student. Participating in chorus is such an enjoyable ex-perience for Mayaleyann and many of her peers; it has now encouraged her to potentially utilize her talents to pursue a career in music.

Among the night’s major events, the Foun-dation honored David Lee McPherson for his outstanding service and

commitment to the suc-cess of Williams Town-ship School.

The night was made a success through the hard work and dedica-tion of school employ-ees, parents, and com-munity members alike. “It is heartwarming to see so many people come together to support the cornerstone of our com-munity, our school,” said Michelle Williams.

“They just make you want to give them a high five. It’s so much fun!” - Lauren Register, HAES Fifth Grader

“It is heartwarming to see so many people come together to support the cornerstone of our community, our school...” - WTS Parent

Page 2 – Thursday, December 5, 2013 – Class Acts

ECHS students are learning important lessons about civics and econom-ics.

Artist Residency at WCHS

OWL Curriculum at Tabor City Elementary

This past September and October, Advanced Art and Honors Eng-lish IV students from West Columbus High School were tasked with a project that extended their skills beyond the classroom and into the communities of Co-lumbus County. The project, called Views From Above, was a month long collabora-tion between Columbus

County Schools and the North Carolina Arts Council. Combining personal interviews, narrative and descrip-tive writing, and aerial photography, this proj-ect gave students not only a glimpse of the beauty of the county’s rural communities, but also a glimpse into the lives of longtime resi-dents, along with sev-eral farmers who have

made their living in Columbus County.

Under the guidance of teaching artists Ken Abbott and Belle Boggs, students were assigned the task of document-ing their community using a variety of methods. Marc Edge’s Advanced Art class worked closely with Abbott to learn about low elevation aerial photography (LEAP),

a method of photogra-phy that utilizes digital cameras attached to helium-filled weather balloons. These bal-loons are capable of taking photographs from up to 500 feet in the air. Because the cameras are controlled by remote from the ground, there is always an element of surprise involved with taking photographs. Students

Creating Computer Literate Students at NMSAs the importance of

technology continues to grow, students at Nakina Middle School are being well prepared in the area of computers. All middle school students at NMS are enrolled in a computer skills class taught by Ms. Carla Stewart. The cur-riculum is divided into modules which consist of keyboarding, word processing, spreadsheets, databases, presentations, desktop publishing, and digital literacy. All of the modules are taught using Microsoft Office.

Ms. Stewar t adds, “Computers are every-where, and they aren’t going away anytime soon.

Many of the tasks that we use to perform with pen and paper are now being done on our computers, laptops, and mobile devic-es. Our students are digi-tal natives who are being brought up in the age of the Internet. We want to make sure we teach them the correct skills they need for high school and the workplace.” Eighth grade student, Charlotte Gore, is appreciative of the skills she is learning, “I am glad we get to have this computer class. No matter what job you have in the future, you are most likely going to need all of these skills we are learn-ing.” The computer lab is

not the only place where students are receiving technology instruction. Mobile labs are utilized at the school to bring com-puters to every classroom.

In addition to learning various computer skills, eighth grade students may take a special inter-est elective class which focuses on additional com-

puter skills. Students in this class are collabo-rating on assignments with other schools in the United States, as well as a school in Volgagrad, a city in Russia. While commu-nicating with their ePals, they share collaborative experiences, acquire glob-al awareness, and learn digital literacy. Blogs are also an important part of the class. Using the free online site called Weebly, students are able to sharpen their writing skills through blogging where the entire class can respond and offer support-ive feedback. The class is also responsible for keeping the community

up-to-date through social media. The school has an official Facebook page and school webpage which are primarily done by the students. The same class is also responsible for creating the school’s year-book which is produced entirely online. Eighth grader Pearson Ball says, “This class is really fun. We get to blog and also communicate and col-laborate with people in our country and foreign countries. It allows us to work on our computer skills as well as our com-munication skills.”

Pre-K students in Mrs. Mills’ and Ms. Cooper’s classrooms at Tabor City Elementary School have been very busy as they begin the OWL Curricu-lum. OWL (Opening The World of Learning) is

based on early language and literacy, mathemati-cal, and social-emotional development. The OWL curriculum provides classroom materials and guidance for imple-menting six themati-

cally-organized units: Family, Friends, Wind and Water, The World of Color, Shadows and Reflections, and Things That Grow. The first unit, Family, focuses on the students exploring and talking about their families and the many different ways families relate to and help one another. The classes have been reading sto-ries about children who help their family mem-bers in various situa-tions. They have shared family photographs with their friends while dis-cussing the importance of each member to the family structure. Stu-dents have started mak-ing connections between

initial sounds in words as they build vocabu-lary and comprehension skills. During center time and small groups, the students have been exploring books about families, playing and making musical instru-

ments, experimenting with mixing colors, play-ing with family figures in block center, taking care of babies in dramat-ic play center, and draw-ing pictures of their families in art center. Conversations between the children and the teachers revolve around

family needs, roles, and relationships. The stu-dents also tell stories through pictures and words while using print manipulatives to expand their language skills by creating their own family books. When stu-

dents were asked what they like the best about-families, their replies were, “I love my Mom-my!” and “This is fun!” School-home connec-tions are made through unit newsletters that are sent home at the begin-ning of each new unit. These family connec-

tions provide enjoyable activities parents can do with their children to extend the learning from the classroom to the school environment. The students will con-tinue to focus on family for the next two weeks as the classes prepare for the upcoming units that foster children’s learning in all content areas. These content areas include language, literacy, math, science, social studies, creative arts, motor skills, as well as social and emotional development. We look forward to a fun and exciting year in Pre-K at Tabor City Elementary School!

TCES students learning about friends.

“This is fun!” - TCES Pre-K Student

Elizabeth Nunez works on her blog while Jisel Rivera provides feedback.

Group photo taken at 200 feet. Continued on page 8

Page 3 – Thursday, December 5, 2013 – Class Acts

CES students demonstrate learning through visual art.

CES Staff Attend A+ Fall ConferenceOn October 10th,

Chadbourn Elementa-ry’s staff members at-tended the A+ Fall Con-ference at the Marbles Museum in Raleigh. Staff members who at-tended were new staff members to Chadbourn Elementary along with Principal Deanna Shu-man and A+ School Co-ordinator Stephanie Sellers. New personnel spent the day exploring the world of A+ and were able to bring back instructional activities and strategies to imple-ment in their daily les-sons. One of our new staff members Stacy Coleman felt that by at-tending the conference she is more aware and conscious of the impor-tance of integrating the arts into her lessons on a daily basis. The ad-ministrators and coor-dinators met to discuss upcoming A+ events and to collaborate with

other A+ schools on how to more effectively integrate A+ into our schools. A+ School Coordinator Stepha-nie Sellers stated, “As educators we have to be aware of the needs of all students and we have to teach students the way they learn, which is

what the A+ program is geared towards.”

A+ is more than just integrating the arts into the academic curricu-lum; it is providing stu-dents with time to com-municate and collabo-rate among peers and to express themselves creatively. Students are

definitely noticing a dif-ference in instruction with A+. Nyasia Single-ton, a fifth grade stu-dent; stated “Learning is more exciting, hands-on and interactive with A+.” Chloe Strickland, a kindergarten student; when asked to describe a favorite day at school

stated, “I liked the day when my class voted on naming our class scare-crow. We named her Miss Pretty and then Mrs. Bauer let us create our own scarecrow with circle patterns, sticks, and buttons.” Chloe de-

scribes coming to school as exciting and a fun place to be each day. She noted she loves to work on the computers, work in groups, do math and reading, and play the instruments in her class. Chloe’s teacher Sheryl Bauer stated, “My goal as an educator is to make learning fun and I am always looking for ways to make my lessons more engaging and the arts is often my answer.” Principal

Deanna Shuman stated, “The A+ concept is a great match for CES. One of our initiatives is to step up rigor in in-struction and increase student engagement. The A+ framework di-rectly aligns to that.”

There are several upcoming events that CES is looking forward to which include a visit from documentary film-maker Rodrigo Dorf-man, who works with the A+ Schools Pro-gram; to highlight the A+ Program at CES and to discuss with faculty, students, and parents the impacts A+ is hav-ing on our students and community.

Tabor City Middle Students discussing the next Facebook entry.

“Learning is more exciting, hands-on and interactive with A+.”

- Nyasia Singleton, Fifth Grader at CES

Great things are hap-pening these days at Ta-bor City Middle School. Our marketing program provides a unique oppor-

tunity for our students to take ownership in their education through pro-moting the school and bringing school news to

the public. The marketing pro-

gram provides a set of coursework that com-

bines the STEM initia-tive, that we now see in our high school, with traditional learning and hands-on activities. The program combines Eng-lish, math, technology, and science in order to provide the participants with a learning experi-ence that within itself is different. The program is ran by the students, with the instructor pro-viding support and in-struction where needed. In marketing, the chil-dren bring school news to the public in order to promote Tabor City Middle School.

The goal of this class is to give the students a basic understanding of marketing concepts and practices; we also use the class to encourage parents and students

to stay within the pub-lic education system by pointing out the positive attributes of our school. We accomplish this goal by using a variety of fo-rums for our marketing activities, probably the most important of these forums being Facebook. Hopes are to also create a commercial and get it aired on a local televi-sion station. Some of the topics covered are sports announcements and re-views, along with up-coming events and good news for the school. This gives the general pub-lic the ability to know what is going on in the school and to recognize

the positive initiatives that are taking place at the school. One student said, “I re-ally like this class be-cause we get to share all kinds of good news on Facebook.” Another student said, “We get to help the school by mar-keting it to the public so that more students will want to come.” One par-ent said, “I feel that this marketing class is a very positive thing because not only does it help the school, but it also gives the children a chance to learn by doing activities that are hands-on.”

Page 4 – Thursday, December 5, 2013 – Class Acts

Marketing Program at Tabor City Middle“It ... gives the children a chance to learn

by doing activities that are hands-on.” - TCMS Parent

Prayer Partner Savannah Edwards from Riegelwood Baptist Church presents a teacher appreciation gift to Angel Owens.

Acme Delco Elementary Opens Doors to the Community

It takes a village to raise a child and we are welcoming the “village” at Acme Delco Elementa-ry. Our faith-based com-munity has stepped up to meet the needs of our students and teachers and we are very grate-ful for their support. Members from two local churches, Riegelwood

Methodist and Riegel-wood Baptist are con-necting with participat-ing teachers as Prayer Partners. These anony-mous church members pray for our teachers and lift their spirits with cards and small gifts. Prayer Partner, Savan-nah Edwards, remem-bers how meaningful that connection can be: “Having been a teacher myself, I remember how an unexpected card from my Prayer Partner could really help turn a bad day around and renew my spirits.” Riegelwood Methodist and Cheer-ful Hope Baptist have

also provided apprecia-tion meals for our staff. These community mem-bers are also supporting our students because when our teachers feel loved and valued, they bring renewed energy to their classrooms. An-other cong re gation, Holden Beach Chapel, is sponsoring our first

“Girls on the Run” team by raising funds to help lower the cost for our 30 third through fifth grade participants.

Our community also helps connect our stu-dents to the world in which they live. State Representative Ken Wad-dell came last month to speak to our fourth and fifth grade students about government and politics. Fifth grade stu-dent Chasity Brooks re-calls, “Mr. Waddell used to be a teacher and now he works in the govern-ment in our state capi-tal, Raleigh.” Samantha Howell, another fifth

grader, added, “He is in the House of Represen-tatives and represents all of us in Columbus County.”

Our first g raders learned about sea tur-tles from Fort Fisher Park Superintendent, Jeff Owen. First grad-er Jaden Troy enjoyed “learning about differ-ent types of sea turtles, like the loggerhead. He showed us a sea turtle skull and shells and told us to stay away if we found their eggs on the beach.” In November, we will welcome folk musi-cian Jeff Warner and in February, April Turner will come to share Afri-can dance and storytell-ing with our students.

Parents and families are also a very important part of the Acme Delco Elementary community. Our PTO welcomes stu-dents and families to their annual Fall Fes-tival fundraiser on No-vember 21st from 6:00-8:00. We are so grateful for all the parents who volunteer daily in our school by helping in the classrooms, running our snack store, going on field trips, and prepar-ing materials for the classroom.

SCHS students observing bee behavior.

Engineering at Its Best at SCHS

In 2011, STEM was in-troduced to Columbus County Schools. High school teachers from across the county attend-ed many training sessions about what STEM was and how it should look in the classroom. Teachers were informed about the Engi-neering Design of STEM and how it would relate to their content area. Teach-ers were given details for beginning a three-year project that would not only impact their school, but also their community. The high schools are now in the third year of that project.

As many know, STEM stands for Science, Tech-nology, Engineering, and Math, but most don’t re-alize the innovative way that students learn by using the engineering design. What most peo-ple want to know is how does this help my child? By creating a culture of collaboration, research, communication, and prod-

uct design, students be-gin to grasp the fact that they will use these same skills in their everyday life. If you were to ask any teacher today, what was most needed by his/her students, the answer wouldn’t be just math, sci-ence, english, or history; it would be what is called “soft skills.” These skills include working together, communicating, sharing thoughts or ideas, criti-cally thinking, applying content to real world prob-lems, and creating quality products. Students need to develop these skills to improve their ability to grow personally and to put to use in the workplace. After students graduate from high school, these skills become valuable in college and in everyday life.

At SCHS, a new sci-ence/math engineering class is being offered to enhance student exposure to the engineering mind-set. The class is year-long,

and the students receive an honors science and math credit. The class is designed around solving problems and researching current global issues. Stu-dents use technology to research a wide variety of content from Bioengineer-ing to real world issues. They write papers, design PowerPoint presentations, perform experiments, re-port findings during open discussions, and see the impact they could have in their community. Many times students don’t know enough about a topic to decide if they might be interested in pursuing it as a career. Hopefully after taking this class, they can form an educated opinion on what interests them. School isn’t about just learning content; it’s about developing oneself physically, mentally, emo-tionally, and about making decisions that have a posi-tive outcome.

“Having been a teacher myself, I remember how an unexpected card from my Prayer Partner could re-ally help turn a bad day around and renew my spirits.” - ADES Community Member

Have you Heard? Columbus County Schools, in partner-ship with Southeastern Community College, broadcasts on 89.9 FM and wzco.org. Starting on Thanksgiving, WZCO will be playing non-stop holiday favorites!

Page 5 – Thursday, December 5, 2013– Class Acts

Third Graders Conduct Surveys at ODES

Over the past two weeks, the third grade students at Old Dock Elementary School have been gathering data from other classrooms at their school using surveys. Surveys are a very effi-cient way to learn a large amount of information in an organized way. Conducting surveys will give the students prac-tice in collecting data and keeping accurate re-cords of their work. Our students were amazed by the similarities within

the surveys between var-ious grades. Third grad-ers were amazed at how similar their answers were to fourth grade stu-dents.

The students first learned how to make a survey question that would be clear and give them the information they wanted. The stu-dents found this part of the process to be very important. If the ques-tions were not worded in a clear way, the stu-dents being surveyed would not understand

how to answer or their data would not give them the information they were searching for. For example, one group of students wanted to find out what animal fourth graders liked best. To begin with the group wrote; “What animal do you like the best?” Af-ter some consideration, they decided that ques-tion would give them too many answers so they included choices within their question to make it clearer.

E a c h g r o u p w a s coached on how to ask the question, count the responses, and record the data. Old Dock is a welcoming school and the students have great manners. When we asked each class if we could survey them, they were tickled to help us. The third grade stu-dents entered each room with all the materials and each student knew what job they needed to do in order to carry out the survey. A par-ent commented on how

excited her child was to be conducting a “real survey”! Conducting surveys are a great way to get students motivat-ed about the math they must learn.

After the students gathered all the infor-mation, they went back to Mrs. Overby’s room to decide how to show their data on a graph. Stu-dents have been work-ing with bar graphs and thought they were the perfect graph to use for this assignment. The group had to produce a graph with all the com-ponents they have been learning about. Each graph was clearly labeled and the information was displayed correctly. Mrs. Overby is very proud of the work her students have completed. “I am confident that the ac-tivities my students are engaged in will help pre-pare them to become great problem solvers in the future,” she states.

Facilitator Larry Hewett works with a Tech Team student.

CMS Students “Reach” Out with Technology

Several students from Chadbourn Middle School have been selected to form its first Tech Team. Under the guidance of Larry Hewett, Columbus County AIG/Media/In-structional Technology Coordinator and Greer Inman, CMS media coor-dinator, the members of the Tech Team meet twice a month to learn new web tools to make classroom instruction more tech savvy and more hands-on. The team has learned about Edmodo (Facebook for school/educators) and how it can be incorpo-rated into classrooms through various appli-cations. Not only have they been taught how to create accounts, but they have experienced how to embed website links so others can use them as a resource. Students have also become skilled at cre-ating vokies which allows them to create avatars to express themselves through characters and words using an animated video. Tech Team mem-bers were then given the assignment to teach these concepts to all other stu-dents at CMS.

In addition to Edmodo, students have learned more about QR codes (Quick Response Codes). A QR code allows a user to embed words into se-

cretive language or codes. They are “barcodes” at-tached to an item that

records information re-lated to that item. The code is then scanned with any mobile technology device that has a QR scan-ner. Once scanned, it can connect the user to locations, websites, texts, businesses, as well as link to educational resources.

Additionally, students have learned how to cre-ate Tagxedo’s which are word clouds with style. Students are able to take a list of words or phrases describing a particular book, object, location, business, school, etc. and turn them into a word cloud of different shapes.

Larry Hewett com-mented, “This is the first middle school Tech Team I’ve had the pleasure of working with. It is so exciting seeing the enthu-siasm of these students as they learn about new online tools and how to use them in their classes. What’s even more excit-ing is when they share

the knowledge with their classmates and teachers!

Hunter Hamilton,

eighth grade student at CMS says, “The Tech Team has allowed me to cut through the ‘games and gossip’ and get into the ‘well’ of knowledge that the internet has to offer.” Mrs. Inman com-mented that “I have re-ally enjoyed working with the Tech Team. I have learned a lot from the stu-dents and Mr. Hewett. It has been challenging and mind stretching.”

Below the Tech Team has created a QR code which will direct you to a Tagxedo describing Chad-bourn Middle School.

“I have really enjoyed working with the Tech Team. I have learned a lot from the students and Mr. Hewett. It has been challenging and mind stretch-ing.”

- Hunter Hamilton, CMS Student

Page 6 – Thursday, December 5, 2013 – Class Acts

ODES students answer questions about the data they have gathered.

“...the activities my students are engaged in will help prepare them to become great problem solvers in the future.” - ODES Teacher

We are very excited about the challenge that is before us and our students. Our goal is to foster the love of reading for all of our students but this year it is most important to be able to help our students achieve mastery of the skills neces-sary to be successful at the next level. We realize that although the standardized test provides valuable infor-mation about the students’ performance; students of-ten can express their true abilities through student-led instruction. This strategy allows students to explain

content and materials to each other and act as peer tutors. Students in the third grade usually thrive on shar-ing their own personal expe-riences and knowledge with others.

At Evergreen, we have in-stalled an outside “Reading to Achieve” area so students can combine their love for reading and nature together. Our Wildcat PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) was instrumental in providing clean, safe outside seating for users. The grassy little fenced in area provides space for students and faculty to

enjoy the fresh air outside and it allows the sunshine to energize their bodies while traveling places in their minds. Teachers and staff have been using the area to role model reading for enjoy-ment as well. In addition to this area providing a space of quiet solitude and reflec-tion, it allows us to foster and grow a lifetime love of reading for our students.

Monday, October 21st, Acme Delco Middle School FBLA conducted their In-duction Ceremony. The cer-emony activities included: installing new officers and members, awards presented to all members, remarks by Representative Kenneth Waddell, Mrs. Kathy Lewis, 6-12 CCS Curriculum Direc-tor, Mrs. Sherry Jordan, Former CTE Teacher and FBLA Advisor for ECHS, and Mr. Norris Ebron, CCS Board Member. After the ceremony activities the parents, guests, students and staff were able

to fellowship with each other over a light dinner. This year the organization is delighted to have a total of 30 members and they are advised by Ms. April Corbett, LEAD/Busi-ness Education Teacher.

The officers for ADMS FBLA 2013-2014 school year are:

Je’Juan Bryant, President; Carrie Grace Coleman, Vice President; Madison Long, Secretary; Jadakiss Watkins, Treasurer; Kaylynn Brown, Historian; Cheyenne Harris, Reporter; Rylan Bordeaux, Parliamentarian.

HMS Making Social Studies Interactive

Outdoor Reading Area at Evergreen Elementary

Social studies can often confuse students due to the overwhelming amount of material and numerous his-torical dates. At Hallsboro Middle School, students are

interested and engaged. The days of sitting in a desk and reading a “boring” textbook are over. Teachers have discovered several different methods for making history

cool again!To begin with, students

are urged to create their own graphic organizers. Graphic organizers help the students sort and categorize the dif-ficult concepts that are often found in history books. Their creations are then displayed in the classrooms, creating a scaffold for learning.

During cooperative “jig-saw” activities, the students especially enjoy being given the responsibility of sharing their learned knowledge of a topic with their classmates.

Alyssa, an eighth grade student says, “I love that I only have to be responsible for one part of the whole topic. Then I get to teach the others in my group and I

learn from them at the same time.”

The curriculum for eighth grade social studies is North Carolina history. This topic lends itself well to the use of technology. Students are given the task of research-ing data such as popula-tion, county statistics, North

Carolina government, state symbols, explorers, and Na-tive American history. Once their data is compiled, they are given guidelines for pro-ducing a PowerPoint presen-

tation. Each student has the flexibility to be creative with-in the specific guidelines, to create a product that is unique and interesting. The students are then required to present their PowerPoint presentations to their peers. This crosses curriculum into technology, language

arts, and public speaking. Students not only learn the required coursework for North Carolina history, but are increasing their learning in other content areas.

Class Acts – Thursday, December 5, 2013 – Page 7

ADMS students are awaiting FBLA induction.

“I get to teach the others in my group and I learn from them at the same time.”

- Alyssa, Eighth Grader at HMS

Future Business Leaders of America Inductions at ADMSStudents at Evergreen Elementary have an outdoor reading area.

Students teaching class are a common occurance at Hallsboro Middle.

CCCA Pride Visits UniversitiesColumbus Career

and Col le g e Acad-emy has a mission to prepare students in a way that they will be successful upon grad-uating regardless of whether they choose to go to college or choose

to become involved in a career. Doing this meaningfully, however, requires more than just teaching in the class-room and day-to-day ac-tivities at school. This is why CCCA students take part in visiting col-leges and universities each fall. Tenth grade parent Melissa Singler

commented, “I think it is an excellent opportu-nity for students to pre-view a four year college experience.” The CCCA Pride just completed its university visits for this year by making visits to North Carolina State

University, the Univer-sity of North Carolina at Pembroke, Fayette-ville State University, and East Carolina Uni-versity. Activities are structured at each lo-cation so that students can learn more about the school, what it has to offer, and the expec-tations of incoming

college students. In addition, students get to tour the academic facil-ities, sports complexes, bookstores, dormitories and of course, the din-ing halls. Some of the highlights of these trips were being able to see the other CCCA gradu-ates that are attending these colleges now! “I feel that the most ben-eficial part of this to me is that I was able to experience a campus I was interested in and explore the school to see how I would fit in with what I wanted to do in college” said se-nior student Devonta Hall. While all of the colleges have a unique atmosphere and set of offerings, Fayetteville State has a special ap-peal for CCCA students. Being under the Early College model, CCCA graduates may attend Fayetteville State Uni-

versity and work to-wards their Bachelor’s Degree without having to pay the cost of tu-ition. CCCA students came away from the

colleges talking about what they did and did not like at each campus. Through these visits, students are able to start making plans and

decisions about college and are made aware of how their work in high school impacts their plans for college.

CCCA students touring East Carolina University.

Page 8 – Thursday, December 5, 2013 – Class Acts

“I feel that the most beneficial part of this to me is that I was able to ex-perience a campus I was interested in and explore the school to see how I would fit in with what I wanted to do in college.”

- Devonta Hall, CCCA Senior

captured breathtaking views of Columbus County farms, along with the communities of Chadbourn and Fair Bluff.

Honors English IV students were tasked with capturing snap-shots of the commu-nity through words. Students spent several days doing field work, not only documenting the atmosphere of the

communities that they observed via narra-tive, but also through conducting interviews with local far mers and lifelong residents of Columbus Coun-ty. English students met with several local farmers and conducted extensive interviews, documenting how the agricultural commu-nity has experienced changes and challenges

in recent years. These students were given a rare opportunity to connect with members of their community and gain insight into the experiences and struggles of farmers who have built their livelihoods in this area. Student Michelle Wal-lace thought that the experience was “very interesting; we learned a lot about tobacco,

harvesting crops, how farming has changed over the years, and the obstacles that farmers face.” In addition to interacting with local and experiencing this community in a new light, the experience also translated into an enhanced experience in the classroom. Accord-ing to Branton William-son, “It really helped with my descriptive

writing. We not only conducted interviews and described the town, but had to be very ob-servant to document everything properly.”

Advanced Art and English IV students spent several weeks compiling this infor-mation, with Boggs and Abbott serving as mentors throughout the process. This proj-ect helped students to

gain a new perspective on their communities. The finished product is available to the public via the Columbus Coun-ty Schools website, at http://www.columbus.k12.nc.us/vfa.

Artist Residency at WCHS Continued

Download our new CCS Connect app from the Apple iTunes App Store!This free app gives you access to:

- District and school news - Instant notifications (weather, etc) - Arts and athletics calendars- WZCO-FM live streams- Lunch menus- School calendar- Photo galleries and much more!

Search for “Columbus County Schools” in the App Store, visit www.bit.ly/ccschoolsapp, or scan the QR code: