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Yancey County Board of Education Members Take Oath

On Monday, December 4 Jeremy Chandler was sworn in as a new member of the Yancey County Board of Education. Warren Hughes, Clerk of Court administered the oath to Chandler before a crowded boardroom. Kay Chandler holds the Bible as her husband is sworn in to serve his first term. “I appreciate the support of the citizens of Yancey County and I look forward to serving you,” Chandler said. Jeremy and Kay have two children, Nicholas and Ciera.

Also, Van Thomas begins her third term of service with Yancey County School Board. Her husband, Bob Thomas, holds the Bible as she is sworn in to serve her third term. Granddaughter, Keisha Chrisawn and great-granddaughter, Jocelyn Chrisawn looks on as Thomas takes her oath. “I intend to continue to serve this Board with all the pride and integrity that I have in the past eight years.” “I have truly enjoyed serving and I thank my family and friends for all their love and support,” Thomas said.

The Yancey County Board of Education re-elected Gary Grindstaff as Chairman of the Board and Van Thomas was elected as the Vice Chair.

JEFF YALDEN SPEAKS TO MHHS STUDENTS

Jeff Yalden,, MTV Celebrity and internationally renowned youth motivational speaker, spoke at Mountain Heritage High School on Tuesday, November 28, 2006 at 9 AM.

Jeff Yalden is from Sagamore Beach, MA and has spoken to more than 3,000 youth audiences in all 50 states and representing over 48 different countries. His timely message about life and purpose was delivered with humor and hard-hitting honesty. According to MHHS Principal, Alton Robinson students were very grateful for the program. Here are some comments from MHHS students:

" You do not know how bad I needed this today."

"Thank you."

"He related to us well."

"Jeff was inspirational and funny."

"Please have speakers like Jeff more often."

" I am excited about school after that program."

A solid motivator and educator, Jeff Yalden is a role model for youth with which he is comfortable: Yalden has spent the last twelve years touring the world, coaching and delivering his highly motivational speech to youth, educators and parents to make better life and family choices. He has impacted youth to live a life of purpose and commitment.

So effective is Yalden's work, in fact, the National Speakers Association has awarded him its highest honor. In 2002, the organization granted Yalden the title of Certified Speaking Professional. Less than 7% of professional speakers worldwide carry the designation. Also, MTV called his show their best show in the six seasons of taping MTV MADE. His show was the longest running show seen by over 70 million youth.

As an author, Yalden has six books to his credit: They Call Me Coach (ISBN ), Keep it Simple: A Teenager's Handbook for Life (ASIN B0006RT7MY, Yalden Books, 2001), Traits of a Leader, 20 Ways to Keep it Simple and Pathway to Purpose (ISBN 097474820X, Yalden Press Publications, 2004). He has also co-authored Lead Now or Step Aside (ISBN 0965144747, Chespress Publications, 2000) and is a contributing author of the New York Times best-seller A Cup of Chicken Soup for the Soul (ISBN 1558744215, HCI, 1996).

To encourage young people to think before they act, Yalden also created the popular "Take Time To Think" wristbands. Formerly a two-time Marine-of-the-Year and Mr. New Hampshire Male America, Yalden draws upon his own life experiences to reach out to students.

“You can’t be angry about yesterday’s circumstances. However, you can choose to accept the past and make better choices today to make the circumstances of tomorrow more fulfilling, meaningful, and rewarding,” Yalden states.

For information about Jeff Yalden and his programs with youth please do not hesitate to contact Jeff personally.

Jeff Yalden * 40 Deacons Lane * Sagamore Beach, MA 02562

800-948-9289 * Fax 508-888-1482

Web: www.JeffYalden.com * Email: Jeff@JeffYalden.com

Pictured Left to Right: Angie Suggs, project director for the Ohio Appalachian Center for Higher Education, Melinda Bullen, UNC Asheville, Kristin Buchanan, YCS Social Worker, Alton Robinson, Principal MHHS and Dr. Barbara Tipton, Superintendent.

UNCA Presents Grants to Mountain Heritage

Last week the Appalachian Regional Commission awarded a $223,000 grant to establish the Western North Carolina Network for Access and Success. The network grew out of a three-year pilot program to improve college access and student success throughout the Appalachian region of North Carolina. The program is coordinated by Appalachian State University, in partnership with UNC Asheville and Western Carolina University. It is a model of two other college access networks in the Appalachian Region: the Ohio Appalachian Center for Higher Education and the West Virginia Access Center for Higher Education.

Some $64,000 of the grant was awarded to UNC Asheville to enhance college access programming at local high schools. On Tuesday, November 14, 2006 UNC Asheville presented an $8,000 check to Mountain Heritage High School. Kristin Buchanan submitted this grant to implement a program called Students Obtain Academic Readiness (SOAR). This program is designed to assist 20 freshmen students for college preparation. Over the next 18 months, UNC Asheville Assistant Director of Admissions Outreach Coordinator, Melinda Bullen will also assist in programming designed to help students at Mountain Heritage continue on to college.

For more information on the WNC Network for Access and Success, visit: http://www.gocollege.appstate.edu/ahean/index.htm.

Board of Education Meets to Discuss

Vision & District Goals

The Yancey County Board of Education members met on Friday, November 3, 2006 at High Pastures Retreat Center to discuss and develop the board vision and district improvement goals for Yancey County Schools. The following is an overview of the vision and district goals developed at this meeting:

VISION

Mission/Vision:

The Yancey County Schools strive to provide a safe and nurturing environment to empower all students to achieve their full potential as life-long learners and global citizens.

Beliefs:

Building on tradition and focusing on the future, Yancey County Schools will:

Challenge and encourage all students to become life-long learners.
Foster healthy students in a safe, orderly, and caring environment.
Tailor instructional approaches and educational settings to serve a diverse student population.
Promote positive traits resulting in thriving communities.
Seek, secure, and support an excellent professional staff.

Yancey County Schools Improvement Goals

The ABC’s Plus – Strategic Plan for

Excellent Schools

High Student Performance

District Goals:

Reach the annual proficiency percentage goal for Limited English Proficient students in accordance with NCLB, Title III Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives (AMAOs)
Expand a continuum of inquiry-based science instruction K-12
Improve a continuum of foreign language programs, K-12
Improve literacy skills percent proficient for K-12 students in accordance with state and NCLB goals
Improve percent proficient for students with disabilities subgroup in mathematics, K-12, in accordance with state and NCLB goal
Improve a continuum of implementing the Social Studies North Carolina Standard Course of Study, K-12

Safe, Orderly, and Caring Schools

District Goals:

Improve a continuum of health education and physical activity
Develop a comprehensive substance abuse prevention program
Develop a comprehensive bully-prevention program

Quality Professional Staff

District Goals:

Increase the percentage rate of personnel attending high quality professional development in accordance with NCLB legislation
Reach 100 percent highly qualified teachers and paraprofessionals in accordance with NCLB legislation

Strong Family, Business, and Community

District Goal:

Improve student, parent, and community involvement

Effective and Efficient Operation

District Goals:

Reduce the dropout rate
Improve vertical articulation and transition programs K-12
Continue proper Section 504 referral-to-placement procedures
Develop a comprehensive Yancey County Schools Board Policy Manual
Identify alternative financial allocation methods to better address student achievement needs
Improve fostering the capacity and culture of continuous improvement and learning

The Yancey County Board of Education continually strives to serve the children of Yancey County Schools and looks forward to the challenges ahead.

“SAY NO MAGIC SHOW”

On Thursday, October 26, 2006, Yancey County Safe and Drug Free Schools brought Matt Fore to the county to present his “Say No Magic Show” at Burnsville Elementary School. All the elementary schools across the county got to see Mr. Fore’s show. On Friday, October 27, 2006 Matt brought his “Making the Right Decisions Program” to Cane River and East Yancey Middle Schools. Matt was wonderful! Both young and old laughed hysterically! The magic tricks delighted all the students, the jokes energized the staff, and the clear anti-drug and making the right choices messages’ were very loud and clear. Here are some positive comments from East Yancey Middle School:

“The magician's show was hilarious. I laughed until I cried. I was impressed with how he was able to make us laugh and then get everyone to think more seriously about the big and small decisions made everyday. The most magical part was his ability to capture the students' attention for both parts - the magic show and the life lesson.” - Mrs. Flynn

“I think the reason we got to see the magic show is because he was going to explain about making decisions and how your decisions could take you down the right or wrong road. I thought the magic show was awesome! He made learning so fun.” - Nikki Briggs

“The magic show was a great way to get kids to listen because a lot of times kids will just tune out if someone is at the school talking about making the right decision. But when he came to our school, he got the audience to participate; it got people to actually listen. He was also very funny. When he told the jokes, you could tell that everyone was paying attention because everyone laughed.” - Raven Whitley

“I thought the performance was good. I also like the message of "think for yourself." The show was hilarious and it had a good purpose.” - Luke DeHart

“The magician that came to our school was so funny! I spent the whole time laughing. I think the purpose of the show was to make good choices in life and not choose drugs and alcohol.” - Brianne McFee

“The magician's purpose was to make us laugh and to teach us to make the best out of life.” - Kailey Robertson

“He was really funny and had great tricks. His purpose for being here was to tell us that if we made good choices we could do anything we set our mind too.” - Brianna Woody

“The magician that came to EYMS was great. The thing that was most important was that he wanted us to make the right decisions in life.” - Christian Whitson

Yalden Invited to MHHS

Mountain Heritage High School has invited MTV Celebrity and internationally renowned youth motivational speaker, Jeff Yalden, to speak at 9 AM on Tuesday, November 28, 2006 .

Jeff Yalden is from Sagamore Beach, MA and has spoken to more than 3,000 youth audiences in all 50 states and representing over 48 different countries. His timely message about life and purpose is delivered with humor and hard-hitting honesty to high school and middle school-aged students around the world.

A solid motivator and educator, Jeff Yalden is a role model for youth with which he is comfortable: Yalden has spent the last twelve years touring the world, coaching and delivering his highly motivational speech to youth, educators and parents to make better life and family choices. He has saved lives and impacted youth to live a life of purpose and commitment.

YANCEY COUNTY SCHOOLS CHOSEN

FOR STATEWIDE SAMPLE

Yancey County Schools will be testing the 4^th graders at South Toe Elementary and the 7^th graders at East Yancey Middle School on November 8^th, 9^th, & 13^th, 2006. These schools were selected for a statewide sample for the fall EOG Special Study exam. These exams will consist of a math section and a reading section. Math sections will be administered on November 8^th and 9^th. Reading sections will be administered on November 13^th.

Allison Tipton and Amy O'Brien - poetry winners, Matthew Hall and Alecia Babb - art winners, Joel Camper and Calan Miller - essay winners

Backstage helpers, Miriam Ceja, Yaquelin Onchi, Nancy Martinez, Karina Ortiz

Performers,Ms. Marianne Thomason EY teacher,Rosita Sixtos, Rosa Procopio, Chavo Sanchez, Victor Campos, Leticia Martinez, not pictured: Cruz

East Yancey Middle School Celebrates

Hispanic Heritage Month

East Yancey Middle School students participated in an essay, poetry, and art contest. The topic: “The Importance of Cultural Diversity in America”.

Essay winners were Joel Camper and Calen Miller. Poetry winners were Amy O’Brian and Allison Tipton. Art winners were Matthew Hall and Alecia Babb

The celebration ended with a special program featuring many different styles of Spanish and Latin dance. The styles included Flamenco, Reggeaton, The Dance of the Little Old Men, Latin Street Dance, and Kumbia.

The celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month was a huge success. Hispanic Heritage Month begins on September 15, the anniversary of independence for five Latin American countries—Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico declared its independence on September 16, and Chile on September 18. Students learned that cultural diversity is what makes our country unique.

“THANK YOU”

A big “THANK YOU” goes out to the owners of the Yancey Theater for allowing our class from Burnsville Elementary to attend a showing of “Open Season”. Due to an array of special needs, the children would not have been able to attend had it not been for the kindness of the theater staff. It was heartwarming to see twelve little children, several of whom had never been to the movies, light up from the sounds and action of the big screen. Yancey County is very fortunate to have such a wonderful place for all ages to enjoy!

---Shannon Anders, Wanda Cooper, Valerie Swann, Pam Shaw and Jenny Grindstaff

St. Jude Math-A-Thon Raises Funds for St. Jude

Children’s Research Hospital

Students at Burnsville Elementary School are having fun practicing their math, and helping other children by participating in the St. Jude Math-A-Thon to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Students are raising funds for the world’s premier pediatric cancer research center. These funds will help St. Jude in its ongoing fight against childhood catastrophic diseases. Children from all over the world who are stricken with diseases such as cancer, AIDS, sickle cell disease and other catastrophic illnesses are helped by St. Jude. A Yancey County student is currently being treated for leukemia at St. Jude

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is internationally recognized for its pioneering work in finding cures and saving children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. Founded by the late entertainer Danny Thomas, and based in Memphis, Tennessee, St. Jude freely shares its discoveries with scientific and medical communities around the world. No family ever pays for treatments not covered by insurance, and families without insurance are never asked to pay.

St. Jude is financially supported by ALSAC, its fund-raising organization, through events such as Math-A-Thon. If you have any questions, you may call Wanda Harding at 828-682-4515 or visit www.mathathon.org.

Burnsville Elementary Fourth Graders Learn About Native American History

Burnsville Elementary fourth graders have been studying all about Native Americans this fall. While students worked on researching facts and writing research papers, they became engrossed in the Native American culture. Students began digging up artifacts and making models of native villages. Students made mask of these interesting cultures of people.

Fourth grade students were exposed to many wonderful cultures and traditions of the Cherokee. All fourth grade students were allowed to travel to the Oconaluftee Village and the Cherokee Museum of Native Americans located in Cherokee. This trip was sponsored by a grant through Western North Carolina which allowed the children to tour the Village and the Museum for free. The fourth graders of Burnsville Elementary invite everyone to visit the fourth grade hall on October 27, when the PTO will host the school wide harvest festival

African Music Studied

On Friday, September 29^th, the Cane River Middle School seventh grade Social Studies classes, taught by Mr. Larry Hall, enjoyed student led demonstrations of traditional African music presented by the seventh grade band students.

Mrs. Lisa Mauney, band director, had the seventh grade band students put up their traditional band instruments for two weeks and replace them with African djembes, shakeres, mibiras, talking drums and rain sticks. The band students learned not only how music is played and used in African culture, but also how the instruments were made. Students learned basic djembe technique using bass, tap and slaps tones to play the Kakilambe, a two part African dance from Ghana. The highlight of this unit came when the band students took their knowledge about African music and taught this material to all the seventh graders in their Social Studies classes.

Since school began in August, students have studied the amazing geography and complex history of the continent of Africa. These students have climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, the tallest peak in Africa, and have gone rafting down the Nile River, the longest river in the world, through the magic of large screen videos. They have learned about a courageous man from the West Coast African nation of Ghana, who was born with a disability, but this man is working to make his country a better place. This story is told in the inspirational video, “Emmanuel’s Gift”.

Our students have also created an African mask and have improved their writing skills through the development of a story about a young African who was captured during the 1700’s and sold into slavery in Colonial America.

Cane River students have had an excellent opportunity to increase their understanding of the incredible continent of Africa.

YANCEY COUNTY INTERAGENCY COUNCIL

HOLDS ANNUAL CHILD FIND MEETING

The Yancey County Interagency Council held its annual Child Find Meeting on September 07, 2006 at the Yancey County Health Department. The council consists of various agencies in Yancey County and Mitchell County that provide various services to children.

The agencies that attended were: CDSA of the Blue Ridge, Yancey-Mitchell Partnership for Children, Intermountain Headstart, Yancey County Schools, Mitchell County Schools, WNC School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Family Support Network, Yancey County Health Department, Mitchell County Health Department, Governor Morehead Preschool, Division of Children Development, and Kid’s Check.

The purpose of the council is to locate and serve children from birth to age 21 that may need special services such as speech therapy, physical or occupational therapy. Early intervention help for children who may have developmental delays is also available.

Every child is unique. Some may require assistance in skills that adults take for granted such as: gross motor skills (using hand and legs effectively), speech skills, articulation of words, cognitive skills (reasoning/understanding), developmental skills, learning from others and retention. Senses such as hearing and vision may also need to be assessed for problems.

Below is a guide parents may use to see how their children grow and change. Do not become alarmed if your child cannot do all things listed. This is a general guide; all children grow and learn in their own way.

6 Months: Rolls from stomach to back, reaches for toys, transfers toys from one hand to another, looks for noise made nearby, makes sounds for specific reasons (hunger, wet diaper, etc.), helps hold bottle while drinking, plays with toes, pats mirror image, puts everything into mouth, follows toys held in front of eyes and moved.

1 Year: Sits without support, pulls to stand, crawls on all fours, understands the meaning of “no” and “bye-bye”, repeats sounds made by others, feeds self cookies or crackers (may not be neat), waves bye-bye, shy with unfamiliar people, turns pages of magazines or books (more than one page at a time).

2 Years: Walks well, carries toy while walking, speaks several words which are understandable and meaningful, refers to self by name, recognizes self in mirror, feeds self with spoon (may spill some), drinks from a cup, occupies self in play, plays with an adult (such as rolls ball), builds tower of four blocks, shows body parts (eyes, nose, foot) when asked.

3 Years: Goes up steps two feet on a step, walks on tiptoes, runs easily, unwraps candy, names objects such as toys and food, speaks in three-word sentences (“Me go home.”), pulls off socks as part of undressing, is toilet trained, shows interest in TV and radio, helps adults by putting away toys and clothes (when told), turns pages one at a time, recites nursery rhymes.

4 Years: Walks up steps, one foot for each step, picks up small objects with ease, unbuttons buttons, tells stories, speaks in complete sentences (“I want a cookie..”), dresses self, feeds self, washes face and hands, gets along with other children, imitates adults doing simple tasks, builds a tower with ten blocks, copies a circle, matches some objects and colors.

5 Years: Hops and skips on one foot, marches in time, catches a ball with hands, speaks clearly and can be understood by others not in the family, brushes teeth, follows two directions (“Go get the ball and throw it to me.”), recognizes shapes, copies a square, circle, triangle, and cross, recognizes coins, and counts to four.

If you have or know of a child that may need services, you can contact Grace Whitson at the Board of Education at 828-682-6101.

Alan Lusk has been selected 2007 Principal of the Year for Yancey County Schools. Yancey County Board of Education Members pictured left to right, Randy Banks (Board Member), Van Thomas (Board Member), Gary Grindstaff (Board Chairman), Dr. Iva Nell Buckner (Board Member), Elaine Boone (Board Member) and Alan Lusk (Principal of the Year).

Alan Lusk Principal of the Year

Alan Lusk, principal of Micaville Elementary School, has been selected as the 2007 Wachovia Principal of the Year for Yancey County Schools in a program co-sponsored by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and the Wachovia Bank Corporation. Lusk was honored with a reception during the October 2 meeting of the Yancey County Board of Education.

Lusk now moves on to compete with other local award recipients from the Western Region of the state. After the state selection process is complete, one principal will be selected as the 2007 Wachovia Principal of the Year.

Lusk began his career in education as a teacher in 1973. During his long career, Lusk has served in all but two Yancey County Schools. This is the fourth time Lusk has been honored as Principal of the Year. In his biography Lusk wrote, “Each school, like Baskin Robbins, has a different “flavor”, all of which are good. Our staffs, faculties and student bodies are all bright shining examples of what’s right in NC public schools.” Lusk is described by his fellow principals as:

· “articulate”

· “compassionate”

· “hardworking”

· “knowledgeable”

Under Lusk’s leadership, Micaville Elementary was named School of Distinction in 1997, 2001, 2002 and 2005. They also were named School of Excellence in 2003 and 2004. In 2002, Micaville was recognized as one of the 25 Most Improved K-8 Schools in NC.

Wachovia Principals of the Year receive financial awards which have been sponsored by Wachovia Corporation for the past 23 years. The local Principal of the Year receives $200 while the regional Wachovia Principals of the Year receive $1,500 for their school and $1,500 for personal use. The 2007 North Carolina Wachovia Principal of the Year will receive $3,000 for his or her school and $3,000 for his or her personal use.

Regional award recipients will be selected by March 2007 and the state Wachovia Principal of the Year will be announced in April 2007.

"Buster the Bus" Visits
"Buster the Bus" visited all elementary schools on September 27th & 28th
to promote bus safety for K-2 students. He also visited with preschoolers at Mountain Heritage day care. Pictured above, Buster the Bus during his visit at Clearmont Elementary School. This program was provided by the Yancey County Schools Transportation Department and Todd Hughes with the NCDMV. A big "thank you" to Buncombe County Schools for letting "Buster" come visit with the students of Yancey County.

Tobacco Free Message

Shared With Students

The Asheville Tourist Ball Team visited Mt. Heritage High School to talk about how tobacco affects the lives of athletes and their families. The students saw a short video showing how chewing tobacco impacted the short life of Bob Leslie who started using at the age of 16. Bob was diagnosed with oral cancer at the age of 27. Joe Garagiola narrated this powerful story of a young man whose life was ended abruptly because of his choice to use chewing tobacco. The video included moving interviews with Bob, his wife, and members of his high-school baseball team. A number of students reported that this program showed them how using tobacco can affect everyone in the family. They re-committed themselves to not use tobacco or try to quit. One student won a drawing and received a baseball autographed by the Asheville Tourist Team.

Chris Smith, assistant general manager and Joe Mikulik manager of the Asheville Tourist Team shared how they have lost friends, family members and fellow athletes to chewing tobacco and smoking. The tragedy is that many of those who have died from tobacco products were unable to quit until the day they passed away. Quitting may be even more difficult and getting hooked easier today than in years past. A new report found that the three most popular cigarette brands with young smokers, Marlboro, Newport and Camel deliver significantly more nicotine than they did years ago. In addition, nicotine in Kool, a popular menthol brand, rose 20 percent. Spit tobacco, depending on the brand used, potentially has 2 to 5 times the nicotine than is obtained from smoking one cigarette,

Almost 80% of all smokers began at or before age 18. Our youth are also quickly becoming the majority of spit tobacco users. If current trends continue, 207,500 youth, under age 18, living in North Carolina will die prematurely from tobacco use. In Yancey County nearly 26% of Yancey Middle School students have smoked a whole cigarette, some as early as age nine. The encouraging news is . . . for the most part, a person who doesn’t start using tobacco as a teenager, never starts using it! It's clear that now is the time to take action against these potentially deadly products.

According to the Yancey County Health and Wellness Trust Fund Coordinator, research has proven that the most successful tactics to postpone or prevent teen tobacco use are:

▪Creating 100% tobacco free schools and businesses frequented by youth

▪ Increasing the prices of tobacco which financially limits access to teens

▪ Being consistent and sincere with maintaining compliance of policies

Communities that have implemented these successful tactics have contributed to the recent decline in North Carolina’s high school smoking rates by one-third since 1999, and the smoking rates among middle schoolers dropping by two-thirds according to North Carolina’s Lt Govenor, Beverly Perdue.

Super Saturday

The University of North Carolina-Asheville is gearing up for the Fall 2006 session of Super Saturday. SUPER SATURDAY is an enrichment program targeting academically gifted, creative and highly motivated students in Grades 3-8. The program typically attracts approximately 500 young students, who attend classes on the UNC-A campus from 9 am to 12 noon on six consecutive Saturdays during the Spring and Fall semesters. The FALL PROGRAM runs from October 14 through November 18 [Snow date: Dec 2] with a registration deadline of October 9, 2006. The program offers over 35 hands-on, experimental classes in the arts and sciences. Topics include drama, French, physics, math, pottery, computer technology, dance, model rocketry, wildlife, creative writing, chess, and much more! Brochures will be available in each school in Yancey County. If you have any questions, please feel free to call Penni Robinson or Sharryl Hagerman at the Yancey County School Board Office at 682-6101. For further information, please contact the Super Saturday Program at UNC-Asheville, (828) 250-3833. The Super Saturday brochure is also available on the UNC-Asheville website, www.unca.edu/supersaturday.

Community Support Provides a Memorable Experience for High School Seniors

For the past several years, the Yancey County Chamber of Commerce has partnered with the Yancey County School System to host “Senior Night on the Square.” This year, the graduating class of 2006 wished to share the evening not only with their graduating classmates, but the underclassmen, faculty, and staff of Mountain Heritage.

Thanks to the generous donations of individuals and businesses in Yancey County, the Yancey County Chamber of Commerce, the Student Council of Mountain Heritage High School, Yancey County Commissioners, and the Town of Burnsville, the Class of 2006 and all students of Mountain Heritage were invited to the 1^st annual “Spring Fling.”

The “2006 Spring Fling” was held on Friday, May 19 and began immediately after school. Because of the magnitude of planned activities and the number of students expected to attend, the event was held at E.L. Briggs Stadium.

Students enjoyed a variety of unique activities such as: an inflatable slide and obstacle course, homerun derby, dodge ball competition, croquet, hula hoop competition, and water balloon toss. Mr. Chad Ayers and members of the Mountain Heritage FFA demonstrated several AG Olympic activities such as the hay bale toss, egg toss, and wheelbarrow race.

Scholarships were awarded in the amount of $100.00 to five different students who will be attending college in the fall. Additionally, seniors had an opportunity to win prizes donated from area businesses. Thanks to the generous contributions of our sponsors, seniors were treated to a “hotdog” supper and free admission to the “Hawaiian Lau” held that night in the school commons area.

Special thanks to Ms. Donna Huskins’ Advanced Foods class and Ms. Angel Willis and Mr. Franklin Cox, sponsors of the Mountain Heritage Student Council who orchestrated the evening.

The following businesses and individuals helped make this evening possible:

Donations for Spring Fling 2006

Something Special

Styles Antiques

Banks Jewelry and Gifts

Yancey Scribe, Inc.

Flowers by Vance

Kevin’s Country Carpets

Garden Deli

Phil’s Tire Service

Vess Propane

Simply Flowers

Jill’s Hairport

Tim Autrey

Johnny Bodford – Volunteer

Mountain Heritage JROTC

Mountain Heritage Student Council

Mountain Heritage Advanced Foods Class

Mountain Heritage FFA

Yancey Evening School (Y.E.S.)

Mountain Heritage Guidance Department

Faculty & Staff of Mountain Heritage High School

Quality Cleaners

Tyner Construction

Summit Building Supply

Young & McQueen

David’s Limited

Willis Floor Covering

Town of Burnsville

Yancey County Chamber of Commerce

Do you recognize any of these faces? You probably do if you have been involved with the Yancey School System. These retirees were recently recognized for their years of service to the Yancey schools. (L-R) Jeanne Tyner, Barbara Branch, Alan Styles, Barbara Robinson, Brenda Boone.

Ruth McCreary with Western Carolina University’s College of Education and Allied Professionals presents Superintendent Barbara Tipton with a plaque. Yancey County Schools and Western Carolina University participate in the School University Teacher Education Partnership and recently received the Distinguished Program in Teacher Education Award at the annual national conference of the Association of Teacher Educators

SCHOOL BOARD RECOGNIZES RETIREES

At the June 5 meeting of the Yancey County Board of Education, 12 retired employees were recognized for their service to Yancey County Schools:

· Brenda Boone

· Helen Hughes

· Barbara McFee

· Barbara Robinson

· Sandra Chereshkoff

· David Mauney

· Sandra Orr

· Alan Styles

· Rhonda Boone

· Barbara Branch

· Susan Martin

· Jeanne Tyner

“On behalf of the Board, I want to thank each of you for your hard work and dedication to the school system and to the children of Yancey County,” says Chairman Gary Grindstaff.

At the May 3 meeting of the North Carolina State Board of Education, the Yancey County Schools Finance Office was recognized for receiving the following awards:

· NC State Board of Education Recognition of Achievement in Financial Resource Management

· Association of School Business Officials Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting

· Government Finance Officers Association Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting

The Yancey County Board of Education recognized Finance Officer Lyn Hensley and the finance office staff for this accomplishment. Yancey County is one of a small number of school systems that consistently receives all three awards.

Yancey County Schools participates in the School University Teacher Education Partnership with Western Carolina University’s College of Education and Allied Professions. Western Carolina was recently recognized at the annual national conference of the Association of Teacher Educators where they received the Distinguished Program in Teacher Education Award. Western Carolina University recognized Yancey County Schools as a partnering institution by sharing the award with the school system. Ruth McCreary of Western Carolina University presented the plaque to Superintendent Barbara Tipton.

Niles Howell, Director of Facility Services, reported that there are soil compaction problems with the Construction Trades Job Training Collaborative site at Mountain Heritage High School. The Board granted approval for a soil stabilization process which will allow the construction process to begin.

The next regular meeting of the Yancey County Board of Education will be held on July 3, at 5:00 PM at the Board of Education office, 100 School Circle, Burnsville.

The Board will hold a special meeting on Wednesday, June 28, at 4:00 PM to consider final budget amendments for 2005-2006, to discuss personnel, and to possibly take action on personnel. The meeting will be held at the Board of Education office, 100 School Circle, Burnsville.

Dr. Barbara Tipton, Superintendent, presents Bobby Hensley with the 2006 Bus Driver of the Year award for Yancey County Schools

Bobby Hensley Named Bus Driver of the Year

At the annual Yancey County Schools bus drivers’ luncheon on May 9, Bobby Hensley was recognized as the 2006 Bus Driver of the Year. Hensley has driven a bus for Cane River Middle School for the past eight years and transports 70 Bee Log area students a total of 12,760 miles per year. He was selected for the recognition based on his exceptional qualities including a safe driving record, dependability, and cleanliness of his bus.

“Bobby does a tremendous job for Yancey County Schools,” says Randy Hall, Yancey County Schools Transportation Director. “He always keeps a clean bus, he’s always on time, and very willing to do anything he can to help with the transportation of our students.”In addition to driving a bus for Yancey County Schools, Bobby is a custodian at Cane River Middle School.

Bright Ideas Grant

East Yancey Middle School students purchased 115 new books for their language arts classroom libraries through a French Broad Electric Membership Bright Ideas Grant. Students participated in the purchase by critiquing, previewing, and selecting books for their classroom libraries. The books chosen by the students were mainly nonfiction, high-interest literature. East Yancey Middle School language arts teachers believe allowing students the opportunity to become responsible for their own learning. Many students view the classroom libraries and their self-selected reading time to be the most enjoyable aspect of their language arts experience. East Yancey students and teachers would like to thank French Broad Electric for their support.

Assistant Principal Tony Tipton presents medallions to the National Board Certified teachers at Mountain Heritage High School courtesy of Jostens (L-R) Michele Laws, Peter Bobbe, Dr. Tim Babb, Cynthia Deyton, Kim Higgins, Dr. Woody McKay, Mike Orr, Angel Willis (not pictured)

Evening of Excellence

On Monday, May 8, Mountain Heritage High School hosted An Evening of Excellence in B.M. Tomberlin Auditorium. Mountain Heritage students received scholarships totaling $1,234,182.00 along with other awards and recognitions. The program opened with MHHS junior Lorissa Young singing, The National Anthem. Various community representatives presented the scholarships to the students. In addition, a total of 64 sophomores, juniors, and seniors received an academic letter award. Students are eligible for an academic letter if they have earned at least a 4.00 overall grade point average or at least a 95 overall numeric average.

Mountain Heritage High School Scholarship Report 2005-06 as of 5/10/06

Drew Angel, MHHS Boosters Club, $ 500
Drew Angel, Randy Thomas Memorial Scholarship, $ 500
Drew Angel, Mars Hill College, MHC Presidential Scholarship, $ 24,000
Haley Angel, Wingate University, Merit, $ 16,000
Haley Angel, Wingate University, NC Baptist and State Contractual Scholarship, $ 21,400
Haley Angel, Earl Honeycutt Memorial Scholarship, $ 750
Bethany Bailey, Mars Hill College, MHC Academic Alumni Scholarship, $ 20,000
Bethany Bailey, Tracey Edwards Memorial Scholarship - Yancey County Food Service Association, $ 500
Aubrey Biddix, Berea College, Tuition, $ 85,000
Alicia Briggs, Yancey County Chamber of Commerce, $ 1,000
Alicia Briggs, Lisa Haney Memorial Scholarship - Yancey County Bus Drivers, $ 500
Mista Bryant, Berea College, Tuition Scholarship, $ 85,000
Mista Bryant, Yancey County Board of Education Teacher of the Year Scholarship, $ 500
Amanda Bundy, Bald Creek Community Association, $ 250
Jacob Burleson, MHHS FFA Scholarship, $ 500
Jacob Burleson, Leon Taylor Memorial Scholarship - Yancey County Soil & Water Conservation, $ 500
Victoria Burleson, Yancey County Chamber of Commerce, $ 1,000
Katie Burnette, Glen Raven Scholarship, $ 500
Katie Burnette, Randy Thomas Memorial Scholarship, $ 500
Eden Carroway, Cecil Shaw Memorial Nursing Scholarship, $ 500
Brandon Cook, Berea College, Tuition, $ 85,000
Brittany Creaseman, Eloise Briggs Memorial Scholarship, The Woman's Club of Burnsville, $ 500
Buddy Davis, Burnsville Men's Club, $ 500
Kasey Grindstaff, Kate Zuver Memorial Scholarship, $ 500
Darrin Hagerman, Yancey-Mitchell Realtors Association, $ 500
Faith Hensley, Eloise Briggs Memorial Scholarship - The Woman's Club of Burnsville, $ 500
Kayleigh Hensley, Skills USA, $ 500
Kristin Hensley, Randy Thomas Memorial Scholarship, $ 500
Lisa Hensley, Rotary Club of Burnsville, $ 1,000
Lisa Hensley, Duke University, Duke University Scholarship, $ 18,100
Lisa Hensley, Cal and Carol Peddy Memorial Scholarship, $ 1,000 Lisa Hensley, Earl Honeycutt Memorial Scholarship, $ 750
Nathan Hensley, Randy Thomas Memorial Scholarship, $ 500
Tyler Higgins, Glen Raven, $ 500
Trisha Hilemon, Mayland Community College, College Tech Prep Diploma Honors Scholarship, $ 1,000
Cathryn Hughes, Mayland Community College, College Prep Diploma Honors Scholarship, $ 1,000
Tiffany Hughes, Earl Honeycutt Memorial Scholarship, $ 500
Luke Johnson, Randy Thomas Memorial Scholarship, $ 500
Luke Johnson, Montreat College, Basketball, $ 8,400
Mariah Keller, Earl Honeycutt Memorial Scholarship, $ 750
Mariah Keller, Edgar Hunter Memorial Scholarship, $ 1,000
Mariah Keller, UNC Chapel Hill, NC Scholarship, Tuition & Undergraduate Grants, $ 25,600
Mariah Keller, Rotary Club of Burnsville, $ 1,000
Katherine Lantz, Appalachian State University, Merit, $ 4,000
Andy Laws, Appalachian State University, Merit, $ 4,000
Andy Laws, Earl Honeycutt Memorial Scholarship, $ 750
Shamale Lee, Tusculum College, Athletic, $ 112,000
Laura Lusk, East Tennessee State University, University Honors, $ 50,000
Laura Lusk, Earl Honeycutt Memorial Scholarship, $ 1,000
Laura Lusk, Presidential Freedom, $ 1,000
Danielle Maggs, Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Carolinas, $ 1,000
Danielle Maggs, Berea College, Tuition, $ 85,000
Ryan Makings, Mayland Community College Honors Scholarship, $ 2,700
Jamie McCurry, Burnsville Men's Club, $ 500
Kayla McCurry, Mars Hill College, Bonners Scholar, $ 14,920
Kayla McCurry, Mars Hill College, Presidential Academic Scholars, $ 28,000
Kayla McCurry, Mars Hill College, MHC Grants/Scholarship Package, $ 15,000
Kayla McCurry, Earl Honeycutt Memorial Scholarship, $ 1,000
Sean McDowell, Mountain Air Pilots Association, $ 1,000
Sara McLain, Cecil Shaw Memorial Nursing Scholarship, $ 500
Sara McLain, Eloise Briggs Memorial Scholarship - The Woman's Club of Burnsville, $ 500
Landon Medina, Mars Hill College, Football, $ 32,000
Landon Medina, Mars Hill College, Academic, $ 20,000
Sam Melton, Mars Hill College, Merit, $ 32,000
Sam Melton, Jane Robinson Honorary Scholarship, $ 1,000
Jesse Mizell, Danny Boone Memorial Scholarship, $ 1,000
Angie Morrow, Yancey County Extension and Community Association, $ 250
Michael Neal, Mars Hill College, Bonner Foundation Scholarship, $ 8,400
Michael Neal, Mars Hill College, MHC Presidential Scholarship, $ 24,000
Michael Neal, Mars Hill College, Bonner Scholarship, $ 13,692
Michael Neal, Elisha Honeycutt Memorial Scholarship, $ 300
Ashley Peterson, Earl Honeycutt Memorial Scholarship, $ 500
Morgan Peterson, MHHS Boosters Club, $ 500
Morgan Peterson, Western Carolina University, Track Scholarship, $ 18,000
Evan Raskin, Haverford College, Haverford College Grant, $ 135,370
Evan Raskin, Lucias Lanier Scholarship Fund of the Community Foundation of Western NC, $ 8,000
Kasey Rathburn, Yancey-Mitchell Realtors Association, $ 500
Daniel Semon, Denver Robinson 4-H Scholarship for the Western District, $ 500
Daniel Semon, John C. McLean 4-H Scholarship for the Western District, $ 1,000
Laura Shelton, Greensboro College, Theater, $ 12,000
Laura Shelton, Greensboro College, Merit, $ 31,200
Sean Siefert, Callie Randolph Memorial Scholarship, $ 1,000
Anthony Silvers, Lenoir - Rhyne College, Athletic, $ 84,000
Karena Thacker, Elon University, College Fellows, $ 12,000
Karena Thacker, Elon University, Presidential Scholarship, $ 15,000
Karena Thacker, Glen Raven Scholarship, $ 1,500
Emily Varney, NC SECU "People Helping People" Scholarship, $ 10,000
Emily Varney, 4-H, $ 1,000
Emily Varney, 4-H, $ 1,000
Emily Varney, UNC Chapel Hill, Academic Merit, $ 33,600
Megan Whitehead, Porter Robinson Memorial Scholarship, $ 500
Brinkley Woody, Burnsville Men's Club, $ 1,000
Brinkley Woody, Danny Boone Memorial Scholarship, $ 1,000

Total Scholarship Awards Listed Above: $1,234,182

Total Scholarships Offered: $1,931,122

2006 Academic Letter Award Recipients

10th Grade
Heather Babb
Taylor Banks
Bryce Butner
Danielle Cripps
Heather Deitz
Kayla Deyton
Shealeigh Garland
Tiffany Hensley
Charity Honeycutt
Lilly Hughes
Sarah Maher
Collin Medina
Daniel Miller
Coty Allen Pitman
Kristina Rathburn
Chelsea Ray
Whitney Ray
Kacie Renfro
Kristin Sullins
Laney Tipton
Nick Tipton
Carol Tyner
Madeline Varney
Zachary Whitson
Joshua Young

11th Grade
Ashley Bennett
Andrea Edwards
Lance Fox
Lauren Hensley
Katie Herring
Brandi Hughes
Bess Johnson
Ashleigh Lambert
Sonya Laws
Jesse Laughrun
Michael Letterman
Tadayoshi Littleton
Christopher McCraw
Sam McKay
Evan Mitchell
Michael Parrott-Hashek
Casey Riddle
Ashli Singleton
Eli Wexler
Amber Nicole Woodby
Bailey Woods

12th Grade
Drew Angel
Aubrey Biddix
Lisa Hensley
Trisha Hilemon
Mariah Keller
Katherine Lantz
Emery Laws
Laura Lusk
Danielle Maggs
Ryan Makings
Kayla McCurry
Caroline Morris
Lacey Presnell
Evan Raskin
Laura Shelton
Karena Thacker
Emily Varney
Brinkley Woody

QUILTERS: THE MUSICAL

On Thursday, May 18, 2006, East Yancey and Cane River Middle Schools’ After-School Drama Program will present Quilters: The Musical at 8:00 PM in the Mountain Heritage High School Auditorium. Tickets are $3.

Quilters tells the story of a pioneer woman and her six daughters who make their way out west with their families, and their quilts. Sarah (played by Emily Robinson) tells her personal story and the story of the women in her family as she makes a legacy quilt for her daughters. The drama students took this production to the North Carolina Middle School Play Festival in March, where they received several awards, including two acting awards (Allison Tipton and Silver Frank) and an Overall Technical Theatre Award.

The play is directed by Jenny Pearson, the drama teacher at East Yancey and Cane River, and accompanied on piano by Jane Johnson. “Quilters is a challenging piece, in terms of both acting and singing,” says Pearson. “My students rose to meet that challenge, and then surpassed it,” continues Pearson. “I’m very proud of all of them. Yancey County is blessed to have such talented students and I am blessed to be their teacher.”

Golf Tournament a Success

The 3^rd Annual Yancey County Middle School Health Center Golf Tournament on Sunday April 30^th proved to be a great success and a day of fun. Seventeen teams, made up of 67 golfers, competed at the beautiful Mount Mitchell Golf Course for numerous prizes. Thanks to the donations by golfers and the many Tee Sponsors this fundraiser generated just over $6,000 that will go directly to running the two health centers. 32 Gold Tee Sponsors at $100 each, 29 - $50 Tee Sponsors and 21 Door Prize Donors are to be thanked for their generosity.

Both middle schools were integral in making this fundraiser happen, with special thanks to Kevin Huskins for organizing the event. Teachers and school staff not only helped getting Tee Sponsors but were there for the tournament as well. Please remember to look for the 4^th Annual Golf Tournament next spring! Donations for the Middle School Health Centers are payable to: YANCEY COUNTY SCHOOLS, C/O Kevin Huskins, East Yancey Middle School, 285 George’s Fork Road, Burnsville, NC 28714

School Board Recognizes Tar Heel Junior Historian Project Winners

At the May 1 meeting of the Yancey County Board of Education, history project winners with the Tar Heel Junior Historian Association clubs at Burnsville and Bald Creek Elementary Schools were recognized. These students recently traveled to Raleigh to compete with other fourth grade students from across the state. The winners are as follows:

Bald Creek Elementary – Club Advisors: Jason Robinson & Sunshine Williams

· Bayley Elkins – Second Place, State History Quiz

· Rebecca Jones – Honorable Mention in Photography for her picture of a milk house

· Kayla Parker – Honorable Mention in Photography for her picture of Vance’s Birthplace

· Josh Miller – Third Place in Photography for his picture of the Marcle Building

· Jacob Shuford – Second Place in Photography for his picture of The Old School Building

· Rebecca Jones – Second Place in Photography for her picture of The Edwards House

· Tyler McFarland – First Place in Photography for his picture of the smokehouse at Indian Creek

· Tyler Hall – Honorable Mention for his essay about Pepsi-Cola

· Cody Morrow - recognized as a winner for his arrowhead entered in the Artifact Search

· Jacob Shuford – Second Place in Literary with his “Hog Killing” book

· Corey Chandler – First Place in Individual Art for his basket making

· Sarah Presnell – First Place in Media for her PowerPoint presentation on the Cherokee Indians

Burnsville Elementary – Club Advisors: Jeanne Miller, Jodi Antinori, Donna Banks, Mike Renfro, & Donna Huskins

· Julianne Yuziuk – Placed in the top fifteen with her unique arrowhead

· Jackson Hockaday – First Place for his Civil War essay

· Tessa Biggerstaff – First Place, State History Quiz; Second Place in NC Historic Architecture Photography, Industrial Buildings category

· Yanni Theodorides – Third Place, State History Quiz

· Emily Penland – Third Place in Literary with her book entitled “What’s In A Name”

· Danielle Hughes – Third Place in Media with her Historian Facts On Native Americans

· Julianne Yuziuk, Emily Sigmon, Logan Bryant, Abbey Bailey, Jackson Hockaday, Reed Deyton, Tristan McCarty, Blake Elkins, Ashlynn Fender, Jarred Allen, Logan Boone, Sabrena Woody – Second Place in Art for scale model of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse; Second Place in Art for scale model of the Mt. Mitchell Toll Road

Bald Creek students, Bayley Elkins and Samantha Chandler, described to the Board their “Sleeping With The Sharks” fieldtrip to Ripley’s Aquarium in Gatlinburg. Their teacher, Tamara Presnell, expressed appreciation to the Board for their support of the fieldtrip.

The Board approved the 2006-2007 current expense and capital outlay budget requests, which have been presented to the Yancey County Board of Commissioners for their review.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the last day for students for the 2005-2006 school year will be May 30. Commencement exercises for the Mountain Heritage High School Class of 2006 will be on Friday, June 2, at 6:00 PM, at E.L. Briggs Stadium, weather permitting (alternate location: Mountain Heritage High School gymnasium).

The first day for students for the 2006-2007 school year will be a half-day on August 11, 2006.

Yancey County Schools Speech-Language Pathologists, Michele Christon, Julie Wood, Melanie Fender, Chris Sutherland

Better Hearing and Speech Month

Since 1927 the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) has celebrated Better Hearing and Speech Month each May to raise public awareness of speech and language disorders that affect 14 million Americans.

The Speech and Language Department within the Exceptional Children’s Program of the Yancey County Schools is taking the opportunity this year to celebrate Better Hearing and Speech Month on a local level. The speech-language pathologists want the public to be aware of the services offered within each school and the continuing commitment each speech pathologist has to provide the highest quality services for each identified child.

Yancey County schools currently employ four speech-language pathologists: Michele Christon, Melanie Fender, Julie Wood, and Chris Sutherland. Each speech pathologist has a master’s degree in speech pathology, is licensed by the State of North Carolina and nationally certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (Certificate of Clinical Competence). ASHA is the national professional, scientific and credentialing association for more than 114,000 audiologists, speech-language pathologists and speech, language and hearing scientists.

Speech and language disorders can take many forms: articulation problems, language abnormalities and delays, stuttering and other fluency disorders, and voice problems. These disorders can have an adverse affect on academic achievement, social adjustment, and career advancement. An individual may be born with a speech or language disorder, or it may be caused by accidental injury or illness.

“Fortunately, most people with speech and language problems can be help,” said Christon. “Even if the problem cannot be eliminated, we can teach people with speech and language problems strategies to help them cope. People may not fully regain their capacity to speak and understand, but a speech-language pathologist can help them live more independently.”

Speech pathology services within the schools are provided on an individual or group basis in the speech pathologist’s therapy room or as inclusion services within the classroom. Collaboration with classroom teachers as well as the child’s family promotes generalization of learned skills outside the therapy setting. Collaboration also facilitates the dismissal of many children from services.

Early diagnosis and treatment of speech and language disorders is important. Yancey County Schools provides services for children beginning at the age of three. Children can be referred by a family physician or other health care provider. Children attending pre-school programs can be referred by child care workers and teachers. Once children have been enrolled in school, referrals can be initiated through their classroom teachers. Parents are encouraged to speak with the speech pathologist in their neighborhood school if they have concerns about speech and language development.

Testing is performed after receiving written permission from parent or guardian. Test results and information about the child’s performance in the school or pre-school setting are collected. The final need for speech therapy services is made by the speech-language pathologist, parents, teachers, LEA representative (usually the school principal), and/or child care providers.

For further information about speech therapy services contact the speech pathologist at your local school or call Yancey County Schools at 682-6101.

Yancey County School Middle School Students Receive State Recognition in the Duke University Talent Identification Program

Duke TIP’s major identification activity, the 7th Grade Talent Search, is now beginning its 26th year. It is the largest program of its kind in the nation, representing participation from 6,061 junior high and middle schools in the TIP 16-state region. The Talent Search identifies academically talented 7th graders based on standardized achievement scores. Duke TIP is dedicated to being the national leader in offering innovative, high quality programs and services for academically talented students and their parents. Participation in the TIP Talent search program is completely voluntary. The 7th Grade Talent Search provides an opportunity for highly able students to pursue an above level testing experience. Candidates are identified and invited to complete either the SAT Reasoning Test or the ACT Assessment college entrance exams. Through the sharing of information, programming, recognition ceremonies, and the special attention that is inherent in the Talent Search identification process, TIP offers supplementation of local efforts to motivate, enrich, and academically challenge some of the country’s brightest young people. Yancey County Schools announce our students identified for State Award Recognition as follows: Silver Frank, Ethan Loftis, Graham Morgan, Morgan Rothe-Skinner, Dillon Vess, Cody Woodby, and Dalton Woody.

Fundraiser
The School Nutrition Association, Yancey County Chapter, held a fundraiser for the Tracey Edwards Scholarship fund. The $500 scholarship is given each year to a deserving Mountain Heritage High School senior. Each member donated items for a REALLY BIG Easter basket. For a $1.00 donation participants were entered into a drawing. The winner, pictured here with the basket, was Trula Pittman. Her children, Alex, Kayla and Nicky Pittman are students at Clearmont Elementary School. Thank you to all who made this fundraiser a big success.

Gruen Von Behrens spoke to students at Mtn. Heritage High School about the effects of using Smokeless Tobacco (chewing tobacco). See story below.

Smokeless Doesn’t Mean Harmless

Smokeless doesn’t mean harmless. Just ask Gruen Von Behrens. Gruen Von Behrens is a 28-year-old oral cancer survivor who has had almost 30 disfiguring surgeries to save his life, including one radical surgery that removed half his neck muscles and lymph nodes and half of his tongue. The Yancey Teen Tobacco Use Prevention Program and Health and Wellness Trust Fund sponsored Gruen’s visit to Yancey County on Monday, April 3rd. He presented at Cane River Middle School, Mtn. Heritage High School, and East Yancey Middle School.

Von Behrens first used spit tobacco at age 13 to "fit in." By age 17, he was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma. "Spit tobacco has ruined my life. Every time I turn around, they are putting me in the hospital either to have surgery or some kind of treatment. If I had known then, what I know now, I never would have put a dip in my mouth. Spit tobacco seemed harmless, but in reality it was more than I could handle," says Von Behrens.

At the student question and answer part of each program, questions from students ranged from how his cancer affected him playing baseball, if he still has cravings for spit tobacco, to is he still in pain. The questions showed the students concern about tobacco and its affect on health. Gruen offered an inspiring message of turning pain and despair at such a young age into a lifelong commitment to prevent teen tobacco use. While his focus was on the damage tobacco can cause, Gruen also stressed the importance of living a good life, not bullying others who are different and being kind to parents.

In North Carolina, 13% of teens use smokeless tobacco. In Yancey County, the rate of middle school students who reported using smokeless tobacco was 24%. Over 1 million kids in the U.S. will try spit tobacco this year alone, with over 300,000 of them becoming regular users. The use of tobacco is one of the leading contributors to oral disease, and each year over 30,000 people are diagnosed with oral cancer with 50% of them dying within five years.

If you have more questions about quitting or want to help make our Schools 100% Tobacco-Free for our children call…. Yancey Teen Tobacco Use Prevention Program 682-6118.

3rd Annual Yancey Middle School Health Center Golf Tournament

On Sunday April 30th Cane River and East Yancey Middle Schools will be hosting their annual golf tournament to help raise funds for the middle school health centers. The certified Student Health Center staff provides much needed medical, emotional and nutritional care for the students.

The cost of the tournament is $75 per player. 1:00 shotgun start. The tournament format will be a modified Captain’s Choice. Participants will also be flighted to give each one an equal chance at winning. There will be prizes for closest to the pin on each par 3, a longest drive hole, and many other events. Each participant will be sure to enjoy gifts and prizes. Please call and reserve your team’s spot to help the middle school students in Yancey County. Contacts: Kevin Huskins 208-1399 or Rick Tipton 284-0079.

“2005-2006 Super System for Quality Schools"

Dr. Barbara Tipton, Superintendent with Yancey County Schools, was recently notified by the Chief Executive Officer of the Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (CASI) of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) of receiving special recognition as a school district that has all eligible elementary, middle, and secondary schools accredited. The district is considered a “2005-2006 Super System for Quality Schools,” and was congratulated for its accomplishments and continued success in improving educational opportunities for the young people it serves.

For 2005-2006, there were 541 school districts in the 11 state SACS CASI region that qualified for this recognition. The number by state is: Alabama-72, Florida-37, Georgia-73, Kentucky-51, Louisiana-10, Mississippi-48, North Carolina-52, South Carolina-53, Tennessee-82, Texas-9, and Virginia-54.

SACS accreditation ensures benefits to the community, including:

· Mission and goals focused on improving student performance and each school’s capacity to improve teaching and learning.

· A collaboratively developed improvement plan that includes methods for measuring student progress and involves key school stakeholders.

· A continuous improvement process that integrates all types of school planning and evaluation requirements.

· The assurance of quality through regular review of programs by a team of outside peer professionals.

· Accountability and value for tax dollars spent.

· Recognition as an accredited school.

Founded in 1895, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is a voluntary, nongovernmental agency composed of more than 13,000 accredited colleges and universities, elementary, middle, and secondary schools. Headquartered in Decatur, Georgia, SACS serves 11 Southern states as well as the countries of Mexico, Central and South America, islands of the Caribbean, and other geographic areas.

Accreditation is a process of helping institutions improve through a systematic program of evaluation, assuring that an institution not only meets quality standards, but also that it demonstrates a continuous commitment to providing quality education programs that are aimed at improving student performance.

Court stops mandatory eye exams for kindergarteners;

State joins public school systems in requesting injunction

Eye exams will not be required for coming school year

State school boards association urges legislature to repeal law during short session

Any court proceedings on merits of case delayed until October

Lawsuit against state joined by 87 local school boards

State Superior Court Judge Leon Stanback Tuesday prohibited the “implementation, administration, and enforcement” of the Comprehensive Eye Exam Law passed as a special provision in the state budget last year.

A Consent Order for Preliminary Injunction and Stay of Proceedings was signed by the judge in Wake Superior Court with the agreement and at the request of the N.C. School Boards Association and William A. Cook III, both plaintiffs in the case, and the State of North Carolina, the defendant in the lawsuit.

The law would have prevented children from entering kindergarten if they had not received a comprehensive eye exam conducted by a North Carolina optometrist or ophthalmologist within six months of starting school. The Consent Order issued Tuesday would prohibit the state from implementing the eye exams until July 1 of 2007.

The lawsuit filed last month by the N.C. School Boards Association and local boards of education asks the court to declare the law unconstitutional because it denies children a free public education and creates an unreasonable barrier to access to the public schools. The Consent Order also delays any court proceedings on the lawsuit until October 1 of this year. William Cook III, a Raleigh parent, also filed a lawsuit challenging the law. The judge consolidated the two lawsuits Tuesday.

Jack Cherry, President of the N.C. School Boards Association, said that the preliminary injunction means that “the legislature will now have time to repeal this unnecessary law when it convenes in May, which we urge the members of the House and Senate to do.” “There is now sufficient time for the public debate that was not allowed to occur in the 2005 session when this law was inserted as a special provision in the state budget in the waning days of the session,” Cherry added.

Cherry, a Beaufort County school board member, said that the judge’s action means that schools will not be forced to bar non-compliant kindergarteners from school in August, and that parents will not have to worry about how to obtain and pay for the expensive eye exams.

Eighty-seven local school systems have now joined the N.C. School Boards Association in its legal action filed February 21.

Ann Majestic, N.C. School Boards Association attorney, said, “We are pleased that the state has consented to an injunction that stops the enforcement of this law. Now, more than 100,000 kindergarteners will not be required to have a comprehensive eye exam before entering school in August.”

Majestic added that the association and the 87 local boards of education that joined in the suit hope that allowing the case to be put on hold until October will mean that they will not have to pursue this litigation. “The goal of this lawsuit is to have the eye exam law repealed,” said Majestic. “It is our sincere hope that the legislature will repeal this law when it convenes in May and that a constitutional challenge can be averted.”

In an affidavit filed with the motion for a preliminary injunction, Dr. R. Jeffrey Board, a Raleigh pediatric ophthalmologist, wrote that “there is no legitimate medical or educational interest served by requiring a child to obtain a comprehensive eye exam before entering kindergarten at age 5. Medically speaking, age 5 is the least advantageous time to detect vision disorders in young children.”

Dr. Peter Morris, President of the North Carolina Pediatric Society, said the mandatory eye exam “is high cost and offers no significant health benefit for the vast majority of children.”

One of several public school officials to file affidavits in the case, Dr. Ann T. Denlinger, Superintendent of the Durham Public School, wrote: “In my opinion, the requirement that every child have an eye exam as a condition of entering kindergarten is fundamentally wrong. This requirement will not improve educational outcomes for our students. It will do just the opposite.”

Legislators Meet With School Personnel

The legislative delegation for Yancey County, consisting of NC Senator Keith Presnell, Representative Phillip Frye and Representative Ray Rapp, was invited to meet with the Yancey County Board of Education, school principals and other administrators on March 3. The discussion centered on matters of concern regarding funding for public schools as the delegation prepares to return to Raleigh for the 2006 legislative session in May.

The area of greatest concern for Yancey County Schools is the need for new schools in the Bald Creek and Micaville areas. Phillip Ray and Alan Lusk, principals at Bald Creek and Micaville Elementary Schools, spoke of the poor condition of their aging facilities.

Among other topics, Superintendent Barbara Tipton expressed concern regarding the need for one or more additional school nurses in Yancey County as well as other needs resulting from funding shortages.

Yancey County Schools expresses appreciation to the delegation for their continued support of public schools and for the opportunity to share with them concerns and requests.

Read Across America Day

On Thursday, March 2, students throughout Yancey County Schools participated in the National Education Association’s Read Across America Day, an event created to celebrate reading and to mark Dr. Seuss’s birthday. The elementary and middle school cafeterias served breakfast foods during lunch in recognition of Dr. Seuss’s well-known book Green Eggs and Ham.

On Read Across America Day, students in grades K-1 and grades 2-5 at Burnsville Elementary School participated in a reading contest earning 1000.5 accelerated reading points. Misty Hall’s first grade class and Sharon Randolph’s fifth grade class will enjoy watching a movie, based on a children’s book, complete with a popcorn and juice intermission.

Burnsville Elementary students also participated in a hat contest based on the red and white stovepipe hat made famous by Cat in the Hat. Contest winners received a free paperback book donated by Scholastic Books.

Clearmont Elementary School enjoyed a visit from the Cat in the Hat himself and students celebrated Dr. Seuss’s birthday with birthday cake. At Micaville Elementary School special guests read to students from the many works of Dr. Seuss. At South Toe Elementary, parents and community members also read to students. The celebration at South Toe continued with birthday cake and a pep rally by the Mountain Heritage High School cheerleaders meant to encourage students to read.

NC Senator Presnell Meets With School Nutrition Assoc.

On February 28, the Yancey County Chapter of the School Nutrition Association of North Carolina hosted a wonderful informational meeting with Keith Presnell, a senator in the North Carolina legislature, representing Yancey, Mitchell, Avery and Haywood counties. The discussion with Presnell centered on school breakfast. The state legislature funds kindergarten breakfast in North Carolina’s elementary schools which enables all kindergarten students to eat breakfast for free.

During their meeting, the Yancey County School Nutrition Association pointed out to Senator Presnell that numerous studies have shown that students who eat breakfast do better in school. They urged Presnell to vote for continued funding for the kindergarten breakfast program. The Chapter wants to make sure that kindergarten students get the best start for their school careers. They also urged him to consider expanding the program to other grades.

March 6-10 is National School Breakfast Week. The theme is “Go Places with School Breakfast” and students will participate in activities that will teach them they can go places by eating a nutritious breakfast everyday. Statistics indicate that students who eat breakfast have higher scores on standardized tests, behave better in class and have fewer absences. All Yancey County Schools serve breakfast and the cost is only $.80 for paying students, $.30 for reduced students and free to qualifying students. The Yancey County School Nutrition Association encourages all students to start the day off right with a nutritious school breakfast!

Julia Fox, Jill Hensley, Sue Pittman, Kay Ball, and Dawn Robinson presented at the annual Hawaii International Conference on Education in Honolulu, Hawaii

Clearmont Teachers In Hawaii

On January 5, a teaching team from Clearmont Elementary School traveled to Honolulu, Hawaii to present at the annual Hawaii International Conference on Education. The conference is known as the gathering place for academicians and professionals from education and related fields from all over the world. The conference brings professionals together to present current research data in workshop or poster sessions.

The Clearmont teachers were required to submit a presentation proposal as part of the requirements of attending the conference.

Sue Pittman, Jill Hensley, Dawn Robinson, and Julia Fox presented Enhancing Education Through Use of the Classroom Performance System. They researched and demonstrated the Classroom Performance System (CPS) in a poster session setting. This performance system allows the teacher to present instructional questions to students and they respond by entering their answers into a key pad. The system provides immediate feedback and records responses in a classroom grade book. Kay Ball presented a third grade classroom research project on Computer Assisted Instruction and Mathematics Ability and Attitude. Students participated in the project over a six weeks time period. Students were placed into two equally matched groups. One group learned graphing skills using software programs while others received traditional instruction. During the project, data was collected and compared using t-tests and written in a formal presentation.

While at the conference, the teachers had opportunity to network with teachers from other countries, including Canada and Australia. A pen pal and e-pal partnership was established with the Canadian teachers.

The Clearmont staff presentations were supported by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and South East Initiatives Regional Technology in Education Consortium who were also in attendance at the conference. Representatives from NCDPI and SEIRTEc included Frances Bradburn- Director Instructional Technologies for the State of North Carolina; Wynn Smith – Section Chief – Department of Instructional technology; Nita Matson and Elizabeth Byrum from SEIRTEc.

IPT Testing Notice (in Spanish)

Durante los meses de febrero, marzo y abril las Escuelas del Condado de Yancey aplicarán el examen IPT a los estudiantes que hablan otro idioma además o en vez del inglés en casa. Este examen resultará en un nivel de competencia para cada estudiante en categorías del habla, la lectura, las habilidades de escuchar y escribir en inglés. Cada vez que los estudiantes toman este examen muestran el progreso de su inglés. Si su hijo califica a un nivel menos que superior recibirá servicios en el programa de ESL (Inglés como Segundo Lenguaje) que ayudará a su hijo entender más sobre la tarea en la clase y también ayudará a su hijo aprender más ingles durante el día normal de escuela. Si usted tiene alguna preocupación o pregunta sobre el examen o los servicios que proveemos en el programa de ESL por favor contacte a la maestra Danise Melecio en la escuela de Burnsville, 682-4515.

Crain Receives Recognition

Congratulations to Joseph Crain for successfully building a beam and suspension bridge out of toothpicks.

Joseph is in the AG Program at Bee Log Elementary School and was required to create a construction company, draw up a blueprint, buy and budget all building materials, and construct a bridge, following certain building codes, which would be capable of supporting a total of 595 grams of weight.

Joseph won a Certificate of Merit for excellent bookkeeping. He was also selected out of all the other elementary AG students to receive the Achievement Award for Outstanding Engineering and Design.

Miracle-Gro Program for the Brain & Body

The Miracle-Gro Program is designed around play, sport, and activity. It’s a program that encourages emotional well-being, healthy lifestyles, and optimum nutrition. The program is designed to help a class of six self-contained Mountain Heritage High School students develop a nutritional understanding of snacks and enjoy one hour per week of extra physical activity through fun games and activities provided by the principal and volunteers.

The Miracle-Gro Program in the school may be a cost-effective means of preventing secondary health conditions such as obesity and diabetes, resulting from low levels of fitness. Children need an outlet for their physical energy. Physical activity increases a child’s ability to cope with stress and anxiety. Self-esteem and building confidence follow closely as another benefit of participation. This is important to mental health and well-being and can help a child be more self-sufficient and confident. The program has been a success and the students have enjoyed the shirts, equipment, and snacks.

Mountain Heritage High School principal Alton Robinson, volunteers Stacey Allen, Debbie Boone, Denise Marlow, and the students would like to extend their appreciation to the Yancey County Schools Foundation for the grant that provided the class with Miracle-Gro athletic shirts, equipment for activities, and nutritional snacks at the end of each session. The assistance of the Foundation enabled the Miracle-Gro Program to accomplish more than it otherwise could have.

Program participants are Jan Ray, Dakota Hensley, Debbie Boone, Stacy Allen, Nick Deyton, Tonya Laws, Robbie Proffitt, Alton Robinson, Denise Marlow.

Doggie Tail Author Visits

South Toe Elementary School was treated to some unusual visitors last Tuesday, Feb. 7. Author David M. Sargent, Jr. came to the school and brought four of his best friends to meet the students. Sargent told stories, read from his books and entertained the whole school with demonstrations by his dogs Mary, Daphne, Emma and Spike. Students and faculty alike were captivated by Sargent's humorous anecdotes and his friendly, loving relationships with the little Dachshunds and the Pomeranian.

Sargent writes books for young readers featuring his dog friends in the Doggie Tails series published by Ozark Publishing Company. He has also coauthored a series for older readers with his father, Dave Sargent, called Feather Tails. When not writing, he spends much of his time traveling around the country with his four dogs visiting schools and libraries. He also recently presented this same program at Micaville, Burnsville, Clearmont, and Bald Creek Elementary Schools.

Yancey ‘Musical Family’ Together Again at Mt. Heritage HS

For Smoky Mountain Brass Band Benefit Concert Feb. 21

It will be an emotional “musical family reunion” at 8 p.m. February 21 when the Smoky Mountain Brass Band performs a benefit concert for the Lili Kraus Classical Music Scholarship Fund at Mountain Heritage High School (MHHS).

First, there’s the veteran Yancey County School District musical team of Lisa Mauney and Tim Babb. Mauney came on board in 1974 to strike up the county’s band program, and Babb came in as her student teacher four years later. Both had been students of the late Dr. Wayne Pressley, beloved music professor at Mars Hill College and a charter member of the Smoky Mountain Brass Band. Babb was offered a full-time position with the Yancey district upon his graduation from Mars Hill, and he and Mauney have directed the band and choir programs at the County’s middle and high schools ever since.

“Dr. Pressley was a builder-upper,” recalls Mauney. “He was incredibly encouraging and always patient with his students. I definitely learned important teaching skills from him, and I saw Tim using the same effective techniques.”

Dr. Pressley wanted his son, David, in Mauney’s classes, so the teenager commuted to Mountain Heritage High School where he also had Babb as a student teacher. “I remember David was a fine trumpet player,” Mauney said. “It was such an honor that Dr. Pressley wanted his son in my band.”

Fast forward to February 2006. Mauney is marking 31 years teaching music in Yancey County schools, and commutes between East Yancey and Cane River middle schools to lead the band and choir programs. Babb is in his 27th year with the district, and teaches band, chorus and strings at MHHS. David Pressley is now a high school guidance counselor in Henderson County, and president of the Smoky Mountain Brass Band his father helped found 25 years ago.

Although he’s traded his trumpet for a cornet, Pressley said it will be like old times when he performs again in front of his former music teachers, on the very same stage he sat on 26 years ago.

Another harmonious part of the close-knit musical family is that Mauney now has Babb’s 7th grade daughter in her band, and Babb has Mauney’s 9th grader in his. Since Pressley’s daughter Amelia is just four months old, he says it’s a bit early to speculate if she’ll be taking up band under the direction of Mauney and Babb.

The concert admission fee is $5, and will be collected at the door that evening.

Besides the February 21 performance being a fundraiser for the Lili Straus Classical Music Scholarship Fund which benefits a MHHS senior majoring in music, Mauney says the event is an inspiration to Yancey’s middle and high school students.

“The kids get to see professionals from all walks of life playing together, and they realize music can be a lifelong thing,” she said. “They learn you don’t have to make a career out of it – you can just keep doing it because you love to play. It’s exciting for the students, and it really encourages them to keep at it.”

Selections on the program for the special benefit concert at the Burnsville high school include the traditional British contest march “Punchinello” by William Rimmer; “Little Suite For Brass” by Malcolm Arnold; “St. Gertrude,” arranged by Alan Fernie, with the stirring hymn “Onward Christian Soldiers”; the contemporary “American Variations” by Alan Fernie; “Pavanne” by Gabriel Faure, and Gershwin’s perennial favorite, “Strike Up The Band,” arranged by Alan Fernie.

Dr. William Bryant, chair of the Fine Arts Department and director of the A.C. Reynolds High School band program, is in his fourth season as Conductor and Artistic Director of the Smoky Mountain Brass Band.

In addition to the Feb. 21st concert at MHHS, the Band has scheduled the following performances to round out its 25th season:

• February 19th, 3 p.m.: CD Owen High School, Black Mountain, NC

• April 9th, 3 p.m.: Special 25th Anniversary Concert HART Performing Arts Center, Waynesville, NC

• June 4th, 4 p.m.: Performing Arts Center, Highlands, NC

Additional concerts may be added before the end of the season. An updated performance schedule is available on the band’s website at www.smbrass.com.

For more information about the Smoky Mountain Brass Band contact Jonna Rae Bartges at (828) 645-8454.

The Yancey County Board of Education recognizes retirees at their January meeting (L-R) Dwight Johnson, Jackie Boone, Patty McIntosh, Jodie Tipton, Julia Norris, Pat Fender, Shelda McIntosh, Mozelle Penland, Maureen Penland, Nancy Shaw (Mike Higgins-not pictured)

SCHOOL BOARD RECOGNIZES RETIREES

At the January 9 meeting of the Yancey County Board of Education, 11 newly-retired employees were recognized for their service to Yancey County Schools:

Jackie Boone	Pat Fender	Mike Higgins
Patty McIntosh	Shelda McIntosh	Nancy Shaw
Jodie Tipton	Mozelle Penland	Dwight Johnson
Julia Norris	Maureen Penland

“On behalf of the Board, I want to thank each of you for your hard work and dedication to the school system and to the children of Yancey County,” says Chairman Gary Grindstaff.

Eight other employees, who have retired but continue to be employed with Yancey County Schools, were also recognized.

Gwen Edwards and Dave Kerestes of Dixon Hughes Public Accountants, the school system’s audit firm, presented the financial statements for the year ending June 30, 2005. Edwards and Kerestes were very complimentary of the Board’s compliance with North Carolina audit requirements and on the overall financial operation. “We give this year’s report our unqualified opinion and fully expect the Yancey County Schools’ annual financial report to receive awards for the 18^th consecutive year,” says Edwards.

As of January 9, Yancey County students have missed seven days due to inclement weather. Only six days remain in the 2005-2006 school calendar which are designated for possible use as inclement weather days. Superintendent Barbara Tipton presented suggestions to the Board for making up any additional missed days. Her suggestions include:

· changing March 3 from a teacher work day to half student day / half teacher work day,

· designating a missed day as a “no day” which would extend the school year,

· holding school on Saturday, or

· using a portion of the days designated for spring break.

Dr. Tipton will continually monitor the calendar situation and make decisions accordingly.

The Board will participate in work sessions at 5:00 PM on March 23 and April 18 to discuss the 2006-2007 capital outlay and current expense budgets.

Yancey County Schools Announces Super Saturday
Opportunities at UNC-Asheville

The University of North Carolina-Asheville is gearing up for the SPRING 2006 session of Super Saturday. SUPER SATURDAY is an enrichment program targeting academically gifted, creative and highly motivated students in Grades 3-8. The program typically attracts approximately 500 young students, who attend classes on the UNC-A campus from 9 am to 12 noon on six consecutive Saturdays during the Spring and Fall semesters. The SPRING PROGRAM runs from February 25 through April 1[Snow date: April 15] with a registration deadline of February 17, 2006. The program offers over 35 hands-on, experimental classes in the arts and sciences. Topics include drama, French, physics, math, pottery, computer technology, dance, model rocketry, wildlife, creative writing, chess, and much more! Brochures will be available in each school in Yancey County. If you have any questions, please feel free to call Penni Robinson or Sharryl Hagerman at the Yancey County School Board Office at 682-6101. For further information, please contact the Super Saturday Program at UNC-Asheville, (828) 250-3833. The Super Saturday brochure is also available on the UNC-Asheville website, www.unca.edu/sprog/.

Yancey County Schools DC Program Announces ASU’s Summer Enrichment Program for Academically Gifted Youth

The Summer Enrichment Program for Academically Gifted Youth provides current 4^th through 9^th grade students an opportunity to explore a blend of enrichment classes and adventure programs that are designed to encourage and foster intellectual, social, and physical growth. Campers attend their activities in enrichment programs each morning and participate in adventure activities in the afternoons. Seventh, eighth, and ninth graders will participate in a four day out-of-camp advanced program that will blend adventure activities with historical, cultural, and environmental activities. This type of programming offers campers a broad range of social participation, group responsibility, and individual decision making. Brochures will be available in each school in Yancey County. If you have any questions, please feel free to call Penni Robinson or Sharryl Hagerman at the Yancey County School Board Office at 682-6101. For more details, please see www.campbroadstone.com or call Judith Bevan, Director at
(828) 963-4640.

Yancey County Schools D.C. Program Announces

Honors in WordMasters Challenge

Two students representing Yancey County School recently won highest honors in this year’s WordMasters Challenge-a national language arts competition entered by over 225,000 students annually, which consists of three separate meets held at intervals during the school year.

Competing in the very difficult Gold Division of the Challenge, sixth graders Sarah Maney and Lacey Robinson both earned perfect scores in the year’s first meet, held in December. In the entire country only 111 sixth graders earned perfect scores.

Other Yancey County students who also achieved outstanding results in the meet were third grader Carissa Dietrich, sixth graders Tara Edwards, Lauren Evoy, Mikayla Thomason, Zane Warriner, Whitney Bowers, Eli Buckner, Tyler Edwards, and Katelyn Hunter, and seventh grader Amy O’Brien.

The WordMasters Challenge is an exercise in critical thinking which first encourages students to become familiar with a set of interesting new words(considerably harder than grade level), and then challenges them to use those words to complete analogies expressing various kinds of logical relationships. Working to solve the Challenge analogies helps students to learn to think both analytically and metaphorically. Though most analogy-solving and vocabulary-boosting activities have been created for high school students, the Word Masters materials have been specifically designed for younger students, in grades three through eight. They are particularly well suited for able and interested children, who rise to the challenge of learning new words and enjoy the logical puzzles posed by analogies.

The WordMasters Challenge has been administered for the past 19 years by a company based in Allendale, New Jersey, which is dedicated to inspiring high achievement in American schools. Local students will participate in two more meets in the coming months, and medals and certificates will be awarded in June to those who achieve the best overall in the course of the year.

Kay Ball, Jamie Pate, Pam Ray

Clearmont Teachers Present at State and National Level

Kay Ball, Pam Ray and Jamie Pate recently presented at the North Carolina Educational Technology Conference (NCETC) in Greensboro on December 1 and at the NSBA (National School Board Association) T+L²Conference in Denver, CO on October 26.

Does Your Shoe Fit? Making It Happen Through Collaboration was presented at NCETC. Session attendees experienced how the teaching trio, teacher, technology facilitator and media coordinator, collaborates to create exciting real-world learning for all students. The presentation focused on how Clearmont has taken the state curriculum and developed practical lessons that allow students to develop core skills while using technology integration and media skills. The North Carolina Educational Technology Conference was established in 1988 as a nonprofit organization whose mission was to advocate and support the use of technology in education with special focus on the schools and classrooms of North Carolina.

Bridging the Divide focused on Clearmont’s use of the NC IMPACT grant. The session provided great ideas for integrating technology into the classroom using the IMPACT Model. The focus was on K-5 collaborative activities that promote the use of technology in the elementary classroom. In addition, the session also addressed classroom management strategies as well as team teaching roles that enhance the efficiency of technology infusion. The T+L² Conference is a national event for decision makers who choose and use technology in schools. The T+L² Conference attracts over 2,200 school leaders from throughout the United States as well as internationally.

Following the North Carolina Impact Model, Clearmont Elementary School offers students, teachers and staff flexible access to both the library media center and computer lab resources when needed. This allows the media coordinator and technology facilitator to become a full-fledged, integral part of the teaching and learning process. All unit plans discussed are quality examples of the integration of media and technology in ways that expand, support and complement classroom learning.

Clearmont Character Club Members Go Caroling

Students in the fourth and fifth grade at Clearmont Elementary School went to the Burnsville senior center to sing carols. The students, who are members of the character club, joined in chorus in an effort to brighten the day of many seniors. These students help promote the character education program at Clearmont and encourage students to exemplify good character in their lives. Prior to the trip, students worked on making holiday cards on the computer to bring and share with the senior citizens. The students enjoyed sharing the holiday spirit with members of the community and made beautiful music doing so.

NC School Report Cards Released

Yancey School children will begin bringing home the NC School Report Card beginning on December 16. Just as student report cards provide parents with information on their child’s performance, the NC School Report Cards offer a snapshot of some of the important information about individual schools. School and District Report Cards are loosely structured around the State Board of Education’s Strategic Priorities. The main areas are School/District Profile; High Student Performance; Safe, Orderly & Caring Schools; and Quality Teachers/Administrators. The NC School Report Card is provided for each public, charter, and alternative school operated during the 2004 – 05 school year.
In most instances, data in the School Report Cards are reported at the school, district, and state levels. School data are based on information from all grades within the school. For several indicators, including School Size, School Performance, School Safety, Attendance, and all information in the Quality Teachers’ section, data from all schools in the same grade range are averaged to produce district and state comparisons. The web address to access NC School Report Cards is www.ncreportcards.org and can also be accessed through the Yancey County Schools website. Questions about your child’s school report card may be addressed to your child’s school principal.

Ray Named NC Technology Facilitator of the Year

Pam Ray, the technology facilitator at Clearmont Elementary School, was recently named the North Carolina Technology Facilitator of the Year. This award recognizes individuals who are leaders in planning and implementing instructional technology into the educational program. It also recognizes individuals who have modeled the role of technology facilitator in the successful implementation of technology in school and district-wide education programs.

In addition to her duties as technology facilitator, Ray is the director of Clearmont Elementary’s IMPACT Grant program. This grant, which is funded through No Child Left Behind, has brought much needed technology resources to this school. She serves as the co-chair of Clearmont’s MTAC committee which is involved in all budget, professional development, and technical decisions for the IMPACT Grant program. She is also responsible for the identification, organization, and evaluation of all technology professional development at Clearmont.

Clearmont Elementary parents and community members benefit from training sessions provided by Ray. She conducts technology workshops called “Parent Tech Nights” which are offered in the evenings for the convenience of parents and community members. In addition to other technology instruction classes, Ray provides basic laptop computer use and Internet safety training for parents of children who checkout laptop computers for use at home.

Through Pam Ray’s leadership, Clearmont Elementary has made significant efforts to partner with other schools in Yancey County, as well as the region and across the state, to implement the IMPACT Model. During the 2004-2005 school year, Ray wrote a proposal and received a $15,000 Enhancement grant which has allowed for establishment of high tech classrooms in five other elementary and two middle schools in Yancey County.

Ray’s efforts are exemplified by the success of Clearmont Elementary School. Over the past two years, Clearmont students have averaged 98% at or above grade level on the North Carolina end of grade tests. Even with this extremely high percentage, Clearmont students have still shown high growth on the EOG tests. Clearmont has ranked in the top four in test scores over the past two years in western North Carolina. Clearmont Elementary School has received national recognition as a NCLB Blue Ribbon School, one of only nine Blue Ribbon public schools in North Carolina and one of 295 Blue Ribbon schools across the nation. Clearmont Elementary has also been selected as the 2005 Title I Distinguished School for North Carolina in the category of Exceptional Student Performance.

Tracie Bartlett

Susan Buchanan

Bartlett Receives Teacher of Excellence Award

Tracie Bartlett, a special education teacher at South Toe Elementary School, has received the 2005 Exceptional Children Teacher of Excellence Award for Yancey County Schools. She was recognized at the Exceptional Children Division’s 55^th Conference on Exceptional Children in Greensboro in November.

Bartlett has been employed with Yancey County Schools for 11 years. She began her career as a Speech Language Pathologist, a position she held for five years. Upon earning an Exceptional Children teaching license she has taught in the Exceptional Children Program for the past six years.

“Miss Bartlett is a leader in Yancey County Schools and is respected by her colleagues,” says Grace Whitson, Yancey County’s Exceptional Children Director. “She loves her students and is a great advocate for students with disabilities,” continues Whitson. “She is deeply dedicated to providing quality individualized instruction for all her students.”

Along with her teaching responsibilities, Bartlett is in her second year of graduate school at Western Carolina University where she pursuing a degree in Special Education in the area of Severe/Profound Disabilities. Bartlett is also assisting with the implementation of a Positive Behavior Support program at South Toe Elementary School.

To be considered for this prestigious award, the nominee must have a minimum of five years of direct experience with students, be recognized as a leader through innovative instructional programs that have demonstrated positive outcomes for students, and have improved the quality of education for exceptional children and youth through extracurricular and nonacademic activities.

Buchanan Earns National Certification

Susan Buchanan, Media Specialist at Burnsville Elementary School, recently achieved National Board Certification, the highest credential in the teaching profession. She is the only educator with Yancey County Schools to successfully complete this rigorous certification process during this school year.

Certification is currently available to educators in 27 fields. Buchanan is certified in Library Media / Early Childhood through Young Adulthood.

National Board Certification is the highest credential in the teaching profession, and participation is voluntary. Teachers achieve certification through a rigorous performance-based assessment that takes between one and three years to complete and measures what accomplished teachers and counselors should know and be able to do.

“National Certification has taught me the essential need of educating students based on their individual needs, the importance of collaboration with teachers, and outreach to parents and the community,” says Buchanan.

An independent, multi-year study of North Carolina’s National Board Certified teachers and elementary student performance released in March 2004 found that there is a correlation between certification and improved student performance. Gains were particularly pronounced for younger and lower-income students.

Compared to other school systems in North Carolina, Yancey County Schools has one of the highest percentages of Nationally Certified educators with a total of 26.

North Carolina remains the leader in the number of teachers achieving National Board Certification and the total number of National Board Certified teachers, according to results released in November by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

This year’s addition of 1,537 newly certified teachers and counselors – the largest class in the country – brings the state’s total number of National Board Certified teachers and counselors to 9,818.

North Carolina supports teachers in their efforts to achieve National Board Certification by:

· paying up-front the $2,300 assessment fee (As a condition, the teacher is obligated to teach in the state during the following year whether they achieve National Board Certification or not.)

· providing three paid release days from normal teacher responsibilities to help teachers develop their portfolios

· providing a 12 percent salary supplement to the teachers' regular salary upon receipt of National Board Certification (good for the ten-year life of the certification)

· awarding 15 continuing education units (CEUs) to the individual completing the National Board Certification process.

State Board of Education Chairman Howard Lee was pleased with North Carolina teachers' performance saying, "The 2005 National Board numbers show us that North Carolina has built a successful culture to support teachers pursuing National Certification. The State Board of Education congratulates each of these teachers for meeting this challenge."State Superintendent June Atkinson said pursuing National Board Certification is a long and challenging process. "It is a credit to North Carolina teachers that so many of them are willing to pursue National Board Certification. Not only does it enhance their effectiveness in the classroom, but it also provides them with a framework for further developing their skills," Atkinson said.

Clearmont Elementary Named 2005 Title I Distinguished School for North Carolina

Clearmont Elementary School has been selected as the 2005 Title I Distinguished School for North Carolina in the category of Exceptional Student Performance.

The accomplishment of this goal is evidenced by exemplary curriculum and instruction, program coordination, professional development and partnerships with parents, families, and the community.

Clearmont Elementary will be recognized at the Distinguished Schools Award ceremony on January 28, 2006, at the National Title I conference in Dallas, Texas.

Life In The Past at Clearmont

The third grade students in Mrs. Kay Ball’s class at Clearmont have been busy the past two months. They started a literature unit that focused on Life in the Past. The students read the book Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder. The students read about Laura Ingalls and the life she experienced as a child, living in a small cabin in the Wisconsin woods. As the unit progressed, the students’ study moved to the time frame of the early 1900s and the life of a child who lived in a big house in the woods. They read about a little girl named Cornelia Vanderbilt who lived in the Vanderbilt mansion in Asheville. During this study, the students collected information from folks about their lives growing up in our area by doing interviews. The students learned that life could be very different for children in different parts of the United States, depending on the time frame and income of the individual.

In addition to the literature component of the unit, the students studied geometry skills. In order to learn about two-dimensional and three-dimensional geometric figures, the students constructed a gingerbread house replica of Clearmont School. This project was made possible with the guidance of Mrs. Chris Ledford and Mrs. Julia Fox. The students also made geometric nets from recycled Christmas cards. Led by Mrs. Pam Ray and Mr. Jamie Pate, the students traced, cut, and folded their nets into space figures which became the ornaments for the class Christmas tree. The geometric unit ended with the students reading The Polar Express and making three-dimensional train ornaments.

The culminating activity for the literature and math unit was a trip to Asheville. On Tuesday, December 13, the third grade students toured the gingerbread houses display at the Grove Park Inn. Their gingerbread house was displayed in the Executive Office at the Inn.

Students moved on to eat lunch at The Corner Kitchen to show off their good table manners they had learned each day in the Clearmont Cafeteria taught by Mrs. Julia Fox.

After lunch, the group joined Clearmont fourth and fifth grade students to see firsthand the life that Cornelia Vanderbilt experienced by touring the grand Biltmore Estate. Following the tour of the Biltmore House the students went to Hollywood Cinema to see The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, which Mrs. Sue Pittman’s class had been reading.

The trip concluded with dinner at Chuck E. Cheese.

Services Available Through ‘Child Find’ For Children
Who May Need Assistance

Every child is unique, and develops at his or her own pace. But some children require assistance to make the most of their particular skills and challenges.

Early intervention is often the key to success in school, and in life, for many children.

Some children may require assistance in skills that adults take for granted such as: gross motor skills (using hands and legs effectively), speech skills, cognitive skills (reasoning/understanding), developmental skills, learning from others and retaining information. Senses such as hearing and vision may also need to be assessed for problems.

Many agencies exist in Yancey County whose purpose is to locate and serve children birth to 21 years old who may need special services such as speech, physical, and occupational therapy. Early intervention help for children who may have developmental delays is also available.

Making sure that all parents in Yancey County are aware of these services and where to access them is the purpose of the yearly drive to locate children in need of these services, called “Child Find”. The local efforts to identify children and youth are a part of a concentrated statewide effort to find children who need special help which they are not currently receiving. Project Child Find is also an endeavor to inform parents and/or guardians of these children of the services available from their local school system and other state and community agencies.

The Yancey County Interagency Council held its annual Child Find meeting on November 10 at the Yancey-Mitchell Partnership for Children. The agencies that attended were: Children’s Developmental Service Agency, Yancey County Schools, Mitchell County Schools, Head Start, Families Together, Family Support of the High Country, Department of Social Services, Yancey-Mitchell Partnership for Children, Kids Check, Access II Care, Western Highlands, and WNC School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

Below is a guide parents may use to see how their children grow and change. Do not become alarmed if your child can not do all the things listed. This is a general guide and all children grow and learn in their own way.

6 Months: rolls from stomach to back, reaches for toy, transfers toy from one hand to another, looks for noise made near him, makes sounds for specific reasons (hunger, wet, etc.), helps hold bottle while drinking, plays with toes, pats mirror image, put everything in mouth, follows toys when held in front of his eyes and moved.

One Year: Sits without support, pulls to stand, crawls on all fours, understands the meaning of “no” and “bye-bye”, repeats sounds made by others, feeds self cookies or crackers (may not be neat), waves bye-bye, shy with people he doesn’t know, turns pages of a magazine or book (more than one at a time)

Two Years: Walks well, carries toys while walking, speaks several words which are understandable and meaningful, refers to self by name, recognizes self in mirror, feed self with spoon (may spill some), drinks from a cup, occupies self in play, plays with an adult (rolls balls to adults), shows body parts (eyes, nose, foot) when asked.

Three Years: Goes up steps, two feet on a step, walks on tiptoes, runs easily, unwraps candy, names objects such as toys and food, speaks in three word sentences (“Me go home”), pulls of sock as part of undressing is toilet trained, shows interest in TV and radio, helps adults by putting away toys and clothes (when told), turns pages one at a time, recites nursery rhymes (Mary had a little lamb, etc.)

Four Years: walks up steps, one foot for each step, picks up small objects with ease, unbuttons buttons, tells stories, speaks in complete sentences, dresses self, feeds self well, washes hands and face, gets along with other children, imitates adults doing simple tasks, builds a tower of ten blocks, copies a circle, matches some objects and colors.

Five Years: Hops and skips on one foot, marches in time, catches a ball with his hands, speaks clearly and can be understood by others not in the family, brushes his teeth, cares for all toilet needs, follows two directions, recognizes shapes, copies a square, circle, triangle, and a cross, recognizes coins, counts to four.

If you have or know of a child that may need services, please contact Grace Whitson at the Yancey County Board of Education at 682-6101.

Fire Safety Posters

South Toe fourth grade students earned special recognition for their Fire Safety Posters on November 18, 2005. All fourth graders completed a Fire Safety Course in September, taught by Charles Willis. Austin Bartlett received the first place trophy for his classroom. Runners-up were Chelsea Blevins, Caitlin Briggs, Cassidy Barnes and Danny Whitson. All students completed excellent work and made South Toe proud.

STARBASE at South Toe

The STARBASE science program landed at South Toe Elementary School on Monday, November 7th. The weeklong program is sponsored by the North Carolina Air National Guard and is based in Charlotte and the staff consists of former teachers in the Charolotte-Mecklenburg School System and military personnel from the National Guard.

Mrs. April McKinney's fourth and Mr. Mike Renfro's fifth grade students enjoyed a fun-filled week of learning with hands-on activities. Everyone that participated acquired valuable knowledge in all academic areas. Character education, teamwork, and anti-drug strategies were also taught as part of the program. Individual rockets were constructed by all students. The entire student body proudly observed as rockets were launched from the school playground. Many thanks are extended to the STARBASE instructors and their program. It was a HIT!

Board Meeting

At their meeting on November 7, the Yancey County Board of Education approved the calendar for the 2006-2007 school year. The calendar designates the first day of class for students as August 11, 2006, which will be a half school day, and theoretically identifies May 17, 2007 as the end of the 180-day term.

Yancey County Schools has applied for a calendar waiver from the NC Department of Public Instruction for the 2006-2007 school year. The School Calendar Bill (House Bill 1464), which was signed into law in August of 2004, states that the opening date for students shall not be before August 25, and the closing date shall not be after June 10. School systems in North Carolina that have been closed eight or more days per year during any four of the last ten years due to severe weather conditions, energy shortages, power failures or other emergency situations can request a waiver for the opening and closing dates.

During the November 7 meeting, the Board waived the need for three readings and adopted a school bus idling policy. According to the NC State Board of Education, a local school system must have a reduced idling policy in place no later than January 10, 2006, in order to be eligible to receive any mid-year transportation allotments resulting from increased fuel prices. The local policy must, at a minimum, prohibit all unnecessary school bus idling on school grounds and prohibit the warming up of buses longer than 5 minutes.

The Board unanimously approved a motion naming Angie Anglin as assistant principal at Burnsville Elementary School. Anglin is to replace Doris Deyton who will begin serving as principal at South Toe Elementary School beginning in January 2006.

Anglin began her career as a seventh and eighth grade English/Language Arts teacher at East Yancey Middle School in 1990. She has served as assistant principal at East Yancey since July 2004.

Anglin is credited with many accomplishments throughout her career in education. She has served as chairperson on the School Improvement, Southern Association, Seventh Grade Curriculum, and Language Arts Department Committees. She was named as the 1999-2000 Teacher of the Year for East Yancey Middle School and wrote the winning nominations resulting in East Yancey receiving the ASCD Lighthouse Award and being named as a NC School to Watch. Anglin has served on the NC School to Watch Visitation Team and has presented at the National School to Watch Conference in Washington, DC.

Anglin holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education (grades 6-9) from Mars Hill College and a Master of School Administration degree from Western Carolina University.

The next regular meeting of the Yancey County Board of Education will be held on December 5, at 5:00 PM at the Board of Education office, 100 School Circle, Burnsville.

Veterans' Program Held

On November 10, the Mountain Heritage High School JROTC held their first annual Veterans’ Day program. Cougar Battalion Commander, Cadet Major Gina Carroll, presided over the program honoring veterans with a presentation consisting of drill and ceremony and patriotic medleys.

Local veteran and special guest speaker, Specialist Charles Greer, reminded students, teachers, and staff of the many liberties enjoyed in America. “Three hundred million Americans enjoy freedoms that were fought and paid for by our ancestors,” says Greer. “I appreciate the sacrifices made by the men and women in uniform.”

Specialist Greer is a native of Western North Carolina and his fourteen-year military career includes:

· Active duty in the US Army from 1974 to 1977 as a Radar and Computer Repair Technician, followed by three years of inactive reserve duty;

· Reserve duty in the Florida Army National Guard from 1986 to 1988 as an Infantryman;

· And, since 2000, reserve duty in the North Carolina Army National Guard.

Throughout his military career, Greer has earned numerous medals, ribbons, letters of commendation, and certificates of appreciation for his service. He is married to Lana Marie Hall of Spruce Pine and they have two children, Adam Dean Greer and Jessica Marie Greer, who both attend Mountain Heritage High School. The Greer family has made Yancey County their home since 1993.

During the program, Specialist Greer’s daughter, Jessica, sang the National Anthem and his son, Adam, presented a bouquet of flowers to Cadet Major Gina Carroll for her support and encouragement to the Greer family during Specialist Greer’s recent deployment to Iraq.

Peterson Named Principal Of Year

Pete Peterson, principal of Clearmont Elementary School, has been selected as the 2006 Wachovia Principal of the Year for Yancey County Schools in a program co-sponsored by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and the Wachovia Bank Corporation. Peterson was honored with a reception during the November 7 meeting of the Yancey County Board of Education.

Peterson now moves on to compete with other local award recipients from the Western Region of the state. After the state selection process is complete, one principal will be selected as the 2006 Wachovia Principal of the Year.

Peterson began his career in education as a teacher in 1981. Prior to being named principal of Clearmont Elementary School in 2002, Peterson served as assistant principal and athletic director both at Cane River Middle and Mountain Heritage High Schools.

Peterson is described by his fellow principals as: “a visionary leader”, “energetic”, “hardworking” .

Under Peterson’s leadership, Clearmont Elementary was awarded the IMPACT Technology Grant in March of 2003. The grant awards Clearmont $1.35 million over three years and is designed to enhance the instruction of students through technology.

In September of this year, Clearmont received the No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon Schools Award. This program recognizes schools that make significant progress in closing the achievement gap or whose students achieve at very high levels. Clearmont was one of only 295 schools in the nation and one of only two in the western region of North Carolina to receive this award. Representatives from Clearmont will be honored in Washington, DC later this month.

Additionally, Clearmont Elementary is being considered for the National Title I School Award.

Wachovia Principals of the Year receive financial awards which have been sponsored by Wachovia Corporation for the past 22 years. The local Principal of the Year receives $200 while the regional Wachovia Principals of the Year receive $1,500 for their school and $1,500 for personal use. The 2006 North Carolina Wachovia Principal of the Year will receive $3,000 for his or her school and $3,000 for his or her personal use.

Regional award recipients will be selected by February 2006 and the state Wachovia Principal of the Year will be announced in April 2006.

Goudelock In Honors Chorus

East Yancey Middle School student, Joshua Goudelock, will participate in the NC Middle School Honors Chorus this weekend. The chorus will convene in Winston-Salem, NC at the North Carolina Music Educator’s Conference. Joshua earned this honor, by competing with approximately 1,200 students from across the state for a spot in the 150-person chorus, on October 1, 2005. Since the auditions in October, Josh has practiced after school with his choral director, Roberta Whiteside, to prepare the music to be learned and memorized for the concert in Winston-Salem. The students will practice all weekend and will perform in a concert on Sunday. Josh is the first middle school student from Yancey County to participate in the NC Honors Chorus.

Mountain Heritage JROTC program is off and running!

What was a little different at home football games this fall? Answer, the award winning Mountain Heritage High School JROTC Color Guard! Still in its infancy, barely two months old, the Cougar Battalion won its first competition as a member of the Appalachian Mountain Conference. Commanded by Cadet Taylor Crowder, the Cougar Color Guard white team, composed of Cadets Carroll Buchanan, Ashley Wilson, and Ryan Wattenbarger, rose to the occasion. Their stiffest competition came from the Cougar green team composed of Cadets Matt Hall, Dakota Chandler, Gina Carroll, and commanded by Michael Mast.

The kids are very excited about this program, and both the school and community have been very supportive. The Senior Instructor is Major Walt Isaacs who is a native of nearby Watauga County, and a graduate of Mars Hill College. Major Isaacs taught Army Senior ROTC at Clemson University. The Assistant Instructor is SFC Thomas W. Surber who hails from Saltville, Virgina, and is a graduate of Liberty University.

Two Yancey County Students Awarded Presidential Freedom Scholarship

Emily Stallings and Eli Rabek, 2005 graduates of Mountain Heritage High School, have each been awarded a $1,000 Presidential Freedom Scholarship from the Corporation for National and Community Service and local organizations in acknowledgement of their outstanding commitment to public service.

The Presidential Freedom Scholarship is a national initiative that promotes the young people’s leadership in community service. The Corporation for National and Community Service, which oversees the Presidential Freedom Scholarship, provides recipients with a $500 scholarship to pay for their college education. This award is matched with $500 or more from a local organization. Emily’s scholarship was matched by the Town of Burnsville and Eli’s was matched by Yancey County Schools funds allocated for a Senior Night scholarship.

Emily is the daughter of John and Melanie Stallings of Burnsville. She is currently a freshman at Elon University, located in Elon, North Carolina, where she is majoring in biology. Emily’s aspiration is to attend medical school. Emily volunteered at Centro de Enlace, a Spanish cultural center located in Burnsville. She also volunteered at Burnsville Elementary School where she tutored Hispanic students in English.

Eli is the son of Joy Boothe and Norman Rabek of Burnsville and attends Stanford University, located just outside San Francisco, California. Eli’s academic interests are in the area of medical research. Eli, like Emily, volunteered his time at Centro de Enlace as a tutor and translator for Hispanic students. He is a Youth Elder at the First Presbyterian Church in Burnsville and he recently traveled to Guatemala to perform mission work. While attending Mountain Heritage High School, Eli was active in the Student Government Association and is also involved in student government at Stanford University. Eli served as a student representative for the Yancey County Economic Development Commission and was active in many projects.

“Community service is an integral part of what it means to be an American citizen, and these young adults are exercising their duty with great distinction,” explained David Eisner, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service. “We’re proud to be able to offer these scholarships, which recognize outstanding service-related achievements, build community partnerships, provide educational opportunity, and spur other young people to get involved in service and volunteering.”

More than 37,000 scholarships have been awarded since the program’s inception in 1997. The recognition of exemplary high school juniors and seniors, such as Emily and Eli, would not be possible without the support of Mountain Heritage High School and the Town of Burnsville.

The Corporation for National and Community Service provides opportunities for Americans of all ages and backgrounds to serve their communities and country through three programs: Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America. Together with the USA Freedom Corps, the Corporation is working to build a culture of citizenship, service, and responsibility in America. For more information, visit www.cns.gov.

Heritage Days at Bald Creek Elementary School

Students at Bald Creek Elementary School learned how their ancestors lived in days gone by during Heritage Days on October 6 and 7. Local residents demonstrated weaving, knitting, spinning and the art of making corn shuck dolls, quilts, baskets, braided rugs, chair bottoms, soap, molasses, butter and much more. Despite the rain, students watched as a blacksmith made horseshoes and they took a ride on a horse drawn wagon. As an added treat, members of the North Carolina Highway Patrol and the West Yancey Volunteer Fire Department gave students tours of a patrol car and a fire truck.

In four short practice sessions, students at Bald Creek Elementary learned clogging dance steps which they performed for their parents and classmates during Heritage Days. Their clogging instructors are Renee Silver, third grade teacher, and Jessica Duncan, kindergarten/first grade teacher.

During the Heritage Days festivities members of the Yancey County Sheriff’s Department and the NC Highway Patrol provided child identification fingerprinting services.

Students from Bee Log, Clearmont, South Toe and Cane River, as well as Altapass and Tri County Christian Schools, enjoyed a fieldtrip to Bald Creek for Heritage Days.

2005-2006 Teachers of the Year (L-R) Kay Ball, Sharon Honeycutt, Miranda Wheeler, Amy Flynn, Patsy Murphy, Nancy Shaw, Pat Fender, Karen Fox, (not pictured-Mary Anne Elliott)

Karen Fox 2005-2006 Teacher of the Year

Karen Fox has been named the Yancey County Schools Teacher of the Year for 2005-2006, and was recognized at the October 3 meeting of the Yancey County Board of Education. She began her teaching career with Yancey County Schools following graduation from Mars Hill College in 1989.

Fox taught for 12 years at Bald Creek Elementary, including 11 years as a special education teacher, before transferring to South Toe Elementary where she currently teaches a combination first/second grade class. She recently graduated from Western Carolina University with a Master of Arts in Special Education. Fox also achieved National Board Certification in 2003.

“Early in my life I realized my purpose and passion was to help children who were different … becoming a teacher was my lifelong dream,” says Karen Fox.

“I truly feel that teaching children to develop and embrace their inner spirit is my life’s ambition. As an educator I strive to develop innovative and creative approaches toward teaching children about the differences in others,” continues Fox.

“Enthusiasm is Karen Fox,” says Patricia Bennett, Principal at South Toe Elementary School. “She is so enthused about her teaching that she makes learning fun and exciting for her students.”

“She is always using creative techniques to help her students succeed,” continues Bennett. “Her enthusiasm ignites a fire in her students that will burn for many years!”

“Karen is obviously committed to her craft,” says Marie Nicholson, member of the Teacher of the Year selection committee and Director of Admissions & Marketing for Mars Hill College’s Adult Access program. “When I talked with Karen, I quickly realized that teaching is her ‘calling’ and not just her job.”

“We are so fortunate in Yancey County to have Karen, and other teachers like her, who truly care about the students and who help the students reach their full potential,” continues Nicholson. “Many times that dedicated teacher will make the ‘difference’ in a child’s life.”

Karen Fox is also very involved in the education process outside her classroom. She is often called upon by Western Carolina University to speak to students in the education program about diversity awareness. She also serves on the Board for Western Carolina’s Special Education studies program. Fox has conducted conference workshops for the North Carolina Association of Educators on integrating diversity awareness into the state curriculum.

Fox has been awarded several education grants including a French Broad Electric Membership Corporation sponsored Bright Ideas Grant for her project titled, “Step Into My Garden of Learning.”

When asked about their teacher Mrs. Fox’s students at South Toe Elementary School said,

¨ “Mrs. Fox is a good teacher. She does special things with us.”

¨ “She has a good personality. She’s always happy.”

¨ “She makes our days nice.”

¨ She loves us and she is funny.”

¨ “She’s good to us. She lets us do shaving cream spelling!”

¨ “She makes learning fun.”

At their meeting on October 3, the Yancey County Board of Education recognized those employees receiving Teacher of the Year honors for 2005-2006:

· Patsy Murphy – Burnsville Elementary

· Mary Anne Elliott – Bald Creek Elementary

· Pat Fender – Mountain Heritage High

· Nancy Shaw – Mountain Heritage High

· Sharon Honeycutt – Micaville Elementary

· Kay Ball – Clearmont Elementary

· Miranda Wheeler – Cane River Middle

· Amy Flynn – East Yancey Middle

Karen Fox, who was selected as Teacher of the Year for South Toe Elementary, was also recognized as the 2005-2006 Teacher of the Year for Yancey County Schools. Fox was presented with a gift basket filled with items donated by members of the Yancey County Chamber of Commerce, Mars Hill College and Mayland Community College.

Clearmont Elementary School was recognized for their selection as a No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon School for 2005. Clearmont is one of only nine public schools in North Carolina to receive this award and one of only two schools to receive this award in the western region. Clearmont is currently one of the 25 Most Improved Schools in North Carolina and ranks fourth in the western region based on end-of-grade test scores for the 2004-2005 school year.

Patricia Bennett named as Principal of Burnsville Elementary School

The Board unanimously approved a motion naming Patricia Bennett as principal of Burnsville Elementary School. Bennett currently serves as principal at South Toe Elementary and will replace Julia Norris who plans to retire at the end of 2005 following 8 ½ successful years as principal at Burnsville Elementary School.
Bennett has 27 years experience in public education and has served as principal at South Toe Elementary School for the past two years. She taught music in the elementary and middle schools in Yancey County prior to serving as an assistant principal at Mountain Heritage High School for five years. The Yancey County Board of Education will hold a special meeting on Friday, October 14, at 2:00 PM to open construction bids for the Construction Trades Job Training Collaborative project at Mountain Heritage High School and to consider personnel actions. The meeting will be held at the Board of Education office, 100 School Circle, Burnsville.

The next regular meeting of the Yancey County Board of Education will be held on November 7, at 5:00 PM at the Board of Education office, 100 School Circle, Burnsville.

Senator Richard Burr Visits Mountain Heritage High School

Senator Richard Burr visited Mountain Heritage High School on Monday, September 26, and spoke with members of the Mountain Heritage Student Senate. He talked to students about the recovery efforts following the two hurricanes that recently battered the Gulf of Mexico and their overall impact on the nation.

Senator Burr posed several questions to students in an effort to receive their input on issues that will surely be debated in Washington during the upcoming weeks:

¨ In the event of a disaster of this magnitude should local, state or federal government be in control?

¨ How long should the federal government be responsible for providing food, clothing and shelter for the thousands of displaced victims?

¨ Where should the funding come from to pay for these types of disasters?

Senator Burr frequently visits with high school and college students to learn about issues on their minds as they prepare to transition to college or to the workforce.

Also during his visit to western North Carolina, Senator Burr spoke to the Mitchell County Chamber of Commerce and to Political Science students at Mars Hill College.

Clearmont Elementary Receives National Blue Ribbon
Schools Award

In a press release on Friday, September 23, U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings announced that 295 schools in the nation have been named No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon Schools for 2005. Clearmont Elementary is one of nine public schools in North Carolina to receive this award. Clearmont and Tipton Hill Elementary are the only two schools to receive this award from the western region of North Carolina. Two Clearmont representatives will attend an awards ceremony in Washington, DC in November to officially receive the honor. A school-wide awards ceremony is planned for a later date.

“The achievement gap is closing and that is great news for every student,” says Secretary Spellings. “These Blue Ribbon Schools are an example of what teachers and students can achieve.”

“In the three-plus years since No Child Left Behind was signed into law,” continues Spellings, “we've learned a new equation: ‘Accountability plus high expectations plus resources equals results.’”

The No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon Schools program recognizes schools that make significant progress in closing the achievement gap or whose students achieve at very high levels. The schools are selected based on one of three criteria:

Schools with at least 40 percent of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds that dramatically improve student performance on state tests.
Schools whose students, regardless of background, achieve in the top 10 percent of their state on state tests.
Private schools that achieve in the top 10 percent in the nation.

Pete Peterson, Principal at Clearmont Elementary School, says, “To be recognized as a Blue Ribbon School is a great honor for Clearmont and Yancey County Schools. Being one of only nine public schools in the state and one of 295 in the nation puts us in pretty high standings.”

“I am very proud of what this school has accomplished during the last three years,” continues Peterson. “We have excellent teachers, teacher assistants and students here at Clearmont. We are fortunate to have wonderful parent and community support for this school. Everyone works together to make Clearmont a great place to come to school. I am very pleased that we are being recognized with this national honor.”

Based on data released by the North Carolina State Board of Education for the 2004 – 05 school year, Clearmont Elementary is currently one of the 25 Most Improved Schools in the state, ranks fourth in North Carolina’s western region based on End-of Grade test scores and has been a North Carolina Honors School of Excellence for the past three years. Clearmont is also nominated for the Title I School of Distinction award. This national award honors schools that have demonstrated sustained high student academic achievement and will be announced in late October.

Yancey County Schools Student Attends Legislators’ School at WCU

Stuart Johnson, son of Keith and Jane Johnson of Burnsville, recently attended the Legislators’ School for Youth Leadership Development at Western Carolina University. Stuart is an eighth-grader at East Yancey Middle School.

The Legislators’ School for Youth Leadership Development offers selected rising 8^th through 11^th grade students an opportunity to develop skills in leadership, critical thinking and communication. Located on the campus of Western Carolina, the two-week residential program utilizes the cultural and recreational resource of the university and the setting adjacent to Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

During their stay, students participate in leadership skills and special sessions consisting of Appalachian culture, fine arts, computers, personal safety, outdoor recreation and education activities, and other topics. Community service work and discussions about current issues also are important aspects of the program.

The 19^thyear of the Legislators’ School was held in two sessions, June 19-July 2 (rising eighth and ninth grades) and July 3-July 16 (rising 10^th and 11^th grades), by Western’s Office for Rural Education. It is funded by the North Carolina General Assembly through legislation introduced by the late Howard B. Chapin, formerly a state representative from Beaufort County. A similar school operates at East Carolina University.

Honors Chorus Auditions

Seventh and eighth grade students from Cane River and East Yancey Middle Schools will audition for the NC Middle School Honors Chorus. The students will travel to Shelby, NC where they will perform, for an adjudicator, a prepared piece. Students will audition with approximately 1,000 students from across the state to fill only 150 places in the Chorus. If selected, the students will travel to Winston-Salem to perform for the MENC fall conference made up of music educators.

East Yancey Middle School Hosts Book Fair

A Scholastic Book Fair will be held in the media center at East Yancey Middle School on Friday, October 7, and Monday, October 10. The fair will be stocked with a variety of books specifically selected for middle grade students, as well as, items of interest to young children, students of all ages, and adults. The fair will be open from 7:45 AM until 4:30 PM on both days. Visitors may use the media center entrance located at the west end of the building for their convenience.

All profits from the book fair will be used to buy books for classroom collections for each English Language Arts classroom. This is an excellent opportunity to help provide materials for the classrooms, purchase books for you and your family, and buy gifts to promote a love of reading.

Nancy Ogle (right), President of the Yancey-Mitchell Board of REALTORS, presents a $2,220 check to Superintendent Barbara Tipton on behalf of Homes4NC to help fund the Construction Trades Job Training Collaborative project at Mountain Heritage High School.

Construction Trades Project Grant

Homes4NC, the North Carolina Association of REALTORS® Housing Opportunity Foundation, has awarded a $2,220 grant to the Mitchell-Yancey Habitat for Humanity to help fund the Construction Trades Job Training Collaborative project at Mountain Heritage High School. Along with Habitat volunteers, Mountain Heritage students will construct modular homes that will be sold as Habitat homes.

Nancy Ogle, President of the Yancey-Mitchell Board of REALTORS and real estate agent with Carolina Mountain Realty in Burnsville, recently presented the $2,220 check to Yancey County Schools Superintendent Barbara Tipton on behalf of Homes4NC.

Homes4NC was established in 2004 by the North Carolina Association of REALTORS® to promote safe, decent and affordable housing for all in North Carolina. Homes 4NC collects interest on escrow accounts and donates the money to nonprofit and public agencies that help low to moderate-income families with their housing needs. Homes4NC is controlled by a Board of Directors made up of volunteers from the real estate industry and other statewide representatives. The nine REALTORS® elected to the Board of Directors serve as representatives for the local boards throughout the state to direct the activities of the foundation for their community.

When a buyer gives earnest money to purchase a house, a REALTOR® deposits the money into an interest-bearing account. The interest earned on these accounts is donated by REALTORS® to promote affordable housing in North Carolina. Homes4NC also accepts tax-deductible charitable contributions from REALTORS® and other individuals, as well as businesses, churches, civic clubs and other organizations.

Homes4NC helps the homeless, victims of domestic violence, first-time homebuyers, families threatened with eviction or losing their homes, victims of natural disasters and more.

On July 26, 2005, Nancy Shaw, Allied Health Science Teacher at Mountain Heritage High School, was awarded the 2005 North Carolina Association of Career Technical Education Presidential Service Award at the annual conference in Greensboro. Mrs. Shaw is the first recipient of this prestigious award. In addition, the North Carolina Health Occupations Career & Technical Association Assembly of Delegates adopted a resolution of congratulations and appreciation for Mrs. Shaw’s service as an effective role model for her fellow Health Occupations educators and students in North Carolina. Mrs. Shaw has served as Allied Health Science Teacher at Mountain Heritage High School since 1973. She began working with Yancey County Schools as a school nurse in 1970 following a 24-year career as a nurse in the private sector.Under Mrs. Shaw’s leadership, Yancey County students were awarded the first place National Competition Medal in Oral Medical Spelling, the first time the award was ever given.Mrs. Shaw keeps in touch with many of her former students and is proud to report that 75% of them are working in the healthcare field.“Seeing your students continue in the healthcare profession and achieve success is the most rewarding aspect of teaching Health Sciences,” says Mrs. Shaw.“Mrs. Shaw is one of the most influential people in my life,” says Karen Brown, School Nurse at Mountain Heritage High School. “As I go about my daily work routine I hear her voice and remember the things she taught me, such as nursing skills, the way to treat patients kindly, being responsible, and becoming a productive citizen.” Tim Hensley, Career-Technical Education Director

Nancy Shaw

with Yancey County Schools says, “Mrs. Shaw’s love for the nursing profession and her dedication to her students has been unwavering. She never rests on her laurels and is always striving to implement innovative ideas to improve her program.” “Mrs. Shaw is a role model, not only to her students and colleagues, but also to anyone who is fortunate enough to know her,” continues Hensley. “I am honored to know her and to work with her, and I am extremely proud to call her my friend.” Mrs. Shaw was honored with a reception at the September 12 meeting of the Yancey County Board of Education. She plans to retire in December following a 35-year career with Yancey County Schools.
“I am especially fortunate to have been her student, colleague, and friend,” says MHHS School Nurse Karen Brown. “She has treated me with much respect and continues to teach me how to be a better nurse and person in general. She is a great example to follow. I will miss her presence at Mountain Heritage High School.”

South Toe Fire Safety Course

During the week of September 6th - 9th, South Toe Elementary 4th grade students participated in a fire safety course. South Toe Fire Department Instructor, Charles Willis, taught the weeklong course at the school. Mr. Willis also arranged for the 4th grade students to explore a fire truck. Some lucky students received fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, and fire safety hats. All 4th grade students were required to illustrate a fire evaluation plan of their home. Students were also required to submit a poster depicting a lesson learned during the fire safety course. South Toe students and staff extend their deepest gratitude to Mr. Charles Willis for his time and efforts and they also send best wishes to his wife, Jessie, for continued improvement of her health.

Board Meeting

At their meeting on September 12, the Yancey County Board of Education recognized Elizabeth Boulter, music teacher for Yancey County’s six elementary schools. Boulter was recently featured in the August/September 2005 issue of Country magazine. She submitted a weeklong diary highlighting her life and work in Yancey County and her four-page account was selected for publication in the magazine’s “A Week in the Country…” section. Boulter lives in the Indian Creek community with her husband, Rich, and their two children, Isaac and Rachel.

Janice McKinney, Director of Technology with Yancey County Schools, reported on the many accomplishments of the Technology Department during the past three months. The Yancey County Schools Technology Department serves 377 employees and 2,500 students and consists of three employees in addition to McKinney: two Technology Technicians, Eddie Laws and David Woody, and one part-time Instructional Technology Assistant, Kay Robinson. Among the projects completed are:

· Installation of 30 new computers in the science computer lab at Mountain Heritage High School with redistribution of the old computers to media centers

· Installation of a new computer in each classroom at Mountain Heritage High School

· Installation of 30 new computers in the computer lab at Burnsville Elementary School with redistribution of the old computers to classrooms and the media center

· Installation of a new file server and laser printer at Burnsville Elementary School

· Addition of nine new network connections at Cane River Middle School

· Imaging (reformatting and reinstallation of software) of computers in four vocational classrooms at Mountain Heritage High and Cane River Middle Schools

· Completion of 106 technology requests since the beginning of the 2005-2006 school year including installation of new network lines, installation of new software and hardware repairs

The Board unanimously approved the initial 2005-06 budget for Yancey County Schools as presented by Lyn Hensley, Finance Officer:

§ State Public School Fund $15,184,901

§ Current Expense Fund $3,212,581

§ Federal Grants Fund $2,546,589

§ Capital Outlay Fund $1,139,650

§ Child Nutrition Fund $1,343,830

§ Total – All Funds $23,427,551

The next regular meeting of the Yancey County Board of Education will be held on October 3, at 5:00 PM at the Board of Education office, 100 School Circle, Burnsville.

Burnsville Elementary School Participates in STARBASE Program

During the week of August 29, fourth and fifth grade students at Burnsville Elementary School participated in a weeklong program called STARBASE. This program is sponsored by the North Carolina Air National Guard and is based in Charlotte. Over 23,000 students in 69 counties have participated in the STARBASE program.

Kim Rathburn, fifth grade teacher at Burnsville Elementary School, is credited with contacting STARBASE North Carolina and organizing this event. Due to the popularity of STARBASE, Burnsville Elementary has been waiting three years to experience this program. The students at Burnsville Elementary are very grateful to Ms. Rathburn for making this project a reality.

STARBASE is funded by the Department of Defense and was created with three primary goals:

§ To create more interest and excitement in the subject areas of math and science

§ To promote teamwork

§ To educate young people about the dangers of drug abuse and to equip them with methods to avoid involvement in drugs

The STARBASE staff consists of former teachers in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School System and military personnel from the National Guard. It provides students with exciting hands-on activities that teach children how to set and achieve goals, provide positive action in their lives, and build strong self-esteem.

On the first day, students were divided into crews – Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, and Foxtrot. The crews were then broken down into further assignments: Pilot, Co-Pilot, Flight Engineer, Navigator, and Loadmaster. These assignments are based on the crew assignments in the C-130 airplanes based at the Air National Guard unit in Charlotte. Each child was issued an authentic set of military dog tags stamped with their name, birth date, and flight number, as well as a flight log to record all of the activities for the week.

For the next four days, students were involved in a variety of activities. They constructed their own rockets, completed a compass course, planned a trip involving calculating mileage and time differences, and they learned and experimented with Newton’s first law of motion.

On Friday, the program culminated with rocket launching and a graduation ceremony where each student received a STARBASE diploma for their accomplishments during the program. Pre and post-tests were also administered for students to realize their growth in knowledge during the program.

Students at Bald Creek and South Toe Elementary Schools will have the opportunity to experience the STARBASE program during the week of November 7, 2005.

Local Teacher To Be An Honored Guest Of
The Japanese Government

This October, Peter Bobbe will depart for Tokyo as a participant in the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund (JFMF) Teacher Program. Bobbe, an English teacher at Mountain Heritage High School and Yancey County Schools’ Teacher of the Year and West Region Teacher of the Year for 2003-2004, was selected from a national pool of over 2,500 applicants by a panel of educators to earn this honor. This program allows distinguished primary and secondary school educators in the U.S. to travel to Japan for three weeks in an effort to promote greater intercultural understanding between the two nations.

Bobbe will be among 200 educators visiting Japan in October. They will begin their visit in Tokyo with a practical orientation on Japanese life and culture and meetings with Japanese government officials and educators. They then will travel in groups of 20 to selected host cities outside of Tokyo where they will have direct contact with Japanese teachers and students during visits to primary and secondary schools as well as a teachers college. They also will visit cultural sites and local industries in addition to a brief homestay with a Japanese family.

The Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund, based in Tokyo, oversees all aspects of the Teacher Program. The program is sponsored by the Government of Japan and was launched in 1997 to commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the U.S. government Fulbright Program, which has enabled more than 6,000 Japanese citizens to study in the U.S. on Fulbright fellowships for graduate education and research. The Institute of International Education acts as the agency for the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund to coordinate the recruitment and pre-departure activities of the Teacher Program in the United States.

Six hundred educators from all 50 states and the District of Columbia will be invited to visit Japan in June, October, and November of 2005 (200 in each group). To date, more than 4,600 primary and secondary educators visited Japan through the JFMF Teacher Program. Upon their return, program participants share what they have learned about Japan with their students and communities through a variety of outreach projects.

Primary and secondary school educators throughout the United States can apply to take part in one of the three trips to Japan scheduled for 2006, as guests of the Japanese Government. Teachers of all disciplines, including art, physical education, English, ESL, history, geography, math, science, and special education, from every region of the United States are encouraged to apply. Applicants are not required or expected to have previous knowledge of Japanese or Japan. The application deadline for all 2006 trips is December 10, 2005. For more information about the 2006 competition, please refer to http://www.fulbrightmemorial fund.jp or contact 1-888-527-2636 (1-888-Japan-FMF) or jfmf@iie.org. All applications must be completed on line.

Local Teacher Attends Statewide Conference on High-Needs Schools;

Recommendations Presented to Policy Panel

Lisa Mauney, a National Board Certified Teacher at Cane River and East Yancey Middle Schools, joined with 500 colleagues at the August 17 policy summit on high- needs schools in Greensboro.

The summit, sponsored by a coalition of education groups, generated ideas, suggestions and recommendations that were shared with state and local policymakers in a bold effort to address this critical issue.

Some of the subjects covered in the Greensboro conference included professional development, mentoring new teachers, ensuring facilities and resources that support learning, and recruiting accomplished teachers to high-needs schools.

“Accomplished teachers are at the forefront of education reform efforts across the state,” said North Carolina Lieutenant Governor Beverly Perdue. “By coming together at this summit, these outstanding educators and our critical partners are creating new opportunities for learning and success among North Carolina’s students and teachers.”

Lisa Mauney achieved National Board Certification in 2002 and is among 28 educators with Yancey County Schools who have realized this accomplishment.

The National Board Certification process, administered by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, is designed to improve student learning and strengthen teaching. This is a rigorous, voluntary process whereby teachers conduct an intensive self-evaluation in order to provide the National Board with clear and concise evidence of their teaching expertise. National Board Certification has established advanced standards for experienced teachers and is designed to complement state licensing.

In North Carolina, the number of teachers and school counselors earning National Board Certification increased by 1,675 in 2004. North Carolina ranks first nationwide with a total of 8,280.

Conference sponsors included: the James B. Hunt, Jr. Institute for Educational Leadership and Policy, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, the National Education Association, the NC Association of Educators, the NC State Board of Education, the NC Teacher Academy, the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, and the Center for Teaching Quality. The NC Association of School Administrators and the NC School Boards Association endorsed the conference.

NATIONALLY ACCLAIMED HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT SUCCESS PRESENTATION SLATED FOR MOUNTAIN HERITAGE HIGH SCHOOL

Freshmen learn how to “Make High School Count”

Mountain Heritage High School announced today that it has scheduled the highly rated Making High School Count presentation program for its freshman class. The one-hour, assembly-style presentation will be delivered FREE to students and parents at 8:30am on September 20, 2005.

Making High School Count is designed to help students understand the importance of high school and what they need to accomplish to maximize their opportunities upon graduation. The program also addresses transitional issues such as time management and study skills.

“Entry into high school and college are key transition periods in a student’s academic career,” said JR Cifani, Vice President of Monster’s Making It Count Programs. “Our goal is to provide and reinforce the positive messages counselors and teachers are giving to their students during these crucial times and help students understand that anyone can be successful if they choose to be.”

The Making High School Count presentation program was successfully presented to more than 900,000 students nationwide in 2004. On average, guidance counselors rated the value of the ideas presented a 9.5 on a ten-point scale. This program, combined with the success of the organization’s additional presentations for juniors and seniors, allowed Making It Count to deliver its message to more than 2.5 million high school students in 2004.

More information about the Making It Count in-school presentation programs can be found on the company’s Web site at www.makingitcount.com.

Yancey County School Middle School Students Invited to Participate in the Duke University Talent Identification Program

Duke TIP’s major identification activity, the 7^th Grade Talent Search, is now beginning its 26^th year. It is the largest program of its kind in the nation, representing participation from 6,061 junior high and middle schools in the TIP 16-state region. The Talent Search identifies academically talented 7^thgraders based on standardized achievement scores. Duke TIP is dedicated to being the national leader in offering innovative, high quality programs and services for academically talented students and their parents. Participation in the TIP Talent search program is completely voluntary. The 7^th Grade Talent Search provides an opportunity for highly able students to pursue an above level testing experience. Candidates are identified and invited to complete either the SAT Reasoning Test or the ACT Assessment college entrance exams. Through the sharing of information, programming, recognition ceremonies, and the special attention that is inherent in the Talent Search identification process, TIP offers supplementation of local efforts to motivate, enrich, and academically challenge some of the country’s brightest young people. Yancey County Schools announce our students identified as follows: Hayle Austin, Alecia Babb, Justin Deitz,Silver Frank, Brittany Frye, Avee Graham, Megan Gurley, Hannah Hensley, Brooke Hughes, Tyler Jones, Eric Letterman, Ethan Loftis, Jeremiah McLeod,Calan Miller, Graham Morgan, Amy O’Brien, Nick Ray, Michael Robinson,Morgan Rothe-Skinner, Allison Tipton, Dillon Vess, Cody Woodby, Dalton Woody and Elizabeth Woody.

Yancey County Schools Announces Super Saturday Opportunities at UNC-Asheville

The University of North Carolina-Asheville is gearing up for the Fall 2005 session of Super Saturday. SUPER SATURDAY is an enrichment program targeting academically gifted, creative and highly motivated students in Grades 3-8. The program typically attracts approximately 500 young students, who attend classes on the UNC-A campus from 9 am to 12 noon on six consecutive Saturdays during the Spring and Fall semesters. The FALL PROGRAM runs from October 1 through November 12 [Snow date: Nov 19] with a registration deadline of September 23, 2005. The program offers over 35 hands-on, experimental classes in the arts and sciences. Topics include drama, French, physics, math, pottery, computer technology, dance, model rocketry, wildlife, creative writing, chess, and much more! Brochures will be available in each school in Yancey County. If you have any questions, please feel free to call Penni Robinson or Sharryl Hagerman at the Yancey County School Board Office at 682-6101. For further information, please contact the Super Saturday Program at UNC-Asheville, (828) 250-3833. The Super Saturday brochure is also available on the UNC-Asheville website, www.unca.edu/sprog/.

Yancey County Schools COGATS Testing Schedule

For Grade 5

The Yancey County Schools will conduct COGATS testing for all 5^th graders. The COGATS test measures both general and specific cognitive abilities. The test will be given on the following dates at each school listed below. If you have any questions, please contact Penni Robinson or Sharryl Hagerman at the Yancey County School Board Office at 682-6101.

August 15-19 Clearmont

August 15-19 Micaville

August 22-26 Bee Log

August 22-26 Bald Creek

August 22-26 South Toe

September 6-9 Burnsville

Testing Schedule

As part of the ABCs of public education and Adequate Yearly Progress required by federal No Child Legislation, Yancey County Schools will participate in the following mandated tests during the 2005 – 06 school year. School level accountability assesses growth from one year to the next based on standard scores and achievement levels. NC Statewide Student Accountability Standards require students to meet promotion standards.

Yancey County Testing Calendar

Fall

NC Grade 3 Practice Activities August 15 – 16

NC Grade 3 Pretest Reading August 17

NC Grade 3 Field Test Math August 22-23

NC Alternate Assessment Portfolio First month of student participation

IDEA Proficiency Test (IPT) Initial assessment within 30 days of enrollment

NC Competency Tests –reading/math November 1 – 2

NC Computer Skills Test – multiple choice October 3 - November 11(locally established dates for middle and high schools; dates to be announced)

NC Computer Skills Test – performance October 3 – November 11(locally established dates for middle and high schools; dates to be announced)

NC EOC (multiple choice) - high school Last week of course

Field Tests As required by the state, nation (NAEP)

Last month computer and competency tests As needed for high school seniors

Spring

NC Competency Tests –reading/math As needed for high school students

(April 25, 26 tentative)

IDEA Proficiency Test (IPT) February 1 – April 30, 2006

NC Computer Skills Test – multiple choice February 2 – March 11, 2006(locally established dates for middle and high schools; dates to be announced)

NC Computer Skills Test – performance February 1 – March 11, 2006(locally established dates for middle and high schools; dates to be announced)

NC Writing Assessment Grades 4, 7, 10 March 7, 2006

Local Writing Assessment (K –8) March 7, 2006 (as needed)

NC High School Comprehensive Test Grade 10 Last three weeks of April 2006

reading, math (April 18, 19 tentative)

NC EOG (multiple choice) – Grades 3 - 8 Last 3 weeks of school year

reading, math

NC EOC (multiple choice) - high school Last week of course

Field Tests As required by the state, nation (NAEP)

Last month computer and competency tests As needed for high school seniors

The above dates and tests are subject to change due to inclement weather, requirement changes, or other circumstances. For further information contact your child’s school, www.ncpublicschools.org/accountability/reporting, or Jeanne Tyner, Yancey County Board of Education 682-6101.

Winner's Circle Program

Starting this fall, Yancey County School’s Child Nutrition is pleased to announce its participation in the Winner’s Circle program. Winner’s Circle helps children identify great-tasting, healthy snack items at school. The program applauds all the healthy choices available in the school cafeterias.
     On August 2nd Child Nutrition staff attended a training on Winner’s Circle, hosted by the local School Health Advisory Council. The training was both fun and informative. Guest speakers, Joy Boothe of the local fitness center and Greta Reath of Graham Children’s Health Services of Toe River, focused on the issue of children being overweight and what creative ways the community as a whole can address the issue.
      Winner’s Circle is a statewide program to improve awareness about healthy dining options in North Carolina’s schools and restaurants. State partners include: NC Prevention Partners, the Cardiovascular Health Program, the Physical Activity and Nutrition Unit and the NET Program in the NC Department of Health and Human Services and Child Nutrition Services in the Department of Public Instruction.
       Winner’s Circle foods are healthy and tasty items that are identified by a logo with a purple star and gold fork. The logo can be found in school cafeterias and on the menus students bring home from school. A Registered Dietitian (RD) has done a nutritional analysis of all the identified items.
           Beth Palien Child Nutrition Director encourages that, “the Winner’s Circle project is a unique program because it applauds the schools for what they are doing right!” The program emphasizes nutritional guidelines that offer disease prevention for the majority of chronic disease. The guidelines build on fruit, vegetables and grains; and the nutritional analysis ensures that the fat and sodium are within the recommended guidelines. Look for the purple star and gold fork logo in the school cafeterias to make healthier snack choices.

ABC Results

Based on data released by the North Carolina State Board of Education on Thursday, August 4, all nine Yancey County Schools achieved expected growth status for the 2004 – 05 school year. Yancey County can be especially proud of their five schools attaining Honor School of Excellence Status, the highest recognition a school can receive.

Bee Log Elementary, Cane River Middle, Clearmont Elementary, East Yancey Middle, and South Toe Elementary earned Honor School of Excellence status, which means they achieved both ABC growth expectations and Adequate Yearly Progress goals. Avery County had 4 schools achieving Honor School of Excellence status (4 elementary and no middle schools); Mitchell County, 2 schools (1 elementary and 1 middle), Buncombe County, 16 schools (14 elementary and 2 middle); Madison County, 1 elementary school; and McDowell County, 1 elementary school. Bald Creek Elementary, Clearmont Elementary, and East Yancey Middle School attained high growth status. Clearmont Elementary was named one of the 25 Most Improved Schools across the state. Bald Creek, Bee Log, Burnsville, Clearmont, and South Toe Elementary schools and Cane River and East Yancey Middle Schools earned Adequate Yearly Progress Status based on No Child Left Behind criteria. Bald Creek Elementary, Burnsville Elementary, Micaville Elementary, and Mountain Heritage High School earned School of Distinction status. Schools earning 90% or above on performance composites are schools of excellence while schools with 80%- 89% on performance composites are schools of distinction. The performance composite is based on the percentage of students in a school who earn passing scores on state or federally mandated tests.

Dr. Barbara Tipton, superintendent of Yancey County Schools, attributes the success of Yancey County Schools to quality teaching, dedicated bus drivers, custodians, cafeteria workers, secretaries, and assistants, as well as students, parents and administrators who work hard for positive outcomes. “Our community can be proud of our schools,” she said. For further information about this report, contact the school principal or Jeanne Tyner at the Yancey County Board of Education, 682-6101.

YCS ANNUAL HEARING SCREENINGS

Yancey County Schools will be conducting its annual hearing screening during the week of August 15th-19^th. All studdents in grades one through five will be screened. Students in the middle and the high schools will be screened only upon request of the parent, new referrals to the Exceptional Children’s Program, and upon request of special education teachers.

All incoming kindergarten students should have been screened by their pediatrician as part of their physical for entering kindergarten. If your child has not been screened, please contact the school.

Any parent who does not wish for his/her child to be screened must submit a written request to the school principal indicating that the hearing screening should not be conducted.

This screening is completed in accordance with State and Federal guidelines. If you have any questions please call Grace Whitson, Exceptional Children’s Program Director, at the Yancey County Board of Education (828-682-6101).

Free and Reduced Price Meals

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction is pleased to announce the 2005-2006 USDA Policy for free and reduced price meals for the children in North Carolina.

Eating habits affect school performance and health. In today’s fast-paced world, school meals offer your child a simple solution for a healthy breakfast and a healthy lunch at prices you can afford.

Why are the prices of school meals so low? Your school receives a reimbursement from the federal government for every student served a school meal. Because it is important for every child to eat, the federal government and the local School System have provided a way to offer free or reduced price meals to families with limited incomes.

What children are eligible for free meals? (1) Children whose families get food stamps or TANF (Families First); (2) Children from families whose total household income is the same or less than the amount in the free meals columns on the income chart for their household size; and, or (3) foster children whose personal income is not more than $233 weekly.

What children are eligible for reduced meals? Children from families whose total household income is the same or less than the amount in the reduced meals columns on the income chart for their household size.

Who should fill out an application? Any parent who thinks his child might qualify for free or reduced benefits should fill out the application, return it to school, and wait for notification from the school telling whether the application is approved or denied. Many school systems use direct certification – this means that if your student was receiving TANF and/or Food Stamps during the month of June and/or July, he will not have to complete the application.

How do I get an application? Applications with a letter to parents or guardians are being sent by schools to all homes. If you do not receive one, ask for one at your child’s school.

What should be on the application? It is important to answer the questions carefully, because missing information may result in a delay for your child. (1) If you get Food Stamps or TANF, you must provide the child’s name, Food Stamp or TANF case number, and an adult household member’s signature. (2) If you keep a foster child, you must provide the child’s name, the child’s personal use income, and an adult signature (personal use income is the money given by the welfare agency identified) for the child’s personal use and all other money the child gets. (3) If your household does not get Food Stamps or TANF, you must provide the child’s name, the names of all household members, income by source for all household members, the social security number of the adult household member who signs the applications (or the word “NONE” if the adult signing does not have a social security number), and an adult household member’s signature.

How do I use the Income Chart? Find your household size. HOUSEHOLD is all persons, including parents, children, grandparents, and all people related or unrelated who live in your home and share expenses and/or income. TOTAL HOUSEHOLD INCOME is the income each household member got last month, before taxes. This includes wages, social security, pension, unemployment, welfare, child support, alimony, and any other cash income. In certain cases, a foster child may get free or reduced price meals regardless of your income.

ELIGIBILITY STANDARDS FOR FREE AND REDUCED-PRICE MEALS

July 1, 2005 – June 30, 2006

Household Size	YEARLY		MONTHLY		WEEKLY
Household Size	Free	Reduced	Free	Reduced	Free	Reduced
1	12,441	17,705	1,037	1,476	240	341
2	16,679	23,736	1,390	1,978	321	457
3	20,917	29,767	1,744	2,481	403	573
4	25,155	35,798	2,097	2,984	484	689
5	29,393	41,829	2,450	3,486	566	805
6	33,631	47,860	2,803	3,989	647	921
7	37,869	53,891	3,156	4,491	729	1,037
8	42,107	59,922	3,509	4,994	810	1,153
For each additional household member
Add:	4,238	6,031	354	503	82	116

When should I apply for benefits for my child? You may apply for benefits at any time during the school year that you feel your child is eligible. If you should have a decrease in household income, an increase in household size, or become unemployed, or get TANF or Food Stamps, you may want to fill out an application at that time.

Who sees the information on my child’s application? The information that you give will be used to determine or prove your child’s eligibility for free or reduced price meals.

Will I be required to prove the information I provide on my Child’s application? The information you provide may be checked at any time. You may be asked to send information to prove your child is eligible to receive free or reduced price meals.

What if I do not agree with the decision on my child’s application or the process used to prove income eligibility? You have the right to a fair hearing which may be arranged by contacting the local school system.

How will my child be treated if he/she receives free or reduced meal benefits? Children who get free or reduced price meals are treated the same as children who pay for meals. In the operation of the child feeding programs administered by the US Department of Agriculture, no child will be discriminated against because of race, sex, color, national origin, age, or disability. If any member of a household believes they have been discriminated against, write to the Secretary of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250.

What if my child has a disability and cannot eat regular school meals? USDA determines what must be included in a regular school meal. Substitutions at no extra charge are allowed if a doctor has determined that your child’s disability would prevent his/her eating regular school meals. If you believe your child needs substitutions, please get in touch with his/her school.

East Yancey Middle School Students Participate in
Odyssey of the Mind

Earlier this spring, six students from East Yancey Middle School traveled to Western Carolina University in Cullowhee to compete in the Odyssey of the Mind Western Region competition. This is the first time in seven years that a group from East Yancey has competed. The team consisted of East Yancey students Ethan Loftis, Alexandria Brost, Shonda Presnell, Samantha Murphy, Doran Todd and Silver Frank with team coaches Doug and Pam Shaw. Thirteen other middle schools from western North Carolina participated in the tournament.

Odyssey of the Mind is an international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students from kindergarten through college. A team, which is comprised of up to seven students, chooses one of five competitive problems to solve. The problems range from technical in nature to artistic or performance-oriented and, under the guidance of an adult coach(es), teams work on their solutions throughout the school year. This friendly competition is more about creativity, rather than knowledge, and students are rewarded more for how they apply their knowledge, skills and talents. The creative problem-solving process rewards thinking “outside of the box.”

While participating in Odyssey of the Mind, students learn skills that will last a lifetime:

· They work in teams so they learn cooperation and respect for the ideas of others.

· They evaluate ideas and make decisions on their own, increasing their self-confidence and self-esteem.

· They work within a budget, so they learn to manage their money.

For the 2005 competition, the team from East Yancey Middle School chose a problem titled “Laugh-a-thon.” Under the guidance of their team coaches the students worked on solving their problem throughout the 2004-2005 school year. During this humorous performance the team members portrayed a puppet, a mime, and an image and its reflection. The skit also included the comedic effect of something happening much faster than usual. Students had a budget of $125 for costumes, props, etc.

During the regional competition at WCU, the students were allowed a total of eight minutes for setup and presentation of the problem solution. The teams were also presented with two spontaneous problems to solve.

“The team from East Yancey learned many valuable skills during the competition,” says team coach Doug Shaw. “They learned about working together and solving problems as a team and they learned about encouraging others while competing in a friendly environment.”

Teams who place at the regional level are invited to compete at the state level. These championship teams are then invited to participate in the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals where they compete with teams from countries around the world including Canada, China, Germany and Japan.

East Yancey Featured at National “Schools to Watch” Conference

Representatives from East Yancey Middle School recently presented at the first annual National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform, which was held at the nation’s capitol on June 9 through June 11. The conference honored excellent middle-grades schools from across the country and showcased breakthroughs in middle-grades education.

East Yancey Middle School’s Principal, Rick Tipton, Assistant Principal, Angie Anglin, and Assistant Principal Intern, Will Hoffman were invited to present at the conference by Dr. John Harrison, Executive Director of the North Carolina Middle School Association. Their presentation, “East Yancey Middle School: From Diversity to Literacy Coaching – How a Small Rural School Became a School to Watch,” allowed them to share real-world success stories along with strategies and information about how they are successfully raising student achievement and supporting positive student development at East Yancey Middle School.

More than 55 schools from across the country were honored for earning the National Forum’s “Schools to Watch” designation which means they have met the 37 criteria for excellence including academic excellence, developmental responsiveness, and social equity.

During an opening night gala, East Yancey was presented with a glass “School to Watch” award. “It was an honor to be sitting in the room as one of the National Forum’s fifty best middle schools in the nation,” says Assistant Principal Angie Anglin. “In addition to the fifty “Schools to Watch” numerous schools came from across the nation to learn how they might become a “School to Watch,” continues Anglin.

“Some of the schools have applied every year without receiving the honor,” says Principal Rick Tipton. “We are proud to have been chosen in our first year of application.”Tipton and Anglin have also been chosen to serve on the evaluation team for North Carolina Schools to Watch. They will receive training on how to use the criteria set forth by the National Forum to evaluate applications from other NC middle schools. Tipton and Angin will then travel with the other evaluation team members to the schools across the state that are selected as finalists and participate in choosing future NC Schools to Watch.

AYP Information

On Monday, July 18, local school districts across North Carolina released their school-by-school AYP information as required by No Child Left Behind. DPI provides a Web site with links to all local school system sites where this information is provided. This site is linked from www.ncpublicschools.org under What's New. This went live on Monday, July 18, at 10 a.m.

State-wide summary information will be available on August 4 when the 2004-05 ABCs/AYP Report is presented at the State Board of Education's August meeting.

This year, schools had to meet higher performance targets in order to make AYP. In North Carolina, the state's percent proficient targets increase every three years. The targets were initially set with the 2001-02 school year as a baseline. This model is designed to move the state to 100 percent proficiency by 2013-14, as the law requires.

This year, schools had the following targets:
-grades 3-8 reading, 76.7 percent proficient
-grades 3-8 math, 81 percent proficient
-grade 10 reading/language arts, 35.4 percent proficient
-grade 10 mathematics, 70.8 percent proficient

(Previously, Grade 10 target goals used the High School Comprehensive Tests of Reading and Mathematics and were determined by following federal regulations for setting baseline scores. New Grade 10 target goals are set using English I End-of-Course assessments, the Grade 10 Writing Assessment and Algebra I End-of-Course Assessment and reflect federal formulas for baseline scores and needed progress to achieve 100 percent proficiency by 2013-14.)

This year's results also reflect recent additional flexibility that has been provided by the U.S. Department of Education for the performance of Students with Disabilities.

Background
Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) involves meeting specific proficiency standards (listed above) with each group of students in each school. To make AYP, a school must meet every single target, which could total as many as 41 targets depending on the number of groups in a particular school. Each school's targets are for groups of students totaling at least 40 students, including the school as a whole, each racial/ethnic category, students with disabilities, economically disadvantaged students and limited English proficient students.

This is the third year that all North Carolina schools have been held to this standard, a standard considered difficult to meet even for some of the highest-performing schools in the state.

Many very strong schools may not make AYP. AYP is an "all or nothing" model, so missing just one target means missing AYP altogether. AYP is especially difficult in schools that serve a diverse population.

A More Comprehensive Look
AYP numbers tell only part of the story about how schools are performing. A complete picture would include all of the information we are able to provide through the North Carolina School Report Cards. The Report Cards include ABCs accountability information, measures of school safety and other climate issues, information about school faculty qualifications and student demographics. The release date for the report cards (www.ncreportcards.org) is tentatively set for Oct. 25.

North Carolina also will release the ABCs Accountability report on Aug. 4. This report will include final AYP information as well as school designations under the state's accountability model. The state model also includes achievement growth, an important component in closing achievement gaps and raising achievement for all students.

Comparing schools based on the AYP information is discouraged. Each school has varying numbers of target goals, depending on how many groups of students it has, that must be reached to make AYP.

Sanctions
It takes two consecutive years of not making AYP in the same subject for a school to enter Title I School Improvement status. No consequences apply to a school that misses AYP for one year. Non-Title I schools that do not make AYP must revise their School Improvement Plans but no other sanctions apply.

If a Title I school fails to make AYP in the same subject for two consecutive years, parents must be notified that they can transfer their child to another school. If a Title I school fails to make AYP in the same subject for three consecutive years, parents must be notified that they can transfer their child to another school and some students may be eligible for supplemental educational services at the school district's expense. Parents in this situation can choose either choice or supplemental services, but not both. Sanctions get progressively more severe if the school continues to miss AYP in the same subject area:

· Replace the school staff responsible for the lack of progress.

· Institute a new curriculum approach, including appropriate professional development.

· "Significantly decrease management authority" at the school level.

· Appoint an outside expert to advise the school.

· Extend the school year or the school day for the school.

· Restructure the school's internal organizational structure

Title I Definition
A Title I school is a school that receives Title I federal funds, the largest single allocation of federal funding for education. About half of North Carolina's regular and charter public schools are Title I schools and all school districts receive Title I money. Title I funds are provided in recognition of that fact that schools with high numbers of students from low income families tend to face greater academic challenges at school. The administration and staff at Title I schools use this extra federal funding to develop additional instructional programs that support student achievement.

These results are presented for audit and verification purposes. Final results are subject to verification and approval by the State Board of Education.

LEA: 995 YANCEY COUNTY SCHOOLS
7 school(s) (or 77.8%) out of 9 made Adequate Yearly Progress

School: 304 BALD CREEK ELEMENTARY
School made Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 13 (or 100.0%) out of 13 target goals

School: 308 BEE LOG ELEMENTARY
School made Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 3 (or 100.0%) out of 3 target goals

School: 312 BURNSVILLE ELEMENTARY
School made Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 13 (or 100.0%) out of 13 target goals

School: 316 CANE RIVER MIDDLE
School made Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 17 (or 100.0%) out of 17 target goals

School: 320 CLEARMONT ELEMENTARY
School made Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 13 (or 100.0%) out of 13 target goals

School: 324 EAST YANCEY MIDDLE
School made Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 17 (or 100.0%) out of 17 target goals

School: 328 MICAVILLE ELEMENTARY
School did not make Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 12 (or 92.3%) out of 13 target goals

School: 330 MOUNTAIN HERITAGE HIG
School did not make Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 12 (or 92.3%) out of 13 target goals

School: 336 SOUTH TOE ELEMENTARY
School made Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 9 (or 100.0%) out of 9 target goals

Board Meeting, Robinson Named Principal at Bee Log

At their meeting on July 11, the Yancey County Board of Education approved the administration’s recommendation naming Sherry Robinson as Principal/Elementary Teacher at Bee Log Elementary School, replacing Beverly Brown who recently transferred to the position of Principal at Cane River Middle School.

Robinson holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education (grades K-9) from Mars Hill College and a Master of School Administration degree from Western Carolina University. She has taught at Bald Creek Elementary School since 1998 and also has experience at the middle school and high school levels.

Robinson has served on the School Improvement, Media and Technology, Positive Behavior Support Program, Safe Schools, and School Health Advisory Committees. In addition, she currently serves as the chairperson for Bald Creek’s SACS Committee.

Superintendent Barbara Tipton announced that Clearmont Elementary School has been awarded a $15,000 grant as part of North Carolina’s No Child Left Behind initiative. Clearmont Elementary, along with 13 other schools across the state, received the Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) grant that will be used to impact student achievement. This grant is designed to enhance the IMPACT Grant that was awarded to Clearmont Elementary in 2003, and totals $450,000 each year for three years. The enhancement grant will allow Clearmont to share equipment, such as laptop computers with Internet connectivity and LCD projectors, with other elementary and middle schools in Yancey County. Teachers from the other schools will propose planned classroom activities designed to effectively and efficiently integrate technology and media into the curriculum.

Jim Swaim with the Mitchell-Yancey Habitat for Humanity announced that preparations are being finalized to receive construction bids for the 80 X 120 foot building that will house the Construction Trades Job Training Collaborative project at Mountain Heritage High School. A prebid conference for prospective bidders is tentatively scheduled for July 29 at 2 PM at the Board of Education office, 100 School Circle, Burnsville.

The next regular meeting of the Yancey County Board of Education will be held on August 1, at 5:00 PM at the Board of Education office, 100 School Circle, Burnsville.

Brown Named Principal At Cane River

At their meeting on June 29, the Yancey County Board of Education approved the transfer of Beverly Brown, Principal/Elementary Teacher at Bee Log Elementary School, to the position of Principal at Cane River Middle School, effective July 1, 2005. The vacancy at Cane River results from the recent selection of Dr. Barbara Tipton as Superintendent of Schools for Yancey County.
     Brown began her career in education in 1972 as a teacher at Bee Log Elementary and transferred to Burnsville Elementary in 1981 where she taught students in grades 2-4. She began serving as principal at Bee Log Elementary School at the beginning of the 2002-2003 school year.
     Brown was the first teacher with Yancey County Schools to achieve National Board Certification, the highest credential in the teaching profession. Since becoming certified in 1999, Brown has mentored other teachers going through the process. Yancey County Schools now has one of the highest percentages of Nationally Certified educators in North Carolina with a total of 25.
    Through the years Brown has served in various leadership roles

including School Improvement, SACS, and Safe Schools Chairperson, as well as Principal for Yancey County’s summer school.
“I have worked with Ms. Brown since 1995 and she is very professional, hard- working and dedicated,” says Superintendent Dr. Barbara Tipton. She always has the best interest of the students at heart and the Board feels she will be a good fit at Cane River Middle School.”
As she begins her 34th year in education, Brown says, “I am excited about going to Cane River. This will be a new and challenging opportunity and I want to continue the growth that has begun at Cane River. With the support of the staff, students, and community we will continue our work toward achieving academic excellence at Cane River Middle School.”

School Nutrition Association of North Carolina Convention

June 20-24, 2005

Sun up, Sun Down, Hillbilly Hoedown was the theme of the 2005 School Nutrition Association of North Carolina’s annual summer convention. Carol Higgins, Wilma Johnson, Ruth Laws, Beth Palien, Gladys Renfro and Loretta South attended from Yancey County Schools. They clapped, danced, had fun and most importantly learned about exciting new school nutrition initiatives.

The convention started off with three educational opportunities: new and potential cafeteria manager training, Healthy Edge 2000 workshop and chapter leadership seminar. All attendees said they found the classes very beneficial. They stated their students would reap the benefits of their increased knowledge.

The New Horizons Golf Tournament was held Monday afternoon. Association and industry members participated. Proceeds from the tournament go to the association’s mission of educating members to serve as advocates for improving the health and wellness of their students.

Tuesday started off with the Culinary and Creative Arts competition. Members competed in 14 culinary arts categories; 5 in complete lunch plates, 4 in desserts and 5 in breads. There were 5 categories in the Creative Arts competition; seasonal decorations for fall, winter and spring, National School Lunch Week and decorated cakes. All the winners were excited and proud of their accomplishments.

Attendees started off Wednesday with an invigorating Wellness Walk with the donations going to the Food Bank of North Carolina. Members then walked around the New Horizons Trade Show. New and exciting food and equipment were demonstrated by participating vendors. The day was topped off with a fun “pig pickin” and the First General session featuring keynote speaker Anna Tampana. She spoke to members about how to handle the struggles in their lives. After the speaker, the members showed off their special and sometimes unique talents at the annual Talent Show.

The Second General session on Thursday featured keynote speaker Fred Shafer. He spoke about balancing diet and fitness in the listeners’ everyday lives. The afternoon was spent attending classes. The members chose from over 27 different classes ranging from marketing to nutrition education during three sessions. The evening ended with a banquet, presentation of awards, scholarships and installation of new officers.

The Third General session’s keynote speaker was Kathy Sprau. She taught the members how to “say it in the positive”. Attendees said the convention was a great success. They said their students will “ taste” all they learned during the convention.

Dr. Barbara Tipton, pictured with her husband, Tony, is sworn in as Superintendent of Yancey County Schools by U.S. Magistrate Judge Dennis Howell.

                   New Superintendent Sworn In

     On June 6, Dr. Barbara Tipton was sworn in as the new Superintendent of Schools for Yancey County during the June meeting of the Board of Education. U.S. Magistrate Judge Dennis Howell, a former member of the Yancey County Board of Education, swore in Tipton before a crowded boardroom.
     “We’re very proud of you and we know you’re going to do a great job,” says Interim Superintendent Vernon Chapman.
     “Dr. Tipton, you’re very deserving of this role. Thank you for being willing to take on the job,” says Chairman Gary Grindstaff.
     “We appreciate your experience and hard work and I wish you every success in this endeavor,” says Van Thomas, member of the Yancey County Board of Education.
     “I appreciate the support of the Board and I look forward to working with you,” says Dr. Barbara Tipton.
     A reception honoring Dr. Tipton was held prior to the meeting. Tipton, Principal at Cane River Middle School, will begin the transition to Superintendent immediately and will assume full responsibilities beginning July 1.
     During the summer, the NC Department of Transportation will install solar-powered flashing lights and school zone warning signs at the entrance to East Yancey Middle School. In addition, they will repair and update the two lights at the entrance to Mountain Heritage High School. The project is scheduled for completion prior to the start of the 2005-2006 school year.
     At the request of Dr. Cheri Boone, Assistant Superintendent/Curriculum & Instruction, the Board approved the addition of three new courses for the mathematics course of study at Mountain Heritage High School. The addition of Foundations I, Foundations II, and Algebra II Prep comes at the recommendation of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.
     Section 504 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act of 1973 provides that no qualified individual with a disability shall be excluded from participating in, be denied the benefits of, or be discriminated against with regard to any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance based solely on his or her disability. At their meeting on June 6, the Board approved a 504 Plan for Yancey County Schools, which will provide the school system with specific guidelines for Section 504 compliance.
     Jim Swaim with the Mitchell-Yancey Habitat for Humanity reported that he expects the funding for the Construction Trades Job Training Collaborative project at Mountain Heritage High School to be in place within the week. The project calls for Habitat homes to be built inside an 80 X 120 foot steel building to be constructed on the campus of Mountain Heritage High School. Soil tests conducted at the construction site revealed uncompacted soil, requiring the redesign of the building’s foundation. The Board approved Swaim’s request to release the plans for construction bids to determine the accuracy of cost estimates for the project.
     Renee McCurry, Early Childhood Education Teacher at Mountain Heritage High School, requested that the Board approve the allocation of five slots for a More at Four program at the Mountain Heritage Child Care Center for the upcoming school year. The More at Four Pre-kindergarten Program is a state-funded program designed to prepare at-risk four-year-olds for success in school. The Board approved a motion by Elaine Boone in a 5-0 vote authorizing the allocation of five slots for the More at Four program.
     Jeanne Tyner, Director of Testing/Title I/Curriculum & Instruction, informed the Board that summer school would be held June 13-17, at three sites: Bald Creek, Burnsville, and Micaville Elementary Schools. In addition, Mountain Heritage High School will host a competency academy where students will improve their math and reading skills.
     The Board approved the request by Tyner to file the Title I and Title V applications for the 2005-2006 school year. The purpose of the Title I application is to obtain federal funds to provide instructional activities and services to help children meet the high standards of The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. If approved, the Title V funds will be used to acquire instructional and educational materials that will be used to improve student academic achievement.
     The Board approved American Advantage as the provider of student insurance for athletic, school day, and 24-hour coverage for the 2005-2006 school year.
     The Board scheduled a meeting with the Yancey County Board of Commissioners on June 9, at 1:30 PM to discuss the 2005-2006 current expense and capital outlay budget requests. The Board also scheduled a special meeting on Tuesday, June 28, at 5:00 PM to consider final budget amendments for 2004-2005. The meeting will be held at the Board of Education office, 100 School Circle, Burnsville.
    The next regular meeting of the Yancey County Board of Education will be held on July 11, at 5:00 PM at the Board of Education office, 100 School Circle, Burnsville.

      For the past six weeks, fifth grade students at Micaville Elementary School have studied about the Civil War period in history. Their teachers, Nora Lusk and Rachel Murphy, have guided them as they have researched the era from 1861 through 1865. Students have created a bulletin board at Micaville entitled “A Nation Divided Against Itself” which covers such topics as the reasons for the war, the major battles, the slavery issue, clothing of the period, Confederate and Union flags, and the political posters used at that time.
      The fifth grade students at Micaville were asked to recall what they remember most about their Civil War studies. Kyle Deyton’s favorite Civil War story is the Battle of Bull Run. Kyle recalls, “At the Battle of Bull Run two untrained armies clashed. The Confederates retreated, but new troops replaced them. The Union Army lost this battle and were shocked when the Confederates proved to be more powerful than they expected.”Shane Murphy says, “Both sides had advantages in the Civil War. The North had advanced industry and railroad systems and a strong Navy. The South had a large number of military leaders. Their troops were experienced in outdoor living and familiar with the environment of the south.”
     Landon Beaver says, “Robert E. Lee was the best Confederate General, but he was also respected by the North.”Caleb Wilson says, “Confederate General Thomas Jackson got his name, ‘Stonewall Jackson,’ at the Battle of Bull Run. ‘There stands Jackson like a stone wall!’ shouted another general when Jackson would not retreat.”Jaime Boone says, “The H.L. Hunley was the first submarine to sink an enemy ship during wartime. It sank the Union warship Housatonic.”

James and Sara Cochrane
On Friday, May 27, students participated in a reenactment of the Civil War era, as they dressed in clothing similar to that worn during the period. A presentation by special visitors to Micaville Elementary, James “Bucky” and Sara Cochrane, taught students about such things as the uniforms worn by soldiers during the war, the different weapons they used, the types of food soldiers ate while on the battlefield and the methods they used to prepare their food. Johnny Thacker, a blacksmith and native of Yancey County, made the fire tripod the Cochranes used for their demonstration.
James “Bucky” Cochrane serves as President of the Yancey History Association and Sara serves as Treasurer. James is also a member of the local camp of Sons of Confederate Veterans. Sons of Confederate Veterans members are male descendents of a veteran who served honorably in the Confederate armed forces and the organization serves as a historical, patriotic, and non-political organization dedicated to insuring that a true history of the 1861-1865 period is preserved. Sara Cochrane is a member of the Order of Confederate Rose, an organization that assists the Sons of Confederate Veterans in preserving the history of the period.

Bee Log Elementary dedicates their 2004-2005 yearbook to Jewell Robinson, pictured with her son, Jason Robinson, and her husband, John Robinson

Thanks to the generosity of Shorewood Packaging in Weaverville the students at Bee Log Elementary School will have a tangible reminder of the 2004-2005 school year they can cherish for many years to come. Shorewood Packaging recently printed and donated to the school 200 color copies of the 2004-2005 Bee Log yearbook. Shorewood also printed and donated 100 copies of a color picture of the student body. Students will have the opportunity to purchase a yearbook and picture with proceeds from the sales being used to purchase instructional supplies for the school.

Shorewood Packaging in Weaverville, a division of International Paper, employs 150 people and produces labels for home entertainment products such as music CDs, DVDs, and video games.

Teachers at Bee Log Elementary recently participated in a Digital Storytelling class through Mars Hill College and received five digital cameras for Bee Log School. The yearbook staff, which consists of fifth grade students, took many of the pictures for the yearbook using these digital cameras. Other Bee Log students provided artwork for the yearbook and Ms. Peggy Wheeler, fifth grade teacher at Bee Log, developed the layout for the yearbook and presented it to Shorewood for publication. The yearbook staff recently toured the Shorewood facility in Weaverville and actually observed the Bee Log yearbook in the printing process. Shorewood treated the students to a pizza lunch during their fieldtrip.

On May 19, the Bee Log faculty, staff and students hosted a special celebration and luncheon honoring Shorewood Packaging for their support and generosity shown to Bee Log Elementary. Cindy Wilson, Bee Log’s Webmaster, presented a PowerPoint presentation in tribute to the employees of Shorewood Packaging. Eleven Shorewood employees attended the buffet luncheon prepared by the faculty and staff at Bee Log School. “It has been many years since Bee Log has published a yearbook,” says Principal Beverly Brown. “Every employee at Shorewood had a hand in the project and we wish all of them could have attended the celebration to see the excitement of the kids as they looked at the yearbook for the first time.”

Ken Reeves, Regional Human Resource Manager at Shorewood, initiated the yearbook project and each employee at the Weaverville facility contributed to the success of the project.

During the celebration, the yearbook was dedicated to Jewell Robinson who has worked as a child nutrition employee at Bee Log Elementary for the past 27 years. “Jewell has served many hot meals to the students at Bee Log over the years,” says Principal Beverly Brown. “She is a very caring person and always has a smile.”

Bee Log Elementary’s relationship with Shorewood Packaging began during the 2003-2004 school year when Bee Log and Clearmont Elementary students participated in Shorewood’s first annual calendar contest which featured the artwork of six Bee Log students and eleven Clearmont students.

During the 2004-2005 school year, Shorewood has provided the third, fourth, and fifth grade students at Bee Log with educational booklets published quarterly by National Geographic which are tailored to elementary age students. Shorewood plans to expand the program to include the second grade students at Bee Log next school year.

“It takes people like Shorewood to make a school work especially in a small, low wealth county,” says Gary Grindstaff, Chairman of the Yancey County Board of Education. “We can’t say enough good things about the people at Shorewood.”

Superintendent Presentations

On Monday, May 16, four candidates for the position of Superintendent of Schools for Yancey County participated in formal, public presentations. The boardroom was crowded with school system employees eager to learn more about the educational philosophy and qualifications of each candidate. The five members of the Yancey County Board of Education presented the candidates with questions covering such topics as technology in education, funding for capital improvements, the role of the superintendent, and their priorities for Yancey County Schools should they be selected as superintendent.

Patricia Bennett has 27 years experience in public education and has served as a principal at South Toe Elementary School for the past two years. She taught music in the elementary and middle schools in Yancey County prior to serving as an assistant principal at Mountain Heritage High School for five years. Bennett received bachelors and masters degrees in Music Education from UNC-Greensboro and holds certification in Educational Administration and Curriculum Supervision from Western Carolina University. She plans to pursue a doctoral degree beginning in the fall.

“I come from a long line of educators and, for me, education is a passion and not just a job,” says Bennett. “As superintendent, I would develop a shared vision for our school system and involve the teachers, staff, students and parents in achieving that vision. Being superintendent is an immense responsibility and I would work to make sure all students feel valued and worthy.”

Dr. Thomas Little, Principal at Linden Elementary School in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, has 33 years experience in education. A native of Elizabethton, Tennessee, Dr. Little has 22 years experience as an elementary school principal, eight years experience as a special education and elementary classroom teacher, as well as two years experience as Curriculum Director for Carter County Schools. Dr. Little currently serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Tennessee and as an online instructor with the University of Phoenix. Dr. Little graduated from East Tennessee State University with a double major in Special Education and Elementary Education. He also holds a masters degree in Special Education as well as Education Specialist and Doctor of Education degrees in Educational Administration from ETSU.

“I believe every decision must be made with the best interest of the children at heart,” says Little. “I would work to provide a quality education for the students of this community, giving them the necessary skills for the workplace and preparing them to compete in a global market,” continues Little. “Having grown up in upper east Tennessee, this area is much like home and I would like very much to be part of this friendly community.”

Dr. Barbara Tipton served as an assistant principal at Burnsville Elementary School for seven years prior to being named as Principal at Cane River Middle School in 2002. In addition, Tipton offers 12 years experience as Program Director/Testing Coordinator for Yancey County Schools, as well as seven years experience as an exceptional education and regular education teacher. Dr. Tipton graduated from Mars Hill College with a bachelors degree in Education. She holds a masters degree in Education and an Education Specialist degree in Educational Supervision from Western Carolina University. Tipton obtained a Doctor of Education degree from East Tennessee State University in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis in 1997.

“The role of the superintendent is to be child centered and be a voice for the children,” says Dr. Tipton. “I want the schools in Yancey County to be model schools and technology is the most important part of that,” continues Tipton. “As superintendent I would work to improve school safety. A child needs to feel safe and parents need to feel their child is safe at school.”

Ricky Tipton has worked at East Yancey Middle School for the past 21 years as a principal (three years), an assistant principal (six years), and a math/health/physical education teacher (12 years). He has also served as Athletic Director and Head Coach for football, baseball, basketball and track at East Yancey. Tipton attended Caldwell Community College for two years and graduated from Western Carolina University with a bachelors degree in Education and a masters degree in Educational Administration.

“A superintendent has the most important job in the county and they should be a leader for the teachers and students,” says Ricky Tipton. “I feel we have the best students and teachers in North Carolina and my goal is for Yancey County Schools to be the best, not only in the state but in the nation,” continues Tipton. “I want our students to get a good education, have as much fun as possible, and look back on these as the best years of their life.”

The Board will announce subsequent closed session meetings to further discuss the four candidates and the Board hopes to name a superintendent by June 6.

Summer Academic Opportunities of Gifted Students

Many academic programs and camps exploring a variety of subject areas are available for gifted students over the summer, offered by public and private entities, agencies and universities.

Most programs are residential and vary widely in length, price, and location. Programs may take place as close as Appalachian University and as far as a foreign country.

Parents who are interested in finding out about academic opportunities for gifted students may contact Penni Robinson or Barbara Robinson, teachers of the Differentiated Curriculum Program, at the Board of Education Office, 682 6101

Christie Tipton Named Bus Driver of the Year

At the annual Yancey County Schools bus drivers’ luncheon on May 10, Christie Tipton was recognized as the 2005 Bus Driver of the Year. Tipton has driven a bus for Yancey County Schools for the past seven years and transports 48 South Toe Elementary School students a total of 5,000 miles per year. She was selected for the recognition based on her exceptional qualities including a safe driving record, dependability, and cleanliness of her bus.

In addition to driving a bus for Yancey County Schools, Christie is a member of the child nutrition staff at Micaville Elementary School.

“Christie has an unblemished driving record as a bus driver for Yancey County Schools,” says Randy Hall, Yancey County Schools Transportation Director. “In addition to having a safe driving record Christie does a tremendous job with all aspects of her bus driving position.”

“South Toe Elementary is delighted that Christie Tipton has been selected Yancey County Bus Driver of the Year,” says Patricia Bennett, Principal at South Toe Elementary School.

Fifth grade students riding her bus say, “She’s nice, dependable, and never forgets our stop!”

Autumn Carroll Receives the Lisa Haney Bus Drivers’ Scholarship

On May 10, Annette Jones presented Autumn Carroll with the 2004-2005 Lisa Haney Bus Drivers’ Scholarship. The Yancey County Bus Drivers’ Association awards the $500 scholarship to a senior at Mountain Heritage High School. Autumn is the daughter of Karen Carroll, a bus driver with Yancey County Schools, and the late Tommy Carroll. Autumn plans to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the fall to study pharmacy.

An Evening of Excellence

On Tuesday, May 10, Mountain Heritage High School hosted An Evening of Excellence in B.M. Tomberlin Auditorium. Mountain Heritage students received scholarships totaling $978,800 along with other awards and recognitions. The program opened with MHHS senior Amy Fitzgerald singing, The National Anthem. Various community representatives presented the scholarships to the students. In addition, a total of 66 sophomores, juniors, and seniors received an academic letter award. Students are eligible for an academic letter if they have earned at least a 4.00 overall grade point average or at least a 95 overall numeric average. The program was followed by a reception, an academic fair, and original compositions of the MHHS Music Theory students.

2005 Academic Letter Award Recipients

10^th Grade

Ashley Bennett

Andrea Edwards

Lance Fox

Lauren Hensley

Katie Herrings

Alex Hill

Brandi Hughes

Ashleigh Lambert

Jesse Laughrun

Sonya Laws

Michael letterman

Christopher McCraw

Sam McKay

Evan Mitchell

Casey Riddle

Eli Wexler

Amber Woodby

Bailey Woods

11^th Grade

Drew Angel

Aubrey Biddix

Brandon Cook

Lisa Hensley

Mariah Keller

Katherine Lantz

Emery Laws

Laura Lusk

Danielle Maggs

Ryan Makings

Kayla McCurry

Jessica McFarland

Caroline Morris

McKenzie Norris

Andrew Perrin

Lacey Presnell

Evan Raskin

Karena Thacker

Emily Varney

12^th Grade

Donald Banks

Jolene Bennett

Barron Bryant

Jamie Buchanan

Paul Camper

Autumn Carroll

Brian Clopton

Ellen Craig

David Davis

Julia Higgins

LynnAnn Hilemon

Brittany Hopson

Ashley Hudgins

T.J. Hughes

Carrie Huskins

Leslie Huskins

Clare Kaluzynski

Justin Keith

Richard Laws

Jared McKinney

Kaitlin McKinney

Whitney Mitchell

Eli Rabek

Sally Senseney

Abby Shook

Ashley Silvers

Farrah South

Emily Stallings

Sabrina Yang

Superintendent Interview Schedule

Candidates for the position of Superintendent of Schools will participate in formal, public presentations beginning at 5:00 PM on Monday, May 16, at the Board of Education, 100 School Circle, according to the following schedule:

5:00 PM Rick Tipton

6:00 PM Patricia Bennett

7:00 PM Break

7:30 PM Thomas Little

8:30 PM Barbara Tipton

Board Interviewing Superintendent Candidates

On April 22 and April 29, the Yancey County Board of Education interviewed ten candidates for the position of superintendent of schools for Yancey County. At their May 2 meeting, the Board selected four of the ten candidates for follow-up interviews. Yancey County principals Patricia Bennett (South Toe Elementary), Dr. Barbara Tipton (Cane River Middle), and Rick Tipton (East Yancey Middle), as well as Dr. Thomas Little, principal at Linden Elementary School in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, will participate in formal public presentations beginning at 5 PM on Monday, May 16 at the Board of Education office, 100 School Circle. The Board hopes to name a superintendent by June 6.

The Board of Education recognized Mountain Heritage High School senior Jamie Buchanan as recipient of a North Carolina Teaching Fellows scholarship. Jamie is the son of Dwight and Becky Buchanan and has received numerous academic and athletic awards as a student at Mountain Heritage.

The Teaching Fellows Program provides a $6,500 per year scholarship for four years to 400 outstanding North Carolina high school seniors. Upon acceptance of the scholarship, the student agrees to teach for four years following graduation from college in one of North Carolina’s public schools or United States Government schools in North Carolina.

Three Mountain Heritage High School students have been chosen to attend the 2005 session of the Governor’s School. Karena Thacker will attend Governor’s School West for dance and Kayla McCurry will attend Governor’s School West for Social Studies. Mariah Keller will attend Governor’s School East for Natural Science.

Eight hundred of North Carolina’s rising high school juniors and seniors have been selected to attend the 2005 Governor's School, a six-week summer program for academically or intellectually gifted students. Governor's School provides gifted students with a unique opportunity to explore and develop their talents in one of 10 areas: Art, Choral Music, Dance, Drama, English, Foreign Language, Instrumental Music, Mathematics, Natural Science, and Social Science.

Morgan Peterson was recently selected by the NC High School Athletic Association as a recipient of the Courage Award. This award is designed to honor individuals who, despite adversity, have demonstrated exemplary character and performance and, as a result, have been an inspiration to others. Peterson, along with two other Courage Award recipients, was recognized at the NCHSAA Annual Meeting at the Charlotte Coliseum on May 5.

Niles Howell, Director of Facility Services, reported that a mobile unit has been delivered and installed on its foundation at Mountain Heritage High School. The mobile unit will house two foreign language classrooms making space for the Army JROTC program which is scheduled to be available to students beginning with the 2005-2006 school year.

Howell also reported that the maintenance staff has begun the process of renovating the Briggs Stadium field house at Mountain Heritage High School.

The Board approved the 2004-2005 current expense and capital outlay budget requests, which will be presented to the Yancey County Board of Commissioners for their review.

Yancey County Schools recently requested that the NC Department of Transportation install school zone warning flashers on US 19E at East Yancey Middle School. Superintendent Vernon Chapman reported that NCDOT is conducting an engineering study to determine if school zone warning flashers are warranted and if they will be effective. The engineering study typically takes three to four weeks to complete.

As requested by Tim Hensley, Director of Career-Technical Education with Yancey County Schools, the Board approved the Career-Technical Education application for fiscal year 2005-2006. The application is submitted to the Department of Public Instruction in order to receive and use state and federal funds for Career-Technical Education programs and services in grades 7-12.

The next regular meeting of the Yancey County Board of Education will be held on June 6, at 5:00 PM at the Board of Education office, 100 School Circle, Burnsville.

New Board of Education Members Attend National School Board Conference

The selection of a superintendent of schools is one of the most important choices a board of education can be faced with – a fact well understood by the five members of the Yancey County Board of Education. In an effort to obtain the necessary knowledge and skills to make an informed decision two recently-elected members of the Board attended the National School Board Association Conference in San Diego, California, April 15-19. Dr. Iva Nell Buckner and Elaine Boone learned the real importance of this process, including the many legal considerations associated with the search and selection of a superintendent. They attended other informative and important sessions including policy governance, the roles and responsibilities of school board members, and good human relations.

Buckner and Boone also had the opportunity to hear guest speaker and ex Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. Too, they enjoyed the North Carolina reception with approximately 100 other North Carolinians. During the reception, the Yancey County cohort had an opportunity to talk with the NC School Board Attorney regarding some of the information discussed in the sessions.

Other members of the Yancey County Board of Education have attended national conferences in the past and have found the knowledge and information to be invaluable in the decision making process.

Quarters For a Cure

Susan Martin, Relay for Life representative for the American Cancer Society, recently talked to students in the Positive Behavior Intervention Program at Bald Creek Elementary School about the importance of taking care of their bodies to help prevent cancer and how they can get involved to help fight cancer. The students learned that they can also help others by giving “Quarters for a Cure” to go toward finding a cure for cancer. Bald Creek Elementary set a goal to raise $500 and in only three weeks they raised an astonishing $1,126.79.

The students have worked extra hard to help the American Cancer Society win the battle against cancer. Every student at Bald Creek Elementary received a purple “Celebrate Life” bracelet for all their efforts! Mrs. Tamara Presnell’s fifth grade class collected the most money with a total of $ 269.07. They will be treated to an ice cream party following the end-of-grade testing. Mrs. Renee Silver’s third grade class came in a close second with $233.69. The student that collected the most money in each class received a certificate for a personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut.

Julie Weatherman, Behavior Intervention Specialist, and Kristin Buchanan, Crisis Intervention Assistant, played a leading role in establishing the Positive Behavior Intervention Program at Bald Creek Elementary. “Kristin and I want to thank each student, staff member, and parent at Bald Creek for their hard work and support of such a wonderful cause,” says Weatherman. “We also want to thank Susan Martin and Linda Hughes for their continued support of Yancey County Schools and Relay for Life.”

Tsunami Relief

On Tuesday, March 15, students from Cane River and East Yancey Middle Schools joined together to present a program at Mountain Heritage High School to raise money for the Southeast Asia tsunami relief efforts. The cultural arts program of both middle schools sponsored the event and involved students in all grade levels and in all aspects of the arts. There was a tremendous outpouring of support from the community and the students raised $2,000. The students researched several relief organizations and voted to send the money to Save The Children. The money can be spent to buy school supplies and rebuild or repair a school damaged by the tsunami. The students and cultural arts staff would like to say thank you to the community for the support shown these young people as they put their talents to work for a worthy cause.

Disabilities Project Review

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA-Part B, Public Law 105.17) Project is presently being amended. The Project describes the special education programs that Yancey County Schools proposes for Federal Funding for the 2005-2006 School Year. Interested persons are encouraged to review amendments to the Project and make comments concerning the implementation of special education under this Federal Program. All comments will be considered prior to submission of the amended Project to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction in Raleigh, North Carolina. The IDEA-Part B Project is open to the public for review and comments during the week of May 16-20 in the office of Grace Whitson, Director of EC Programs located at the Yancey County Board of Education, 100 School Circle, Burnsville, North Carolina.

Title I Annual Meeting to be Held

On Monday, May 9 and Tuesday, May 10, the Yancey County Schools annual Title I meeting will be held at the Yancey County Schools Board of Education Office, 100 School Drive in the Board Room. Times follow:

Date Time

May 9 2:00 P. M. and 6:00 P. M

May 10 7:00 A. M. and 1:00 P.M.

The purpose of the meetings is to discuss program development for the 2005 – 06 school year including review of the parental involvement plan. The primary goal of Title I is to provide help for students needing assistance to become more successful in school. Title I programs may include in-class or pullout instruction as well as before/during/after-school or extended-year programs designed to raise the achievement level of Title I students. Currently, Yancey County Schools have six Schoolwide Programs and two Targeted Assistance Programs. (Mountain Heritage High School does not qualify at this time.) All eight Title I schools may become Schoolwide Programs for the 2005 – 06 school year. Schoolwide Programs serve all students in the identified school while Targeted Programs serve identified students based on multiple, objective educational information. Contact your school principal for information about your student’s Title I Program or call Jeanne Tyner, Yancey County Schools Title I Director, 682-6101.

MHHS Evening of Excellence

On Tuesday, May 10, at 7:00 PM, Mountain Heritage High School will host “An Evening of Excellence” in the high school auditorium. Academic Letter Awards, scholarships, and other special awards will be presented. Students, parents, family members, and the general public are invited to join in this celebration of academic excellence.

Students Qualify for State Recognition

2005 Duke TIP Talent Search

Three Yancey County seventh-grade students have qualified to receive State Recognition based on the Duke University Talent Identification Program. A student qualifying for State Recognition is in the top 25 percent of the Talent Search pool. These are significant achievements because the pool itself is highly selective and the scores are ones that many high school students aspire to achieve. This year the following students received State Recognition in the noted subject areas: Mark Bobbe – SAT Verbal and Math, Sarah Ludwig – SAT Verbal and Math, and Christopher Marsh – SAT Verbal and Math

Board Meeting

At their April 11 meeting, the Yancey County Board of Education selected ten of the 20 applicants to interview for the position of superintendent of schools for Yancey County. Four of the selected interviewees are current principals with Yancey County Schools: Patricia Bennett (South Toe Elementary), Alan Lusk (Micaville Elementary), Dr. Barbara Tipton (Cane River Middle), and Rick Tipton (East Yancey Middle). Also selected for interviews are Tim Hensley, Career-Technical Education Director with Yancey County Schools, and a former Yancey County principal. Interviews will be conducted on April 22 and April 29 with formal presentations by the candidates tentatively scheduled for May 12. The Board hopes to name a superintendent by June 1.

Jim Swaim reported that the Mitchell-Yancey Habitat for Humanity has been awarded a $200,000 Janirve Foundation grant to help fund the Construction Trades Job Training Collaborative project, putting them much closer to their $500,000 goal. Mountain Heritage High School and Mayland Community College students, along with Habitat volunteers, will construct modular homes that will be sold as Habitat homes. The project calls for the homes to be built inside an 80 X 120 foot steel building to be constructed on the campus of Mountain Heritage High School. The homes will then be transported to home sites with foundations constructed by Mayland Community College students. High school students will receive college credit through Mayland for hours logged in this program. Students continuing their education at Mayland will be able to receive either a certificate or diploma in Building Trades Management.

The Board of Education recognized the Mountain Heritage High School wrestling team for their outstanding season. Coach John Hardin led the team to a much-improved 10-15 record, with eight wrestlers qualifying for the Western 2A Regionals and three wrestlers qualifying for the state tournament in Winston-Salem.

Also recognized were the Mountain Heritage Cougars boys’ and girls’ basketball teams. Under the leadership of Coach Barry Johnson and Assistant Coach Jerry McKinney the boys finished third in the Western Highlands Conference and participated in the state playoffs. Two players were named all-conference and one player received all-conference honorable mention.

Coach Susie Shelton led the girls’ team to a season record of 22-4. The girls won the Western Highlands Conference tournament, their first tournament title in eleven years. The team also participated in the state playoffs and four players were named all-conference and one player received all-conference honorable mention. Coach Shelton was recognized as the Western Highlands Conference Coach of the Year.

Niles Howell, Director of Facility Services, reported that repairs to the rock wall in front of Clearmont Elementary School have begun. A portion of the rock wall separating the schoolyard from Jacks Creek washed away a number of months ago during a flooding incident. In order to reconstruct the wall the school system has been required to obtain various permits due to the close proximity of the wall to Jacks Creek. With all the proper permits in place reconstruction of the wall is expected to be complete within two weeks, weather permitting.

Howell also reported that delivery of a mobile unit to Mountain Heritage High School is scheduled for later in the week. The mobile unit will house two foreign language classrooms making space for the Army JROTC program which is scheduled to be available to students beginning with the 2005-2006 school year.

Plans are also underway to renovate the Briggs Stadium field house at Mountain Heritage High School.

The next regular meeting of the Yancey County Board of Education will be held on May 2, at 5:00 PM at the Board of Education office, 100 School Circle, Burnsville. A work session for the 2005-2006 budget will be held at 5:00 PM on April 21.

Yancey County Students to Participate in NC Tests

Some Yancey students will participate in North Carolina Field Tests during the next several weeks. Field tests are given to provide valuable information regarding test validity and reliability in addition to helping determine test length, appropriate difficulty, and the estimated time for proper administration. The math field test will be administered the week of April 25 at Micaville Elementary (grade 3), Burnsville Elementary (grade 5), and Cane River Middle School (grade 6). In addition, high school students will participate in field tests for U. S. History and Civics and Economics during the last 5 days of class.

Regular North Carolina End of Grade tests will be administered beginning the week of May 16 and regular End of Course tests will be administered during the week of May 30. Questions may be addressed to individual schools or to Yancey County Schools Testing Director, Jeanne Tyner, at 682-6101.

L-R Sonya Geouge, Jean Murphy, Phyllis Wilson, Lucy Dellinger. The child nutrition employees at East Yancey Middle School show off their new professional look.

Child Nutrition Program

Yancey County Schools understands the correlation between good nutrition and learning and the Child Nutrition Department is committed to providing healthy school meals and snacks for the students of Yancey County at a reasonable price.

In an effort to help battle the childhood overweight problem most of the school cafeterias in Yancey County bake the chicken nuggets, chicken patties, and French fries to help reduce the fat content. In addition, Burnsville Elementary and Mountain Heritage High Schools offer a salad bar each day of the week. South Toe Elementary offers a salad bar most days and East Yancey and Cane River Middle Schools have a salad bar available three days per week.

Currently, healthier snack options are available in the elementary schools including drinks containing at least 50% fruit juice, baked chips, and reduced fat items. New this school year and very popular with students as a snack item is a four ounce container of yogurt. The more traditional, less healthy snack items such as cookies and ice cream are still available to students.

Beginning with the 2005-2006 school year, Yancey County Schools will participate in the Winner’s Circle Healthy Dining Program. Winner’s Circle items will be clearly labeled for students and must meet the criteria for healthy eating as specified by the American Heart Association and American Dietetic Association.

Along with 40 other counties in North Carolina, Yancey County Schools will participate in the NC Department of Agriculture’s Fruit and Vegetable Co-Op. Many of the fruits and vegetables, such as cantaloupes, watermelon, tomatoes, apples, strawberries, and sweet potatoes, are grown in North Carolina and are purchased with USDA entitlement dollars. By participating in the Co-Op, school systems will have the ability to purchase a broader variety of fruits and vegetables due to the benefits of volume buying.

The Yancey County Board of Education has also approved participation in the Farm to School program for the 2005-2006 school year. This is a statewide program in which North Carolina growers sell their produce to school systems.

In recent years Yancey County Schools has also purchased some locally grown produce for use in the school cafeterias and is working to expand this program for the future.

All of the cafeterias in the Yancey County School System serve a nutritious breakfast. Students have a choice of cereal or muffin, juice or fruit, and milk for only $.80 for paying students, $.30 for reduced-status students, and free for free-status students! The middle and high schools in Yancey County have a new and delicious breakfast menu. The cafeterias serve a different meat biscuit choice daily, such as a sausage biscuit or chicken biscuit, in addition to the normal breakfast choices.

The North Carolina legislature understands the importance of eating a nutritious breakfast. They have allocated funding this year to feed kindergarten students breakfast. Because of this funding all kindergarten students in Yancey County receive breakfast for free!

The number of students in Yancey County Schools receiving a free or reduced lunch price totals 1,245, or 49.9% of the student enrollment. Due to the continuing difficult economic conditions in the county the number of students participating in the free and reduced program is up by 4.1 % over last school year.

The child nutrition employees with Yancey County Schools have a new, professional look. They each received five aprons with the school system logo which helps to protect them from spills. Also, students can more readily identify the child nutrition employees in their school.

If you have any questions or concerns about the child nutrition program, please contact your student’s cafeteria manager or Beth Palien, Child Nutrition Director (682-6101).

Alan Lusk, Micaville Elementary School’s Principal, reads Dr. Seuss’s I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew, to Mr. Bill Fender’s fourth grade class

Read Across America

On Friday, March 4, students at Micaville Elementary School participated in the National Education Association’s Read Across America Day, an event created to celebrate reading and to mark Dr. Seuss’s birthday. Faculty, staff, and volunteers, many wearing their red and white stovepipe Cat in the Hat hats, read to students from the many works of Dr. Seuss. Thanks to the help of parents and other volunteers, students enjoyed a celebration with Dr. Seuss cupcakes and colored punch. First grade teacher, Sharon Honeycutt, and her classroom assistant, Melissa Thomas, spearheaded the event.

March 7th Board Meeting

At the March 7 meeting of the Yancey County Board of Education, the Board reviewed the school calendar for the remainder of the 2004-2005 school year. As of March 11, there are two snow days remaining in the calendar, as well as one teacher workday for the purpose of finalizing the school year. March 25, Good Friday, will be a regular school day and Spring Break will run from Saturday, March 26, through Sunday, April 3.

“Despite the fact that students have missed several days due to inclement weather we do not expect that Spring Break will be affected,” says Superintendent Vernon Chapman.

As of March 11, the projected last day of school for students will be June 2.

The Board will continue to accept applications for the position of Superintendent of Schools until March 18, and will review applications at their April 11 meeting. The Board has tentatively scheduled interviews during the third week of April with formal presentations by the candidates tentatively scheduled during the second week of May. The Board hopes to name a superintendent by June 1.

Architect Armin Wessel presented drawings of the proposed building to be constructed at Mountain Heritage High School as part of the construction trades job training collaborative. Mountain Heritage High School and Mitchell-Yancey Habitat for Humanity will join forces, with the assistance of Mayland Community College, to provide students in the Construction Technology program at Mountain Heritage High School with practical experience in the home construction trade as they construct modular homes that will be sold as Habitat homes. Jim Swaim, with M-Y Habitat for Humanity, reported they currently have $150,000 in hand, or more than half the necessary funds for the project.

Niles Howell, Director of Facility Services, reported that recent snows have hampered efforts to replace the wind-damaged roof at South Toe Elementary School. “Barring additional inclement weather the project is expected to be complete by March 18,” says Howell.

Denise Cook of the Toe River Arts Council presented information regarding the various art education programs being presented to students in Yancey County. On April 8, students in grades four through six will have the opportunity to travel to Spruce Pine to visit Artrain, USA. Vintage rail cars are traveling throughout the nation to bring art exhibitions and art education programs to communities. Artrain will feature traditional and contemporary works by Native American artists.

The Board approved a motion whereby Yancey County Schools will seek district accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Each of the nine schools in Yancey County is currently accredited by SACS under the school-based accreditation model. District accreditation is a process designed to recognize school systems that embrace the practice of improving teaching and student learning. District accreditation provides the support necessary to achieve growth and improvement throughout the school system.

The next regular meeting of the Yancey County Board of Education will be held on April 11, at 5:00 PM at the Board of Education office, 100 School Circle, Burnsville. A work session for the 2005-2006 budget will be held at 5:00 PM on March 24.

Middle Schools To Present Program For Tsunami Relief

On Tuesday, March 15, the eighth grade middle school students from both Cane River and East Yancey will present a special program to help with tsunami relief. There will be a visual art display by students from Mr. Tony Byrd’s seventh and eighth grade art students. Ms. Jenny Pearson, drama teacher, has worked with several eighth grade drama students who will present a scene from the play, I Never Saw Another Butterfly. The middle school strings, chorus, and band students will provide music. The program will begin at 7:00 PM at the Mountain Heritage High School auditorium. Admission is $5.00 with all profits going to tsunami relief. Be sure to make plans to support these young people as they use their talents to help others in need.

An awards ceremony and celebration will be held on March 24, at East Yancey Middle School, at 1:30 PM. Principal Rick Tipton and Assistant Principal Angie Anglin are delighted to receive this award on behalf of East Yancey’s faculty, staff, and students. They would like to invite all parents, members of their school community, and anyone else who would like to come and celebrate with them

East Yancey Middle School Receives National Recognition

Four North Carolina Middle Schools Named
"Schools to Watch"

East Yancey Middle School, along with Brawley Middle (Iredell-Statesville Schools), Carmel Middle and Jay Robinson Middle (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools), were recently named "Schools to Watch" as part of a national recognition program originally developed by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform.

State Board of Education Chairman Howard Lee said he was pleased that North Carolina continued to participate in Schools to Watch. "This program is highly compatible with our own efforts to raise student achievement while maintaining high standards for educators and students. We believe that our middle schools, and particularly our middle school students, continue to benefit from our participation in this initiative."

"We read a lot these days about the need to make high schools more rigorous and relevant to students. It's just as important for us to meet the academic and social needs of our middle school students so that they enter high school prepared and ready for the challenges ahead," State Superintendent Tricia Willoughby said. "These schools are demonstrating that when you set high academic standards for students and provide the appropriate support, students will succeed."

These four middle schools were named Schools to Watch because of their academic excellence, responsiveness to the needs and interests of young adolescents, and their commitment to helping all students achieve at high levels. In addition, each school has strong leadership, teachers who work together to improve curriculum and instruction, and a commitment to assessment and accountability in order to bring about continuous improvement. These schools join 10 schools selected in 2003 and 2004, bringing the total number of Schools to Watch in North Carolina to 14.

National Forum Executive Director Deborah Kasak said, "Schools to Watch are special places; they make education so exciting that students and teachers don't want to miss a day. These middle grades schools have proven that it is possible to overcome barriers to achieving excellence, to become places of learning where adults and children truly want to participate."

Launched in 1999, Schools to Watch began as a program to identify middle grades schools across the country that were meeting or exceeding a set of strict criteria for excellence. The Forum developed a Web site (http://www.schoolstowatch.org) featuring online tours of schools, as well as detailed information about the selection criteria used in the recognition program.

In 2002, North Carolina, Georgia, and California became the first three states selected by the National Forum to replicate the Schools to Watch program as a way to identify exemplary middle-level schools in their states. There are currently 11 states taking part in this middle grades reform initiative. Different education organizations have taken the lead in each state. In North Carolina, the North Carolina Middle School Association in collaboration with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction provides project leadership.

The National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform is an alliance of 65 educators, researchers, national associations and officers of professional organizations and foundations, dedicated to improving education in the middle grades. For more information, please contact Dr. John Harrison, Executive Director, NC Middle School Association, 910/235-3761, or Marvin Pittman, Director, School Improvement, NC DPI, 919/807-3911.

Super Search

The Yancey County Board of Education has begun the search for a superintendent of schools for Yancey County. The vacancy will be advertised beginning February 10, with the deadline for applications on March 18, 2005. The Board hopes to name a new superintendent by June 1. The vacancy announcement is available at www.yanceync.net.

Students Raise $1,567.50 For Tsunami Relief

Students at Cane River Middle School recently participated in a fund drive to raise money for victims of the tsunami. The month-long effort concluded on February 14, Valentine’s Day, and was appropriately named “Have A Heart.” Students purchased paper hearts for $1 each and displayed them over their homeroom door. The students raised a total of $1,567.50, which has been donated to the American Red Cross and designated for tsunami relief efforts.The homeroom class selling the most paper hearts and with 100% participation will be treated to an ice cream party and a free period.

First Place and winners of the ice cream party and free period

· Miranda Wheeler’s sixthgrade homeroom raised $337.00

· Top salespersons – Sarah Edwards & Lance Simmons

Second Place

· Holly Houchard’s eighth grade homeroom raised $290.00

· Top salespersons – Anna Richards & Daniel Bundy

Third Place

· Linda Deyton’s eighth grade homeroom raised $280.00

· Top salesperson – Jessie Whitson

North Carolina Writing Test Administration March 1

Students in grades 4, 7, and 10 will participate in the North Carolina Writing Test on March 1. Types of assessments follow:

Grade Level	Type of Assessment
4	Extended Narrative response (personal or imaginative)
7	Extended argumentative (problem/solution or evaluative)
10	Extended informational response (definition, cause/effect, or problem solution

The test is part of the North Carolina ABCs accountability program. In 1999 the State Board of Education unanimously approved new Statewide Student Accountability Standards (including promotion standards) in reading, writing, and math. All students in grades 4, 7, and 10 (exception for Occupational Course of Study) are required to take the writing test or alternative assessment. If school is cancelled on March 1, the test will be conducted on the day school resumes. Being at school on time on March 1 will assist students and schools in being ready for this test.

National School Breakfast Week, March 7-11

Yancey County Schools will participate in National School Breakfast Week, March 7 – 11, 2005. Our theme this year is “School Breakfast, Great Performances.” To ensure your student gives a great performance at school they need a nutritious breakfast.

Scientific research shows that eating breakfast at school is one sure way to give students a boost! A good breakfast can improve memory, increase energy levels, and improve test scores. School breakfast must meet the Dietary Guidelines for Americans by providing one quarter of the daily allowances for protein, calcium, iron and vitamins A and C. Each of the Yancey County Schools serves breakfast which includes milk, fruit or fruit juice, protein, and grain. Students in the elementary schools receive a copy of the lunch and breakfast menus each month to share with their parents.

The middle and high schools in Yancey County have a new and delicious breakfast menu. The cafeterias serve a different meat biscuit choice daily such as a sausage biscuit or chicken biscuit. Students also have a choice of cereal or muffin, juice or fruit, and milk for only $.80 for paying students, $.30 for reduced-status students, and free for free-status students!

Yancey County Schools understands the correlation between good nutrition and learning. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your student’s cafeteria manager or Beth Palien, Child Nutrition Director (682-6101).

Make sure your student receives a nutritious breakfast each morning. It will jumpstart their brain and they will give a “great performance” at school.

Middle School Health Center Nurse Chosen as One of the Great 100

Samantha McIntosh, a Nurse Practitioner who serves Cane River and East Yancey Middle Schools’ Health Centers, has been recognized as one of the best nurses in the state. This award is given to nurses from across the state that exemplify excellence in practice and commitment to the profession. These nurses go beyond the call of duty and make a difference in the quality of care delivered in their practice areas. Upon receiving this award, McIntosh said, “I am honored to receive the award and have been lucky that my family has always been supportive of my nursing career.I have been fortunate to have excellent role models in the nursing profession who have been willing to share knowledge.”

McIntosh resides in the Plum Branch area with her husband, William, and son, Seth, a fifth grade student at Micaville Elementary School.

Gary Grindstaff, Board of Education Chairman, presents a plaque to Alan Lusk, Micaville Elemetary School Principal and Principal of the Year for Yancey County Schools

At their February 7 meeting, the Yancey County Board of Education recognized Alan Lusk, Principal at Micaville Elementary School, as the Principal of the Year for Yancey County Schools. At a luncheon in Asheville on February 8, Lusk was also recognized as one of 15 nominees for the 2004 Wachovia Principal of the Year for the West Region.

During his 32-year career, Lusk has served as a teacher at Clearmont Elementary School, as well as a math and science teacher and guidance counselor at Cane River Middle and Pensacola Elementary Schools. He has also served as assistant principal at Mountain Heritage High School and principal at Pensacola, Bee Log, Burnsville, and Micaville Elementary Schools.

Under the North Carolina ABCs of Public Education, end-of-grade test scores measure a school’s academic growth and achievement. During the past four years, Micaville Elementary has been recognized as a School of Distinction (two years), a School of Excellence, and an Honor School of Excellence based on student test scores. Micaville has also been recognized as one of North Carolina’s 25 Most Improved K-8 Schools.

Niles Howell, Dropout Prevention Coordinator for Yancey County Schools, presented the 2003-04 dropout data for grades 9-12. Yancey County Schools had 38 dropouts for a rate of 4.70, compared to an average rate of 4.86 for North Carolina. Yancey County’s dropout rate continues to be below the state average for the sixth consecutive year and, with the exception of one year, the dropout rate in Yancey County has consistently declined over the past six years.

Tim Hensley, Director of Career-Technical Education, and Marvin Holland, with Mitchell-Yancey Habitat for Humanity, updated the Board on the status of the construction trades job training collaborative. With the assistance of Mayland Community College, Mountain Heritage High School and M-Y Habitat for Humanity will join forces to provide students in the Construction Technology program at Mountain Heritage High School with practical experience in the home construction trade as they construct modular homes that will be sold as Habitat homes. The Memorandum of Understanding, that defines the relationships and goals for the project, has all the required signatures. Holland reported that more than half the necessary funds for the project are currently in hand with several grant applications pending.

At the request of Lyn Hensley, Finance Officer, the Board approved three budget amendments. The capital outlay fund budget amendment recognizes the cost of replacing the wind-damaged roof at South Toe Elementary School. The federal grants fund and state public school fund budget amendments recognize allotments received and adjustments made since the initial budget was approved in September of 2004.

Superintendent Vernon Chapman informed the Board that representatives from the Exceptional Children Division of the NC Department of Public Instruction visited Bald Creek Elementary School in December to assess the progress of the implementation of a whole school Positive Behavioral Support Program. Bald Creek received a total implementation rating of 96% and reviewers described the program as “excellent” and “exemplary.” The PBS Program provides strategies for achieving improved social and learning outcomes for students while preventing problem behaviors.

“Julie Weatherman, Behavior Intervention Specialist, and Kristin Buchanan, Crisis Intervention Specialist, played a leading role in establishing the Positive Behavioral Support Program at Bald Creek Elementary,” says Chapman. “They are to be commended, along with Grace Whitson, Exceptional Children Program Director, and the Bald Creek faculty and staff, for the success of the program,” he continues.

Alton Robinson, Principal at Mountain Heritage High School, discussed the timeline for employing instructors for the Army JROTC program, which is scheduled to be in place with the 2005-06 school year. Joyce Johnson, a concerned citizen, made a brief presentation in opposition to the program.

Superintendent Chapman updated the Board on the status of the search for a superintendent of schools for Yancey County. The vacancy will be advertised beginning February 10, with the deadline for applications on March 18, 2005. The Board hopes to name a new superintendent by June 1.

The Board approved a request by the cultural arts departments at Cane River and East Yancey Middle Schools to present a program on March 15, to raise money to aid tsunami victims. All profits from the $5.00 admission will be donated to organizations that are assisting in tsunami relief efforts. The program will be held at 7:00 PM at Mountain Heritage High School and will consist of music from the eighth grade band and middle school chorus, special dramatic selections, a visual art display, and Spanish poetry.

The next regular meeting of the Yancey County Board of Education will be held on March 7, at 5:00 PM at the Board of Education office, 100 School Circle, Burnsville. A work session for the 2005-2006 budget will be held at 5:00 PM on March 24.

Christy Deyton, Mary Anne Elliott, Ricky Cooper, Miranda Elkins, Kim Rathburn

Debra Robinson, Mike Orr

Seven Yancey County Teachers Earn National Board Certification

Seven Yancey County teachers recently learned they have achieved National Board Certification, the highest credential in the teaching profession. Those teachers who have just successfully completed the rigorous certification process are:

· Ricky Cooper – Cane River Middle School

· Debra Robinson – Cane River Middle School

· Miranda Elkins – Cane River Middle School

· Christy Deyton – Bee Log Elementary School

· Mike Orr – Mountain Heritage High School

· Mary Anne Elliott – Bald Creek Elementary School

· Kim Rathburn – Burnsville Elementary School

Compared to other school systems in North Carolina, Yancey County Schools has one of the highest percentages of Nationally Certified educators with a total of 25.

In North Carolina, the number of teachers and school counselors earning National Board Certification increased by 1,675 in 2004. North Carolina ranks first nationwide with a total of 8,280.

The teacher certification process, administered by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, is designed to improve student learning and strengthen teaching. This is a rigorous, voluntary process whereby teachers conduct an intensive self-evaluation in order to provide the National Board with clear and concise evidence of their teaching expertise. National Board Certification has established advanced standards for experienced teachers and is designed to complement state licensing.

After successfully completing three years in the teaching profession a candidate can make application to the National Board for certification in one of 27 certificate areas. The certification process takes up to one year and is achieved through an intense performance-based assessment. The teacher must prepare a portfolio that includes examples and self-reflective analysis of their classroom activities and teaching methods along with documentation of professional development activities and community involvement. Following submission of their portfolio for evaluation the candidate must also complete a content-knowledge exam consisting of written exercises designed to probe the depth of their subject-knowledge, as well as assess their ability to align appropriate teaching strategies with student need.

Candidates who have participated in the process look forward to the month of November with anxiety and anticipation as they learn the results of their efforts. If an individual does not make a satisfactory score on all areas they are allowed to retake that portion of the assessment.

Several studies confirm that students of National Board Certified Teachers outperform students of teachers without the certification.

Ricky Cooper, a social studies teacher at Cane River Middle School says in retrospect, “My participation in the National Board Certification process has helped me grow as an educator.” “I have become more aware of strategies I can use to meet the educational needs of all students,” he continues.

Debra Robinson, a teacher in the Exceptional Children Program at Cane River Middle School says, “The meticulous and demanding process of obtaining National Board Certification has helped me to gain a new enthusiasm for teaching and a stronger aspiration to lead my students toward a brighter future.” “This has been the most positive undertaking of my career,” continues Robinson.

Miranda Elkins, a seventh grade math teacher at Cane River Middle School, says, “The National Board process afforded me an amazing opportunity to grow as a teacher. This procedure encouraged me to see the whole child in my classroom and not just focus on the child’s academic needs.”

Christy Deyton, a teacher and media coordinator at Bee Log Elementary, says, “The National Board process enabled me to analyze and reflect on my teaching, focusing on strategies such as collaboration, students’ learning styles, and technology.” Deyton continues, “The intense process has enhanced student learning in my classroom because it encouraged me to thoughtfully demonstrate effective instructional programs.”

Mike Orr, an instructor in the Construction Technology Program at Mountain Heritage High School, says, “Completing the certification process forced me to reflect upon my students’ needs and to consider my own strengths and shortcomings in order to improve as a teacher.”

“Going through the process of National Board Certification has further encouraged me to search for new knowledge and better practices to create learning experiences for my students,” says Mary Anne Elliott, a second grade teacher at Bald Creek Elementary. “This process has also helped me to recognize and truly appreciate the exceptional talents and abilities of many fine teachers in our system.”

Kim Rathburn, a teacher at Burnsville Elementary School, says, “I feel I gained a greater insight to my teaching methods and strategies after completing the National Board process.”

The monetary incentives for National Board Certification vary widely from state to state. Incentives range from a one-time stipend of $3,000, to an annual increase of up to $6,000, while other states offer salary increases of 5% to 12%.

North Carolina offers one of the better monetary incentive plans with an annual salary increase of 12% for teachers who achieve certification. In addition, North Carolina pays a $2,300 fee to the National Board for each teacher who participates in the process.

As the former Assistant Superintendent with Yancey County Schools and current member of the Board of Education, Dr. Iva Nell Buckner was responsible for teacher licensure and was an advocate for the National Board Certification process. She was a great source of assistance and encouragement for Yancey County Schools teachers pursuing certification.

On behalf of the newly certified teachers, Mary Anne Elliott says, “We want to thank Dr. Buckner for her support and encouragement throughout this process and for providing the time and resources to help us succeed.”

“We also appreciate the advice and help from the existing Yancey County National Board Certified Teachers,” continues Elliott. “They helped us improve our portfolio entries by providing feedback, guidance, and reassurance.”

Any teacher wishing to seek National Board Certification should call 1-800-22TEACH or visit www.nbpts.org.

January 10 Board Meeting
At their January 10 meeting, the Yancey County Board of Education recognized the varsity boys’ soccer team at Mountain Heritage High School for their outstanding season. Coach Woody McKay reported a season record of 20 wins and three losses. The team advanced to the state playoffs for the third time in three years and won the Western Highlands Conference for the third time in 12 years. The soccer program is in its twelfth year and more students play soccer at Mountain Heritage than any other sport.

The middle school boys’ soccer coach, Ron Powell, was recognized for his team’s perfect, 16-0 season. Donny Laws, the junior varsity boys’ soccer coach at Mountain Heritage, was also recognized for his team’s successful season, one of their best in the history of the program.

“Congratulations to the players on a great season and to the coaches for bringing the soccer program to a superior level,” says Board Member, Randy Banks.

East Yancey Middle School Principal, Rick Tipton, and Assistant Principal, Angie Anglin, announced that the North Carolina Middle School Association has named East Yancey as a “NC School To Watch.” East Yancey was chosen from a group of eight finalists for the highest honor available to a middle school. As part of the selection process, a team, headed by Dr. John Harris, Executive Director of the Middle School Association, visited each classroom at East Yancey Middle School to evaluate the school against specified criteria. To be designated as a “NC School To Watch” the school must exhibit academic excellence, responsiveness to students’ needs, and social equity for students.

“This is a tremendous award and accomplishment for our students, teachers, and staff,” says Tipton.

A team from East Yancey has been invited to present at the Middle School Conference in Greensboro and representatives from East Yancey will be recognized at the meeting of the North Carolina School Boards Association for their accomplishment. A spring celebration is being planned at East Yancey.

The Board approved a motion that will allow East Yancey Middle School to partner with Mars Hill College as a Professional Development School. This partnership will allow East Yancey to serve as a site for student teaching and fieldwork by Mars Hill College teacher education students and for Mars Hill faculty to carry out professional development. There is also increased potential for grant opportunities for East Yancey, as well as improved student achievement.

Jim Swaim and Marvin Holland with Mitchell-Yancey Habitat for Humanity updated the Board on the status of the construction trades collaborative. With the assistance of Mayland Community College, Mountain Heritage High School and M-Y Habitat for Humanity will join forces to provide students in the Construction Technology program at Mountain Heritage High School with practical experience in the home construction trade as they construct modular homes that will be sold as Habitat homes. Mike Orr, Construction Technology instructor at Mountain Heritage, illustrated the process that will be used to build modular homes inside an 80 ft. X 120 ft. Career and Technical Education Center that will be constructed on the Mountain Heritage campus. The Board approved a Memorandum of Understanding that defines the relationships and goals for the project pending final approval by Board Attorney Donny Laws.

Niles Howell, Director of Facility Services for Yancey County Schools, presented four proposals for replacing the roof on South Toe Elementary School. During the early morning hours on December 1, strong winds blew a 12,000 square foot section of single-ply rubber roofing membrane off the school onto the back parking area. The Board approved a motion to replace the roof with a 20-year, retrofit metal roof that is guaranteed to withstand wind gusts of 120 MPH. Insurance will cover $84,164.25 of the $130,300 proposed replacement cost.

Following a presentation by Mountain Heritage High School principal, Alton Robinson, the Board voted to approve the implementation of an Army JROTC program at Mountain Heritage High School. A mobile unit, with an estimated cost of $80,000, will be purchased to provide classroom space for the program. In a recent survey, 128 Mountain Heritage students expressed interest in the program, which will provide additional electives for students as well as increased scholarship opportunities.

At their January meeting the Board considered two school calendar options for the 2005-2006 school year. The School Calendar Bill (House Bill 1464), which was signed into law in August of 2004, states that, effective July 1, 2005, the opening date for students shall not be before August 25, and the closing date shall not be after June 10. School systems in North Carolina that have been closed eight or more days per year during any four of the last ten years due to severe weather conditions, energy shortages, power failures or other emergency situations could request a waiver for the opening and closing dates. In December, Yancey County Schools applied for and received a waiver from the NC Department of Public Instruction. The Board approved a calendar that designates the first day of class for students as August 10, 2005, and theoretically identifies May 16, 2006 as the end of the 180-day term.

The next regular meeting of the Yancey County Board of Education will be held on February 7, at 5:00 PM at the Board of Education office, 100 School Circle, Burnsville.

Jamie Pate (L), Media Coordinator, and Pam Ray, Technology Facilitator at Clearmont Elementary School, present at the NC Educational Technology Conference in Greensboro

Amanda DeSua (L) and Adina Arden-Cooper, School Counselors with Yancey County Schools, present at the NC School Counselors Annual Conference in Winston-Salem

Clearmont Teachers Chosen

Pam Ray, Technology Facilitator, and Jamie Pate, Media Coordinator at Clearmont Elementary, presented at the North Carolina Educational Technology Conference held November 29 - December 2, 2004, in Greensboro. Their presentation, The Dynamic Trio, focused on K-5 collaborative integrated technology activities that can be used in elementary classrooms. The presentation included website resources and a disc with integrated lesson plans and support resources for each of the discussed activities. This presentation showed how Clearmont’s Technology Facilitator and Media Coordinator work together with classroom teachers and other support personnel to plan and implement instructional programs infused with both media and technology.

Following the IMPACT model, Clearmont Elementary School offers students, teachers, and staff flexible access to both the library media center and the computer lab along with their resources when needed. This flexible schedule has allowed the Media Coordinator and Technology Facilitator to become full-fledged, integral parts of the teaching and learning process.

The NC Educational Technology Conference was established in 1988 as a nonprofit organization whose mission was to support the use of technology in education with special focus on the schools and classrooms of North Carolina.

Amanda DeSua, School Counselor at Clearmont Elementary and East Yancey Middle Schools, also presented at a state conference on November 18th, 2004. DeSua, along with Adina Arden-Cooper, School Counselor at East Yancey Middle School, presented at the North Carolina School Counselors Annual Conference in Winston-Salem. Their presentation, entitled Stepping into the Lion’s Den, shared several of their own ideas for classroom guidance and facilitated an open forum discussion with counselors throughout the state to gather other ideas.

The North Carolina School Counselor Association is a professional organization, which represents school counseling and strives to promote excellence in professional school counseling.

Randall Honeycutt brings The Polar Express to South Toe Elementary.

Honeycutt's Polar Express

Climb aboard the Polar Express, enter an enchanted forest guarded by a dragon, or enjoy the tranquil atmosphere of winter's beauty at South Toe Elementary School. Students' imaginations are enhanced daily, courtesy of the artistic talents of Custodian Randall Honeycutt.

Equipped with only paint and a brush, Randall transforms blank halls and bulletin boards into phenomenal works of art. Students stand in awe, as they sometimes catch a glimpse of art coming to life. Some students are even lucky enough to receive their own personal works of art. His interaction with kids and the contribution of his talents have proven Randall to be a valued resource at South Toe Elementary.

The 2004-05 school year is Randall's second year at South Toe. He is married to Teresa Bartlett Honeycutt. They have two daughters, Tanya and Heather, and a grandson, Tyler. He is the son-in-law of Essie Bartlett, who retired from South Toe in 2004.

Talent such as Randall's does not go unnoticed. If New York's Museum of Art decides to whisk him away, we can say, "We knew him when..." For now we are happy to enjoy the view. For all of his hard work South Toe would like to express a BIG "Thank You."

Super Saturday Opportunities at UNC-A

Beginning March 5 and continuing on Saturdays through April 9, between 9 a.m. and noon, more than 500 third through eighth graders will transform the UNC Asheville campus into a very special learning environment. Students may take one or two courses, each specifically designed to offer high-interest, “hands-on” opportunities to explore new ideas and broaden perspectives.

Acceptance into the program is through registration, which includes initial verification by qualified school personnel that the applicant demonstrates outstanding achievement or potential and/or is identified as academically gifted according to the State of North Carolina guidelines. Tuition is $65.00 for each course. Registration deadline is Friday, February 25.

A limited number of need-based scholarships (one course per student) are available; the scholarship deadline is February 14. Please call (828) 251-6558 for information concerning available scholarships.

Academically gifted, creative, and/or highly motivated students in grades 3-8 who are interested in registering for Super Saturday classes, may call Barbara Robinson or Penni Robinson, teachers of the Differentiated Curriculum Program, at 682-6101 for further information. Information and registration forms are also available at www.unca.edu/sprog/

Randy Hall, Yancey County Schools Transportation Director, looks on as Johnny Kennedy of Kennedy Bus Parts presents Renee Riddle with a check in the amount of $1,000 to repair damage to her home resulting from the two hurricanes that hit western North Carolina earlier in the fall.

Unexpected Gift

Renee Riddle, a bus driver with Yancey County Schools, suffered extensive damage to her home in the Pensacola community during the two hurricanes that moved through western North Carolina earlier this fall. Riddle is being forced to replace her furnace and her kitchen floor as a result of the flood damage.

Out of concern for residents of western North Carolina, Johnny Kennedy, owner of Kennedy Bus Parts in Durham, contacted public school transportation directors in the western counties and offered his assistance to bus drivers who were affected by the storms. On December 15, 2004, Kennedy traveled to Yancey County and presented Renee Riddle with a check in the amount of $1,000 to help her in the process of getting her home back to normal. Kennedy also presented $1,000 checks to two bus drivers in Watauga County and to one bus driver in Buncombe County.

Kennedy has provided bus parts to public school systems in North Carolina since he established the family-operated business, Kennedy Bus Parts, in 1970. “This is something my family and I wanted to do for bus drivers in western North Carolina who have suffered hardships as a result of the recent storms,” says Kennedy.

“I’m speechless,” says Renee Riddle. “This money will help us make the repairs to our home much sooner than we expected. I really appreciate Mr. Kennedy’s generosity.”

Tea Party
On December 15, eighth grade students at Cane River Middle School hosted a traditional English tea party. They became inspired after reading E.L. Konigsbur’s book, The View From Saturday, in Linda Deyton’s Communications Skills class. By learning about the tradition of the tea party, students at Cane River gained the realization that society is moving away from traditional family activities. By hosting a tea party they felt this would be a good way to begin a new tradition of their own and to learn about traditions of other cultures.

With the help of their parents and the Cane River faculty and staff, students prepared a menu that included a variety of teas, tea sandwiches, and pastries. Students also provided entertainment for their guests by singing Christmas carols and performing skits. Mrs. Deyton hopes this will become an annual event for students in her classroom.

Lizbeth Alfaro, North Carolina’s Teacher of the Year for 2004-2005, conducts a workshop on English as a Second Language Instructional Strategies at Mountain Heritage High School.

English Workshop

Lizbeth Alfaro, North Carolina’s Teacher of the Year for 2004-2005, conducted workshops on English as a Second Language Instructional Strategies at Mountain Heritage High School on December 10. As Teacher of the Year, Alfaro is spending the year traveling throughout North Carolina as an ambassador for the teaching profession.

Alfaro shared with Yancey County teachers best practices on how to help ESL students to achieve academic success. She was invited to Mountain Heritage High School by Peter Bobbe, Yancey County’s Teacher of the Year. “Lizbeth is a fabulous teacher and a wonderful inspiration,” says Bobbe. “We wanted our teachers to have the opportunity to develop their instructional skills as they deal with the growing ESL population in Yancey County.”

Alfaro is a K-6 English as a Second Language teacher at Lyle Creek Elementary School with Catawba County Schools. She is a native of Costa Rica where she received a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Costa Rica. She received a master’s degree in education from Lesley University, and ESL Licensure from North Carolina State University. She also achieved National Board Certification in 2003.

Wind damage at South Toe Elementary.

Another view of the roof damage.

SCHOOL BOARD RECOGNIZES NATIONAL
BOARD CERTIFIED TEACHERS

At the December 6 meeting of the Yancey County Board of Education seven Yancey County teachers were recognized for achieving National Board Certification, the highest certification possible for teachers. Those teachers who completed the rigorous certification process are:

· Ricky Cooper – Cane River Middle School

· Debra Robinson – Cane River Middle School

· Miranda Elkins – Cane River Middle School

· Christy Deyton – Bee Log Elementary School

· Mike Orr – Mountain Heritage High School

· Mary Anne Elliott – Bald Creek Elementary School

· Kim Rathburn – Burnsville Elementary School

Board members praised the teachers for their accomplishment.

“Yancey County Schools would not have such a good academic record without your efforts,” says Van Thomas.

“Congratulations on your achievement,” says Dr. Iva Nell Buckner. “You are to be commended for your hard work.”

“This shows your dedication to the children of Yancey County and to the school system,” says Gary Grindstaff.

This brings the total number of National Board Certified educators in Yancey County Schools to 25. North Carolina leads the nation with 8,280 certified teachers and school counselors.

Niles Howell, Director of Facility Services for Yancey County Schools, reported on the damage to the roof at South Toe Elementary School. During the early morning hours on December 1, strong winds blew a 12,000 square foot section of single-ply rubber roofing membrane off the school into the back parking area.

“The safety of students was our first concern in determining whether or not to close school,” says Principal Patricia Bennett.

Superintendent Ivan Randolph, maintenance staff, and officials from French Broad Electric determined the building and classrooms were safe to hold class. Students were moved from classes that had windows covered with debris while cleanup efforts were in progress.

Maintenance and custodial staff from throughout the school system worked to remove the debris from the parking area.

“I would like to thank the maintenance employees and custodians for their assistance in the cleanup effort,” says Superintendent Ivan Randolph. “They are to be commended for their hard work.”

The Board approved a motion granting Dr. Randolph permission to make application to the NC Department of Public Instruction for a school calendar waiver for the 2005-2006 school year. The School Calendar Bill (House Bill 1464) states that, effective July 1, 2005, the opening date for students shall not be before August 25, and the closing date shall not be after June 10. School systems in North Carolina that have been closed eight or more days per year during any four of the last ten years due to severe weather conditions, energy shortages, power failures or other emergency situations may request a waiver for the opening and closing dates. The Yancey County Board of Education is expected to consider the 2005-06 school calendar at their meeting in January or February of 2005.

Gwen Edwards of Dixon Hughes Public Accountants, the school system’s audit firm, presented the financial statements for the year ending June 30, 2004. “We give this year’s report our unqualified opinion and fully expect the Yancey County Schools’ annual financial report to receive awards for the 17^th consecutive year,” says Edwards.

A special called meeting of the Yancey County Board of Education will be held on December 16, at 12 noon at the Board of Education office, 100 School Circle, Burnsville. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss and take action regarding the replacement of the superintendent, to discuss the resignation of the Special Assistant to the Superintendent, and to hold a student disciplinary hearing.

                   Randolph Resignation
                      (This is a copy of Randolph's letter)
          My educational philosophy differs significantly from the philosophy of the newly elected school board members. With 30+ years experience in the North Carolina Public Schools, I am now eligible for retirement; therefore, I have decided to retire on December 30^th, 2004. The Yancey County Board of Education and I have negotiated a settlement that is fair to me as well as to the school system.

I would like to thank all of the school board members I have worked with in the past six years for their vision and concern for the welfare, safety and education of our students. I would also like to thank the administrators, teachers, staff, and students for their hard work and support.

The Yancey County Schools have been most successful with documented measurable achievement in all areas of the curriculum. I am proud to have been affiliated with this school system and would like to take the opportunity to thank you for allowing me to work with the most valuable resource in our county … our students.

Ivan Randolph

School Testing

Testing dates for Yancey County Schools have been set as follows:

Name of Test School Date

NC End of Course Mtn. Heritage last 5 days of course

NC Writing Test Grades 4, 7, 10 March 1

Computer Skills Tests (Students who did not score proficient on fall tests)

Multiple Choice Middle and High Feb. 2 – March 11

Performance Middle and High Feb. 2 – March 11

NC High School Comprehensive Mtn. Heritage week of April 18

IPT (language proficiency test) All Schools Feb. 1 – April 30

(for English as Second Language students)

EOG Elementary, Middle Last three weeks(15 days) of school

EOC Mtn. Heritage Last 5 days of course

NC Competency Tests and NC Computer Skills Tests (Performance and Mutliple Choice) are provided as needed for seniors during the last month before graduation.

Yancey County Schools will participate in North Carolina End of Grade/End of Course Field Tests as required by the state. Changes may be required due to inclement weather/occurrences. Please contact Jeanne Tyner, Yancey County Schools, (682-6101) if you have questions.