School Archives 3

The South Toe Elementary fourth grade class would like to express great appreciation for the recent generous donations made by a group of caring individuals. Jim Floyd of Mount Mitchell Lands and Bob and Stella McKinney of Green Mountain donated $200 to cover the cost of gas, which allowed the class to be able to attend the outdoor drama, "Unto These Hills," in Cherokee, North Carolina. Seeing this production helped students have a greater appreciation for the earliest Americans. Everyone had a wonderful time! Again, many thanks to Mr. Floyd and Mr. and Ms. McKinney.

School Safety Grant Awarded
by the U.S. Department of Education

     Yancey County Public Schools, in collaboration with Mitchell County Public Schools and Burke County Public Schools, was recently awarded a Readiness and Emergency Management in Schools grant from the U.S. Department of Education for $244,843. Through the grant, our school systems will learn ways to improve school safety and improve crisis/safety plans for school districts and individual schools. This grant will last for 18 months. 

     The project will support the development of a regional consortium called the North Carolina Appalachian Consortium for Safe Schools and will include Yancey, Mitchell and Burke County Schools. This consortium will allow the three counties to learn from each other with the goal of improved school safety. Special thanks and appreciation are extended by Yancey County Schools to our community partners for their support of this project. These community partners include Public Safety; the Sheriff’s Office; Burnsville Police Department; Yancey County Health Department; Emergency Management Services; Alpha Omega Mental Health; the County Manager; County Commissioners; and the Yancey County Board of Education.

     This grant will provide funding to bring national safety expert Michael Dorn to Yancey County on September 25, 2008 to provide training on school safety. The training will include school building assessments to identify problems within school buildings that can be improved to make schools safer; how to develop and improve school safety plans; training on parent reunification procedures following an emergency/crisis situation; and how to develop emergency drills.

     Also, on September 25, 2008 at 7:00 pm at the Burnsville Town Center, Michael Dorn will present his thought provoking powerful presentation “Weakfish – Bullying Through the Eyes of a Child” for all parents and students in Yancey and Mitchell countries. This powerful presentation uses the combination of current school safety best practices knowledge and a case study of a real child who was chronically bullied in school to illustrate problems relating to crimes that are covered up, not detected or not reported by adults who work with children and to provide solutions to the vicious cycle of bullying. The presentation will also examine the critical role that law enforcement officers and others play as role models for children who face extreme difficulty. This presentation is a must see for all parents and students.  Mr. Dorn has the ability to connect with students, parents, community stake holders, and educators with his “Weakfish” presentation. His remarkable presentation conveys a caring compassionate and sincere connection to every member of the audience. Mr. Dorn’s concern for the safety of students is genuine.

Michael Dorn Biographical Information

Widely considered one of the world’s most experienced, best known, highly respected and most credentialed school safety experts, Michael Dorn serves as the Executive Director of Safe Havens International Inc. Safe Havens analysts have worked in more than 20 countries and have assisted more than 2,000 public school systems, private schools and public safety agencies.  Mr. Dorn was selected as the top school safety expert for Jane’s offices in nine countries after an international search for the world’s top school safety expert by the highly regarded defense, intelligence and public safety publisher. During his extremely successful 20 year career in law enforcement, he was appointed Chief of School Police at the age of 27. His department has been widely featured as a model school law enforcement unit by many organizations, including the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Justice.  Mr. Dorn was selected as the as the lead technical expert for the nation’s largest state government school safety center – the School Safety Project of the Georgia Emergency Management Agency – Office of the Governor in August, 1999.  In April, 2003, he was selected as the State Antiterrorism Planner and a few months later named Lead Program Manager for the Emergency Response and Terrorism Preparedness Division in the Georgia Emergency Management Agency – Office of Homeland Security where he managed Georgia’s $100 million antiterrorism grant program.  He also serves as the Executive Director for Safe Havens International Inc., a non-profit safety center.  A powerful and captivating speaker, Mr. Dorn is also a prolific writer having authored and co-authored more than 20 books on school safety. Mr. Dorn holds a Masters of Arts Degree as well as a BA degree in History and Political Science from Mercer University.  A graduate of the 181^st session of the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy, he received a fellowship to participate in the Sixth Annual Delegation of Law Enforcement Executives to the State of Israel in June of 1998.  Through this Georgia State University Program, he received two weeks of intensive antiterrorism orientation and training by the Israel National Police, Israel Defense Forces, and the Mossad. Mr. Dorn has been interviewed by Time, Good Morning America, Tokyo Broadcasting, London Times, the Wall Street Journal and has presented for groups as diverse as the U.S. Departments of Justice, Education and Homeland Security as well as for the FBI Academy, BATF, FEMA, National Safety Council, Vietnam National University and the Israel Police.

MHHS Makes a Difference

Yancey County Schools Superintendent Dr. Tom Little believes Mountain Heritage High School is making a difference in the lives of Yancey County’s high school students. To support his strong belief in Mountain Heritage, he states, “In May 2008, Mountain Heritage received recognition for its graduation rate being in the top ten percent of the state. This high graduation rate is linked to the excellent faculty and staff at Mountain Heritage High School. A variety of academic teaching strategies and programs, personal interest in students, extracurricular activities, outstanding coaches and counselors, assisting students in every possible way are also contributing factors.”
Currently, 28 percent of all National Board teachers in Yancey County are high school teachers. This year, 60 percent of Mountain Heritage’s Year-Four teachers are pursuing National Board certification.
The influence of the Mountain Heritage staff is seen in the extended leadership roles they hold in the community. Organizations with which they are participating include Mayland Community College, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, Mars Hill College, Parkway Playhouse, Habitat for Humanity, Healthy Yancey, and Western Carolina University, just to name a few.
In a recent article in the Yancey Common Times Journal, it was mentioned that MHHS was the only school in Yancey County not meeting AYP. Although MHHS did not meet the AYP standards, the school did meet 12 out of 13 target goals or 92.3 percent. Dr. Little states, “AYP is just one of many tools used to measure student growth. There are many other ways that must also be considered to understand the growth of our high school students. For instance, in 2008, there were approximately 50 seniors who received scholarships and grants in the amount of $1,042,000. That is impressive for such a small community.” Suzanne Gavenus, MHHS Senior Counselor, reports, “Many Yancey County graduating seniors are being accepted into the larger colleges and universities such as UNC-CH, Wake Forest University and Duke University. MHHS has several students each year who are accepted into Governor’s School and into the North Carolina School of Science and Math. The SAT mean scores for the 2008 MHHS college-bound seniors were outstanding when you compare them to the NC mean scores and the US mean scores.” Those scores are as follows:

MHHS: Critical Reading – 512; Math – 523; Writing – 482
NC: Critical Reading – 496; Math – 511; Writing – 482
US: Critical Reading – 502; Math – 515; Writing – 494

Another indicator of success is the increased improvement of test scores. Writing scores had the highest improvement in the county with an improvement percentage of 22.81 percent from 2007. From 2006-2007 to 2007-2008, Algebra I scores increased 23 percent and Geometry scores increased 12 percent. English I scores were up by six percent from last year.
Dr. Cheri Boone, Secondary Curriculum Director and Assistant Superintendent, states, “MHHS offers a strong, rigorous curriculum for students, which includes 12 AP classes, online programs, dual enrollment, and Learn and Earn, as well as many other classes and programs. Learning is a lifelong process. There are always new skills and programs to be acquired and new insights to be gained.”
In closing, Dr. Little stated, “The faculty and staff at MHHS are dedicated, hard-working individuals who strive to meet the needs of Yancey County’s students.”

Yancey County Schools Make Adequate Yearly Progress

     Dr. Tom Little reports that he has received word that all elementary schools and all middle schools in Yancey County have received Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for the 2007-2008 school year. At a time when only 40% of the schools across the state meet the performance target, Dr. Little states that it is rare for 8 out of 9 schools in a system to make such gains. This is continuing proof that education in Yancey County is on the right track. Dr. Little praises the teachers, administration and support staff for their hard work and dedication. He also encourages students to continue to work hard and thanks parents for their continued support. Yancey County is very fortunate to have students who still respect teachers and the education process, as well as parents who support teachers and see the importance of an education. The 2008 AYP Summary for Yancey County Schools is as follows with 8 schools out of 9 (88.9%) making Adequate Yearly Progress.

- Bald Creek Elementary met 10 out of 10 target goals (100%)
- Bee Log Elementary  met 1 out of 1 target goals (100%)
- Burnsville Elementary met 10 out of 10 target goals (100%)
- Cane River Middle met 10 out of 10 target goals (100%)
- Clearmont Elementary met 7 out of 7 target goals (100%)
- East Yancey Middle met 12 out of 12 target goals (100%)
- Micaville Elementary met 10 out of 10 target goals (100%)
- South Toe Elementary met 7 out of 7 target goals (100%)
- Mountain Heritage High School did not make AYP. The school did meet 12 out of 13 target goals (92.3%).

     Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) is defined as a series of performance targets that states, school districts, and specific subgroups within their schools must achieve each year to meet the requirements of No Child Left Behind (NCLB). In each public school and Local Education Agency (LEA) in North Carolina, the ten student subgroups are: 1. School as a whole (all students); 2. American Indian; 3. Asian; 4. Black; 5. Hispanic; 6. Multi-racial; 7. White; 8. Economically Disadvantaged; 9. Limited English Proficient (LEP) (based on IPT data collections); and, 10. Students with Disabilities (SWD) (based on the April 1 Exceptional Children’s’ Headcount.

     Academic growth calculations for this year are based on growth in mathematics only for schools with kindergarten through grade 8. This one-year change is in response to the new reading assessments and the necessary adjustments to the reporting calendar as a result. Typically, growth calculations are based on both reading and math results. For this reason, this year’s growth results should not be compared to last year’s results. In order for elementary and middle schools (including grades in the 3 to 8 grade range) to make AYP, each student subgroup in tested grades must meet the following targets: 1. 95% participation rate in reading/language arts assessment; 2. 95% participation rate in mathematics assessment; 3. Meet or exceed the state’s annual measurable objective (AMO) for proficiency in reading/language arts; 4. Meet or exceed the state’s annual measurable objective (AMO) for proficiency in mathematics; 5. The school as a whole must show progress on the other academic indicator (OAI): attendance for schools in grades 3 to 8.

     For high schools, growth is calculated by comparing student performance on designated end-of-course tests with previous student performance on related assessments. In addition, improvement in high school dropout rates and participation in college university prep or college tech prep courses of study are factored into the determination of growth for high schools. In order for a high school (grade range 9 to 12) to make AYP, each student subgroup must meet the following targets: 1. 95% 10th grade participation rate on the English I and Writing assessment; 2. 95% 10th grade participation rate on the Algebra I assessment or its alternate; 3. Meet or exceed the state’s annual measurable objective (AMO) for 10th grade proficiency on English I and Writing assessment or it’s alternate; 4. Meet or exceed the state’s annual measurable objective (AMO) for 10th grade proficiency on the Algebra I assessment or it’s alternate; 5. The school as a whole must show progress on the other academic indicator, 4-year cohort graduation rate, and the school must meet the State’s requirement for attendance.

     NC’s ABCs model includes three categories of academic performance indicators: from year to year, the schools’ performance composite and AYP (required under the federal No Child Left Behind law). The growth measure is important because it provides incentives for making sure that every student, regardless of his or her level, continues to grow academically. The performance composite shows the percentage of student test scores that are at or above grade level proficiency. AYP, which factors in reading and math scores and attendance for grades 3-8 and English I, grade 10 writing, and Algebra I scores and four-year graduation rates for high schools indicates the percentage of student groups performing at the proficiency level.

To view the ABC August Chart, click here

     For more information about the ABCs growth designations or NC’s accountability model, the public can access the Web at http://abcs.ncpublicschools.org/abcs/. For more information about AYP results, access the Web at http://ayp.ncpublicschools.org/

North Carolina Educators Learn from Mexico

Pictured above: Sharryl Hagerman and the Ortega Family in Irapuato

Sharryl Hagerman was the 2008 recipient of the James G.K. McClure Fund Teacher Award to participate with the Latino Initiative Program in Mexico and represent Yancey County Schools.
Thirty-three educators from all over North Carolina just returned from a Latino Initiative program in Mexico to better understand the education system, history, and culture, as well as the current socio-economic conditions as they may relate to students of Latino/Hispanic heritage in NC schools.  The Latino Initiative for Educators is a study program to Mexico designed for vertical teams of public school teachers, counselors, board members, and administrators from school systems with high or increasing numbers of Latino/Hispanic students.   The ten day program in Mexico City and Guanajuato was sponsored by the Center for International Understanding and took place June 16-25.  The exploration in Mexico included school visits, lectures and discussions with Mexican educators, museum visits, guided tours of archaeological, historical sites and a weekend home stay visit with a Mexican family.
“We provide educators with a unique first-hand experience which ultimately benefits students in their classrooms,” said Latino Initiative Assistant Manager Lindsey Molusky. “We look forward to working with participants as they create and implement new programs, policies and/or lesson plans which improve Latino/Hispanic achievement levels.”  
The educators who participated in the program will use what they learned to better teach their students about Mexico, improve Latino/Hispanic student achievement, and find ways to utilize the presence of Latino/Hispanic students for the benefit of all students.

Congratulations to East Yancey Middle School’s

Each year East Yancey Middle School with the help of Mountain Air Country Club recognizes students that have exemplified good character. Throughout the year students are nominated by their peers for demonstrating the characteristic of the month.  This year’s students of the month were: Julie Burleson – Tolerance, Trevor Robinson – Integrity, Zack Brown – Diligence, Yaris Cortes – Compassion, Nick Thomas – Commitment, Autumn Byrd – Responsibility, Sam McMahan and Mason Peterson – Respect, and Brenda Guerrero – Trustworthiness

Character Education Students of the Month

      Each year East Yancey Middle School with the help of Mountain Air Country Club recognizes students that have exemplified good character. Throughout the year students are nominated by their peers for demonstrating the characteristic of the month. A committee of the school counselor and designated teachers selects a monthly winner and the student is acknowledged through the school news and on a bulletin board. In addition, each student receives an award. This program culminates with a fantastic lunch at Mountain Air Country Club to once again thank these students for positively contributing to the climate of the school. East Yancey greatly appreciates the example these students have set for others and are very thankful for Mountain Air’s generosity year after year.

2008 East Yancey Middle School Career Fair is a Success!

     On Thursday, May 29^th 8^th grade students at East Yancey Middle School participated in the annual end-of-year career fair. Guests from several business establishments in the area donated their time to visit the school. Additionally, representatives from Mars Hill College and the ROTC program at Mountain Heritage High School met with students. Eighth graders enjoyed the opportunity to hear about possible career opportunities as they prepare to transition to the high school. East Yancey Middle School would like to send a special thanks to all the participants that were able to attend this year.

Special Thanks to all Participants of the Yancey County Middle School’s

Orientation Night

     On Thursday, May 22, 2008, parents, guardians and upcoming 6^th grade students of Cane River and East Yancey Middle Schools attended a special orientation program at both middle schools. The program gave students an opportunity to meet other incoming sixth graders, middle school faculty and to tour the school. Meanwhile, parents were provided with important information regarding internet safety by Special Agent, Alan Flora and circulated through the media centers obtaining information relating to their student’s middle school career. Students and parents joined together to enjoy entertainment and positive messages provided by Matt Fore, and inspirational and amusing magician. The evening aimed at easing the transition from fifth to sixth grade for students and their parents or guardians. Yancey County Schools would like to thank all the students and their families for attending this special orientation program. Each middle school will be offering a summer orientation program for students as well. Incoming sixth graders will be notified of these dates as they approach

Bald Creek Elementary Fourth Graders Visit Raleigh

            Ms. Teena McCurry’s and Mr. Jason Robinson’s fourth grade students traveled to Raleigh on April 24^th.  While in our state’s capital, they toured the Legislative Building to learn about how a bill becomes a law in North Carolina, and about the history of the building itself.  The students visited the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences where they explored the various exhibits from all three regions of our great state.  The classes also visited the North Carolina Museum of History where they stepped back into the past and reflected upon how much our state has changed and continues to change.  The Marbles Children Museum was the final stop of the day for the fourth graders where they experienced a 3D IMAX movie about the Grand Canyon and the need for conservation of water, our most precious natural resource.

            On day two of the trip the students were excited to visit the North Carolina Zoological Park in Asheboro, NC. They were privileged to view animals from Africa and North America in their natural habitats.  Students were able to build upon their background knowledge and acquire new information about animals and their environments.

            This trip was a culmination of the integration of studies in inquiry-based science, social studies, and writing.  Both teachers spent time introducing students to these concepts prior to the trip.  Upon returning, students reflected on their learning experiences through writing activities and class discussions.

            Ms. McCurry, Mr. Robinson, and the fourth grade students would like to express their deepest appreciation to all those who helped make this trip a reality.  It was a wonderful opportunity for everyone involved.  Thank you to Dr. Little, the Yancey Co. Board of Education, and our principal, Mrs. Sherry Robinson. Your support and dedication helped bring education to life beyond the classroom walls.  We would also like to recognize the fourth grade parents who played an integral role in fund-raising.  A very special thank you goes to the contributors of the Mountain Air Residents’ Community Fund for their generous donation.  Additionally, our “2008 Bald Creek 4^th Grade Rockin’ Raleigh Trip” t-shirt sponsors are: Banks Grading & Trucking, Bill Restall, Bald Creek Tractor & Equipment, etationcreations, Riverside Grocery, Yancey County Youth League Association, Heritage Lumber Company, Inc., Buchanan & Young, Inc. Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep, Players Sporting Goods, Andy’s Inc., Flowers By Vance, Craintree Harvesting & Mtn. Bike Roads, Friends of Brittany Thomason, Jason Robinson of Riddle Real Estate, WNC Ear, Nose & Throat, Riverside Roller Rink, A Touch of Cass, David Gillespie’s Plumbing, Alpine Design, The Community Foundation of WNC, Inc., Davis Farms, The Preserve at Wolf Laurel, Garden Deli Restaurant, Lighthouse Christian Books & Gifts, Styles Automotive Supply, H & R Block of Burnsville, Miss Louanna and Doug Delf, McDonald’s of Burnsville, Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church, Dr. Iva Nell Buckner, and Adpro Promotional Products.

            Once again, a sincere thank you to everyone who contributed their time, money and efforts.  You all helped to make this educational trip a lasting memory for our students!

Yancey County Vocabulary Grade Level Champions

Vocabulary instruction is recognized as critical to success in reading.
Research confirms that word knowledge is essential to reading
comprehension.  The more words a student masters, the more accomplished
he or she will be as a reader and as a writer.
Vocabulary Workshop focuses on 192 core words –their meanings, their
ranges of application and their relationships to other words.
Yancey County's 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade AIG students have been
participating in a county-wide vocabulary contest using Vocabulary
Workshop.   The highest score for each of these three grade levels have
received recognition as a Yancey County Grade Level Champion.
Congratulations go to:
M. Seth Flynn    -5th grader at South Toe.
Michelle Zitney -4th grader at Bald Creek.
Samarie Wilson -3rd grader at South Toe

Samarie Wilson (3rd Grade) and Seth Flyn (5th grade)

Michelle Zitney, a 4th grader from Bald Creek Elementary

YANCEY COUNTY AIG ELEMENTARY STUDENTS CONDUCT COURT FOR THE MURDER OF BILLY BUNNY

During the past nine weeks, the AIG 5th graders in all elementary schools have investigated a crime scene, using data collecting and scientific methods to determine if Billy Bunny was murdered, and if so, who was the perpetrator. After evaluating all data, they arrested their suspect. Four schools held trial with the AIG students taking on various roles of court. Jurors were chosen from their classrooms.  All four suspects were found guilty of murder.  Two suspects confessed to involuntary manslaughter at two of the schools.  AIG students learned to carefully perform forensic tests that would be acceptable in court and then experienced court processes.


Ethan Wilson, Kristin Ledford, Dahlia Perez are collecting evidence from Cindy Wilson at Bee Log Elementary

Judge Jason Robinson with Gray McCurry on witness stand at Bald Creek Elementary

CHAMBER CONGRATULATES SCHOLARS AND AWARDS SCHOLARSHIPS

The Yancey County Burnsville Chamber of Commerce recently congratulated the Class of  2008 North Carolina Academic Scholars from Mountain Heritage High School.  On May 21^th, the Chamber held their annual Scholars luncheon at the Burnsville Town Center with the Scholars and their family's attending.  A pasta luncheon was catered by White Falls Catering and enjoyed by all.  The guest speaker for the event was Dr. Suzanne Owens, President of Mayland Community College, who gave an outstanding motivational speech about finding a career that fits your passion for life.

During the program, there were some special awards and scholarships given by the Chamber to several seniors who have achieved significant academic distinction.  The 2008 Chamber Scholar Athlete recipients were Nicholas Silvers and Alana Tipton.  The 2008 Chamber Scholarship recipients were Zachary Hogan who will be attending Appalachian State University and Bryce Butner, who will attend the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.  Each of these recipients received a $1000.00 scholarship.  A special plaque with the 2008 NC Academic Scholars names on it was presented to Alton Robinson, Principal at Mountain Heritage High School, for display at the school.

Certificates were presented to these 33 Mountain Heritage Seniors for their academic success: Ashley Ayers, Heather Babb, Taylor Banks, Brandon Bates, Brandi Briggs, Bryce Butner, Danielle Cripps, Kayla Deyton, Shealeigh Garland, Cynthia Leigh Gibbs, Lacey Hensley, Tiffany Hensley, Charity Honeycutt, Bethany Hudgins, Brittany Hudgins, Lilly Hughes, Sarah Maher, Collin Medina, Daniel Miller, Jamie Parlier, Kristina Rathburn, Chelsea Ray, Whitney Ray, Kacie Renfro, Nicholas Silvers, Olivia Smith, Kellie Stevenson, Kristin Sullins, Scarlett Swann, Alana Tipton, Nick Tipton, Carol Tyner, and Brandon Wilson.

Congratulations to each of these students. They are a credit to themselves, their families, their school and teachers, as well as to this community. We wish them every success in the future!

Guest Speaker Dr. Suzanne Owens President of Mayland Community College

2008 Class of North Carolina Academic Scholars from Mountain Heritage High School

Scholar Athlete Award Winners Nicholas Tipton, Chamber Executive Director Ashley Grindstaff, Scholar Athlete Award Winner Alana Tipton

Chamber Scholarship Winner Zach Hogan, Chamber Director Ashley Grindstaff, Chamber Scholarship Winner Bryce Butner

Chamber Director Ashley Grindstaff presenting plaque of NC Academic Scholars to Mountain Heritage High School Principal Alton Robinson

Chamber Scholarship Winner Zach Hogan, Chamber Director Ashley Grindstaff, Chamber Scholarship Winner Bryce Butner

The Chamber would like to say a special THANK YOU to the businesses and individuals who sponsored or donated door prizes for this event. These include: Everywhere Chair, CVS, Black Bear Trading Company, David's Limited, The Office Shoppe, Something Special Gift Shop, Blue Ridge Fitness and Rehab, Garden Deli, Blue Ridge Hardware, Luxo Home & Garden, Sandy's Hair and Gifts, Needle Me This, Hill Top Restaurant, Grassy Creek Country Store, Fox Country Store, Pizza Hut, Burger King, Hardees, McDonalds, The Grapevine, Bill and Shar Baker, Marie Nicholson, Jerri Storie, Linda Hughes, Altec, Young & McQueen, George Nero, Carolina First Bank, Country Cablevision, Carolina Mountain Realty, Burnsville Florist, and Mountain Air.

Mountain Heritage Eco-Club Students rafting down the Toe River

Looking at Appalachian elktoe mussel

Students Hit the Water in Search of Endangered Mussel

The morning of May 17th saw a flotilla of 17 boats set out in the Toe River
on an expedition to find the endangered Appalachian elktoe mussel.

While state and federal biologists routinely monitor the presence of the
endangered Appalachian elktoe mussel in Western North Carolina streams,
what set this effort apart was that it was made up largely of students from
Mountain Heritage High School’s Eco-Club. Organized as a celebration of
Endangered Species Day, which officially fell on May 16th, the trip
included students, biologists from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and
members of Toe River Valley Watch.

“We wanted to give the students an opportunity to see first hand the
biodiversity found in the river, especially the endangered species found in
their own backyard. It’s one thing to talk about a river, it’s another to
feel the cold water around your legs, watch the fish around your feet, and
see the big sky above. I hope at the end of the day, everyone on the trip
had a deeper appreciation for the Toe River,” said John Fridell, the
Service’s Appalachian elktoe expert who led the student’s search for the
mussels.

The 19-member team floated an two-mile stretch of river, immediately
upstream of the Toecane community on the Yancey-Mitchell County line using inflatable kayaks donated by Loafer’s Glory Rafting and Tubing which also donated shuttling services.

“From a science education standpoint, I think it was great that the
students got to experience the river first hand with professional
biologists. Perhaps it will encourage them to think about career
possibilities,” said Mountain heritage High School science teacher
Gabrielle Riesner.

Over the course of the trip, the team stopped twice to look for elktoes,
finding two, which the students were able to compare to the far more common Asian clam, an Asian mussel that has become prolific in Western NorthCarolina rivers. The trip also turned up a wavy-rayed lampmussel, a statespecies of concern known for its vibrant underwater displays, and a
hellbender salamander.

Yancey County School’s Drop-Out Rate Compares Favorably to State Rate

Across North Carolina, a total of 23,550 students, or 5.24 percent of the students in grades 9-12, dropped out of school in the 2006-2007 school year, according to the “Annual Dropout Report for School Year 2007” presented to the State Board of Education.

North Carolina State Board of Education Chairman Howard Lee said he was deeply concerned about the number of students dropping out of school. “Students drop out of school for many reasons, including excessive absences, family concerns, and academic problems. High school today is a bare minimum for economic survival and we need to support all students so they can graduate from high school.”

Mountain Heritage High School of Yancey County had a dropout rate of 4.55 in the 2006-2007 school year. The rate of 4.55 was lower than the state rate of 5.24 and the rates of surrounding counties (Madison 6.04, Mitchell 5.93, and Buncombe 5.38). Avery County had a lower rate of 3.61.

53.2 percent of North Carolina’s high school students in grades 9-12 drop out due to attendance issues with another 13.6 percent dropping out of school to enroll in community college, according to the report. Academic problems account for 7.1 percent of all the dropouts. Attendance issues are the number one reason students drop out of high school in Yancey County, according to principal Alton Robinson. “The importance of attendance must be stressed more at home and is a significant factor in educational achievement. Very few students drop out of Mountain Heritage High School as a result of academic problems or other factors. Academic problems are usually a result of excessive absences. The importance of student attendance cannot be stressed enough. Mountain Heritage High School has the faculty and staff in place to help students achieve if they attend regularly.”

The Dropout Prevention Steering Committee was formed last year and comprises school personnel K-12 and community leaders, all working together to tackle the concerns and issues of students dropping out of school. The SOAR transition program at the middle and high schools is designed to assist students with skills to prevent them from dropping out of school. Mountain Heritage High School Dropout Prevention Coordinator Donna Banks is currently studying other programs, grants, and initiatives to be implemented in the future.

The staff of Cruz Chiropractic honored Yancey County Schools bus drivers with flower and gift bags to show their appreciation.

Bus drivers and other support staff enjoyed a great meal at the Bus Drivers Appreciation Luncheon

Ben Robinson (shown left) received the Bus Driver of the Year Award presented by Kenny Renfro.

Annette Jones presented Donald Neal with the Lisa Haney Scholarship.

Bus Driver Appreciation Week May 5-9, 2008

      Yancey County Schools’ bus drivers were recognized at a luncheon held in their honor on Monday, May 5, 2008, at the Yancey County Schools bus garage. Before the meal began, Mr. Kenny Renfro welcomed the group and introduced Ms. Lesia Cruz who thanked the bus drivers for their work and recalled her experience as a school bus rider throughout her years as a student. In thanking the bus drivers, she shared a thought that is very true and shows the significant role a bus driver plays in the lives of our children. She said a bus driver is the first person your child sees at the beginning of the school day and the last person that child sees at the end of the school day.

     Ms. Annette Jones presented the Lisa Haney Scholarship to Donald Neal, a senior at Mountain Heritage High School. Mr. Kenny Renfro, Transportation Department Director, presented the Bus Driver of the Year Award to Mr. Ben Robinson.

     For a third consecutive year, flowers and gift bags were presented to all the transportation department employees by Dr. Miguel Cruz and his staff from Cruz Chiropractic. Dr. Cruz stated, “We just want to give back to the community. The bus drivers tend to get overlooked and we want to let them know we appreciate the work they do.”

     Yancey County Schools extends its appreciation to all of our bus drivers. These drivers are Susan Hoilman, Shirleen Berry, Tina Haney, Pat Skinner, Jeannie Chrisawn, Renee Fender, Annette Jones Christine Fox, Sheila Strickland, Karen Carroll, Rebecca Robinson, Wilma Penland, Joan Chrisawn, Wilma Briggs, Angie Stump, Ben Robinson, Jeanette Deyton, J.C. Morrow, Cindy Jackson, Carolyn Miller, Amanda Ledford, Teresa Thomas, William Silvers, Regina McKinney, Betty Hughes, Annette Bigelow, Sherry Burleson, Mitzie Williams, Glenda Edwards, Camille McIntosh, Michelle McIntosh, William Fox, Nancy Pitman, Carolyn Laws, Lisa Honeycutt, Angie Beaver, Ray Briggs, Charlene Thomas, Sandra Geouge, and Christy Tipton.

     Yancey County Schools would also like to thank our bus mechanics Derek Murphy, Tony Robinson and Randy Webb, Transportation Department Administrative Assistant Sherry Laws, and Transportation Department Director Kenny Renfro.

Yancey County Schools Wins Weather Station Through

 RENCI Competition

Three counties in North Carolina, including Yancey County, will soon have detailed information about the weather patterns in their region and new classroom curricula that uses real-time weather station information as a result of the Renaissance Computing Institute (RENCI) Weather Web competition. The winners are Yancey County, Hyde County and Alexander County. Each county will acquire a research and operational grade weather station through the Weather Web project, which is aimed at enhancing weather-related K-12 education and improving the quantity and quality of weather data in underserved areas of the state.

 "The new weather stations provided through the Weather Web project will provide Yancey County Schools comprehensive data from areas of the state where we have not been able to obtain data," said Ryan Boyles, state climatologist and director of the State Climate Office at North Carolina State University. "The data will provide citizens, disaster response researchers, state climatologist, emergency responders, agricultural managers and others with data that can improve severe weather management, weather forecasts, emergency planning, and natural resource management."

In collaboration with the State Climate Office (SCO) and MCNC's North Carolina Research Education Network (NCREN), RENCI sent out a challenge to schools in the 36 North Carolina counties that lack research grade weather stations, challenging them to develop lesson plans in meteorology and atmospheric sciences that would use the real-time data collected by a weather station. The call for proposals was issued in February and by the March 17 deadline, RENCI had received proposals from individual schools, a partnership of schools and teachers from the targeted counties.

The winning proposals came from a collaboration of several schools in Yancey County in the Appalachian Mountains near the Tennessee border; Alexander Central High School in Taylorsville in the west central part of the state; and Ocracoke School on Ocracoke Island on the Outer Banks. "Teachers from Yancey County, Hyde County and Alexander submitted a variety of original curricula aimed at students in fourth through 12^th grade," said Jennifer Shelton, RENCI Weather Web project manager. "The proposals included lesson plans for math, physical science, earth and environmental science, horticulture, social studies and language arts. The hands-on curricula introduce live weather data to NC students." Each proposal also included student essays on the local benefits of weather stations. The recipient of the "most outstanding student essay" was awarded to Allison Turner, a ninth grader at Camden High School in Camden County. Turner will receive a gift certificate to Amazon.com, and her school will receive the Tropical Weather Tracking Kit from Carolina Biological Supply Company.

 A team of representatives from RENCI, the SCO and MCNC reviewed the proposals and essays. Originally, the contest planned to award two weather stations, paid for by RENCI. As part of its partnership in the project, MCNC agreed to pay the cost of a third weather station.

The SCO will install the weather stations in late summer at sites determined most suitable in the winning counties. Events in each of the winning counties are tentatively planned for fall to celebrate the occasion. For more information about the Weather Web competition go to http://www.renci.org/focusareas/eduoutreach/weatherweb.php. The winning curricula will be posted on this website in June. All data from the awarded stations, and from existing stations in the state, are available on the SCO website at http://www.nc-climate.ncsu.edu/cronos. The Renaissance Computing Institute brings together teams of talented researchers, engineers, technologists and leaders in government, business, the arts and humanities to attack major research questions and community issues in ways that accelerate discovery and drive innovation. RENCI has nationally significant expertise and capabilities in high performance computing, visualization, collaborative tools, networking, device prototyping, and data systems as well as engagement sites across the state. Founded in 2004 as a major collaborative venture of Duke University, North Carolina State University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the state of North Carolina, RENCI is a statewide virtual organization. For more, see www.renci.org. 

 Since 1985, MCNC has collaborated with the University of North Carolina's 16 campuses to develop and operate the N.C. Research and Education Network (NCREN) - one of the nation's first statewide education and research networks. Today, the NCREN community is expanding in partnership with state government and the N.C. Department of Public Instruction to provide advanced communications and network support for a seamless K-20 education experience for all public education institutions in North Carolina, adding all K-12 schools and community colleges as NCREN customers. For more information, please visit www.mcnc.org.

Farm Bureau Funds Landform Kits

North Carolina Standard Course of Study requires fifth grade students to make observations and conduct investigations to build an understanding of landforms.  In order for students to conduct these investigations, materials must be available.  Purchasing these materials from science supply companies is very expensive; therefore, teachers and administrators try to provide these materials at the local level.  Without the support of the local community, some of these materials would not be available to students.  The Yancey County Farm Bureau recently funded a request by Yancey County Schools to provide the funds to assemble landform kits for fifth grade teachers.  These kits will allow students to conduct investigations which will them to analyze forces that cause change in landforms including movement of water, deposition, slope of land and erosion, as well as human impact on the land.  Through these investigations, students will understand the importance of being good stewards of the land in Yancey County or elsewhere.  Nine landform kits were assembled and distributed to:

            Tamara Presnell – Bald Creek

            Julie Rice – Bald Creek

            Mike Renfro -  Burnsville

            Kim Rathburn – Burnsville

            Sharon Randolph – Burnsville

            Amy Autrey – Clearmont

            Rachel Murphy – Micaville

            Nora Lusk – Micaville

            Lila Hughes – South Toe

Bee Log teachers already had the kits from a previous grant.

Yancey County Schools are extremely grateful for Yancey County’s Farm Bureau for their generous contribution to education.

No Child Left Behind
Federal Program and Private Schools

     A meeting has been scheduled for May 15 for Yancey County’s private schools to meet with public schools to discuss possible participation in federally funded projects planned for the 2008-09 school year.  Federal Program representatives from Yancey County will be at the meeting.

     An overview of the No Child Left Behind federal programs will be presented followed by comments and questions from 10 a.m. to11 a.m.  The meeting will be held at the Board of Education office in the Board room. Following this meeting, private school representatives and parents from private schools-home schools, interested in IDEA and exceptional children services will meet from 11 a.m. to 12 noon in the same location.  The Exceptional Children’s Director for Yancey County will be there to answer your questions. Federal projects to be reviewed include:

- Title I, Part A – Basic Title I Program: Supplements elementary school remedial reading programs.

- Title II, Part A – Improving Teacher and Principal Quality: Staff development for teachers and principals.  Also funds to hire additional certified teachers to reduce class size.

- Title II, Part D – Enhancing Education Through Technology

- Title III – Language Instruction for Limited English Proficient and Immigrant Students: English as a Second Language programs.

- Title IV – Safe and Drug Free Schools

- Title V, Part A – Innovative Program Grants: True Block Grants used for beginning teachers’ training and staff development

- IDEA – Title VI Part B Public Law 105.17

For more information, call Yancey County Schools Federal Programs Director-Dr. Cheri Boone at (828)682-6101, extension 301; Director of Exceptional Children Services-Pete Peterson at (828)682-6101, extension 311; or Title I Director Dr. Tom Little at (828) 682-6101, extension 317.

Games Adolescents Shouldn't Play
(What every Teen and Parent Should Know About the "Choking Game")

The following website link, includes a 15 minute video that is a good  website resource known as GASP – “Games Adolescents Shouldn't Play.”  The website http://www.gaspinfo.com/ provides information about the "The Choking Game," which of course, is no game at all but is an act of suffocating on purpose.  This website explains that adolescents cut off the flow of blood to the brain, in exchange for a few seconds of feeling lightheaded.  Some strangle themselves with a belt, a rope or their bare hands; others push on their chest or hyperventilate.  When they release the pressure, blood that was blocked up floods the brain all at once.  This sets off a warm and fuzzy feeling, which is just the brain dying, thousands of cells at a time.  In the last 3 months in WNC we have lost two young people in different counties as a result of this game.  We must have a heightened awareness that this is a reality with our young people.  

For a brochure on this deadly game, click here

ESL Students Tour AB Tech

The rain on Thursday, April 3, 2008, did not deter Mountain Heritage High School English as a Second Language (ESL) students from touring the AB Technical Community College (AB Tech) campus. The students visited various departments and explored the extensive range of subjects and programs that are available to them. For many of these students, attending school at AB Tech would make him/her the first in their family to go to college. “Going there made me decide what I want to do,” Blanca Leyva’s commented after the visit.  Students spent three hours visiting the state of the art culinary program where they bumped into former Yancey County student DJ Forbes, who stopped to talk to them about being a first year student in the program. They also visited the Allied Health & Public Service Education Department where they were able to see the dental clinic in action, the Engineering and Applied Technology Division where they saw “Sparky” the Robot and the brand new cosmetology department that has just opened. “It was fun and a good experience to go and check out the college,” said senior Sebastian Guerrero. The trip was funded through a Bright Ideas Grant that was awarded to the new ESL school counseling program this year. As he was leaving, Ramon Magana said, with a big grin on his face, “I hope to be the first in my family to go to college.”

Cane River Middle School Spring "Read and Feed"

“Casey at the Bat”

By:  Ernest Lawrence Thayer

Cane River Middle School’s eighth grade class celebrated the arrival of spring on Thursday, March 20, 2008 with a “Read and Feed” activity in the Media Center.  The students were involved in cross-curriculum activities centered around the famous poem “Casey at the Bat.”  The activities covered drama, art, music, social studies, language arts, and technology.

“Casey at the Bat” is summarized twice.  The first summary is three sentences long and presents the final results of the baseball game:  Mudville loses by two runs with Casey getting the last out.  The second summary is considerably longer.  It captures the tension of the fans as they wait for Casey to come up to bat, the drama of Casey’s refusal to swing at the first two pitches, as well as the final strikeout.  It also points out the poem’s comic message:  “Even the mighty can fall.”  Elements of Literature 8^th grade Teachers Edition.

The welcome started with the eighth grade students singing “Take me out to the Ballgame.”  Mrs. Linda Deyton set the stage for the activities by reminding the group that “although this is the age of technology and many changes have occurred in sports, baseball is still a favorite American sport.  Today we are going to take you back in time when Mom, apple pie, and baseball were the American way of life!”

The Media Center was laid out in diamond shape, representing a baseball field.  The activities were in stations:  First Base:  The History of Integration of Baseball at CRMS and the United States which included a dedication to the late John Vance Jackson and Louis Samuel Young, the first African-American players at CRMS.  The instructors were Mrs. Kelly Boone and Michael Neil, Mars Hill College student.  Second Base:  Baseball Trivia Game which covered baseball history.  Instructors were Mrs. Teresa Stiles and Ms. Amanda Bennett.  Third Base:  Baseball Scavenger Hunt.  Students used reference materials to answer Who, What, Where, When, Why and How questions.  Instructors were Mrs. Linda Deyton, Ms. Jeanette Henson and Mrs. Penni Robinson.  Home Plate:  Vaudeville Comedy of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, “Who’s on First?” performed by Dakota Crain and Brian Krause, eighth grade students.  Instructors were Mrs. Sharon Deyton and Mrs. Teresa Angel.

 After all students rotated in and out of the stations, they were asked to be seated for a live performance of “Casey at the Bat.”  The audience of eighth graders, CRMS instructors, Board Chairperson, Dr. Iva Nell Buckner, Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Sherri Boone, and Superintendent Dr. Thomas Little were all asked to stand for the singing of the National Anthem by Sarah Maney, eighth grade student.

Last, it’s time to PLAYBALL….eighth grade student, Gabby Neill, narrated the poem as eighth graders acted out the parts.  We were all enthusiastic fans until the mighty Casey (Eli Buckner) struck out.  The poem ended with the famous lines:

“Oh, somewhere in this favored land. The sun is shining bright;

The band is playing somewhere, And somewhere hearts are light,

And somewhere men are laughing, And somewhere children shout;

But there is no joy in Mudville—Mighty Casey has struck out.”   

The students were told that there was no joy in Mudville for the fans, but for the fans of Cane River Middle School, there were treats of Cracker Jacks, peanuts, and drinks.

We would like to express our sincere thanks to Mr. Don Massey, District Manager for Frito Lay Distribution for donating large bags of Cracker Jacks for every student.

This is a picture of Bald Creek Fifth grade students in a group shot in front of the White House. They recently spent three days in Washington, DC. The class would like to thank parents, volunteers, and sponsors who made this trip happen (particularly Country Cablevision whose name was left off the tee shirts accidentally). The Fifth grade class

WordMasters Challenge Results

A team of students representing Yancey County Schools recently won highest honors in the WordMasters Challenge-a national language arts competition entered by over 230, 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, the county’s 8^th graders tied for ninth place in the nation in the year’s second meet, held in March, among 171 school teams participating at this grade level and in this division.  Two of the county’s students won highest honors for individual achievement as well:  Sixth grader Emilee Crowder and eighth grader Athena Theodorides both earned perfect scores in the meets for their grade levels, where nationwide only 122 sixth graders and only 11 eighth graders did so. Other students who achieved outstanding results included sixth graders Madison Morgan, Halle Randolph, Danielle Hughes, Julianne Yuziuk, Jennifer Riehm, Tessa Biggerstaff, Courtney Miller and Sarah Presnell: and seventh graders Luke DeHart, Kassi Brewer, and Chris Bobbe: and eighth graders Zak Denny, Sarah Feldman, Zeb Gouge, Lexi Banks, Alexa Butner, Penny Lane Buckner and Maria Kardulis.

The WordMasters Challenge is an exercise in critical thinking that 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 relationships.  Working to solve the Challenge analogies helps students learn to think both analytically and metaphorically.  Though most vocabulary-boosting and analogy-solving activities have been created for high school students, the WordMasters 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 21 years by a company based in Allendale, New Jersey, which is dedicated to inspiring high achievement in American schools. The students will participate in one more WordMasters meets during the coming months, and medals and certificates will be awarded at the end of school to those who achieve and/or improve the most in the course of the year.

Officer Anthony Renfro makes fingerprinting fun for kindergarten registrant Mason Allen.

YCS Second Annual Kindergarten Kick-Off a Success

The Second Annual Kindergarten Registration Kick-Off Event at the Town Center was a success!  This event was sponsored by Yancey County Safe and Drug Free Schools and the Burnsville Police Department. This event brought out 45 upcoming kindergarteners and their families.  The kindergarteners enjoyed a fun-filled afternoon with singing, dancing, face painting, art, fingerprinting, and fun activities with Yancey County Schools’ physical education staff. The kids also got to meet Buster the Bus and Betty Tumey, the public health dental hygienist. Information about Yancey County Schools’ “B.U.S.Y. B.E.E.S.” preschool bus was shared with the kindergarteners and their families. Kristin Buchanan, Yancey County Schools’ Safe and Drug Free Schools Coordinator, extends a special thank you to the Town of Burnsville, Burnsville Police Department, McDonalds, Burger King, Ingles, Bi-Lo, GO Grocery, The Partnership for Children, Ruth Banks, George Nero, and Yancey County Schools for all their help and support with this event.

MHHS Students Selected for Governor’s School of NC

Three Mountain Heritage High School students were recently selected to attend Governor’s School of NC. These students were Abraham McKay (Instrumental Music), Jessica Greer (Social Science), both selected for Governor’s School East, and John Mauney (Natural Science), selected for Governor’s School West.

The Governor’s School of North Carolina is a six-week summer residential program for intellectually gifted high school students and is open only to high school seniors, with exceptions made for rising juniors in selected performing/visual arts areas. This program integrates academic disciplines, the arts, and unique courses on each of two campuses, East (Meredith College in Raleigh, NC) and West (Salem College in Winston Salem, NC). The curriculum does not involve credit, tests or grades, and focuses on the exploration of the most recent ideas and concepts in each discipline. Funded by the General Assembly of NC, the program is entirely free of charge to all students. The faculty and staff include bright, dedicated teachers and professionals from across the country, from public and private schools, colleges and universities, and independent artists and scholars.

Three other students who were nominated, but not selected, were Sadie Perrin, Shane Rathburn, and Shana Hensley. These students should be highly commended for their nomination to Governor’s School of NC.

Yancey County Schools would like to recognize each of these students for being nominated for this honor, and would like to congratulate those students who were selected. Yancey County takes great pride in your efforts. 

CLEARMONT FACULTY VISITS RON CLARK ACADEMY

     On March 14, Clearmont teachers Amy Autrey, Jill Hensley, Sue Pittman, and Dawn Robinson traveled to Atlanta, Georgia, accompanied by Principal Angie Anglin.  They could hardly contain their excitement as they entered The Ron Clark Academy for a full day of observation and seminars.

     The faculty at Clearmont participated in a two month long book study using Ron Clark’s Excellent Eleven.  The book covered the eleven things that he felt were imperative to making sure students were successful.  They were:  Enthusiasm, Adventure, Creativity, Reflection, Balance, Compassion, Confidence, Humor, Common Sense, Appreciation, and Resilience.  Ron Clark said, “These are the qualities found in teachers and parents who know how to bring out the joy of learning in any child.”

     Ron Clark has been called "America's Educator." In 2000, he was named Disney's American Teacher of the Year. He is a New York Times bestselling author whose book, The Essential 55, has sold over one million copies and has been published in 25 different countries. He has been featured on The Today Show, CNN, and Oprah, and Ms. Winfrey even named him as her first "Phenomenal Man." His classes have been honored at the White House on three separate occasions. Ron's teaching experiences in New York City are the subject of the uplifting film, The Ron Clark Story, starring Matthew Perry, better known as Chandler from Friends.  Ron is from North Carolina, where he began his career as an elementary teacher.

     “I had the opportunity to hear Ron Clark speak at the 2004 Summer Administrators’ Conference in Asheville.  He had so much passion, and had voluntarily gone from his small hometown in North Carolina to Harlem, NY, just to try to make a difference.  And what a difference he made.  He had a class that had been written off, that no one else wanted.  Through his passion and determination, he turned the lives around of these children and their families.  By the time he finished, I was so energized and inspired by him and the words of his students that I really wanted to see him teach.  Then, this year, he opened The Ron Clark Academy, and we applied for a visit.   I feel so fortunate to have had this opportunity to see a true Master Teacher,” said Ms. Anglin.

Two local schools: Clearmont Elementary and Bee Log Elementary Celebrate  the Birthday of Dr. Suess and Participate in Numerous Dr. Seuss School Events While Learning

“RED WHITE AND WHO” DAY AT CLEARMONT

     On Friday, March 7, students transformed Clearmont Elementary into a “Whoville” that would have made Dr. Seuss proud.  To celebrate Dr. Seuss’s birthday, every grade participated in activities developed around his books.  Students came dressed in red and white stripes like the Cat in the Hat, and like many other characters in the Dr. Seuss series.  What the students really had fun with was their “Who Hair”. 

     Friday was an all-day culmination of the activities that students had been doing all week.  Some of those activities are as follows:  Ms. Bailey’s kindergarten class did an outstanding job with their Dr. Seuss unit of study. They began each day writing a Dr. Seuss morning message.  Then every day they read a book followed by a hands-on activity.  Some of the activities they did daily were to read Happy Birthday to You and make checker board birthday cakes, read Green Eggs and Ham and made Green Eggs and Ham picture frames with the students pictures in them, invented different animals using combinations of two animals (example dog and goat make a doat-students then wrote what this animal would do and drew its picture) after reading Horton Hatches the Egg, they had a writing activity focused around letter sounds such as Big "R", little "r" what begins with Rr?, after reading Dr Seuss A, B, C.  (Example of a book written by a student:  Riley Really Rocks).  Math activities included graphing colored fish after reading the story One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, connecting the dots from 1 to 100 to create Horton the elephant and using the Smart Board to do an on-line matching activity with Horton Hears a Who after reading the book.  Students also chose their favorite book to draw a picture and write about.  The Dr. Seuss unit of study will be complete this Friday with a trip to the Yancey Theatre to see Horton Hears A Who.

     Dawn Robinson’s first graders read Bartholomew and theOobleck, then made their own oobleck from food coloring, water, and corn starch.  They used math skills to measure ingredients and sciences skills to determine if the oobleck was a solid or liquid. After reading several other stories, they made cat in hat word families.  Hollie Hensley’s second graders read various stories as well as the biography of Dr. Seuss.  Following this, they made their own construction paper Cat in the Hat hats.  Jill Hensley’s third graders worked on a character education activity about being different and accepting people who are different after watching the video E. Marlow Bryne and the Scrodes.  Sue Pittman’s fourth grade class read The Places You May Go, then drew pictures and discussed where they would like to go and what they would like to do when they got there.  Amy Autrey’s fifth grade worked with Media Coordinator Kay Ball on their lesson.  She read The Sneeches to them and they responded to the following: "Write a response after you have listened to The Sneetches.  Do you think everyone should be treated the same?  Why or why not?  How can you make a new student feel welcome if he/she were to enroll in your class as a new student?" She also read Diffendoofer Day to second grade students and The Birthday Book to kindergarten.  Kay is planning to follow up this week with students’ making power-point books.

     “One of the most effective ways to teach is to develop interdisciplinary units, as evidenced by all of our classes using the Dr. Seuss books as a springboard for activities in most of the other areas of the curriculum.  When students cover many subject areas that all focus on a central theme, their comprehension is higher in all these areas, compared to each subject being taught in isolation.  During this unit, students participated not only in reading, but writing, art, math, science, technology, and character education, all focused on the Dr. Seuss literature,” said Principal Angie Anglin.         

    Clearmont wrapped up the unit of study with “Red White and Who” day.  Ms. Anglin had promised students that the class with the highest percentage of participation would get a surprise, which was to watch the animated version of Horton Hears a Who in the Media Center.  Since there was 100% participation, all students were able to watch the movie. After lunch, the PTO brought Dr. Seuss cupcakes and juice for all students to enjoy.  Then at 1:00, middle school drama teacher, Jenny Martin, brought her Cane River drama students to perform plays based on the works of Dr. Seuss.  They performed The Lorax, The Sneeches, and Green Eggs and Ham.  The students really enjoyed the plays as they had read the stories and were able to make more of a connection with the plays.  It was the perfect ending to a great day!

Quality Assurance Review

The SACS CASI Quality Assurance Review District Accreditation Team
pointed out many strengths of the Yancey County School System during
their visit November 4-7, 2007 at which time Yancey County Schools was
recommended for District Accreditation.

These strengths included the following:

1. Commitment to frequent and meaningful communication at all levels

2. Clear vision that permeates throughout the district

3. Support of school board members, superintendent, and assistant
superintendent by central office, school administrators and staff

4. Test scores consistently higher than the state average

5. Trust and confidence of the stakeholders in the board, superintendent
and staff

6. Commitment to continuous improvement

7. Mentoring program for beginning teachers

8. Well-aligned K-8 curriculum

9. Creative/strong fiscal management

10. Visibility of the Board and the leadership team

11. Proactive response to ESL populations

12. Effective management of facilities

13. Data-driven decisions at all levels

14. Revised employment procedures

15. Pride in strong leadership, dedicated teachers/staff, supportive
parents/community and conscientious students

16. School programs enhanced by partnerships and community-based
programs

                  District Accreditation Recommended

During the Board meeting on Wednesday, November 7, 2007, at 3 p.m.,
Yancey County Schools received the good news they have been waiting to
hear. After months of dedication and hard work from school
administrators, teachers, Central Office staff, school support staff,
students, parents, and the business community, Yancey County Schools has received a recommendation from the SACS CASI Quality Assurance Review Team for district accreditation. Following the review team's exit
report, the SACS CASI District Accreditation banner was presented to Dr.
Tom Little, Superintendent, and Mrs. Van Thomas, Board Chairperson, by
Mrs. Hilda C. Kelly, SACS CASI Quality Assurance Review Team Chair.

The SACS CASI Quality Assurance Review Team members were Mrs. Hilda C.Kelly, Chair, Mr. Hall Davis, Jr., Vice Chair, Dr. Shelly Bazemore, Mr.
Larry Harmon, Mr. David Lewis, Dr. Barbara Parker, and Dr. Mickey
Randolph. This group of highly qualified persons spent four days with
Yancey County Schools reviewing accreditation standards, conducting
school visits, interviewing about 272 individuals including school
administrators and stakeholder groups, and observing our school system
as a whole. The information they collected allowed them to analyze the
capacity of the school system in standard areas, list any potential
commendations and recommendations, and share their findings concerning
the system's limitations, challenges, and worthy accomplishments.

                                  District Accreditation

Since the inception of the SACS CASI District Accreditation protocol in 2002, many school districts have applied throughout the SACS CASI region, been afforded readiness visits by regional and/or state staff, and consequently been approved to pursue District Accreditation.  The first three districts (Fulton County, GA; Cobb County, GA; and Volusia County, FL) successfully hosted their District Accreditation Quality Assurance Review Team visits and earned District Accreditation in 2004.

In 2005, 16 districts successfully hosted their first District Accreditation Quality Assurance Review Team and earned District Accreditation.  Fifty-seven districts earned District Accreditation in 2006.

The Board of Directors of the Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (CASI) reviews each district recommended by its Review Team for District Accreditation.  If approved, District Accreditation status is awarded for a five-year term. 

What is SACS CASI District Accreditation?

District Accreditation is a powerful systems’ approach that reflects the “next generation” of accreditation; it gives school districts the flexibility and responsibility to identify and implement their desired process of continuous improvement focusing on increasing student performance.  Because District Accreditation addresses issues systemically and uses quality tools, it strengthens the effectiveness and capacity of districts and their schools to be responsive, and therefore, sustain learning gains. It is a process that examines how all the processes and functions of a district work in concert to the benefit of student learning. School systems pursuit of District Accreditation is voluntary.

District Accreditation was developed by SACS CASI as a response to requests from superintendents whose systems were already engaged in quality strategic planning and who wanted to align more meaningfully their efforts, state and federal accountability requirements, and SACS accreditation.  Effective or best practices research recognizes that quality schools continuously improve, are dynamic, adapt to changing conditions and adjust to meet student needs.  They are evolving learning communities that use research-based advances as a basis for strategically pursuing improvement goals.  District Accreditation has been derived from these findings and the work of the National Study of School Evaluation (NSSE).  Such research indicates that leaders in quality, high performing school districts develop, maintain, and sustain improvement in student learning and school capacity by providing

1) direction, 2) assistance, and 3) resources and they create a culture that honors such endeavors.  In addition, the research indicates that high performing school districts demonstrate:

• A systemic approach to teaching and learning,

• A commitment to communication and the use of stakeholder perspectives to inform improvement efforts related to the quality of the work of the student and the work of the school,

• Focused central leadership that strongly supports all schools,

• System-wide deployment of school improvement processes, and

• Continuous monitoring of effectiveness and use of results in planning.

SACS CASI District Accreditation is a national protocol that is being emulated by other accreditors and of great interest by several state departments of education.  As of January 1, 2007 there are over 300 districts that are in the process or have achieved District Accreditation. 

How can districts benefits as a result of pursuing SACS District Accreditation?

District Accreditation is not a stand-alone process or something “extra” that a district must do; rather it serves as an umbrella or framework that supports systemic, substantive continuous improvement focused directly on improving learning for all students. Already, districts find it provides cost effective methods for meeting federal No Child Left Behind and state accountability laws.  In addition, District Accreditation:

•          Supports and enhances a common language of school improvement across content areas and grade levels, as well as across individual schools, feeder schools, and district lines of responsibility.

•          Ensures continuity and collaboration in planning for improvement, anchored in a common vision for education among all its schools; ensures that each school’s improvement goals complement those of the district.

•          Is cost effective for districts and schools.

•          Provides the district and community with validation and recognition for improvement efforts as well as recommendations from external professionals that are designed to further the district’s improvement efforts.

•          Supports a system-wide approach to achieving results.

•          Is an integrated process that supports other accountability requirements such as those mandated by the state and federal educational agencies, and strengthens efforts to meet such requirements.

•          Provides recognition for the district and its schools, students, teachers, and the community.

How does a district achieve SACS CASI District Accreditation?

SACS CASI District Accreditation requires commitment from the district’s leadership and Board of Education.  In order for a district to be eligible to apply, every school in the district must be individually accredited.  Additionally, building upon that foundation of successful accreditation experience, the district must have in place or in development a quality strategic planning process focused on improving student learning, and commit to achieving and maintaining three SACS CASI requirements, including:

1. Meeting (by documenting and validating compliance with) 10 Accreditation Standards for Quality Systems.

2. Pursuing and demonstrating the foundations of continuous improvement

3. Providing methods for quality assurance whereby it demonstrates institutional integrity and trustworthiness, delivers on its promises to stakeholders, and hosts an external review by trained professionals who assess and provide recommendations to strengthen the quality of the work of the district.

An external quality assurance review team trained by SACS CASI makes a three and one half day visit to the district. The role and responsibilities of the team are:

• Assess the capacity of the system to meet the 10 District Accreditation standards;

• Assess the efficacy and impact of the district’s improvement process;

• Assess the effectiveness of the system’s methods for quality assurance;

• Identify strengths of the system deserving of commendation; and

• Develop recommendations that are designed to help strengthen the school system.

 The Quality Assurance Team gathers data and evidence during the visit by interviewing a wide range of system and school level stakeholders.  In considering the evidence as provided through data, documentation, observation, and dialogue, the Team:

• Seeks a district perspective;

• Pursues evidence that can be correlated through multiple sources;

• Examines the context and capacity of the school system in relation to its vision, mission, and beliefs; and

• Applies the Standards for accreditation.

As noted by Dr. Mark A. Elgart, Chief Executive Officer of SACS CASI,

 "The capacity of any organization to improve is directly related to its ability to recognize, acknowledge, and act on its strengths and limitations.  The SACS CASI District Accreditation process provides a vehicle for assisting school districts to effectively identify its strengths and areas needing improvement, as well as for providing external experienced professionals, who assess the capacity of the district to meet the criteria for accreditation, commend worthy accomplishments, and recommend strategies that hold the promise of important systemic improvements.”

Founded in 1895, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is a voluntary, nongovernmental agency that accredits nearly 13,000 public and non-public institutions throughout the world.  SACS serves 11 Southern states – Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia, as well as the countries of Mexico, Central and South America, islands of the Caribbean, and other geographic areas.

ALLIED HEALTH CLASSES VISIT BODY WORLDS EXHIBITION

 Recently Yvonne Hardin’s Allied Health classes traveled to Discovery Place in Charlotte to tour Gunther von Hagens’ Body Worlds Exhibition.  The tour consisted of real human bodies in various poses showcasing the different systems of the human body.  Students were able to transfer classroom knowledge into real life experience.  The exhibition travels all over the world and will be leaving Discovery Place the first week in November.

YCS Fifth Grade Veterans Project

     Yancey County fifth graders have been involved in a county-wide project.  Students have been locating and interviewing local veterans to learn about their experiences while serving our country.  Students brought information and artifacts into the classrooms to share with their classmates. Artifacts included pictures of veterans, their families, and medals awarded to the soldiers. 

    The project integrated fifth grade social studies, language arts, and technology skills.  Student projects are on display at the State Employees Credit Union. 

MHHS More at Four Program Opening

 Mountain Heritage Preschool currently has an opening in their More at Four Program.  The More at Four Pre-Kindergarten Program is available to children in all North Carolina counties who are four years old by October 16, will be entering kindergarten the following year, and are at risk for poor school outcomes.

    Children attend a full school-day, full school-year program that meets high-quality state standards.  Children who are eligible receive this program free of charge.

    If you would like an application please contact Renee McCurry @ 682-6103.