Columbus County Schools will be providing substitute cafeteria and substitute custodial training for individuals interested in working in Columbus County Schools for the 2010-2011 school year on the following dates and times indicated:

In order to substitute in Columbus County Schools, you must attend one of the training sessions, complete the application process and pay $7.00 for a criminal background check. All interested individuals are encouraged to attend.

16 of 19 Schools Meet Expected Growth in 2009-2010 School Year; 11 Meet High Growth, District Meets High Growth

After receiving the 2009-2010 ABCs of Public Education Accountability Report approved by the State Board of Education, the Columbus County School District has reason to be proud. Out of 19 schools, 16 met their expected growth scores and of those 11 were declared High Growth schools. In addition, three schools, Old Dock Elementary, Willams Township and South Columbus were classified as “Schools of Distinction” for achieving 80% proficiency and meeting growth targets. These expected scores are assigned based on the school’s test scores from the previous year.

Schools meeting expected growth include Acme Delco Middle, Acme Delco Elementary, Chadbourn Elementary, Old Dock elementary, and Tabor City Elementary.

See the full results : http://abcs.ncpublicschools.org/abcs/

Guideway Elementary Summer Reading Program

Guideway students and community have been able to check out books and utilize the school library this summer  thanks to the dedication of Mrs. Rogers and Mrs.Gore. Every Wednesday, the library opens for several hours for students and families.

Guideway Elementary School PreK
 

Holiday Concerts/Exhibitions

Chadbourn Middle Beta Club Delivers Baskets

The Chadbourn Middle School Beta Club recently collected enough food to fill twelve baskets that were delivered to seniors and/or handicapped members of the community during the week of Thanksgiving. Each student had the opportunity to deliver a basket to joyful and sometimes tearful recipient. It was an emotional, life lesson in sharing, caring, and giving that these Beta Club members will not forget.

West Columbus Students on the "Destiny Bus"

Recently, Heather McPherson’s biology students at West Columbus High School performed a lab exercise called “Get a Clue.” Students assumed the role of forensic scientists and performed DNA restriction analysis (popularly known as DNA fingerprinting) to analyze drops of “blood” and other kinds of evidence found at crime scenes as they determined which suspects were guilty or innocent.

The Destiny Traveling Science Learning Program is a science education outreach initiative of Morehead Planetarium and Science Center at UNC-Chapel Hill, serving pre-college teachers and students across North Carolina. Destiny develops and delivers a standards-based, hands-on curriculum and teacher professional development with a team of educators and a fleet of vehicles that travel throughout the state.

Destiny and Discovery, two custom-built, 40-foot buses equipped as mobile science laboratories, bring advanced science and technology equipment to students who otherwise might not see high-tech experiments or what a career in science can offer. The mobile science labs are powerful visual images that heighten public awareness of the importance of and funding necessary for quality science education. To be eligible to request a visit from a Destiny mobile science lab, each participating teacher must attend workshops to learn how to incorporate module activities and experiments into his or her classroom. Destiny offers 15 different science modules, each aligned with the N.C. Standard Course of Study. The Destiny program was created by UNC-Chapel Hill in 2000. Its principal funders are the State of North Carolina and GlaxoSmithKline, with additional support from Bio-Rad Laboratories and from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center. Since 2006, Destiny has been part of Morehead Planetarium and Science Center.

 

Tabor City Elementary DARE Graduation

TCMS TV on the Air

 Students at Tabor City Middle have been producing a daily video news program for the school, and soon the internet. Students designed and constructed the studio, and now students write, plan and produce the program which is viewed daily on the school' s closed circuit TV network. Students operate cameras, sound, video, lights, captions and recording. A clip of a recent newscast is below.

Native American Program at
Hallsboro-Artesia Elementary

Family Literacy Night at TCES

Scenes from Tabor City Elementary's recent Family Literacy Night

 

Board Member Installation

Clerk of Superior Court Sheila Pridgen swears in recently elected members Monte Herring, Barbara Yates and Worley Edwards to the Columbus County Board of Education. Norris Ebron was elected Chairman and Monte Herring Vice Chairman at the December 6th meeting.

Winter Concert Season Underway
 

A dance and theatre concert at SCHS on November 30th kicked off the 2010 Winter Concert season. Between now and January 6th, there are 14 performances/exhibitions being held in all regions of the county. All performances are free.

 

I Can't Funeral at Chadbourn Elementary

Chadbourn Elementary School recently hosted a "I Can't Funeral." All Kindergarten through Fifth grade students were invited to attend and pass on their "I Cannot" sentiments. These messages were tossed in a box and laid to rest courtesy of Worthington Funeral Home of Chadbourn.

Movie Star Speaks at Chadbourn Elementary

Chadbourn Elementary School had a special guest speaker last week, Monique Coleman, known as Taylor McKessie of High School Musical. Monique spoke to third, fourth and fifth graders about positive behavior. The school presented her with a Superstar t-shirt and she presented all honor roll students with an autographed picture.

 

West Columbus High Player
Named Player of the Month

West Columbus High football player Alex Britt was voted athlete of the month in Top Gun Magazine, a magazine dedicated to local sports. Tabor City Middle was voted school of the month. The magazine can be picked up at local merchants, and more information can be found at Top Magazine, http://www.topgunmag.com/.

Dr. Strickland Meets with Students

Dr. Strickland continued his breakfast/lunch meetings with students recently, meeting with students from Evergreen Elementary, Chadbourn Elementary, Hallsboro Middle, Tabor City elementary and Guideway Elementary. Click on any thumbnail for a larger image.

Tabor City Middle Cheerleaders
Travel to Chapel Hill

Cheerleaders from Tabor City Middle School recently traveled to UNC-Chapel Hill for a cheerleading day camp, tour of the school and a Carolina football game. Their coach is Kimberley Neal.

 

Readers Theatre at Williams Township

Some clips from Ms. Cox's class engaging in Readers Theatre- enjoy!

 

Science at Tabor City Middle

Students at Tabor City Middle are shown here with teacher Daniel Zielinski, as they explore a 120 year-old human skeleton. The skeleton, which was recently loaned to TCMS, has allowed students to have hands on experience with anatomy and physiology.

Williams Township Literacy Night

W.T.S. experiences a packed house for K-5 Literacy night.  Parents, teachers, and students joined together in making this a night filled with fun literacy strategies for the whole family.

 

Williams Township Red Ribbon Week

(look closely, those are students!)
 

Williams Township recently held a "Red Ribbon Week" celebration with puppet shows, skits, costume contests, balloon releases and many other activities encouraging students to stay drug free.

West Columbus Volleyball Team Raises $3000
for American Cancer Society

The West Columbus High School volleyball team was recognized recently for raising over $3000 dollars to help the American Cancer Society increase awareness about cancer.
 Their coach is Keith Ransom.

Mayor Visits Cerro Gordo Elementary School

The students are completing a special social studies unit on local government. This unit includes a study of the mayor and his responsibilities. Mayor White explained his duties and answered students' questions.

South Columbus High School Virtual Art Gallery

Students at SCHS are participating in Artsonia, the worlds largest online student art gallery. Students upload images of their work allowing visitors to make comments. Visitors to the website can also order prints of the work on coffee cups, mouse pads and other items. Over 1000 pieces of art  from SCHS have been uploaded in the last year. The art instructor at SCHS is Joy Lewis. See the gallery here.

 

South Columbus JV, Varsity Win Conference Championships

Congratulations to the SCHS football program for winning Conference Championships in JV and Varsity Football. Click the above photos for a larger view.

 

East Columbus High School to Auction House

East Columbus High School will auction a house built by the Construction Trades students on November 19th at 11AM at ECHS. Click  here  for a downloadable flyer about the house.

Acme Delco Middle FBLA Students Attend Conference

Acme Delco Middle School FBLA students attended the Regional Leadership Conference at SouthView High School in Hope Mills, NC on October 29, 2010. The conference was very informative and the students received valuable information to help them succeed in FBLA. Each student also received a gift bag. Acme Delco FBLA's advisor is Mrs. April Snowden.

Hallsboro Middle School Goes Undefeated

Congratulations to the Hallsboro Middle School Tigers, who finished the season undeafeated and have won back-to-back conference championships.

2010 Pow Wow

Nakina Middle School's Mustang Club Donates Books to Media Center

Students sitting with books purchased through the generous donation of the school's Mustang Club.

Dr. Strickland Visits with Students

Dr. Strickland recently met with students from Nakina Middle, Chadbourn Elementary, and East Columbus.

Literacy Night at Evergreen Elementary School

Breakfast with the Superintendent

Students from Cerro Gordo Elementary School recently had breakfast with Dr. Strickland, discussing the importance of education and the exciting things happening at CGES.

West Columbus High School
Named "School of Distinction"

North Carolina Symphony to Perform in Whiteville October 16th

The North Carolina Symphony, the state's preeminent classical music performance organization, will be performing at Bowers Auditorium on the campus of Whiteville High School on October 16th, 2010 at 7:00 PM. Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for students with an ID.

21st Century Community Learning Centers Now Taking Applications

The 21st Century Community Learning Centers  are currently taking applications for students located at the following schools:  Acme Delco Elementary, Acme Delco Middle, Chadbourn Elementary, Chadbourn Middle, Tabor City Elementary, Tabor City Middle

You may pick up an application from your child's school office.  The 21st Century Community Learning Centers program offers FREE tutoring services in reading, math, and writing.  In addition, each center has a 4-H chartered club membership and offers programming which encourages students to become positive leaders.  Students will also receive FREE transportation home.

The program will host Open House Registration on November 8-10.  Students will start tutorial program on November 15.  Please call Sherri Simmons if you have additional questions or contact your child's school office for an application. 

ESP Kids Club at Acme Delco Elementary

Do you remember when we were kids and on Saturday mornings during the few hours cartoons ran there were all types of toy commercials? If you were like most of us, we wanted almost everything they advertised. Of course, those requests were met with the response, “Do you think money grows on trees?” Well, the students of Acme Delco Elementary School will be able to answer that question. In addition to knowing where money comes from, they will also understand the value of earning and saving their money. This financial literacy is thanks to the collaboration of The Sigma Iota Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Acme Delco Elementary School and the Riegelwood Federal Credit Union. The Sorority approached Acme Delco Elementary and Riegelwood Federal Credit Union about providing students there with financial literacy. As a result of this collaboration, the ESP Kids Club was born. Students in grades k-5 can make deposits at the onsite credit union twice weekly. In addition, beginning September 25, 2010 from 9:00 -10:00 a.m. the Sorority will be providing financial literacy workshops at the school for members and parents of the Kids Club. The workshops will run for four weeks and the schedule of planned workshops will be provided at the first workshop. If you are interested in starting an ESP Kids Club at your school, please contact Cassandra Gaddy, President of the Sigma Iota Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. at 843-813-6020.

CGES Raises Funds for the March of Dimes

Cerro Gordo Elementary Stingers recently participated in a fundraiser for the March of Dimes.  Students donated $1 to wear their favorite hat while helping prevent birth defects.  The school donated $180.75.

Great news! For your convenience and good health, (Columbus County Schools) has partnered with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) and Maxim Health Systems to host a flu shot clinic right here onsite. You and your family members, age four (4) and over, are invited to participate, because vaccination is the best protection from the flu. (Children under age four (4) must receive shots from their primary care physician.)

Visit www.bcbsnc.com/flu for more answers to your flu-related questions.

Chadbourn Elementary Welcome Back Video

Acme Delco Field Opening Ceremony and Ribbon Cutting

Photos courtesy of Crystal Cecil, top Gun Magazine.

Old Dock Receives School Supplies

The Columbus/Whiteville Retired School Personnel Association in conjunction with AARP donated items to Old Dock Elementary School.  The donations included 600 pencils, 40 pens, and 150 composition books.  Shown making the presentation to Principal Cassie Cartrette and teacher Lindsay Orem are Pearl Freedman, Reba Singletary Smith, and Esther Collier from the Retired School Personnel Association

Professional Development  at Williams Township

Teachers from Williams Township recently participated in a  professional development session titled "Teacher Data Notebooks and their Role within our Professional Learning Communities".

China Educators Visit Columbus County Schools

A group of educators recently visited East Columbus High School as part of  the Center for International Understanding's outreach project. This is the second phase of the project; the first phase involved educators from ECHS traveling to China; the third and final phase will take place next year with students traveling to China from Columbus county.

New Teacher Orientation

New Teachers beginning work in Columbus County Schools were treated to four days on information and inspiration by Beginning Teacher Support Coordinator Tammy Dorman. Teachers had an opportunity to learn about procedures and expectations, and those new to the profession were able to meet with their mentors.

State Superintendent Visits Columbus County

Dr. June St.. Clair Atkinson, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, visited Columbus County School recently. Dr. Atkinson spoke to Early College High School students about the importance of education in the 21st century and the need to believe that all are capable of greatness. Dr. Atkinson said that "One of the joys of my job is getting to visit places like Columbus county where the students are given many opportunities to succeed." Afterward, Dr. Atkinson answered questions from the students and was interviewed by Dr. Strickland for an upcoming episode of "Inside Columbus County Schools, that will air next week, and can  viewed online at SCC Educable's website.

West Columbus High School Holds Camps for Freshmen and Seniors

This past week members of the Class of 2014 descended on the halls of WCHS to participate in a three day Viking Exploration Camp. Parents and students began the week with a class meeting in which administrators and faculty held an information session to orient the new Freshmen Academy members of school and academic expectations. Students returned over the next few days to learn about code of conduct, academic standards, and gain exposure to the campus prior to the first day of school. The GEAR UP program, led by coordinator Tara Haynes, co-sponsored the week long event and members of the BETA Club served as escorts and guides for parents and students that attended. Participants were involved in group activities, team building efforts and games led by teacher and parent volunteers. Daily break out sessions allowed the students to discuss their concerns about entering high school and gain knowledge about courses they will be involved in their Freshmen year. The week ended with each participant receiving a certificate of completion and a T-shirt entitled "ROPE-Reaching Our Potential Everyday" the motto for the WCHS Freshmen Academy. All Freshmen and their parents are encouraged to return to the school wide orientation on August 23rd at 6:00pm to receive their class schedules and greet the entire WCHS Viking faculty.

The class of 2011 at WCHS started their Senior duties early this year. On August 2, both students and their parents gathered in the Media Center to learn valuable information about their exit standards for Columbus county Schools. Among those mandates were the components of the Graduation project that each Senior is required to complete to be eligible for a high school diploma. The Camp, entitiled "By Invitation Only" was a huge success. Parents and students returned over the next few days to begin working on the four key components of the project. GEAR UP sponsored the daily sessions in which faculty and administrators provided opportunities for students to ask questions, practice research techniques and participate in group activities. Students learned of current updates regarding the requirements and how to execute each successfully.At the close of the camp, every participant received a T-shirt with the motto " I have a ticket waiting on me" indicating their personal goal of earning a ticket to graduation ceremonies.

Columbus County Schools showed marked improvement in student achievement according to the federal No Child Left Behind Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) model. During the 2009-2010 school year, 12 out of 19 schools made Adequate Yearly Progress. As a school system, Columbus County Schools met 89.4% (243 of 272) of target goals. Eight schools exited federally mandated improvement (often referred to as Title I School Improvement) by posting two years growth.

Several initiatives have been credited for these achievements. Prescriptive benchmarking, a process by which students weaknesses are identified early in the year, is taking place on all grade levels and gives teachers data that is used to tailor instruction. Research-based software is also being utilized on all grade levels to increase student achievement, especially in the area of reading and math. Intensive focus on math instruction through a PIMUST (Partnership for Improving Mathematical Understanding of Students & Teachers) grant has provided much needed guidance in the area of best practices in mathematics instruction. Classroom walkthroughs allow principals to use technology to easily gather data and develop connections between teaching methods and student achievement, allowing educators to focus not just on how curriculum is being taught, but rather focusing on the level of student engagement and the rigor of the material being presented.


“The AYP scores indicate that we are well on our way to achieving the goal of having every child achieve at or above grade level” says Dr. Dan Strickland, Superintendent of Columbus County Schools. “Our focus on giving each individual child the instruction necessary to move forward has proven highly beneficial to our students. We will continue to work towards meeting 100% of AYP goals, an aspiration which would have seemed out of reach just a few short years ago. I am extremely proud of our administrators, teachers and staff that have worked tirelessly over the past two years..



For a school to make AYP, each of the 10 student groups (School as a Whole, White, Black, Hispanic, Native American, Asian, Multiracial, Economically Disadvantaged Students, Limited English Proficient Students, and Students With Disabilities) in the tested grades (3-8,10) must meet proficiency targets in reading/language arts and math and each student group must have at least 95 percent of its students taking tests in both subjects. In addition, the School as a Whole (all students) must show progress. If just one target goal is not met, the school does not make AYP for that year. The 2009-2010 AYP scores are preliminary pending state board approval on August 5th.

AYP Results and additional info are located at http://www.columbus.k12.nc.us/ayp.

Hallsboro Artesia Pre-K

Williams Township Pre-K

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