Cary Town Councilwoman Gale Adcock reads to children at the opening of The Grove School. CaryCitizen photos by Hal Goodtree.
Cary, NC- After months of preparation, The Grove School held their grand opening Thursday Feb 25th. An initiative of Knowledge Universe, this preschool in Cary and another in Plano, Texas are models for future Grove Schools across the country.
Their philosophy was summed up by Director of Operations Laura Como – (more…)
Cary, NC- If you would like your child to take part in some unusual and challenging course offerings, check out PAGE’s (Partners for the Advancement of Gifted Education) Super Saturday at the Cary Academy on Saturday April 10.
Classes are offered for children aged K- 8th grade and range from Lego Robotics, Scrabble Club, Chess, IMACS, Dinosaurs, Egg Drop, Engineering on the Road and more. There are two sessions: the morning runs from 10am- noon, the afternoon from 1-3:00pm. Children can attend one or both sessions. Cost per session is typically about $15 per session per student.
“Super Saturday is an extraordinary event because it not only provides our children with access to stimulating classes and ideas geared towards academically gifted learners, but it also creates a forum in which parents and teachers of those children can network with each other to discuss solutions to real-life issues,” says Tom Johnson, President of Wake PAGE.
Students need not be previously identified as “gifted”, but rather that judgment call is up to the parents and their willingness to try something a little different for their child. While the kids are busy enjoying a taste of something different, a free seminar for parents begins at 10am. This year Joyce Gardner, Director of AIG Services in Wake County Public Schools, leads the seminar.
PAGE stands for “Partners for the Advancement of Gifted Education”. PAGE chapters are the local affiliates of NCAGT
(http://www.ncagt.org/). The Wake County chapter just won the Chapter of the Year award from NCAGT .
Registration will begin March 1. Log onto http://www.pagepage.org to create a username and password and view course selections.
CaryCitizen photo by Hal Goodtree
Cary, NC- In an effort to hear all parties, the newly elected School Board is holding several public meetings this week. The main subject to be discussed is the school calendar for this coming Fall.
The results of these community engagement meetings will assist the Board of Education in making decisions that may impact school calendar assignments as early as 2010-11. And may effect schools slated to open on the year-round calendar this July.
Please mark your calendars for these dates:
The community engagement meetings will be held in the high schools’ auditoriums from 6:30 – 9 p.m. If you wish to speak out, you are advised to sign up in advance. With the recent news surrounding Schools Superintendent Del Burns, expect the Board to play to packed houses – so arrive early to park and get seating.
Online pre-registration for citizens interested in speaking is now open. You can only sign up to talk at one meeting and only for 2 minutes. Speakers can also sign up to speak on site from 5:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. the day of the meeting. Those who sign up at the door will speak after those who pre-registered online.
Mills Park Elementary School's team works on a spontaneous building problem
Cary, NC- As many folks around the Triangle enjoyed the balmy weather this weekend, school children form Wake County gathered at Mills Park Elementary to practice their spontaneous problem solving skills as part of their school “Odyssey of the Mind” teams.
What is “Odyssey of the Mind”?
Odyssey of the Mind an international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students from kindergarten through college.
Team members apply their creativity to solve problems that range from building mechanical devices to presenting their own interpretation of literary classics. They then bring their solutions to competition on the local, state, and World level.
Thousands of teams from throughout the U.S. and from about 25 other countries participate in the program. For more than twenty five years, this unique program has helped teachers generate excitement in their students. By tapping into creativity, and through encouraging imaginative paths to problem-solving, students learn skills that will provide them with the ability to solve problems — great and small — for a lifetime.
Who can participate?
Any children from elementary school age through college can join a team.
Teams are formed by division and compete against teams in the same division and problem. Grade level determines the division for teams in the U.S. Schools decide that they will be part of the program by asking parent and teacher volunteers to come forward to lead the program. Then more volunteers are needed to coach each team.
Each team must also provide judges for the competition. Recruiting usually begins in the fall.
Some schools like Morrisville Elementary have many years of competition history, while recently opened schools like Laurel Park and Mills Park are new participants.
How do they compete?
Teams pick a long term project from among 5 categories.
The teams are led by an adult as they explore their problem- but the students do all the work and research, the adult is a facilitator only. Funds are very limited as to supply purchases, so that is another area for creativity.
The teams begin work in the Fall and the competition this year is March 6 in Chapel Hill. The long term project is Part 1 of the competition in which they get on stage and present/ perform their piece.
Part 2 is the spontaneous problem or question- which can incorporate constructing something as a group, or thinking fast verbally amongst themselves either collectively or in rotation. The teams are scored on how creative or common are their solutions to these problems.
The combination of how they score on these 2 parts, gives their final score. From this regional competition, the teams can move on to Statewide and then Worlds Competition in Florida.
How Can Your Child Participate?
Find out if your school participates in Odyssey of the Mind. If it doesn’t, visit the Odyssey of the Mind Website and volunteer to chair this committee.
Get your School’s PTA involved. The school will need to become a member and leaders and coaches will need to receive training. Some schools have participated for 20 years and have made it all the way to Worlds.
Challenge yourself- it is a great “thinking outside the Box” opportunity for the school kids. There are no “correct” answers in Odyssey, just like Life.
Cary, NC – The Lucy Daniels Center for Early Childhood announces its third Lucy’s Book Club topic, “Imagine that!” The list of 10 recommended books for children and one for parents were chosen by a panel of Lucy Daniels Center educators and Wake County librarians for their excellence in supporting young children’s developing imaginations.
Research shows that the capacity to imagine is a necessary component for the development of higher thinking and problem solving. Books chosen by the panel such as “Not a Stick” by Antoinette Portis and “It Looked Like Spilt Milk” by Charles Shaw, inspire children’s creative thinking and encourage looking at everyday surroundings from different perspectives. With an imaginative mind, the possibilities are endless. Children will enjoy reading these books again and again.
The Lucy’s Book Club (LBC) is a free, community outreach program for Wake County children ages birth to six and their parents. LBC is designed to support healthy social and emotional growth for babies, toddlers, preschoolers and kindergartners. All books chosen for the bookmark/booklist are readily available in Wake County libraries, bookstores, and online. Three of the titles are also available in Spanish.
Bookmark displays with free, oversized bookmarks listing the current book selections can be found in more than 200 locations including Wake County libraries, preschools, childcare centers, pediatricians’ offices, and bookstores, or downloaded online from www.lucysbookclub.org. Parents can visit the website, funded by the Cisco Foundation, to sign their children up for free book club membership, receive a bimonthly blog, and access a myriad of additional resources supporting each Lucy’s Book Club topic.
Cary, NC – Cary Post 67 of The American Legion held its 2010 National High School Oratorical Contest Saturday at the Westwood Baptist Church where three contestants took part in the prepared oration and assigned topic oration.
The winner was Ms. Ruby Au of Enloe High School. Ms. Au will now take part in the next phase on January 30, on her way to try and win an $18000 scholarship at the National level.
This is an annual event and high school students from public, private and home schools are encouraged to take part. The second place winner receives $16,000 and third place winner takes home a $14,000 scholarship prize.
Cary, NC – The Town of Cary Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources facility offers some real amazing nature programs in January. Visit classweb.townofcary.org, or call (919) 462-2017 to register for programs. We are told that in the event a program is full, residents are encouraged to get on the wait list, as there are often cancellations.
Stevens Nature Center at Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve is designed to complement the natural surroundings of Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve . The 3,700-square-foot center is named for Colonel William Walton Stevens and his wife Emily Stevens for their generous contributions and support of the center’s programs. Colonel Stevens was a native of Wake County and worked as a soil scientist and soil conservationist for the State of North Carolina where he was a leader in the conservation field, according to the center web site. The Stevens Nature Center provides information about the natural history of the area and the plants and animals that live in the Nature Preserve. The nature center also offers a variety of nature programs for participants of all ages on a year-round basis.
The Stevens Nature Center features a gift shop, an educational exhibit hall, classroom outdoor education shelter, and a native wildflower garden. Please contact Joy Logan with any questions at joy.logan@townofcary.org or (919) 387-5980.
Junior Naturalist (Age 5-8 w/a parent): Winter is Wonderful
Saturday, January 2 from 2-3 p.m.
Spend time with your child in these programs that encourage participants to develop their naturalist skills and understanding of local nature.
Fees: $8(Cary Residents) $10(Non-Cary Residents)
Code: 43819
Eco-Explorers (Age 7-9): Nature Detectives
Sunday, January 3 from 2-4 p.m.
Children will expand their knowledge of nature and build their observation skills in these hands-on explorations of nature and ecology.
Fees: $12(Cary Residents) $16(Non-Cary Residents)
Code: 43802
Discovery Days Mini-Camps (Age 5-7): Wild About Wetlands
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, January 4, 6 & 8 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Discover all that is wild about streams and pools and find out what animals are hanging out there!
Fees: $67(Cary Residents) $87(Non-Cary Residents)
Code: 42156
Nature Fun for 4 & 5’s (Age 4-5): Discovering Dinosaurs
Tuesday & Thursday, January 5 & 7 from 1-3 p.m.
Dive into the world of nature through outdoor explorations, games, stories and crafts, in a safe and nurturing environment. Who knew learning could be so much fun?
Fees: $28(Cary Residents) $36(Non-Cary Residents)
Code: 44148
Kids Fun-Days (Age 5-8): Super Salamanders
Thursday, January 7 from 10 a.m.-noon
Children will delight in learning through hands-on explorations of nature using their senses and their imagination!
Fees: $12(Cary Residents) $16(Non-Cary Residents)
Code: 44508
Curiosity Club (Age 5-6): Leaf Litter Critters
Saturday, January 9 from 10 a.m.-noon
Children will embrace science and nature while developing skills and knowledge to satisfy their curiosity about the natural world.
Fees: $12(Cary Residents) $16(Non-Cary Residents)
Code: 43793
Family Programs (Age 6 & up w/parents): Learning to Like the Dark!
Saturday, January 9 from 5-6:30 p.m.
Spend some quality time experiencing the fun of nature at Hemlock Bluffs with your family.
Fees: $11(Cary Residents) $14(Non-Cary Residents)
Code: 43829
Tales and Trails (All ages welcome w/a parent): Cool Coyotes
Sunday, January 10 from 2-3:30 p.m. Experience the world of coyotes with stories and a walk. Did you know there are coyotes are in Wake County?
Fees: $20(Cary Residents) $28(Non-Cary Residents)
Code: 43834
Discovery Days Mini-Camps (Age 8-12): Salamander Commander
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, January 11, 13 & 15 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Adventure into the preserve in search of the hiding places of salamanders and frogs.
Fees: $67(Cary Residents) $87(Non-Cary Residents)
Code: 42157
Silver Naturalists (Age 55 & up): Birds and Buds
Tuesday, January 12 from 1:30-3 p.m.
We’ll search for winter birds and sharpen plant identification skills.
Fees: $5(Cary Residents) $7(Non-Cary Residents)
Code: 43325
Curious Creatures (Age 5-8): Backyard Bird Adventures
Thursday, January 14 from 10 a.m.-noon
Children will discover fascinating facts about birds, their habits, and their habitats through hikes, activities and crafts.
Fees: $12(Cary Residents) $16(Non-Cary Residents)
Code: 44424
Crafty Kids! (Age 7-10): Rock Art
Thursday, January 14 from 1:30-3:30 p.m.
Discover how ‘crafty’ nature can be in an environment that encourages a sense of wonder and creativity. Some projects may get ‘messy’, so dress to get dirty!
Fees: $17(Cary Residents) $22(Non-Cary Residents)
Code: 44161
Eco-Explorers (Age 7-9): Dinosaurs Rock!
Saturday, January 16 from 2-4 p.m.
Children will expand their knowledge of nature and build their observation skills in these hands-on explorations of nature and ecology.
Fees: $12(Cary Residents) $16(Non-Cary Residents)
Code: 43803
Junior Naturalist (Age 5-8 w/a parent): Nature at Night
Saturday, January 16 from 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Spend time with your child in these programs that encourage participants to develop their naturalist skills and understanding of local nature.
Fees: $8(Cary Residents) $10(Non-Cary Residents)
Code: 43820
Hemlock Nature Quest (Age 13-18): Winter Birding Adventures
Sunday, January 17 from 2-4 p.m.
Join us as we survey the preserve for winter bird residents.
Fees: $12(Cary Residents) $16(Non-Cary Residents)
Code: 43815
Nature Fun for 4 & 5’s (Age 4-5): Discovering Dinosaurs
Tuesday & Thursday, January 19 & 21 from 10 a.m.-noon
Dive into the world of nature through outdoor explorations, games, stories and crafts, in a safe and nurturing environment. Who knew learning could be so much fun?
Fees: $28(Cary Residents) $36(Non-Cary Residents)
Code: 44149
Kids Fun-Days (Age 5-8): Looking Under Logs
Tuesday, January 19 from 4-6 p.m.
Children will delight in learning through hands-on explorations of nature using their senses and their imagination!
Fees: $12(Cary Residents) $16(Non-Cary Residents)
Code: 44509
Wee Walkers (Age 1 & up w/a parent): Big or Small
Wednesday, January 20 from 10-11 a.m.
Little ones will delight in discoveries of the shapes, colors, textures, sounds, and smells of nature as we focus on specific concepts each class.
Fees: $8(Cary Residents) $10(Non-Cary Residents)
Code: 44136
Eco-Express (Age 8-12): Amphibian Awareness
Thursday, January 21 from 1:30-3:30 p.m.
Take the fast track to nature in these hands-on studies of nature and ecology at Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve.
Fees: $12(Cary Residents) $16(Non-Cary Residents)
Code: 44499
Nature Nuts (Age 3-5 w/a parent): Muskrats
Friday, January 22 from 10-11 a.m.
Go nutty for nature as children satisfy some of their curiosity about the world around them and parents share in the joy of discovery!
Fees: $11(Cary Residents) $14(Non-Cary Residents)
Code: 43846
Night Out in Nature (Age 8-12)
Friday, January 22 from 6-9 p.m.
Kids spend a night out in nature making memories and new friends in this old fashioned camp-style program. Each month is something new!
Fees: $17(Cary Residents) $22(Non-Cary Residents)
Code: 43788
Nature Nuts (Age 3-5 w/a parent): Muskrats
Saturday, January 23 from 10-11 a.m.
Go nutty for nature as children satisfy some of their curiosity about the world around them and parents share in the joy of discovery!
Fees: $11(Cary Residents) $14(Non-Cary Residents)
Code: 43847
Adult Nature Programs (Age 16 & up): Winter Birding
Saturday, January 23 from 10:30 a.m.-noon
Continue your lifelong learning through informative and educational nature walks that are focused on seasonal activity. Discover the winter birds of the Bluffs.
Fees: $6(Cary Residents) $8(Non-Cary Residents)
Code: 43334
Young Ecologists (Age 10-12): Salamander Safari
Sunday, January 24 from 2-4 p.m.
Search the preserve for salamanders.
Fees: $12(Cary Residents) $16(Non-Cary Residents)
Code: 43811
Discovery Days Mini-Camps (Age 8-12): Salamander Commander
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, January 25, 27 & 29 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Adventure into the preserve in search of the hiding places of salamanders and frogs.
Fees: $67(Cary Residents) $87(Non-Cary Residents)
Code: 44177
Kids Fun-Days (Age 5-8): Dynamic Dinosaurs
Tuesday, January 26 from 1:30-3:30 p.m.
Children will delight in learning through hands-on explorations of nature using their senses and their imagination!
Fees: $12(Cary Residents) $16(Non-Cary Residents)
Code: 44510
Curious Creatures (Age 5-8): Rocks at the Bluffs
Thursday, January 28 from 4-6 p.m.
Children will discover fascinating facts about rocks and geology at the bluffs through hikes, activities and crafts.
Fees: $12(Cary Residents) $16(Non-Cary Residents)
Code: 44425
Wee Walkers (Age 1 & up w/a parent): Big or Small
Friday, January 29 from 10-11 a.m.
Little ones will delight in discoveries of the shapes, colors, textures, sounds, and smells of nature as we focus on specific concepts each class.
Fees: $8(Cary Residents) $10(Non-Cary Residents)
Code: 44137
Curiosity Club (Age 5-6): Full Moon Hike!
Saturday, January 30 from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Children will embrace science and nature while developing skills and knowledge to satisfy their curiosity about the natural world.
Fees: $12(Cary Residents) $16(Non-Cary Residents)
Code: 43794
Eco-Explorers (Age 7-9): Animal Inns
Sunday, January 31 from 2-4 p.m.
Children will expand their knowledge of nature and build their observation skills in these hands-on explorations of nature and ecology.
Fees: $12(Cary Residents) $16(Non-Cary Residents)
Code: 43804
Cary High School. Staff photo by Hal Goodtree.
Cary, NC – US News just released their third annual survey of American high schools. Both Cary High and Green Hope made the list.
In America’s Best High Schools, US News used Standard & Poor’s education research to determine school rankings. Here’s some info about their methodology: (more…)
Photo by Nader Moussa via Wikipedia
Green Hope High was one of 17 NC high schools recognized by State Education Superintendent June Atkinson and the NC Department of Public Instruction for having the highest rates of graduation in North Carolina at a ceremony on Oct. 12 in Raleigh.
With a 94% graduation rate, Green Hope was one of the top two public high schools in the state with 500 or more students graduating.
The graduation rate for the Wake County Public School System was 78.4 percent. The school system awarded diplomas to 8,094 students in 21 ceremonies earlier this year.
North Carolina overall has a statewide graduation rate of 71.7 percent. This four-year cohort graduation rate refers to the percentage of students who graduate from high school in four years or less. The rates are for the students who were identified as being in the graduating class of 2009.
Congratulations to the entire GHHS community – students, teachers, staff and parents.
Editor’s note – Help us cover all the Cary high schools – Cary High, Cary Christian, Cary Academy and Panther Creek. Send us news or put us in touch with someone who can feed us info. Thanks, Citizens!
photo by Bobby Moore
Article provided by Nancy Caggia
The rain held off and two local Cary high school bands performed at the West Johnston High School Invitational Marching Band Competition this past Saturday, October 10. Both Green Hope High School and Cary High School bands performed extremely well and there was only 1.9 points separating the final scores!
Photo by Scott Carrera
Green Hope performed their “The Road Less Travelled” show and received many awards in the top AAAA division: 1st place Drum Major, 1st place Percussion, 2nd place Marching; 3rd place Color Guard, 3rd place Music and 3rd place Effect and Overall award. Some of the judge’s comments included: “Very nice approach to the instruments! (percussion)” “GREAT! (Woodwind accuracy)” “Well done front ensemble” “Tone Quality++ (woodwinds)”,“Good (emotion generated and maturity—color guard” “Strong woodwind feature moments” and “Enjoyed show!”
photo by Scott Carrera
Congratulations to the Cary High School band which was awarded overall Grand Champion of the evening of the 17 schools’ bands. Also, in the AAAA division, Cary’s “American Revolution” show was also received top honors of 1st place. Other awards included: 1st place Color Guard, 1st place Marching, 1st place Music, 2nd place Drum Major; and 2nd place Overall Effect.
Cape Fear High School’s “Hola a Dios” performance came in second in the AAAA Division overall and received the People’s Choice award with their colorful show and bird cage props! Chapel Hill High School also participated in the top AAAA Divison with their show based on “Fiddler on the Roof.” West Johnston did a performance of their “Modern Gothic” show. It was a great autumn evening to watch all of our talented youths and congratulations to all of them!
