Columbus County Schools News

Flamenco Residency at Guideway Elementary

2008-05-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana spent a week recently at Guideway Elementary School exposing students to the flamenco culture of southern Spain. The 4th and 5th graders performed for a large crowd at the end of the week. The company also spent a day at South Columbus High School working with advanced dance students.

Cerro Gordo/Evergreen Teacher Featured in Publication

2008-05-15T09:06:00.000-07:00

Cerro Gordo/Evergreen choral music teacher Jody Watts was featured in a recent article in "Beachlifestyle" magazine.

Mr. Watts recently appeared in the title role of the musical "Jesus Christ Superstar" at the Theatre of the Republic in Conway.

Click here to read the entire article.

South Columbus High School HOSA Wraps Up Year

2008-05-15T08:16:00.001-07:00

The slideshow contains photos from SCHS' Health Occupations Classes for this year. Their sponsor is Wendy Meares.

Columbus County Schools Teacher of the Year and Principal of the Year

2008-05-15T08:09:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to all teachers and administrators nominated for Teacher of the Year and Principal of the Year.

The Columbus County Schools 2008-2009 Teacher of the Year is Carol Blake of Chadbourn Middle School. The Columbus County Schools 2008-2009 Principal of the Year is Richard Gore of Old Dock Elementary School.

Below is a slideshow of the event.

New Book Features Children From Columbus County

2008-05-15T08:06:00.000-07:00

When facing a life-challenging or even terminal illness, it s all about being normal. That s what kids and teens want for themselves and from the people around them. With wit, wisdom, and amazing courage, young people ages 7-21 tell in their own words what it s like to be ill while trying to live each minute of their daily lives. Their stories are honest, heartfelt, and thought-provoking; their advice is of value to anyone who knows, loves, or treats young people with illnesses or disabilities. Recommended for families, friends, classmates, and teachers of affected children and teens; for colleges that offer classes in disability studies; and for doctors and hospitals who want to share hope with their patients. A portion of the proceeds of the book will go to the Southeastern Community College Scholarship Foundation.
Click here to read excerpts and reviews from Amazon.com.

Lisa Worley Named Outstanding Secondary School Mathematics Teacher

2008-05-12T15:51:00.000-07:00

Lisa Worley, 6th grade math teacher at Williams Township School, has been named as the county's Outstanding Secondary School Mathematics Teacher by the The North Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCCTM). The teacher nominated from each LEA will receive one year’s membership in the NCCTM, a personalized award, and recognition at the State Conference in Greensboro. In addition, his/her name will appear in the Fall 2008 issue of the NCCTM journal, the Centroid and on NCCTM’s website.

National Board Certified Teachers

2008-04-28T16:13:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to our newest National Board Certified Teachers:

Rosa Hammond -Tabor City Elementary School

Leighann McPherson -Williams Township

Tara Pate -Hallsboro Artesia Elementary

Jessica Overby -Acme Delco Elementary

Grady Dove -West Columbus

We are proud of you!

Apparel Design Students Create Clothing

2008-04-28T15:59:00.000-07:00

Apparel Design examines clothing production in the areas of preparation for clothing construction, basic clothing construction techniques, consumer decision, textiles, historical perspectives and design, and career opportunities.

Karen Slusarczyk's Apparel Design Classes has been hard at work learning these concepts, along with constructing and designing their own clothing and accessories.
William Edwards has made 15 back packs; Shirley Pittman and Christa Wright made their prom gowns.

Southeastern Early College Job Shadowing Program

2008-04-28T15:49:00.000-07:00

The groundhog saw his shadow on February 2 but not before many professionals in and around Columbus County saw their shadows on February 1st.

Can you wash a huge dog with matted hair? Identify an ear mite under a microscope? Maybe measure someone’s face for a new pair of glasses? Do you know how many different departments are in Columbus Regional Medical Center? Do you know the different types of law that someone can study? The students at Southeastern Early College could say yes to these questions and more. Thanks to local professionals and businessmen and women, 105 students were given the opportunity to explore different careers on Friday, February 1 as part of the national Job shadowing day kickoff.

Job shadowing gives students a chance to explore various careers beyond what their parents may do for a living. Job shadowing also provides an opportunity for students in at-risk situations to be exposed to various career options they otherwise might not have the chance to explore. SEC students were allowed to “shadow” workplace mentors as they went through a normal day on their job.

The mission of Southeastern Early College High School is to instill in each student the academic and social skills essential for responsible and productive citizenship in a global society which correlates with the guiding mission of the North Carolina State Board of Education which states that every public school student will graduate from high school, globally competitive for work and postsecondary education and prepared for life in the 21st century. Early college high school is a bold approach, based on the principle that academic rigor, combined with the opportunity to save time and money, is a powerful motivator for students to work hard and meet serious intellectual challenges. Early college high schools blend high school and college in a rigorous yet supportive program, compressing the time it takes to complete a high school diploma and the first two years of college. Southeastern Early College focuses on the 3 R’s- rigor, relevance, and relationship. Relationships between teachers and students already existed; this day of job shadowing allowed students the opportunity to begin building relationships with the community.

Students were able to see first hand the inner workings of a hospital and a court room. Local veterinarians and eye care specialists saw their “shadows” earlier than that little creature that looks for his shadow annually. Judges found time to answer questions posed by students. Even the Superintendent of Columbus County Schools, Dr. Dan Strickland, spent the day preparing his two shadows to one day take the helm. Students were able to answer the age-old question “How will I ever use this?” Being in a work situation showed the students the relevance of the learning taking place in the classroom. There is an old proverb that says “if you give a man a fish, he will eat for a day but if you teach a man to fish, he will eat for life.” Students were given the first of many opportunities to learn how to fish.

Sam Gore, Work Force Coordinator for Southeastern Early College, believes that the experience provided students with a foundation to begin the search for a career that suits their abilities and desires.

Southeastern Early College is grateful to the following businesses, professionals and schools for a successful job shadowing day.

Dr. Nicole Martin, Southern Veterinary Hospital

Columbus Regional Healthcare System

Seaside Taxes

Chadbourn Middle School

Williamson Walton & Scott LLP Attorneys at Law

The McGougan Law Firm

Southeastern Community College instructors

Cerro Gordo Elementary

McNeill’s Pharmacy

Whiteville Primary School

BB&T

Tim Blackmon, Radio Shack

Pierce’s Landscaping

Columbus Regional Healthcare System/ Physical Therapy

Tiffany Waddell, US Post Office, Southport

Charlie Davis

William Powell, McKenzie’s Funeral Home

Roger Bacon Academy

Edgewood Elementary School

Southern Pool Service

Campbell’s Transmission Shop

Walters Surgical Associates

Vision Masters

Dr. Richard Bumgardner

Dr. Dan Strickland, Columbus County Schools

Central Middle School

Dr. Tiffany Barnhill, Animal Hospital of South Columbus

David Heath, Waccamaw Electric

Anna Kirk, Wavita Dialysis

Whaley CPA

Acme Delco Elementary and Middle

Whiteville Primary School

Stevens & Hasty Co Inc

Sullivan Bookkeeping & Tax Service

Michael Williamson

Cakes Creation

Darian Ransom, Furniture Depot of Whiteville

David Cable, Bladenboro Recording Studio

Special thanks to Fuller Royal, The News Reporter, for picutures.

Principal Laura Davis, Workforce Coordinator Sam Gore, and Program Facilitator, Amy Allgood worked to make this day a rewarding and life-changing opportunity for SEC students and hope to continue this partnership with local businesses and business people. . Just think... one day kids will rule the world. SEC students are ready to step up to that challenge.

Job Shadowing is led by the National Job Shadow Coalition. For more information, visit the Coalition’s website: www.jobshadow.org. If you are willing to have students shadow you at your place of business, call Amy Allgood at 642-7141 ex. 791 or email aallgood@sccnc.edu. Southeastern Early College invites you to invite a student for a day of fishing. Don’t take our word for it though—read what some of the Southeastern Early College students have to say about their day of job shadowing.

“I learned a lot today and I see now why my parents are pushing me to go into the medical field like them. The medical field is very interesting and there are many parts to it which I did not know about.” Jacob

“I expected the hospital to be boring but it was not. It was interesting. It was great. I especially liked learning about the biohazard area.” Shemeriah McCollough

“I value the way the judges and lawyers acted towards us when they talked with us and when they allowed us to ask questions.” Sybill Harris

“I value the information form the hospital tour. I will really think about the things that I have seen for my future career choices.” Erica Greene

“I got to see some cases being tried, and I got a chance to interview a lawyer. I value how the lawyer, Mr. Kevin J. Bullard answered our questions in a clear, detailed manner.” Jha’quise Populo

I enjoyed hearing you talk about computers. I got good hands-on experience- like when you re-booted the computers and I had to fix the program again.” Emilio Hernandez

I got a lot of information out of my trip to Williamson, Walton and Scott. I hope I can get my law degree and become an excellent lawyer. Mr. Scott, you really inspired me to become a lawyer.” Divine McHenry

“After today, I have made up my mind and am hoping to one day become a lawyer. I learned a lot about wills that I didn’t know. I hope one day we will meet again and hopefully it won’t be in court!” Josh Simmons

“I never knew that nurses have as many responsibilities as they do.” Abby Pritchett

“Being in the courthouse allowed me to see what goes on in actual court sessions.” Fariel Graham

“The experience of touring the hospital and talking to people there has definitely influenced me to pursue the medical field as a career choice.” Amanda Strong

“This day (of teaching) really helped me see that teaching is a very real option for me now. I am actually considering it now because of what I saw and heard today.” Elaine Hewett

If you are interested in allowing students to job shadow you, please contact aallgood@sccnc.edu. If you are interested in learning more about Southeastern Early College, contact Principal Laura Davis at ldavis@sccnc.edu.

Columbus County Students Participate in 7th Congressional District Youth Summit

2008-04-28T15:39:00.000-07:00

Kimley Graham, South Columbus High School, Canyon Gore, South Columbus High School, and Alan Ulrich, Columbus County Christian Academy, join U.S. Representative Mike McIntyre at his 7th District Congressional Youth Summit. Highlights of McIntyre's Youth Summit included: Featured speaker Dr. Holden Thorpe, UNC-Chapel Hill Dean of College of Arts and Sciences; Group discussion/debate on those issues which are affecting our youth today; and an inspirational challenge to the participants by Congressman McIntyre.

Miss South Columbus Pageant

2008-04-25T07:25:00.000-07:00

The annual Miss South Columbus High School Scholarship pageant was held recently at SCHS. Click here to link to the South Columbus' website, where you'll find many photos of the event.

Battle of the Books

2008-04-17T14:36:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to all of those who participated in Battle of the Books this year. The results were:

1st - Guideway Elementary
2nd - Hallsboro Middle
3rd - Williams Township

Goody's Volunteers Working at Chadbourn Elementary School

2008-04-11T11:26:00.000-07:00

As one of the semi-finalists for the Goodies "Good Deeds" grant, Chadbourn Elementary School received 5 hours of volunteer service from a Goodies Employee on April 3, 2008. They worked with students in grades 2-4. Winners of the 10,000 dollar grant will be announced in May.

Columbus County Schools, Southeastern Early College receive National Awards

2008-04-11T06:23:00.000-07:00

Columbus County Schools and Southeastern Early College received recognition recently at the American School Board Journal's Magna Awards.

(top photo)
Accepting on of the National Honorable Mention Magna Awards for their Beginning Teacher Support Program - from left to right are Superintendent - Dan Strickland, Licensure Specialist - Linda Gore, Columbus County Board of Education Vice-Chairman - Monte Herring, and Board Members - Norris Ebron and Junior Dew.

(bottom photo)
Pictured above are representatives from Columbus County Schools, Whiteville City Schools, and Southeastern Community College at the recent National School Board Association Conference in Orlando, Florida. Accepting one of the six (6) National Magna Awards for the "Southeastern Early College High School Partnership Program From left to right are: Southeastern Community College Board of Trustee Chairman - Rhone Sasser Southeastern Community College President - Kathy Matlock Southeastern Early College Principal - Laura Davis Whiteville City Board of Education Chairman - Carlton Prince Columbus County Board of Education Vice-Chairman - Monte Herring Columbus County Board of Education Members - Norris Ebron and Junior Dew Whiteville City Schools Superintendent - Randy Shaver Columbus County Schools Superintendent - Dan Strickland

The Magna Awards are given each year by a national committee from the American School Board Journal. Over 1,000 schools and school systems are considered for this most prestigious award.

South Columbus Art Students Create Claymations with Grant from the North Carolina Arts Council

2008-04-03T10:04:00.001-07:00

Joy Lewis' advanced art students recently finished a two week long residency with filmmaker and animator John Lemmon of John Lemmon films. The students developed story lines and plot mountains, then created characters using oil based clays. After rehearsing, planning and creating scenery for their stories, the students, using DV cameras and software, created the movies with Mr. Lemmon's assistance. Many of the movies took over 1000 individual shots where the students would move the figure, take a photo, and then move the figure again. After the final product, the students added some simple sound effects. The equipment used in this grant will be used by other teachers to create claymation and traditional 2-d animation. See the films at http://www.jlf.com/socohi/SoCoHi_clayAni.html.

Math Leadership Team Conducts Workshops

2008-04-02T12:53:00.000-07:00

Math teachers in grades 6, 7 and 8 took part in a math training session that was conducted by Columbus County Schools Middle School Math Leadership Team recently. The session included an in-depth study of of North Carolina's Department of Public Instruction's Middle Grades Math Support Documents, as well as hands-on activities.

Tabor City Middle , Hallsboro Artesia and Columbus County Schools Receive State Awards

2008-03-20T12:26:00.000-07:00

Tabor City Middle and Hallsboro Artesia Elementary School received school "Trailblazer Awards" at a recent meeting of the North Carolina Association of School Administrators recently. Only three such awards were given in each category state-wide. In addition, Columbus County Schools received the only district Trailblazer Award for its progress in the 2006-2007 school year.

Chadbourn Elementary Music Concert

2008-03-20T10:48:00.000-07:00

Students at Chadbourn Eleementary School performed for a packed gym recently. Their teacher is Meta Mercer.

Guideway's Beta Club Attends Academic Convention

2008-03-20T10:13:00.000-07:00

Guideway Elementary's Jr. Beta Club attended the 16th Annual NC Junior Beta Club Academic Convention held in Greensboro, NC on February 4-5. The students entered numerous competitions and won 2nd place in the state for t-shirt design. Their design will be eligible to compete at the 12th Junior National Convention to be held at Myrtle Beach in June. The club's sponsor is Wanda Brooks.

Chadbourn Elementary Students Perform at Senior Center

2008-03-20T10:05:00.000-07:00

Mrs. Ottie Jackson's First Grade and Mrs. Becky McCleney's Fourth Grade performed recently to a delighted audience at the Chadbourn Senior Center. The students are under the direction of Meta Mercer.

Abstinence Until Marriage Workshop

2008-02-29T05:36:00.001-08:00

Mike Long, well known author and spokesperson held staff development session regarding how to effectively teach teenagers abstinence, February 13, 2008.

100th Day Celebration at Hallsboro-Artesia

2008-02-29T05:26:00.000-08:00

In celebration of the 100th day of school, each student in Lynn Barnes' class created a t-shirt containing 100 items.

Old Dock Students Learn "EGG-cellent" Lesson about Engineering

2008-02-15T13:55:00.000-08:00

Byron Tedder's 8th Grade science class conducted an experiment entitled "The Egg Protector".  Participants were instructed to build an egg protector using only rubber bands, paper clips, popsicle sticks, straws, an egg and tape.  The objective was to be able to drop the egg in the egg protector from 3 meters without breaking or cracking the egg.  Students were divided into two teams:  boys vs. girls.  Both egg protectors were successful. Students enjoyed performing the hands-on activity.  It helped illustrate the engineering design process by using the universal systems model which consists of the goal, input, process, output, and feedback.

Representative McIntyre Teaches Lesson at Acme Delco Middle

2008-02-05T13:43:00.000-08:00

Representative Mike McIntyre gave students at Acme Delco Middle School a lesson about government recently as part of the Congress in the Classroom program. McIntyre spoke about the separation of powers and the important reasons why all citizens should be involved in electing their leaders. Mr. McIntyre also presented two checks to the Columbus County School Board totaling 3.8 million dollars for reading and technology grants.

East Columbus High Student Perform

2008-01-11T07:02:00.000-08:00

East Columbus High School's Theatre I and Dance I students performed recently at ECHS' auditorium. The students performed choreography, scripted and original scenes for an audience of several hundred.

Carolina Ballet Performs "Peter and the Wolf"

2008-01-10T15:00:00.001-08:00

Raleigh's Carolina Ballet performed for nearly 1500 of the county's 3rd and 4th graders recently at Bowers Auditorium. The students watched the dancers warm up and were treated to a telling of "Peter and the Wolf" through ballet. The program was sponsored through the "Cartwheels" program and the Columbus County Arts Council.

Guideway Elementary Receives Donation

2008-01-10T14:56:00.000-08:00

Old Zion Church recently donated Guideway Elementary a check for $1,000 to be used for media center books. Principal Jonathan Williams received the check at a pancake dinner sponsored by the church. This donation will enhance the learning at GES for many years to come.

Holiday Concerts

2007-12-19T12:50:00.001-08:00

Old Dock Volleyball Team Goes Undefeated, Wins Championship

2007-12-17T06:13:00.000-08:00

The Old Dock Elementary volleyball team went undefeated and were this years preseason tournament and season champions. Congratulations!

Six Columbus County Schools Athletes Named as Wendy's Heismans

2007-12-17T05:58:00.000-08:00

Six local winners of the Wendy's Heisman were recently announced. They are

Caitlin Lane, Alex Williamson from East Columbus,
Bryant Edwards, Dori Faulk from South Columbus, and
Timothy Brown, Kimberly Cartrette from West Columbus.

For eight generations, the Heisman name has signified excellence, determination, and prestige among college football’s elite. In 1994, the next level of outstanding achievers ensconced their names into the Heisman lore when the Wendy’s high School Heisman (WHSH) was created. The WHSH program has set the standard for high school student-athletes, and gained tremendous prestige in its own right. Each fall, the program recognizes the nation’s most esteemed high school senior men and women for excellence in academics, athletics, and community/school involvement. To date more than 150,000 high school students have represented their schools and have been touched by the Heisman mystique. Of them, 157 have progressed to the National Finalist level, with 26 earning the designation of Wendy’s High School Heisman National Award Winners.

Hallsboro Artesia Student's Design Selected for Christmas Card

2007-12-14T12:56:00.001-08:00

Kayla Bryant, student at Hallsboro Artesia Elementary School, was selected as the winner of Columbus County Schools Superintendent Christmas Card Contest. Kayla's design was used on over 300 cards that went out to other school districts in the state. She is the art student of Cheryl Stewart.

West Columbus High receives $25,000 Public Art Grant.

2007-12-13T10:21:00.000-08:00

(above: Artist Brad Spencer discusses the West Columbus Project; below : a sample of the artists work on display in Charlotte.)
West Columbus High School has been awarded the prestigious SPARC (School/Public Art Collaboration Projects (SPARC) grant, awarded by the North Carolina Arts Council. It is the only high school in North Carolina to receive the award. The final result of the grant will be a permanent public art installation on the campus of West Columbus.

The grant process is an interesting and multifaceted one. The school created the SPARC Steering committee, made up of community members as well as school faculty, and members of the local arts council, community college, and students. The members met and discussed the overall project, and designated members of the artists selection team. The artist selection team, composed of Thomas Nance, Special Assistant to the Superintendent, Mark Brown, Principal, Ron Cole, Professor of Art at Southeastern Community College, Sally Mann, Executive Director of the Columbus County Arts Council, Kelly Jones Arts Education Coordinator, Larry Hewett, Art Instructor, Carlton Campbell, Teacher, Michael Powell, Teacher and Erik Sellars and Cheyenne Peacock, students at West Columbus, viewed portfolios of ten artists along with Linda Bamford and Jeffrey York of the NC Arts Council. From the ten artists, three finalists were chosen. These three consisted of a sculptor, who works in the medium of metal, a muralist who created the official mural for Columbine High School’s Renovation, and a sculptor who works in brick. All three artists are from North Carolina, and are world-class artists in their own right. Each one of the artists spent a class period talking to art students at West Columbus. The Artist Selection Team came back together and met with each of the three finalists, and made their final selection. The one chosen was Brad Spencer, brick artist from Reidsville, North Carolina. Erik Sellars, an art student on the selection committee explains some of the reasons: “I feel that with any public art, it is best accepted and enjoyed when the art is understood by the community, but has a sense of originality and creativity. Brick is a medium of common knowledge in our community. Everyone has seen it and everyone is familiar with it. Brick sculpture uses a common subject, but puts an exciting twist on it and leaves the viewer thinking "I didn't know you could do that!" Brad Spencer intrigues people with his artwork and I feel that people will like his art not only because it is art but also because they can understand the materials and the process that went into making it.”

This first step of the grant process took about 2 months. The next step in the process is to have Mr. Spencer come into the classroom and work with the students, which will occur early next year. The students will help create the design and the plan will also involve students working on the finished product. Mr. Spencer will spend 10 total classroom days at West Columbus, and the installation of the final piece will occur sometime in April or May. Kelly Jones, Arts Education Coordinator for Columbus County Schools, is excited about the project. “We feel this project will be something the entire county, an indeed the state, can be proud of. We are also very grateful to Jeffrey York and Linda Bamford of the North Carolina Arts Council for giving us this opportunity.” West Columbus Art Instructor Larry Hewett is also very excited about the project: “My students and I are very excited about the opportunity of helping design and work on this tailor-made sculpture for our school. We are looking forward to a wonderful experience with Brad Spencer in our classroom. What an awesome chance for us to work with an artist of his caliber and to leave a piece of artwork behind to be enjoyed long after we are all gone!”

American Indian Heritage Month

2007-12-10T07:34:00.002-08:00

American Indian students from Hallsboro Middle & East Columbus High School performed at the Odum Home in Pembroke on 11-27-07 sharing their culture, history, and traditions of the Native Americans. Ms. Shirley Freeman & Ms. Tammy Patrick cooked Fry Bread for all the students.

ECHS Rocame Hosts Great American Smokeout

2007-12-10T07:27:00.000-08:00

The ECHS ROCAME (Region "O" Council for the Advancement of Minorities in
Engineering) Club recently hosted their fourth annual Great American Smoke-Out. This is a national event that helps to raise awareness about the dangers of using tobacco products. Students signed a pledge to be tobacco free for a day.
Club members made treat bags for pledgers and had prizes for game participants. Display and handouts were provided by the Question Why for Teens and the American Cancer Society.

SCHS Football Finishes with Best Record

2007-12-10T07:24:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to the South Columbus High Stallions who reached the finals of the state 2A football championship. This Stallions finished 15-1 for their best season ever.

Board Recognizes Senator Soles, Representative Hill

2007-11-14T09:55:00.001-08:00

Dr. Dan Strickland and Mr. Norris Ebron present senator R.C. Soles and representative Dewey Hill with plaques honoring their work on behalf on education in the General Assembly at a recent Board Meeting.

Bright Ideas Winners

2007-11-14T09:50:00.001-08:00

Click here for the detailed story.

Congratulations to Camela Babson of Acme Delco Middle School, Kathy Blake of Chadbourn Elementary School, Carol Blake of Chadbourn Middle School, Stephanie Sellars of Guideway Elementary School, Velvet Hardwick of Hallsboro Middle School, Amanda Edwards of Old Dock Elementary, Gay Strickland of South Columbus High School, Kelly Strickland Graham of Tabor City Elementary School, Daphne Long of Williams Township and Sherry Jordan of East Columbus High School for being elected as 2007-2008 Bright Ideas Grant Recipients.
All winners and projects are located here.

KJ

Joan Buck Named Outstanding Teacher

2007-11-09T08:39:00.000-08:00

Joan Buck, teacher at Acme Delco Elementary School, was recently recognized and rewarded by the North Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics as an Outstanding Elementary Teacher. This recognition rewards teachers who make mathematics exciting for her students. It identifies Joan as a teacher who nurturers her students to make sense of math as a tool for everyday living and enhances their understanding by extending mathematics beyond the classroom.

Board Chairman Norris Ebron presented a plaque to Ms. Buck with principal Janet Hedrick in attendance at a recent board meeting.

Art Teacher Creates Murals for Cafeteria

2007-11-07T09:58:00.000-08:00

Sabrina Malpass, art teacher at Hallsboro Middle and Acme Delco Middle Schools, helped create healthy figures for the cafeteria of Hallsboro-Artesia Elementary School. Ms. Malpass, who has an extensive background in illustration, created the figures in partnership with Columbus Regional Healthcare, which provided the materials.

Columbus County Students Excel at Play Competition

2007-11-07T09:52:00.000-08:00

Students from East, South and West Columbus High Schools performed at the North Carolina Theatre Conference Play Festival at Ashley High School in Wilmington on November 2nd and 3rd. All three schools excelled with West and South receiving Excellent marks and East Columbus receiving Superior.

Chadbourn Elementary School Receives Books from DonorsChoose

2007-11-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

Kathy Blake, librarian of Chadbourn Elementary School, recently received a grant of over $1000 to purchase books for the library from Donorschoose.org, an online agency that allows donors to select from a wide range of applications. The students will enjoy the generosity of this donor for years to come!

Acme Delco Elementary Literacy Night

2007-11-02T07:57:00.000-07:00

On September 25, 2007 Acme Delco Elementary hosted a K-2 Literacy Night for parents at the Riegelwood Public Library. Rebecca Ham and Stephanie Nelson, both teachers at the school, presented techniques to help parents increase their child’s reading. Public Librarian, Robin Creech, discussed the library’s programs and helped parents get new library cards for students. The school provided each parent a take-home reader that can be exchanged for a new book as often as the parent wishes. Parents read a page and the child reads the next leveled text page. Approximately 30 parents and students were in attendance. Our goal of is to increase parent involvement in literacy. The night was a huge success and the school plans to have a annual Literacy Night.

Students Prepare for Play Competition

2007-10-29T20:12:00.000-07:00

For the first time ever, all three high school will participate in the North Carolina Theatre Conference's One Act Play Contest at Ashley High School in Wilmington on November 2nd-3rd. Recently, students gathered on a Saturday to perform for each other and get feedback from theatre professionals. Adjudications will also take place at the play festival and students will also watch over a dozen plays from other schools.

North Carolina Yam Festival

2007-10-29T19:55:00.000-07:00

Columbus County Schools participated in many facets of the recent Yam Festival. Tabor City Middle School won first place for their school made completely out of yams, all three high schools participated in the parade along with several school groups, and over 50 students contributed artwork.

CMS Travels to NC Mountains

2007-09-27T13:14:00.000-07:00

The Chadbourn Middle School National Junior Beta Club and the GEAR UP program recently sponsored a three day, two night trip to the North Carolina Mountains. During the trip, students toured the campus of UNC-Asheville, explored Linville Caverns, climbed Chimney Rock, visited Kings Mountain National Military Park, and toured Biltmore Estates.

CMS would like to extend a special thanks to the families and community members who supported our students in their fund raising efforts. Additionally, CMS would like to thank Mr. Odell Graham and the GEAR UP program for helping to make the trip possible.

Second Annual Convocation

2007-09-05T07:26:00.000-07:00

Columbus County Schools second annual convocation was held on August 22nd, 2007 at South Columbus High School. Teachers and Principal of the Year were recognized, and our guest speaker, Mr. Larry Bell, inspired the audience with "The Power of a Teacher". Many vendors also participated in the Vendor Fair, allowing staff to sample the many products and services available.

All County Band Camp

2007-08-04T22:10:00.000-07:00

A camp for all band students for the upcoming school year was held recently at West Columbus High School. The camp included members of the bands from East, South and West Columbus High Schools. The band directors from each of the schools, as well as outside clinicians, worked with students on playing and marching techniques. The main purpose of the camp was to utilize the strengths at each school for the benefit of all students throughout the county. The camp culminated with a short concert on the stage at WCHS.

Family Reading Rally at Cerro Gordo Elementary

2007-07-12T14:09:00.000-07:00

Family Reading Rally at Cerro Gordo Elementary
CGES in, conjunction with Reading First and the counseling program, hosted a
Family Reading Rally on May 17th with approximatly 150 parents, teachers and
students in attendance. Family members were provided with information on
essential reading components, actively participated in the CGES Reading
First K-3 supplemental reading computer program, played jump rope rhymes and
other reading games, and enjoyed a book walk and a Scholastic Book Fair.
The highlight of the evening was a Book Character Scavenger Hunt where
students had to locate live book characters throughout the school and
identify them by matching book information provided. A few of the special
guests were: Clifford the Big Red Dog, Curious George, Pink Panther,
Chamelon, The Principal in his new clothes, and the Jester. We hope this
will become an annual event as a great time was had by all.

New Playground at ADES

2007-06-28T10:21:00.000-07:00

Acme Delco Elementary children cannot contain their excitement as they enjoy
their new jungle gym. The new equipment is a result of a two year project
made possible by a combination of grants, fund raisers, and donations. The
school wishes to thank everyone who contributed to the project.

ADES Participates in Pennies for Patients

2007-06-28T09:49:00.000-07:00

Mrs. Susan Patrick's 1st grade class came in 1st place during Acme Delco

Elementary School's Pennies for Patients campaign.  The school raised $1,657

for the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society.  This year's campaign was in honor of 1st

grader, Shelby Parks, who has undergone treatment for Leukemia for nearly

two years and is doing well. She is an inspiration to everyone with her

positive attitude and love for school.



Shelby Parks is pictured with the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society Representative.