Spotlight On Education In The Wilkes County Schools

December 2017 Volume 6 Issue 4

Superintendent Mark Byrd and the staff of Wilkes County Schools wish you, your friends and family a safe and Happy Holiday Season!

Inside This Issue:

Dates To Remember:

   

  



Happy Holidays……………………………………….....Page 1 Vikings Induct Newest Class Into Hall of Fame……...Page 2 MPES Receives Lowe’s Grant for Media Center…….Page 3 Students Participate in 2017 NC Elementary Honors Chorus…………………………………………………....Page 4 Friends Feeding Friends Food Drive………………….Page 5

Board of Education Meeting……………………...Jan. 5 District Spelling Bee……………………………….Jan. 26 ACT Prep Class……………………………………Jan. 27

Volume 6 Issue 4

Vikings Induct Newest Class into Hall of Fame (From the Wilkes Journal Patriot) “Eight new members, including a quartet of military veterans, were inducted into the North Wilkes Hall of Fame for the 2017-18 school year on Dec. 4 in between the Vikings’ varsity basketball games with Newton-Conover. The Hall of Fame, which inducted its sixth class that night, was started in the 2012-13 school year to showcase the athletes, students and teachers in the 60-year history of the school who exemplified excellence and dedication while a part of the North Wilkes High School family. This year’s first inductee, Sharron Huffman, spent 32 years as a teacher in the science department at North Wilkes and taught biology, chemistry and physical science. Huffman also served as the Vikings head girls’ track and field coach for 18 seasons. She was also named the North Wilkes Teacher of the Year in 1999 and 2009. In addition to being named a finalist for the Wilkes County Teacher of the Year in 2009, Huffman was the District 7 Science Teacher of the Year in 2000. Huffman is a member of Delta Kappa Gamma and the North Carolina Association of Educators, Huffman served as National Beta Club State sponsor from 2003-05. She is currently on the Board of Directors for the North Carolina School Board Association and serves as a member of the Wilkes County Board of Education. Randy Joines taught a variety of subjects and coached multiple teams at North Wilkes from 1999-2010. He taught world history, world geography, earth science, weight training, advance physical education, freshman education and dance. As a coach, Joines was best known for being the head coach of North Wilkes’s girls’ basketball and softball programs. He coached the girls’ basketball team from 1997-2010 and the softball team from 1996-2010. He also served as the Vikings’ athletic director from 2004-07. His basketball teams went to the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state playoffs every year from 1997-2003 and his softball teams made the playoffs every year from 1996-2005. The softball teams enjoyed success under Joines’ direction as USA Today listed his 2000 team as a top-50 program in America. His 2004 team made the elite eight of the 2A state playoffs. Now the head girls’ basketball coach and softball coach at Bunker Hill in Catawba County, Joines was named the Southern District 7 Conference’s girls’ basketball Coach of they Year for the 2013-14 season. He was also head coach of the West team in the 2015 North Carolina Coaches Association East-West girls’ basketball all-star game.

Jane Purvis taught for 38 years at North Wilkes, primarily as a business teacher. She was chairman of the Vocational Technical Education Department and also coached the Vikings’ cheerleading squad6for five seasons. Volume Issue 4 During her tenure, Purvis also won the North Carolina State University Advisor of the Year award for Future Business Leaders of the Year. June Atkinson, current North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction, nominated her. Purvis also served on the Northwest Regional Board of Directors and participated in a wide variety of community service organizations, which includes the Association of University Women. She was also involved in the Hand and Hand Ministry at Moravian Falls Elementary School and as a volunteer for the Mother’s March for the March of Dimes and the Heart Fund. Reba H. Whittington taught english and history during her 32-year teaching career at North.

RCES 1st Graders Learn About Variety of Careers

A nominee for the 1993 Northwest Teacher of the Year and an English Department Chair, Whittington was also the Director of Instruction for one year at North Wilkes. She was also a member of the National Education Association, the North Carolina Association of Educators and the NATIONAL council of English Teachers. Whittington also served as an assistant softball coach for five years and was the head coach of the girls’ tennis programs and volleyball program for one year and two years, respectively. In addition to the four inductees, North Wilkes graduates — Corporal Richard Hall of the United States Marine Corps, Specialist Wake Miles and Sergeant John Osborne from the United States Army, and Petty Officer 3rd Class Chris Thompson of the United States Navy — who gave their lives in the service of their country, were also recognized. Family members accepted commemorative plaques on their behalf. (Jamie Adams of North Wilkes High School also contributed to this story).”

Wilkes County Schools

Volume 6 Issue 4

MPES Receives Lowe’s Grant for Media Center Mount Pleasant Elementary School received a Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation Toolbox for Education grant for $50,000 Ferguson, NC (Fall 2017) – Mount Pleasant Elementary School is pleased to announce that it received a $50,000 grant from the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation Toolbox for Education. These funds were used to complete a total renovation of the Media Center which was entitled “Renovating Our World of Information and Imagination”. The project begin once school let out in June 2017 with a fresh coat of paint and brand new ceiling tiles added to the Media Center. We also chose new carpet that was completed in July. The Media Center was also able to purchase numerous book shelves of different shapes and sizes, a Sharp Aquos Board for technology based instruction, six IPads for student use, a desktop computer for book circulation, 8 tables with 4 chairs each for collaborative learning, comfy reading furniture, a beautiful area rug, artwork, wall signage and labels, a stem table, and makerspace manipulatives. This project was designed in order to improve our school media center by renovating it to become a more up to date facility where classes could thrive through the use of technology and makerspace stations.

Wilkes County Schools

Volume 6 Issue 4

Students Participate in 2017 NC Elementary Honors Chorus Two students from Millers Creek Elementary participated in the 2017 NC Elementary Honors Chorus in Winston-Salem, NC on November 11-12. Addie Byers and Ivy Cooper were chosen, by audition, to sing with 225 students from across NC at this prestigious event. The chorus was led by Dr. Elizabeth McFarland. The culminating concert was presented at the Stevens Center as part of the NC Music Educators Conference. Their music teacher is Mrs. Carol Huffman. Great job, Addie and Ivy!

Wilkes County Schools

Volume 6 Issue 4

Friends Feeding Friends Food Drive

On Wednesday, Dec. 13th students from Mulberry and Mountain View Elementary Schools and North Wilkes Middle School participated in the Friends Feeding Friends food drive at Just Save Food! Students were served breakfast, and went shopping for food items which were donated to the food pantry at BROC (Blue Ridge Opportunity Commission). The funding for the food was raised during the Benny Parsons Race Against Hunger Golf Tournament on October 11th at Cedarbook County Club in Elkin. Students also got to meet and get autographs from commentator for NASCAR’s coverage on Fox Sports, Jeff Hammond!

Wilkes County Schools