Hanford-Dole Book Club

The first-grade students at Hanford-Dole Elementary enjoyed the presentation of the book, “Froggy Builds a Tree House” in the school’s media center.

The guest reader this month was Vicky Slusser, the executive director of Communities In Schools of Rowan County. Slusser was able to bring the book to life for the first-graders. Her enthusiasm kept all the students’ attention throughout the presentation. Slusser asked the students questions throughout the presentation to engage them in the book.

Ann Shepherd, a Communities in Schools site coordinator, did a parent presentation on reading and writing to the parents in attendance.

Hanford-Dole’s Book Club is sponsored by grants from Target Stores, Schneider Electric and Communities in Schools–Rowan.

Hanford-Dole and Communities In Schools–Rowan are committed to engaging the parents in school activities to better prepare students and parents to work together with the school. Communities In Schools–Rowan is a United Way agency.

 

Crosby Scholars

Rowan County Crosby Scholars hired Quinn Scarvey as High School Program Coordinator.

Scarvey will serve as the point of contact for all high school students in grades nine through 11. She will be responsible for coordinating Crosby Scholars programs, grade advisor meetings and special events at all Rowan County high schools.

Scarvey has called Salisbury home for as long as she can remember. She graduated from Lenoir-Rhyne University in May of 2014, and is excited to now be part of the Crosby Scholars team. Her coolest fun fact about herself is that she can whistle any song she knows.

 

Sorority to host scholarship fundraiser

The Salisbury Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and the Delta Fort2tude Foundation, Inc. will hold their annual scholarship fundraiser event on April 25 at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church at 6 p.m.

“My Future Is So Bright, I Have To Wear Shades” is the 2015 Jabberwock theme. There are 10 participants ranging from ages 4 to 10 who have been preparing for this event since January. During their preparation, the participants participated in workshops such as Self-Esteem, When I Grow Up, Etiquette, Respect/Attitude and My Vision.

It will be an evening of talent through song, dance, and musical instruments.

The participants will conclude the program by dancing to the traditional minute.

 

D.A.R.E. Carnival coming to Kannapolis

The North Carolina D.A.R.E., or Drug Abuse Resistance Education, Association has partnered with Inner Shows to present the second annual D.A.R.E. Carnival in Kannapolis.

The carnival is for all ages and will feature rides, games, food and fun. Officers with the Kannapolis Police Department and the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Department will attend and be available to answer questions and provide safety information.

The carnival will be at the Rug & Home Outlet, located at 3333 Cloverleaf Parkway, from April 21 to 26. Hours of operation will be 5-10 p.m. on Tuesday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.

A portion of the proceeds will go to the North Carolina D.A.R.E. Association to help train new D.A.R.E. Officers in an effort to give kids the skills they need to avoid involvement in drugs, gangs and violence.

 

Hanford-Dole Career Day

Hanford-Dole Elementary students had a valuable experience learning about a variety of career opportunities on Career Day.

Eight different career presenters rotated to all third- through fifth-grade classrooms.

The presenters shared about their careers, including stories from their personal experience, their educational background and related positions. They even brought items from their jobs to show the students.

Presenters included: Dr. A.J. Shepherd, an orthopedic surgeon from Wake Forest Baptist Health; Carlene Davis, a Salisbury Post Office rural route carrier; Craig Powers and Bryan Solomon from the city of Salisbury Street Department; Dr. Suzanne Ford, a vet from the Salisbury Animal Hospital; Hillary Spangler, a medical student from Chapel Hill and author of the book, ‘Where is Henry?’;  Deputy Jennifer Mason, from the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office;  Erick Neely, a barber; and Sabrina Eagle, a school counselor who spoke on various careers of interest.
The students used their iPads to take notes about each speaker and then the information was saved so it could be reviewed at a later time.

Even in elementary school, students need to be aware of the importance of reading, writing and math; importance of staying in school; making good grades; and how a career selection can affect the financial outcome of the students’ future.

With the hands-on approach of Career Day speakers, Hanford-Dole students were able to learn the many facets of jobs that may become their future careers.

 

Sorority hosts presentation

The Alpha Alpha Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., sponsored a presentation by the Family Crisis Council of Rowan County.

The event was held at the Sigma/Zeta House on Short Street in Salisbury on April 11. The guest speaker was Renee Bradshaw, executive director of Family Crisis Council of Rowan County.

Bradshaw discussed the Family Crisis Council, which was founded more than 30 years ago.

The council provides multiple services, including a 24-Hour Crisis Line at 704-636-4718, individual counseling, domestic and sexual assault support groups for women and children, court advocacy and hospital accompaniment for domestic and sexual violence victims.

All services are free of charge, and Spanish-speaking advocates are available.

 

East Equine Explorers hold clinic

The East Equine Explorers 4-H Club held a Dressage Clinic at Rockwater Farm on April 11.

Dressage is referred to as ballet on horseback and judges how well the horse and rider perform a pattern or test against the ideal.

Mary Hunt, Guilford County volunteer and chair of the NC 4-H State Dressage Division was the instructor.

Eight riders practiced the non-trotting introductory patterns A and B and received written feedback and scoring.

 

Catawba professor contributes to article

Dr. Beth Homan, an associate professor of theatre arts at Catawba College, recently contributed to an article written by Tessa W. Carr titled, “Devised Theatre: Drive Creativity by Inviting Participants to Steer a Production from Concept to Performance.”

The article was published in Volume LVI, Number 2, Spring 2015 edition of “Southern Theatre Magazine.”

The article referenced devised work done by Homan in collaboration with Catawba College writer-in-residence Dr. Janice Fuller. Homan and Fuller worked to create and direct productions of the original “Machine Play” and a stage adaptation of William Faulkner’s novel, “As I Lay Dying.”

 

Catawba math professor presents at conference

Dr. Paul Baker, professor of mathematics and computer science at Catawba College, attended the Southeast Regional Conference of the Mathematical Association of America in March during the college’s spring break.

At the conference, he presented a review (co-authored with his fellow professor of mathematics at Catawba, Dr. John Zerger) of the book “Finding Zero” by Amir Aczel. The book summarized archaeological, historical and linguistic evidence that the earliest use of the number zero took place in Cambodia during the Ancient Khmer Empire.

Baker also presented “Anything Besides Zero?” that examined various reasons that the Khmer Empire did not give birth to other important mathematical discoveries.

While at the conference, he served as liaison with the national officials of the Mathematics Association of America.

On April 2 at Downtown Catawba, Baker presented “Ethical Economic Choices in International Business” that focused on several ethical dilemmas he has encountered during the dozen mission trips he has made reaching out to the orphans of Cambodia.

 

Brain Bowl Begins

North Hills Christian School’s National Honor Society members hosted the inaugural episode of what will become an annual event known as the North Hills Brain Bowl. This year’s participants were the school’s seventh- and eighth-grade students. Teams of four or five students competed against each other to answer questions from nine categories – literature, pop culture, art and music, history, geography, math, science, sports and Bible.

Members of the school’s National Honor Society created the questions, and junior Brittney Hogan formatted the game and served as moderator for the competition.

Each middle school team had a high school National Honor Society mentor who helped them strategize at the start of each round to determine the best playing order.

Because the categories varied widely, students had the opportunity to excel in their own personal area of expertise. The winning team was Brandon Glenn, Derrick Aguilera, Sarah Bailey, Rook Wetzel and Greyson Pressley, and was coached by Brianna Caraccio. The winners were treated to a pizza lunch on April 8, hosted by the members of the National Honor Society.

 

Collaborative choral event

A collaborative choral event between Rowan-Cabarrus Community College’s chorus and the East Rowan High School honors chorus will be held on April 29 at 7 p.m. in Rowan-Cabarrus Community College’s north campus auditorium.

The collaborative concert is to help promote awareness of the excellent choral program offered at Rowan-Cabarrus and to promote the excellent opportunities in the arts offered in Rowan County.

Planning for the event began back in the fall when several East Rowan graduates approached Caroline Simyon, Rowan-Cabarrus’ choral director and music instructor, about their experiences in chorus at East Rowan.

Simyon met with Dean Orbison, choral director at East, and both agreed it would be a great way to promote both music departments and the arts in Rowan County.

The concert will consist of both choirs singing several pieces separately and then combining for several pieces.

The concert is free and open to the public.

 

Local student takes the stage in “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”

Tyreese Paul of Salisbury was cast in Louisburg College’s production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.”

 

Livingstone spring commencement

Livingstone College’s commencement will be held in Memorial Alumni Stadium on the college’s campus May 2 at 9 a.m. In the case of inclement weather, commencement will be moved to Varick Auditorium.

 

Catawba students serve at Future Business Leaders conference

Catawba College students in Phi Beta Lambda, the professional business fraternity for students that is a part of the college’s Ketner School of Business, recently served as volunteers for the Future Business Leaders of America State Leadership Conference in Greensboro April 13-14.

Phi Beta Lambda Advisor Dr. Pamela Thompson, also dean of the Ketner School of Business, served as a judge for the graphic design event for the competition and judged five high school teams participating in that event.

Catawba students Blake Brewer of Elfland; DaQunda Magwood of Walterboro, S.C.; Janin Kassner of Giesen, Germany; Ellery Carson of Lexington; Zhaquondalee Greer of Greensboro and Khadijah Brown of Warrenton served as event administrators and conference operations staff during the two-day conference which had high school and middle school students, teachers and advisors in attendance from all over the state of North Carolina.

 

Head Start accepting applications

The Salisbury-Rowan Community Action Agency has announced that the Head Start and Early Head Start programs are now accepting applications for enrollment. The program is developed for children from birth to 5 years, including those with disabilities and expectant mothers.

Head Start prepares children for school readiness while providing a safe learning environment.

Families from Rowan, Davidson, Montgomery, Moore and Stanly counties are encouraged to apply. For more information, visit the Salisbury-Rowan Community Action Agency’s website at www.srcaa.com. The website also provides links to submit an application appointment request.

 

Partners in Learning hosts special needs mini conference

Partners in Learning Child Development and Family Resource Center invites parents, providers and educators to attend the annual Special Needs Mini Conference on May 2.

“We are excited that this event has grown in attendance and in the wide array of information we provide to families and providers,” said Executive Director Norma Honeycutt. “The conference is a valuable resource for anyone who cares for or serves a child with special needs.”

This year Dana Rusher, behavioral strategist, will provide the keynote address, “Magic Wands and Pixie Dust Be Gone – Evidence-based Behavioral Strategies for Meeting the Needs of Children with Special Needs.”

Rusher has been a consultant with the N.C. Department of Public Instruction Exceptional Children Division for 12 years in the areas of behavior support, positive behavior intervention and support and autism.

Having spent several years in public school classrooms working with students with Autism Spectrum Disorders, learning disabilities and significant emotional and behavioral disabilities, she describes herself as an educator at heart.

Breakout sessions will include a parent panel, information on vestibular processing dysfunction, behavior strategies, classroom inclusion strategies, information from educators, advocacy advice and information on family dynamics.

The event will be held May 2 from 8 am until noon at the Catawba College Ketner Building and is free and open to the public. Childcare is provided for free upon request.

To make a reservation to attend the conference and for childcare call 704-638-9020.

 

Kannapolis teachers selected for 2015 STEM Fellows Program

Discovery Place Education Studio has announced the 2015 cohort of its flagship program, STEM Fellows. With more than 70 applications received, 26 educators from North Carolina and South Carolina were selected for the 2015 STEM Fellows cohort, and two Kannapolis educators made the list.

Meredith Katz of Kannapolis Intermediate School and Amy Minton of Kannapolis Middle School were selected for the three-year fellowship that prepares local teachers for dynamic, hands-on learning experiences in order to deliver high-impact STEM lessons in the classroom that prepare students for real world challenges.

“STEM Fellows is not only about increasing STEM content in the classroom, but more importantly about learning how to engage students in impactful, meaningful conversations that are relevant in our everyday lives,” said Discovery Place Education Studio Director Stephanie Hathaway. “There is an urgent need both locally and nationally to support teachers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math. Our goal is to equip them with the right tools, technology and confidence that they need to broaden inquiry-based STEM education.”

STEM Fellows is the flagship offering of Discovery Place Education Studio and is designed to give teachers and educators skills and tools that can be adapted to meet the needs of their own classrooms. Over the three-year program, participants will move from learning about STEM content and science education to becoming community problem solvers and engaging in action-based research in their own classrooms.

STEM Fellows will begin their first year engaging in immersive experiences that focus on supporting growth in pedagogy before moving into field experiences with STEM-based partners and completing a high level research project.

 

Catawba recognized as “green” college

Catawba College is again receiving national recognition for being one of the country’s most environmentally responsible “green” colleges. Catawba was among 353 higher education institutions included in The Princeton Review’s “Guide to 353 Green Colleges: 2015 Edition” that was released April 16.

This is the sixth year for the publication and third consecutive year that Catawba has been included in this annual edition.  Catawba and other institutions were included in the 2015 edition based on their 2014 Green Rating scores of 60 to 99.  Catawba earned a score of 89 based on its academic offerings and career preparation for students, campus policies, initiatives and activities that demonstrate an exceptional commitment to sustainability.

Catawba boasts a formal Sustainability Committee, a Public Green House Gases Inventory Plan, and offers several sustainability-focused degrees.

 

China Grove Middle School students learn from scientist

Most people don’t think about the link between climate change and the shellfish on their plate.

Thanks to University of North Carolina at Charlotte scientist Ina Socolova, sixth-graders at China Grove Middle School now understand how their decisions on land can impact creatures at sea.

“I’m talking about the effects of climate change on the ocean,” Socolova said. “Climate change has an evil twin called ocean acidification.”

Socolova explained that when carbon dioxide is introduced to seawater, it becomes more acidic, which is harmful for shellfish.

“Our shores as we know them are absolutely dependent on shellfish,” she said, explaining that shellfish like clams and oysters filter the water.

She demonstrated this by filling beakers with water and adding dye that turns from blue to yellow when the water becomes more acidic. Then, she had students volunteer to blow into the water through a straw, introducing carbon dioxide to it. The students watched in awe as the water turned from blue to yellow.

Socolova showed that dry ice has a similar effect on the water.

“The acidification of the water is bad for these guys,” she said, pointing to several shellfish on display in beakers of water.

Socolova said she hopes the students will learn to protect ecosystems through her lecture.

“Hopefully they will grow into responsible citizens,” she said.

 

West Rowan Broadway Revue

West Rowan High School and Southeast Middle School’s Broadway Revue will feature singing, dancing and acting with music from the 1950s-2000s on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Friday and Saturday performances are at 7 p.m., and the Saturday performance is at 3 p.m.

Tickets are $5 for students, $8 for adults and $10 for preferred seating. They can be purchased in advance or at the door.

Broadway Revue will be held at West Rowan High School, 8050 NC-801 in Mount Ulla.

For more information, go to www.westrowanchorus.weebly.com/ .