By: Cinde Ingram

HIGH POINT — Teachers have adapted their kitchens and living rooms to teach classes from home while schools remain closed until May 15 to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

“It has definitely been a learning curve, both for teachers and students,” said Donna Christy, a Guilford County Schools advanced math teacher at Northern Guilford High School who lives in High Point.

After 30 years in the classroom, her video conference lesson Thursday was a first for Christy.

“It was so wonderful to either see their faces or hear their voices,” Christy said.

She had attended a Zoom meeting for the first time last week. Her prior experience using the Remind app to text assignments, announcements about upcoming tests or to answer student questions in a secure format proved helpful for getting students onto a Zoom conference, but Christy said she may have to use either Skype or Canvas conferencing for future lessons.

“I didn’t have a big participation with this first one and so I’m hoping the next one will be better,” she said. “That’s why I wanted to do it this week, because it was more of a practice form. I’m hoping that we will start actually giving grades next week.”

Christy can log on to see which students have been on Canvas, an online learning management system that has been used by the district for about five years. Starting Monday, teacher-created lessons became available through Canvas to reinforce what students have been learning in the classroom and help prevent learning loss. Teachers will not be taking attendance or taking grades, but participation is encouraged.

“We want to help our students continue learning and stay on track while they are out of school,” said Whitney Oakley, chief academic officer.

At Ledford High School in Davidson County, teachers also are engaging students through various technologies, including Canvas, Zoom, Remind, Flipgrid, Google Classroom and email.

“For the most part, students are interacting on the digital platforms, but the workday now is very different,” said Tonia Moxey, who teaches junior and senior English and Communications II. “Teenagers, as you may know, are nocturnal beings, … night owls, if you will. Many begin working around lunchtime and into the evening hours.”

Since Gov. Roy Cooper ordered schools closed March 18, Ledford students and faculty have posted photos and messages on social media @LedfordProud to share distance learning and telecommuting experiences. Ledford’s foods and nutrition teacher started an Instagram account called LHS Foods to showcase foods her students are learning about and cooking at home.

“Students and teachers alike, despite the technology we have in place, miss the social interaction of a normal face-to-face school day,” Moxey said. “We are taking things day by day and being optimistic, but our kids miss school, and we miss them being there as well.”

Guilford County Schools also encourages parents to share a photo of their child learning at home on its social media channels using the hashtag #KeepLearningGCS. GCS will continue to update families through its COVID-19 website.

Link to Original Post: https://hpenews.com/news/14954/teachers-use-technology-creativity-amid-crisis/

GREENSBORO, N.C.– Guilford County Schools (GCS) announced that beginning on Wednesday, March 18, the district is setting up grab-and-go sites for food distribution across the county for any children ages 0 to 18.

Children will be able to pick up meals Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the sites. Students will pick up their lunch for the day and breakfast for the following morning.

GCS also says officials started delivering meals to the most vulnerable students Monday, including those who are homeless or in transition. Delivery to these students will continues for at least the next two weeks.

“Although school is not in session, the need for nourishment persists,” said Guilford County Schools Superintendent Sharon L. Contreras. “We must do everything in our power to ensure no child goes hungry.”

The grab-and-go sites are as follows:

Link to Original Post: https://myfox8.com/news/gcs-shares-list-of-32-grab-and-go-sites-where-children-can-get-breakfast-lunch-starting-wednesday/?fbclid=IwAR1L2XAa9J1SZXUNChdpeQqLU7FDvP9lCY4iVI-UQ9QBX8Q9fNFBkDsiTos

By: Cinde Ingram

HIGH POINT — Oak Hill Elementary School second-graders dipped into the Hartley Drive Family YMCA pool this week to add life skills by getting wet and learning to swim.

In the 2013-14 school year, about 70 Oak Hill second-grade students were the city’s first to take part in the Learn to Swim program at the YMCA. The Hartley YMCA partnered with the Greensboro Aquatic Center in the 2015-16 school year to serve four High Point schools.

This year, students from seven Guilford County schools are learning to swim at the YMCA, said Hartley Branch Director Robbie Smith. In addition to Oak Hill, those students are from Johnson Street Global Studies, Montlieu Academy of Technology, and Fairview, Oakview, Northwood and Shadybrook elementary schools.

“In 2019, the USA Swimming Foundation reported 221 drownings in pools and spas for children ages 15 and younger,” Smith said. “This is down from 2018, but just learning basic skills taught in the Learn to Swim program can help prevent even more drownings.”

The approximately 420 students from seven schools are just part of the overall second-grade Learn to Swim program in High Point, which has grown through donations and the cooperation of YMCAs and Wesleyan Christian Academy.

“This year we have 13 High Point elementary schools participating in the program, with 483 graduating this year to date, and we anticipate about 925 High Point students will graduate from the program by the end of this year,” GAC Learn to Swim Coordinator Rosemary Kenerly said.

The goal of the program is to teach every second-grade student in Guilford County water safety skills.

Students in the Learn to Swim program receive instruction in the pool and are taught swimming skills over a series of 10 40-minute classes. The skills gained in the Learn to Swim program are not only potentially lifesaving, but also help students develop a physically active lifestyle, improve overall health and fitness, and expose them to additional swimming opportunities and other aquatic related activities.

“Our partnership with the Greensboro Aquatic Center will help us ensure that all second-graders in High Point have the opportunity to learn skills to keep them safe in the water,” Smith said. “Learning these skills can also give children more confidence in other areas of their lives.”

High Point students taking swim lessons this school year attend the following schools:

• Parkview Village

• Oak View

• Florence

• Johnson Street

• Shadybrook

• Kirkman Park

• Fairview

• Northwood

• Oak Hill

• Triangle Lake Montessori

• Millis Road

• Montlieu

• Southwest

The total of Learn to Swim graduates since the program’s inception in 2011 has climbed to 6,759, Kenerly said.

“We expect to graduate more than 2,200 second-graders from 39 (Guilford County) schools this school year alone, bringing our total to about 9,000 in nine years,” Kenerly said.

cingram@hpenews.com | 336-888-3534 | @HPEcinde

Saving lives

• Drowning ranks fifth among the leading causes of unintentional injury death for people of all ages in the United States

• Every day, about 10 people die from drowning. Of these, two will be children aged 14 or younger

• Drowning is the second-leading cause of injury death for children ages 1 to 14 years.

• More children 1-4 years old die from drowning than any other cause of death except birth defects.

• Eight children drown each week in the United States

• For every child who dies from drowning, another five receive emergency care for submersion injuries. These nonfatal injuries can cause severe brain damage and long-term disabilities

• 61% of all children do not know how to swim

• 68% of African American children don’t know how to swim

• 56% of Hispanic children don’t know how to swim

• 48% of Caucasian children don’t know how to swim.

Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.

Link to Original Post: https://hpenews.com/news/14538/local-second-graders-dive-in-to-swimming-program/

By: Cinde Ingram

HIGH POINT — Oak Hill Elementary students became the city’s first to kick off the Rock’n Read program on Monday morning.

Nearly 500 pre-K through fifth-grade students bumped fists or hugged High Point Rockers’ mascot Hype after they collected a new book from a local author and learned how to win prizes for reading through the professional baseball team’s partnership with High Point LEAP.

“We’re celebrating Read Across America, also Dr. Seuss’s birthday,” said Principal Candice Bailey. “Reading is so essential and so important to everything that we do.”

Most of the students in Oak Hill’s gymnasium responded by raising their hands when asked if they had read anything by Dr. Seuss or liked to read.

Third-grade student Lake Powell, who wants to become a police officer, said learning to read is important “so you can do other things when you’re grown up.”

Author Julia Ebel said she had never met an author when she was their age, but she learned to write about real people, such as the ones in the “Picture Man” book she gave the students to take home with them. She supplied hints, but told the students they would find out more by reading the book.

“You have stories of your own to tell,” Ebel said. “The good news is we learn from all those things that happen in our lives. Your stories are important, and I hope you will find ways to share stories.”

The students received a Rock’n Read log to keep track of the number of minutes they read in order to win prizes and tickets to pick up at BB&T Point stadium on Gatewood Avenue. Each minute read helps advance Hype toward the next base and can add up to extra free tickets. “Everybody here has a chance to win free tickets to come see the Rockers and to come see Hype — all you have to do is read,” said Susan Ormond, High Point Rockers director of ticket sales. “We want to see all your smiling faces at the ballpark this summer.”

Students who read enough to get to third base (more than 800 minutes) can be on the field to throw out a first pitch at the Rockers game on June 10.

In addition to building excitement, Bailey said she hopes the Rock’n Read effort will motivate students to want to read more at home.

Link to Original Post: https://hpenews.com/news/14481/rockers-join-leap-to-pitch-reading/

It’s no secret that readers are leaders. This week, we’re bringing you some of our community’s best readers and leaders, our extraordinary educators, Mary Nifong and Shindiana Harris. These two women work tirelessly to spread a love of reading and a passion for learning. Their own love of the written word has greatly impacted the way they lead their classrooms. Read on to find out how Mary and Shindiana inspire learning in their High Point students.

Mary Nifong

“I would like to pass on to my students the wisdom of Winnie the Pooh as written by A. A. Milne. ‘Always remember, you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, smarter than you think.’”

As the K-5 librarian at Kirkman Park Spanish Immersion Elementary School, Mary Nifong has a uniquely special love of reading. She was nominated by her principal, Dr. Jamal Crawford, who applauds Mary for “transforming the Kirkman Park library and burgeoning makerspace area with a $23K grant from the High Point Community Foundation.” A makerspace is an area where people can gather to make and create – sharing supplies, skills and ideas.

A life-long instructor, Mary has spent three decades teaching and says she couldn’t even begin to choose her most memorable moment.

“I do remember the relationships I’ve had with students who repeatedly came to our library for information, for entertainment, and sometimes for refuge,” she says. “I’ve always tried to be a constant in their lives, earning their trust and treating them with respect.”

Mary says over the years, her teaching style has been influenced by her very own extraordinary educators, ones that she has had the pleasure of learning from and teaching alongside.

“Good teachers must demonstrate a passion for what they do, a curiosity for knowledge that, in turn, inspires their students, and an enduring sense of humor,” Mary says. At Kirkman Park, Mary often sees this kind of teaching, as staff and administrators work to educate and nurture the wide variety of students’ needs.

“I love my job because every day I get to make connections that positively impact the education of our students,” she explains. “I connect students, teachers, and our families to literature, information, and digital resources. I love seeing a student excited by a discovery, whether it’s a new book by a favorite author or learning how to write lines of code.”

When she’s not helping students locate their next favorite book, Mary might be reading her own favorite title, Wishtree by Katherine Applegate.

“It’s a magical book for families, with a message that is powerful and relevant for our times,” Mary says.

Check out Mary’s Amazon Wishlist!

Shindiana Harris

“I tell my scholars not to compare themselves to anyone else. We are created to be just who we are. In class and in life as long as you are doing your personal best, that’s all I can ask for. Set short-term and long-term goals for yourself. If you falter striving to attain those goals, don’t beat yourself up. Tomorrow is a new day, get up and start over.”

Our next extraordinary educator, Shindiana Harris, is a third-grade teacher at Montlieu Academy of Technology. As teacher of the year, Shindiana was nominated by her principal, Kimberly Scott.

“Each day I walk into our building, I get excited by the fact that I will be able to reach and touch little minds,” says Shindiana. “I start each day with the mindset that today is a new day, to learn new things, and do our personal best to be the best scholars we can be.”

At Montlieu, Shindiana says that the teachers focus on educating the whole child, starting first from a foundation of relationship building. It’s from this foundation that Shindiana found herself working through one especially memorable teaching moment with an English as a Second Language learning student.

“This student came into my class knowing very little phonetically and not being able to read very many words,” Shindiana recalls. “She worked very hard in small groups and had an excitement to want to learn. By the end of the year she was an emergent reader.” Seeing this student work to read independently at her reading level, despite coming into the classroom with very limited English skills reminded Shindiana that every student can work hard and grow, regardless of the challenges life places in their path.

Shindiana also attributes some of her educational inspiration to reading impact teacher, Laura Jones.

“She reignited a fire and passion in me for teaching literacy,” Shindiana says. “Working with her, my teaching style totally transformed this year. Teaching is somewhat like acting. You’re on a stage. You’re an entertainer. The delivery of my lessons may change from day to day. In class, I have to be enthusiastic, expressive, persuasive, flexible, and stimulating. I want my scholars to be engaged and active participants.”

As for her own love of reading, Shindiana names Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl as her all-time favorite book. Having read this for the first time in middle school, Shindiana remembers feeling captivated by the story.

“To read Anne’s real-life recollections of the situations and traumas that she and her family endured touched something deep within me,” Shindiana remembers. “This book pushed me to do my own research about the Holocaust, German occupation during WWII, and the things the victims endured. This book really touched me in unexplainable ways.”

Check out Shindiana’s Amazon Wishlist!

We’re thankful for teachers in our community like Mary and Shindiana. They work steadfastly to show our students what lies beyond their classroom walls, buried deep within pages of books. They make our community better by opening our students’ minds to the wide world around us.

Discovering our High Points,

HP Discovered

Photography by Maria West Photography

Link to Original Post: https://barbourspangle.com/extraordinary-educators-mary-nifong-and-shindiana-harris/