FIRST THURSDAY VOLUME 5, ISSUE 5
Teaching Fellows Four FCS students earn NC Teaching Fellows Scholarships. Page 3.
Students Net WEMC Scholarships Five Students Receive $1,250 Megan Crayton (BHS), Joel Hayes (FHS), Kristin Hedrick (FHS) and Richard Keith (LHS) have each been awarded a $1,250 scholarship from Wake Electric. These 4 students have parents or guardians who are served by Wake Electric, a non-profit electric utility which serves 34,000 customers in parts in Durham, Franklin, Granville, Johnston, Nash, Vance, and Wake counties. The scholarships will be paid to whichever college or university the students enroll in for the Fall 2010. In total, Wake Electric has awarded 17 college scholarships for 2010 equaling a total of $22,000.
Franklin County Schools Our Future, Our Commitment, Our Students
MAY, 2010
Governor’s School Bound
Jonathan Brodish
Erin Davis
Ben Hamm
FHS
LHS
BHS
All Three FCS High Schools to be Represented at NC Governor’s School
T
hree exemplary students from Franklin County Schools have been selected to participate in the 2010 North Carolina Governor’s School. John Brodish (Franklinton High School), Ben Hamm (Bunn High School) and Erin Davis (Louisburg High School) are among 600 rising high school juniors and seniors statewide selected to attend the six-week summer program for academically or intellectually gifted students. “I am thrilled for our students to have this wonderful opportunity to
attend Governor’s School,” FCS Superintendent Dr. Eddie Ingram said. “This will be a summer experience like no other, one that promises to intellectually challenge and prepare them for many of their future endeavors.” N.C. Department of Public Instruction Exceptional Children Director Mary Watson congratulated the students on their selection. “Governor’s School provides our gifted students with a unique opportunity to learn in a setting designed to stimulate collaboration and creativity,” Watson said. “We look forward to welcoming stu-
SEE HONORS PAGE 6
FCS FIRST THURSDAY
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Reality Check
Even though the above scene was a simulation, it made a big impact on Bunn High School Students.
Students Encouraged to be Safe Behind The Wheel
C
rashing into a telephone poll at 55 miles per hour can kill a driver in less than a second. The pain from that fraction of a second can haunt parents, friends and loved ones for a lifetime. With high school prom season at its peak, one organization is making sure high school juniors and seniors realize the potential
dangers when driving under the influence of alcohol or with distractions including cell phones. Vehicle Injury Prevention for a Very Important Person (VIPFORAVIP) was formed 12 years ago by volunteers from law enforcement and other emergency service agencies to create realistic recreations of deadly car accidents involving
teen drivers. The group will deliver 22 such programs this year. Bunn High School students witnessed the program first hand on Tuesday, and it’s safe to say a lasting impression was made. The morning session featured SEE DRIVING PAGE 4
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Preparing to Teach
Chris Smith
Colby Gupton
Stephanie Alford
Alex Berry
LHS
LHS
BHS
BHS
Gary Wright FHS
Five FCS Students Earn Teaching Fellows Scholarships Five Franklin County seniors were recently awarded North Carolina Teaching Fellows Scholarships. Stephanie Alford and Alex Berry from Bunn High School received the honor. Also making the field were Gary Wright from Franklinton High School as well as
Colby Gupton and Christopher Smith of Louisburg High School. All five earned the highly acclaimed scholarship for their outstanding performance both in and out of the classroom. Just 500 students earn the award each year. For more
info, visit the NC Teaching Fellows webpage (http:// www.teachingfellows.org/) In addition, there are three alternates. This year's alternates, all from Franklinton High School, are Brianna Campbell, Jessica Denney and Autumn McCord.
FCS FIRST THURSDAY
in tears. “This is a very powerful program,” BHS Principal Robin Faulkner said. Continued from page 2 “There wasn’t a dry eye. When the students left the auditorium, they didn’t make a sound. The program a one-hour assembly in the BHS was delivered well. It wasn’t auditorium in which parents spoke of the pain of losing a child, and sta- preachy; it just makes it clear that there are choices and consetistics of teenage driving were disquences. I really like that it wasn’t cussed. just about drinking and driving. It A coffin on the stage next to the also expressed the dangers of texspeaking parents helped set the tone as nearly 400 BHS juniors and ting and using a cell phone while driving.” seniors were silent and many were
Driving
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MAY, 2010
Students received part two of the program in the afternoon. The 30minute session was a live reenactment of crash in which a student slams into a telephone poll and passes away. As witnesses, parents and emergency vehicles arrive, the victim’s thoughts can be heard via a narrator through a PA system. Much like the morning session, this too proved to be heavy hitting for the students. SEE BHS PAGE 5
While the program wasn’t real, it certainly had a real impact on BHS students.
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BHS Continued from page 4
“It was very real, depressing and sad,” Bunn High School senior Robert Saltzman said. Morgan Pearce, also a senior said that she realizes now that tragedies really can happen. “This is not a joke,” Pearce said. “Things like this happen in real life. The statistics don’t lie at all.” Senior Stormi Barham shared similar feelings. “This really makes me think twice. It puts things in proper perspective.” Barham added that if she’s running late to get home before her curfew in the future, she will not hurry and simply deal with the consequences because it isn’t worth the risk. Franklin County resident and North Carolina State Highway Patrol Trooper Larry McKeithan was happy to be a part of the program and hopes that it helps students make better choices when driving. “The hardest part of this job is tell a parent or loved one that someone has passed away,” McKeithan said. “It changes lives and creates shock and disbelief.” McKeithan has been a trooper since 2008 and in law enforcement since 1992. The VIP organization helps make the event seem even more real by using local authorities in the reenactments. It also serves as a practice exercise for local authorities. The Bunn Fire Department, Bunn Police Department, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, State Highway Patrol and County EMS all participated. Bunn High students Derek Eason and Aileen Hernandez took part in a mock memorial during the afternoon
Firefighters reenact pulling the driver from crashed car.
session. BHS Teacher Randy Whitley participated and played the role of the first person to arrive to the scene of the accident and made the call to authorities. Matthew Hurst of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Cadet Explorer Program played the role of the driver who lost his life. “We put a lot of effort into this program,” Larry Grooms of VIP said. “We want to make it seem as real as possible and see how many of these we can stop in real life.” Grooms encourages parents and guardians to frequently talk with their children about the dangers of driving and to be sure their kids feel like they can call home when in a bad situation. “We all need to understand that kids make mistakes and that part of our job as parents is to help them get out of bad situations.” The Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) organization partners with VIP to help with the education process. “This is a great program,” MADD
State Development Officer Lori Brown said. “We simply do not have the resources to have a program with this much impact. Sometimes it takes more than saying don’t drink and drive. You have to pull out all the stops to make really get the attention of students.” For more information on how to help out with MADD, call 919-7876599. You may also email Brown at Lori.Brown@madd.org. You can learn more about the VIP program online at www.vipforavip.com. School Principal Robin Faulkner praised the program organizers and those involved with making it a success. “This program is a 10,” Faulkner said. “I hope that every time students get behind the wheel they are careful.” - Nathan Moreschi
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County Spelling Champ Cedar Creek’s Purvine takes top spot, LOMES’ Nelson Second Cedar Creek Middle School eighth grader Greg Purvine (right) outlasted a group of talented spellers last week to earn the Franklin County Schools annual Spelling Bee championship. Long Mill fourth grader Jake Nelson finished second. Nelson and Purvine each won their grade level event as well. Other grade-level winners were Cady Bailey (5th grade, Youngsville Elementary), Madison Kelley (6th grade, Bunn Middle) and Quint Hester (7th grade, Terrell Lane Middle). At left, Purvine displays his hardware for winning.
HONORS
selected for Instrumental Music, and Davis was selected for Mathematics. The curriculum foContinued from page 1 cuses on the exploration of the most recent ideas and concepts in dents to the 2010 Session and cannot wait to watch them contrib- each discipline and does not involve credit, tests or grades. The ute to the distinguished legacy 2010 session runs from June 13 this program has built over the July 24. past 47 years.” The Governor’s School of North All three students were first nominated by Superintendent In- Carolina, founded in 1963 by former Gov. Terry Sanford, is the gram. Each school system was allotted a certain number of nomi- oldest statewide summer residennations based on its 10th and 11th tial program for academically or grade populations. Students were intellectually gifted high school students in the nation. It also is nominated in 1 of 10 curriculum areas, and Brodish was selected the model on which other states’ programs have been fashioned. for Natural Science, Hamm was
The program, which is open to rising seniors only, with exceptions made for rising juniors in selected performing/visual arts areas, is located on two campuses: Governor’s School West at Salem College in Winston-Salem and Governor’s School East at Meredith College in Raleigh. Hamm and Davis will attend West, while Brodish will participate in East. The complete list of Governor’s School East and West participants is available on the North Carolina Department of Public Instructions’ website at http:// www.ncgovschool.org/ nomination/.
FCS FIRST THURSDAY
Pied Piper on Trial Long Mill Elementary students got an up and personal view of the play The Pied Piper. Franklinton High School drama students performed a version of the classic play prior to performing with the Franklinton Area Community Theater twice in April. The collaboration between the schools was created to serve as practice for FHS students and a review of the study of The Pied Piper (main ideas and inferences) for Long Mill students.
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Career Opportunities
Bunn High School students converse with Franklin County School Board Attorney Boyd Sturges (left) and Franklin County Schools Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Lynn Henderson (left) about potential career paths. Students had the chance to ask questions about many different careers during the school’s career day held in April as 34 different careers were represented by the following vendors: Barbizon Brodie Construction Bunn Family Dentistry Bunn Police Department Comprehensive Dental Center CT Wilson Construction Custom Cap & Fireplaces Attorney Boyd Sturges FCS Nurse – BHS FCS Finance Dept. FCS Human Resources Dept. FCS Guidance & Social Work
FCS Public Information Officer FCS Technology First Citizens Bank Harris Barber College Heartwood Animal Hospital K.A.M. Tool and Die Living Arts College Louisburg Chiropractor MBJA Architecture Medical Examiner Miller-Motte Technical College Olde Heritage Builders
Pete Smith Automotive Richland Creek Community Church Rose Garden Florist US Air Force US Army US Marines US National Guard US Navy Weather Master Heating & Air WYRN Radio
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MAY, 2010
BES Field Day Students at Bunn Elementary School enjoyed the day before spring break participating in Field Day activities. Games included volleyball, relay races, sack races and water races. The weather was perfect for all of the events, and the children had a great time before their spring vacation.
FHS’ Deran Coe helps light the Olympic Torch with Athletes Samantha Munson and Joshua Rodgers.
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MAY, 2010
VGCC Art Show Seeks Entries Community College Art Show to Have Cash Prizes Artists are invited to submit their works for the 44th annual Kerr Lake Art Show, which will be open to the public May 24 - June 11. The event, co-sponsored by Vance-Granville Community College and the Kerr Lake Art Society, will be held on the second floor of Building 7 on VGCC’s Main Campus in Vance County, N.C. This arts competition is open to both amateurs and professionals, working in media including photography, drawings, prints and collages. Works must be original, have been completed in the past 12 months, and not previously exhibited in a Kerr Lake Art Society show, according to Lelia Brigham, the society’s president and a parttime VGCC art instructor who coordinates the event. Cash prizes will be awarded for the best original works, as chosen by the judge, in three categories: Professional, Amateur, and Photography. In the Professional category, the
first-place award is worth $200, the second-place award $100, and the third-place award $50. Artists who consistently win honors, instruct, work through an agent or gallery, or make a portion of their income from art are eligible to submit works in the Professional category. Amateur artists and photographers may take home awards of $100 (first), $50 (second), and $25 (third). Honorable mentions may also be awarded at the judge’s discretion. Artists who have won firstplace prizes at two consecutive shows will be recognized for their work and asked not to accept a prize but will be eligible for sales and purchase awards. All work entered in the Professional category must be for sale. Commercial and private patrons will select pieces they wish to purchase prior to the opening of the show. The Kerr Lake Art Society will retain a 20-percent commission on work sold. Works may not exceed 36 inches per side, image size. All
entries must be framed, and sawtooth hangers are not allowed. Non-traditional works may be entered without a frame, but they must not exceed 36 inches in any direction and must be equipped for hanging. Entries must be hand-delivered to VGCC between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on May 21 or May 22. Judging is scheduled for May 23. VGCC is located at Exit 209 off I85 between Henderson and Oxford, N.C. Artists may enter a maximum of three pieces for an entry fee of $15 for Kerr Lake Art Society members or $25 for nonmembers. Checks should be made payable to the Kerr Lake Art Society. The show will be open for public viewing from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. from May 24 through June 11. Entries should be picked up by artists on June 12 between noon and 2 p.m. For more information, call Lelia Brigham at (252) 492-5281 or Donna Dodson at (252) 738-3316.
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Middle School Track Stars Both the boys and girls MAC-9 middle school track and field titles will stay in Franklin County. The Terrell Lane girls team defended their crown by holding off Cedar Creek 103-90 this past Saturday at Bunn High School. As for the boy’s teams, Cedar Creek continued their dominance in the conference winning their third title in a row in convincing fashion. They tallied 140.5 points, while second place Northern Granville had 96. Cedar Creek’s Rondez Taylor led the way for the boys with three gold medals, winning the high jump, 100 meter hurdles and tying for first in the 200 meter dash. In girl’s action, TLMS’ Jamie Durham set two new school records in the 100 and 200 meter dashes cruising her way to victory. Both Taylor and Durham are seventh graders and will be back running for their schools next year. Other conference winners from
TLMS Girls—2010 Mac 9 Track and Field Champions Franklin County include TLMS’ Paulo Sanchez in the discus, Bunn’s Royce Alston tying in the 200, and CCMS’ Travon Judkins in the 100 and 200, Luis Guillen in the 1600 and Michael Waverly 400. Girls winners include BMS’
Terica Perry in the discus, CCMS’ Jazmine Dent in the hurdles, Charity Snelling in the 1600 and Taylor Crudup in the 400, and TLMS’ Vanisha Wilshire in the high jump and Meagan Woodard in the 800.
CCMS Boys—2010 Mac 9 Track and Field Champions
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Perfect Season
The Bunn Middle Softball team is proud after posting a perfect season which included the conference championship. The Bulldogs captured the MAC 9 Conference title after edging Hawley 9-8 in the season finale. The squad compiled an 11-0 record.
Memorable Visit Recently, students at Bunn Elementary School celebrated the National Week of the Young Child. Students enjoyed a visit from a special guest - Ronald McDonald. Ronald's hilarious antics had all of our students laughing. He also took time to tell the kids to catch the reading bug. Other events for this week have been a visit from the Bunn High School football team, a visit from Bunn High School Spanish students, and a stress-relief day sponsored by PTA. Students also received a visit from Muddy Mudcat.
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Relay for Life 2010
The annual Franklin County Relay for Life took place April 30 and May 1st at Bunn High School. Multiple agencies, 14 FCS schools and central office took part in the annual event which raises money for cancer research. This year’s event has raised more than $143,000 with a few weeks left in the campaign. If you wish to donate, visit www.relayforlife.org/franklinco.
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Relay for Life 2010
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