Carver/Century Students Celebrate Dr. Seuss Birthday This Week
March 6, 2008
It has been a week of green eggs and ham, one fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish and a fellow named Horton hearing a a Who this week at Carver/Century K-8 School.
The Carver students, from Pre-K to eighth grade, have been busy celebrating the birthday week of Theodor Seuss Geisel — better known as Dr. Seuss.
Students have enjoyed a nice snack of green eggs and ham and dressed up as characters such as the Cat in the Hat. The middle schools students have read Dr. Seuss classics to the elementary students. And first grade students even made bags of oobleck.
(Oobleck, by the way, is from Bartholomew and the Oobleck which follows the further adventures of the young royal page Bartholomew Cubbins of the kingdom of Didd as he tries to clean up after King Derwin orders an ill-advised magical spell cast to create something new coming from the sky, an extremely sticky green substance known as oobleck.)
For a photo gallery from this week’s Dr. Seuss birthday celebrations at Carver/Century, click here.
North Escambia Students Make UWF President’s Honor Roll
March 5, 2008
The following North Escambia students have been named to the University of West Florida’s President’s Honor Roll. Undergraduate students enrolled in at least six hours of graded coursework at UWF who maintain at least at 3.9 grade point average are named to the list.
Century: Erin Davis, John Doran, Bradley Faulk, Lynn Floyd, Brittany Levins
McDavid: Kyle Simpson
Molino: Susan Arnette, Kristen Smith, Christopher Wade
Walnut Hill: Serena Franklin
Cantonment: Sean Bowers, Jane Caylor-Horten, Jennifer Chambers, James Cutler, Mark Deguzman, Caitlin Duff, Amanda Edgar, Elizabeth Godwin, Brittany Green, Brandy Ingram, Ann Jones, Ashley Kotwal, Christina Kwon, Christina Luciano, Anthony Manzi, Scott Miller, Chelsea Pipkins, Kelly Poley, Ryan Prescott, Kathleen Renfrow, Stacy Ross, Brooke Rowell, Brandon Sapp, Charlotte Somerville, Mohammad Taha, Jamie Vail, Cherith Welter
Bratt First Graders Present Play ‘Three of a Kind’
February 29, 2008
The first graders at Bratt Elementary School presented the play “Three of a Kind” at a Thursday night PTA meeting.
For a complete NorthEscambia.com photo gallery from the play, click here.
Three blind mice, three muskateers, Snow White, several dwarfs, Dorothy and Scarecrow, the three kittens (who lost their mittens), Little Red Riding Hood, the three little pigs, Peter Pan and a host of other childhood favorites took to the stage along with a lot of teddy bears.
But Baby Bear was missing. Three by three, the characters attempted to find Baby Bear by listening to the clues provided. After the characters learned to listen, Baby Bear was located safe and sound, asleep in a tree stump.
The play was present by the first grade classes of Mrs. Rolin, Mrs. Trice and Mrs. Gilmore under the direction of Emily Pollard. Songs included “Three of a Kind”, “Look High, Look Low”, “The Bear Song”, “All For One” and “Listen”.
During the PTA meeting prior to the play, it was reported that last fall’s cookie dough sale raised about $10,500 for the school. The money will be used for curtains, chairs and a sound system for the school’s multipurpose room.
NorthEscambia.com photos. Click to enlarge.
World-Renowned Artist Performs, Teaches At Northview
February 28, 2008
World-renowned tabla player Sandip Burman brought his unique Indian folk music style to Northview High School Wednesday. Burman introduced about 50 Northview Performing Arts students to the tabla drums, his hands literally just a blur as they moved over the drums at lightning speed.
Burman has appeared at the Kennedy Center in Washington as well as many other major national venues. He has received glowing reviews from the likes of The Baltimore Sun, the Chicago Sun Times, the Boston Globe, and Billboard Magazine. He has played with solo artist and former Beatles guitarist George Harrison, jazz great Bela Fleck (Burman was a guest artist on the Grammy winning Fleckton’es album Outbound), and he even contributed to the soundtrack of the Tim Burton film Mars Attacks!.
The students sat staring in awe as he began to play a melody on the sitar. His hands flowed over the ancient Middle Eastern instrument as his soul flowed out in perfect time.In a quiet, heavily accented voice, he explained the sitar to the students. He explains how long it takes to the tune it, and the hours of practice it has taken him to reach his advanced level.
Then he pulled over his two tabla drums. His hands fly over the tablas, filling the theater not with the beat of ordinary drums, but a powerful melody.
In just a few short minutes, Burman then taught the students a rhythmic song for NorthEscambia.com readers to enjoy. That song is in the video above; click the play symbol to hear the tabla melody.
For a complete photo gallery from Burman’s visit to Northview High School, click here.
Northview High School Holds Black History Month Programs
February 22, 2008
“Rising above our obstacles” was the theme of the annual Black History Month program Friday at Northview High School.
“Everything one learns in the classroom will help later in life”, Greenville, Alabama, Councilman Jeddo Bell told the Northview freshmen and sophomore classes. “Are you setting goals for what will happen tomorrow?”
Bell (pictured left) read a list of prominent and historic black Americans to the students…Martin Luther King, Jr., George Washington Carver, Tiger Woods, Booker T. Washington and others.
He said he once asked a student who the student would like to “be like” as an adult. The student pointed out that no one had yet cured cancer or found the solution to world peace.
“‘I don’t want to be be like anyone else, I want to be myself’,” Bell quoted the student.
“You might not want to be like someone else; you might want to be like yourself,” he said. “The ball is in your court. You can be whatever you want to be. You just have to make up your mind to do it.”
Bell is a retired educator from the Butler County (Alabama) Schools, where he taught alongside Northview Principal Gayle Weaver. He currently works at LBW Community College and serves as vice mayor for the City of Greenville.
Earlier in the day, the junior and senior classes at Northview attended a similar program with Jarl T. Young, CIO and regional information technician for the Gulf Power division of the Southern Company. Young joined Southern Company in 1989 in the marketing organization at Gulf Power. Since then, he has held a variety of leadership positions in the marketing organization and was Gulf Power’s Pensacola district manager before assuming his current role.
Both programs included a variety of entertainment, including poetry reading, a slide show presentation, a mime show and a live music video. The annual event was sponsored by Northview’s Minority Culture Club under the direction of Annie Gilmore.
For more photos from Friday’s program, click here.
Ernest Ward FFA Students Serve Breakfast Friday Morning
February 22, 2008
FFA members at Ernest Ward Middle School celebrated National FFA Week Friday morning by cooking breakfast for the faculty and staff.
“Blue Jackets, Bright Futures” is the theme of National FFA week this year. It embodies the best about FFA members, from the most recognizable symbol of the organization, the blue corduroy jacket. More than half a million members across the nation will participate in National FFA week this week.
Students prepared a breakfast of eggs, bacon, grits, biscuits, French toast sticks and sausage for the Ernest Ward faculty and staff.
The FFA began in 1928 as the Future Farmers of America.
School Board Votes On Fall Break; Approves Compromise Calendar
February 20, 2008
The Escambia County School Board took the middle ground on a school calendar for the 2008-2009 school year at their Tuesday night meeting.
There were two proposals on the table. One option includes eliminating fall break, which would put middle and high school semester exams before the Christmas holiday.
The other option would keep fall break, forcing middle and high school students to take semester exams when they return to school after the long Christmas break. Fall break would be the three days prior to the Thanksgiving holiday, giving students a full week out of school the last week of November.
But the board went with a compromise third option; one that will turn the Thanksgiving break into a three day holiday and put semester exams before the Christmas break for middle and high schools students.
2008-2009 Escambia School Calendar
Board member Jeff Bergosh was the only vote against the proposal. He said liked the idea of the five day fall break.
In other business related to North Escambia schools, the board approved the appointment of Lisa Albritton as teacher at Bratt Elementary, effective 1/25/08 and approved the purhcase of new floor covering for Bratt Elementary.
Carver Century Faculty Burn The School’s “F”
February 17, 2008
The staff and faculty of Carver Century School gathered at assistant principal Andy Gott’s house Saturday night to burn the school’s “F”.
Carver Century was rated by the state as an “F” school last year. Only 41 percent of the school’s student were rated as proficient in reading, 28 percent in math, 61 percent in writing and only 35 percent were proficient in science. But the school plans to get rid of that “F” rating.
And get rid of it they did, at least symbolically, Saturday night in a bonfire. The black wooden “F” had been in the teachers lounge for several days, with teachers adding sticky notes to it.
“‘F’ stand for fine,” said one note. “F? What F???,” said another. “We have never been and “F” school,” another note said.
At the bonfire burning of the “F”, Carver Principal Jeff Garthwaite delivered a speech in “Old English” style.
“We do declare ourselves independent from this defiled label,” he said. “It has no power over us. It can not control our minds. It can not rule our future.”
“We are united in thought, united in action, united in determined destiny,” he continued. “We see the future, the light at the end of the tunnel is beckoning us toward that ultimate success.”
Garthwaite told NorthEscambia.com that the he hopes to see Carver Century improve once this year’s state grades are released.
Pictured above: Carver Century Principal Jeff Garthwaite poses in the school’s lobby recently with the doomed “F”. Pictured below: One of the sticky notes on the “F” that was burned Saturday night.
The Race Is On: Who Will Be Northview’s Fastest Typist?
February 14, 2008
Students at Northview High School are participating in National FBLA Week this week. Thursday they have the opportunity to take a timed typing test for the title of Northview’s fastest typist. The keyboard race will actually be played all day during individual classes. Interested students will key a passage using a program that records their keyboarding speed and errors.
Results from the day’s events will be available after all the students have taken the test and results are tabulated.
Pictured above: Eric Ickeringill and Mark Shipps take the timed typing test Thursday morning at Northview. Below: Raven Knapp (left photo) and Alisha Copeland (middle photo) participate in the keyboard race. Right photo: Students in Mrs. Annie Gilmore’s first period class participated in the FBLA week timed typing race. Click any photo to enlarge. NorthEscambia.com photos.
FCAT Writing Time Is Here
February 12, 2008
Tuesday began the writing portion of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test for Escambia students in grades four, eight and ten. Principals at schools across North Escambia say they were not worried that the big day has finally arrived because their students are ready.
“The teachers at EWMS have done an excellent job preparing the students for the FCAT,” said Ernest Ward Middle School Principal Nancy Gindl-Perry. “The students have worked hard preparing for this FCAT and I know our students will do their very best. ”
Ernest Ward was rated an “A” school by the Florida Department of Education last year. At Ernest Ward, 93 percent of students made high standards in writing last year. About 15 miles away at Carver/Century K-8 it is a different story. Just 61 percent of students made high standards in writing last year. Carver/Center was rated as a “F” school by the state last year.
“I feel confident that we are going to show some improvement from last year, Carver/Century Principal Jeff Garthwaite said.
“The more you learn, the more you earn” has become a common slogan among Garthwaite and his Carver students. The school recently held a “cash grab” awarding cold hard cash to students that show improvements on practice FCATS given late last calender year.
“We have taken the two practice FCATs, and all indications show that our students are improving,” he said. “We done as much tutoring as possible. We have held ‘FCAT chats’ one on one with students to explain their scores.”
“We have worked to give the students the confidence they need to do their best and to motivate them,” Garthwaite said. “And we will continue to do that right up to the time of the testing.”
At Northview High School, Principal Gayle Weaver says her tenth graders were ready for the writing FCAT.
“Our people have been working really, really hard,” she said. “We think we should be ready.”
Northview scored a “C” with the state last year, and Weaver said the students and faculty have been hard at work to improve that grade this year.
“Out continuous improvement model has all of our teachers involved for improvement,” she said. “They have looked at each student’s report and worked on ways to improve their scores.”
At Byrneville Elementary School, fourth grade students have been hard at work preparing for the writing FCAT. Byrneville scored a “B” with the state last year, with 72% of students meeting high standards in writing.
“We have been working hard to motivate the students,” Byrneville Principal Dee Wolfe-Sullivan said. Last Friday, Byrneville fourth graders learned more about writing from Kent and Gloria Fox and their puppet Sally. Mr. Fox was an MCA Recording artist and is a songwriter and videographer. Mrs. Fox is children’s author and illustrator, and is a nationally recognized puppeteer. They travel to elementary and middle schools motivating students to learn writing and other skills. They also recently appeared at Bratt Elementary School.
At Ernest Ward and Carver, good FCAT grades will not go unrewarded.
“EWMS will be giving away prizes for the top score in math, reading, science, and writing in each grade level,” Gindl-Perry said. The top score for the entire school in each subject area will receive a grand prize. “After FCAT is over EWMS will celebrate with grade level field days to reward all students for their hard work and dedication.”
Carver/Century plans to hold another cash giveaway following the FCATs, Garthwaite said.
At Ernest Ward, there are other reasons for doing well on the FCAT, Gindl-Perry said, with a direct message to her students.
“The FCAT is your turn to show how good you are as students,” she said to EW students. “Students please remember – your FCAT scores will determine your placement in classes next year…double block, all year, or a semester of reading and electives.”
Students in grades six, seven and nine will take the Escambia Writes! test, a district test similar to the FCAT this week.
Round two of FCAT testing, which will include reading, math and science, will begin March 11.
Pictured above: Fourth grade students at Byrneville Elementary raise their hands to answer questions last Friday morning. Click to enlarge.