INSIDE GHS bake sale benefits Goochland family > page 4
Volume 57, Number 48 • December 2, 2010
New advanced programs plan for Goochland schools By Ken Odor jodor@goochlandgazette.com
Photo by Ken Odor
Fourth grader Kenya Brooks, above, carries two plates of food at the GES Thanksgiving Feast. Fourth grader Justin Hawk, below right, and family members join in the celebration.
GES celebrates Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Feast continues to be a big hit. Retired teacher Elsie Hill, who taught at GES for 34 years, said she thought the tradition had been going on for at least 20 years. By Ken Odor For years it was collaborajodor@goochlandgazette.com tion between the fourth and fifth No one seems to know just grades but this year just the fourth how long it’s been going on, but see Thanksgiving> page 2 Goochland Elementary School’s
Tradition goes back at least two decades
INDEX
Calendar Classifieds Features News Letters
16 17 - 19 4-5 3 6-7
Education Opinion Sports TV Listings
2 6 12-13 14 - 16
SPORTS Goochland basketball previews > page 12
In a presentation to School Board members last Tuesday at the board’s regular workshop meeting, Interim Elementary Instructional Specialist Connie Foreman explained a new Advanced Programs process, designed to give more middle school students access to Honors/ pre-AP courses. “The idea was to provide more rigor and more challenge to the students at the middle school,” said Superintendent of Schools Linda Underwood. The School Board approved the new program unanimously. It will go into effect at the beginning of the 2011 school year, said Foreman. “It’s part of our whole movement county-wide to challenge schools,” said Underwood. “More students will now have access to these programs.”
T H E
Foreman said that previously middle school students had to take either all honors subjects or all regular courses. Now that has changed. “The flexibility is the number one thing,” said Foreman. A student with high potential in one subject will be able to take an honors course in that subject without taking honors courses in all other areas too. “We want to make sure we have the right placement for the students,” said Foreman, allowing them to take more challenging courses to prepare them for Advanced Placement Courses at the high school level. A meeting with the Gifted Advisory Committee is scheduled for December 9 at 7 p.m. at Goochland Elementary School to discuss the changes. Additional meetings will be scheduled at the middle school and one of the elementary schools to familiarize the public with the new program, said Foreman. see Schools> page 2
L O C A L
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