Sept. 20 - 26, 2013
bringing the local news home to northwest Guilford County since 1996 • nwobserver.com •
And they’re off and running Northwest-area schools meet challenges, settle into routines
said. “We all worked together. They were able to get it done.”
by JIM FULLER As the first four weeks of the 2013-14 school year come to a close, it is already business as usual for many local schools. For some, though, the beginning of the new school year has come with changes and challenges. Some are positive, such as the rolling out of tablets at Northwest Middle School and Northern Middle School. Others are trying, such as initiation of a new policy affecting the car rider line at Oak Ridge Elementary. And some are related to the impact of a new tuitionfree charter school, Summerfield Charter Academy, on existing elementary schools’ enrollment and staffing. Northwest Middle School opened on time, but not without some lastweekend angst. Several air-conditioning units were replaced this summer, including those in the front part of the building. The work ended Saturday, Aug. 24, at noon. Custodians, who usually strip and wax the floor two weeks before school starts, had less than 48 hours to strip and wax the floors prior to the doors opening Aug. 26. “In the end it worked out,” Northwest Middle Principal Rich Thomae
Northwest Middle has had its usual traffic issues, some of which persist. “Any time you have 2,000 students next door and 1,000 students at your own school it’s always a challenge,” Thomae said. Despite the construction and traffic issues, Thomae feels good about his second year as principal. The integration of android-based tablets into the classrooms has been exciting for teachers and students. The tablets are part of the $35-million Race to the Top grant awarded to Guilford County Schools. Dr. Sam Misher, Northern Guilford Middle School’s principal, says the new school year has gotten off to a “great start” for his students and staff. “We are excited that each teacher and every student in the building will have a tablet to use during the school year,” Misher said, “Students have said that the tablets ‘make school more exciting and interactive,’ and that they ‘help with organization, because everything can be found in one place.’ Students also like that ‘worksheets are made more fun and exciting when they are on the tablets.’” Continuing their One School, One Book campaign, sixth-grade students at Northern Guilford Middle are read-
ing the book Ghost of Spirit Bear, which deals with topics including tolerance and anti-bullying. Seventh- and eighth-grade students, who read the book last year, have been working in small groups with sixth-graders to read and discuss the book together in small groups. Northern Guilford Middle has five new teachers this year and is up to 955 students – 36 students over projected enrollment figures of 919.
the new school year with 2,025 students, which is 28 over projected enrollment. So far, this year has been the smoothest of his five years as principal of the school, Ralph Kitley says, adding that the biggest challenge has to do with the new PowerSchool program which has been inconsistent and
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Northwest Guilford High School began
IN THIS ISSUE News in brief................................... 3 Your Questions............................... 4 Summerfield Town Council........... 6 Jo Maeder’s latest book............... 8 School Sports............................... 10 Student Profiles.............................11 Feltis completes first Ironman ....13 Business Notes..............................14 Bits & Pieces..................................15 Community Calendar..................18 Around Town ............................... 20 Letters/Opinions ......................... 24 Grins & Gripes.............................. 24 Crime/Incident Report................ 26 Classifieds.................................... 27 Index of Advertisers.....................31
Photo courtesy of Stonefield Cellars
Grape stomping is a favorite activity at Stonefield Cellars’ harvest festival. The eighth annual festival will be held Saturday, Sept. 21. Read more on page 21.