One of the updates Edgecombe County Public Schools staff gave during the annual joint meeting between the Board of Commissioners and the Board of Education was on the success rate of the l:1 Laptop project.
Last spring, all of the traditional high schools including North Edgecombe, SouthWest Edgecombe and Tarboro High schools were given the opportunity to receive a laptop through grant funding from the Golden LEAF Foundation, the state General Assembly, SAS Institute and the state Department of Public Instruction. Edgecombe Early College High School received laptops in spring 2008.
During the presentation delivered by Barbara Hardison, director of federal programs, questions sprouted from commissioners on the use of textbooks, training and the overall success of the program.
All of the questions were replied with positive feedback on effectiveness of the program.
“Edgecombe is getting a lot of recognition,” Hardison said.
After showing a video of student and teacher testimonies and a news report from WRAL-TV, Hardison outlined some of the recognition the school district has earned.
“We got to continue to move forward. We were chosen as a North Carolina Virtual Public Schools (NCVPS) pilot site because of this,” Hardison said.
NCVPS allows students to take credit recovery or advanced placement courses for free online.
The online courses are not only being offered to the high school students, but to the middle school students, as well.
Tarboro High School has earned national recognition for using a program called Curriculum Pathways that gives students online activities, lessons and Web resources in core subjects such as English, science, social studies and math and Spanish.
“Tarboro High School is second in the country for using curriculum pathways,” Hardison said.
Commissioner Jon Felton asked if every school was doing as well as THS and if there was a sense of autonomy.
“Each of the three high schools has their own area (they’re best at). Every teacher has their own thing,” Hardison said.
To continue to develop strategies for learning with the laptops, Hardison said the teachers are required to complete two hours of training each month with technology facilitators.
Most of the student testimonies presented in the video recorded students saying they enjoy technology because they can work at their own pace, and don’t have to depend on their teacher and textbooks as much.
Commissioner Viola Harris questioned how much textbooks are being used in the classroom now.
"They still read books, but they may read a passage online as well,” Hardison said.
During the finance report by school Finance Officer Laurie Leary, the boards learned that there will be no additional funding added into the budget for textbooks next year.
“Any textbooks we buy will be replacement books,” Leary said.
Local News
Commissioners interested in laptop project
Edgecombe County Public Schools ‘getting a lot of recognition’
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Carver Alumni Association celebrates 72nd anniversary
The G.W. Carver Alumni Association will celebrate its 72nd anniversary with the S.A. Gillam Scholarship Awards Banquet as the highlights of the celebration 5 p.m. July 16 at Double Tree Hotel, 651 N. Winstead Ave., Rocky Mount.
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HOSPITAL VOLUNTEERS DONATE
The Vidant Edgecombe Hospital Volunteers are a huge asset to the hospital. Not only do they spend countless hours volunteering their time in various departments throughout the hospital, but also contribute to many programs and services within Vidant Edgecombe. Pictured is President of the Vidant Edgecombe Volunteers Eleanor Edge (middle) presenting a $10,000 monetary gift to hospital president Patrick Heins (right), along with Manager of Volunteer Services Amy Dixon (left) in support of this year's annual gala benefitting the emergency department expansion project. The emergency department expansion project will increase treatment rooms from nine to 19 and will add an additional 6,000 feet.
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Halifax County man missing, last seen in Rocky Mount
A 36-year-old Halifax County man with severe medical problems has been missing since Friday.
Michael Williamson, a black male, who weighs 160 pounds and stands 5 feet 7 inches tall, was last seen in Rocky Mount near Goldrock Road driving a dark beige Maxima with license plate No. BHB8723. He was wearing a black T-shirt, with light blue faded jeans and a gray bandana around his head.
Williamson suffers from seizures, diabetes and he is a dialysis patient.
If you see a person who fits this description, call 911 to report his whereabouts. -
Historic Grace Memorial holds annual church service
LAWRENCE – A country church located 10 miles north of Tarboro that sits vacant on a hilltop most of the year was packed to capacity Sunday morning. Folks gathered at Grace Memorial Episcopal Church for an annual springtime service, a tradition started by lay reader Joe Andrews in 1971.
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Princeville native plans to clean overgrown cemetery
PRINCEVILLE — On Thursday, Milton Bullock pointed to his grandparents' grave markers in the cemetery on N.C. 111 that reads Maude Bullock and John Richard Bullock. Although his loved ones' markers were visible, there are hundreds of others that grass has overgrown and covered, making an eyesore out of the cemetery. For Bullock, Thursday marked a long time between visits because he is so disgusted by the appearance of the resting place of his loved ones.
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NECP adding 9th grade; total enrollment expected at 900
By August of this year, North East Carolina Prep School (NECP) will more than double the number of students who initially enrolled last August.
“I think we’ve only just scratched the surface,” said NECP executive director John Westberg of the school’s enrollment. -
ECC Business Club, receives nine awards at state leadership conference
Phi Beta Lambda, Edgecombe Community College’s Business Club, received nine awards at the state leadership conference April 13-14.
Club members attended the 59th annual NCPBL State Leadership Conference in Charlotte. Thirty-eight colleges and universities were present at the conference.
“This was the chapter’s first conference,” says Andrew Woherem, club advisor and business administration instructor. “The students did an incredible job representing the college.” -
Bullock’s trike-a-thon raises $4,000 for Edgecombe’s Relay
Each year, participants in Relay for Life walk around all night to symbolize the fact that cancer never sleeps. In a similar show of support, 48 students in pre-kindergarten at G.W. Bulluck Elementary School rode their trikes around the schools’ one-eighth-mile track for two hours Friday morning to raise money for the county’s upcoming Relay.
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Long-time Southerner newspaper carrier Baggett dies
For more than 25 years, Daily Southerner newspaper carrier Tommy Lee Baggett was one of the first to pick up his papers and one of the first to finish his route.
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Princeville terminates attorney Watts
With two board members absent, Princeville's board of commissioners on Friday fired town attorney Charles "Chuck" Watts Jr., during the town's reconvened meeting that was recessed a week ago.
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