Kaleidoscope e-Newsletter

For Employees of Virginia Beach City Public Schools

For Employees of
Virginia Beach City
Public Schools

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February/March 2012

 

Virginia Beach Education Foundation grant application deadlines

 

Tagged by the Superintendent

One employee at every school is selected for this honor each semester. The award is given based on the employee's dedication and service to the field of education and to the students of Virginia Beach City Public Schools.

John Bois, computer resource specialist, Lynnhaven Middle School
Amy Daves, second-grade teacher, Corporate Landing Elementary School
Kimberly Ellis, kindergarten teacher, Diamond Springs Elementary School
Robert "Bobby" Jamison, guidance department chair, Cox High School

I Make a Difference

The I Make A Difference award is given to an employee of the school to recognize his or her accomplishments and contributions to the educational process and to the students. Employees are nominated by a fellow employee for the award.

Arrowhead Elementary School
Ryanne Davis, special education teacher
Margaret Dush, first-grade teacher
Jack Mangosing, fifth-grade teacher

Brookwood Elementary School
Sarah Chambers, second-grade teacher
Nancy Crowe, first-grade teacher
Laura Faulkner, fifth-grade teacher
Lilly Fischer, special education assistant
Lacy Harabaugh, kindergarten teacher
Kerry Knighton, bookkeeper
Allison Kucharski, school nurse
Lynne McInerney, special education assistant
Pam Moore, physical education assistant
Shannon Perry, general assistant
Karen Roberts, fifth-grade teacher
Laura Watts, physical education assistant

College Park Elementary School
Binta Smith, art teacher

Fairfield Elementary School
Amy Ansell, music teacher
Jovie Corpus, second-grade teacher
Gary Lennon, computer resource specialist

Glenwood Elementary School
Krista Clark, assistant principal
Alfred Doss, computer resource specialist
Catrina Manigo, assistant principal
Peggy Muse, music teacher
Martha Palmer, data support specialist
Vernita Ronk, data support specialist
Kathleen Slinde, first-grade teacher
Debbie Vickery, gifted resource teacher

Green Run Elementary School
Cynthia Bradley, third-grade teacher
Lisa Foley, third-grade teacher
Stacie Kebort, third-grade teacher
Julie Macaluso, special education teacher
Toni Montella, third-grade teacher
Sue Zeltmann, special education assistant

Independence Middle School
Juanita Collins, sixth-grade special education teacher
Marva Edwards, guidance counselor
Vanessa Gordon, special education teacher
Glenn Hecker, eighth-grade social studies teacher
Karen Hughes, sixth-grade math teacher
Lisa Hughes, sixth-grade English teacher
Frankie Montgomery, library media assistant
Pam Williams, library media specialist

Landstown Middle School
Yvette Brown, ISS coordinator
Akilah Ellison, sixth-grade social studies teacher
Vanessa Hailey, independent reading teacher
Sharon Lafferty, seventh-grade English teacher

Lynnhaven Middle School
Mike Brown, distance learning assistant
Choi Dorshimer, cafeteria manager
Jaime Hill, eighth-grade science teacher
Julie Hudson, foreign language teacher
Ellen Hundley, student activities coordinator
Terri Long, ISS coordinator
Taylor Rountree, special education teacher
Dan Tomlikson, security assistant

Old Donation Center
Courtney Bennis, data support specialist
Trina Romaine, second-grade teacher

Plaza Middle School
Barbara Augustine, distance learning assistant
Irene Beers, special education assistant
Julie Brown, math teacher
Mayumi Hino, Japanese teacher
Lucelly Restrepo, Spanish teacher
Maria Silva, special education assistant
Sean Smallman, Spanish teacher
Katherine Spence, French teacher

Princess Anne Elementary School
Nicole Harris, third-grade teacher
Marina Makridakis-Howlin, third-grade teacher
Kathy Thompson, third-grade teacher
Crystal Wilkerson, third-grade teacher

Shelton Park Elementary School
Tammy Bacalis, office associate
Shauna Butler, data support specialist
Linda Harrell, custodian
Jennifer Hawkins, first-grade teacher
Deb Kline-Edwards, speech-language pathologist
Tonni McCuien, cafeteria manager
Elaine Miller, cafeteria assistant
Ellen Pontiff, kindergarten teacher
Liesl Rockenbaugh, kindergarten teacher
Darren Stallings, cafeteria manager
Sue Stephenson, special education teacher
Ann Williams, first-grade teacher
Ruth Woodham, kindergarten teacher assistant
Nina Young, guidance counselor

School and Office Awards and Recognitions

Glenwood Elementary School has a new Partner in Education – the Ruby Tuesday restaurant on South Independence Boulevard. The restaurant hosted a "Give Back Night" on Wednesday, January 22 for the school and a portion of the proceeds went back to the school to help fund programs for the students.

Malibu Elementary School presented "A Celebration of Music" on Friday, February 17 at 6 p.m. in the school cafeteria. Attendees enjoyed a night filled with entertainment by the students and staff.

Children from across the Hampton Roads area submitted artwork for the "2012 Kids for The Cure" calendar. Three students from Red Mill Elementary School had their artwork selected. Congratulations to fourth grader, Ryan S. in Janet McDonald's class whose artwork illustrates January; to fifth graders Owen M. whose artwork illustrates June and who is in Lauren Calcutt's class; and Allan B. whose art work represent December and is in Stephen Strausbaugh's class. Well done!

Kempsville High School leadership classes are partnering with The Challenge Works: VB Schools Ropes and Initiatives Course to deliver "Project Infuse" to Larkspur and Kempsville middle school students. Through Infuse, high schools students plan and provide teambuilding and leadership training programs to these middle school students. The Challenge Works staff trained the leadership students during five training sessions in January and February. The leadership students, in turn, delivered the program to the middle schools the Thursday following each training session, visiting Larkspur from 2:45-3:45 p.m. and Kempsville from 3:50-4:50 p.m.

Kempsville Meadows Elementary School's (KMES) PTA hosted its first ever KMES Family Fitness Expo held at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, February 13 at the school. The Expo showcased community businesses that focus on health, including fitness instructors, a family fitness class, nutrition demonstration table and much more! Participants had a great time and learned a lot of valuable information about fitness!

On Friday, February 17, Cox High School presented its tenth annual African-American History Month celebration program. Special thanks go to Advanced Placement (AP) government teacher Sylvester Smith and AP European history teacher Vera McLauchlin for their outstanding efforts in helping organize this important project. The event was the culmination of several weeks of education for students. The featured speaker at the program was Dr. Richard Mason, Jr., former President and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Peninsula. The theme was "Embracing the past, building the future."

The Brandon Middle School Step Team received a Human Rights Award at The Virginia Beach Human Rights Commission banquet on Thursday, March 15. Sonja Seymore, an eighth-grade English teacher, has been sponsoring the step team for almost two decades.

Cox High School was proud to welcome Kevin Sharer, a former student and CEO of the biotechnology Fortune 500 company Amgen, on Wednesday, February 22 to speak with students. At the same time, he announced two new $100,000 scholarships that he will be sponsoring this year. Each year, Amgen strives to make a difference in peoples' lives through financial support and product donations, while realizing the importance and value of education.

Brandon Middle School teachers and students joined forces to raise $13,842 for the Special Olympics by sponsoring 125 students in the Polar Plunge on Friday, February 3. A special "thank you" goes out to the school's seventh-grade English teachers – Debbie Hubbard-Jones, Charlotte Baedke, Wendy Fulton, Jason Borte, and Lynn Wilker – for spearheading this fundraiser.

The NobleTeens of Tallwood High attend the Friendable Social Club, a bi-monthly gathering of between 80 to 100 clients of the Mary F. Buckley Foundation, an organization that provides support for area citizens who are coping with traumatic brain injuries. The gatherings are held at Larkspur Middle School where the NobleTeens dance and socialize with clients and provide seasonal refreshments. Matt Buckley, the founder of the Mary F. Buckley Foundation, remarks that the NobleTeens add an energy to the gathering that is simply not there when they are absent.

With auction items ranging from gift baskets to autographed all-star baseballs, this year's Princess Anne Elementary School PTA Scholarship Silent Auction was a fun-filled event held in the school's cafeteria on Wednesday, March 7. More than 150 items, with a retail value exceeding $9,000 were offered. Proceeds of $9,500 will benefit the PTA's Scholarship Fund.

Congratulations to the Virginia Teachers for Tomorrow II (VTfT II) students at Kellam High School for producing a video to promote VTfT across the school division. Kudos to the students as well as to their teacher, John Merritt, for this production.

In October, Williams Elementary began a partnership with Norfolk State University in which college students volunteered to mentor the elementary students. According to Jeneshia Ferebee, Williams Elementary's social worker, student volunteers would "assist teachers and staff, foster healthy relationships and a positive social environment, increase academic support, and reach out to the community." The program officially began in January, and according to assistant principal Shirley Haywood, "results are beginning to show, with fewer student visits to the office and fewer parent phone calls. Students are asking for their mentors and look forward to the day they will return." The mentors are helping to create a positive and inviting atmosphere of learners and are volunteering in several different capacities including the after-school POWER tutoring program, Tripe E program, and working one-on-one with students during the instructional day. Congratulations!

Strawbridge Elementary School participated in a "Painting the Town Red" campaign during the month of February to benefit its partner in education, The American Heart Association. The school's front windows and office windows were painted with the Heart Association emblems, and the teachers wore red on Fridays to raise awareness for heart disease. The campaign ended with the Jump Rope for Heart celebration. All told, the students raised $3,010. Congratulations!

Kempsville High School's DECA chapter sponsored the Pasta-for-Pennies Campaign to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The school did an amazing job and raised over $1,300! Special education teacher Robert Meyer’s and French teacher Kristine Finnegan’s classes raised the most money. As a result, they will enjoy a free Olive Garden lunch.

Individual Awards and Recognitions

Congratulations to several Kempsville High School staff members on being honored for their years of service with VBCPS:

Congratulations to Renaissance Academy Teacher of the Year high school English teacher Ronel Brewer.

Green Run Elementary would like to congratulate kindergarten assistant Michelle Barrett for being awarded "Staff Member of the Quarter" by the Green Run Homes Association.

Special education inclusion teacher Christine Kully Hayes was selected as Birdneck Elementary School's Teacher of the Year. Congratulations!

Landstown Middle School is proud to announce that seventh-grade guidance counselor Chris Schroepfer received the VBCPS 2012 Exemplary Professional School Counselor of Hampton Roads award.

Princess Anne Elementary School is pleased to recognize the following teachers on their years of service and devotion to Virginia Beach City Public Schools:

Check out this story about a First Colonial student who was recently profiled on WVEC TV 13 as part of the Rachel's Challenge project. His story is not only heartwarming but inspiring. Take a moment to watch.

Congratulations to Princess Anne Elementary School principal Krista Barton-Arnold on having an article she wrote published in the Virginia Beach Association of Elementary School Principals' newsletter. Take a look!

Kudos to Landstown High School principal Brian K. Matney on being recently elected by the Virginia Association of Secondary School Principals (VASSP) board of directors (representing Region II), to serve on the board's executive committee for 2011-2012. This comes one year following his election to that body's official board. Matney's new role enables him to speak on behalf of the nine regional directors across the Commonwealth. Those area directors represent over 800 high school and middle school administrators throughout the Old Dominion.