Education roundup

First UCCscholarships

First United Church of Christ recently awarded merit scholarships to seven of its members.

These scholarships were for $1,000 each. Receiving the scholarship for the first time was Miller Sokolowski, son of Mark and Jamie Sokolowski. He will attend N.C. State University to study civil engineering. He also received the James Lightbourne Scholarship presented by the Women of Southern Conference.

Renewed scholarships were given to Hayley Mikkelson, daughter of Dan and Winnie Mikkelson, a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Allison Lee, daughter of Brian and Melody Lee, a student at Winthrop University; Wesley Parrish, son of Gary and Tracy Parrish, a student at UNC-Charlotte; Andrew “Drew” Laurens, son of Jay and Neely Laurens, a student at Catawba College; Rebecca Schiemann, daughter of Mark and Sarah Schiemann, a student at East Carolina University; and Graham Parrish, son of Cecelia Isenberg, a student at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College.

Cabarrus spelling bee fundraiser slotted

The Cabarrus Literacy Council will hold a corporate spelling bee fundraiser on Thursday, Sept. 9 at 5:30 p.m. at the Old Courthouse Theatre.

No more than 20 teams of three adults representing various community organizations, from local government to media to private businesses, will compete for bragging rights as the community’s top spellers.

Hosted by WBTV’s David Whisenant, the bee will also include a silent auction, a popularity contest, constant heckling and clowns.

Teams already committed include Kannapolis City Schools, ACN, the Independent Tribune, the Concord Police Department, Team Honeycutt, and Hartsell & Williams.

Funds raised will help provide services to those in the community in need of literacy tutoring. It is estimated that more than 30,000 adults in Cabarrus County lack basic literacy skills. This means these men and women struggle to fill out job applications, read prescription labels or understand their bank statements. The inability to read or write directly affects success, employment, health, poverty and criminality.

The Literacy Council is still accepting applications for teams. Registration is $500. Tickets for the event are $10. To register a team or to purchase tickets, contact Karen Whichard at kwhichard@walker-marketing.com or 704-262-1109.

School readiness event set for Sept. 16

Cannon School is presenting a school readiness program for parents of preschool-age children that will focus on the ages and stages of child development and the best education program for their children.

The event is scheduled Thursday, Sept. 16 from 9:30-11 a.m. in the sanctuary of Davidson United Methodist Preschool, 233 S. Main St., Davidson.

The featured speaker will be Cheryl Wolfe, a child development expert and member of the National Lecture Staff of the Gesell Institute for Human Development.

Cannon School is an independent Junior Kindergarten through Grade 12 college preparatory institution. It is the Charlotte area’s fourth-largest independent school and attracts students from Concord, Davidson, Cornelius, Huntersville, Mooresville, the University City area, Kannapolis and Salisbury.

Cannon School instills academic excellence and personal responsibility, inspires athletic and artistic accomplishment, and promotes a respect for diversity within a challenging and safe educational environment.Sybil Henderson receives doctorate

Sybil Steele Henderson of Durham received a Ph.D. in Leadership Studies from N.C. A&T State University in June 2010. Her doctoral research focused on Environmental Sustainability.

A native of Cleveland and the daughter of the Late J.T. and Sallie Watson Steele, Dr. Henderson is a graduate of West Rowan High School. She earned a Bachelor of Science from N.C. Central University and a Master of Business Administration from Duke University.

Currently employed as Assistant Dean of administration and the budget and accounting instructor of N.C. Central School of Business, she is a Certified Public Accountant and has held senior administration positions with Nortel Networks, Microelectronics Center of N.C. and Burlington Industries.

She is a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society; was Wadaran L. Kennedy scholar of the School of Graduate Studies of N.C. A&T; received a patent for Financial System Invention and the National Association of Certified Public Accountants; and was past president of the Chapel Hill-Carboro Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and the Delta Foundation. Additionally, she served as vice chair of the RTP Federal Credit Union Board of Directors.

She is married to John Henderson and is the mother of four adult daughters.

Gardner-Webb holds summer graduation

Gardner-Webb University recently held its 2010 summer commencement exercises where a total of 270 students graduated. Graduates from the local region included the following:

• Jennifer McGee, Mocks-ville, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

• Ashley Whitlock, Mocks-ville, Bachelor of Science in Psychology

• Lisa DeVore, Moores-ville, Bachelor of Science in Social Sciences

• Timothy Sullivan, Mooresville, Bachelor of Science in Social Sciences

• Kelly Cobb, Woodleaf, Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies, Magna Cum Laude

• Emma Watts, Spencer, Master of Arts in School Administration

• Stacey White, Cleveland, Master of Arts in School Administration

Located in Boiling Springs, Gardner-Webb University is home to over 4,000 students from 37 states and 23 foreign countries.

Gardner-Webb seeks a higher ground in higher education – one that embraces faith and intellectual freedom, balances conviction with compassion and inspires in students a love of learning, service and leadership.

Rowan-Salisbury School Systemcelebrations

The Rowan-Salisbury Board of Education members congratulated the following accomplishments during their meeting Monday:

• Julie Stolze, 2010 Rowan-Salisbury Teacher of the Year, is the recipient of the “Phillip J. Kirk, Jr. Honored Educator Scholarship” for the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching.

This scholarship will cover the costs for a five-day NCCAT seminar.

Kirk presented the award to Stolze during the meeting Monday.

• Rowan-Salisbury employees may be nominated to receive the “Customer Service Award,” which recognizes employees for achieveing excellent customer service. Anyone may nominate a RSS employee for this honor. Employees nominated for the month of August are:

• Randall Sifford — Custodian at China Grove Middle

• Lisa Faggart — Science teacher at China Grove Middle

• James Barringer — Athletic director at China Grove Middle

• Deanna Allison - Secretary at Rowan County Early College

• Wendy Miller - Secretary at Granite Quarry Elementary

Each honored employee received a certificate Monday.

• The East Rowan High School baseball team was honored for winning the state 3A championship.

Dr. Keonya Booker joins Pfeiffer staff

Dr. Keonya Booker of Charlotte has been named the director of Graduate Student Development and Academic Success at Pfeiffer University.

Booker most recently served as director of continuing education of the Metropolitan College at Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU), an initiative designed to enhance the opportunities for career advancement and success among adult students. She assumed her new position at Pfeiffer on Aug. 9.

In her new role, Booker will lead the Graduate Student Success Center (GSSC) and will be charged with the collection and interpretation of retention and success data that impact decisions and campus program implementation. Additionally, Booker will provide leadership for the graduate honor policy, academic appeals and readmission to the university. She will serve on various university and community committees and task forces.

Prior to Pfeiffer and in addition to her experience at JCSU, Booker has served as an assistant professor of educational research at UNC Charlotte, assistant professor of educational psychology at the University of Virginia and in similar positions at other colleges and universities in North Carolina and Virginia. She was also assistant dean of students and director of new student and leadership programs at Randolph College in Lynchburg, Va.

Booker’s work on qualitative research methods and program evaluation has been published in a number of professional journals, and she has presented extensively on related topics as well as issues relative to tolerance and diversity.

Booker earned her Ph.D. in educational psychology, measurement and evaluation from UNC-Chapel Hill. She received both a Master of Education in school psychology and a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va.

Pfeiffer University is a comprehensive United Methodist-related university, with multiple campuses, including Charlotte and the Triangle, committed to educational excellence, service and scholarship.

Visit the schools website at www.pfeiffer.edu.

RCCC sees record year in grant funding

During its 2009-2010 fiscal year, Rowan-Cabarrus Community College was awarded more than $2.6 million in grant funding from public and private organizations.

From July 1, 2009, to June 30, 2010, RCCC received 21 grant awards totaling $2.654 million, a single-year grant-funding record for the college.

Funded projects include scholarships for students with financial need, a major updating of RCCC’s IT infrastructure, the JobsNOW certificate programs, initiatives to develop new curriculum and programs to help students quit smoking and assist local citizens adversely impacted by changes in the tobacco industry.

The funding agencies include the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Margaret C. Woodson Foundation, the Blanche and Julian Robertson Family Foundation, the North Carolina Health and Wellness Trust Fund, the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund, the North Carolina Community College System, the Proctor Foundation, and the N.C. BioNetwork.

Since RCCC created an office of grants development in late 2005, the college has received 92 grant awards of more than $7.25 million.

Lovell completes driver trainingprogram

Roehl Transport announces the newest graduate of the Roehl Driver Training Center, Kirk Lovell of Cleveland, who officially completed the education program July 29, 2010.

Lovell, who attended West Rowan High School in Mount Ulla, says he is happy to work for a good company in the van division.

Roehl drivers don’t drive defensively — that is trying to defend themselves from the motoring public. Rather, Roehl drivers are taught to drive protectively — anticipating, recognizing and adjusting to mistakes that others make. Roehl drivers have a responsibility to drive in a way that protects sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, relatives and friends who share the roads with us, and Roehl is proud to offer driving training that focuses on these values.

Roehl (pronounced Rail) Transport, Inc., was founded by Everett Roehl in 1962. Headquartered in Marshfield, Wisc., today Roehl safely provides diversified transportation and logistic services throughout the United States and Canada.

Sacred Heart gets new principal

Sacred Heart Catholic School welcomes new principal Frank Cardelle this year.

Cardelle has more than 20 years of experience within both private and public education including[0xa0]more than four[0xa0]years in school administrative and management roles.

Cardelle joined Sacred Heart Catholic School in 2006 where he taught social studies, Spanish, and physical education.

He was named Assistant Principal and Dean of Students in 2007. Prior to his time at Sacred Heart, Cardelle taught high school in Miami, Fla. and[0xa0]middle school in Davie County. In addition, he has spent the past 10 years as[0xa0]the assistant men’s soccer coach at Catawba College and has served as a director of coaching for FC Carolina Soccer Club.

“I was very pleased when Frank Cardelle agreed to accept the principalship of Sacred Heart” said Father John T. Putnam, Pastor. “He brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to the school that will serve our students and faculty well.”

As an instructional leader, Cardelle has facilitated multiple programs that work directly with students to create a positive and successful learning environment and enhance academic growth and best practices. He has extensive experience with curriculum and instruction, staff development and mentoring and supervisory responsibilities.

Cardelle’s educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts in Education from the St. Thomas University and a Master of[0xa0]Education Administration from the University of Scranton.

[0xa0]“I am excited to have the opportunity to serve the students, parents, and teachers at Sacred Heart Catholic School as their principal.” said Cardelle.[0xa0]"I believe very strongly in the importance of faith in education.”

Cardelle also states, “I feel that it is imperative to set the bar high and challenge our students through a rigorous and relevant curriculum in order to provide them the best possible outcome.”

Cardelle has been married to Ilse Cardelle for 20 years. [0xa0]They have seven children, Frankie Jr. 19, Ana Sofia, 16, Bobby, 14, Cecilia, 11, Caroline, 7, and twins, Mary-Grace and Ellie, 4, and they reside in Salisbury.

For more information on Sacred Heart Catholic School, visit[0xa0]www.salisburycatholic.org.

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