Education briefs

Published 12:00 am Thursday, June 4, 2015

Pine Lake Prep names Lower School principal
Pine Lake Preparatory in Mooresville announced that Salisbury resident Shelly Sims has been named principal of its Lower School. She has served Pine Lake Prep since 2008 in various roles, most recently as dean of students at the Lower School.

Sims has been an educator for more than 20 years.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in business from California State University, Stanislaus, and a master’s in school administration from Appalachian State University. She holds North Carolina licenses as a principal, reading specialist, kindergarten through sixth grade educator and middle school science. She has additional certifications in cross-cultural language and academic development and business.

“Mrs. Sims has the passion and experience to take on an already strong K-5 education program and take it to the next level,” said Head of School Chris Terrill. “I look forward to working with her for many years to come.”

Sims began her career in California as a kindergarten teacher, where she was selected to train as a Reading Recovery teacher and earned her certification, working with at-risk readers. Sims entered a year-long program and was certified as a literacy coordinator, working with students in various grade levels and providing professional development in her district.

Throughout her career, Sims has provided professional development to teachers, from in-service to workshops, such as the National Charter School Conference and International Reading Association Convention.

Sims will step into the principal role June 30 when Gloria Miller transitions into the role of reading and writing specialist for Pine Lake Prep’s Lower School.

Pine Lake Preparatory is a public K-12 charter school in Mooresville. With nearly 1700 students, it is one of the largest charter schools in the state.

 

Principal awarded honorary chapter degree from South Rowan FFA

Each year, South Rowan High School’s FFA chapter gives an honorary chapter degree to recognize individuals who have given outstanding support to the group.

This year, the club chose to honor Corriher-Lipe Middle School Principal Dr. Beverly Pugh.

Pugh has supported the program in many ways over many years. She volunteered at its largest service project — Service South Rowan — and has also encouraged the BETA club at Corriher-Lipe Middle School to participate in this project for numerous years. Last month, 19 of Pugh’s students participated in Service South Rowan.

As principal of Corriher-Lipe Middle School, she has encouraged students to sign up for agriculture classes and get involved in FFA. For many years, she brought eighth-graders to tour the FFA land laboratory for their rewards trip, which also served as a recruitment tool for South Rowan’s FFA.

Pugh will retire at the end of the school year.

 

Kannapolis City Schools collects books for summer reading

More than 500 students in Kannapolis City Schools will be able to take home free books this summer thanks to the Give 5 Read 5 program.

A.L. Brown teacher Cory Stirewalt organized the effort to collect books in the district. He reached out to principals and asked them to invite students, staff and parents to donate books. After just a few weeks, the district had collected more than 2,200 new and gently used books for students to take home over the summer.

All the books collected were stored at the Kannapolis branch of the State Employees Credit Union, which is an active supporter of the Give 5 Read 5 program.

Stirewalt serves on the Credit Union’s board of directors, and he and the Credit Union’s staff wanted to make sure Kannapolis City Schools students had books to read this summer.

Credit Union staff members sorted all the books and got them ready to distribute to schools. Senior Vice President Gina Fritz joined Stirewalt in delivering the books to KCS elementary schools and Kannapolis Intermediate School. Each school received hundreds of books to give to students to take home to read over the summer.

The book collection is part of the statewide Give 5 Read 5 programwhich was started by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction. It is designed to help stop summer learning loss and make sure all students have books to read over the summer. The program encourages people to donate books that will be given to students to take home over the summer to read while they are out of school.

 

Gray Stone hires new head baseball coach

Gray Stone Day School has hired Barry Keith as the school’s head baseball coach.

Keith has more than 20 years of coaching experience with high school, American Legion, and other travel baseball programs.

Most recently, Keith coached at Spartanburg High School and Spartanburg Day School in Spartanburg, S.C. Keith focuses on developing each player through strength training, individualized attention and team play.

“Coach Keith will bring renewed energy to our baseball program. We are excited to have someone with his credentials and proven track record,” said Gray Stone Director of Athletics Jeff Morris.

Keith is a social worker by trade and is independently employed.

“His work with adolescents is a real benefit for us,” Morris said. “He has a knack for developing relationships with young people and is committed to helping each player achieve excellence.”

 

Gray Stone hires new health and physical education teacher

Gray Stone Day School has hired Amy Prior to fill the school’s health and physical education teacher position for the 2015-16 school year.

Prior is a graduate of Appalachian State University and an 18-year teaching veteran, most recently in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, where she has served on the district-wide curriculum development team for health and physical education.

Prior is a member of the N.C. Alliance for Athletics, Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Dance and Sports Management, and has presented at the organization’s state conference.

She is also a N.C. Center for Health and Wellness teaching fellow, and is the Southern District and North Carolina Health Educator of the Year.

“Having someone with Ms. Prior’s experience is a real plus for Gray Stone. I look forward to seeing her implement her ideas and take our health and physical education program to the next level,” said Gray Stone Associate Director Jeff Morris.

 

Salisbury Academy hires new director of marketing and communications

With experience in journalism and marketing, Lizzy Roy will start as Salisbury Academy’s new director of marketing and communications July 1.

A graduate of Denison University with a bachelor’s degree in English, Roy also earned a master’s degree in business administration from Lakeland College Graduate Program.

“We are pleased to add Lizzy to our team. Her strong skill set in the areas of writing, event planning, video editing and website design will make her an asset to the school,” said Head of School Beverly Fowler.

Roy held sales and marketing jobs in Chicago before moving to North Carolina. She has been a contributing writer for The Salisbury Post and most recently did freelance writing and video editing work.

Roy lives in Salisbury with her husband TJ and two daughters Anelise and Hannah Jean.