Early College Junior Civitan Club honored at international conference

Rowan County Early College’s Junior Civitan Club was named the 2015 International Honor Club of Distinction at this year’s Junior Civitan International Conference held in Orlando, Florida. Student Janssen Keiger was also honored, receiving the International Officer of the Year award. Theresa Pierce is the advisor for the Early College’s Junior Civitan Club.

 

Salisbury student receives scholarship

Rebecca Murphy of Salisbury was awarded a Local Government Federal Credit Union Scholarship Award.

Murphy, who will use the scholarship to study at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, is one of 120 deserving high school seniors and post-secondary students who will have extra money to apply toward their education at the university, community or technical college of their choice.

“This is the 17^th consecutive year we have offered this scholarship,” said Local Government Federal Credit Union President Maurice Smith. “It’s a real pleasure to reward these fine adults for not only getting top-notch grades, but also for finding the drive to take active roles in their communities. We applaud them and wish them luck in their studies and beyond.”

The award recognizes a student’s high achievement in extracurricular activities, as well as academic excellence by their having maintained a grade point average of 3.0 or higher. Financial need is also a consideration. For more information, or to apply, call 919-755-0534 or visit www.lgfcu.org .

 

Local educator named president-elect for statewide education association

Carol Harper, a family and consumer science teacher at Carson High School, was installed as president-elect of the N.C. Association of Career and Technical Educators at the association’s summer conference July 22 in Greensboro.

Harper will preside over the state-level conference next summer. She has been a member for 29 years, has served on the regional legislative committee, and is a past president of the family and consumer science teachers division.

 

Back to school giveaway postponed

The Hairston Funeral Home Back to School Give Away scheduled for, Saturday, August 15, 2015 has been postponed to a later time due to scheduling conflict.

Wood named Food for Thought board president

Dr. Erin Wood, an assistant professor of psychology at Catawba College, has just accepted the position of president on the board of directors of local nonprofit backpack program Food for Thought. She follows Paula Mead in the position and will work closely over the next year with the organization’s new Executive Director Carol Herndon, the full board, and Catawba College Psychology Department intern Kathleen Burris of Mt. Pleasant.

Food for Thought works in combination with a variety of community and ecumenical organizations to provide weekend food throughout the school year to food insecure children. Currently, students in 16 local elementary and middle schools are being served, and the organization is growing rapidly.

Wood said she is “excited to be a player in this crucial program and looks forward to continuing making connections across the community by focusing on the most essential needs of our children.”

Wood joined the Catawba faculty in 2010.  A native of Madison County, Va., she received her bachelor’s degree in psychology and her master’s and doctoral degrees in biopsychology all from Virginia Commonwealth University.

NCCAT launches beginning teacher support program

One-third of the teachers in the United States leave the profession after three years and nearly half leave by the fifth year. To quell this loss of talent in North Carolina, the N.C. Center for the Advancement of Teaching has created a digital library containing videos and other materials to aid teachers — novice and veteran — in mastering the most common sources of frustration and confusion: behavior management, brain compatible teaching, differentiated instruction, assessment, and taking care of yourself.

The Beginning Teacher Support Program videos and resources are available at www.nccat.org/beginning-teacher-support-program .

This online resource was made possible by a grant from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation and filmed and edited by Western Carolina University’s Coulter Faculty Commons.

NCCAT, a professional development organization, used the funds to package portions of its “Connections” program. “Connections” focuses on first-year teachers and is designed to reinforce essential skills for good teaching, strengthen instructional practices and build professional networks. The goal of the program is to increase retention rates and improve the skill levels and effectiveness of new teachers.