Haywood County Schools Calendar 2012-2013 (Adopted 04-09-12)

Press Release
Date:               April 9, 2012
Contact:          Dr. Anne Garrett, Superintendent
                       Dr. Bill Nolte, Associate Superintendent
Topic:             Conflicting Law Prompts School Calendar Change

Effective July 1, 2012, amendments to NC General Statute 115C-302 were passed impacting all ten-month salaried employees.  This impacts sixty-six percent of the districts 989 full-time employees.  These employees include teachers, support staff, child nutrition managers and teacher assistants.

Conflicting areas of General Statute 115C-302 are:
“Except for teachers employed in a year-round school or paid in accordance with a year-round calendar, or both,the initial pay date for teachers shall be no later than August 31^st and shall include a full monthly payment.”

“Teachers shall be paid only for the days employed as of the set pay date.  Payment for a full month when days employed are less than a full month is prohibited, as this constitutes prepayment.” 

Dr. Bill Nolte, Associate Superintendent said, “We are often burdened with unnecessary regulations and unfunded legislative mandates.  This situation is especially frustrating because conflicting requirements in state law make it impossible to start school on our normal calendar without breaking the law.”  

The law requires teachers to get a full paycheck by the end of August.  However, the same law states teachers cannot be prepaid.  It is impossible to follow both of these legal requirements unless the school year begins early in August. 

If school starts in the middle of August like the past several years, the law is automatically violated.  If school starts in the middle of August, teachers cannot receive a full paycheck because the law prohibits prepayment.  If there is no prepayment, the law is violated because teachers do not receive a full check at the end of August.

Dr. Anne Garrett, Superintendent said, “We never want to knowingly break the law and we don’t get to pick and choose the parts of the law that we want to follow.  It seems our only legal option is to start school a little earlier.” 

To develop a solution to the contradiction in the law, the school district met with the calendar committee and officers from the district-wide parent organization.  Both groups reviewed a calendar that has employees beginning the first week in August and students starting the second week in August.  That calendar was approved by the Board of Education at the regular April 9, 2012 meeting.  A copy of the newly adopted school calendar is attached.

While changing the calendar was not something the school district planned to do, there are some benefits.  Starting students six days earlier matches better with college calendars.  This allows early graduates to have a smooth transition into full-time college work.  The earlier start also allows semester tests to be taken before the winter holiday break and reduces the chance that testing will be disrupted by snow or ice. 

The summer break between school calendars this summer will be sixty-three (63) days.  The last two years the break was sixty days (60) days and sixty-three (63) days.  So changing the calendar does not decrease the length of the typical summer break.  Since the area experienced a mild winter, starting school a little earlier could help prevent what many researchers call the “summer slide.”  This is the loss of reading, math and other educational skills that occurs when students are out of school for extended periods of time. 

Dr. Bill Nolte, Associate Superintendent said, “We understand the legislature may address the conflict in the law at some point.  Unfortunately, they have not taken any action so far.  We felt it was appropriate to do something to prevent our employees from going six-weeks without a paycheck or from having a partial paycheck in August.”

Dr. Anne Garrett, Superintendent said, “We realize this change will cause some conflicts with pre-planned vacations and camps scheduled early in August.  We will certainly make every reasonable effort to work with people who already have plans.”

Pisgah High School is a recipient of an ExxonMobil Educational Alliance Grant through Peak Energy, a distributor in Western North Carolina.  Mark Higdon, wholesale manager, and Jessica McCoy, retail supervisor presented the generous amount of $500 on behalf of ExxonMobil and Peak Energy.

Peak Energy provides petroleum products, services and solutions for homes and local businesses as one of the largest oil heat and petroleum marketers in the region.

The ExxonMobil Educational Alliance is “supporting education one school at a time” by granting money for schools each year, directing that the funds be used for math and science activities.  This year, ExxonMobil Educational Alliance is granting $1.8 million to benefit schools, including many public and nonprofit private, primary, and secondary schools.  Some of the ideas for using funds include program enhancements such as films, speakers or field trips to science centers; student volunteer programs; scholarships or awards to encourage academic or leadership experience in math and science, science fairs; parent/student events; or educational tools such as computers, math or science books, calculators and software geared toward math or science.

Congratulations to Renee Mackey and the Recycling Club of Meadowbrook Elementary!  The Commission for a Clean County announced that Meadowbrook Recycling Club is a winner of the 2011 Community Pride Award!  Mrs. Mackey will be honored at  a reception given  at the Waynesville Inn.  Great job!

Hazelwood Elementary School is a recipient of an ExxonMobil Educational Alliance Grant through Peak Energy, a distributor in Western North Carolina.  Mark Higdon, wholesale manager, and Jessica McCoy, retail supervisor presented the generous amount of $500.00 on behalf of ExxonMobil and Peak Energy.

Peak Energy provides petroleum products, services and solutions for homes and local businesses as one of the largest oil heat and petroleum marketers in the region.

The ExxonMobil Educational Alliance is “supporting education one school at a time” by granting money for schools each year, directing that the funds be used for math and science activities.  This year, ExxonMobil Educational Alliance is granting $1.8 million to benefit schools, including many public and nonprofit private, primary and secondary schools.  Some of the ideas for using funds include program enhancements such as films, speakers or field trips to science centers; student volunteer programs; scholarships or awards to encourage academic or leadership excellence in math and science, science fairs; parent/student events; or educational tools such as computers, math or science books, calculators and software geared toward math or science.

~Photo courtesy of Hazelwood Elementary School

Tuscola students and their science projects headed to Western Carolina University to participate in the Region 8 Western Regional Science Fair held on Wednesday, February 8.  By the end of the fair 11 of the 12 participating Tuscola High School students had received at least one award.  These students, all members of the Advanced Chemistry II class taught by Jim Davis have proof that quality scientific inquiry outside the classroom does payoff.

Several special awards were presented to deserving projects. These awards did not affect rankings for the primary awards given by fair judges.  However, these awards did recognize projects of distinction. Tuscola students received four of these awards.  Matty Thurman’s project won a special award from the US Air Force for Aerospace Excellence.  Lindsay Kihnel received the US Navy’s Naval Science Award for a Project of Distinction.  Jeremiah Stanton-Rich was the recipient of an award presented by Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute and Sydney Fuller’s project was honored with the guest speaker’s  special environmental award.

The category award winners at Tuscola included 2 first place winners.  Brannon Inman received the award for first place in the Senior Physics category and Brandon Truitt’s project was the recipient of the first place project in Senior Technology/Engineering.  Inman’s project examined the strength of various types of glue and Truitt’s project examined the effect of changing octaves for 2 popular songs.

Other awards for Tuscola students were Sarah Rogers (2nd place Sr. Earth/Environmental), Nicole Trader (2nd place Sr. Chemistry), Jeremiah Stanton-Rich (2nd place Sr. Technology/Engineering), Michala Muse (2nd Place Sr. Biological Science B), Brittany Ashe (2nd place Sr. Biological Science A), Arrah Owen (3rd place  Senior  Earth/Environmental), Lindsay Kihnel (3rd place Senior Biological Science B) and Sydney Fuller (honorable mention Sr. Earth/Environmental Science),

Students who finished 1st or 2nd in their assigned category are now eligible to participate in the 2012 North Carolina Science and Engineering Fair that will be held March 23-24, 2012 at Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina.

~Photo courtesy of Tuscola High School

~Photos courtesy of Junaluska Elementary School

 

Central Elementary’s Cougar Club had a great time at the Ladies Basketball game at Western on Wednesday, January 18, 2012.  Every nine weeks any student who demonstrates good citizenship, follows the classroom rules, completes assignments, and has no more than three excused absences, 2 checkouts, or 2 tardies becomes a member of Cougar Club. 

Something exciting is planned, (in November they went to see a movie at the theater) like the basketball game.  This Cougar Club had over 100 students in it-we can’t wait to see how many more get to go next time. 

~ Photos courtesy of Central Elementary School

Mrs. Garrett’s fourth grade class at Bethel ushered in the new year by constructing snowmen.  Each snowman was given a name and created uniquely with materials found around the house. They learned that they are as individual and special as the snowmen that were made.  It is their hopes that their snowmen will conjure up one good snowstorm before too long!

~ Photo courtesy of Bethel Elementary School

Fifth graders at Bethel Elementary completed their study of the American Revolution with a Living Museum.  Students researched a hero from the war, wrote a research biography on their person, and then dressed up like him or her for the Living Museum.  During the museum, students had to talk about “themselves” and share the visual they created about the hero’s life and importance in the war.  Students also rotated through American Revolution centers that included Revolutionary games, music, crafts, and food. The Fifth Graders also presented a musical entitled “An Early American Christmas”  which describes how Christmas was celebrated in the colonial days in America. The program coincided with their classroom biography projects.

~Photo courtesy of Bethel Elementary School

Students at Junaluska Elementary School participated in the North Carolina Statewide Sumdog Math Contest.  The online contest ran from December 5th through December 15th.  During the contest, students played games that involved answering math questions.  They enjoyed playing opponents who were classmates, as well as, opponents from other schools and countries.  Junaluska Elementary students finished in second place overall in the contest.  Sophia Fox, a fourth grader, finished in the Top Ten Students.  The Top Ten were students who answered the most questions correctly in the contest.  She will receive a certificate of merit.  Junaluska Elementary was also a daily prize winner during the contest and won a license for a Yenka 3-D shapes software.  Junaluska Elementary is very proud of all the students who participated.

~Photos courtesy of Junaluska Elementary