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In The News with Harrison County Schools
State Winners for Artwork
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Two Lincoln High School students were state award winners for their artwork. Tyler Sowers won Best of Show for his sculpture at the 3-D exhibit at the Tamarack. Vanessa Corante won an Honorable Mention for her self portrait in the 2-D exhibit at the Cultural Center in Charleston. Both shows are sponsored by the West Virginia Art Education Association, an annual exhibit to showcase the "Best" of West Virginia art students. Only four pieces from each county are submitted. Both students had their work exhibited at the Clay Center for Art's Alive, April 28.
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BHS Dance Ensemble
For the second year in a row the Bridgeport High School dance ensemble, which consists of 14 dance students, took part in the West Virginia Dance at the Cultural Center in Charleston April 25-27. The group also performed Saturday at 7 p.m. as part of the event.
According to BHS dance ensemble instructor Stephanie Morris, the West Virginia Dance Festival presents dance professionals leading workshops and classes, performance situations and a focus on dance as an art form. Thirty-three dance groups, consisting of more than 300 dances, participated in this year's festival.
"The nice thing about the festival is that it has a really nice faculty with a wide variety of teachers," said Morris. "The workshops often expose them to some of the styles they're not familiar with as well as different choreography with different teachers."
The workshop faculty, according to Morris, was from all over the country. She said they were all well known in their field.
Last year David Howard, who is well known in the ballet world, was one of the faculty members. This year, Brett Conway and Caroline Rocher performed as guest artists.
The students also got to see performances throughout each evening from several groups from around the state. She said one thing that is unique about BHS' performance is that they were the only high school that performed.
"Last year there were two high school groups and we were one of the two that performed," said Morris. "This year we were the only high school group performing because the West Virginia Dance Festival is traditionally for dance companies and studios."
In order to be accepted for the sole high school position, members of the ensemble had to travel to Charleston in February and adjudicate their dance piece to see if it could be included in the event. Morris said this is an event the kids seem to enjoy.
"I've heard a couple kids say this is their favorite part of the class," said Morris. "Because it's just a complete weekend of emersion and they really have a good time with it."
Morris said she is thankful for the West Virginia Dance Festival because it gives the students an opportunity to experience other areas of dance from other instructors.
"Dancers, without this opportunity, tend to stick with their own studios and don't get to dance with people their age in the trained areas," said Morris. "And they don't get as many opportunities to dance from other teachers and that's just a valuable experience."
by Lynn Vance
Bridgeport News Staff Writer
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Simpson Student Places 2nd in Math Field Day
During the March RESA VII Regional Math Field Day competition held at Bridgeport High School, Simpson Elementary fifth grader Mitchell Winkie hoped he would do well enough to advance to the state competition. Winkie had competed in the competition his fourth grade year, but unfortunately, did not place in the top three spots needed to advance. This year, however, the youngster came in second out of the top 35 students from each county represented.
"It went well," said Winkie about the regional competition. "It was a bit more challenging than the county competition though."
Winkie said the format at the regional competition resembled that of the county competition, but there was one difference.
"The problems were a lot harder," he said.
Winkie said after competing at the regionals before, he wanted to do well. In fact, advancing to the April 26 statewide RESA competition at Shepherdstown University was a goal of his.
"I wanted to get in the top three to be able to go on to the state competition," said Winkie.
Winkie said he studied all summer last year in hopes of attaining his goal. He said at the state level he hoped to do just as well.
"They gave us a pamphlet to study with sample questions," he said.
According to Winkie, the state competition was be the last stop for the fifth grader. There is no national competition for his grade level. He did say that at the eighth and ninth grade level there is a national competition. He hopes to one day make that another goal of his to attain.
The RESA Vii math division is the largest competitive division in the state.
by Lynn Vance
Bridgeport News Staff Writer
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Young Writers Contest
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The top Harrison County students in their grade levels in this year’s WV Young Writers Contest were recognized at the March 18, 2008 Board of Education meeting.
Their essays advanced on to the state level competition. The students, along with their parents and teachers, were invited to participate in the WV Young Writers Celebration Day at the University of Charleston.
Winners by grade and school were: Grades 1-2, Jaryn Doddrill, Johnson Elementary; Grades 3-4, Josia Kennedy Rea, home schooled; Grades 5-6, Samuel Tillman, home schooled; Grades 7-8, Nicole Marton, Bridgeport Middle; Grades 9-10, Lincoln Sklar, Bridgeport High, and Grades 11-12, Ethan Bolyard, Bridgeport High.
In addition, the following students were school winners in the contest and received a certificate of appreciation for their efforts. Grades 1-2: Devin Kile, West Milford Elementary, and Louis Aldridge, home schooled. Grades 3-4: Braeden Hurst, West Milford Elementary, Cassie Myers, Wilsonburg Elementary, Elena Fresa, West Milford Elementary, Heather Scott, West Milford Elementary and Maggie Lohmann, Johnson Elementary.
Grades 5-6: Adam DeBarr, Wilsonburg Elementary, Ahmed Haque, Bridgeport Middle, Alexandria Collins, Big Elm Elementary, Chance Taylor, Big Elm Elementary, Hailey Bittinger, Big Elm Elementary, Jenna Correll, Big Elm Elementary, Jennifer Herron, Big Elm Elementary, Jessica Balash, Johnson Elementary, Johnny Brennan, Big Elm Elementary and
Stephen Gemondo, Big Elm Elementary.
Grades 7-8: Caitlin Defazio, Bridgeport Middle, Logan Thomas, Bridgeport Middle and Sarah Blosser, Washington Irving Middle. Grades 9-10: Clare Marie Tillman, home schooled. Grades 11-12: Kayla Butler, Liberty High School and Valerie Guido, Liberty High School.
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During the introductory lesson, students learned simple words like girl, boy, man, woman, dog, cat, car, airplane, elephant and horse. They also learned to combine the words like "man and a boy" and then identified it with a picture.
"You guys are getting it," Poole told the children shortly into the session. "You can learn Spanish because you know English. You've already mastered English, so it's not hard to make the switch."
Poole said he has been working with elementary students across the county learning various languages. He hopes this will trigger an interest in learning another language before they get to the high school level - the level in which many second languages are taught in-depth.
As students go through three levels, which includes 96 lessons, Vecchio hopes to include some distance learning with other schools. Already planned on May 5 in conjunction with Cinco de Mayo, the schools will celebrate with other schools via the distance learning lab and will hold a tasting party, which will includes several Spanish dishes.
Poole said as the lessons progress, students would learn their colors, numbers and other important introductory words and phrases.
"You've made your first step in learning other languages," Poole told the students. "
Poole said the program is not necessarily geared toward the older elementary students. He said he recently worked with a first grade class at Simpson Elementary.
"There were like popcorn all over the place, but they were getting it," said Poole. "You learned English basically when you were zero ... there's no age limit (to learning another language)."
Poole said last year while at Nutter Fort, he introduced Italian at the third grade level, Spanish at the fourth grade level, and French at the fifth grade level.
Poole, who is not fluent in any foreign language, said every 10 years he comes up with something new he wants to try in life. Teaching elementary students foreign language is his new project.
"I liked learning other languages so well I wanted to share it with the kids," said Poole.
Several of the students say the enjoyed the introductory program and would like to see it continue.
"I like the Spanish program because it is a fun way to learn a new language and I'm very glad it is easy (so I can) teach my friends how to speak Spanish because they want to learn too," said Ryan Osborn.
Vecchio said she would like to introduce other foreign languages to the students in the future.
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Fifth grade students participating in Johnson Elementary's first-year Spanish Club were treated last Thursday to what will be the beginning of a distance learning effort at the elementary level courtesy of the Harrison County Board of Education.
Ron Poole, administrative assistant for elementary education, introduced the students to several Spanish words by using a computer software program on the big screen that allowed them to learn the pronunciation of Spanish words. The program also allowed students to learn the Spanish words by associating it with a picture as well as to combine words. The hope, according to Poole, is to eventually have the students speaking some conversational Spanish before they leave JES to head to the middle school.
"When you leave here today you'll know eight to 10 words of Spanish and will be able to put things together quickly," said Poole to the students.
According to Dawna Vecchio, technology coordinator at JES, the software that is being used, Rosetta Stone, uses the award-winning Dynamic Immersion method to tap the same skills students used to learn their first language - English. She says it makes it easier than they thought possible. Poole agreed.
"This is the way we learned English," said Poole. "Your parents didn't have a textbook in their hand teaching you, you learned it as you listened and repeated the words and phrases. Soon you learned the language."
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GrafTech International’s Clarksburg plant (in Anmoore) has donated two sets of science and technology DVDs for use in high school classrooms in Harrison County.
The DVDs will be passed out to the science teachers in the county’s five public high schools, as well as Notre Dame.
It’s just one way to help students get excited about math, science and technology, according to David Reep, site manager.
“We try to partner with the school system in as many ways as possible,” Reep said. “These DVDs are one more method to encourage students to excel in these disciplines.”
Reep is shown presenting the DVDs to Rosemary Stromberg, the county’s math, science and social studies coordinator.
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National Board Teachers
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Six additional county teachers have completed their long and arduous journeys to acquire their National Board certifications. That brings to 14 the number of local educators who have tackled this voluntary program of study and self-assessment to earn the highest credentials in the teaching profession. These six were recognized for their efforts at a Board of Education meeting on January 8.
To become certified, the teachers were required to prepare detailed portfolios that included videotaping their work in the classroom. The process also required them to describe, analyze, explain and reflect on their professional practices in numerous papers.
Further standards included documentation of their work outside the classroom - with families, with colleagues and in the community.
The teachers and their certifications include Lola Brown, Title I Curriculum Specialist, (Early and middle childhood/literacy: reading-language arts); Heather Holbert, eighth-grade English teacher at Washington Irving Middle (Early adolescence; English-language arts); Rebecca Jones, eighth-grade science teacher at Lumberport Middle (Early adolescence science); Lisa Kerns, computer teacher and family & consumer science instructor at Lumberport Middle (Early adolescence through young adulthood career and technical education); Kim Pulice, a Nutter Fort Primary Title I teacher (Early and middle childhood/ literacy: reading-language arts), and Stephanie Runion, a West Milford Title I teacher (Early and middle childhood/literacy: reading-language arts).
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Pictured, left to right, are Lola Brown, Rebecca Jones, Heather Holbert, Lisa Kerns, Kim Pulice and Stephanie Runion. Back row, Board member Michael Queen and Dr. Carl Friebel Jr.
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BHS ranked #1 in WVReport.com
On Jan. 3, while Harrison County students found themselves staying at home for a second consecutive snow day, Bridgeport High School principal Mark DeFazio got in his car as he does every work day, turned on the radio and headed to work. But it was what he heard on the radio that peaked his interest.
"As I got into the car and turned the radio on I caught the tail-end that Bridgeport High School was ranked number one in the state," said DeFazio. "I'm thinking 'what is this?' I wasn't sure what it was."
He then contacted Harrison County Administrative Assistant of Secondary Education and former BHS principal Lindy Bennett to see what he knew about the honor. Bennett said he too was unaware at first, to what the honor was about.
What both administrators later discovered that the Web site www.WVReport.com, had released an annual report ranking of West Virginia's Best Public High Schools for 2007-08. BHS ranked number one with a score of 100 out of 100 possible points. The site used statistics from the West Virginia Department of Education, the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission and the Community and Technical College System of West Virginia in its rankings.
The site used dropout rates, percentage of classes taught by highly qualified teachers and the rate of students who go to college to come up with a list of the top 25 schools in the state. No other Harrison County school made the list.
"What was interesting is that we were not aware this was being done and that's what makes it a little more surprising is to hear it on the radio when you're not exactly sure what the award is you're receiving," said DeFazio.
"After seeing that it was based on statistics they received from the state Department of Education, once again, and I hate to wear the terms out, but our kids are highly motivated, very competitive when it comes to academics and that's a credit to their families, our faculty and our student body."
According to the Web site's publisher, Anthony Underwood, this is the first time WVReport.com has published this type of rankings, but he said it is not the first time he has been involved in this type of ranking system.
"I have produced them previously for internal usage by higher education institutions," said Underwood. "I have been personally involved with traditional or online publishing since 1992, but WVReport.com has been online since July 2007."
Underwood said he first began compiling this type of information and ranking them in 2005. He said after consultation with education professionals to refine the survey, as the originator of the survey and publisher of the Web site, he felt it was the site's civic duty to make the information public.
"These lists are meant not to vilify those who ranked poorly, but to acknowledge those who have performed well and serve as a guide and a prompt for action for those schools in need," said Underwood.
According to Underwood, leaders in both higher and secondary education vetted the formula - in test stages since 2005 - confidentially. In brief, he says the statistics in each category are weighted equally to determine the final rank on a scale of 1 to 100. The top performing school is re-centered with a rank score of 100 to form the final score.
"In brief, those schools which reduce their number of drop outs, increase their number of highly qualified teachers, and increase the number of students who test for and/or enter college will improve their score," said Underwood.
Underwood said this ranking system differs from others in its general accessibility, and the simple idea that in today's economy, the central mission of a public high school should be in preparing all of its students for a post secondary degree of some sort.
"This ranking system holds all public high schools accountable for this very specific measure," said Underwood.
"Due to my experience of just under a decade in higher education, teaching experience at all levels of public education from pre-school to undergraduate classes and having a graduate degree in secondary education, I believe that I have a unique perspective as an education professional and news publisher," Underwood continued. "I do not believe that any other office in the state, public or private, is equating high school quality with college preparedness and college access in a quantitative way."
The site also lists the bottom 10 schools, the schools with the biggest gap between ACT test takers and college enrollees, the top 10 with the best and worst dropout rates, and the most qualified and least qualified faculties.
by Lynn Vance
Bridgeport News Staff Writer
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