For Immediate Release:
These latest announcements from the Chocowinity Primary School, via the Beaufort County School System, reminds us that schools are a focal point of activity.
CPS prepares for bus emergencies
CHOCOWINITY Spencer Pake keeps a watchful eye on students as they quickly, but carefully, exit the rear of a bus parked on the campus of Chocowinity Primary School.
As CPS's assistant principal, one of Pake's duties is to oversee school bus operations, including making sure safety procedures are in place in the event of an emergency.
To that end, Pake spent a recent week and a half conducting emergency drills that allow bus drivers and their student passengers to practice exactly what they need to do if faced with such an emergency. CPS operates eight school buses, with an average of 60 students per bus on any given afternoon. The students range in grade level from prekindergarten through fourth grade.
"It's something like a school fire drill ... that should be done at least twice a year," Pake said of the bus drills. "Bus drivers are trained at the beginning of every school year. But this lets us refresh and prepare the drivers and the students."
Pake said such drills are probably conducted at most, if not all, campuses in the Beaufort County Schools system.
"I'm sure that other assistant principals are doing it as well, or have done it," he said. "I know that Mark Clinkscales has done it at Chocowinity Middle School."
In preparation for the drills, each bus driver designates several of the older students to serve as helpers, usually four per bus, should an emergency arise. At CPS, those helpers are usually fourth graders. The drills recently held near the end of the year also served as an opportunity to train third graders to take over that important role when the 2012-2013 school year resumes in August.
"The students are trained by the bus drivers, and there is a video they can also watch that lets them know the proper procedures to evacuate the bus in case of an emergency," Pake said. "And we want them to practice the emergency drill at least once."
Given the responsibility of transporting students safely to and from school on a daily basis are Chocowinity Primary School bus drivers B.J. Ange, Edythe Williams, Kay Reddick, Von Mitchell, Cynthia Brady, Dee Dee Schwartz, Henry O'Neal and John Palmieri.
Chocowinity Primary School students exit a bus during a recent mock emergency drill directed by Assistant Principal Spencer Pake.
Jim Martin, representing the Beaufort County Sheriff's Department, speaks to a group of third graders during Chocowinity Primary School's recent Rock Carnival.
CPS 'rocks' during science carnival
CHOCOWINITY Students learned all about rocks, minerals, fossils and other elements of science during Chocowinity Primary School's recent Rock Carnival.
The carnival, the fifth such event held at CPS, was organized by fourth grade teacher Rondi Godley.
"These events are important because they make a connection between what is learned in class and how it applies to the world around them," Godley said.
Godley planned eight interactive stations that provided hands-on learning of Earth Science. Those stations included a rock wall, sand art, lava falls slide and a fossil dig, the latter featuring materials teeming with fossils and sharks' teeth from the PotashCorp mines in Aurora.
A series of guest presentations rounded out the educational aspects of the carnival. Jim Martin, investigator with the Beaufort County Sheriff's Department, presented Dirt Detective; Cris King from PotashCorp presented Phosphate Find; and Becky McRoy, representing Beaufort County Soil & Water Conservation, presented Save Our Soil. An extensive collection of fossils was shared by George W. Powell Jr., an amateur paleontologist representing the Aurora Fossil Museum.
"These activities were selected because they appeal to every type of learner," said Godley. "It also provides an opportunity for the children to see how our school and community work together for a common goal -- educating our students."
CPS students appreciated the experience and were eager to share some of what they learned.
"I learned that the guy from the sheriff's department could put stuff on the floor to show blood," said Patrick Lovenberg. "I also learned that phosphate is in a lot of stuff."
Tanner Rouse found the carnival to be entertaining as well as educational.
"I liked the rock wall the best," he said. "There were obstacles and it was hard trying to make sure you didn't fall off. I liked the guy with all the fossils, too."
Ocean Life
Chocowinity Primary School students (from left) Noah Smith, Ashlyn Swanhart and Felicity McCraw show off their "Ocean Life" bulletin board, which features pink and white jellyfish and red crabs made from the hand prints of each child in the classroom.
Ready for EOG
Shanya McCall, a third grader at Chocowinity Primary School, shows she is ready for the all important EOG's (end of grade tests) that were administered May 22-24. She came to school in a shirt bearing the handwritten message, "EOG, bring it on ... I'm Ready!"
School Memories
Chocowinity Primary School students (from left) Dlasia Moore, Jaime Guzman Valdez and Joshua Buck look over a copy of the newly published yearbook, which captures memories of the 2011-2012 school year. The three will be among the fourth grade graduates from CPS in June.
CPS Teacher Honored
Lauren Buck, a Reading Recovery teacher at Chocowinity, is one of only four teachers from across the United States to receive a scholarship to attend the Reading Recovery National Conference, held earlier this year in Columbus, Ohio. Thousands of entrants vied for the scholarships, which covered conference registration, air fare, room and board. Buck, who is also a National Board Certified teacher, was also honored at the Keynote Session as well as the Scholars and Partners luncheon during the conference.
Call/email if you have questions.
Sarah Hodges
Public Information Officer
Beaufort County Schools
252.946.6593 office
252.402.5834 cell
shodges@beaufort.k12.nc.us e-mailoto)
