Enloe High senior Daniel Vitek earned top senior honors and received a $100,000 tuition scholarship to Duke University at the NC State Math Meet held on Thursday, April 23rd at the NC School of Science & Mathematics. Daniel placed 3rd overall.

First place overall was won by Calvin Deng, an 8th grade student at Ligon Middle School. He attends Enloe for his AP Calculus AB class.

You can find information on the NC State Math Meet here.

Thanks to teacher Celia Rowland for sharing her story with Got News.

24 Leesville High Latin students won national awards on the 2009 National Latin Exam, including 7 gold medals and 9 silver medals, in every level entered.

Senior AP Latin student Kaithlyn Abadilla qualified to compete for a national scholarship because of her outstanding performance on the level 5 exam. Below are the complete results:

Summa Cum Laude (Gold Medal)

Level 1 – Nicole Curtis and Emily Farmer

Level 2 – Jonathan Wendt and Erin Flannelly

Level 3 – Rebecca Dixon and Stephen Ryan

Level 5 – Kaithlyn Abadilla

Maxima Cum Laude (Silver Medal)

Level 2 – Dong-Jun Shin, Gregory Pope, Ashleigh Miles, and Allison Bass

Level 3 – Linda Cui, Eli Kratt, Trevor Haga, and Erin Cuellar

Level 4 – Elaine Didier

Magna Cum Laude

Level 1 – Min Jun, Michael Elderkin, and Jessica Jones

Level 3 – Joe Tung, Vira Ayzenbart, and Richard Frost

Cum Laude

Level 3 – John Parker

Level 4 – Sharae Williams

You can read more about the exam here.

Thanks to teacher Mark Marsh for sharing his story with GotNews

There was an update on the JROTC programs in Wake County Public School System high schools in the Student Achievement Committee of the Board of Education Tuesday.

Colonel Robert Penny of the Air Force JROTC program at Sanderson High gave the board an overview of the program serving more than 160 students.

Penny told the committee that his JROTC students have earned $3.8 million in JROTC scholarships and Air Force Academy appointments over the last seven years, have completed 3,642 hours of school and community service this year, earned Air Force JROTC Distinguished Unit for seven years and cadets have been selected as Student Body President, National Honor Society Vice President and Homecoming Queen.

Click here to listen to JROTC at WCPSS High Schools

This is an 8.5 minute mp3 file.

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The Ligon Middle School Encore Performance Ensemble will present the drama KORCZAK’S CHILDREN, at 2:30 p.m. on April 30, and at 7 p.m. on May 1 and 2. This piece is set during the Nazi Occupation of Poland. Dr. Korczak, writer, educator, physician and passionate advocate for children tries to keep the Jewish boys and girls of his famed Warsaw orphanage alive and hopeful in the face of unbelievable terror. Against the rules of the ghetto, Korczak lets his orphans stage a magical play, THE POST OFFICE, to teach them about he one adult subject he has not yet taught- death. As the play is rehearsed, rumors about deportation to “camps” become a reality and Korczak must decide who can be saved and who must go on the final journey together.

The Middle Creek High Theatre Department will present Theatre III/IV Showcase in the school auditorium at 7 p.m. on May 1. For more information, contact, teacher Athena M. Reaves at 919-661-5468.

Cary High School Drama classes perform one act plays in the school auditorium at 7 p.m. on May 7. For more information call 380-3615 or visit http://sites.google.com/site/chspabc/

Dillard Drive Middle School’s first musical production, ANNIE, JR. will be performed on Thursday, May 7 and Friday, May 8 at 6:30 p.m. in the school auditorium. Tickets will be $5 at the door. Over 100 students and staff members are involved in this production. Cast members have been rehearsing, sharpening their vocals and perfecting their dance numbers. The directors and parents are busily preparing props, costumes, sets, lighting, sound and music. For more information, contact Toni Ahrens at tahrens@wcpss.net

Knightdale High Repertory Theatre presents the classic tale THE WIZARD OF OZ Thursday and Friday, May 7 and 8 in the Knightdale High auditorium. Come experience the magic of the heartfelt tale of young Dorothy Gale and her incredible journey through the magical Land of Oz. The show features seniors Rayshaun C. Sandlin (Lion), Churaqui Mosley (The Wicked Witch of the West). The role of Dorothy is ably handled by Jordan Ogden. Sophomores Chelsea Geter and Chris Cunningham play the Scarecrow and the Tinman. Jacob Cooper is the Wizard. Freshmen Andrew Coleman plays the Gatekeeper and Nora West is Glinda. The show will include students from local elementary and middle schools. Bill Rashleigh is the music director and Ronzel Bell will conduct. Adriene Bridgewater handles the choreography. Peter Comperatore and Willie O. Jordan share directing duties. Cammie Perry serves as the production stage manager. Admission is $7.00 in advance and $8.00 at the door. Please call 217-5409 for more information.

Wakefield Middle School Theatre Arts will be presenting THE MUSIC MAN on May 7, 8, & 9. The show includes dance, band, drama, orchestra, and chorus students. For more information, contact Meredith Lyons at 562.3500 or mlyons@wcpss.net

The Middle Creek High Theatre Department will present the Quik Witz Improv Troupe in the school auditorium at 7:30 p.m. on May 21. For more information, contact, teacher Athena M. Reaves at 919-661-5468.

Enloe drama students Laura Levine, Will Sarratt, Logan Sutton and Dana Marcus received Superior ratings at the recent NC State Thespian Festival on their monologue presentations.

Enloe students earned four of the 11 Superiors ratings in the whole state.

Enloe won all three places in the statewide playwriting contest, Write It!

1st Place – Will Sarratt

2nd Place – Nick Johnson

3rd Place – Laura Levine

They won cash prizes and will be published.

Thanks to teacher Sue Scarborough for sharing her story.

Enloe High students took fifth place in the nation in Mandelbrot Team Play which is the best Enloe has ever done.

The students on the team are Alex Vasilyev, Shreyas Tikare, Daniel Vitek and Calvin Deng. They had to complete 6 proof problems for each of the 3 rounds of competition throughout the year.

Enloe took second in the nation in the Math League competition. Nick Tobey came in 3rd overall. Ivan Kuznetsov came in 10th overall.

Thanks to teacher Celia Rowland for sharing her story.

Continue Reading . . .

Check out the latest Lifelong Learning E-news to find out what great opportunities Lifelong Learning with Community Schools will offer teachers during the summer! Classes in the Teacher Summer Institute will provide valuable skills for the classroom in areas such as reading, science and special education. Lifelong Learning is an adult education program open to all Wake County residents.

Wakefield Elementary first grader Daniel Hong set 2 world records and won all events for his age group at the World Speed Stacking Competition in Denver, Colorado on April 19.

“I am so proud of him,” said Wakefield Elementary PE teacher Nancy Kelley-Cram.

Hong learned speed stacking in kindergarten. It’s a timed competition where students use specially designed plastic cups to build pyramids of varying patterns in a specific sequence. Hong’s parents took him to the regional competition this year in Greensboro where he won first place for his age group in four events and he placed first in the state competition held at Wingate College March 21.

You can find more information about the competition here and view his visit to WRAL here.

The Wake County PTA recently celebrated at the Night of Stars honoring people who have volunteered in WCPSS schools.

PTA Council President Sarah Martin says the PTA honored volunteers form across Wake County with school PTA Presidents selecting volunteers who had been particularly impactful at their school. Martin said they heard so many wonderful stories.

Click here to listen to PTA Honors School Volunteers

This is a 15 minute mp3 file.

Two WCPSS students are among the 15 NC students named semifinalists in the Presidential Scholars program.

The students are Michael Nokes of Apex High and Patrick Joseph Short of Sanderson High.

The two students were selected from more than 3,000 candidates on the basis of superior achievements, leadership qualities, personal character and involvement in community and school activities.

Students qualify for consideration on the basis of their college entrance exam scores. To be considered further, candidates must submit candidacy materials including essays, self-assessments, secondary school reports, and transcripts. Candidates are evaluated on their academic achievement, personal characteristics, leadership and service activities, and an analysis of their essay.

The semifinalists are chosen by an independent, national committee of educators convened by the Commission on Presidential Scholars. The number of semifinalists identified per state is based on a proportionate number of test takers for that state.

The Commission on Presidential Scholars makes the final selection of the 121 students. One young man and one young woman are chosen from each state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and from families of U.S. citizens living abroad. In addition, up to 15 students are chosen at large.

The names of the Scholars will be announced by the US Department of Education in May. The Scholars will be invited to Washington, DC for several days in June to receive the Presidential Scholars medallion at a recognition ceremony and to participate in various activities and events held in their honor.