Students Wow Judges With Wonderful Wetland Posters

The Friends of Wake Soil and Water Conservation District honored 10 fifth-grade Wake County students as winners of the “Wetlands Are Wonderful” poster contest at the 46th Annual Conservation Awards Celebration on Dec. 8. Judges found the students’ posters outstanding for balancing accurate science and original artwork, while illustrating different types of NC wetlands, describing the benefits wetlands provide people and the environment, and showing ways people are protecting them from being harmed, altered or destroyed.

The Top Three received cash awards:

$100 to Olivia Karen Andrews from Green Hope Elementary

$50 to Ashley J. Johnson from Alston Ridge Elementary

Eye of the Hurricanes

By Chris Gosek

Every class at all grade levels at Carver Elementary has been learning the ins and outs of the sport of hockey this past week in Ms. Hajnos’ physical education classes, courtesy of the Carolina Hurricanes’ National Hockey League (NHL) team’s traveling Hockey Camp.

Working to help the youngsters learn and develop the basic skills of the game of hockey, former Hurricanes’ and Tampa Bay Lightning star Shane Willis led the kids through drills showing them stickhandling, shooting, and passing. Willis noted that the camp also aims to help the kids better understand hockey. Getting the Hurricanes’ name out at different area schools nearly every day, the camp has also served to “get the youth of this area excited about the game,” according to Willis.

Jump Around

By Chris Gosek

As they prepare for the upcoming, annual, “Jump Rope for Heart” fundraiser for the American Heart Association (AHA), Mr. Amigh has the physical education students from every grade at Forestville Elementary practicing their jump rope skills.

With a slew of different jump rope games and activities, the kids have been loving every minute of their preparation for the worthy cause. Students took turns jumping with the use of short ropes and long ropes in addition to enjoying such games as “The Helicopter,” “Egg Beater,” and the “Run Through.” Mr. Amigh stressed to the children the importance of them getting ready for the AHA fundraiser, explaining how they would be helping young boys and girls less fortunate than they are through the event.

Exploring and Observing

By Chris Gosek

Students in both Ms. Starkey and Ms. Froelich’s classes at Forestville Elementary were observing and exploring owl pellets in their recent science lessons, identifying the digested bones they found and comparing this to human bones.

The kids were teamed up in groups to analyze their subject matter. The teams were looking to find some bones similar in shape to ones found in the human skeleton. They also tried to see how the bones would actually piece together and identify them by name.

Families Through Time

By Chris Gosek

Focusing on their reading skills and social studies, third grade classes at Hodge Road Elementary have been teaming up to take a peek back through how families lived and functioned throughout history.

Teaming up with a partner, the kids first read about the evolution of families starting in ancient times straight up through the present. Once they finished their partner work, the entire class dove into a discussion, talking about how families worked together in each era, how they functioned within the communities they lived in, and how these things changed throughout the course of time.

Motion and Design

By Chris Gosek

In accordance with the State of North Carolina Science Competency Goals, Ms. Wilson’s fifth graders at Knightdale Elementary are hard at work building their very own, functional vehicles to display their knowledge of motion and design.

Each child built their vehicles using 100 percent recycled materials from around their homes, as they were not allowed to purchase anything to be used in their construction. To go along with their creations, each child made a poster board for display, detailing the different points they were to address, per the state competency goals. The assignment asked that the kids determine the motion of an object by following and measuring its position over time. They also were to evaluate how forces that push or pull change the position and motion of the vehicles and how energy is needed to make the machine move. Each completed presentation also touched on force, friction, inertia, and motion. The poster boards showed the students using the scientific method to explain the different points of their project.

Same Sound, Different Meaning

By Chris Gosek

As a part of their “Daily Five,” Mr. McClellan’s students at Knightdale Elementary were focusing this past week on reading and writing while learning all about homophones.

Starting the lesson working with the classes’ student teacher, Ms. Smith, the third grade class convened at the front of the class to view examples of homophones, which are words that sound the same hen spoken, but are spelled differently and have meanings that are also not the same. After this brief review, the class divided up into stations across the room where they tackled several activities where they were either reading or writing and recognizing the homophones in each of these exercises.

Long Distance Pen Pals

By Chris Gosek

Helping them to learn about diversity and how all people are different, Ms. Bartlett’s first grade class at Knightdale Elementary has been writing letters back and forth with their “adopted grandparents” who reside at a retirement facility in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The entire class has worked together on the letters to be sent as a part of their writing lessons for language arts. The kids have also sent artwork and ornaments to their “grandparents” as a part of the pen pal program that they have developed. This week, the kids have been making beautiful winter landscape art projects to be sent out to their long distance friends. They have cut out and colored snowmen as part of these pieces, putting on a blue background complete with drawn in snowflakes. The class awaits in great anticipation after each time they send out, and the “grandparents” have not disappointed, responding with letters that have given the youngsters a better understanding of how things were different in the world when their older pen pals were growing up. A taste of Pittsburgh was also received in one mailing to the class, as they each received necklaces that were gold and black in the spirit of the hometown NFL football team, the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Filling our Buckets

By Chris Gosek

The first graders in Ms. Proctor’s class at Lockhart Elementary have been reading books as a group and focusing on finding ways that they can each “fill their personal buckets,” by showing kindness and respect to those around them.

The concept of “bucket filling” is based on three basic rules that state each child should first, be a bucket filler, second, “don’t dip,” and lastly, use their personal “lids.” The students have learned through their reading that each person is born with an invisible bucket. To have the bucket filled is to be happy, thus saying or doing something kind to another person fills his or her bucket. On the contrary, to “dip into” ones bucket would be when someone takes action that would make someone feel badly. Some of the bucket filling actions touched on are spending time with grandparents, waving hello and goodbye, saying please and thank you, helping to clean up, sharing, or hugging a family member.

Starting to Click

By Chris Gosek

Utilizing the latest classroom technology to their advantage, Ms. Currin’s third graders at Lynn Road Elementary have been reviewing recent math lessons using their SmartBoard and remote control clickers to help prepare for their unit exams.

With each student having their own “clicker,” the class reviewed perimeter and area this past week. Showing a problem on the SmartBoard, each individual was able to register their own response at the same time, with the results of how many had answered correct being calculated immediately to allow Ms. Currin to gauge which areas needed extra review as they moved through the lesson.

Poetry for Dollars

By Chris Gosek

Sixth grade social studies students in Ms. Millsap’s class at East Wake Middle were working in groups as they continue learning about Leonardo Da Vinci, readying to make poems about the famed artist, with those working most diligently earning “Millsap Money” that can be redeemed for tasty prizes at week’s end.

The students first read a biography on Da Vinci and then broke off into separate groups for discussion and analysis of his life. Choosing from a list provided of differing types of poems, they were then to make a poem focused on their discussion. As the groups worked in class, those remaining most focused on job at hand were rewarded by their teacher with paper bills for their effort. The group that earns the most “Millsap Money” throughout the entire week can cash in their winnings for candy on the following Monday in class.

The Tree of States

By Chris Gosek

Tying their in class studies into the recently passed holiday season, Ms. Whitehouse’s students at Wakelon Elementary showed their knowledge of all fifty states across America, as a part of their “State Tree” project.

Each individual in the class chose a state and following extensive research on their topic, created artwork depicting either the flag or bird representing that state. Once they

had completed their pieces, they were hung in the hallway right near the entrance to the school on the tree, with each of the fifty state flags and birds being showcased on the tree. In addition, the traditional tree topping star or angel was fittingly replaced on the “State Tree” by an eagle.

Read to Self

By Chris Gosek

Ms. Smith’s students at Wakelon Elementary have been showing they can be responsible and independent in strengthening their reading skills, making good decisions in the classroom as part of their “Daily Five” routine that they refer to as “Read to Self.”

The students are each asked to take several steps in their approach to “Read to Self.” First, they must select a book that is at their level and find an appropriate spot in the room to begin their reading. Keeping to themselves and quietly taking to the task of reading independently is also stressed as very important during this time. The children have shown through this exercise that they can be respectful to classmates and follow directions as they continue to build essential literacy skills.

Working with Words

By Chris Gosek

Working on improving both their reading and writing during “word work” time, Ms. Rogers’ students at Wendell Elementary were doing several activities to strengthen important literacy skills.

At different points across the classroom, the students worked diligently on a variety of things to help strengthen their reading. Some opted to independently read books which they had chosen, while others read to a partner. A third station saw some members of the class listening to stories to improve comprehension skills. In an area designed to help with writing, classmates used their weekly vocabulary words to construct an original short story. Using three of their given words in the story, the kids authored the tales and drew a picture to go along with their work.

School House Rockin'

By Chris Gosek

The entire student body at Wendell Elementary enjoyed a fun filled performance at the school’s auditorium, as Grammy Award winning children’s performer, Roger Day delighted all on hand with his happy original tunes.

Leading the kids and staff alike through various sing-a-longs, Day had the entire auditorium taking part in his show. Rotating between a large and smaller acoustic guitar and a bass guitar as well, he played many of his well known hits, including, “Mosquito Burritos,” Kiss a Rhino,” and “Dream Big.” The talented performer also explained how and why each instrument sounded as it did and also went over the difference that size and strings of each item affected its output.

Wolves Howl Past WFR

By Chris Gosek

The Wendell Middle School boys’ basketball team sprinted out to an early cushion and never looked back, continuing to pad their lead with each passing quarter in a convincing 47-23 home win over Wake Forest-Rolesville.

The Wolves used a balanced and quick offensive assault to carry a 24-14 lead into halftime, before making an early third quarter run that found them ahead 36-19 heading into the final stanza. Stephen Harris led the wide-open Wolves’ offense with ten points, while Tyler Burton knocked in eight points in the victorious effort. Stephon Harris chipped in seven points and Andrew Carroll added six to the Wendell side of the scoreboard as well. Andre Willis dropped in five points thanks to some nifty free throw shooting, with Jordan Shannon and Clarnell Watkins swishing in four and three points apiece respectively. DJ Meyers and Caleb Cooper rounded out the Wolves’ scoring onslaught with two points each. Also playing hard in quality minutes on the court to aid in the big conference win were Tyrell Jones, Tanner Denton, Joshua Shonek, Austin Vernon, Clifton Freeman, and Solomon Debnam.

Following their big home triumph, Wendell will get back into the gym for practice as they tune up for their next crucial league contest, when they take on rival East Wake Middle this Thursday.

The Camera Eye

By Chris Gosek

Sixth graders at Wendell Middle had the unique opportunity to take a look recently at the similarities in how a camera and the human eye function in a recent lesson they took part in with Media Specialist, Ms. Dextre called, “The Camera Eye.”

The students looked at many different types of cameras during the lesson, analyzing the parts of them and discussing how they function. They also looked at different types of film and as a new twist on the annual program, used IPads to partake in several optical illusion activities. These activities not only allowed for the kids to see the illusions, but also gave them an explanation telling them how and why they saw what they did. Following this the groups made observations on what they saw for a class discussion. Each student also filled out a chart, comparing the make-up of a camera to that of the anatomy of the human eye.

Wendell Girls win a Thriller

By Chris Gosek

In a see-saw battle that saw each team lead at various points throughout, the Wendell Middle girls’ basketball team hung tough and picked their spots to strike, outlasting Wake Forest-Rolesville in a dramatic 35-34 overtime win on Monday night.

Caylin Stokes knocked in 11 points to lead the Wendell shooters, with Diamond Watkins and Mikieja Covington adding five points each to the winning tally. Haley Glover had all four of her points after halftime to help the Lady Wolves earn the win, and Morgan Brown dropped four points, too. Ashton Cannon chipped in three points also, and Jena Massing had a huge basket in the overtime period in addition to recording several key blocks to help preserve Wendell’s lead. Aleya Sims made several nice passes and handled the ball in many key spots during the victory. Carrie Privette, Jasmine Reid, Dixie Hare, Amber Scott, Gabby Wright, Angelica Potter, and Tahjai Gorham all showed great hustle at both ends of the court to aid in the Lady Wolves victory party.

The Wendell girls will try to ride the momentum of their win into a big conference home game this Thursday, when they return to the court to face East Wake Middle.

Courageous Student Recongnized

By Chris Gosek

The monthly Character Awards given out at Zebulon Elementary for November focused on those students showcasing courage in and out of the classroom at the school.

Being recognized for their show of courage from the grade levels pre-K-2 were: Stephen Gembe Mendoza, Jael Tapia Tellez, Anthony Leak, Sophia Lamm, Jayden Dickerson, Kevin Caceres Jurado, Grant Sessoms, Alexis Joyner, Sydney Abate, Julia Porter, Tyler Green, Celina Thornton, Adamaris Garcia, Hunter Smith, Melanie House, Sydney Rish, S’Kenya Cooke, Blake Davis, Zykiah Payne, Diamond Selver, Zachary Fates, Evyn Miller, Jordan Watkins, Evan Abate, Kayri Torres Torres, and Eulojio Herrera Huerta. From the third, fourth, and fifth grade classes, Titiana Crudup, Gage Snyder, Hailey Denton, Joe Krebaum, Shadavious Holder, Yahaira Jimenez-San Agustin, Alondra Cardenas, Octavio Fuentes Rivas, Nick Abate, Raquel Hall, Mariel Nunez, Randie Rowland, Jacqueline Martinez, Kaitlyn Kaufman, Tyson Crabtree, Mary Mattress, Jahmil Vega, Jasmin Hernandez Sarmiento, Jorge Ochoa Peru, Whitney Hopkins, Lindsey Diaz DeLeon, and Maggie Sanchez Garcia were each honored.

Learning to Fry

By Chris Gosek

As part of what teacher Ms. Creech referred to as “literacy in action,” the Creative Cuisine students at Zebulon Middle were taking their given vocabulary words and not only defining them, but actually doing each of them as they prepared a traditional veggie stir fry and brown rice dish in class.

The group used a wide variety of vegetables that included onions, several types of peppers, zucchini, broccoli, mushrooms, cabbage, and several other tasty items in this cooking unit. Their vocabulary words that they first defined and then acted upon found the kids learning to slice, julienne, shred, chop, dice, scrape, drain, and stir fry. The end result of bringing their “vocabulary to life” was enjoyable as the class enjoyed their delightful creations.

Science Games

By: Chris Gosek

Stars Continue to Shine

By Chris Gosek

Despite a setback at the hands of a powerful Knightdale squad earlier this week, the Zebulon Stars 10U girls’ basketball team continues to show great heart and improvement, working hard in practice and getting solid results during game time for their efforts.

Gaining experience with every passing minute of each game, the young Stars team has seen vast improvements in many aspects of their game thus far this season. Ball handling and unselfish passing on offense has been a high spot for the Zebulon team, while their rebounding and positioning on defense has also gotten better with each contest.

Playing for the Zebulon Stars this season are, Duane Borman, Victoria Borman, Hannah Chandler, Whitley Creech, Eve Currin, Emma Faulkner, Shemiah Keys, Hope Mitchell, Lindsey Simmons, and Sky’Lynn Wiggins.

Bulls Topple Magic

By Chris Gosek

The competition was hot and heavy this past weekend in 13-14 year old Wendell Park and Recreation Basketball action, as the Bulls combined some timely defense with a consistent offensive attack to outlast the Magic by a 39-31 final count.

Jamel McAllister was the games’ high scorer, dropping in 19 points in the victorious effort. Christian Manning had a good afternoon for the Bulls also, finishing with eight points total. Jaren McAllister added five points and Tyler Marks had two, rounding out the Bulls’ scoring. Ryan Worley, Donnie Edwards, Josh Hatley, and Emery Creech also played well for the Bulls, contributing to the win.

For the Magic, Brett Hocutt topped the score sheet with 11 points. Tre-Von Moore knocked in eight points, while Blake McShea and Brandon Rico each tallied four for the Magic. Nolan Clayton and Malik Freeman both scored two points in the contest, with Aaron Atkinson and Joshua Whitley both giving the team a strong effort at both ends of the court.

Igloo Builders

By Chris Gosek

The first grade students in Ms. Jones’ class at Carver Elementary have played the role of an Eskimo recently in their reading classes, building a “reading igloo” in class this past month.

Over 350 milk jugs were collected for the building of the igloos. The kids cleaned and then glued the jugs together to make the structure. After the first initial layer of the igloo was built, the students have been reading inside it. Making the classroom their very own “winter wonderland,” the kids now use the igloo each day during the self-reading portion of their Daily 5 program.

Warriors ready to take the Field

By Chris Gosek

Boasting a strong lineup top to bottom and a deep, experienced pitching staff, the Eastern Wake Warriors 9-10 year old boys’ travel baseball team is primed and ready to start spring play, with their first tournament scheduled for the weekend of February 18 in Goldsboro.

Warriors’ coaches Fred Privette and Terry Poole spoke optimistically about their young squad as they prepare for the USSSA schedule ahead. “We are looking good,” Privette noted. “We are young and are looking at a whole new set of rules this year, but the boys are playing hard and seem to be adjusting well.” Poole added, “We’ve got a lot of big kids here and we’ve got a lot of fast kids here that give us a real good mix moving forward.”

The Warriors roster features star players from both Zebulon and Wendell, including, Matthew Poole, Justin Shirley, Darius Welcome, Max Privette, Daniel Carter, Davis Clemmons, D.J. Bledsoe, Ty Kay, Brenden Caldwell, Lucas Crickmore, and Finley Mitchell.

Representation in Numbers

By Chris Gosek

Ms. Froelich’s class at Forestville Elementary finished creating posters this past Friday in which they represented the number one hundred in any way they chose.

The project was finished by the kids and presented on Friday, which was the 100^th day of school this year. The students chose many different ways of getting to 100, with some finished pieces depicting money, groups of tens, and roman numerals among several other creative ideas.

The Puck Stops Here

By Chris Gosek

First graders at Forestville Elementary have been learning the fundamentals of floor hockey in their recent physical education classes with Mr. Amigh, who has emphasized the importance of both safety and fun in learning the game.

Beginning the lesson with the correct way to hold the stick, the youngsters jumped right into working on basic stick handling skills once they had their grip down. After learning to control the puck, the youngsters moved on to passing and shooting form. The kids not only used pucks to work on giving and receiving passes, as they also honed these skills using balls and frisbees. Once the skills had been learned, the children looked forward to teaming up for some game time action.

The Pizza Factory

By Chris Gosek

After learning in class about the differences between needs and wants as they relate to income, Ms. Brown’s students at Hodge Road Elementary took a hands on approach to their studies, creating an in-class pizza factory.

The class split into several groups to form an assembly line in making up the “factory.” Through this exercise, the kids learned how each part in the process of making the pizzas was essential to their creation, as the first table cut out the dough and then passed it along. The next group put sauce on the pizzas, before handing it off for cheese to be added. Once that group finished the next area saw the pepperoni placed on top before the final group stacked the finished products.

Science Rocks

By Chris Gosek

Continuing with their science unit on rocks, Ms. Bartlett’s class at Knightdale Elementary was working in pairs to classify, sort, and identify their different properties.

The teams of two looked through the rocks, which were brought in from home and by their teacher. The young scientists sorted these into many different categories, including, sharp, smooth, flat, dull, rough, chalky, round, hard, dark, light, large, and small.

Celebrating 100 Days

By Chris Gosek

With this past Friday marking the 100^th day of the 2011-12 school year, first graders at Knightdale Elementary tackled several fun activities based on the three-digit number and some of the kids and staff members even dressed to look as though they were 100 years old.

In addition to “aging” themselves to appear 100, the kids also worked on an activity where they made necklaces using 100 pieces of fruit loops cereal. They counted the cereal and marked of each ten that they added to their necklaces. Another fun classroom exercise saw one of the classes searching to find 100 Hershey kisses that were numbered and hidden in the room. Once found the group had to count them up in order to 100. A final part of the celebration found the kids each bringing in a bag containing 100 of any item they chose. Classmates traded these bags and counted to be sure they had the correct number inside.

Motion and Design

By Chris Gosek

Fifth graders at Knightdale Elementary were working this past week with Ms. Wright, wrapping up their recent science unit on motion and design, while tying their work into the celebration of the 100^th day of school.

The students were split up into several groups and given 100 K-Nex plastic pieces to design and construct their own “inventions.” Using the knowledge they had from science class, the teams were allowed creative freedom on the projects, with their only guidelines being that they had to use all 100 pieces and the finished work had to have movable parts.

Getting a Jump

By Chris Gosek

Meeting Tuesday and Wednesday mornings before school, second through fifth grade students at Lead Mine Elementary have been showing off some great jumping skills, working with Ms. Cruickshanks as a part of the “Jump Rope Team.”

With 64 fourth and fifth graders, combined with 51 from the second and third grades, the early morning jump rope sessions have proved to be a big hit with all the kids at Lead Mine. They have been perfecting their form with several lengths of ropes and even teaming up to do tricks in pairs and groups of three. The jumpers are getting ready to show their stuff at the school’s upcoming assembly before classmates and parents alike, in addition to honing their skills for the American Heart Association’s annual “Jump Rope for Heart” fundraiser to take place this April.

Making the Band

By Chris Gosek

Constructing their instruments from household objects and bringing them into class to make sweet music with their classmates, Ms. Perkinson’s second graders at Lead Mine Elementary have been taking a hands on approach to learning about all types of music.

With different members of the class building percussion, string, and woodwind instruments for the activity, the kids were grouped according to instrument type and took turns performing in front of the class.

Brass instruments were also touched on, though due to the materials used in the project, no one was able to make any of these. Once each group performed, the class split into teams and hammered out a song for the rest of their peers in a spirited game of “Name that Tune,” that was enjoyed by all.

Hold, Cold, and Warm

By Chris Gosek

Kindergartners in Ms. Ausley’s class at Lead Mine Elementary were taking the role of scientists this past week, experimenting with what happens to water that is at different temperatures and discussing the results as a group.

The class first took a sampling of water and microwaved it, using a thermometer to note that its temperature was 120 degrees Fahrenheit. They mixed the hot water with another sampling of ice water that they recorded at 48 degrees. They then mixed the hot and cold water and discovered that together it made a warm sampling that they checked and registered to be 83 degrees. Once the experiment was complete, the kids went to their seats and drew a picture to explain what they had discovered through the water experiment.

Stamps on History

By Marta Whitehouse

Finding a unique way to report on Black History, Mrs. Whitehouse's fifth grade students created postage stamps of famous Black Americans.

On the day of the report, several students dressed, acted, and brought in products that represented the inventions of their characters. One student reporting on Louis Armstrong learned to play a song of his on a saxophone and played it in front of the class! Another brought hair products and explained the purpose for each one. One was the cowboy, Bill Pickett and said, "Howdy" to start his report. Yet another student reported that Barack Obama collects comic books, as her interesting fact!

Reaching the Century Mark at Wakelon

By Chris Gosek

Narrative Writing

By Chris Gosek

The entire third grade at Wendell Elementary were visited this past week in their classrooms by author, Donna Sink, who gave an energetic lesson to the children on ways to strengthen their narrative writing skills.

Ms. Sink, a native of Raleigh, gave the students many examples to draw from in her presentation, with the main focus on identifying obstacles in a story. The kids were first told that an obstacle is either a difficulty or something blocking their way. Once this was covered, they discussed a story as a group, with the students first identifying what obstacle got in their way. They then were asked how they would respond to the obstacle and what measures they would take to get around it. Forming the story by answering these questions, Ms. Sink also stressed the importance of detail, asking the kids to describe the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and feel of said obstacle. To conclude the story, the group discussed what they did to get what they wanted and lastly what character traits did they learn to have to reach that point.

Music and Civil Rights

By Chris Gosek

In accordance with Black History Month, Ms. Burton’s seventh graders at Wendell Middle have been researching the civil rights movement, and more specifically, the impact that it had on Motown music. The students headed to the media center to work on this project, beginning by reading all about the history of the Motown scene. They also listened to many of the most influential songs from that era and analyzed the role in which the civil rights movement played in the music. Once they had gathered their information, each child was to create a timeline of events related to Motown to be displayed upon completion.

Water Safety

By Chris Gosek

The eighth graders in Ms. Jamison’s science class at Wendell Middle recently were visited by several representatives from the North Carolina USGS for a briefing on water safety and tools used by the hydrographers in measuring flooding discharge.

Michelle Moorman, Erik Staub, and Patrick Conley were the three visitors that addressed the students, who collected water samples to be used in the demonstration. The samples that were taken from water runoff were measured for dissolved oxygen, turbidity, and pH value.

Lion King Battles Kong Fu Panda in Hoops Action

By Chris Gosek

The Wendell Parks and Recreation Basketball League’s 5-6 year old division has seen many of its youngsters blossom into quality players throughout their season, showing improvement with each and every game.

This past weekend, the future stars of the organization were playing hard, as Lion King faced off with Kung Fu Panda. All kids from both sides impressed with their ball handling, passing, and shooting skills.

Playing for Lion King this season are Benjamin Carter, Connor Driver, Adrian Eddowes, Courtney Jackson, Greyson Lamphere, Jorden Stroud, Zach Taylor, and John Tolleson. Taking the floor for Kung Fu Panda are, Blaine Beckwith, William Coombs, Cameron Grossman, Ava McAllister, Jonathan Montague, Jr., David Sprouse, Garrett Stacy, and Mikayla Vinson.

Sparks Fly to another Win

By Chris Gosek

The Wendell Sparks 12U girls’ basketball team played a near perfect game this past weekend, showing a great defense and unselfish offensive play in routing the visiting Wake Forest Mystics by a score of 26-1.

Mikayla Booze, who swished in twelve points to lead all scorers, led the well-balanced Sparks attack. Nateleigh Kirby, Jamie Lindsay, and Latonya Hinton each added four points to Wendell’s triumphant performance, and Georgianna Barefoot chipped in two points. Olivia Huffman, Abby Goodheart, Keyonna Wooten, and Nuvia Maganda-Aguilar all played with great heart and hustle to help the Sparks notch the victory, also.

The Starry Skies

By Chris Gosek

As a part of their current science lesson, Ms. Wall’s third grade students at Zebulon Elementary took a look at the “night sky” in class, heading into the “Star Lab” for an up-close look at the stars and constellations they have been recently discussing.

The “Star Lab” is a blow-up tent and planetarium system, which all the children and Ms. Wall climbed into and was completely dark upon entry. Once they had all entered, the different constellations were projected on the inside of the “lab,” with members of the class finding the different alignments and stars that they have been studying.

Kindness is the Key

By Chris Gosek

The monthly character awards at Zebulon Elementary were recently handed out for the month of January. Students from every class at each grade level were recognized for showing kindness to others both in and out of class at the school.

From the pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and first grade levels, Ethan Stamper, Dara Hernandez Vargas, Jayce Lopez, Lillie-Grace Shelton, Amanda Bayless, Cassie Wall, Jenay Witt, Gianny Barcenas Olivero, Nedda Abdalhadi, Tamira Sanders, Sam Falk, Celeste Carbajal Carbajal, Sophia Privette, Jason Jones, Jordan Sherrill, Jaina Drebaum, Nyla Montague, and Xzavier Griffis were all honored for being kind. In the second and third grade, Cassidy Straughn, Samantha Flores Aguirre, Sydney Wantwadi, Denise Ruiz Gaspa, Ashley Baez, Josue Hernandez Cervantes, Ava Riggs, Ashton Branch, Noe’l High, Justin Perry, SuzAnne Dowling, Ja’Une Hawkins, Jason Guo, Kaela Bryant, Francisco Rios, Amiya Sandford, Tatyana Delvalle, and Troy Green received awards. Taylor Rouse, Sara Holmes, Isabella Leahy, Dymond Graham, Katie LaChiana, Isaiah Che, Mara Krebaum, Caleb Rooks, Briana Sanchez, Brandon Oviedo Vargas, Peyton Bass, and Victoria Borman were the fourth and fifth graders recognized for January.

The Power of Peers

By Chris Gosek

With an emphasis on helping others and striving to become overall better people, Ms. Durst’s class at Zebulon Elementary has taken on the role of “Peer Power Rangers,” pairing up to learn more about their classmates in a positive way.

The “Peer Power” activity has found the kids teaming up one on one with another of their classmates that they are not very familiar with to become better acquainted. The students interview each other and then “introduce” their partners to the class. The goal of “Peer Power” is to aid in the kids being friendlier to one another, to teach them the importance of good friendships, and to try and help each other to work together in solving problems.

Threading the Needle

By Chris Gosek

The Interior Design class at Zebulon Middle has been taking the first steps in their lesson on sewing with Ms. Creech, learning the proper way to thread a needle this past week.

To begin this process, the kids each had a length of thread, a needle, and scissors. They first cut the thread to the length they wanted and next put the point of the thread through the needle’s eye. They touched on making a single and double thread in this lesson, too, making a basic knot for the single, and learning a tailor’s knot for the double thread.

Gettin "Jiggy" with It

By Chris Gosek

A group of talented fourth and fifth grade students at Carver Elementary known as the “Jiggy Jump Rope Team,” have been working hard to perfect their spectacular jumping skills and adding some creativity to their routines as they practice in preparation to show their stuff to the entire school in upcoming weeks.

The jump rope team has been working on their individual skills, working with both short and long ropes, in addition to putting together some fantastic team numbers that feature anywhere from two to five students pulling off a stunt. The kids even incorporate more than one rope in some of the group tricks. They will take center stage at a school wide assembly on March 7 in front of their classmates, staff members, and visiting friends and family to display their final routines.

Cooking in Class

By Chris Gosek

Ms. LeBlanc’s ID Moderate Level III class at East Wake Middle enjoyed a lesson in cooking and food preparation last week, as Chef Travis Gunter, from Solas in Raleigh visited the classroom to show the students their way around the kitchen, making some tasty treats in the process.

Their visitor began by instructing the class on how to be sanitary in the kitchen, following this by incorporating some of what they had learned in their math studies on multiplication as he showed them how to read a recipe and prepare their food. Gunter introduced the kids to several machines used in the preparation process, before measuring and mixing the ingredients for some delicious chocolate, red velvet whoopee pie cookies. Once the cookies were baked, he pulled the treats to cool before the members of the class added the cream filling and top cookie. Everyone took delight in tasting their delightful finished products once they were finished. Members of the East Wake Middle student council and several volunteer peer helpers were also on hand to help the students in their culinary work.

Moscow Nights

By Chris Gosek

Getting ready for a visit to their school this week from the Russian folk artists, Moscow Nights, students at East Wake Middle were learning all about the traditional instruments that the group will be using in their performance.

Moscow Nights is an ensemble of world-renowned musicians whose show centers around Russian folklore, celebrating the diversity of their culture through several types of songs ranging from humorous and elaborate to bouncy, dance numbers. The East Wake students were learning in Ms. Millsap’s class about the traditional instruments that will be played at the performance, including the balalaika, a three to six string triangular guitar like instrument, the prima, which is similar but larger than the balalaika, and the contra bass which is also comparable in shape, but much bigger than the other two stringed instruments. The piccolo was another instrument studied, as was the bayan, a chromatic button accordion.

The Russian group will perform for the East Wake Middle students this Thursday.

Showing Spirit in School

By Chris Gosek

This past week at East Wake Middle saw the entire student body taking part in different activities each day as a part of “Spirit Week,” culminating in a pep rally held to not only recognize those taking part in their successful winter sports season and upcoming spring programs, but also to help build school pride and have some fun.

Each day of the week found the East Wake students dressing in a different theme, donning their school colors for the pep rally event. Students filled the gym to cheer on the different athletic teams, who saw representatives taking part in a variety of fun filled, and even silly, games and activities during the program.

Bucks for Good Behavior

By Chris Gosek

Students at Forestville Elementary have been earning rewards for good behavior throughout the school year, receiving “Falcon Bucks” in recognition for their good actions and deeds from teachers and staff members school wide.

Any member of the Forestville staff can give out “Falcon Bucks” to classes which they see displaying traits which follow the school’s P.B.I.S. (positive behavior intervention support) initiative. When a group is showcasing exceptional behavior in the hallway or going above and beyond to follow rules, a teacher will award them the “money.” Each class has set goals for this, with those reaching 50 “bucks” being recognized at the “Fantastic 50” celebration last Friday. The classes pool together their bucks and redeem them for prizes once they achieve certain levels.

Math Games

By Chris Gosek

Utilizing the latest technology afforded to them in their classroom at Forestville Elementary, Ms. Luckenbaugh’s class was playing “math games” this past Friday, bringing a bit of fun into their daily lesson.

As their teacher used a document camera to show examples from the classes’ laptop on the board, each child was taking turns heading to the front of the class to show their knowledge of the shapes they had been learning of in their current lesson. Differentiating the complex shapes by noting the different colors and sizes were only a part of the exercise, as the youngsters were also taking note of the websites used in the activity and bringing that knowledge to the classroom computers to continue working independently with the shapes.

Cycle of Life

By Chris Gosek

Science class with Ms. Lane at Hodge Road Elementary recently found students studying the life cycle of plants with the kids getting an up close and personal look at all different stages of this process.

The students not only looked at the stages of plant life in this lesson, but focused on how plants grow best as well. The group planted their very own tomato plants, being sure to give them the proper amounts of sunlight, air, and water. As the plants grew, members of the class observed and recorded the growth, charting this information in their science notebooks. Once their plants reached a level where they were strong enough, the kids transported them to their own cups and brought them home to continue nurturing them until they had fully developed.

100 Days Smarter

By Chris Gosek

Ms. Kelley’s second grade class at Knightdale Elementary took on a host of activities in accordance with the celebration of the 100^th day of school in the past few weeks, culminating with 100 Valentine’s Day cards that they created being sent out to celebrate the holiday last Tuesday.

In addition to the Valentine’s messages, the second graders did a number of other things in class based on the 100-day theme, with each child asked to complete a project using anything they chose to “Create 100.”

The finished work saw students presenting a variety of items including ravioli, hearts, and pennies among other things, explaining to their fellow classmates what strategy they used in reaching the three-digit figure. Once the projects were complete, the entire class signed a pledge declaring that they were 100 days smarter than they were at the beginning of the school year.

Order of Operations

By Chris Gosek

Continuing along in their recent math lesson, Mr. McClellan’s students at Knightdale Elementary turned their focus this past week to identifying fractions in different types of word problems.

The kids were working together in separate parts of the classroom on this exercise in which they were given not only word problems, but also pictures to recognize and record the different fractions from the sequences before them.

One exercise asked the students to use structures in representing the fractions in their answers, while each activity required them to properly list the order of operations that they were using to solve each problem as well.

Measuring Up

By Chris Gosek

Measuring has been the focus lately in Ms. Park’s classroom at Knightdale Elementary during math time, with students learning not only how to measure items, but also the units which are used to gauge their results.

Their measurement unit has begun with the students focusing on several points, including weight, capacity, length, and width. Ms. Parks’ addressed the class and asked the kids to name the units that would be used in measuring each of these items. The discussion saw the children talking about inches, pounds, and miles among other units of measurement.

The Mad Minute

By Chris Gosek

Tackling a quiz that helps the children to strive toward continuing their growth in math, Ms. Hogue’s students at Lockhart Elementary sit down once weekly for the classes’ “Mad Minute.”

The “Mad Minute” is aimed at helping the kids recognize the levels that they are at in their addition and subtraction work each week, as they put up their “privacy shields” and have one minute to complete the worksheet put before them. They started with simpler adding and subtracting at the beginning of the year, and as they overcome each level of the quizzing, they continue to move on to more challenging work. The students have to utilize the different strategies that have been taught throughout the year in their “Mad Minute” work and the quizzes have proven to be a great motivator in getting the youngsters to prepare and focus on their math work.

Here's the News

By Chris Gosek

While in the midst of celebrating Black History Month at Wakelon Elementary, the entire third grade at the school was paid a special visit by local celebrity, Melanie Sanders, the news anchor for TV 17 in Raleigh.

Ms. Sanders spoke to the students about a host of topics during her visit, touching on the great strides made by African-Americans in our country over the years. Following her presentation, she also fielded a variety of questions from the third graders on hand, taking the time from her busy schedule to accommodate each and every inquiry. After the Q and A was through, Melanie also stuck around to take photos and greet the kids personally.

Reading Aloud

By Chris Gosek

In their continuing efforts to strengthen their literacy skills throughout the school year, Ms. Rogers’ class at Wendell Elementary got together as a group for “Read Aloud” time, focusing on being good listeners and then discussing what they had heard to gauge their comprehension of the material.

The entire class got comfortable in the middle of the room, as Ms. Rogers read them “The Yellow House Mystery,” which is from the popular “Box Car Children” series. The students soaked in the story and upon her finishing the book, returned to their seats. Once they were at their desks, a group discussion took place, with their teacher asking the kids to recall and pull out key points, ideas, and characters from the reading.

Weather Systems

By Chris Gosek

Finishing up their science unit on weather systems, Ms. Reid’s students at Wendell Elementary recently did an experiment that found them looking at how the sun works as heat source for both soil and water.

Breaking off into different groups, the students first referred to their text books, reviewing what they had learned about weather systems and reinforcing what they were to look at in their experiments. They then took a lamp and held it over cups containing samples of both soil and water. They recorded the temperature of both samples before the lamp was placed over them and then again afterwards, writing down their findings. Once all teams were finished, they reconvened as a class to analyze what they had found in their lab studies.

Wolves Band Memebers attend District Clinic

By Chris Gosek

After being honored with their selection to the All Central District Band for their musical excellence, several Wendell Middle School students recently traveled along with band leader Ms. Todd to take part in the All-District Clinic, held at Eastern Guilford High School in Gibsonville, NC.

The clinic allowed the young Wendell musicians to play along side the finest talent across the entire district and was a fantastic learning experience for all involved. The Wendell students that were honored in being selected to attend were, Randall Stokes, Libia Osorio, Sam Mueller, Cameron Masin, Dusytn Odell, and Andrew Barnhardt.

Wendell All-Stars Gear up for "Big 4"

By Chris Gosek

With the regular season in the rear view mirror, the votes have been tallied and the recently selected Wendell Parks and Recreation 11-12 boys’ basketball all-star team is hard at work preparing for upcoming tournament play which will begin with a matchup against Zebulon in the “Big 4” tournament next week.

Players selected for the Wendell 11-12 team were Jason Baker, Justice Burgess, Tanner Denton, Messiah Harvin, Brendan Hasbrouck, James Horton, Trenity Peace, Adrian Scarborough, Jayden Silver, and Devin Worley.

The all-star squad is coached by Sam Denton, who likes what he sees thus far out of his talented squad. “We really look good so far,” he noted. “The boys are learning our offensive and defensive sets very quickly. I am trying to stress the importance of playing together as a team, as in a lot of these all-star tournaments, that is the key.” Denton added, “This group is doing a great job of gelling as a unit.”

Following next week’s “Big 4” tournament, the Wendell team will then head to Nash County over the weekend of March 9 for the SWAC tournament.

All-Stars Ready to Shine

By Chris Gosek

With the prestigious “Big 4” tournament lying ahead next week, Coaches Jeff Cockman and David Creech are busy bringing together the 9-10 year old Wendell Parks and Recreation boys’ basketball all-star team.

Opening tournament play against rival Knightdale in the “Big 4,” Coach Cockman spoke with confidence that if his team plays the game they are capable of that they have a good chance to move on in the tourney. “We look good so far. We do have a lot to work on in the next week, but there is certainly a lot of talent here.” He went on to say, “It is really just a matter of these guys coming together as a unit and playing as a team.”

The 9-10 year olds selected for this year’s all-star team are, Tristen Cockman, Dawson Creech, Matthew McIntyre, Javon Dowdy, Jeremiah Crudup, Zach Sloan, Josh Pullen, Andrew Leach, Davis Clemmons, and Jamie Farley.

Self Discipline Recognized at Zebulon

By Chris Gosek

The Zebulon Elementary character awards for the month of January were recently given out, recognizing those students from each grade level that have displayed great self discipline in their behavior and studies throughout the school year.

Receiving the awards from the pre–k, kindergarten, and first grade levels were, Kolby Caudle, Zoey Pritchard, Anthony Leak, Tyniah Johnson, Anthony Lopez, Obed Miguel-Dominguez, Katelyn Long, Savannah Allen, Jayden Fleming, Maria Garcia, Celina Thornton, Evelin Luz Ochoa, Cameron Long, Sophia Orton, Daniel Juarez, Kailey Manilla Pablo, Gabrielle Crumel, and Hugo Herrera Huerta. Second and third graders that were recognized included, Zakiyah Miles, Daisy Patricio Retama, Emily Shelton, Kiana McRae, Leia Hacker, Luis Luz Ochoa, Avery Wheless, Jake Mitchell, Charisma Morgan, Jurnee Richardson, India McKoy, Nicholas Corren, Riley Allen, Michael Dunn, Amiya Sanford, Jackeline Tapia Tellez, Shamar Privette, and Soledad Pileno Pedro. Cam Wehunt, Kalie Fleming, Angel Garcia, Servana Webb–Brunson, Kaitlyn Kaufman, and Taine Mergenthaler took home the awards from the fourth grade classes, while fifth graders Angel Ellis, Kayla Higginbotham, Sky’Lynn Wiggins, Justin Perry, Alex Straughn, and Erika Youmans were the fifth grade honorees.

Zebulon Boys Tops in Division

By Chris Gosek

Finishing their regular season schedule as Northern Division champions with an unblemished 8-0 mark in conference play, the Zebulon Middle boys’ basketball team wrapped up the 2011-12 season with a 13-2 final record and a second place overall finish in the league, losing a hard fought championship match up to a powerful East Millbrook squad.

The Zebulon boys split their two regular season games with East Millbrook, who was the only team to best the Cougars throughout their entire schedule. Zebulon featured a high-powered offensive attack throughout the year, with standout Travares Terrell leading the team in scoring. Atavious Taylor and T.J. Howard were both consistent scorers for Coach Mike Murray all season long also. Layne Garrett proved to be a great leader and playmaker for the Cougars from his point guard position, while Haydon Leach was an imposing presence in the paint and around the hoop at both ends of the court. Other members of the 2011-12 Northern Division champs included, Nick Albino, Trevor Creech, Peyton Creech, Alex Haugh, Peter Harris, Erick Jordan, Jacques Atkinson, Marcus Manley, Anthony Richardson, and Julian Vereen.

After losing many of his more experienced and proven players from the 2010-11 team, Coach Murray was very pleased with the fantastic season that his team played this year. “The guys were working hard at practice and just kept getting better with each and every game,” he said. “East Millbrook was the only losses we had all season and they were a tough team, but overall we had a great year.”

Lady Cougars claw way to Coference Title

By Chris Gosek

The Zebulon Middle girls’ basketball team strung together an impressive six game winning streak to close out their season, culminating in an exciting 47-34 championship game victory over East Millbrook to earn the 2011-12 league title.

After starting their season at 6-3 and showing signs of good things to come, the Lady Cougars really came together as a unit, rattling off wins in each of their last six contests to finish with a lofty 12-3 final record and leave the rest of the conference in their dust. After tying with East Wake Middle atop the Northern conference at the end of the regular season, the Zebulon girls’ held the tiebreaker and earned the right to battle East Millbrook in the title game.

Zebulon used a well-rounded offensive attack to bring home the trophy, with Angel Rizor, Tamaria Knuckles, Chyna Perry, and Tiana Turner leading the way on the score sheet throughout the season. Defensive specialists Shabryanna Harris and Samantha Albino worked hard in stifling opposing scoring threats all year long to help Zebulon reach the top of the mountain as well. Also playing key roles in bringing a league title to Zebulon Middle were, China Alford, Melynna Dawson, Alexis Holder, Decoya Todd, Taylor Turner, Cleo Torres, and Shaniah Williams.

Coach Mike Murray was pleasantly surprised with his team bringing home the league’s top prize, noting, “We lost about 95 percent of our top scorers from last season, so we didn’t know for sure where we stood to begin this year.” He continued, “These girls came out each day and kept working toward a common goal and in the end everything came together for them.” Arlene Knuckles assisted Coach Murray in coaching the 2011-12 championship squad.

Block Kids Competition

By Chris Gosek

Third and fourth grade students from Ms. Heuts and Ms. Ray’s classes at East Wake Academy recently showed their creativity and building skills, taking part in the National Organization of Women in Construction’s “Block Kids Competition.”

The contest saw the students receiving up to one hundred Lego blocks in which they had to construct some type of structure within the allotted 40 minute time limit. In addition, the kids were allowed to use foil, poster board, rocks, and string to enhance their finished work. At the conclusion of the work period, a panel of volunteers were to judge the children’s work, with one final winner to be selected to move on and represent East Wake Academy at the regional competition.

What is Soil?

By Chris Gosek

The Sounds of Russia

By Chris Gosek

The Chair Project

By Chris Gosek

Students in Mr. Knecht’s class at East Wake Middle have teamed up to put their building skills to the test, using cardboard and a variety of tools as a part of the “Chair Project.”

Choosing to attack the assignment in either teams of two or three, the students began making the cardboard chairs by composing a list of ideas and then drawing a rough sketch complete with measurements. The second step in the process saw them create a scale model of their chair from poster board or manila paper. After having their models approved, the teams were ready to get their cardboard and begin the actual construction. Making sure to follow the guidelines stating the chair must be easily disassembled for storage and also sit at least 45 centimeters from the floor, the young builders documented each step they took along the way for their finished project. Once complete, the cardboard chairs were graded on a basis of all of this prep work being finished in addition to strength, appearance, assembly, and originality.

Wolfpack is "Beast of the East"

By Chris Gosek

Representing the East Wake Soccer Association (EWSA) in grand fashion, the 98 Wolfpack U13 challenge team headed into Greenville for the Beast of the East tournament and walked away with an impressive second place finish.

The Wolfpack has seen vast improvement throughout their time playing together. They began competing as a unit in the Fall 2011 season. After moving up an age level and gaining some invaluable experience that year, the team has really gelled nicely, putting forth a solid 5-4-1 record en route to their great showing at the Beast of the East tourney.

Jeff Ferrell and Marc Waldrop coach the talented U13 squad. Playing for the Wolfpack are, Josh Waldrop, Kevin Bran, Kawai DeMello, Keenan Moore, Luis Guzman, Kyle Ferrell, Michael Hernandez, Diego Lugo, Moises Romero, Logan Blankenship, Cole Stewart, Brian Husinko, Victor Zavala, and Garrett Johnson.

Big Thank You to East Wake Academy Students

Third and Fourth grade East Wake Academy students in Coach Brokish’ class took part in Bert's Big Thank You, a part of Atlanta radio station Q 100's morning show.

The goal was to get 400,000 letters sent overseas to the troops for Thanksgiving. The EWA students were able to get about 100 letters sent down to Atlanta and then over to the troops in Afghanistan. The students wrote about their favorite health topics including nutrition, friendship, and safety.

Recently, Captain Ryan Debeltz who is currently in Afghanistan, stationed out of Ft. Hood Texas until August was able to email a nice long letter and a picture of him giving a nutrition lesson to his soldiers. He was so thankful and expressed how he and his troops enjoyed the letters very much.

The students learned that with a little effort, they can be involved in making someone else's day, create global awareness, see how positive actions are rewarded, the effects of social responsibility, and that even soldiers get lessons on nutrition.

Reaching Out

By Chris Gosek

Several prominent members of the local community visited Knightdale Elementary recently to sit down in classrooms across the school, taking time from their busy schedules to read a book to the children.

Members of the Knightdale community that visited the elementary classrooms included, Town Manager, Seth Lawless, Jennifer Bryan from the Chamber of Commerce, Park and Recreation Director, Tina Cheek, Davis Byrd from the State Employees Credit Union, and Knightdale Fire Chief Brown and several other town firefighters.

Lockhart Student show their Smarts

By Chris Gosek

A team of fifth grade students from Lockhart Elementary recently put their brains to the test in a question and answers competition against the brightest students across Wake County, finishing as first runner up at the “Black History Awareness Competition.”

The students worked diligently in preparing for the event, which began with the “Thunder” and “Lightning” speed rounds where the questions were responded to by “buzzing” in as quick as possible to put forth an answer. The next two rounds saw the team receiving a sheet containing ten questions, which they had to respond to as a group in written form. Next came the “Royal Purple” speed round, followed by the “Old Gold” final round that required an oral response. At the end of regulation, Lockhart and Baileywick Elementary were tied for first place, when a tiebreaker round saw the girls from Lockhart fall just short in their bid.

The championship Lockhart team included Kiara Bush, Attallah Grady, Hannah Murimi, and Taylor Pope. The group worked very hard with teachers, Ms. Seawell, Ms. Atkinson, and Ms. Behrendt both during and after school to prepare for the competition.

Immigrant Quilts

By Lisa Pezko

Professional storyteller, Arianna Ross recently visited Zebulon Middle School to perform, “Immigrant Quilts, which saw her tell the tale of a Russian immigrant child and another story of an African slave child and her mother.

Ms. Ross gave a brilliant performance to the students and captured their attention while educating them concerning cultural diversity and historical situations.

The students were fascinated and maintained full attention to her throughout her presentation. The discussion and interaction, which followed, showed the students how writing could be just as creative as acting and with Zebulon’s focus on literacy this year; the performance was a perfect match for blending the cultural experiences and stimulating the creative writing process. The event was sponsored and funded by Story Tapestries and the Zebulon GT Magnet Middle School’s PTA.

Rock your Socks Off

By Chris Gosek

Continuing to work as a school toward their lofty reading goals, all students at Knightdale Elementary donned some fancy footwear and took part in “Read Your Socks Off Day” at the school last week.

In collaboration with “Read Across America Week,” all the students were encouraged to wear their favorite and craziest socks for this reading activity. The kids took to the hallways and read a book of their choosing as they continued toward the school wide goal of reading 2500 total minutes as a group.

Skittles Finish Pefect Run to Title

By Chris Gosek

Polishing off a very good Snickers team in convincing 38-18 fashion in the championship game, Team Skittles finished off a perfect 10-0 season, staking claim to the Wendell Parks and Recreation 7-8 year old division basketball championship.

Skittles was led in their magical season by their “Superman,” Micah Sumpter, who averaged 20 points and ten rebounds per game. Christian “Shaq” Carpenter was a dominating force inside for the champs, averaging 10 points per game on the season, too. Point guard Kolby Steidl was a great playmaker for coach Vernon Graham all season, handing out eight assists per game. The Skittles’ defense was a strong point all year and was led by Deon Graham. Also starring for the 7-8 year old titlists were, Jackson Wall, Ginny Beth Swaim, and Ian Kennedy.

Looking for a Pot of Gold

By Chris Gosek

With the St. Patrick’s Day holiday coming up this weekend, first graders at Forestville Elementary took part in a fun filled activity in their physical education classes called “Pot of Gold Tag.”

To begin the game, several members of the class were selected to be “leprechauns.” The remaining students were then each given a gold coin and had to run away and try to avoid the leprechauns. If they were caught and tagged, the leprechauns collected the captured parties’ coins. The kids rotated through, taking turns in the leprechaun role, with the games’ objective being to collect the most coins by the end of the period.

Home Builders

By Chris Gosek

Utilizing the design program, “Google SketchUp,” technology education students at East Wake Middle have taken a multiple step and very detailed approach to building their very own homes.

To begin, members of the class learned their way around the Google program. Once familiar with this, they first had to list the five tools they were to use in their “construction.” The kids had to pay specific attention to detail, as the more intricate their design was, the more points they were awarded on the assignment. The main portion of their scoring came from presenting their completed house, with additional grading being based upon their selection of roofing style, siding, and even landscaping. Once finished, the students printed out their final creations to be shown to their teacher and classmates.

What Makes it Move

By Marta Whitehouse

The fifth grade students at Wakelon Elementary are studying force, motion, and design in science. Following a blueprint design, students were timed to see if they could build a prototype car in 15 minutes. Later they tested to see if the car would go the distance of 200cm first on level ground and then on an inclined slope. Weights were added and students tested to see if gravity and weight (mass) had an effect on the movement of the vehicle. Adding an outside force (a rubber band) wrapped around the rear axle, caused the cars to move quickly and far.

When propellers were added to the prototype, students expected the cars to go faster and farther but they found out that adjustments had to be made in order for the propeller to make the car move quickly and far.

Light me Up

By Chris Gosek

Continuing with their social studies lesson on the East Coastal Plains region of North Carolina, fourth graders at Wakelon Elementary turned their focus in recent weeks to the historic lighthouses of that area.

The students learned of the many uses and the importance of the lighthouses during their introduction to the topic. They were then asked to select one of the lighthouses for a research project. The kids not only documented what they found on their chosen topic, but also used household items to create a model of their lighthouse. Once completed, they showed their models and gave an oral presentation before their classes.

Wendell Triumphs over Rolesville

By Chris Gosek

The Wendell 13-14 year old basketball all-star team started out their post season play with a very strong showing, pulling away after getting out of the gates slow to run away with a 54-22 rout of Rolesville.

The Wendell stars had trouble finding their shooting touch early, but thanks to a tenacious defense pulled away in the games’ second and third quarters before finding their offensive stroke and rolling to the win. Showing the great balance and strength of their bench, every single player on the Wendell roster scored in the contest with Jamel McAllister (14) and Andrew Carroll (12) leading the charge. Also playing hard and contributing to the victory were, Eric Hasbrouck, Stephen Harris, DeAndre Holmes, Christian Manning, Stephon Harris, Jarren McAllister, Blake McShea, and Brandon Rico.

Testing Stratgey

By Chris Gosek

Ms. Rogers’ class at Wendell Elementary has been working as a group this past week, reviewing a three-step strategy to help them become successful test takers.

The entire class was listening to a story and following along on the classes’ projector to try to implement each step they were as they moved along in the lesson. Taking a look at each step individually, the class started by making sure they understand the question or material before them. In step two, it is noted that it is crucial when taking a test to take a thorough look back at all of the possible selections and then in the third step, begin your answer by eliminating anything that could not possibly be correct.

Intergrity is Honored

By Chris Gosek

The Zebulon Elementary character award winners for February were recently announced, with this months honorees being recognized for showing integrity in and out of the classroom at the school.

In the pre-k, kindergarten, and first grade levels, students honored for their integrity were Myasia Minor, Ethan Hall, Alejandro Castro Calleja, Briston Brown, Aniyah Sills, Andrew Vinson, Ariana Mack, Braxton Dewey, Isaiah Blount, Emily Holmes, James Hagen, Carlos Garcia, Gabriella Manning, Amber Chamblee, Natalie Perry, Jordan Sherrill, Caden Clark, and Greyson Hirsch. From the second and third grade levels the winners were, Sophia Fisher, Saul Baquedano Limas, Reagan Frazier, Kajshea Mason, Raequon Fernandez, Daniel O’Brien, Cheyenne Neighbors, Eulojio Herrera Huerta, Jada Vick, Fallon Dewey, Suzi Dowling, Bri-Undra Richardson, Valeria Murguia Sanchez, Jennifer Pineda-Thornton, Isaac Wiggins, and Brandon Barrientos Gonzalez. Ashley Kerr, Jacob Barnhill, Calvin Aris, Hailie Adkins, Tyrek Alston, and Cheyenne High were the fourth grade students receiving the awards, while fifth graders Summer Karcher, Mia Foster, Chad Hoppe, Julia Smith, Joshua Temple, and Miya Montague were rewarded for their showing of integrity.

Excellene in the Class and on the field

By Chris Gosek

With a focus on showing positive character in school as well as achieving excellence both in their academic studies and in athletics, Zebulon Middle School honored four students as their Student Athletes of the Month for the months of December and January.

All four of the recipients played a major part in the championship seasons enjoyed by the Zebulon boys’ and girls’ basketball teams, while standing out as top-notch students during this same time frame. For December, the Student Athletes of the Month were, Tamira Knuckles and Erick Jordan, while Samantha Albino and Trevor Creech took home the honors for January.

Readers Reward

By Chris Gosek

Students at Zebulon Middle have been given some additional incentive recently to continue improving their literacy skills as a part of the Tickets to Reading Rewards (TTRR) program that has seen their reading earn them prizes, including tickets to several area basketball contests.

The Zebulon students have been rewarded tote bags, wristbands, watches, and water bottles as a part of the program, which is sponsored by Carquest Autoparts, Inc. In addition to these prizes, the top readers have found themselves winning tickets to the most popular basketball teams in the area, including Duke, the University of North Carolina, North Carolina State, and even the Harlem Globetrotters.

Zebulon Hoopsters Show Promise

By Chris Gosek

Despite falling just short in their bid for victory against Rolesville (45-40), the 11-12 year old Zebulon Parks and Recreation Basketball all-star team showed a strong fighting spirit and had many positive points to look at as they head forward into the remainder of their post-season tournament play.

After falling behind by five points early on in the first quarter of play, Zebulon stayed right with their opponent for the rest of the game, matching them basket for basket throughout the final three stanzas. The clutch offensive play of Trevor Creech, who finished with 15 points, nearly helped to complete the comeback. Austin Braswell played strong around the hoop, knocking in nine points, while Joshua Shaver added eight for Zebulon. Chris Goedgedrag and Dylan Timberlake each chipped in four points in the game as well. Spencer Hicks and Zirious Merrick both played spirited defense for Zebulon to keep the Rolesville shooters at bay as the team attempted to overcome the early deficit.

March Madness

By Chris Gosek

With college basketball fever sweeping not only this area, but the entire country, physical education classes at Carver Elementary have been working on some basketball skills and giving a new twist to the tournament bracket process as well.

First graders from Ms. Hudson’s class were working with P.E. teacher Ms. Hajnos this past week on proper shooting skills. They started out by learning the correct form to use when shooting, working on hand placement and arch. The kids also were learning to follow through on their shots, moving from hoop to hoop across the gym taking aim at the bottom of the net. In addition to actually playing basketball, all students at Carver have been placing their votes this month to see what will be selected as the school’s favorite healthy snack. The “Healthy Snack Bracket” has listed top choices of the students in a tournament like format, with each food getting the most votes continuing on into the next round until one snack will be left standing as the “Healthy Snack Champion.”

Readying for the Future

By Chris Gosek

Preparing for the ever-important jump to high school next year, Ms. Amato’s eighth grade students at East Wake Middle were working alongside school counselor, Ms. Chapman last week to review and select courses that they will be taking next fall.

The kids began this process by going to the computer lab and reviewing the many class options they will have next year as ninth graders. They looked over the many elective choices that will be offered and based on recommendations they had been given by their teachers this year began selecting their courses.

A Visit from Congress

By Chris Gosek

Continuing on in their social studies lesson on how the U.S. government works, the track four, eighth grade students at East Wake Middle were paid a very special visit last week by United States Congressman, Brad Miller.

Congressman Miller spoke on a variety of topics in addressing the East Wake students. The presentation was followed by a question and answer, when the kids had a chance to pick the brain of the high-ranking official.

Spirits Looking Strong

By Chris Gosek

The East Wake Spirits girl’s softball program has high hopes and expectations heading into spring play this season, looking for big things out of their highly talented squads at both the 14U and 16U level.

The 14U Spirits team has already enjoyed success this spring, placing third at their first USSSA tournament in Rocky Mount, before taking home the championship at last weekends “Relay for Life” tourney held in Pine Level. The girls’ breezed to five straight wins in the title run, outscoring their opposition by a 48-21 margin on the weekend. Spirits’ coach Phil Hocutt spoke highly of his team. “The 14U team is probably one of the strongest we’ve ever had in the seven years of our organization. They are very athletic and show great desire in practice and at game time.” Playing for the 14U Spirits’ are, Erica Davis, Emilea Burris, Tori Holmberg, Rachel Thompson, Anna Beth Watkins, Rachel Johnson, Victoria Dunston, Jordan Gontram, Brittany Pitzing, Hannah Boger, Savannah Richardson, Ashley Garawtoski, and Alana Isbell. They will travel to Thomas Brooks Park in Cary this weekend for another USSSA sanctioned tournament.

Hocutt also coaches the 16U East Wake Spirits’ and likewise noted that the team looked very solid heading into their spring schedule. With many of the 14U girls’ playing with the older team also, a great blend of experience and enthusiasm has proven to be a recipe for success to this point. At this level, Hocutt mentioned that they are readying the talented team members to play at the collegiate level. The 16U girls began their season playing against 18U teams in a pre-season tourney held at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington and will play in four “College Showcase” events this year, heading to Rock Hill, SC twice, in addition to Columbia, SC and Chattanooga, TN for these engagements.

Starring for the Spirits’ 16U squad are, Kelsie Hocutt, Charity Gentry, Morgan Sweeney, Jasmine McAbee, Sammantha Smith, Erin James, Rachael Klass and Parker Brantley along with Johnson, Burriss, Gontram, Watkins, and Dunston, who are playing on both teams.

Let's Go to the Zoo

By Chris Gosek

Continuing through their unit all about living organisms, Ms. Luckenbaugh’s first grade class at Forestville Elementary not only did research and artwork related to zoo animals, but they also took a field trip to the zoo to have a visit with the animals they chose to cover.

The children researched any zoo animal that they selected and wrote a short piece documenting their findings to go along with a diorama that they built depicting the animal. The group also invited family members into their classroom where they gave a performance, singing songs related to the topic to the delight of those on hand. The zoo unit culminated with the zoo field trip last week.

Easter Egg Learning

By Chris Gosek

Getting ready for the upcoming Easter holiday and working on their math and literacy skills in the process, Ms. Barclift’s first graders at Hodge Road Elementary had an egg hunt this past Friday.

After sprinting across the field to find the brightly colored eggs as quickly as possible, the students returned to the room and opened them to find word problems, high frequency words, and other math equations that they had to work on. Once they correctly answered the problems, they were rewarded with treats and prizes. The lucky students that found “gold” eggs were excited to open them to find a dollar for use at the upcoming book fair.

Readers and Writers

By Chris Gosek

Spreading out across the classroom with a choice of five different literacy activities to work on, Ms. Hartel’s first graders at Knightdale Elementary continue to show improvement each and every day as a part of their “Daily 5” routine.

The kids had two separate options for reading during this time, as they could select a book and read independently, or pair up with a classmate and take turns reading to each other. Utilizing their vocabulary words was part of another option where the first graders work on strengthening their writing skills. Working at the computers and listening to a story was yet another choice the students were given, building comprehension skills in this area, while the final option saw students working on both their reading and writing skills with Ms. Hartel.

Dirt Diamonds Ready to Rock

By Chris Gosek

Hitting the field in preparation for their upcoming spring schedule that is set to open the final week of April, the Knightdale Parks and Recreation 9-10 year old Dirt Diamonds girls’ softball team is seeing great early results and have high hopes for this season’s squad.

Dirt Diamonds head coach Cliff Davis has a good mix of experienced sluggers and fresh new faces as he works with his team on the basics of the game in their early spring workouts. “Overall, we are looking good,” he said. “We have some new players and I am stressing the fundamentals of defense. I am sure our hitting will come along just fine, but defense is what wins games.”

Playing for the Dirt Diamonds this year are, Jaden Davis, Shaye Bassinger, Logan Cave, Breauna Frye, Jenna Harris, Maggie Lester, Makayla Ricks, Aarian Shaw, Catherine Snow, Ahdrianna Soto, Eden Tyler, and Courtney Worrell. Mike Cave is the assistant coach.

Powerful Knightdale Looking for Big Things

By Chris Gosek

With a power-packed lineup and some strong pitching at the top of the rotation, the Knightdale Parks and Recreation 12U girls’ softball team is very optimistic as they hone their skills in anticipation for a great 2012 season.

Members of Coach Crawford Moser’s team this year are, Niya Boone, Chloe Bullock, Miranda Catania, Alyssa Farmer, Alexia Minter, Morgan Musselwhite-Hinnant, Cassie Tyson, Madison Wolinski, Taylor Rabitz, Aislinn Schelpers, Amber Tennie, Ashley Wall, Autumn Whitley, and Erica Edward.

Coach Moser spoke with confidence looking forward to the upcoming season that is set to begin in the final week of April. “It’s early, but we are looking pretty good. It is just a matter of getting everyone back in the swing of things…I am hoping to see a lineup full of sluggers.”

Talking EOG's

By Chris Gosek

Mr. Arcano, Ms. Lacy, and Principal Martin at Lockhart Elementary invited parents and students from the school’s ESL program to a special “Parent Night” event this past weekend to help them get a jump-start on getting ready for the crucial End of Grade (EOG) tests.

The attending families were treated to pizza and refreshments before getting educated on what the students should expect in the important year-end exams. In addition to being brought up to speed on study techniques and other preparation methods, calculators and dry erase boards to be used in their studying were given away as prizes to those at the event.

Celebrating Arbor Day

By Chris Gosek

The Town of Wendell helped students at several schools around town in celebrating Arbor Day, teaching the kids the importance and many different uses of trees.

With celebrations held at Wendell Middle, Wendell Elementary, and Lake Myra Elementary, the children attending the events were shown the proper way to plant and care for trees and made familiar with many different types of trees. Those on hand measured holes for placement, mixed compost, planted, and put mulch around the spot in which their campus’ tree was to sit. A willow oak or red bud tree was planted at each school and dedicated to the outgoing fifth or eighth grade class members.

Stand up, Hand up, Pair up

By Chris Gosek

Working together as a class, Ms. Rogers’ third grade students at Wendell Elementary were doing an exercise in math called “Stand up, Hand up, Pair up.”

With the kids currently working on fractions in math, this exercise began with a word problem being put on the board for them to work on. Starting in groups of two, the students had to figure out the problem and explain how they arrived at their solution. Once the first partner finished explaining, they raised their hands and then switched to another partner who would then explain their work to them.

Run for the Pig

By Chris Gosek

The Second Annual “Run for the Pig” was held this past weekend with highly successful results, raising funds for the technology department at Wendell Elementary School.

As a part of this worthy event, both children and adults laced up their sneakers for a 5K run, sticking around after the race for a fun filled party. The post-race festivities included performances by local dance studios, a live band, and a vendor and craft fair. The first two runners signed up received a free t-shirt for helping to raise funds for the school and all entrants enjoyed a delicious BBQ lunch.

Getting Familiar with Frogs

By Chris Gosek

As a part of their human body unit in Ms. Coombs science class at Wendell Middle, students have begun the process of dissecting frogs to analyze the small creatures both inside and out.

The dissection process began with the students observing the outside of the frog on day one. They took a close look at the features of its skin and feet, counting the toes and noting that the frogs feet were webbed on their hind legs, but not on the front. They also analyzed the mouth and teeth, seeing that the tongue is attached to the front of the mouth, while counting and giving a feel to the frog’s teeth. The next step in the dissection will have the kids cutting the chest open to get a closer look at the organs.

Poetry in Motion

By Chris Gosek

Eighth grade students at Wendell Middle have been working with media specialist, Ms. Dextre, studying all aspects of poetry, working independently to become more familiar with the works of any poet that they choose.

With “National Poetry Month” rapidly approaching in April, the objective of the poetry unit was for the students to interpret, evaluate, and analyze poetry by using the skills they had learned in language arts class. The kids worked in groups to understand the usage of figurative language and to try and connect the poetry to their own lives and surroundings. They each selected their own poet and then picked a piece by that same person. They then used that piece as they moved along through six different stations that challenged them to analyze the poem in many different ways.

Jumping Rope for Heart

By Chris Gosek

After working hard in physical education class to prepare for the big event, all students at Zebulon Elementary put forth their best efforts for a wonderful cause raising funds for the American Heart Association (AHA) as part of the annual “Jump Rope for Heart” fundraiser.

The Zebulon students raised a whopping $5,072.99 for the AHA through their jumping efforts. Second grade student, Grant Johnson was the top fund raiser for the school, bringing in $1,185 through his efforts. Way to Go Zebulon Elementary.

First in Fitness

By Chris Gosek

Back In Time

By Chris Gosek

For Black History Month, sixth grade students in Ms. Lloyd’s class at Zebulon Middle took on a “72 hour project” where they were to “become” a fictitious character at a given point in history and present their project before classmates upon completion.

The students had to give a background of their character and make three days worth of journal entries, “living” the life of the person at a historical point in time. They researched the time period, places, and events impressing onlookers with their spectacular projects complete with video, photo, and audio that was projected on to the board as they presented their work. The sixth graders were excited to finish their work and looked ahead to putting their finished pieces up against eighth graders doing similar work in a “Project Off.”

Pi Day

By Chris Gosek

On March 14, Ms. Wiggins-Mills students at Zebulon Middle celebrated “Pi Day,” commemorating the mathematical constant that begins with the numbers three, one, and four.

“Pi Day,” has been recognized across the United States since it was given the support of the House of Representatives in 2009. In Ms. Wiggins-Mills classroom, students created original poetry about “pi.” One student, Summer Gobern was selected to read her fine work to the entire student body at Zebulon Middle on the special day.

Zebulon Artist Recieves Honor

By Chris Gosek

Zebulon Middle student, Emily Askew, was recently honored for her exceptional digital artwork, receiving a “Gold Key,” in the National Competition.

Emily will join the finest young artists across the country to receive the prestigious award, when she travels to the world famous, Carnegie Hall in New York City on June 1 for the presentation ceremonies. Her winning entry was a manipulation in Adobe Photoshop on New York City. Her piece featured the city with a friend of hers photo shopped in, showing a theme of diversity. The award-winning piece was aptly titled, “Diversity Is.”

Community Pulls Together for a Great Cause

By Chris Gosek

A local student at Carver Elementary, Lemuel Vardy followed the lead of a hockey teammate, and with some help from his father, Mark Vardy, turned their idea of shaving their head’s for the St. Baldricks “Conquer Kids Cancer” fundraiser into an overwhelming success.

Lemuel explained, “A kid on my brother’s (Brigston) hockey team was going to do it…so I thought it would be a cool thing to do.” He continued, “I made a deal with my dad and told him maybe he could grow his hair out too and cut it…so he had to do it!” Mark Vardy, who runs Vardy Chiropractic and Wellness Center in Knightdale and Wendell spoke on how the event winded up taking place at his Knightdale location, “Originally we were going to raise some money for it and go to one of the events in Raleigh, but the times did not fit well with our schedule, so we checked with the foundation about some other options. After speaking with them, we decided to host our own event. We were shooting to raise $500 originally, but we surpassed that the first day.” He added, “Lemuel, Brigston, and their friend Hunter got the ball rolling and it just kept growing…we raised our goal to $1,000 and passed that in a week, so we figured with four weeks until the event we’d shoot to bring in $4,000…we ended up with over $6,000.”

When all was said and done 28 people shaved their heads St. Baldrick’s, including the entire family of Director of Public Safety, Chief Brown whose son, Jon, is a friend of the Vardy boys and once he had decided to partake his father, mother, and even his younger sister had their locks shorn for the great cause.

How Does your Garden Grow?

By Chris Gosek

Carver Elementary music teacher, Ms. Wilson, has been working with the entire third grade class at the school as they prepare for their big upcoming play on April 19, “How Does Your Garden Grow.”

Tying into the school wide lesson on healthy living and eating, the third graders will be taking on the roles of vegetables, flowers, gardeners, and scarecrows in the upcoming performance. The students have been rehearsing singing and square dancing numbers for the play, which will be attended by friends and family on the night of the 19^th. Each family that comes out to watch the play will also receive seeds to bring home and grow their very own fresh and healthy veggies.

Note Taking Technique

By Chris Gosek

Using their current studies on the end of the cold war in Ms. Millsap’s social studies class, students at East Wake Middle have been honing their note taking skills while doing research on this topic.

Splitting up into partners, the groups were following several guidelines in their note taking. The first step was to start at the beginning of their topic an then find a main idea. The teams next were to identify at least one supporting detail to the main idea that they found. Another very important step in taking notes was to be sure that they explained their findings in their own words. Once they have taken successful notes on the cold war’s ending, they will use the information they gathered for a project that will see them making windsocks that contain the facts they accumulated.

We are Smart

By Chris Gosek

Reviewing for the ever-important End of Grade (EOG) Tests in Ms. Froelich’s class at Forestville Elementary just got a bit more entertaining, as the kids were very excited to begin using the classroom’s brand new SMART board in their training.

Working their way back through all their math lessons since the beginning of the school year will be made more interactive with the usage of the new technology. In addition, several fun game-type exercises that were planned had the students excited about reviewing their math as they prepared to play “Math Jeopardy” and “Who wants to be a Millionaire,” which are both based on the popular TV game shows of the same name.

Leading by Example

By Chris Gosek

In an exercise aimed at building responsibility and confidence, Ms. Brown and Ms. Ricketts’ first graders at Hodge Road Elementary look forward each day to their chance at being the “Student Leader.”

When selected as the “Student Leader,” a child takes on the role of being the classes’ teacher for several different activities. That days’ student stands before their classmates and leads them through exercises focused on the calendar, days of the week, and the weather. All of these exercises incorporate their recent math lessons, as they may count money to add up to the number for that day of the week or discuss place value. The entire class counts aloud along with their “leader” and also is lead through songs pertaining to the calendar activities.

Making things Whole

By Chris Gosek

Ms. Richie’s students at Knightdale Elementary were continuing math work with fractions, making “fraction strips” to give them a more hands on approach and look at the topic.

The kids began comparing equivalent fractions, making their “fraction strips” and then cutting them out to match the pieces up together. The exercise allowed the students to see how the equivalent fractions could be combined to make a whole number.

Mastering Math

By Chris Gosek

Mr. McClellan’s class at Knightdale Elementary continued moving along in their current math lesson on fractions, visiting improper fractions and mixed numbers this past week.

The students paired up and used their own dry erase boards to practice converting improper fractions to mixed numbers and also were identifying both. They were asked to work together and discuss how the two can be equivalent during this exercise.

Barons Ready to Take The Field

By Chris Gosek

With a solid core of players that have a good deal of experience playing together, the Barons are expecting big things this season as they prepare for Knightdale Parks and Recreation 9-10 year old baseball action to begin in early May.

The Barons are coached by Jesse Ward and Tim Poirier, who have the young sluggers not only working on taking a sound approach at the plate, but also are stressing the importance of sound fundamentals on defense. Poirier noted that although it is early in their practice schedule, the boys have shown signs of good things to come. “It should be a good season for us,” he said. “Some of the guys here have played together before and we are looking good so far.”

Playing for the Barons this year are, Garrett Allen, Gabriel Banks, Isaiah Bates, Jesse Chase, Dominic Jones, Ben Poirier, Brett Poirier, Cameron Sargent, Abraham Tesfaye, and Jack Ward.

Juggling Fun

By Chris Gosek

After noting that they had seen juggling before at both the state fair and the circus, Ms. Turner’s fourth grade class recently had a chance to give it a try in their physical education class, getting a lesson in balance and coordination along the way.

The young jugglers began the class working with P.E. teacher Ms. Hajnos on a balancing exercise that saw them standing an empty paper towel roll in the palm of their hand. They then switched hands and moved on to balancing the rolls on other parts of their body, with some kids putting them on their head, nose, arms, and even their eye glasses. The next step was for the children to try juggling with scarves. They started with two scarves and graduated on to three. After they had “mastered” the scarves they would move on to juggling beanbags and then, finally, milk jugs.

Special thanks to the following students who were the top Jump Rope for Heart fundraisers at their grade level for Wakelon Elementary. K – Landon Master $135, 1st – Chase Lockleair $127, 2nd - Dylan Haswell $126, 3rd – Hunter Vaughan $150, 4th – Jackson Brooks $191, 5th - Alexis O’Neal $100. The students raised a total of $1,867.78 for the event. The students had a great time showing off all their new jump roping tricks.

An "Egg-Citing" Math Lesson

By Chris Gosek

Ms. Barbour’s kindergartners at Wendell Elementary got into the spirit of the Easter holiday while continuing with their current lesson in Math as part of their egg hunt last week in class.

Each child searched for eggs with a number they had been given written on it to begin the hunt. After all the eggs were located, they returned as a group to the classroom where they counted and sorted their findings. The kids then colored in a graph showing the results of their gathering and compared their eggs by color using their knowledge from their lesson on “more, less, and equal.” The students used the number of eggs they had found to solve addition problems, too.

Dancing Together

By Chris Gosek

Wendell Setting Sights on Title

By Chris Gosek

Jumping out to a fantastic start in the early part of their spring 2012 schedule, the Wendell Middle boys’ soccer team is coming off a solid second place finish last year and eyeing the conferences top spot this season.

Starting their year off in grand fashion, the Wolves emphatically defeated East Millbrook by a 7-1 count. Their second contest was a scrimmage, which saw them whitewash a strong Leesville Road squad 2-0, before they dropped a tough decision to league powerhouse West Millbrook (5-3). Opening up conference play last week, Wendell cruised to a 4-1 victory over rival Zebulon. They will take their 3-1 record into another conference game later this week, when they will do battle with Wake Forest-Rolesville.

Wendell Coach Michael Howes is excited about how his team has come together and played thus far in 2012. “There is a lot of good team chemistry here,” he said. “Most of our team is returning players and they all can run, they all can handle the ball well, and they can all play.” He concluded, “We finished second last year and even though we lost what was probably our top scorer we have a very good team this year.”

Team captains Ryan Mays and Manny Loredo Vanegas lead the Wolves on the field. Other returning eighth graders include, Jorge Aguilar Garcia, Josh Gibbs, Alfonso Hernandez, Jeff Odon, Johnny Odette, Andy Pineda, Justin Poole, Eric Loredo Vanegas, Damion Raper, Jahir Tudon, and Cameron Waller. New faces to this springs’ squad are seventh graders, Bruce Campos, Kawai DeMello, Garrett Johnson, and Stephen Mounts.

Spanish Fashion Show

By Chris Gosek

Taking on all aspects of the production and performance, Ms. Bunn’s Spanish students at Zebulon Elementary entertained their fellow classmates and many visiting family members with their recent “Fashion Show,” held in the school’s gym.

Using their lessons from class on clothing, animals, and several other topics, the youngsters wrote the entire program in Spanish. They came up with all their own costume and set ideas, as well, dressing as the various animals they had learned about for the show. The third, fourth, and fifth grade members of the orchestra also performed at the event after working very hard with Ms. Keeley in the weeks prior to perform all Spanish themed music.

Zebulon Tops at “Quiz Bowl”

Dance-A-Thon is a Smash Hit

Singing Sweet Tunes

Overall Consruction Continues to Improve

By Chris Gosek

Gaining priceless experience and confidence with each passing practice, the Overall Construction 7-8 year old coach pitch team is getting ready to take on all comers in the Zebulon Parks and Recreation League this season.

Coach Bruce Baker was thrilled with his team’s performance in their early practices, noting, “Even after our first practice I could see them getting better. Every single time we have come out on the field the team has shown great improvement.” Overall Construction will open their season on April 24 against Scentsy Independent Consultants and then play their second game later that week versus Triangle Roofing Services.

Playing for Coach Baker this spring are, Bradley Brown, Bruce Baker, William Helms, Austin Howsare, Chris Johnson, Jake Kreider, Matthew Pendelton, Jaxon Platts, Landon Porteous, Ian Price, and Shane Thorson.

Running Stars

By Chris Gosek

Students at all grade levels took a “victory lap” this past Friday at Carver Elementary, as parents and friends looked on as part of the school’s “Kid’s Marathon” celebration.

The “Carver Kid’s Marathon” was the culmination of a program aimed at continuing the students year long efforts to become more healthy and active, finding each student running a total of either 12 or 25 miles total over the course of the school year. Every child involved kept a log of their running which they did either during recess or at home until they reached one of the two goals set. Top runners in the “marathon” were recognized following the victory lap in an awards ceremony at the event. In addition to the 138 Carver students that participated and their parents, the Buffalo Lanes mascot was also on hand to congratulate the kids and take part in the festivities, while Sheetz of Wendell provided healthy snacks and water at the celebration.

Horsing Around

By Chris Gosek

The ID-Severe I/II and AU I classes from Carver Elementary recently visited Reins from Above Therapeutic Riding Center in Kenly, where each of the students attending had the opportunity to take a ride on a horse.

ID-Severe I/II teacher, Ms. Honeycutt spoke of how excited the children were and of the benefits of horseback riding, saying, “Horseback riding has many proven therapeutic benefits for students with various developmental disabilities.” She continued, “This was a great experience for our students.”

Going for the Gold

By Chris Gosek

Students from Ms. LeBlanc’s ID Moderate Level III class at East Wake Middle traveled to Ravenscroft in Raleigh this past Friday to compete in the Special Olympics, showing great sportsmanship and excelling in each event they took part in.

After East Wake student, Merrick Smith had the honor of reciting the oath during opening ceremonies, nine different students from the class participated in a wide array of events with all participants placing in either first or second place in their given event. Matthew Siems, Shania Wilson, Kendall Roberts, Ketrell Estes, Ryley Price, Kayla Lashley, and Joshua Darden all earned blue ribbons for finishing first in at least one event on the day. Red ribbons were awarded to Elise Goodheart and Merrick for their second place finishes at the Olympics. Ms. Le Blanc was proud of all of the students involved, noting that they showed great sportsmanship and participation.

Spring Fling

By Chris Gosek

As they prepared for their upcoming break, the track three, sixth grade students at East Wake Middle incorporated all of their major subjects into their “Mars Projects,” which they displayed for all to see in the school’s media center this past week.

The sixth graders based their project around a group of people living on the planet Mars. Each student had to make a box full of items to “sell” to these people. With parents, family members, and other members of the East Wake staff given “one million dollars” to spend on the created items, the students explained and tried to persuade the onlookers to buy their goods. The student at the end of the “Spring Fling” earning the most money would be given a first place prize.

Saving the Shad

By Chris Gosek

Ms. Curry’s students at East Wake Middle recently took on a weeklong restoration project in science class, culminating with a visit to the Neuse River to set free the eggs of the endangered American shad.

Following their learning about the shad being in the Neuse River and the decline of the species, the class was given the eggs courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission.

After observing and analyzing the eggs in class throughout the week, they journeyed to the nearby waterway on Friday to release them into the population. The students also learned of the importance of water quality in the survival of the fish in this lesson, checking the ph and ammonia levels and temperature of the water.

Parts of a Plant

By Chris Gosek

The first graders in Ms. Luckenbaugh’s class at Forestville Elementary worked on a weeklong project about plants, taking on a different task each day.

The activities done in the class were in accordance with Bloom’s Taxonomy, which helps the kids with remembering, understanding, analyzing, and applying. On the first day, they made posters where they listed keywords that they thought of having to do with plants, Day two saw the kids learning how plants grow and was followed on the third day by each child drawing a cartoon strip showing the growth process. Surveying classmates on their favorite plants was the next day’s activity and finally the last exercise was to make a flyer for their very own plant store. Wrapping up their work on this unit, the class actually planted seeds that they will watch grow in class.

Mad about Math

By Chris Gosek

Students in Ms. Ricketts class at Hodge Road Elementary have been getting excited about improving their math skills in a timed activity that has seen each student trying to “race” to the head of the class.

In the weekly exercise, each student has their own race car on the board that when they finish that week’s math activity and score high enough to move on to the next level, gets moved up a slot on the “speedway.” The “Mad Minute” quizzes have not only seen the kids taking incentive to improve with each exam, but also allows the children to see their progress in math throughout the year.

Animal Research

By Chris Gosek

Working on strengthening their writing and researching skills, Ms. Faulkenberry’s class at Hodge Road Elementary have each selected an animal that they will learn about and then write their own book on.

The kids began by using books, encyclopedias, and the internet to research their chosen topic. Following a model shown by Ms. Faulkenberry on the board, the students then focused on four topics, habitat, lifecycle, body, and fun facts. Once they researched a given area, they wrote all their facts down on one large note card and used three smaller note cards for the rest of the information gathered in that area. This was then used to put what they had gathered into a paragraph that would make up one of the four pages in their books. The students chose a partner to proof read each page before they handed it in for their teacher’s approval and moved on to their next page.

All the sounds of "Y"

By Chris Gosek

Ms. Ferrell’s first grade class at Knightdale Elementary has been moving right along in building their knowledge of sounds and words, using the classroom’s SmartBoard to become familiar with the letter “Y.”

The entire class convened at the front of the room for the “Y” activity, discussing the different ways that the letter can be used and sounded out. Each student then took a turn going before the class to add a different “Y” word on the SmartBoard, sounding out everyone as a group, and discussing each with their teacher before the next child’s turn.

Animal Antics

By Chris Gosek

The young authors in Ms. Hartel’s first grade class at Knightdale Elementary were focusing on creating their very own fiction stories in class earlier this week.

The students each received a worksheet with a picture of several cartoon animals on it entitled “Animal Antics” to begin the activity. They then had to brainstorm, giving each character a name and coming up with an original story to go along with the illustration on the sheet.

Dance Center Kids strut thier stuff

By Chris Gosek

After putting in countless hours of hard work at the Dance Center Performing Company in Knightdale, the dancers recently attended the Starland Productions Dance Competition and received several top awards for their fine performances.

Ms. Jenna Arthurs and Dance Center owner, Ms. Cindy Blevins, did the choreography for the numbers performed at the competition. Ms. Blevins beamed with pride in speaking of the great job done by her students, saying, “We are so proud of all the hard work and dedication our dancers showcased.”

Number Lines

By Chris Gosek

Ms. Rogers’ class at Wendell Elementary continued working on fractions in math this past week, incorporating the use of a number line into the lesson.

After splitting up into groups, the students were shown that much like they had learned about fractions, a number line breaks down into segments, They then made their own number lines and were labeling the numbers given to the during the exercise to show their knowledge of both topics.

Literacy Lunch

By Chris Gosek

Kindergarten, first, and second grade students at Wendell Elementary invited their parents into their classrooms last week to take part in the “Literacy Lunch.”

Upwards of 100 parents participated in the fun-filled, but educational day, not only having lunch with the students, but also joining them in a variety of reading and writing activities. The children were excited to have their parents’ team up with them for the exercises, which saw them creating stories, reading stories, and even writing poetry.

Family Fun at Wendell Middle

By Chris Gosek

A night of performances and music was enjoyed by all in attendance, as Wendell Middle School hosted a “Book Fair Luau” this past week with family, friends, staff, and students combining to make the event a huge success.

Media specialist, Ms. Dextre, was very pleased with the great turnout from parents at the “Luau,” and was also very impressed by the students who performed. Mr. Corbitt directed the student in the plays that took place, as students gave their interpretations of “Hunger Games,” “Cabin Fever,” and “The Day the Stones Walked.” In addition, Ms. Todd led the award-winning Wendell Middle band through several numbers to the delight of all in attendance. The event also marked the beginning of the school’s book fair, as students and parents purchased new reading material with the funds going towards new books being bought for the school’s library.

Preparing to Cheer

By Chris Gosek

Meeting twice a week to hone their tumbling skills, girls ranging in age from 9-16 have been hard at work as a part of Wendell Parks and Recreation’s “Preparing for Cheerleading” program.

The talented group of girls has been practicing their moves with instructor Kristi Snuggs on Monday and Thursday nights, with the younger students looking forward to becoming cheerleaders and the older girls polishing their routines as they look forward to returning to the sidelines in support of their respective school squads. The energetic group training with Ms. Snuggs includes, Hannah Huffman, Anna Chambers, Amanda Hersh, Iasia Robinson, Jennifer Williams, Katelyn Tarnaski, and Sarah Russell.

Affordable Security Tops Barnes Collision

By Chris Gosek

In a true pitcher’s duel that saw both sides showcase fantastic defensive play, Affordable Security outlasted Barnes Collision by a 3-2 final score in recent Wendell Parks and Recreation 9-10 year old baseball action.

Trevor Stafford and Daniel Carter split the pitching duties for the victorious squad, stifling the opposing hitters throughout the game. Carter was also a star at the plate, ripping a triple to help his own cause. Sean Barron laced a double for Affordable Security as well, with Luke Rubish adding a single for the winners. The entire team played a flawless defensive game, with Alex Peace showing great range at third and Mason Price playing a great game behind the plate. The outfield play of Kenny Dowdy, Will Mitchell, Zack Dobbin, Sam Plummer, and Ethan Gang was also stellar for the winners.

The Barnes Collision one-two punch of Ty Kay and Nick Johnson was also very impressive on the mound. Kay was the hero at the plate for his team also, circling the bases for a home run. Keeping the game within reach behind the strong pitching effort was a rock solid infield of Johnson, Austin McAllister, Judson Brooks, and Samuel Morris. Much like their opponent, the outfield play of the Barnes team featuring Jayme Tucker, Colby Barnes, TJ Bailey, and Tyler Pulley was also spectacular.

Strickland's Hangs on to "Slay" Dragons

By Chris Gosek

Showing Character at Zebulon Elementary

By Chris Gosek

Celebrating National Library Month, the entire staff and student body at Zebulon Elementary took part in the school’s annual “Story Book Character Parade” earlier this week.

Parents lined the school’s parking lot, cheering on the students and their teachers as they made their way through the parade route. Each child and adult dressed in costumes for the occasion, becoming his or her favorite storybook character for the event and remainder of the school day.

Tree Graphing

By Chris Gosek

Taking a hands on approach to their recent math lesson on graphing, Ms. Durst’s third grade class at Zebulon Elementary were playing the role of “trees,” as their classmates “planted” them according to the coordinates they were given.

The “trees” were the points on the graph, with a grid on the floor made of tape serving as the “yard” that was being designed. When Ms. Durst made an addition to the yard, members of the class had to use the coordinate grid and move their classmates to the correct spot.

Adventures in Babysitting

By Chris Gosek

Starting up their new unit on childcare that will result in all members of the class becoming certified babysitters, Ms. Creech’s class at Zebulon Middle were learning the first step in the lesson earlier this week, discussing proper sanitation.

The kids began by reviewing and discussing the importance of always having clean hands when caring for a child to avoid the spreading of germs. They discussed the proper steps to ensure in cleaning their hands and prepared for an up-close look at the technique that they will partake in later this week. That exercise will see the students use an ultra violet light to first view exactly how dirty their hands are, followed by each of them washing their hands. Once finished, they will again view their hands under the light, to gauge how thorough of a job they had done.

Carver Students Light up the Stage

Eagles Soar to Conference Title

By Chris Gosek

The East Wake Academy Middle boys’ baseball team wrapped up their regular season with a 9-2 victory over St. David’s to finish up their schedule with a 12-4 overall record (11-2 in conference play) to earn the title of 2012 conference champions.

The Eagles started their championship run with a 6-5 loss against a strong Endeavor Charter team on March 2. The team bounced back in grand fashion from that early set back, not dropping another decision for six weeks as they rattled off an impressive and at times dominant nine game winning streak to line them up for a crack at the league trophy. They will try to rekindle that momentum as they head into playoff tournament play this week, where they will host the winner of the “play-in” game between Grace and Kestrel Heights at Zebulon Community Park. The Eagles have also earned the right to host the semi finals if they are successful in their opening round game.

Playing for the 2012 conference champions are, Devan Anderson, Brady Best, Garrett Bradshaw, Matt Cracchiolo, Nate Figueroa, Chris Goedgedrag, Chase Hedgepath, Marquez Holden, Ian Land, Chase Long, Dan Noblin, Austin Watson, Josh Weddle, Jake Wilder, Issac Williams, Stefan Wolfe, and Grey Yancey. Miguel Bonano and Patrick Vincent are the coaches for East Wake.

Student Athletes Honored at EWA

By Chris Gosek

The student athletes at East Wake Academy Middle were honored at a ceremony held Monday afternoon at the school’s gymnasium, with parents, family, staff, and classmates cheering them on in recognition of the great effort they have put forth this year on the playing fields and in the classroom.

The ceremony started with the fall sports teams giving out their awards to boys and girls on the Eagles’ cross-country, boys’ soccer, and girls’ volleyball teams. Next up were the winter sports, as standouts from the boys and girls basketball and cheerleading team were recognized. Girls’ softball and soccer along with the 2012 conference champion baseball team were the spring sports that honored their athletes. Each player from all of the teams were individually announced and called to the stage where they were given a certificate for their hard work and dedication to their respective sports. Individual awards were also handed out, with coaches selecting those who showed great improvement and leadership throughout the season being awarded along with the top scholar athlete and most valuable player (MVP) of each squad.

Pollution and History

By Chris Gosek

Ms. Millsap’s students at East Wake Middle have been learning in class about the Chernobyl disaster, tying their social studies lesson into what the students have been working on recently in science.

After an introduction to the horrific nuclear disaster that occurred in the Ukraine in April of 1986, the students teamed up to research the event and discuss their findings. Given the severe consequences that followed the Chernobyl incident, the lesson applied to many of the same topics that they have been learning about while studying pollution in science class.

Watching Our Plants Grow

By Chris Gosek

Learning all about soil and plants in science, Ms. Froelich’s class at Forestville Elementary planted their own “Wisconsin Fast Plants,” in the classroom, getting an up-close look at the growing process.

After they planted the seeds, the students have been keeping a log of their daily observations, using measuring strips to chart their growth. In their science notebooks, each child has been drawing pictures of the plants to show what they have observed. The group is also pollinating the plants, using dried bees to do this.

Time Problems

By Chris Gosek

Working in groups and using calculators to help them in figuring out the equations given to them, Ms. Faulkenberry’s class at Hodge Road elementary have been solving elapsed time and capacity word problems.

Each team of students was first given a large poster that had their given word problem on it. The kids had to work together on a solution, showing all of their work on the poster so the class could compare the different ways that each problem was answered. Once finished, each child had to stand before the class and present their posters and answers to their classmates

Number Lines

By Chris Gosek

Ms. Lane’s math students at Hodge Road Elementary have been taking a unique hands on approach to reviewing number lines.

The class was first working on their dry erase boards and following along with Ms. Lane in class to recognize the differences in where whole numbers and fractions go on a number line. Once they had finished this quick refresher, they split into groups and were each given a card with a number or fraction on it. A line was strung at the front of the room with the number four placed on it and then each team had to discuss where their given numeral would be placed on the “number line.” One member of each group then placed their card on the string in its appropriate spot before returning to their seats to analyze the finished “line.”

Kicking off the Season with a Bang

By Chris Gosek

The Wendell Parks and Recreation Department kicked off of their 2012 baseball season with a day filled with activities, food, and games at Wendell Park as a part of “Opening Day.”

Teams from all age groups within the Wendell baseball program took to the fields throughout the day, getting their first taste of live game action on the spring season.

In addition to baseball, their were plenty of other ways for the entire family to stay entertained at the event, with inflatables and a dunk booth keeping the youngsters smiling all morning long. A wide variety of vendors were also on hand selling clothing, hats, food, and drinks.

Games in Math

By Chris Gosek

Adding a twist of fun to math review, Mr. McClellan’s third grade class at Knightdale Elementary got into pairs once they finished going over their daily work to play some “Math Games.”

The games give the students initiative to go back over many different lessons they have studied throughout the school year in an enjoyable manner. The two-child groups have several different choices with the games that include, “Geometry Match-Up,” “Measurement Island,” “Place Value Playoff,” and “Money Math Matchup.”

Analyzing Ads

By Chris Gosek

Fifth graders at Knightdale Elementary have been taking a close look at the art of advertising in language arts over the past week.

The students have been identifying the different types of advertisements that they see on television, hear on radio stations, or see in print. In their reviewing of ads, they have looked for several different genres they learned of, including stereotyping, testimonials, “tricks of technology,” and bandwagon ads, which use a “propaganda technique” discussed in class. Once they near the end of the unit, each child will chose an ad from a magazine that they will cut out and make into a poster, identifying the type of advertisement and labeling different parts detailing how they recognized it as such.

Safety in our Community

By Chris Gosek

Members of the Wendell community came out this past Saturday to take part in the Safety Fair, with members of the police department, fire department, and members of the emergency medical field on hand to give those in attendance a fun and family oriented look at being safe.

Several vehicles were on hand at the downtown celebration, with kids and parents alike delighting in taking a walk through the East Wake Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and Wendell Fire trucks. The “Booze it or Lose it” vehicle was also at the event, showing the dangers of drinking and driving. The Zaxby’s Chicken mascot was greeting youngsters all morning long, as was “Pluggie” the talking fire hydrant.

Getting Prepared

By Chris Gosek

With the very important End of Grade (EOG) testing looming on the horizon, Wendell Elementary third graders’ have been hard at work preparing for the exams in math, reviewing fractions.

The students were each working on a mock exam, with each touching on recognizing fractions as well as identifying how they pertain to graphs, addition, and subtraction. Once they finished the quizzes, they formed groups to review and correct their completed work.

Esperanza Rising

“Happy Daze” at Zebulon Elementary

Honoring Perserverance

By Chris Gosek

The monthly character awards at Zebulon Elementary were given out for the month of April, honoring students at the school who have showed perseverance in and out of the classroom during the month.

Students receiving the awards from the pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, first and second grade classes at Zebulon were, Anasia Mitchell, Jayden Williams, Shamya Harris, Cassandra Conde, Imani Wilson, Marisol Sanchez Murguia, Johnathan Montague Jr, Kennedy Garcia-Garcia, John Chandler, Ana Cristal Gonzalez Granillo, Caleb Bucher, Khang Pham, Alexis Kirk, Matthew Williams, David Terrones Ibarra, Anahi Vargas Hernandez, Emory Etim, Ayden Wheless, Jala King, Nicholas Vega, Joshua Porter, Haylee Joyner, Brent Biggerstaff, and Ana Herrera Franco. Third and fourth graders receiving the awards were, Jackson Wall, Ja’Quan Wilson, Hailey Denton, Ja’Une Hawkins, Alex Dupree, Karlee Martin, Isaac Wiggins, Brandon Barrientos Gonzalez, Julio Pineda, Davonte’ Williams, Gregory Brinkley, Kelsey Bunn, Dawson Creech, Mekayla Dawson, Joanna Herrera, and Matthew Thiede. Nashya Dickerson, Emily Hicks, Christian High, Magen Norris, Hannah Walker, and Brandon Strickland were the fifth grade honorees.

A Treat for Good Behavior

By Chris Gosek

Recognizing good behavior at their school, the Zebulon Middle PBIS team treated the students receiving the most PROWL tickets for the third quarter to a delicious lunch at Kanki Japanese House of Steaks in Raleigh.

Throughout the school year, a group of teachers that make up the PBIS team come up with incentives for students to earn PROWL tickets for displaying good behavior. The tickets are recorded in a daily database as they are given out and those with the most at the end of each quarter are rewarded with a special day of fun. At the end of the first quarter, students went bowling and the second quarter PROWL winners went to Adventure Landing in Raleigh. In addition to the trips that are given out to these top ticket gatherers, students also get to use the tickets to go “shopping” at the school’s PROWL store.

Relay for Life

By Chris Gosek

Students at Zebulon Middle banded together and raised $1,502 as a part of the Relay for Life program, with the funds collected being donated to aid in the fight against cancer.

The school was pleasantly surprised with the great results of this years’ event, as they had set out to raise more than the $1000 that they brought in in 2011. The school began taking part in the worthy cause last year as a result of several teachers at the school being cancer survivors and some of the students’ parents currently fighting the disease. The student council lent a hand in making “Relay for Life” a reality at Zebulon Middle and advisors Ms. Atkinson and Ms. Purvis also spent countless hours on the project.

Reading to the Youngsters

By Chris Gosek

Members of Zebulon Middle’s student council visited the children at Hocutt’s Preschool to share some quality time and read stories to the young students.

Both the middle and pre-schoolers enjoyed the experience and the members of the student council and the teachers involved are hoping to see the visits turn into a monthly event beginning next school year.

Zebulon student, Shaniah Williams noted that she had a great time with the younger kids, saying, “This was really fun and I would definitely love to do it again.”

Science Game Show

By Chris Gosek

Three fifth grade classes at Wendell Elementary faced off in a game show competition last week, with all three groups impressing onlookers with their vast knowledge of science.

The three teams, “Riley’s Raptors,” “Radical Reid,” and “Warren’s Warriors” were read questions during several rounds of play by the show’s emcee, Principal Barham, who played the role of “mad scientist” for the occasion. The questions asked of the teams covered the entire years’ worth of what they had learned in science class. Each of the fifth grade classes were very competitive with all three finishing within twenty points of each other at the conclusion of the contest.

East Wake Academy Slugs Way to top Spot

Lady Eagles Soar to League Championship

By Chris Gosek

The East Wake Academy Middle School girls’ softball team capped a magical season with a dominating two game playoff run culminating in the squad being crowned the 2012 TMSC champions.

After starting the spring season off strong with six victories in the first ten that they played, the Lady Eagles caught fire late in the year, streaking to an 11-7 win over North Raleigh Christian (NRCA) and then routing Voyager Academy by a 19-1 count to head into the playoffs with momentum building. The high-powered offense continued as they again faced off with NRCA in the semi finals, steamrolling past them at a 12-2 clip to earn a spot in the league title game. Riding that same hot streak, East Wake whitewashed Cary Academy by a 10-0 final score to bring home the trophy.

The 2012 champions had a great mix of experience and young faces on the team this season, with leadership coming from eighth graders, Abigaile Ashenden, Lexi Hargesheimer, Rebecca Hargrove, Brienne Herbert, Brooke Sanderson, and Hope Turner. Seventh and sixth graders contributing to the league crown were Kaitlin Bailey, Megan Byrne, Megan Fullwood, Shanan Hester, Anna Heuts, Antonia Kearney, Hannah Millenbaugh, Anna Perry, and Rachel Thompson. Rich Thompson is the team’s head coach and is assisted by Luke Heuts and Shailie Hester.

Viking Vocabulary

By Chris Gosek

Starting out a new lesson in social studies focusing on Vikings and Norse Mythology, Ms. Millsap’s students at East Wake Middle were becoming familiar with four main vocabulary terms to prepare for the unit.

The kids learned of the “region of Scandinavia,” which consists of islands and peninsulas in Northern Europe as their first term. Second was “Vikings,” which the class found out were Scandinavian warriors who raided Europe in the Middle Ages. “Fjords” were the next thing introduced and students discovered these to be narrow inlets of sea between high, rocky cliffs. The “North Atlantic Drift,” which is an ocean current that brings warm, moist air across the Atlantic Ocean was the fourth and final vocabulary word discussed.

Field Day Fun

By Chris Gosek

The entire student body at Carver Elementary enjoyed the annual “Field Day” event over a two-day period at the school, with the younger grades taking on a host of fun filled activities on the first day and the older children getting their chance on day two.

Parents and staff members oversaw a wide range of stations that the kids ran through at the “Field Day.” The kids beat the heat at a few of the areas, playing water balloon toss, spray bottle tag, and “Fill the Bucket.”

Other stations included a stuffedanimal toss, relay games, parachute fun, marble search, jump rope, and bubble blowing. A large inflatable slide was a big hit with all grade levels and Sheets of Wendell donated 500 bananas and 500 oranges so that the kids could enjoy healthy snacks during the “Field Day.”

The Final Countdown

By Chris Gosek

With the school year winding down, Ms. Froelich’s class at Forestville Elementary has been moving through the final 26 days of their 2011-12 calendar doing an activity for a corresponding letter as a part of the “ABC Countdown.”

This week the class had reached the letter “M,” which was “Make a Wish Day.” For this special activity, the group began work on a “wishing quilt.” Every student in the class was responsible to design one square for the quilt that detailed the wish that they had made.

Realistic Fiction

By Chris Gosek

Ms. Barclift’s first grade class at Hodge Road Elementary has been learning the difference between realistic and unrealistic fiction during their language arts time recently.

The kids began this lesson by listening to a story read by Ms. Barclift. Upon the book’s completion, they discussed the tale as a group and then created their very own “classroom character.” After they made the fictitious character, each child began individually making their own to be a part of an original realistic fiction story that they were to write by themselves. The children created their own setting and had to base the tale around a situation or problem that could actually happen.

Math Stations

By Chris Gosek

Learning that math can be fun while sharpening their skills in a variety of areas, Ms. Faulkenberry’s third grade class at Hodge Road Elementary split into groups and rotated through their morning math stations.

One area during station time saw several students learning measurement, as they used a balance scale to try to find smaller objects that would add up and equal a

larger one. Another area had the kids using “Geo-boards,” where they took rubber bands and wrapped them around the pegs on the boards to get familiar with different shapes and grids. The other stops around the room saw the third graders playing math games, with one pertaining to fractions and the other being “Math Bingo.”

Knightdale Explorers

Junior Firefighters, Christian Mogenson II, Billy Maynard, Ben Watkins, Chief Tim Guffy, and Evan Guinn (not pictured) attended the Warren County 2nd Annual Junior Firefighters Competition on April 28th, 2012 and came away with three awards and a participation trophy. They took first place in Bucket Brigade, second place in Oral Examination-a personal trophy for Evan Guinn, and third place in Drink Break. Way to go guys!

Reading with a Buddy

By Chris Gosek

The fifth grade students at Knightdale Elementary have been lending a hand to some of the younger kids at the school, visiting the first grade rooms to team up with one of the members of these classes as part of their program called “Book Buddies.”

The older students worked one on one with the first graders, first reading to them and helping them to comprehend the stories and to get a better grasp on all the important elements of what they have been read. The fifth graders also take on the role of listeners too during “Book Buddy” time, allowing their counterparts to take a turn reading and assisting them as they work through their selected tales.

Researching Animals

By Chris Gosek

Second grade students at Carver Elementary have learned many different avenues of gathering information as they have just finished up their “animal research” projects.

Once they selected an animal for the project, the kids learned how to do their research using encyclopedias, books, magazines, and the internet. When they were done gathering their material on their chosen subject, they then had the option of using it to make either a diorama, a poster, a PowerPoint presentation, or a report. The fantastic work done by the Carver second graders was displayed in the school’s lobby upon completion.

You wrestle for ten minutes with your 3-year-old to get his jacket on, yet his preschool teacher has ten kids (including yours) dressed for the playground in less than three. What's her secret? Partly, of course, the advantage of not being a parent -- kids really are more inclined to behave for outsiders.

But it's not only that. Teachers develop all sorts of tricks to help young kids learn, keep the classroom more efficient, and make their job more enjoyable. This is hardly surprising. Preschool teachers have year after year of experience with this challenging age group. Fortunately, they're more than willing to share the keys to their success with eager (and sometimes frustrated) parents:

Secret #1: Preschoolers don't have to dawdle.

Why does your child seem to thwart your attempts to get you both out the door each morning but promptly turns on her heels when her teacher announces it's time to head back in from the playground? The explanation is simple enough, says Barbara Roth, director and teacher for more than 20 years at the Hanover Nursery School, in New Hampshire: "When we say something, they know we mean it." Roth says she routinely sees parents tell their child it's time to leave the playground but then stop and chat with another parent themselves, or indulge countless delays and requests for "just one more slide." "You've got to follow through," she says. "Otherwise, it becomes clear that your child doesn't really have to do what you say when you say it."

This means giving a few gentle but firm warnings starting five minutes before it's time to leave (or come to the table, and so on), then announcing departure time definitively and matter-of-factly. You may have to just go and scoop her up the first few times (which you should do without hesitation) until she knows you're serious.

Kids also respond to cues they can see, hear, or count. If a child has trouble saying goodbye, "decide on a certain number of hugs and kisses," suggests Jenny Raffaelli, lead teacher at the Kinderberry Hill preschool, in Roseville, Minnesota. Soon she'll come to both expect and accept the routine.

Roth plays the same few notes on the piano each day as a signal that free play is over. You might regularly use a bell or an egg timer or blink the lights in the room for the same effect, whether to get everyone to come to the dinner table or to mark that it's time to put away toys. Counting (as in "I'm going to count to thirty, and then I want to see a clean room") also inspires students to finish picking up in a hurry. "I often hear parents promise kids a treat to get them to do something," says Roth. "But that's rarely necessary -- praise and accomplishment on their own mean just as much as material incentives."

Letting a child race against herself helps her hurry and also provides a great learning opportunity, says Joyce Drolette, director of the Big Sky Preschool, in Big Sky, Montana. She suggests timing getting ready for bed, school, and so forth with a stopwatch, then graphing or charting the results on the wall each day. In addition to teaching about graphs and charts, this method lets your child compare her speed on different days, says Drolette, and may even push her to beat her best time.

Secret #2: Kids can handle scissors and pens earlier than you think.

Wanting to help their child develop writing and other fine motor skills, most parents simply hand him a pencil, kid-safe scissors, and paper. But a little practice may forestall frustration later. Raffaelli has her students learn basic skills and movements with such activities as picking up nuts and small blocks with kitchen tongs, stringing beads, rolling out play clay, and even cutting it with scissors. "With clay, it doesn't matter how kids cut," she says. "They can snip any which way and really build the fine muscles in their hands."

Once your child becomes adept, let him cut real paper -- but in a way that guarantees his success. "For a preschooler, trying to cut out a picture is often too much -- the scissors get caught up in the paper and he can't go anywhere," says Ann Curtis, director of the Infant and Preschool Center at Western Illinois University. "Thin little strips of paper work better: One snip and he feels a great sense of accomplishment." Set him up with a bunch of thin strips of different-colored paper and a container to cut them into, then let him cut strips to glue onto a paper plate for a wall hanging. Yarn also works well for scissor practice.

As for writing, if your child shows an interest in using pencils and wants to move beyond scribbles, loops, and doodles but is frustrated that he can't make letters, he'll probably get a kick out of fooling around with stencils or tracing, says Raffaelli. Both let him practice holding the pencil and using it like a grown-up, and they won't prevent him from writing without them later on.

Also let him copy or trace your grocery or to-do list. "We play restaurant and store all the time, with the kids copying menus and lists right off the blackboard," says Drolette.

Secret #3: Structure and routine are critical for easy naps.

It may seem amazing that your child manages to nap with a bunch of other kids in the room when you can't get a short snooze out of her in her own comfy bed, but preschools have an advantage over home, explains Raffaelli. "Your child is with a group of other children who are doing the same thing, so it's just easier to go along with the rest." Even if you can't import ten other 3-year-olds every day at naptime, there are some other tricks.

Mary Eltgroth, assistant director of New Horizon Child Care Center, in Savage, Minnesota, recommends that you first give her time to unwind before her nap -- a half hour minimum -- being careful not to suggest an activity that engrosses her so much that she won't want to interrupt it to sleep. Next, create a routine: the same time, the same music, the same bed, and the same expectation: quiet or sleep.

Cutting down on distractions can also help, says Drolette, who runs a fan (out of reach) to block out background noise and suggests that restless kids cover their eyes with a blanket so they're not tempted to keep looking around.

Secret #4: How you say things is as important as what you say.

Having trouble getting your child's attention? Don't raise your voice, unless it's to sing. "Kids don't care how you sound," says Curtis. "If I'm reading and they aren't listening and I start singing the story, they quiet right down."

But you can't rely on song alone. Teachers try to alternate verbal tactics, using whispering or different voices or silently mouthing the words to get children to focus on them. They also employ visual cues, such as putting a hand up in the air or touching their finger to their nose and asking the children to do the same when they're quiet. Amanda Johnson, who used to teach at Radnor Nursery School, in Devon, Pennsylvania, has even been known to lean playfully over her charges and "blow the dust out of their ears."

And once you've got your child's undivided attention, keep your instructions clear, short, and direct, says Barbara Hill, director of administration at the Child and Family Study Center, the Lab School for California State University, Northridge. "Don't start by saying that if they get on the table it might break. Say, 'Get down'" -- and explain later.

Secret #5: Your child wants to get dressed himself.

Most young kids really want the feelings of independence, self-confidence, and achievement that dressing themselves brings. It's just that their clothes get in the way. To make it easier, "take into account where your child is developmentally when you buy his clothes," says Hill. For instance, a 3-year-old won't do as well in a pair of jeans with a zipper and a button as he will in elastic-waist pants.

Then develop specific ways to help him succeed. This might mean arranging his outfit the night before in the shape of a person on the floor, getting in the habit of putting on dress-ups and costumes when you aren't under time pressure, or labeling clothes so that your child is able to distinguish the front from the back.

Raffaelli suggests marking one shoe with a star, dot, or little sticker and teaching your child that that shoe always goes on the same foot. Another right/left shoe teaching method, from Curtis: Ask your child whether his shoes are mad at each other. If they're on the correct feet, the toes will be kissing (touching); if they're angry at each other (on the wrong feet), the toes will be turning away.

To help your child learn how to manipulate zippers and buttons, let him practice on someone else so he can see what he's doing. "It's important to do this with real clothes -- doll clothes are much more difficult," says Roth. "We let our kids put their snowsuits on large teddy bears." And offering to let your child button or zip your coat after you have buttoned or zipped his gives him a feeling of accomplishment as well.

Secret #6: Taking turns and sharing don't have to be traumatic.

As an adult, you know you have to wait in line sometimes, and you're comfortable with it as long as no one cuts in front of you. Kids have the same expectation of fairness, say teachers. Most will share and take turns as long as the system is fair. "When two children are arguing over one object, we talk about how fighting won't fix the problem but will only make them cry and feel angry," says Drolette. "I tell the one who's most upset, 'Let me hear Billy and then I'll hear you.' He'll immediately calm down because he now knows that I'll listen to both sides." Then she gets the children to agree that in the future they'll ask for the toy nicely and relinquish it when they're finished with it. "Seven times out of ten, the child will hand over the toy right then and there."

If this approach doesn't work, you may have to formalize the sharing process. Give the child waiting for a toy (as well as the one already playing with it) an accurate measure of how long until it's her turn, rather than just saying wait until "later" or that she'll get her turn "in a little while," says Johnson. She's had success using egg timers and clocks to schedule use of a popular toy. Curtis has even used a sign-up sheet for some highly desirable items. "Even a three-year-old can understand that it will be her turn when her name comes up. It also serves as a graphic representation of the concept of waiting your turn, and it's good practice for kids to print their name on it," she says.

Secret #7: Play may be all the education your preschooler needs.

"I'd like to think kids go home from my class and say, 'I had great fun. I played all day,'" says Johnson, "because that's how children learn."

So even if you decide to push some academics at home, the focus should be on fun rather than rote learning. It's easy to use letters in projects and games, such as Raffaelli's favorite literacy project: personalized math and counting books. "We take photographs or cut out pictures of everything that begins with a certain letter -- or look for groups of one, two, or three objects and so on -- and make them into books."

And remember, one of the reasons your child can let loose and enjoy himself in the first place is that he has his own secret weapon: a foundation of unconditional love waiting for him at home.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

By Chris Gosek

Staff members and students from Zebulon Middle attended a recent Carolina Mudcats game as a part of “Education Day” at Five County Stadium.

This marked the third consecutive year that Zebulon teachers and students took part in the Class A ballclub’s promotion. Despite some weather issues late in the game, all in attendance enjoyed a great night at the ballpark.

Young Musicians Show their Stuff

By Chris Gosek

Students from Accelerando Music Academy in Knightdale took the stage to make sweet sounds and display their impressive talents before family and friends at East Regional Library as a part of the “Advanced Student Performance.”

With a wide range of experience levels among the musicians, all the young Accelerando musicians had a chance to play before the sizable crowd during the performance. Students played a variety of instruments, including guitar, keyboards, bass guitar, drums, piano, and clarinet. Some of the numbers also featured vocals by the students.

Market Day

By Chris Gosek

Ms. Lane’s third grade class at Hodge Road Elementary wrapped up their lesson on economics by creating their very own goods and services that they offered as a part of their in class “Market Day.”

Covering all aspects of economics during the unit, the kids became familiar with how needs vs. wants, goods and services, supply and demand, interdependence, resources, imports and exports all play a part in the trade and money making in different states and countries. Working in teams, the kids then made up their own item or service that they would offer on “Market Day.” The products ranged from comic books to jewelry to posters and services offered included fortune telling, beautification, and massages. The students earned “money” they could spend during an in-class game of “Economics Jeopardy.” Ms. Lane commented on the overall success of “Market day,” noting, “It was a huge success and the students really enjoyed the process while learning so much about how our economy works. Some students even had such a high demand of their product that they had to take orders.”

Building Comprehension

By Chris Gosek

Continuing to stress the importance of strengthening their literacy skills, Ms. Rogers’ class at Wendell Elementary was reading as a group, then discussing what they had read, weighing in on all the key components of a story.

Gathering in the center of the classroom, the class settled in as their teacher began reading the popular tale of “The Boxcar Children.” As they moved through the book, they were asked to analyze and discuss the setting, different characters and the plot of the story in edition to looking at what they thought may happen as they continued on in the reading.

Volunteers and Quicksilver Battle in Wendell Volleyball Action

With action in the Wendell Park and Recreation 10-12 girls’ volleyball division heating up, the Volunteers and Quicksilver faced off with both teams showing off the fundamentals of the game that they have been working on since the beginning of spring play.

Quicksilver, which is coached by Brian Poppe, consists of a nine girl attack featuring, Kayla Horne, Antonia Kearney, Mazvita Meekins, Josie Morton, Alia Poppe, Hannah Russell, Natalie Russell, Emma Wisely, and Alana Yee.

Playing for Coach Leanne Lindsay’s Volunteers squad are, D’Arcy Aman, Deana Ayscue, Nicole Euceda, Devin Lassiter, Shayna Lee, Jamie Lindsay, Katelyn Maynor, Meaghan Sherron, and Michaela Shirley.

Gators and Wolverines Volley for Position

By Chris Gosek

Putting to use the key skills they have been taught throughout their instructional practices within the Wendell Parks and Recreation 10-12 year old girls’ volleyball league, the Gators and Wolverines took to the court to do battle this past week.

Playing for the Gators and coach Beverly Sanders this season are, Caroline Duttman, Hannah Finch, Taylor Hansley, Suzanne Holt, April Houghland, Alexis O’Neal, Sophie Payne, Abbey Sanders, and Mackenzie Wimmer.

Alesia Bartley, Ashlyn Hogg, Olivia Huffman, Nuria Maganda-Aguilar, Rosa Maganda-Aguilar, Treasure Rouse, Lexi Tripp, Cheyenne Wagner, and Lily Waters make up the Wolverines roster. The team is coached by Albert Tripp.

Good Judgment

By Chris Gosek

Baby Safety

By Chris Gosek

Zebulon Middle students in Ms. Creech’s child care classes have had their eyes opened up to the difficulty of raising a new born baby, taking on the role of a parent in several recent projects they have worked on in the class.

The first parenting exercise saw students making “egg babies” that they had to care for over a two-day period. The kids were asked to bring their “children” everywhere they went during this time period. They made carriers after creating the egg babies, as they had learned that a baby cannot leave the hospital with out a car seat and they even made birth certificates for their “newborns.” Those students that showed great responsibility during the egg project were then given actual electric babies to care for from the time they left school at 3 pm until they returned the next day. These babies are very realistic and need to be cared for exactly as an actual infant would. After bringing the babies home for the night, it was required to write out their experiences and each student remarked at how difficult is was to care for them as they gained knowledge and respect for the job of parenting.

A Visit tot the Capital

By Chris Gosek

Members of the Zebulon Middle School student council took a daylong trip to our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., visiting many famous spots and landmarks while there.

The voyage was the first out of state trip that the student council has taken and the kids enjoyed visiting the White House and many of the memorials, including the one dedicated to Martin Luther King, Jr., during their stay. Student council advisors, Ms. Atkinson and Ms. Purvis noted that the trip was a success and an “eye opening” experience for many of the children who had never been out of the state. They added that they hope to see the student council return to Washington next year.