Shout Out from Graham Middle Linda Kroger February 9th-11th was a momentous time for Graham Middle School, as two of our own represented themselves, GMS, and ABSS brilliantly at The National Amazing Shake competition at The Ron Clark Academy (RCA) in Atlanta, Georgia! Graham Middle showed their support for 6th grader Noel Sobalvarro-Franco and 7th grader Christen McAdoo with a clap out Thursday afternoon. Competition began Friday afternoon at RCA, and at the end of round one Noel was in 28th place overall! Both students received individual coaching about how to introduce yourself and shake hands in a professional setting from Ron Clark himself! Saturday, Noel and Christen joined 131 other competitors from three countries in round two- the Gauntlet! Both ABSS students scored several rare 20/20s as they battled though 23 events that tested their etiquette, quick-wit, current event knowledge, confidence, and charisma. Round three of the National Amazing Shake was called "Work the Room" and both Christen and Noel did just that, making as many positive first impressions on Atlanta business leaders as possible! With 80 adults in the room and only 40 minutes in the challenge, Christen (who had advanced to the top 40 at this point) had to tactfully insert herself into a conversation, listen, and respond seamlessly.
And what a successful weekend Christen had. In the round of 13, Christen (minute 36 onward) was one of four students that was NOT an RCA student, and brought the audience to their feet during a one on one interview seen by thousands as she stated, "Maybe for you there is a tomorrow, but for some of us there is a today." As Saturday drew to a close, Mr. Clark announced the final six children, and Christen was one of them! Christen was one of only two non-rca finalists in the top six, and the ONLY child that attended a public school! Noel's challenge was even more intense, as someone who hadn't automatically earned a spot in the top 40, he had only 20 minutes to work the room with the same 80 adults, as he vied for one of two wild card positions. Although Noel did not earn a wild card spot, he was inspired and enriched through multiple speakers that shared messages of perseverance, being your authentic self, and not apologizing for being passionate. When Christen advanced to the top 24, then the top 13, Noel stood on his chair clapping and screaming with joy at her success. The final six began Sunday competition over breakfast. Surrounded by a velvet rope, Christen and her fellow finalists had to lock-in and engage six community and business leaders while drones flew overhead, cameras flashed, video camera and microphone operators hovered inches away from them, and spectators (including many from Team GMS Amazing Shake) stared at the entire spectacle from a foot or two away. Adding to that, the adults rotated seats periodically to add novelty and additional challenge to the "meal" (Most of the delicious food lay untouched with so much else going on!) Christen not only grabbed the interest of those she sat with through her expressive eyes, but also communicated with some of the strongest hand gestures and non-verbal cues I saw in any finalist this weekend! After 40 minutes of this (phew-a long time!) the top six were sequestered to a different area as the GMS contingent moved closer to the stage. Shortly Mr. Clark returned and announced the names of the final three competitors, and it was a beautiful moment to see Christen hug and congratulate
those three children she'd bonded with so quickly even though she had not moved on to the finals with them. Mr. Clark kept Christen and other award-winning competitors on stage and asked if any of them would like to share a few words with not just the live audience but the larger virtual audience tuning in on the Facebook live stream. With only confidence and grace on her face, Christen claimed that moment, asked Mr. Clark for the microphone, and not only thanked Mr. Clark for the opportunity, but also lifted up others that had given her support and guidance throughout the process. It was a poignant moment that showed everyone watching why Christen was rightfully in the top five percent of competitors this weekend! For many, a trip to RCA can be life-changing, and I believe that everyone from Graham that spent those three days in Atlanta have been forever changed. Christen and Noel have bonded with other adolescents that are like-minded to them in many ways, and I hope the friendships born Friday will continue for many years to come. They also are even hungrier to learn more, listen more, and be their authentic self with no apologies. Christen and Noel shared one lesson they learned at RCA on Monday's morning announcements, and they look forward to sharing more from our trip with the GMS staff and students soon. Apparently, other schools also want to learn from us...on our walk back to car after Sunday's competition another teacher in North Carolina in the competition stopped me and asked for my contact information. She's hopeful Christen may be able to speak to her school to uplift and inspire them! Shout Out from Western High NCHSAA Congratulations to Noah Henderson NCHSAA Athlete of the Week! CHAPEL HILL Nicole Barnes of T.W. Andrews High School and Noah Henderson of Western Alamance High School have been named recipients of the NCHSAA Performance of the Week awards! Each week, two athletes in North Carolina High School Athletic Association competition are selected for this award from nominations submitted by media and school administrators. Henderson, a junior on the Western Alamance Men s Swimming & Diving team, was awarded Most Outstanding Performer at the 3A Swimming & Diving State Championships this past weekend. He took home 1st place in both the 100-yard butterfly and 100-yard backstroke. Henderson won the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 48.78, which is a state record across all classifications. Congratulations, Noah!
Shout Out from Newlin Elementary On Monday, February 12, Newlin hosted a Google Expedition Augmented Reality event for the entire day! Second through fifth graders enjoyed using virtual reality and their teachers lesson plans to learn about dinosaurs, the circulatory system, land forms and forces of nature. Imagine a dinosaur and a tornado right in the classroom! It was a great day! http://www.thetimesnews.com/ news/20180212/newlin-elemkids-test-googles-augmented-reality
Shout Out from Western Alamance Football Go ahead and gather up your golf-playing friends to form a team for the Freddie Jordan Memorial Captain s Choice Golf Tournament! It s a great way to enjoy a round of golf and support the Western Alamance Football Program. Register your team now for the Saturday, April 21 event!
Shout Out from Woodlawn Middle Woodlawn Middle was pleased to host Lieutenant Governor Dan Forest for a visit on Thursday, February 15. He wanted to see our digital 1 to 1 laptop initiative at work and hear about our work with the Friday Institute at NC State University! Student and staffs were pleased to explain what they were doing in class and a panel of our teachers shared their insights after a quick tour of classrooms. Thanks Lt. Gov for visiting our campus and experiencing a great day with us!
Shout Out from City of Burlington Thanks to ABSS staff and families that participated in the 2 City of Burlington Youth Solutions Forums held on February 1 and 8! The City Council and Burlington staff wanted input from citizens on solutions to youth violence and ABSS represented! Shout Out to Student Leaders at Andrews Fifth grade student leaders at Andrews Elementary shared information about their school and the Leader in Me schoolwide initiative with the members of the 2018 Leadership Alamance class on Thursday, February 15. The students led tours and provided information about their individual data notebooks and how they set goals and track progress. It was a great visit! The LA members were very impressed with their visit. Thanks, Sabre Robinson, principal and to our amazing Andrews leaders!
Shout Out from Woodlawn Middle Congratulations to our own Paarth Tara, two-time Times-News Spelling Bee Champion! Paarth brought home the championship AGAIN on February 15 th and will compete in the National Scripps Spelling Bee in May in Washington, D.C.! Great job by a great student! http://www.thetimesnews.com/news/201 80215/reigning-champ-wins-spelling-bee photo courtesy of Steven Mantilla/Times- News Shout Out from Newlin Elementary Darlene Cooper Nancy Slott visited our school again today to read to our students. She read the story, Fancy Nancy and the Posh Puppy by Jane O'Connor. This was an excellent book for February because this is Dental Health month. Mrs. Slott always does an awesome job spreading the joy of reading. Our kids love listening to her read because she brings the Fancy Nancy stories to life. Nancy Slott always wears elaborate costumes that support the story. This is her third visit and we can't wait for her to come back. We thank her for encouraging our students to read. We love Fancy Nancy!
Shout Out for the Middle/High School All-County Band Concert Suzan Bell I would like to ccongratulate our ABSS band directors and especially the students on the amazing band performances last night at Williams High School! I am in awe of the level of talent I was privileged to see and hear. Their hard work and dedication were very apparent in the beautiful and difficult pieces they performed. There was a wonderful crowd of supportive parents, families, and teachers. A special thank you to the clinicians, Brian Otter and Andrew Weiss. GREAT JOB! Middle School Band High School Band
Shout Out to Second Graders in Burlington Schools The City of Burlington asked all second grade students in ABSS that attend schools in Burlington to choose one of their favorite places to research and draw a picture of it in honor of Burlington s 125 th birthday! Entries were judged on picture quality and reason provided for choosing their favorite place. A winner from each classroom was chosen as well as a Grand Prize winner. It was hard for the judges to decide! Congratulations to Grand Prize Winner, Chloe Chen, from Smith Elementary! See Chloe s photo above left and her award-winning entry at right. Great job, Chloe and to all of our student artists and writers! Here are a few photos of some of our talented students who attended the Big Burlington Birthday Party on February 13 th.