W SPA cheerleaders prepare to pump-up the crowd.
Photo* b\ Todd Luck
WSPA celebrates in-class
successes with pep rally
BY TODD I I CK
I HI ( MROMC I I __
W in st on -Salem
Preparatory Academy
(W'SPA) held a loud and
lively pep rally last Friday to
celebrate the school's victo
ries - in the classroom, not
on the athletic field.
WSPA is a magnet school
for grades h-12 that special
izes in getting students ready
for college. A small school
with a mostly African
American student bod\ of
only 475. WSPA has had a
lot to he proud of as of late,
according to Principal
Richard Watts, who is proud
that his school has had the
county s highest graduation
rate for the last three years.
While the average gradu
ation rate in Forsyth County
is 76:9 percent. WSPA'* rate
is 94.5 percent. For the last
iwo years. WSPA has also
met all of its Adequate
Yearly Progress goals for No
Child Left Behind and has
become a School of Progress
under the state's ABCs of
Public Education.
Watts said the pep rally
was held to remind students
of last school year's success
es and challenge them to do
even better this year
"I think teachers ha\e a
strong vision of what they
want to do with the kids, I
think students, for the most
part, understand why they're
here.'' he said "You've got
every body on the same page,
going the same direction
( then ) the goal is attainable."
District Court Judge
Denise Hartsfteld was the
rally's speaker. WSPA is
located in the building of the
original Atkins High School,
where Hartsfield and many
other notables like Togo
West Jr.. the former I S.
Secretary of Veterans
Ml airs . attended high
school. She told WSPA stu
dcp.tv fh'\\ are ^
on haltowed ground.
"(It's) ground thai has
been treaded before by peo
ple who look like
\ou. b\ people
who ha\e gone on
to he giants in
this community
and in this
world." said
Hartsfield.
Though aca
demics were
being celebrated,
all the elements
of a traditional
pep rails were
featured, including cheer
leaders. who performed
before tossing t-shirt pri/es
into the crowd of students
gathered in the school's
gymnasium. A math relay
that tested student's algebra
skills and a contest featuring
questions from the student
handbook were also incorpo
rated into the event.
Students responded
enthusiastically as Walts
asked them to repeat their
goals for this academic vear
with him.
Junior Jaran Foster, 17,
said that the tvpe of enthusi
asm displayed at the event
isn't unusual at WSPA aca
demic rallies, which can be
even more boisterous than
rallies held for sporting
events.
"More people are
M atts
and hasn't been
disappointed
"(I like) the
small classroom,
the attention you
get from the teach
ers (and) the good
relationships you
have with people,"
he said.
At the end of
the rally, students
marched outside to
release balloons that had
index cards attached to
them. On the cards, the stu
dents wrote down their aca
demic goals.
Watt said the school's
collective goal is to achieve
K5 percent proficiency on
the ABCs. which measures
End of Grade and End of
Course results. Reachihg
that goal would give WSPA
the lofty title of "School of
Excellence."
Last year WSPA. had the
count) 's second biggest
increase in reading and math
proficiency, increasing 16.7
percent to 62.1 percent.
Watts said that the
school's small class si/es.
with a 1 2 -to- 1 student to
teacher ratio, along with the
hard work of students and
staff, has turned the school's
The Chronicle (l/SPS 067-910) vus established b\ Ernest H.'
Pitt and Ndubisi Egemonye in 1974 and is published every
Thursday by Winston-Salem Chronicle Publishing Co. Inc.. 61/
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Students ready their balloons for launch.
H SPA studenls Jaran Foster and Greg McClinton.
w
tool
Students hold signs touting their school's academic accom
plishments.
involved; everybody doesn't
play sports." said Foster.
"With academics, every
body's involved."
Sophomore Greg
\!<i ' V has confi
dence that he and his class
mates will continue to soar.
He said he choose the school
for its academics
proficienc> numbers around.
He also said that WSPA.
which only offers honors and
Advanced Placement cours
es to high school students,
has a successful Saturday
Academy and after school
tutoring available to help
students who fall behind.
News
Clips
Jaycees plan 'Farm'
fundraiser for The
Children's Home
The Winston-Salem
Jaycees will present its 4th
Annual Fun on the Farm from
6-8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 22
at The Children's Home. 1001
Reynolda Road. The event
benefits The Children's Home
of Winston-Salem.
Festivities will include
live music by Vel Indica.
hayndes. a bonfire to roast
smores, a silent auction, corn
hole and food fresh off the
grill. In case of rain, there is
an indoor location located at
The Children's Home.
"The Children's Home
represents many years of
community service from com
mitted individuals working
toward fulfilling needs of
underprivileged children in
Winston-Salem." said
Winston-Salem Jaycees'
President Suzanne Ferguson.
"Fun on the Farm is the
Winston-Salem Jaycees' way
of contributing to the historic
institution of The Children's
Home as it evolves to meet
the needs of today and the
future."
Tickets are $5 for children
ages four to 12; $10 for
adults; free for children three
and under. Advanced tickets
may be purchased at the fol
lowing web site
www.funonthefarm.info.
Cash, checks and credit cards
will be accepted the day of the
event.
Community Roots Day
volunteers needed
The Community
Appearance Commission,
Keep Winston-Salem
Beautiful, and the City of
Winston-Salem are seeking
volunteers to help plant
almost 400 trees in the
Happy Hill neighborhood on
Saturday, Oct. 23, during the
18th annual Community
Roots Day. Volunteers are
needed from 9 a m to noon.
The first 250 volunteers will
receive free t-shirts and hats
and all volunteers get a free
lunch. Volunteers will meet
at 9 a.m. at the William C.
Sims Sr. Neighborhood
Recreation Center, 1 20 1
Alder St. To sign up or for
more information, go to
www.kwsb.cityofws.org or
call City Link at 336-727
8000.
School system
receives federal dollars
Winston-Salem/Forsyth
County Schools will receive
$19.6 million over the next
five years as a grant from the
federal Teacher Incentive
Fund, U.S. Department of
Education Secretary Arne
Duncan announced recently.
The school system will
use the money to support its
locally developed STAR3
program. The program,
which stands for School
Transformation by Actively
Recruiting, Retaining and
Rewarding, will provide a
combination of incentive
pay. coaching, instructional
support and professional
development for up to 16
schools.
"Our student* will be the
beneficiary of this wonder
ful opportunity,"
Superintendent Don Martin
said. "There are so many
factors that affect student
achievement, and now we
can test whether incentive
pay, coupled with additional
professional
support for
teachers ,
will
increase
student per
formance as
compared to
an across
the board
pay increase Dr. Martin
with addi
tional professional support.
We have worked with
national evaluators
Mathematica Policy
Research on another project
and have great respect for
the expertise that they bring
to this project."
The Teacher Incentive
Fund began in 2006 as a way
to support projects that
develop and implement per
formance-based compensa
tion systems for teachers,
principals and other person
nel to increase educator
effectiveness and student
achievement.
The STAR3 program
includes incentives such as
$10,000 signing bonuses to
attract outstanding teachers
in the hard-to-fill subject
areas of math, science.
English as a second lan
guage. and exceptional chil
dren. The school system is
specifically recruiting teach
ers who have met specific
criteria related to improve
ment in student test scores. |
Exercise your muscles
and your heart.
Join the Y.
Marry
(pictured) 15
available for
adoption '
Donate 10 lbs of dog or
cat food and get up to
$50 off
the joining fee.*
Donations benefit the
AmMeals program,
delivering food
to families in need and
enabling them to keep
their furry friends.
YMCA
Of NOtDfWUT MOOT* CAJKXINA
Our mtutor Helping peOQtt rtocti : heir Goa-grven
potenool in iptnt. mmd ond bod y
? www winttonUkt* ymca org ? ())6) //4 'iM
??WW' ? II A>w
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