Tech company honors Speas for innovative teaching SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE At Speas Elementary School recently, first-grader Chikiya Kinney started the day for her class by stepping up to the interactive white board. By touching it, she moved numbers and images around to create a calendar showing the month and day. With help from other stu dents who opened up the win dow blinds, she moved on to the weather report. And then the whole class was off to China, as teacher Julie Merrill activated a live video feed. Students could look down on a street scene and see first-hand that, although it was morning ifT Winston-Salem, it was night in China. Throughout each day, Merrill uses interactive tech nology for math, reading, sci ence and such activities as building words. The fact that Speas is making technology such an integral part of the school day is one reason that SMART Systems, the compa ny that makes the interactive technology used by the school, named it one of 25 SMART Showcase Elite Schools in the country for 2012. SMART Systems Press Image SMART Systems interactive whiteboards like this one are being used to help local students learn. Speas is one of many schools in the Winston Salem/Forsyth County school system making interactive technology integral to stu dents' education. "It's enhancing what the teachers are trying to teach the kids," said Sara Cook, the principal. The technology enables teachers to do such things as have students enter their answers to questions into the system, enabling the teacher to get immediate feedback, Cook said. "The teacher can know instantly who gets it and who doesn't." Through the live feeds, students can not only visit other countries but also watch bears hibernating, something that students at Speas have done. Speas had some interac tive technology before a reno vation and expansion that was completed during the 2010-11 school year. As part of those improvements, the school sys tem spent a little more than $163,000 to install the tech nology in every classroom, including such specialties as art, music and English as a Second Language (ESL). Sessions to layout Medicare changes I SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE Senior Services, Inc., and the Shepherd's Center of Greater Winston-Salem are offering a workshop for individuals turning 65 (as well as those who already have Medicare) to learn about the different insurance options available, including "Original Medicare," Medicare prescription drug programs. Medicare supple ments and Medicare Advantage plans. Two sessions will be held on Tuesday, May 1 at the Senior Services, 2895 Shorefair Drive from 5:30 7:30 p.m. The sessions are designed to explain and clar ify the Medicare sign-up 1 -MO-MEDICARE (1-800^33-4227) NAME OF BENEFICIARY JAM Ml , PIMAII EFFecrivc date HOSPITAL (PART A) S7-SMSSS MEDICAL (PART ?) S7-SMMS HERE^ 4,ASf\P Jtw V_?X J process and educate atten dees on how to make smart choices. Trained Seniors' Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) counselors will be on hand to answer questions. The session is free and refreshments will be served. Because space is limited, reservations are required. Contact Andi Reese at Senior Services at 721-6957 for more information or to reserve a seat. Carver High honors Honor Roll students SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE Carver High School Principal Ronald Travis sent congratu latory notes to 219 of his students for making the Second Quarter Honor Role. The students were also invited to an Academic Celebration on Wednesday, Feb. 8. Ginger Amos, business partner chairman of the HanesBrands/Carver High School connection, recognized the honor students and gave them $20 gift ? /-i it y?> i J . i ? ?i caras to uoiaen i^orrai. atuaents wno made straight A's received a $50 gift card to the HanesBrand Outlet store, an honor roll certificate and candy. The honor students included sopho more Lucas Brim, who has made the honor roll since he was in elementary school. He wants to go to college and study sports medicine, but he also wants I to play football. Senior Kaitlin Sheppard I has also made honor roll since elemen- I tary school. She wants to be a nurse. Travis Freshman Jasmine Venable says she is encouraged to keep her grades up so that she can play sports. "I can't play sports if I don't have good grades, and 1 want to go to college. I want to study business and culinary arts," she said. Tony Wall, director of Marketing and Btrsiness to Business at HanesBrands, says that honor roll achievement is not the only success they recognize. "We honor Carver kids for many successes. Honor roll is only one. It lends itself to getting them hungry for other suc cesses," Wall said. "It makes them hungry for a better attitude, improved attendance, improved grades, not just straight As, but also pushing those who are potentially at risk. Success breeds success." Have Sleep Apnea? Covered By Medicare? Get CPAP or BiPAP Replacement Supplies at NO COST, plus FREE Home Delivery! We MP you got a rantful ntght? mtaop: e Hrptmtm C?P pM ragutarty to pravar* toadanal e riee paraonafczad uuimuMMiii wrth a alaap apnaa kwcMM e Free homa Jahvary and Mo ?*? Ouarantaa tQNMyStaap.raai dan nor pmri* mftffc it <*agn