WS/FCS Phocos
Donna Cannon (back row, left) and Superintendent Dr. Beverly Emory pose with
some of Cannon's students at Diggs-Latham.
Magnets
from page A1
have been the hallmarks
of her tenure, Parker said.
"Our school is evolv
ing and changing, I
believe, in a positive
way," she commented.
"...We have a lot of good
things to offer."
Mineral Springs, the
home of one of the oldest
magnet programs in
Winston-Salem/Forsyth
County Schools, has not
always enjoyed a favor
able reputation, and
Parker said she is con
stantly fighting to help the
community to see her
beloved school in a new
light.
"Schools change," she
said. "People should just
come and take a look and
not just make assumptions
based on the previous his
tory of the school."
The school, which has
a predominantly minority
population, offers many
amenities, from courses in
piano and gymnastics to
an in-house television
broadcast program, a free
after school tutoring pro
gram, a homework room
where students can study
independently and a host
of clubs and activities,
Parker said.
"This year has been a
big emphasis on trying to
get kids involved in their
education and not just
having it be adult-driven."
she explained. "If they
take ownership of their
school, they will be better
students for us."
Parker will have the
chance to tout the many
good things that are going
on at Mineral Springs this
weekend, during the 2014
Wins ton-Sale m/Forsyth
County Schools Magnet
Fair. The fair, which is
slated for Saturday, Jan.
11 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
at the Benton Convention
Center, will introduce
families to the magnet
school concept - and to
the themes available on
the local level - prior to
the Jan. 24 magnet school
application deadline, said
Kimberly Marion, interim
director of Magnet
Schools for WSFCS.
"The purpose of mag
net schools is to offer
choices for students and
parents so that they have
opportunities to connect
students to a particular
interest," she explained.
"Research tells us if we
can tap into children's
interests as early as ele
mentary school, then they
stand a better chance of
graduating from high
school."
Representatives from
each of Winston
Salem/Forsyth County's
19 magnet schools will be
on hand for the annual
event, which is expected
to draw more than 500
attendees.
"You can talk to staff
and students and parents
at the fair," noted Marion,
a former educator and
school administrator. "It's
a chance to meet, face to
face, with real folks to
talk about what's avail
able for your child, as a
parent, or for you, as a
student."
Two thousand thirteen
was a banner year for
local magnets. Hanes
Magnet Middle School,
which has a STEM cur
riculum, was honored as
the nation's top magnet
school when it was desig
nated as the 2013 Dr.
Ronald P. Simpson
Distinguished Merit
Awardee, and Diggs
Latham Elementary and
Reynolds High School
were both honored with
John F. Kennedy Center
for the Performing Arts
School of Excellence in
Arts Education Award,
accounting ior xwo 01
only five schools
statewide to receive the
award this year.
Additionally, Parkland
High School was recog
nized on both the state
and national level for the
improvements it has made
to student achievement.
"Our magnet schools
are very high perform
ing," Marion said. "We're
impacting almost 12,000
students in the district."
The Kennedy Award
has garnered much atten
tion for Diggs-Latham,
yet there are many people
in the community who
still don't know that the
system has an Arts and
Global Studies magnet
option on the elementary
school level, said
Principal Donna Cannon.
The fair offers a welcome
opportunity to spread the
word about Diggs
Latham, which is home to
one of the system's small
est magnet school popula
tions. Cannon said.
"It helps us to show
case what we have here,"
she remarked. "It helps us
to get our name out there."
In keeping with tradi
tion, performances by stu
dents from magnet
schools across the county
will serve as entertain
ment at the fair. For
Diggs-Latham. which
hosted nine in-house per
formances last school
year, the fair presents a
valuable learning oppor
tunity, Cannon said.
"I think it's important
because it just gives us
more exposure," she
noted. "Our kids get excit
ed. It's another chance for
them to perform in front
of an audience and show
case what they've learned,
and that's important."
Students in every
grade level can take
advantage of magnets
across the district, choos
ing among disciplines
such as the arts, language
immersion and interna
tional studies, the
International
Baccalaureate
Programme, and science,
technology, engineering
and math (STEM).
Cannon, who has spent
more than a decade in
local magnets, said she is
hopeful that area families
will consider attending
the fair and discovering
all that magnet schools
have to offer.
"I think magnet
schools are great - they're
great for our kids," she
declared. "It's a definite
advantage for our stu
dents."
The annual magnet
fair will take place from
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on
Saturday, Jan. 11 at the
Benton Convention
Center. Magnet school
applications are open
until 4:30 pm. on Jan. 24.
For more information.
v is i _t
www.wsfcsmagnets .net.
Marion
File Photo
Keith Grandberry and Evelyn Acree pose with Inmar CEO L. David Mounts late
last year at a Winston-Salem Urban League conference and job fair.
Grandberry
from page A1
Grandberry would be leaving, declined
to provide details. She released a short
statement Monday via email.
"Keith Grandberry has verbally
announced his resignation from the
Winston-Salem Urban League," Acree
wrote. "I am not at liberty to discuss
details at this point. I will make a state
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uivill ul u 1uivi umiv.
The change in leader
ship at the agency follows
months of rumors that there
was - acrimony between
Grandberry, who was hired
in 2006, and several mem
bers of the board.
During his tenure,
Grandberry had pushed for
partnerships between the
Urban League - a national
ly-acclaimed agency that
strives for racial equality
through the alleviation of
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tions for job training and employment
purposes. He had also expanded the
agency's offerings beyond Winston
Salem to the Raleigh/Durham area after
the Triangle Urban League branch
foundered a few years ago.
Grandberry's efforts and ambition were
praised by many, but his management
and leadership styles did have detrac
tors.
Urban League Board, Member
Beaufort Bailey, a former County
Commissioner, said he is unaware of
any ill-will between, Urban League
Board members and Grandberry.
"I think he just, wanted to go on to
other things. He's got potential and he's
done so much for us. I think he just
thought it was time for him to spread his
wings a little bit," Bailey said. "...I
think it's time for him to move on. If he
wants to go on to bigger and better
things, I don't think anybody would try
to hinder him from that."
Bailey said he believes Grandberry
will haye a bright future.
"Keith has been wanted other places,
and he just does a tremendous job here
in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County. A
young man like that, you don't expect to
keep him forever," Bailey declared. "We
just appreciate everything
that he's done for the city."
Other board members
weren't as forthcoming.
Longtime members Patrice
Toney and Brian Anthony
declined to comment, refer
ring all inquires to Acree.
Cheavonne Willis, president
of the Winston-Salem Urban
League's Young
Professionals chapter, also
opted not to comment on his
leadership or departure, say
ing the group "isn't able to
make a statement" at this time.
Mayor Allen Joines said he was sur
prised to hear Grandberry was leaving
the agency.
"I've certainly enjoyed working with
Keith on a number of projects over his
tenure," Joines said. "...I certainly wish
him the best in his new endeavors."
The Winston-Salem Urban League
has been operational since the 1950s and
is currently one of just two Urban
League chapters in the state.
Grandberry, whose resume lists a wide
range of non-profit, corporate and polit
ical consulting work, was hired after a
nationwide search to replace the venera
ble Delores "D" Wylie, who headed the
agency for 16 years before her retire
ment in December 2005.
Bailey
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