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September 7, 2000
Vol. 68, No. 36 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
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^7944
Perquima
Weekly
SEP GS
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L.J U
Schools extend hours to help students
.. SUSAN R. HARRIS
: Editor
'-Three Perquimans County
Schools are extending hours to
illow students access to com-
juters and additional time for
•'eading, study, and remedia-
pfoti.
' '“Because we recognize that
.HI students do not have corn-
outers it he home, the school
^s^Stem) feels it is important to
provide additional opportuni-
;ies for our students,” said
Perquimans County Schools
Ihiblic Information Officer
Brenda Lassiter. “We hope that
parents will encourage stu-
ients to stay and use the
5tbdd
t
seeks to
t
cut bus
costs
ANNA GOODWIN MCCARTHY
Correspondent
The Perquimans County
School System wants to lower
the cost of bus rides.
It costs $1,000 a minute to
operate the school buses in
Perquimans County,
Superintendent Gregory Todd
said at last Monday’s school
board meeting.
Todd said last year the
school system went over its
budgeted amount for the cost
of bus rides, while some sur
rounding counties were enjoy
ing budget surpluses in the
same area.
In order to lower the costs,
the superintendent has decid
ed to cut down the hours that
bus drivers are scheduled.
Todd said that this will lower
costs, but it will also have a
major effect on some bus dri
vers. By cutting hours, many
bus drivers schedules are now
imder 4 hours, which means
their benefits will be eliminat
ed.
Todd said he also thought
mahy of the bus drivers are
unhappy with their schedules,
because it takes away some of
their cleaning time.
Bus drivers who will lose
their benefits are being
encouraged to seek extra
hours in different positions
with the school system. By tak
ing on extra hours, they can
regain their benefits package.
Todd said 60 percent of the bus
drivers are already employed
in other capacities with the
schools.
-.. Todd asked the school board
to give him input on the new
schedules.
- Bchool Board Chairman
Walter Leigh said that the
school system should work
closely with the transporta
tion supervisor to monitor the
new conditions. Leigh said
that the school board should
also talk with other systems to
find the most cost-effective
transportation plan.
Currently, the bus drivers’
salaries range from $7.43 to
$10.07 per hour, based on years
of Experience. The county has
34 buses that run each day.
Preliminary reports for this
school year show that over
1,400 students ride each day.
school’s resources.”
The media center at the high
school will remain open until 5
p.m., Monday—Thursday.
Students may work, study,
read, or access the internet,
Microsoft Word or other
resource materials for projects
and reports during the addi
tion hours.
Also offered at the site is a
homework/remediation pro
gram known as seventh period.
Students may get after-school
help in all subject areas.
Students should see the
teacher in any class for a sev
enth-period schedule.
Bus transportation is pro
vided at 4 p.m. Students who
stay until 5 o’clock need to be
picked up.
The middle school also
extends hours through its SOS
program. The program oper
ates Monday—Thursday until
4 p.m. Students may stay at
school to work in the media
center or get help in specific
subject areas. Transportation
is provided immediately fol
lowing SOS.
Beginning Sept. 11, Hertford
Grammar School will keep its
computer lab open
Monday—Thursday until 5
p.m. Students may work, read,
or use the internet, word pro
cessing programs and other
recourses. Parents need to pro
vide transportation.
In addition to extended
hours for computer use and
remediation, the school system
has implemented another
approach to offering increased
opportunities to students this
year. Days were built into the
school calendar to offer addi
tional instructional time for
students who need or desire to
strengthen skills.
Superintendent Gregory
Todd said when he proposed
the additional class days that
the time would allow students
to get extra help before they
fell too far behind. With days
built in each six weeks, stu
dents having a difficult time
grasping a concept can get
help, hopefully understand the
concept, and move on in the
The Festivals are coming!
Darrow to sign autographs at festival
SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
A local celebrity will sign children’s books
he has written and published during the 20th
annual Indian Summer Festival.
Bill Darrow, a Hertford resident with an
interesting and varied professional back
ground, will be at Riverwalk Gallery to sign
copies of his unique, localized children’s
books. The Adventures of CLYDE
PERQUIMANS HERTFORD ALBEMARLE
TURTLE, “Little Laughing Turtle” and “The
Spanish Main and The Pirates,” are books
written and illustrated by Darrow. The
author also penned The Legend of LoneStar
Bear, Books 1 and 2. They are also available
on CD and cassette, which feature Darrow’s
original music.
Writing children’s books is not Darrow’s
only claim to fame. He is also a folk singer.
^ File photos
The 20th annual Indian Summer Festival and the Hearth & Harvest Festival will come
to Perquimans County this weekend. Visitors can step back in time at the Hearth &
Harvest Festival on the grounds of the Newboid-White Historic Site (above), enjoying
old-time crafts, games and entertainment. Performers at the Indian Summer Festival
downtown will include Brittany Perry (below left) and Step of Faith (below right), two
of last year's favorites.
song writer and recording artist, has acted in
movies and commercials, worked as a movie
stuntman, and served as a U.S. Marine Corps
drill instructor, captain of military police
and SWAT commander. He earned degrees in
history and international studies from
Campbell University.
Darrow as the famed Marlboro Man on TV
commercials from 1973-1976. he appeared in
the movie “In Harm’s Way,” which starred
John Wayne and Kirk Douglas. He wrote all
the action scenes for “High Velocity” star
ring Ben Gazzara and Paul Winfield.
Music collections including “My Heart’s
In The Highlands,” “Songs of the Sea,” and
“Away Haul Away” have all been written and
performed by Darrow. Selections include folk
songs, ballads and songs of the sea.
This interesting Perquimian is only one of
many you can meet during Perquimans’ joint
festivals 2000 Saturday.
subject with classmates.
Lassiter said personnel at
the schools are preparing for
the first additional days, set for
Sept. 21 and 22. The processes
and methods used will evolve
as school personnel, students
and parents become more
familiar and comfortable with
the program.
Todd and other school offi
cials believe the extra days can
positively impact student
achievement, Lassiter said.
Test scores and other bench
marks of learning have
improved as students have
taken advantage of programs
like SOS and seventh period.
The extra class days are one
more way to help students
learn and progress on grade
level.
For information on extend
ed hours for
computer/resource use, SOS,
seventh period, remediation
days, volunteering, or other
programs in the schools, con
tact your child’s teacher, the
individual schools or Lassiter.
Phone numbers are: Central
School, 426-5332, Principal
Billy Stallings; Hertford
Grammar, 426-7166, Principal
Ed Williams; Perquimans
Middle, 426-7355, Principal
Anne White; Perquimans
High, 426-5778, Principal
Dwayne Stallings; and central
office, 426-5741, Lassiter.
School system sets
achievement goals
for fiscal year
ANNA GOODWIN MCCARTHY
Correspondent
and
SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
Perquimans County stu
dents will strive to attain high
er achievement goals this year.
Superintendent Gregory
Todd announced the
Perquimans County School
system goals for the 2000-2001
school year at a school board
meeting last Monday night.
The superintendent’s list
stated:
• All schools will meet
expected growth or better on
state ABCs. (Goal met for 1999-
00)
• 80 percent of students in
grades 3-8 will be at or above
grade level in reading and
math. (Grammar school per
centage last year was 70.5 per
cent; Middle school was 76.4
percent.)
• 70 percent of students in
grades 9-12 will be at or above
grade level in courses they
attempt. (1999-00 goal was 65
percent; outcome was 66.3 per
cent according to end-of-course
tests.)
• 70 percent of students in
grade 2 will be at or above
grade level in reading and
math. (Met goal of 60 percent
this year.)
• 50 percent of all students
in grades 2-5 will be at or above
grade level in writing.
(Percentage last year was 55.3
percent in fourth grade, 1.7
percent in third and 22.3 per
cent in fifth.)
• 60 percent of all students
in grades 6-8 will be at or above
grade level in writing.
(Percentage last year was 72.2
percent in seventh grade, 22.8
percent in sixth and 50.3 per
cent in eighth.)
• 60 percent of all students
in grade 10 will be at or above
grade level in writing. (Met
goal of 50 percent last year.)
• 30 percent improvement
in stakeholder satisfaction in
the cleanliness and condition
of school buildings and
grounds.
• 10 percent fewer instruc
tional days lost to non-atten
dance by staff and students
The success of the goals will
be determined by performance
on state end-of-grade tests,
VOCATS, end-of-course tests,
state ABCs, state and local
writing accessments, and a
third grade pre-test in August
2001.
Todd said that teachers
would no longer be pulled from
classrooms during instruction
al time to attend meetings or
staff development.
“We are staying away from
staff development on instruc
tional days,” said Todd.
Since staff are counted
absent on these days, this new
policy will aid in the goal to
decrease the amount of days
lost to non-attendance.
The Gordon Black survey
distributed in March 2001 will
ascertain the opinion towards
the conditions of the school
buildings and grounds. To
insure that the goal is met, the
school board entered into a
service agreement with
Maintenance Supply Co, Inc.
According to the agreement,
the “Perquimans County
Schools and the Maintenance
Supply Consultative Team will
focus on interlocking the most-
modern and efficient cleaning
systems, the most technically
advanced equipment along
with professionally produced
training, teaching and sched
uling plans to create a formula
that will give the partnership
the desired goals.”
Todd said that he spoke with
officials in Currituck and Dare
counties who are using the
company. They were very pos
itive about the company's
effect on their schools, said
Todd.
All of the system-wide goals
are reasonably attainable, said
Todd.
Weekend
Weather
Thursday
High: 78
Low: 61
Partly Cloudy
Friday
High: 81
Low: 66
Partly Cloudy
Saturday
High: 85
Low: 67
Partly Cloudy