King William County - Our Schools - In The News....May/June News Here!

Congratulations to the 2011-2012 Teachers of the Year

Support Staff Members of the Year!

It goes without saying that they are exceptional examples of professionalism and an unwavering dedication to the students and teachers of this division!

Each of them will be recognized at the next School Board meeting, June 20th at 7:00 p.m.

Our 2010-2011 Support Staff Members of the Year are...

KWHS Student Athletes Receive Scholarship

Photo by Coach Kerry Johnson

Congratulations to the Recipients of the 2011 King William High School Athletic Booster Scholarship Akeem Holmes and Rylee Mitchell.

HHMS Gentlemen's Club Have Class

Story by Tara Temple
Photo by Stacy Johnson

The Mozart room of the Opus 9 Steakhouse restaurant located in the trendy Newtown Center in Williamsburg, Virginia was filled with excitement on Saturday, June 11, 2011. As you looked inside the room, you could see a wonderfully decorated table with young men dressed in white shirts, blue ties and dark pants seated around the table. The boys sat straight in their chairs with cloth napkins lying over their laps. The personalized menus placed on the table had the words “Hamilton Holmes Gentlemen’s Club” written on the top. HHMS Gentlemen’s Club members attended the restaurant to fulfill a part of the Gentlemen’s Club curriculum, which involved using correct table etiquette at a restaurant. The students were served a four –course meal that included a soup, salad, entrée and dessert. The boys were polite, respectful and courteous. They used their etiquette skills taught to them by a certified etiquette specialist from Virginia State University in Petersburg, Virginia. The trip was enjoyed by all and the students did a wonderful job. Also in attendance were Superintendent, Dr. Mark Jones and his wife, Mrs. Sherrie Jones ; Principal, Dr. Stanley Waskiewicz and his wife, Mrs. Sharon Waskiewicz; Assistant Superintendent of Instruction, Mrs. Stacy Johnson; Facilitators, Mr. Chris Harris and Mrs. Tara Temple-Roane and our volunteers, Dr. Wilbur Talley and Mr. Silas Roane. The HHMS Gentlemen’s Club would like to thank all that supported them in their endeavors this year.

Junior First LEGO® League in King William

Story and Photos by Kris Ross-Erb

The Junior First Lego League (JFLL) program was offered at Cool Spring Primary School (CSPS) and Acquinton Elementary School (AES) this year.  This program featured a real-world challenge, to be solved by research, critical thinking and imagination. Guided by adult coaches, students worked with LEGO elements and moving parts to create solutions and present them for review.   The JFLL was open to all students ages six to nine.  The coach guided the team through the season, facilitating discussion and problem solving along the way. Students created a display that illustrated their research and team journey.  It provided an opportunity for them to share what they studied, what they learned, and how they thought to improve the problem they chose. The Model portion challenged students to build a representation of what they researched (according to the requirements), incorporating simple machines and movements into their creation.  Teams were able to utilize a motor to power movement in their model, or they could move an element of it by hand. This year’s challenge focused on cutting-edge biomedical research.  The AES Lego All-Stars, successful in completing the challenge, chose to research, improve, update, and create models of an ambulance, gurney, and wheelchair.  Third and fourth graders, Mary Slack, Micah Clark, Sedrick Jennings, Spencer Wesson, and Hudson White, were guided through the Challenge process by Coach Amy Slack, seventh grade science teacher at Hamilton Holmes Middle School.

Kindergarteners Present Play to Preschool Class

Story and Photo by Joy Washington

During their library enrichment club a group of kindergarteners focused on the folktale Goldilocks and the Three Bears.  After reading several versions of the story they created their own puppets and backdrop, and then presented the story to a preschool class.  
Caption: CSPS Library Enrichment members

HHMS Art Student Wins at the VSBA Art Show

Story by Tina Oberg, Photo by Mike Embrey

An eighth grade Hamilton-Holmes Middle School art student (Art 8) was the big winner in the 2011 Virginia School Board Association Eastern Regional Art Show.  The student, along with art teacher Tina Oberg, proudly displays the Recognition Award for the first place entry submitted by the HHMS Art Department. The piece was a block print, created by the student this school year. The work will be framed for display in the offices of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Virginia School Boards Association on a rotating basis for the next year.  "This student has brought recognition to herself, her school, and this school division," King William Superintendent Dr. Mark Jones said. "This is an accomplishment of which we are most proud."  

Caption: HHMS Art Student with teacher Tina Oberg

HHMS Student Accepted to Art Leadership Program

Story by Kim Tupponce, Photo by Tina Oberg

A Hamilton-Holmes Middle School Art 8 has been accepted into the "Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Museum Leaders in Training" after-school leadership program for 2011-12. This competitive 12-month program distinguishes up to thirty students in grades 8–12 who exhibit artistic merit, outstanding writing skills, and who receive superior teacher recommendations. As a participant, the student will be mentored by visiting artists, college students, and professional speakers as they develop an understanding of the function of art in society as well as learn how to recognize the merits of others’ works of art. The student will have the opportunity to earn 60+ hours of art-related community service with successful completion of this program.  "I feel that the VMFA Program will open a world of doors for me in my range of artistic abilities," stated the student.

"This is an extraordinary opportunity for such a young artist like Ryan," HHMS art teacher Tina Oberg stated. "This student is an extremely artistic student who really has a passion for art history, so being able to be a part of a program sponsored by the museum will only enhance his love for the visual arts and hopefully help him in any future explorations."

Caption: HHMS Student Accepted to Art Leadership Program

"The Journey Begins" for Cavalier J.V. Softball Team

Story by Barb Baker

The Cavalier J.V. softball team began the year with the motto "Our Journey Begins" and what a trip it has been thus far.  The team is currently 9 and 0 with 173 runs. The Lady Cavs have only given up only 6 runs to their opponents for the entire season thus far.

"I am so lucky to have this group.  They are so special and I have a feeling that there will be a softball state championship in the future for this group of girls (The journey has begun! HA!)” states Coach Barbara Baker.

Showing Strength in Numbers

Story by Joy Washington, Photo by David Rorick

On Tuesday, May 3, the faculty and staff at Cool Spring Primary joined with other members of the education community from across the state and donned the color blue for Teacher Appreciation Day.  The first week in May is Teacher Appreciation Week.  Throughout the week lucky teachers received tokens of appreciation, cards, and even baked goods and luncheons to recognize and show appreciation for the hard

Caption: AES Staff

Reaching Out to Make a Difference at AES

Story by Nicole Davis, Photo by Gail Cassidy

For the last few months, students at Acquinton Elementary School helped raise trout in their classrooms.  Thursday, April 15, was the day they were able to release their fish into the wild, where they will grow, and perhaps be ready to be caught in a couple of years.  The third graders have been caring for the eggs since October and were able to release 29 fish into the South River in Waynesboro, VA.  With this project, Trout in the Classroom, students were able to have an aquarium right in their classroom, which allowed them to watch the trout eggs hatch and grow.  Students learned about habitats as they strived to maintain the aquarium´s water quality and temperature.  After daily testing PH and ammonia levels, students charted the aquarium´s data.   When and if problems occurred, the students had to determine the cause and formulate the solutions.