King William County - Our Schools - In The News....November/December News Here!
Cool Spring Students Connect
Literature to Life
Connecting literature with life experience, second grade students experienced a visit from one of the Hanover Fire Companies on Wednesday, January 4 in conjunction with their guided reading lesson on the book A Visit to the Fire Station.
Story: Joy Washington
Photo: David Rorick
HHMS Art Students Visit the VMFA
On December 15, 2011, Hamilton Holmes Middle School Art 8 classes attended a field trip to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond. As Art 8 students walked throughout the 13.5 acre, newly renovated museum they were asked to complete a scavenger hunt worksheet. Students also experienced a guided "Highlights Tour" where they viewed an extensive collection of more than twenty-three thousand works of art that spans over 6,000 years of history and represents many different cultures. "My overall experience at the VMFA was very eye opening, a student said. "I really enjoyed seeing art from so many different cultures, every time I stepped into a separate room a new vibe just came over me."
Story & Photo: Tina Oberg
KWHS NHS Sponsor Warm Clothing Drive
The King William High School Chapter of the National Honor Society (NHS), students and staff worked together to collect hats, scarves, and mittens. The warm clothing adorned a tree located in the KWHS library and served as a reminder to students of the importance of giving. The drive began on December 5th and ended December 16th with over one hundred warm clothing items collected. The donations were given to Peanut Butter and Jelly, a ministry of Sharon Baptist Church.
The King William High School National Honor Society, led by Kimberly Hicks and Vivian Watts, promoted a warm clothing event and encouraged all students and staff to donate. It is the mission of the NHS to create enthusiasm for scholarship, to stimulate a desire to render service, to promote leadership, and to develop character. Already this year, the NHS has participated in several community service projects, including: cleaning up Route 30, participating in tutoring at the high school and elementary levels, and assisting the Head Start program. Community service is an integral part of the National Honor Society. NHS members are required to doante ten hours per semester towards community service and an additional five hours towards tutoring.
Through the warm clothing drive and other community based service projects, the KWHS NHS is reminded that there is no greater reward during the holiday season than the gift of giving.
Story: Michelle Yates
Photo: Kim Hicks
King William High School Celebrates Two Outstanding
Seniors Recognized by the 2011 Wendy's
High School Heisman Program
King William High School congratulates two students for recently being named School Winners for the prestigious Wendy's High School Heisman Award. These students were chosen because they excel in academics, athletics, and community/school leadership. They will move on to the next round of judging in this National Competition.
The Wendy's High School Heisman celebrates the achievements of the nation's top high school seniors both in and out of the classroom. Just as the collegiate Heisman is known for being the highest award in college football, the Wendy's High School Heisman award is recognized as the most esteemed award at the high school level as it encourages future leadership by acknowledging well-rounded students.
"These students are an inspiration to those around them and will honorably represent their school in the next stage of Wendy's High School Heisman award judging," said Archie Griffin, the only two-time winner of the Heisman Memoral Trophy and Wendy's High School Heisman program spokesperson. "I'm proud to be a part of a program that honors young men and women who embody the spirit of the Heisman tradition of hard work, dedication and an outstanding record both on and off the field."
One male and one female from each high school are selected as School Winners from the nearly 48,000 applicants nationwide. From there, two state finalists are selected. The field is narrowed down to 12 National Finalists, who will receive an all-expense paid trip to New York City, where they will attend the Wendy's High School Heisman Award Ceremony, celebrating the two National Winners.
Story & Photo: Michelle Yates
Fractals
Fifth grade classes at Acquinton Elementary School did activities using Fractals in Math, Science, and during ENCORE. Fractals are self-similar, repeating patterns. Students were able to reinforce their measuring skills as well as their mathematical thinking skills as they created such patterns as: Sierpinski's Triangle, Carpet and Pyramid, Fractal Wallpaper, and Decalcomania. The students enjoyed creating these patterns and they are eager to continue learning about Fractals.
Story: Kimberly Burnette
Acquinton Celebrates Native
American Heritage Month
Students in the thrid grade at Acquinton Elementary School (AES) celebrated Native American Heritage Month in November by reading books about the first Thanksgiving. Students read about Native American, Squanto, and how he taught the Pilgrims to plant corn, beans and squash. These plants are often referred to as the Three Sisters, because all three plants work together to help each other survive and grow. Students created the Three Sisters and wrote a paragraph about how the Native Americans and Pilgrims worked together like the plants. Students also made examples of Indian corn, like the corn Native Americans taught the Pilgrims to plant.
Story: Krystle Yarbrough
KWHS VA STARS Host Event
King William High School students held their second "Bridging The Gap" event on November 18, 2011. The event is the culmination of all the hard work students have done as part of the program Virginia Student Training and Refurbishment Program (VA STARS). Under the guidance of Program Director Joe Harper, the STAR students refurbish computers donated to King William County by government agencies. Using informational technology skills taught by Mr. Harper, students are able to refurbish computers to be used either by the county or by the community.
At this year's event high school students were targeted to receive the refurbished computers. After some research, Mr. Harper was surprised at how many high school students did not have a working computer at home. "In today's world high school students must have the appropriate tools to compete with their peers," states Mr. Harper. Over 27 students received their own computers thanks to the program.
The King William Public Schools Educational Foundation (info@kwauditorium.org) Board of Directors President William Ballard was on hand to speak to the students and to represent the foundation.
The next scheduled event will be in late February. If there are community partners interested in the STARS Program please contact: Mike Embrey at membrey@kwcps.k12.va.us or at (804) 769-3434, ext. 525.
Story & Photo: Mike Embrey, ITRS
KWHS NHS Helps Keep Route 30 Clean
Members of the King William High School National Honor Society (NHS) as well as parent and teacher volunteers spent their Sunday afternoon, November 13, 2011, picking up litter along a two-mile stretch of Route 30. The group of 32 volunteers collected over 30 bags of trash during the recent clean-up. The NHS adopted a portion of the roadway seven years ago and has been cleaning it diligently ever since.
The Adopt-a-Highway program was created by the Virginia Department of Transportation in an effort to keep our roads clean and to provide volunteers with a rewarding opportunity to show pride in their community. Families, businesses, civic and church groups are encouraged to participate. To find out which roads are in need of adoption, visit VDOT's website at www.VDOT.Virginia.gov.
Story: Michelle Yates
Photo: Kim Hicks
KWHS Students Know All the Angles
To review angles and angle relationships in geometry, Mrs. Poles' geometry students completed a project entitled "Lines and Angles in the Real World." For this project, the students had to find examples of different types of angles and angle relationships in real world settings and put together their examples in a PowerPoint presentation or a poster. Most students chose to complete a PowerPoint and several students presented their projects in class. Four young ladies were chosen to present their projects at the November Administrators' Meeting. Ms. Poles stated, "I was very proud of these ladies and all my students for the time and effort they put into their projects. I wanted them to see and appreciate the importance of geometry in their world."
Story: Allena Poles, Math Teacher
Photo: Mike Embrey, ITRS
KWHS Chapter of the National Honor Society
Induction Ceremony Held
The King William High School Chapter of the National Honor Society (NHS) held its annual Induction Ceremony on Tuesday, November 1, 2011. The ceremony was led by the president and advisors, Mrs. Kimberly Hicks and Mrs. Vivian Watts. The NHS proudly inducted 17 members. Each student was chosen because he or she exhibits characteristics of the Four Pillars: Scholarship, Leadership, Character, and Service. Selection was made by members of the faculty council appointed by principal, Mrs. Andrea Sparks-Brown. Members must have and maintain at 3.3 grade point average and continue to uphold all of the pillars of the honor society.
Story: Michelle Yates
Photo: Vivian Watts
Acquinton Fourth Graders Participate in
MathScience Innovation Center Field Trip
In November, all the fourth grade classes took a field trip to the MathScience Innovation Center. We learned about weather and weather instruments. We learned what a barometer measures, how a weather vane works, why a thermometer is shielded from the sun, and what catches precipitation. Inside the center we did a simulation of a weather disaster. Some students were newscasters. Another student was in charge of the video camera. Students watched the weather instruments as a storm approached and gathered information needed to broadcast the disaster. The fourth grade students had lots of fun learning about weather!
Recycling Team Keeps HHMS Clean and Green
The Hamilton Holmes Middle School Recycling Team works diligently throughout the school year to collect recyclable materials from classrooms. Right now the team is leading HHMS through the Recycle Bowl contest that began on October 17 and continues until November 12. The students on the team collect recycling from all around the school and deposit the materials into the recycling cans. For the contest, these cans are weighed at each pick up. The school in each state that collects the most recycling based on per capita area wins, but only recyclable material that is generated at school is allowed to be collected for the Recycle Bowl competition. This is a chance for HHMS to become state recycling winners of a $1000 prize and possibly nation-wide winners of a $2500 prize. HHMS is competing against nine other Virginia schools and 1,207 schools nation-wide. Visit http://www.recycle-bowl.org for more information about the contest.
The Recycling Team is also kicking off a Coca Cola cap contest for HHMS. Help HHMS get some cool supplies for academic and related arts classes through the My Coke Rewards Program. Start saving caps off all Coke products including: Sprite, Coke, Diet Coke, Mr. Pibb, and Dasani flavored water. Save the tear-off ends of 12-packs and the codes on the bottom of Dasani 24-packs, too! Turn these in to the Coke containers that can be found in each homebase classroom at HHMS. Grade levels will compete against each other for the most caps and 12-pack codes turned in. Each week the codes will be collected and counted, and the grade level that has collected the most caps at the end of the year will win a prize! To learn more, visit http://www.mycokerewards.com on the web or contat Mrs. Wendy Lipscomb, recycling team sponsor, at wlipscomb@kwcps.k12.va.us.
Story: Kim Tupponce
Students Visit Museum
On Tuesday, November 15th, nineteen Native-American students from King William County Public Schools visited the Pamunkey Indian Museum. The students learned about the Pamunkey people and their way of life from the Ice Age to the present. In addition to visiting the museum, the students visited the school house and the building where the pottery is made.
KWHS NHS Helps Keep Route 30 Clean
Members of the King William High School National Honor Society (NHS) as well as parent and teacher volunteers spent their Sunday afternoon, November 13, 2011, picking up litter along a two-mile stretch of Route 30. The group of 32 volunteers collected over 30 bags of trash during the recent clean-up. The NHS adopted a portion of the roadway seven years ago and has been cleaning it diligently ever since.
The Adopt-a-Highway program was created by the Virginia Department of Transportation in an effort to keep our roads clean and to provide volunteers with a rewarding opportunity to show pride in their community. Families, businesses, civic and church groups are encouraged to participate. To find out which roads are in need of adoption, visit VDOT's website at www.VDOT.Virginia.gov.
Story: Michelle Yates
Photo: Kim Hicks